The Heavy Metal Crown 1976-1979

I was torn between Stained Class and...Van Halen? Yes, really. The truth is, I love a lot of the songs on Stained Class--and I'm a HUGE Judas Priest fan--but I was, to be honest, a toddler when these records came out. I grew up in the 80's, with 80's production sounds. By the time I discovered Judas Priest, circa Defenders Of The Faith, I had a hard time initially getting into the very dated-sounding production of Priest's 70's-era catalog. You have to understand that, as a kid, there is "your music" and there is "dad music." Anything recorded before 1983 just sounded like "dad music" to my adolescent ears. So, while I enjoy those albums now, I have fonder memories of the Van Halen. It sounded fuller, more modern. It was easier to relate to as a youth.

Both albums also had ridiculous amounts of cultural impact, albeit VH's was perhaps more mainstream and far-reaching: Stained Class, with songs like "Exciter," basically invented a new subgenre of music; Van Halen, with it's introduction of Eddie's unique and revolutionary playing style, changed how a lot of musicians played guitar in any genre.

I love Judas Priest to death; they've released some of the most important music to ever reach my ears. And I've rarely seen a patchier, more uneven career than that of Van Halen. But if it's down to the albums listed, I'm going to be unpopular here and choose the latter. Sorry.


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STIGMATADOR wrote:

I was torn between Stained Class and...Van Halen? Yes, really. The truth is, I love a lot of the songs on Stained Class--and I'm a HUGE Judas Priest fan--but I was, to be honest, a toddler when these records came out. I grew up in the 80's, with 80's production sounds. By the time I discovered Judas Priest, circa Defenders Of The Faith, I had a hard time initially getting into the very dated-sounding production of Priest's 70's-era catalog. You have to understand that, as a kid, there is "your music" and there is "dad music." Anything recorded before 1983 just sounded like "dad music" to my adolescent ears. So, while I enjoy those albums now, I have fonder memories of the Van Halen. It sounded fuller, more modern. It was easier to relate to as a youth.

Both albums also had ridiculous amounts of cultural impact, albeit VH's was perhaps more mainstream and far-reaching: Stained Class, with songs like "Exciter," basically invented a new subgenre of music; Van Halen, with it's introduction of Eddie's unique and revolutionary playing style, changed how a lot of musicians played guitar in any genre.

I love Judas Priest to death; they've released some of the most important music to ever reach my ears. And I've rarely seen a patchier, more uneven career than that of Van Halen. But if it's down to the albums listed, I'm going to be unpopular here and choose the latter. Sorry.


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That was cool reading. Thanks for posting your reasoning.

Stained Class

Hell Bent for Leather...... I almost picked VH but Halford is, after all, the " Metal God "
Can't argue with God, metal or otherwise.

Hell Bent for Leather was my fav Priest record when I was a kid, and stayed that way for a long time. Today, my fav is a toss up between Sad Wings and Sin After Sin. Although, I think Stained Class may be the most important album as far as genre developement. I like the 80s records, but not nearly as much as these four.

I'll vote for Stained Class.

I really don't care about AC/DC and VH. I went through a big AC/DC kick in 1981, then never went back. I was never a Van Halen fan.

Hell Bent for me.

Wargod51

Stained Class, with VH 1 second.

Hell Bent for me slightly before Stained

With four of the six choices being Judas Priest, it's no surprise that Priest has a commanding lead.

"Stained Class" and "Hell Bent for Leather" are pretty much blueprints to heavy metal!

Everybody says that Judas Priest's British Steel was the template for 'modern metal' on most documentaries, articles etc, but IMO Judas Priest's Hellbent for Leather could lay to that claim, shorter punchier songs, catchy chrous, twin leads and even their image of all black leather came together during this era.

manny wrote:

Everybody says that Judas Priest's British Steel was the template for 'modern metal' on most documentaries, articles etc, but IMO Judas Priest's Hellbent for Leather could lay to that claim, shorter punchier songs, catchy chrous, twin leads and even their image of all black leather came together during this era.

Yep - and it laid the foundation for BS

manny wrote:

Everybody says that Judas Priest's British Steel was the template for 'modern metal' on most documentaries, articles etc, but IMO Judas Priest's Hellbent for Leather could lay to that claim, shorter punchier songs, catchy chrous, twin leads and even their image of all black leather came together during this era.

I think British Steel is Hellbent part 2 in a way...

manny wrote:

Everybody says that Judas Priest's British Steel was the template for 'modern metal' on most documentaries, articles etc, but IMO Judas Priest's Hellbent for Leather could lay to that claim, shorter punchier songs, catchy chrous, twin leads and even their image of all black leather came together during this era.

Good point.

Again, I'll vote for a live album that's not on the list....



While I love Priest's studio albums from this era, Unleashed is still my preferred way to listen to many of these songs. Very similar to how I feel about Kiss Alive.

Of the albums listed I would choose Sin After Sin.

For me the contest here is really between Van Halen's debut and Judas Priest's Hell Bent For Leather.

The latter was the first Priest album I got and heard. Despite the sentimental value, the album also saw Priest break away from their 70s style changing into a heavier, faster and all out more aggressive direction. This album is really a bridge between the an album like Stained Class and British Steel - between the old and the new Priest sound. Ultimately I feel that due to this album we ended up getting a heavier and I dare say more influential sounding Priest.

In the other corner is an album which revolutionised the guitar sound and went beyond influencing just a handful of bands - it paved the way for a whole new decade of heavy metal. Something that very few other bands have achieved, especially so early in their careers. For me, VH's debut sounds as fresh in 2011 as it did in 2000 and as it did in 1993 - you get the picture. If music was the key to immortality then this album is it. No riff, solo, bass line or chorus sounds a day older than when it was first recorded. The production is also sleek sounding and far ahead of its time. Not only that but it also sounds better than what most other bands achieved years later, including even today.

It's a tough choice and these are two bands that I love immensely and have been part of my listening experience for many years. Despite my relative younger age compared to those of you who experienced the days when these albums were still fresh releases, I must say these albums defined my tastes in metal and have to become to some enviable extent a measuring stick in my discovery of other bands.

Enviable because I wish modern bands had the same flare and creativity as both Van Halen and Judas Priest. I wish it were still possible to turn on MTV and discover a slew of bands like these (much like I did back in the early 90s whilst I was grasping onto the final wave of metal in the mainstream). Alas times have changed but those albums will forever be there.

Having said all that, I'll go with Van Halen only because this album sparked a whole new generation of guitarists and metal bands that we ended up getting in the 1980s. Otherwise I'd call it a draw.

detuned wrote:

Of the albums listed I would choose Sin After Sin.

finally, someone else who can hear it.

Sin After Sin IS a great album, but for me Stained Class is the album I heard first, so it always takes preference for me, but I think it's slightly heavier as well.

With that said though, Dissident Aggressor alone kicks the smurf poo out other heavy bands in the 70's.