1983 Heavy Metal TAKES OVER THE WORLD!

I like Holy Diver a lot but for some reason I've always been more partial to Last in Line. I think the title track on Last In Line is a lot more epic than anything on Holy Diver but I rank both albums about the same. They're both epic and classic releases.

Wow, what a year. However, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I went with the first metal album that was brought into my house. The Crue's SHOUT AT THE DEVIL. A Xmas gift from my mom.

Thanks Mom! And thanks to the chick that worked at the store that suggested this album to my Mom.

Toss up between my favorite Iron Maiden album and Kill 'Em All. I went with Kill 'Em All because of the influence that it had. Piece of Mind, while a great album, didn't break any new ground. Metallica (and Slayer) were in the process of creating a new genre of metal.

Ozzy

Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind no contest. The best album by any band any era.

Kill 'Em All.

Really tough one. I went with Accept, but there are other favourites on the list, namely Sirens and headhunter.

Sinistar wrote:

I wanted to vote for Raven this year. Well, as my fav anyway, Kill 'em All was the game changer, plus Mercyful Fate was more state of the art.

All For One is a magnificent album.

I'd still have voted Kill 'Em All, for the same reason.

KILL 'EM ALL

Awesome year for Metal indeed.

Mercyful Fate- Melissa

I love a lot of those other titles up there so this was tough, but if I have to pick one this would be it. Great album from beginning to end.

I remember my best friend back in 1983 took a plane to California to see the US Festival on Memorial Day weekend '83. I remember it being a big thing that still resonates even today. What a line-up and what a day of hard rock/heavy metal (day 2).

Alex Dee Rokket wrote:

stepcousin wrote:

...

Dokken - Breaking the Chains

...

Queensrÿche - Queensrÿche

...

Saxon - Power & the Glory

Yes those albums too - damn so much good stuff came out!

Power & The Glory is classic Saxon through and through. Just before their more commercial wave of albums this would prove to be the last of the 'classic' Saxon era. Very strong material on here.

Dokken's Breaking the Chains is an underrated gem. It's often overshadowed by other Dokken albums that came out in mid - late 80s but this is still a solid release. If anything it is the beginning of Dokken's style. A bit unrefined but the band showed what they could do with this release.

Oh yeah, I love Saxon "Power And The Glory", I love the tone of the guitars and just overall sound kicks *ss. In my opinion, it was their culmination of everything they'd done up to that point, they would never again be like that band again (although they regained momentom later and are still great these days). But I couldda sworn this album came out in 1982, not '83.

As for Dokken, this album basically came out in '81, but I didnt hear it until it's '83 release. I agree about you saying it's solid yet unrefined, their peak would come with their next album, but that's a topic for the '84 thread coming soon.

What an awesome year. I remember when these release came out and looking back a few years later and (to me) understanding that this is where metal 'split'. Before everything was just 'heavy metal' with maybe a descriptor attached to a band but it was clear that certain bands/cds were the originators of certain styles /genres/or image-focus:
--Quiet Riot-metal health
--Motley Crue-shout at the devil
--Slayer-show no mercy
--Metallica-kill 'em all
--Dio-holy diver
etc etc
(I first heard Accept's restless and wild in early '83 and always group it with these albums in my brain)

stepcousin wrote:

I remember my best friend back in 1983 took a plane to California to see the US Festival on Memorial Day weekend '83. I remember it being a big thing that still resonates even today. What a line-up and what a day of hard rock/heavy metal (day 2).

I was there too. Kick @$$ show Only band missiong was

My vote should probably go for Metallica and "Kill 'Em All", since it's not only my favorite album, but it also contains my favorite Metallica song of all time in "The Four Horsemen"...With that being said, I'm going with Def Leppard and "Pyromania". This album is responsible for getting me into the genre known as heavy metal, and for that reason, I will pay homage.

1. Def Leppard - Pyromania
2. Metallica - Kill 'Em All
3. Mötley Crüe - Shout at The Devil (2nd album I bought after Pyromania)
4. Dio - Holy Diver
5. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind

I went with Maiden. But, seriously, they're all great albums.

Holy Diver


Dio's high-water mark in a stellar career. I really think that album in amazing in how it can be slow but still menacingly heavy.

Dio \m/

1. Def Leppard
2. Mötley Crue
3. Metallica

what a year...

Voted Metallica!

I finally chose -
Mötley Crüe - Shout at the Devil

It was Quiet Riot and Ratt that had me more interested , but when I seen an interview and promo pics of what looked like " a new KISS", (as KISS kind of disappeared), I KNEW I had to get the Crue album when it came out.

Had no idea for 6 months there was one released before it, as the mags I was buying like Hit Parader and Circus never mentioned it I think.

Time to bump a few of these threads, since we have a new voter among us.

^I assume you're talking about me, haha thank you. Well, for this year "Piece of Mind" is easily my favorite. That is just a beautiful, flawless piece of music! There are a number of albums I would have liked to have seen in this poll (Exciter's "Heavy Metal Maniac" and Oz's "Fire in the Brain", to name a few) but I still would have voted for PoM no matter what. I absolutely LOVE that album!!

Nico wrote:

^I assume you're talking about me, haha thank you. Well, for this year "Piece of Mind" is easily my favorite. That is just a beautiful, flawless piece of music! There are a number of albums I would have liked to have seen in this poll (Exciter's "Heavy Metal Maniac" and Oz's "Fire in the Brain", to name a few) but I still would have voted for PoM no matter what. I absolutely LOVE that album!!

Yes I am, welcome...I see that you're a big Metal Church fan. I love their first two records, unfortunately I didn't follow them much after David Wayne. There's a poll on the second page in here regarding Metal Church and their first two albums.

Thanks for the greeting. Yeah, the first two albums with Mike Howe have their moments, but the two albums with the original line-up are really, really special to me!!