And in a blink of an eye, round #3 is upon us. If the first twenty haiku snuck under your radar, you can catch up right’chere. And if you’re interested in a quick summary of precisely what’s going on:
The purpose of this list is pretty simple: A means to assuage an ailing mind and make me feel a little better about some of my favorite metal from the 80s being left off the Last Rites collective list.
So, yes, I’ll be throwing a total of fifty additional 80s’ metal albums under the spotlight that have become very near and dear to my heart over these many years.
Again, many of these releases are available through a few different avenues, so be sure to check themetaldetektor to see who’s still delivering the goods.
This week’s adventure: More sassy bangs and tight-fitting costumes than a Xanadu convention, but with much, much, much better music.
• • • • •
Abattoir – Vicious Attack
Released: 1985 on Combat Records
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Style: Feed Your Need for Early Speed
Status: On hold
Sample: “Game of Death”
~ French for “slaughterhouse”
How do you say “speed” in French?
Accélérer, chump ~
• • • • •
Liege Lord – Master Control
Released: 1988 on Metal Blade Records
Location: Stamford, Connecticut, USA
Style: Puffy Power/Speed Metal that’s Not Afraid of White Denim
Status: Active
Sample: “Fear Itself”
~ Walkmans, puffy shoes
Mullets and Super Contra
This in a nutshell ~
• • • • •
Protector – Golem
Released: 1988 on Atom H Records
Location: Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany
Style: Death/Thrash Metal with Space Cake for Dessert
Status: Active
R.I.P. Michael Hasse
Sample: “Megalomania”
~ Gritty thrash metal
Of Teutonic persuasion
We Krauts ain’t all bad ~
• • • • •
Piledriver – Metal Inquisition
Released: 1986 on Cobra Records
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Style: What the Fuck’s Wrong with that Guy Metal
Status: Active (As The Exalted Piledriver)
Sample: “Witch Hunt”
~ Everyone expects
The metal inquisition
If your mask has spikes ~
• • • • •
Tank – Filth Hounds of Hades
Released: 1982 on Kamaglage Records
Location: London, England, UK
Style: Dirty NWOBHM with Lemmy Approval
Status: Doubly active: One and Two
Sample: “Shellshock”
~ Tank is now two bands
Two tanks are better than one?
Tanks for the Tanks, Tank ~
• • • • •
Realm – Endless War
Released: 1988 on Roadrunner Records
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Style: Intricate Power/Speed/Thrash/Tech/All-Over-the-GD-Board Metal
Status: Split up
Sample: “Fate’s Wind”
~ Old Milwaukee’s best
No, not the beer, you ramrod
The joint’s choicest thrash ~
• • • • •
Heavy Load – Death or Glory
Released: 1982 on Thuderload Records
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Style: Heavy Fucking Metal with Multiple Wardrobe Changes
Status: Split up
Sample: “Daybreak Ecstasy”
~ Here comes Heavy Load
Launching right into your face
Keepin’ it classy ~
• • • • •
Crimson Glory – Crimson Glory
Released: 1986 on Par Records
Location: Sarasota, Florida, USA
Style: Power Metal Trick or Treating
Status: Active
R.I.P. John Patrick “Midnight” McDonald
Sample: “Dragon Lady”
~ Dumb masks, fluffy hair
Acid-wash jeans and leather
Power metal gold ~
• • • • •
Hexx – Under the Spell
Released: 1986 on Roadrunner Records
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Style: Bay Area Melodic Power/Speed Metal that Should’ve Gotten More Love
Status: Split up
Sample: “Edge of Death”
~ Hexx with two X’s
One X short of triple X
No donkey punches? ~
• • • • •
Warlord – and the Canons of Destruction Have Begun…
Released: 1984 on Metal Blade Records
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Style: Helmet-Haired Power Metal
Status: Active
Sample: “Black Mass”
~ Might’ve been Christian
Or just ‘positive’ metal
Look at that blessed hair ~
• • • • •
