1982 is comin’ for you! A few short years after the NWOBHM’s inception and a handful of bands are picking up traction fast. Saxon reaches arena status in Europe and tours like dogs across the U.S. in hopes of achieving the same. Def Leppard continues to build their American fanbase as well by touring endlessly. And Iron Maiden reaches heights previously unimaginable thanks to the addition of Bruce Dickinson, but more on that later. In other personnel shakeup news, Ronnie James Dio exits Black Sabbath after creative tensions with Tony Iommi and Fast Eddie Clarke exits Motörhead to start the more commercial friendly Fastway. Needless to say, it was an eventful year was a hell of a soundtrack. Here’s our Top 10 Metal Albums of 1982.
10. Twisted Sister – Under the Blade
Despite earning a reputation as the biggest and baddest rock n’ roll band in all of New York, Twisted Sister couldn’t get a record deal if their lives depended on it. During the era of disco balls and skinny ties, the last thing bigwig record executives wanted to sign was a band that sounded and looked like Sweet on steroids. But a decade of hard work finally paid off when a foray into the Euro market landed them a deal with the underground punk label, Secret Records. It was Secret who’d capitalize on Twisted Sister’s hype by releasing their debut album, Under the Blade. Although Twisted Sister was a metal band at heart, it made sense a punk label handle such a release. The snarling vocals of Dee Snider, raw production, and savage riffs had much more in common with other metalpunk acts of the time, like Plasmatics or Motörhead, than Judas Priest or Scorpions. Highlights include the adrenalizing “What You Don’t Know”, the glam rock romp that is “Shoot ‘Em Down”, the motörcharged speed of “Tear It Loose”, and of course, Tipper Gore’s favorite track, “Under the Blade”. The title cut would gain infamy a few years later as the US government claimed it was a graphic depiction of sadomasochism. In reality, it chronicled guitarist Eddie Ojeda’s wisdom tooth surgery. Yep, gotta love it.
9. Witchfinder General – Death Penalty
In a world where metal was getting faster and faster, it wasn’t the most fashionable thing to slow it down. Keep in mind that at this point, Black Sabbath had reinvented themselves into full blown ultra metallic fire breathing stallions. The doom and gloom of the 70s was an all but distant, drugged out memory. Not for Witchfinder General. These four lads from Stourbridge bowed reverently at the altar of Osbourne, Iommi, Butler, and Ward. The riffs on their debut full length, Death Penalty, recall the primal darkness of Iommi on Sabbath’s debut just 12 years earlier. Enigmatic frontman Zeeb Parkes delivers the most Osbourne-esque vocal performance in the history of doom metal, or at least next to Count Raven’s Dan Fondelius. Even the lyrical content, ranging from sex (“No Stayer”) and drugs (“Free Country”) to society (“Invisible Hate”) and pseduo-occultism (“R.I.P.”), scream Sabbath. It’d take a few more years for the doom metal train to fully get rolling, but you can thank Witchfinder General for helping lay down the track.
8. Scorpions – Blackout
Although Scorpions’ last two albums (1979’s Lovedrive and 1980’s Animal Magnetism) were brazen efforts to shake the mid 70s leanings of the Uli Jon Roth era, they didn’t fully embrace the new frontier until Blackout. There were more bizarre lyrics, technical intricacies, or freaked out guitar solos. From this point forward, Scorpions only had two modes: short, sharp Euro power shock (“Blackout”, “Now!”, “Dynamite”) or melodic pop metal powerhouse (“No One Like You”, “Can’t Live Without You”, “When the Smoke is Going Down”). The latter would earn them mass FM airplay, MTV exposure, and permanent arena headliner status here in the States. Granted as the years rolled on, Scorpions would start to lose their way, becoming too focused on the polished, radio centric side of things. However, Blackout stands as a stunning example on how to make a metal record that’ll be enjoyed by metalheads and non-metalheads alike.
7. Michael Schenker Group – Assault Attack
Revenge is sweet! Scorpions may have long eclipsed ex-guitarist Michael Schenker in record sales, ticket sales, and all around recognition, but in the battle of 1982, Schenker wins by a landslide with his finest post-UFO/Scorpions offering, Assault Attack. You see, besides his groundbreaking guitar skills, Assault Attack had one thing going for it that Blackout didn’t: Graham Bonnet. Although Bonnet had released a solo album a year earlier, Line-Up, by and large, most hadn’t heard his sonic boom of a voice since Rainbow’s Down to Earth (1979). It was a match made in heavy metal heaven. Cuts like “Samurai”, “Desert Song”, and the colossal title track are textbook examples of metal that’s both melodic and powerful. It’s too bad this incarnation of Michael Schenker Group couldn’t keep it together. More specifically, Bonnet couldn’t keep it together, after drunkenly exposing himself to an audience midperformance. This led to his termination from the band. One can only imagine what they 80s would’ve held for MSG had things gone differently.
6. Accept – Restless and Wild
“Hi-dee, hi-do, hi-da. Hi-dee, hi-do, hi-da. Hi-de, hi-do, hi-da ah ha ha ha ha ha ha. Hi-dee, hi-” *scratches* “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” The intro, perhaps the most famous in metal history next to Black Sabbath‘s self titled debut, speaks for itself. Just as The Rolling Stones were the antithesis to The Beatles, and Sabbath was the antithesis to Zeppelin, Accept was the antithesis to Scorpions. Sure they had their melodic moments (“Don’t Go Stealing My Soul Away” anyone?), but between Udo Dirkschneider’s shrill vocals and the Teutonic fury of Wolf Hofmann, there was no way Accept was getting on mainstream rock radio…at least not for now. With “Fast as a Shark” turning speed metal’s intensity level up to 1,000, it’s no wonder Metallica, Slayer, and thrash in general arrived one short year later. Other standouts include the anthemic title track, the raging “Flash Rockin’ Man”, and the epic “Princess of the Dawn”.
5. Uriah Heep – Abominog
Believe it or not, I really try to leave my personal bias out of these Top 10s. That said, this entry may be the greatest example of my bias since Unleashed’s exclusion from the Top 10 Swedish Death Metal Albums list. How can an album of half covers by a band who hadn’t been relevant since the mid 70s earn a spot on a Top 10 list? Allow me to respond to your question with another question. When was the last time you heard Russ Ballard’s “On the Rebound”? Or John Mellencamp’s “Hot Night in a Cold Town”? Or The Bliss Band’s “That’s the Way It Is”? You haven’t. Matter of fact, prior to Uriah Heep’s rendition of “That’s the Way It Is”, I had never even heard of The Bliss Band and neither have you. Much like Blue Öyster Cult’s Fire of Unknown Origin released a year earlier, Abominog towed the line between heavy metal/hard rock and pop/new wave so perfectly. In a perfect world, this would’ve been the album that catapulted the metal pioneers back to headliner status. Mind you, the original compositions on here are rather strong too. “Too Scared to Run” and “Sell Your Soul” go toe to toe with the heaviest headbanging tracks of the day.
4. Venom – Black Metal
If Accept’s Restless and Wild was the tip of the iceberg for what was to come in heavy metal, then Venom’s Black Metal was the whole damn iceberg. The maniacal horde’s sophomore effort picked up right where their 1981 debut, Welcome to Hell, left off. Some argue that this release is slightly more “polished” and “restrained” in comparison to Welcome to Hell. It is, but don’t think for a second that means there’s a radio friendly cut on here, because there isn’t. If anything, all of these songs would be candidates for Tipper Gore’s infamous Filthy 15 list. Heavy metal? Check (“Black Metal”). Hell? Check (“To Hell and Back”, “Leave Me in Hell”). Shock Satanism? Check (“Buried Alive”, “Sacrifice”). Serial killers? Check (“Countess Bathory”). And of course, the icing on the cake is an explicit teacher/student fantasy that predates Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” by two years (“Teacher’s Pet”). Could Edward and Alex have been getting down to the infernal sound of Venom? Anything’s possible.
3. KISS – Creatures of the Night
Two albums of disco flavored pop rock and a misunderstood rock opera later, KISS were on life support. The KISS Army, a once healthy fanbase of millions, had now been downsized to a few loyal thousand across the nation. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had to think FAST. What could they do to make up for a few years of creative reinvention? It was simple: Take it back to where it began. Creatures of the Night was a throwback to the raw and rocking KISS of yore, although processed through an 80s metal filter. This was largely due in part to the addition of hotshot guitarist Vinnie Vincent, who despite not appearing on the cover, played on most of the album and co-wrote three songs: “I Love it Loud”, “I Still Love You”, and “Killer”. The aide of outside writers Adam Mitchell, Jim Vallance, and Bryan Adams helped as well. Yes, “Summer of ’69” Bryan Adams, who co-wrote “Rock and Roll Hell” (originally recorded by some bizarre incarnation of Bachman-Turner Overdrive) and “War Machine”. That’s right. The man who sang such sap as “Please Forgive Me” and “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” helped create one of the heaviest songs in KISStory. The more you know!
2. Judas Priest – Screaming for Vengeance
If it were up to the whim of some random higher ups at Columbia Records, Judas Priest very well could’ve gone down a similar misguided path as KISS. Their 1981 album, Point of Entry, was a blatant example of commercial interference in the creative process. I’ve always enjoyed it. Matter of fact, I prefer it over British Steel (that’s right, I said it). But do you really think the Judas Priest of Hell Bent for Leather and British Steel would’ve recorded songs like “Don’t Go” and “Turning Circles” without some corporate prodding? I don’t. Nevertheless, the Metal Gods redeemed themselves with an absolute landmark, Screaming for Vengeance. From the opening notes to “The Hellion”, Priest was ready to do business the heavy way. The album is chock full of scorching hot headbangers such as “Riding on the Wind”, “Screaming for Vengeance”, and “Electric Eye”. The incorporation of hard rock tinged tracks like “Fever”, “(Take These) Chains”, and their biggest hit of all, “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”, made for an enjoyable balance that would be doubled down on their following album (and this site’s namesake), Defenders of the Faith, but more on that in 1984.
- Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast
“Woe to you, oh Earth and Sea
For the Devil sends the beast with wrath because he knows the time is short…
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast for it is a human number
Its number is six hundred and sixty six”
1982 was the year everything changed for Iron Maiden. After sacking Paul Di’Anno a year prior due to his cocaine addiction, the band brought in ex-Samson frontman Bruce Dickinson for their third album, The Number of the Beast. They say “third time’s the charm” and this album may be the greatest example of such. For TNOTB, Maiden shed any and all past punk influences, shifting focus instead towards lengthy, intricate, progressive pieces. This was beyond heavy metal. This was high art. Bruce Dickinson’s operatic vocal delivery is tailor made for tales like “Children of the Damned”, “22 Acacia Avenue”, and the grand finale, “Hallowed Be Thy Name”. Guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith play with a level of confidence previously unheard. Their twin guitar attack can only be described as theatrical. Holding it all down is principal lyricist and founder Steve Harris, whose bass playing is as melodic as it is rhythmic, as well as drummer Clive Burr who’d depart after this release. If nothing else, Iron Maiden was the mediator between Stained Class era Judas Priest and Mercyful Fate. Their unique brand of metal raised the bar 666 notches higher for every band that’d follow.
Honorable Mentions
- Anvil – Metal on Metal
- Krokus – One Vice at a Time
- Motörhead – Iron Fist
- Picture – Diamond Dreamer
- Y&T – Black Tiger