Mercyful Fate “Melissa” (1983)

Melissa unleashed the dark majesty of Mercyful Fate on welcoming hordes of eager metalheads ready to set sail on a lake of fire, the band picking up where Priest left off with their late 70's platters of pain and injecting an elevated sophistication and malevolence embodied in the angelic blasphemor wails of King Diamond. While the edge of Melissa's sacrifical blade is slightly dulled by the tangled fortress "Satan's Fall" on side two, the purity of purpose in classics like "Evil," grave robbing "Curse of the Pharaohs," and the pummeling "Black Funeral" let loose such torrents of spectral ferocity and hell-spawned riffage that Melissa stands as an all-consuming plethora of wicked delights. –Ben

Black Sabbath “Never Say Die!” (1978)

This was a pleasant surprise because I'd heard so many bad things about this album both from critics and the band themselves. Stories of being too drugged up to continue in the studio don't seem to gel with the final product, which sounds crisp and well mixed to me, the spectacular drumming up front and Ozzy's vocals not sounding in the least druggy. I guess there's a lot to be said about post production. But the songs to me sound better and more musically adventurous than those on Sabotage or even the Dio era albums that followed. Particular highlights are the psychy, wah wah feel of Junior's Eyes and Iommi's riffage on Shock Wave. All in all, I really don't think it was a bad album for Ozzy to bow out on. –Neal

Metallica “Ride the Lightning” (1984)

Like everyone else my age, The Black Album was the introduction into metal and the undeniable force known as, Metallica. So, obviously I had to do a bit of working backwards to familiarize myself with their other (heavier) albums. I came to enjoy all of their 80’s material, but Ride the Lightning struck me the hardest with its tremendous sound that was brought to the forefront by James Hetfield’s growling voice, Lars Ulrich’s powerful drumming, Kirk Hammett’s severely commanding guitar playing, and Cliff Burton’s intense bass. Each member proved to be pivotal to the genius sound they created on this record and while, Master of Puppets usually gets all the accolades for being their finest, I still come back to this one much more and truly feel that it’s by far the greatest thrash metal album of all-time. –Jason

Thin Lizzy “Jailbreak” (1976)

Containing the only two Thin Lizzy tracks you're ever likely to hear on the restricted playlists of classic rock radio in the US, with the barroom nostalgia of "The Boys Are Back in Town" and tight-fisted title track, Jailbreak has become the most recognized release of the band's existence. In many ways, the album simply carries on from Fighting in it's mix of classic Lizzy rockers featuring generous amounts of their signature dual guitar sound, and an abundance of mellower songs highlighting Lynott's penchant for romantic lyricism. The heavier tracks are some of the band's best yet, with the bold "Warriors" and battlefield tale "Emerald," but the band turns in some stellar easygoing entries like the wistful "Cowboy Song," catchy "Running Back," and broken-hearted "Romeo and the Lonely Girl." Throughout, Lynott's expressive vocals and the band's high-caliber musicianship add an earnestness to the material, without sacrificing the power at the band's core. –Ben

Blue Öyster Cult “Tyranny and Mutation” (1973)

With considerably more vivid production and a greater focus on riff and rhythm than on atmosphere—and even more cryptic lyrics—the second BOC LP is superior to their debut by a dark country mile. The self-mythologizing continues, even picking up where the first record left off, with a revisitation of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as some kind of secret Fascist society on the ferocious garage-burner “The Red & the Black.” The decadence and debauchery that threaded through their eponymous is in even stronger evidence here, too, with tracks such as the bluesy “O.D.’d on Life Itself” and the fiery proto-punk of “Hot Rails to Hell,” which anticipates bands like the Damned (albeit with the screwed-down-tight musicianship that make BOC’s early records such a treat and the contemporaneous live shows legendary). The album gets stranger as it progresses, with talk of Diz Busters, a Baby Ice Dog, and one of the band’s most bizarre creations, that Mistress of the Salmon Salt, who, moreover, is a Quicklime Girl. Zany might be the best word to describe the content here: they were often referred to as the “American Black Sabbath,” but the appellation only fits to the extent that BOC are similarly dark in their themes and can bring the Heavy when it’s called for: otherwise, these guys are punkier (Patti Smith was a close connection and occasional co-writer at the time), at once more traditionalist and more experimental (think the chug-chugging of the incipient Detroit punk scene crossed with the theatrical arrangements of Killer-era Alice Cooper and you’re on the right track), and a whole lot funnier than Birmingham’s doom purveyors. –Will

Metallica “Kill ‘Em All” (1983)

The blood soaked hammer that adorns Metallica's debut serves as an ample warning to those who would drop the needle on this violent platter, as the Bay Area 'bangers cut loose throughout Kill 'em All, barking with fury as every track is sent into the red with unrestrained aggression. This is the sound of metal-obsessed fans stripping away the fat and then dishing out the lean leftovers with a new, ultra-heavy direction, Kill 'em All serving as a statement of dedication to the denim 'n' leather lifestyle, alone in service to the almighty riff. Adrenaline pumping rallying cries to the metal masses like "Whiplash," "Hit the Lights," and "Motorbreath" are delivered at breakneck speed, while Metallica rides crushing grooves on tunes like "The Four Horsemen" and "Seek and Destroy." Although the band pushes the sound of their NWoBHM influences to it's extreme, the fact that they have the skill and smarts to adopt the catchiness that ran through those imported sides is one of the key factors that elevates Kill 'em All to it's lofty position. –Ben

Spinal Tap “This Is Spinal Tap” (1984)

The soundtrack to Spinal Tap's cult rockumentary serves as the only easy place to hear highlights from long out of print, impossible to find albums like Brainhammer, Shark Sandwich, and Bent For The Rent, with classics like the onstage anthem "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You," the squalid "Hell Hole," and sexual throb of "Big Bottom" and #5 Japanese hit "Sex Farm" leading the charge. Tap's regrettable flirtations with progressive rock are represented by "Stonehenge," and the ill-timed '77 release "Rock And Roll Creation," the album also featuring the previously unreleased Tufnel composition, "America," and both sides of the band's pre-Tap Thamesmen 7-inch, "Gimmie Some Money/Cups and Cakes," both fine examples of the so called "Squatneybeat" sound that gripped the UK for 3 days in 1965. Until the long promised Tap reissues arrive ("A lot of our music they won’t put out on CD because it’s too vibrant." - David St. Hubbins), This Is Spinal Tap is your best bet for a taste of the Tap. –Ben

Ace Frehley “Ace Frehley” (1978)

Ace was always the coolest member of KISS, his couldn't care less attitude contrasting with poutin' Paul and the demon, and his meat and potatoes guitar style featuring a wide, spaced out vibrato, was central to the KISS sound. It's no shock that of the four '78 solo albums, Ace's is always the favorite, and I'd go as far to say it stacks up against any of the original KISS studio sides. The key is Ace's lack of ambition, Ace Frehley being a straight-ahead hard rock record with few deviations. "Rip It Out" drops the hammer as the deliriously wasted "Ozone," scatterbrained "Wiped-Out" and snortin' slammer "Snowblind" draw you into Ace's chemically-addled world. Ace manages to mix things up as well, his cover of the Russ Ballard penned glam-stomp "New York Groove" turning into a hit, "What's on Your Mind?" being a hidden power pop gem, and the album closes with the cool chill-out instrumental, "Fractured Mirror." –Ben

Lucifer's Friend “Lucifer's Friend” (1970)

This album is many things: proto-metal, progressive hard-rock, early doom-metal. It's also a rewarding listen for any fan of these genres. As one of the earliest examples of progressive hard-rock it is also interesting from a historical point of view. Not all of their experiments work, as you would expect, but more often than not they pull it off, producing some remarkable music along the way. The album opens in spectacular fashion with some scary vocals followed by chugging guitar and some siren like blasts of horn. It sounds familiar. Must've been used in some film or other. The next song "Everybody's Clown" - one of three songs over the six minute mark - sounds like a cross between Sabbath and early Purple. The next two tracks are studies in doom. "Keep Goin'" alternates a doomy blues riff with an almost 60s pop hook. "Toxic Shadows" (a great 'doom' title!) uses another blues riff to kick things off. Both feature respectable guitar solos and some imaginative accompaniment from the rhythm section. The weirdly titled "In the Time of Job When Mammon Was a Yippie" is ... weird ... but catchy, with some nice hooks. The album closes with (what should be) a(nother) doom classic, the title track. An excellent album! –Jim

Rainbow “Rising” (1976)

As a blossoming Deep Purple fan 'Rising' was my introduction to Ritchie Blackmore's post-Purple work and although I was initially ambivalent about the sound and Dio's voice I've since come to love this music which, has also helped me appreciate Dio's stint with Black Sabbath a lot more. After a debut album that fiddled with some of Ritchie Blackmore's ideas, 'Rising' sounds more like a band effort and everything about the sound has got heavier. Dio's lyrics took me a while to get used to but they sound tailor-made for this kind of dramatic heavy rock and his voice is so good it doesn't matter matter what is said. The first side of 'Rising' is made up of short, punchy heavy rock songs with "Do You Close Your Eyes" being the album's weakest track and a mood lightener before the album's two big statements, "Stargazer and "A Light In The Black". "Stargazer" is a huge undertaking that demands nothing but the best from the people involved. The heavy drone is sustained for eight and a half minutes and Dio's range is tested in trying to match the constant thunder of the music. "A Light In The Black" is my personal favorite moment of the album, proving that this line-up could rock as hard as anybody. Cozy Powell drives the song along, allowing Dio to swoop and fly vocally, and Tony Carey takes on Ritchie Blackmore in a furious solo battle that brings out the best from both. The album's a bit short and there isn't a huge amount of variation but 'Rising' contains six good tracks and at least two essentials. –Tom

Scorpions “In Trance” (1975)

Three albums in and Scorpions are settling into an eccentric, decidedly European mix of piercing Teutonic fury and abject gothic balladry that would hallmark future Uli-era triumphs Virgin Killer and Taken by Force. In Trance features only a handful of hard rockers, but the manic, psyche-searing opener "Dark Lady" (featuring oddly appropriate lead vocals by Roth), tightly-clenched stomp of "Top of the Bill," and weird, lost in translation "Robot Man" are all stinging entries, while "Longing for Fire" stands out as an unusual, brightly melodic moment. But it's those troubled, moonlit strolls into balladry that really define the dark undercurrent of In Trance, with the mesmerizing title track, black veiled "Living and Dying," and thunderous declarations "Evening Wind" and "Life's Like a River" cementing the album under waves of isolation and melancholia. Only the lumbering blues "Sun in my Hand" hints at a loss of plot, one of Roth's weirder Hendrix tributes that's at least partially redeemed in his floating, Floydian instrumental "Night Lights" that closes the album. –Ben

Thin Lizzy “Fighting” (1975)

My favourite Thin Lizzy album. Which puts me in a minority, for sure, but I shouldn't have to defend my assertion that this is hookier than Jailbreak (even if it doesn't reach that one's highest heights), more consistent than Johnny the Fox, and retains the sleazy feel that's more or less buffed away from the overly polished Bad Reputation. This is their most underrated album by far. All the elements of the sound for which they're best known (twin guitar attack, tense aggression, funky basslines, soulful melodicism and lyricism, etc., pick your cliché) are here in the freshest form; none of the cold metal posturing has crept in; and just about every song has an excitement that's infectious and totally addictive, especially "Rosalie," which is rock 'n' roll manna. –Will

UFO “Phenomenon” (1974)

A good example of a band that didn't achieve the success that matched the quality of their talent, would be, without a doubt, UFO. All of the ingredients were present, a guitar hero (Michael Schenker), a unique vocalist (Phil Mogg), a solid rhythm section, the power pop sensibilities of Cheap Trick and monster Sabbath riffs. Really, what more could a mid-seventies rock band need to be arena rock monsters. Their failure to appeal to the masses is a bit of a head-scratchier? Then again, as a teenager, I myself, considered them to be a B-level act. At the time, I wasn’t interested in subtleties, I was interested in rocking...hard. For some reason, diversity was alright for Led Zeppelin, but not for many others. It had to be loud, aggressive or progressive to cut through the hormonal fueled muck that was my sixteen year old brain. Still, somewhere in my self conscious, Phenomenon made an impression which led me to rediscover a hidden gem of an album and in turn, helped me rediscover UFO, All those years ago, my primitive mind could only wrap itself around “Rock Bottom” and “Doctor Doctor”. At the time, I considered these two, they only songs worth listening to on the entire album. The former built on a turbo charged upbeat intro riff, a half-time tempo shift and a classic seventies extended solo break in which Schenker pulls out all stops. The later was highlighted by tasteful fills and a bouncing shuffle beat, but what made these tracks stand out, was that they were the heaviest songs on this record. And HEAVY mattered more then anything. Now, older and wiser, I realize the album didn't come close to ending there. “Too Young To Know” and “Oh My” are straight ahead root rockers, with earthy grooves and blues hooks the Stones made a somewhat nice living on. “Time on My Hands”, “Space Child” and “Crystal Light” are folkie ballads with stick-in-your-head melodies and unexpected twists. “Space Child” in particular, stands out with its’ loose structure and gripping solo. Less successful are “Built for Comfort”, which is a poor mans “Lemon Song”, and “Queen of the Deep”, which somewhat boldly meshes the folkie-UFO with the big riff-UFO, but misfires a bit in the attempt and fades just when it starts building momentum. The only real clunker is “Lipstick Traces”, which is basically just clichéd seventies filler. Believe me, these are small complaints. All in all, Phenomenon is not a Zeppelin album, but it would fit nicely in the same disc changer. –Rat Salad

Armageddon “Armageddon” (1975)

Shaggy proto-metal stretched and contorted into long winded, progressive forms, second tier supergroup Armageddon recall the similarly assembled Captain Beyond in both form and execution, both bands in fact sharing a member in drummer Bobby Caldwell. Ex-Yardbirds and Renaissance vocalist Keith Relf fronts the group, while Steamhammer’s Martin Pugh lays down piercing, wah-washed guitar on the circling “Buzzard,” slashes and burns through the frantic “Paths and Planes and Future Gains,” and works a heavy funk riff ala Zeppelin and Budgie on “Last Stand Before.” Elsewhere there’s the glassy tones of the ethereal “Silver Tightrope,” and the album concludes with a rambiling, multi-part suite in “Basking in the White of the Midnight Sun.” An impressive, semi-obscure heavy gem that any fan of bludgeoning bell-bottom rock should enjoy surrendering to. –Ben

Black Sabbath “Master of Reality” (1971)

The beautiful thing thing about the first few Black Sabbath records is that, although they’re the heaviest, darkest, and most extreme representations of electric guitar driven music at that time, it’s the kind of thing a five year old could get down to at first listen. Their undeniably satisfying grooves, hooks, and drive leave them sounding as easily digestible as Creedence Clearwater Revival, only dipped in wax and plugged through a marshall stack in the dark. Master Of Reality, Sabbath’s third testament, is probably their darkest. From the black haze of a cover and heaviest album title of all time, to guitar tone that sounds like the amps took bong rips, the record has enough vibe to spook a horse. The songs are laid back and seem to exercise groove endurance, giving the effect of psychedelia through hypnotism. Juxtaposing the fuzz are two short mellow instrumentals and the angelic “solitude,” which sounds like a candle glowing under the ocean. Art of the highest order and accessible to all walks. if you haven’t yet gotten down, I suggest getting down immediately. -Alex

Captain Beyond “Captain Beyond” (1972)

Psychedelic rock emerging from its Technicolor cocoon as a decidedly more metallic butterfly. This is one of the first metal albums and still one of the best. It runs through a quick half hour of seriously kick-ass riffs and tricky rhythms that would suffice to leave some of us sufficiently breathless were it not also for the stoner imagery and a general atmosphere of stoopid awesomeness that I find transporting—despite myself. Sure, it gets overly dopey towards the end, but most of its listeners are doped up by that point, anyway. Guitar, bass, and drums manna for those of us who like that sort of thing. As for the rest of you... well, who asked you, anyway? Highly recommended late-night listening. –Ben

Iron Maiden “The Number of the Beast” (1982)

This is Heavy Metal before the genre had all of the Rock & Roll stripped away from it. Because it still has those roots, the album is refreshingly soulful and full of rich textures. Not to worry, though, it’s still plenty fast and heavy. “Invaders” crawls under your skin and sticks with you longer than the written-to-be-catchy chorus of the album’s big hit, “Run for the Hills.” Said hit is also a stellar track, however, as is the haunting “Children of the Damned.” Not to put too fine a point on it, but “Number of the Beast” rules! If you think that Iron Maiden is hokey, dated or “Satanic,” and you haven’t actually taken to time to listen to their work, then you are doing yourself a great disservice. Don’t confuse this classic with the throwaway nostalgia that was released by scores of imitators a few years later. Intricate, pounding, powerful and creative - if those are words that describe good music to you, then look no further than “Number of the Beast.” –Lucas

Judas Priest “Stained Class” (1978)

From it’s chrome dome cover down through a production job as dry as a sun baked skeleton, Judas Priest’s “Stained Class” is a tight-fisted onslaught of gleaming metal riffs overlaid with Rob Halford’s villainous vocals and earsplitting screams. With the buzzsaw guitars of “Tipton and Downing” sending blue sparks of electricity through the rallying cry “Exciter,” other-worldly attackers of “Invader,” and burnt human cinders littering “Stained Class,” the album is both a frowning indictment and energizing call to rock without reservation. The band’s Spooky Tooth cover, “Better by You, Better Than Me” is an instantly infectious groover, while on the other end of the spectrum lies morbid suicide solution, “Beyond the Realms of Death.” Another bulletproof set from the masters in their prime. Fall to your knees and repent if you please! –Ben

Blue Öyster Cult “Blue Öyster Cult” (1972)

Long before the mega-hits “Godzilla” and “(Dont Fear) The Reaper” roamed FM radio waves there lived a different kind of creature: “Blue Öyster Cult” the album. Everything about BÖC is unique: from their mysterious name, the umlaut over the Ö and the famous hook and cross logo to the cryptic lyrics and their instantly recognizable sound. Nowhere is their uniqueness more apparent than on this classic self-titled debut. The music lies somewhere between psychedelia and heavy metal and the cover features black and white op-art that perfectly captures the sci-fi and horror themes inside. My favorite tracks are the classic “Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll,” the tripped out “Screams,” the even trippier “She’s as Beautiful as a Foot” and the country-rock of “Redeemed” with it’s beautiful harmonies. All I can say is: “More Cowbell!” –David