Most of metal-heads would agree that the eighties were the best time for heavy metal music, a lot of great and defining albums were released in this decade, older fans would talk about it with nostalgia and younger fans still listen to the metal music of the 80's, this decade witnessed the beginning of bands like Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Guns N' Roses, Pantera and others that later became music titans, and bands like Metallica & Slayer still to this days sell arena and stadiums playing lists that is made mostly from their songs from this era.
Different people have different best albums, but there are some albums that really defined the careers of their bands, and were really awesome
Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
One of the best metal albums ever, and it is near impossible to find someone who would disagree with that, their 3rd album featuring Cliff Burton's last work as the bassist of Metallica, great music and lyrics that confirm how talented the members of metallica are, from the 1st song you can hear the tempo changes, heavy music and great melodies that made Metallica what they are today, the great drumming style of Lars Ulrich, the solos of Kirk Hammett, and the genius James Hetfield, with songs like "Master of Puppets", "Sanitarium" and "Battery" that are still great to listen to, and a must in any metallica concert, and when a band with a career like Metallica could play a whole album live, it shows how good this album is
GNR - Appetite for Destruction (1987)
The debut album for Guns N Roses, and the album that made this band very successful, featuring the great solos of slash and the energetic front man Axle Rose, the album sounds great 20 years later and features some great songs like "Paradise City", "Sweet Child o' Mine" and "Welcome to the Jungle" that are considered classics
Slayer - Reign in Blood (1986)
Heavy and Fast, and Brutal, in the less than half hour running time of this album, there is a number of drum beats that exceeds and change the idea of what is possible, from the time you hear Tom Araya's scream in the beginning of "Angel of death" till you hear the rain drops in the end of "raining blood", you are met with nonstop heavy music that is a great experience for any real metal fan
Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz (1981)
Randy Rhoads is considered a guitar genius and one of the best guitarists ever, and this album shows why, the first album for Ozzy as a solo singer, with classics like "Crazy train" and "Mr. Crowley" and controversial songs like "Suicide Solution" this album became one of highest selling and most celebrated albums for Ozzy, when he was one of the best singers in metal ever- before he was turned into a real life Homer Simpson by a reality show-
There are a lot of great albums from this era, albums that still sound fresh till now, all the albums that Metallica and slayer and Megadeth released in this decade are a personal favorite to me specially "and Justice For all"- and of course other millions, and there are the NWOBHM bands that really enriched the metal scene in this era, bands like Iron maiden, Motorhead and Judas Priest, and albums like "Number of the beast" & "Ace Of Spades", there are the hair metal bands and Bon Jovi' albums, the list could go on and on, there were a lot of great albums in this decade, so I chose those four albums as they were a defining moment in the bands' careers and in the whole heavy metal scene.
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