We’re halfway through the 80s and metal is now 15 years old. The genre has come a long way from its Black and Purple roots, spawning numerous subgenres along the way. One such subgenre, thrash metal, dominates this year’s list. We also see the mainstream and melodic sounds of MTV friendly metal make one last hurrah before thrash fully takes over in ’86, as well as a couple entries that are credited for sowing the seeds of death metal. All that and more in our Top 10 Metal Albums of 1985.
10. Dio – Sacred Heart
After two solo opuses that towed the line between recondite and radio friendly, Dio released arguably the most polished album of his career, Sacred Heart. Despite the increased reliance on synths and singalong choruses (“Rock ‘n’ Roll Children”, “Hungry for Heaven”), there was still no shortage of thought provoking, pseudo-fantastical lyrics (“Sacred Heart”), as well as piping hot solos and riffage from Vivian Campbell. Unfortunately, Sacred Heart would be the last collaboration between Dio and Campbell, who had a massive falling out over creative differences and money. Dio would go on to recruit young hotshot guitarist after young hotshot guitarist, but things were never the same. Meanwhile, Campbell would go onto bigger and…uh…bigger things as a member of Whitesnake and eventually Def Leppard, the latter who he’s played with for nearly 30 years. I just wish Dio and Campbell could’ve reconciled before Dio’s untimely passing. Even for a “streamlined” release, Sacred Heart is just too damn strong to ignore.
9. Megadeth – Killing is My Business…and Business is Good!!!
Some folks are inspired by their dreams. Others are inspired by a picturesque sunset. And if you’re Dave Mustaine in 1985, you’re inspired by cheap beer, crystal meth, and an appetite for revenge. We all know the story: In 1983, Metallica kicked out Dave Mustaine for reasons that vary depending on which member you ask. In a short span of time, Metallica established themselves as the world’s premiere thrash metal band, leaving Mustaine in the dust. One could say Megadeth was born the day Mustaine rode that Greyhound bus back to Los Angeles. It took a series of lineup changes and roughly a year and a half of songwriting and practice, but Mustaine accomplished his mission of making an album faster, angrier, and more extreme than Metallica. Killing is My Business is one of the most vitriolic albums ever recorded. Mustaine touches on everything from sex (“These Boots”, “Mechanix”) and Satanism (“Skull Beneath the Skin”) to metal (“Rattlehead”) and murder (“Last Rites / Loved to Death”, “Killing is My Business…and Business is Good!”) in all his pissed off glory. Joining him for the raging ride are David Ellefson on bass, Chris Poland on guitars, and Gar Samuelson on drums. Although this lineup only recorded two albums, it’s understandable why many say they were the best lineup. Killing is My Business is a huge reason why.
8. Anthrax – Spreading the Disease
A lot changed in a year for Anthrax. By 1985, they had replaced original Rob Halford inspired shrieker Neil Turbin with the Ronnie James Dio meets Steve Perry power vocals of Joey Belladona. Their music had also evolved as evidenced by their second album, Spreading the Disease. Gone were the high speed NWOBHM flavored headbangers. For this album, Anthrax doubled down on the hard hitting mosh riffs that’d make them a household name. Cuts like “A.I.R.”, “Lone Justice”, and “Gung-Ho” let Anthrax’s peers know there’s more to thrash than breakneck aggression. Over 35 years on and all of these songs are bound to get the pit started. This newfound toughness wasn’t the only development in Anthrax’s sound. They also incorporated elements of traditional metal and hard rock on “Medusa”, “Armed and Dangerous” (the intro always reminded me of Priest meets Rush), and “Madhouse”, which earned them airtime on MTV.
7. Accept – Metal Heart
After breaking into the American market with the unexpected success of 1983’s Balls to the Wall, Accept were poised for superstardom. All they needed was that crossover record which would appeal to headbangers and non-headbangers alike. For fellow countrymen Scorpions, that album was Love at First Sting, which sold over 3 million copies and spawned numerous hits on both sides of the dial. For Accept, that album should’ve been Metal Heart…and it did nothing. Well, not exactly “nothing”. An epilepsy inducing video for “Midnight Mover” got minor MTV airplay, but that was about it. It’s really a shame because Metal Heart deserved so much more. It’s got epic euro anthems (“Metal Heart”, “Bound to Fail”) and breakneck speedsters (“Wrong is Right”) for the denim and leather clad crowd, as well as simple pop metal singalongs for everyone else (“Screaming for a Love-Bite”, “Up to the Limit”, “Living for Tonite”). Both styles are done with equal integrity, making for a traditional metal gem.
6. Lizzy Borden – Love You to Pieces
What do you get when you combine the gruesome lyrical themes of Alice Cooper, the prime musicianship of Iron Maiden, and the operatic vocals of King Diamond? You get Lizzy Borden’s debut album, Love You to Pieces. The band first caught the attention of the metal faithful in 1984 with their debut EP, Give ‘Em the Axe. It was merely a taste of what was to come. Love You to Pieces lies oddly somewhere between traditional metal/hard rock and US power metal. It’s got its powerful moments (“Council for the Cauldron”, “Red Rum”, “Godiva”), but also unabashed displays of hooks and melody (“American Metal”, “Save Me”, “Psychopath”). For this reason, it didn’t live up to it’s full commercial potential, but that’s alright. We here at Defenders of the Faith recognize it as the sixth best metal album of 1985.
5. Dokken – Under Lock and Key
I’m not sure what else I can say about Dokken’s Under Lock and Key that I didn’t already say in my From My Collection entry on it. A flawless amalgamation of high energy heavy metal, hook laden hard rock, and powerfully passionate AOR, Under Lock and Key sees Dokken at the peak of their songwriting and musical abilities. The duo of Don Dokken and George Lynch drew similarities to that of David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen, albeit with vocals equally as virtuosic as the guitars. It may be the second greatest album in the history of glam metal, only behind W.A.S.P.’s self titled debut which will forever be the GOAT. That said, Dokken strongly objects to being labelled as glam metal and you can’t blame him. Few of his poodle haired peers could touch the fire of “Lightnin’ Strikes Again” or “Til the Livin’ End”.
4. Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion
A world away from the feel good hard and heaviness of our last entry, Celtic Frost took metal to depths of darkness previous unheard of. Their first two EPs, Morbid Tales (1984) and Emperor’s Return (1985), were merely warmups for what would be their magnum opus, To Mega Therion. The riffs and lyrics concocted by Tom G. Warrior are some of the bleakest and blackest known to man. Add to that the band’s penchant for avant-garde adventurism and gothic gloom and you’ve got one of metal’s most unique masterpieces. It’s no wonder Celtic Frost’s influence wouldn’t be properly felt for years to come. Thrashers weren’t exactly hungry for vast arrangements and slow Sabbathian riffs. Sure Celtic Frost could thrash with the best of them. Just listen to “Circle of the Tyrants”, “Jewel Throne”, and “Eternal Summer” for reference. That said, these thrashy moments were merely undertones of a much broader sonic palette.
3. Possessed – Seven Churches
Who invented death metal? The question has been asked from the moment death metal was born. Although the exact date may vary depending on who you ask, most would make the case that the genre came to be in 1985 with the release of this here album, Possessed’s Seven Churches. To those who dismiss it as “just another thrash album”, sorry, but I strongly disagree. The riffs, vocals, rhythms, and all around atmosphere are far deadlier than your average Metallica or Anthrax album. What’s even more insane is to think that nearly all the members of Possessed were teenagers when they recorded this. Were they conscious they were helping develop what would become one of metal’s most prominent subgenres with songs like “The Exorcist”, “Fallen Angel”, and the song that gave the genre its name, “Death Metal”? Of course not, but frontman Jeff Becerra wears the “godfather of death metal” badge with honor. However, there was one other album from 1985 that can equally be argued as “the first death metal album”…
2. Slayer – Hell Awaits
…and that album is Slayer’s Hell Awaits. By the time Slayer released their sophomore full length, they had the biggest following in thrash metal behind only Metallica. 1983’s Show No Mercy established them as no nonsense purists with a love for Judas Priest, Venom, and Discharge. But by the time 1984’s Haunting the Chapel EP dropped, something had happened. Slayer didn’t sound like any of those bands anymore. In fact, they didn’t sound like anybody! Nobody had heard anything like “Chemical Warfare” or “Captor of Sin”. Little did the metal underground know that Slayer was merely setting the stage for what many consider to be their finest hour, Hell Awaits. When I was growing up and getting into metal, I’d hear some old schoolers say that Hell Awaits was “the first death metal album”. At 13 years old, I thought that was the biggest stretch. To me, Slayer was as textbook thrash metal as a band could get. Now at 22, I’m starting to believe more and more that this really is ground zero for death metal. Sure Tom Araya isn’t growling the way we expect a death metal frontman to, but get a load of Dave Lombardo’s brain battering drums and the corpse ripping riffs of Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman (i.e. “Hell Awaits”, “Kill Again”, “At Dawn They Sleep”). Now listen to the riffs on Morbid Angel’s Altar of Madness released four years later. Trey Azagthoth must’ve listened to this album religiously when it dropped.
- Exodus – Bonded by Blood
Oddly enough, the greatest metal album of 1985 was supposed to be the greatest metal album of 1984. By the time Exodus’ debut album, Bonded by Blood, hit the shelves, the hype was through the roof. It had been recorded in the summer of 1984 and was circulated via bootleg tapes among tape traders until its official release on April 25, 1985. For me, this album is the epitome of thrash metal. There’s no slow songs, no intelligent lyricism, no overproduction, no bullshit. Just 40 minutes of non-stop high speed mosh mania. Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt’s riffs are aped by just about every thrash band to this day, while the brash charisma of Paul Baloff remains untouched. Every song is a banger and a half, from the anthemic opening title track to the vicious “Strike of the Beast”. Exodus would go on to have a lengthy career and remain a metal mainstay, but even they would agree they’d never reach the heights of Bonded by Blood again. How could you? It’s musical lighting in a bottle AKA “THE EXODUS ATTACK”!!!
Honorable Mentions
- Bathory – The Return……
- Destruction – Infernal Overkill
- Helloween – Walls of Jericho
- Kreator – Endless Pain
- Pentagram – Pentagram