Retro Reviews - April 2025 Part Two!!

I thought about changing things up with a different article, but I was just such in a mood for more classic releases that I figured I'd just write up another one!  I've also realized that there are a lot of albums from 1985 that I want to talk about, so getting a head start on those seemed like a good idea.  Get out some patches for your denim jacket, because it's time for some classic metal!!

Manilla Road - Invasion

It's hard to talk about the US power metal scene of the 80s without bringing up this band.  Between these guys, Omen, Riot, and Manowar, they created a style that may not have been the biggest during the decade, but certainly cemented a legacy that would inspire others around the world.  However, when Manilla Road got started, they were much more in the vein of heavy space rock.

My immediate thoughts is that this is like a blend of southern-friend rock with some early Rush.  I admit Mark Shelton's gruff vocals help lend the band that southern sound, but it works for the kind of stuff they're doing.  Much of the riffing is on the noodly side, making me think of Alex Lifeson in particular, but the songs focus on jams more than organized sections or transitions.  Scott Park's bass in particular has a tendency to drone on a rhythm or groove, letting Shelton go nuts on guitar, and the atmosphere they create is not bad.  The production can be a bit rough, making the band sound muted at times, but otherwise, this album coasts along pretty well, as I was banging my head through most of it.

While it isn't quite metal, the album does have a lot of good energy, especially on "Cat and Mouse," but there are times where the spacy-ness gets a little carried away, like on "Far Side of the Sun."  Meanwhile, "Centurian War Games" goes completely acoustic with a folky vibe, like something Uriah Heep would record in the early 70s, and "The Empire" is a thirteen-minute closer that goes back and forth between energetic rock and spacy interludes.  It's a rough album, but they clearly had big ideas from the start, so I can see this setting the foundation for the epicness to come.

Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law

Not just content with releasing one great metal album in 1980, these Brits went back to the studio to push out another.  While the first one definitely had a lot of Motörhead influence, with Strong Arm of the Law, they leaned into a bluesier style, making them sound much more like AC/DC.  Still, this is some pretty solid rockin' stuff as Saxon settles into their style more.

The same lineup provides much of the same charm, with Oliver and Quinn providing some chunky riffs and even trading solos at times.  Gill and Dawson remain a decent rhythm section, though I don't know if they're as dynamic this time around.  However, Biff Byford remains a timeless singer, ringing out those notes with style (though I do wish he was a tad louder in the mix).  

"Heavy Metal Thunder" is an immediate standout, and it's followed by "To Hell and Back Again," which keeps things moving forward.  Singing about the plane-flying thrill of "20,000 Feet" adds a bit more aggression on the album.  The rest of the tracks aren't bad, but lack maybe a bit of the punch that Wheels of Steel had, which makes this a bit of a let down.  Overall, it's a decent chunk of classic metal, showing how vibrant the NWOBHM scene had become.

Warlock - Hellbound

Let's start my 1985 pile of reviews with a legend.  Doro Pesch has been the Metal Queen since the 80s (despite what Lee Aaron might claim), and she started with a band called Warlock.  I've listened to their first album Burning the Witches, and it was alright.  The songwriting was a little rough, and the lyrics were pretty cliched, but they played with good energy, and Doro's voice was immediately iconic.  (For what it's worth, I've also listened to Doro's Fear No Evil, which was pretty fun, but otherwise I'm pretty new to this singer's history.)  As for Warlock's second outing, the production gets a very nice boost in quality, but the songwriting remains clunky and filled with 80s metal clichés (which isn't a bad thing). 

Right off, the album starts with a big chord, a cheering crowd, then into some fierce, speedy chugging for "Hellbound."  It's a great, high energy start to the album, and the later track "Time to Die" right there with it.  But the rest of the songs tend to settle into a typical, mid-tempo style.  There's nothing wrong with that, but it gives the album a bit of an identity crisis, as if they couldn't decide to be an 80s glam metal or more of a speed metal band like Running Wild.  "Earthshaker Rock" in particular shifts back and forth between these two styles rather awkwardly, though it ends in a nice speedfest.  For what it's worth, the band is playing their hearts out, full of energetic playing and Doro's soaring voice.

There really is a lot to like on here.  If you don't mind some messy songwriting, it's easy to get lost in the thrill and passion of what they're playing.  I liked the opener "Hellbound," and I thought "Out of Control" had some interesting glam metal storytelling.  The vocal harmonies on "Time to Die" also stood out to me as something pretty cool.  Overall, it's a fun album, but I don't know if it will find its way into my upcoming Top 5 list.

Accept - Metal Heart

Yup, I'm still making my way through this discography as well.  After the breakout success of Balls to the Wall, the band decided to lean in more of a pop metal style for their follow up in order to keep a good thing going.  While they retain much of their iconic sound, the songs do suffer a little in the songwriting department.

As for the lineup, Herman Frank steps out, so the band brings back Jörg Fischer, who sticks around for a good while after.  Nevertheless, some of the songs are business as usual, such as the title track, "Up to the Limit" and "Dogs on Leads."  However, they really lean into a more MTV-savvy, glam metal style for many of the other tracks, with some mixed results.  "Midnight Mover" and "Living for Tonite" aren't bad, as they are, but "Screaming for a Love-Bite" and "Too High to Get It Right" are filler and don't leave much of an impression.  The band then gets a bit jazzy with "Teach Us to Survive."  There's some interesting drumming and a neat swing groove, both otherwise, the track does the album no favors.  Fortunately, things end well enough with "Bound to Fail," with it's triumphant riffing and doomed lyrics.

I can definitely imagine fans feeling a little betrayed with this one, as their previous few had been some pretty solid heavy metal without compromise.  Still, there were certainly worse records to have come out at this time as the glam took over the decade.  As for Accept, perhaps it's just a victim of its circumstances, but this is definitely a step down, despite that excellent, classically-inspired title track.

Retro Reviews - April 2025!

Well, I hope your Spring has been more stable than mine.  I've already had both snow and hail!  In the mean time, I'm still working through some classic releases, partially to check out some albums for my Top 5 articles.  Here's what I've been jamming lately!

Druid - Toward the Sun

I was in some prog rock community when I saw someone mention this band and how Yes-like they were.  Curious, I figured I'd put it on my list of bands to check out, and now that I'm doing these Top 5 lists, I thought I'd listen to their debut from 1975.  While this band didn't last long, they certainly have the pieces of something interesting, though it's much softer than I was expecting.

I want to say that there's a big Canterbury Scene vibe, as this is largely a very mellow album, similar to some of Yes's softer songs, like "To Be Over."  The rhythm section is solid and jazzy, with bassist Neil Brewer throwing in a few Squire-like melodies.  Andrew McCrorie-Shand puts in a ton of work with his Mellotrons, so if you like that sound, it's here in spades.  However, the vocalist, who simply goes by "Dane," seems to be trying a little too hard to sound like Jon Anderson, stretching his falsetto just a tad too far here and there.  Otherwise, they sound pretty cohesive as a unit, with plenty of nice, pastoral melodies.

That being said, I do wish there was just a bit more rock energy on the album.  There are a few uptempo moments, but it's pretty clear they're more interested in creating atmosphere and space.  Perhaps it's because they're not as technical as Yes, so instead of impressive musicality, we get a handful of songs that just drift along.  I did end up liking the two longer songs at the end the most, "Dawn of Evening" and "Shangri-La," with their expressive dynamics and transitions.  Maybe this will grow on me with more listens, but for now, it's mainly a decent album.

Saxon - Wheels of Steel

Shifting ahead five years, this is the first of two albums this legendary NWOBHM band put out this year (I'll get to the other one soon enough).  While their self-titled debut had some decent ideas, the band clearly hadn't matured into their sound quite yet, mainly being 70s hard rock.  Just a year later, and already I'm hearing more of Saxon's iconic blend of rock and metal.

Things kick off with the uptempo "Motorcycle Man," feeling like they took a few cues from Motörhead, who I learned they were touring with at this time.  "See the Light Shining," "Machine Gun," and "Street Fighting Gang" all have a similar style, and keep the album moving forward.  Meanwhile, their other car-driven speedster "Freeway Mad" made me think of Deep Purple, and "Stand Up and Be Counted" had some nice Thin-Lizzy style guitar harmonies as well as a good, catchy chorus.  I will admit that "747 (Strangers in the Night)" and the title track dragged a little, and "Suzie Hold On" was oddly sentimental, but they were still fine.

Already, I hear the improvement, as the songs are tighter and stronger than the first album.  Biff remains an iconic singer, with Paul Quinn and Graham Oliver really uniting as a guitar duo on this album.  Meanwhile, the rhythm section of Pete Gill and Steve Dawson maintain good energy throughout, ensuring that the album never really loses its steam.  Overall, I liked a lot of this one, as it feels like the band is definitely in their groove at this point.

Motörhead - Ace of Spades

Speaking of which, this legendary band would release their best known album in 1980 as well!  I reviewed Bomber last year, and I thought it was fine, if a bit sluggish.  I know that On Parole came out between these two, but it seems to be largely ignored by the band, so I'll just move ahead to this one.  While it may seem like business as usual for this band, I find this album is more consistent in quality than their earlier ones.

The album kicks off with the title track and probably their most iconic song.  I remember first hearing it as the intro music to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (which probably dates me quite a bit!), and its infectious energy makes it absolutely timeless.  The rest of the album is some pretty typical rocking from the trio, with lots of chunky, straight-ahead riffs and Lemmy's iconic crooning.  Other than the title track, the stand-outs for me were "Live to Win," "Fire, Fire," and "The Hammer," but overall I can see why this album is their most successful.  While it's not perfect (as the lyrics do get pretty sleazy at times), it has a lot of drive and power, making it very influential on a lot of other bands and a landmark album in heavy metal history.

Iron Savior - Dark Assault

In between all the classic rock I've been listening to, I figured I'd break things up with catching up on Iron Savior's discography.  The next album in my journey ends up being the last with Kai Hansen, so his influence seems particularly prominent, as many of the songs definitely have a Gamma Ray feel to me.  Still, this is same solid, chunky power metal that I've come to love and expect from these Germans.

While not all the songs stick to the Iron Savior story, they do tell the tale of a new threat called the Shadow, causing the Earthlings and Atlanteans to work together to face them, even if it means taking a suicide mission to close the gate they came from.  In the meantime, the titular super computer star ship works out its philosophical crisis and comes back to help humanity fight them off.  Certainly an epic sci-fi tale worthy of some melodramatic power metal.

The album starts off a little odd, as the opening track "Never Say Die" starts with a muted tone, but things kick into gear soon enough.  The energy continues with highlights like "Seek and Destroy," "I've Been to Hell," "Predators," and "Firing the Guns," the last of which features some laser-heavy special effects.  I will say it does get a little cheesy towards the end, with "Back into the Light" making me think of Queen's theatrics, and "After the War" is a power ballad, leaning pretty hard on some synthesized strings.  Then they have a few decent covers to wrap things up (at least on the Japanese version).  While Hansen's Gamma Ray style is very prominent, I can also hear the band slowly developing their own sound, and the album brings the story to a solid close, at least as a trilogy.  Of course, things may change with the next album, which I'm looking forward to.  While I don't know if I love this one like I do their most recent albums, but I'm definitely enjoying the origins of this band and their storytelling.

Retro Reviews - April 2024!

I'm finally getting around to releasing some articles again, and it feels good.  This will be the first of the Retro Reviews, focusing on older albums and leaving the New Releases as their own things.  This time, we're definitely getting into some classics, and while they may not have been incredible, they all had their stamp on rock and metal for their time.

Lee Aaron - Metal Queen

Declaring herself to be metal royalty might be pretty bold, especially with Lita Ford and Doro probably being better known, but maybe it's one of those first-come-first-serve things.  In any case, this Canadian rocker sought to plant her flag in the growing metal scene of the 80s with this album and succeeded to some degree.  I admit I didn't know what I was getting into with this, as I checked it out kind of on a whim, but it turned out to be a pretty nice, if average, chunk of radio-friendly metal.

It's biggest problem is that the songwriting is kind of generic, with lots of metal clichés, and a big, poppy production much like the glam metal of the day.  The guitar work is solid, but nothing really outstanding.  The album really does hang on Lee Aaron's vocals, and fortunately, she's pretty good.  She's got a nice bit of grit, and has this Dio style of reaching for those epic notes and wails.  "Lady of the Darkest Night" and "Deceiver" are solid rockers, while "Got to Be the One" and "Steal Away Your Love" have a slower, more dramatic feel.  However, "Shake It Up" is pretty cheesy, trying to be a danceable metal song, and the closer "We Will Be Rockin' " isn't much better.  While I've definitely heard worse from the decade, and it certainly has its charm, it's hard to feel like this isn't much more than a novelty at best.

Motörhead - Bomber

Motorhead is one of those bands that was really influential, but never really got a ton of attention or massive success like their contemporaries.  While I've enjoyed some of their songs, I admit I haven't spent much time with their albums.  So here I am, picking up their third, as I've listened to the first two before.  Unsurprisingly, it's a pretty consistent chunk of rock and metal, though it does have a few rough spots.

The album starts off well with "Dead Men Tell No Tales," an anti-drug song that has some good energy and chugging.  However, the album kinda drags after that.  The songs aren't bad, but they don't really have much beyond the Motörhead grit.  Things pick up again with "Stone Dead Forever," featuring a fun rock jam at the end, "Step Down" is a mean bluesy piece with guitarist Eddie Clark doing the singing, and "Bomber" is an energetic rocker that closes the album well.  Motörhead really does have their distinct style, one they've never felt the need for change.  Basically, what I'm saying is that you know what you'll get with this band when you pick up one of their albums (much like with AC/DC), and there's something to be said for a band that's honest with itself and its fans.

Saxon - Saxon

Going from their latest to their first is quite the jump, I must say!  However, in an effort to flesh out my Anniversary Article from last month, I figured I should check out some classic NWOBHM metal.  While I've enjoyed Saxon's stuff here and there, I have never checked out their debut.  While it's a little rough around the edges, and has a stronger 70s rock vibe, the band definitely started off well with some catchy songs.  

Things start off well with "Rainbow Theme" being an instrumental start to "Frozen Rainbow," an epic that teases the grandeur the band would reach for throughout their career.  However, the rest of the album is definitely more rock 'n' roll focused, with plenty of 70s energy.  "Big Teaser" and "Still Fit to Boogie" fall into a kind of AC/DC, party rock vibes, "Judgement Day" has some solid riffing, and "Militia Guard" ends on another epic, though it's weirdly upbeat for the tragic story it's telling.  Biff Byford's singing is iconic from the start, despite how young he sounds here, and the rest of the band were clearly ready to push themselves into the new wave of metal they were in.

While it may not be a strong album (and quite short at under 30 minutes!), looking back on it now, it's hard not to see it representing the shift in rock music at the time.  Still retaining the bluesiness of the 70s, but stepping into the chugging metal of the 80s, it's very much a time capsule of what was going on and where things would be going.  On its own, it's a solid collection of rock songs

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I'm gonna try and step things up more for this blog, as there are a lot of albums I want to listen to, especially classic ones, so keep an eye out for more of these Retro Reviews.  I've got another Anniversary Article coming at the end of this month, featuring one of my favorite years for rock and metal.  Until then, rock on! \m/

New Releases - April 2024!

Finally, here's the first of the New Release review articles, now that I've split them from the classic ones.  Hopefully, this will help keep things more organized as I move forward.  Starting this off this year was a solid trio of classic heavy metal by bands who have been there since near the beginning.

Saxon - Hell, Fire and Damnation

While part of me wants to debate the need for an Oxford comma in the title, it is very impressive that this is Saxon's 25th studio album, and by the sounds of it, nothing can stop them, because this album just plows ahead without looking back!  These Brits have started the year with some excellent traditional metal.

Despite the religious imagery in the cover art and title, most of this album focuses on a number of historical topics, ranging from the Battle of Hastings, through the travels of Marco Polo, up to pirate radio stations off the coast of England.  With such diverse topics, the music keeps things pretty safe and formulaic, but when the formula is this solid, why mess with what works?  The album is chock full of chunky riffs, anthemic choruses, and pure NWOBHM power.  The title track stands out, setting the tone for the album, as well as "Fire and Steel," "Kubla Khan and the Merchant of Venice," "1066," and "Super Charger," which is a solid closer.  While not all the tracks are great, the album is very consistent across its run time.  Honestly, if you're a fan of classic, old-school metal, and you somehow haven't checked out Saxon, I recommend you fix that immediately!

The Rods - Rattle the Cage

Here's a band that's been around as long as Saxon, though they took a considerable break from the late 80s to 2010.  Despite their long history, this is only their 10th album, not that it matters all that much, as they're clearly keeping things old-school.  While I've featured them before on the blog, this is my first time really sitting down and jamming one of their albums.  

While I was expecting classic metal, I was surprised to hear a good chunk of 70s blues rock as well.  Much of the album takes things at mid-tempo, focusing on solid, simple riffs and straight-forward lyrics.  The album does start a little sluggish, but things pick up with songs like the title track, "Metal Highways," and "Shockwave," with "Cry Out Loud" being a good mid-tempo epic,with an anthemic chorus.  Freddy Villano may be the new guy in the band, but his bass tone is definitely chunky, providing some excellent bottom-end to these songs.  David "Rock" Feinstein's solos turn out to be melodic and typical, but they serve the songs well, and honestly fit right in with what they're doing.

Which ends up being a bit of a double-edged sword.  While these songs are catchy and have some good grooves, they really don't seem to be pushing themselves, instead of settling in for their own brand of cruise control.  Naturally, these guys aren't going for something big and innovative, aiming for a spot between British-Steel-era Priest, Motorhead, and Deep Purple (especially when those organs kick in).  However, part of me of me feels like it's going to get lost by the competition.  Not all the songs hold up, but it's decent, and you'll be headbanging through most of it, like I did.

Judas Priest - Invincible Shield

Let's finish things off with the titans themselves.  I can't believe it's been six years since Firepower, which was a pretty solid album, if maybe a little long.  However, it definitely retained much of the Painkiller spirit, and made for a highlight of 2018.  As for this new one, I get the feeling that they're aiming for a stronger 80s vibe, with the bright colors and synths.  While I enjoyed the first two singles, later ones left me a little lukewarm.  Now that I've listened to the album as a whole, they really are carrying on where they left off, continuing their ironclad legacy.

Honestly, this album is pretty consistent.  While some songs stand out more than others, these veterans just plow on through, riff after riff, wail after wail, and there are no low points.  The highlights for me was the opener "Panic Attack" with the synths and mixed meter, the title track with the strong energy and a nod to the classic song "Sinner," "Trial By Fire" with the anthemic 6/8 groove, and "Sons of Thunder" that's a short and sweet burst of classic metal power.  If there is a problem, it's that the album might be a bit too long and some of the songs might blend together in the mind (especially with the Deluxe Edition, as those three songs don't add much).  Still, the standard of quality makes this a massive album, and while I know it's early, I could see this squeaking in to my Top 5 for this year!

Anniversary Series - 1979!

Wow, this has been a rough month!  I wanted to get some articles out before now, but I guess life had other plans.  Still, I am determined to do these Anniversary Articles, as they provide a fun summary to write up.  As it turns out, 1979 is a pretty solid year.  Melodic rock was really starting to take off, and we have the early signs of NWOBHM movement.  Let's get into it!

The year starts off strong with a lot of big names.  Scorpions was "Loving You Sunday Morning," Journey gave us some "Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'," Van Halen wanted to "Dance the Night Away," and Supertramp was having Breakfast in America.  That album was a big one for them, as the title track, "The Logical Song," "Goodbye Stranger," and "Take the Long Way Home" would be big hits for them.

Heavy metal gets some interesting releases this year, featuring the debut albums of both Accept and Saxon, as well as Motorhead's iconic double-bass kicking on Overkill.  Judas Priest released a classic live album with Unleashed in the East, Iron Maiden was working on their Soundhouse Tapes, and Motorhead would return later in the year with Bomber.  While I do think the next year would be where metal really takes off, this year was certainly a sign of things to come.

Meanwhile, the summer really heated up with a lot of massive hits.  The Electric Light Orchestra released "Don't Bring Me Down," Foreigner sang about "Head Games," Rainbow switched out Dio for Graham Bonnet to get Down to Earth, the Eagles went for The Long Run, and AC/DC drove down the Highway to Hell, which is easily the best album they did with Bon Scott.

As the year winded down, some of the high points included Styx's ballad "Babe," Molly Hatchet's "Flirtin' with Disaster," ZZ Top's "Cheap Sunglasses," and .38 Special's "Rockin' Into the Night."  However, the big album that would cap the year off is Pink Floyd's The Wall.  Powered by iconic hits like "Another Brick in the Wall Part Two," "Run Like Hell," and "Comfortably Numb," this psychological rock opera would put Pink Floyd back on top of the world, despite the band falling apart inside.  

That wraps up another year.  Check out the playlist below for more tracks, and let me know in the comments below if you think I've missed something.  I'll certainly do better next month for articles, as I've slowly been pulling some things together.  Until then, rock on!  \m/

Anniversary Series - 1981!

Honestly, it can be difficult to adequately provide a recap for these anniversary articles, as sometimes there is just so much good stuff that comes out in a year.  Suffice it to say that 1981 is another stellar year with great music.  

Things kick off with April Wine's "Sign of the Gypsy Queen," a great rock song that's really grown on me, recently.  At the same time, we have Styx releasing Paradise Theater, featuring massive songs like "Rockin' the Paradise," "The Best of Times," and "Too Much Time On My Hands."  .38 Special would have their big hit "Hold On Loosely" come out this year, and Billy Squier had "The Stroke."

Heavy metal would also have some big releases this year.  Iron Maiden would pick up of their popular debut record with Killers, expanding on their noodly style of metal.  Judas Priest had at tougher time, following up British Steel with Point of Entry, often regarded as a weaker entry, but I still enjoy "Heading Out to the Highway" as solid Priest song.  Ozzy Accept would come into their own with Breaker, which I reviewed earlier this month.

Prog rock may not have been much of a force by this point, but there still some significant albums, though Rush's Moving Pictures certainly stands out, with big hits like "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight," as well as the fan favorite "YYZ."  Genesis would continue their pop-transition with Abacab, and King Crimson would suddenly reform for Discipline, ensuring that at least someone was exploring the boundaries of rock music.  

As the year goes on, we get even more great rockers.  Blue Öyster Cult recorded Fire of Unknown Origin, with the big hit "Burnin' For You," Journey provided "Don't Stop Believin'" and the epic ballad "Open Arms" from Escape, The Rolling Stones asked to "Start Me Up," and Def Leppard's High 'n' Dry gave us "Let It Go" and "Bringin' On the Heartbreak."  However, the big record for the summer was Foreigner's 4.  With massive tracks like "Waiting For a Girl Like You," "Jukebox Hero," and "Urgent," they showed they were the rock band to beat that year.

Even at the end of the year, it doesn't stop. The Police released Ghosts in the Machine, Loverboy sang out "Working For the Weekend," J.Geils Band had "Freeze-Frame," and The Cars used combined '50s kitsch with new wave sensibilities to Shake It Up.  Metal titans Black Sabbath would follow up their comeback record of Heaven and Hell with the equally solid Mob Rules, Ozzy also had a sequel record in Diary of a Madman with "Over the Mountain," and Saxon provided the NWOBHM anthem with "Denim and Leather."  The year would conclude with AC/DC's follow up to Back in Black with For Those About to Rock We Salute You.  Perhaps not as strong overall as their first with Brian Johnson, but that title track still gives me chills.

So there it is: 1981 in a nutshell.  I know I skipped over a ton of good stuff, and I tried to include them in the Spotify playlist below, but be sure to let me know if I've missed anything.  

Anniversary Series - 1980!

You'd think with everything shutting down that I'd have more time for this blog, but as it seems, my time and interests have taken me away from here lately.  Of course, I'll still be posting content here when I feel like I've got something together, but things may slow down here for a while.

Meanwhile, it is the middle of April, so it's time to put together another anniversary article, this time for the classic year of 1980.  This really was a big year for rock and metal, with some massive albums that started in January and didn't stop until December!  Let's get into it!

We kick the year off with prog rock bands shifting into more mainstream styles.  Rush released Permanent Waves, the first of their sound-streamlining that would define their sound for the upcoming decade.  The song "Spirit of Radio" was their first major radio hit, and be a staple of many live shows to come.  Fellow proggers Genesis was already mid-shift into pop, as 1980 saw them release Duke, with songs "Turn It On Again" and "Misunderstanding."  Yes even teamed up with new wave stars The Buggles ("Video Killed The Radio Star") to give us Drama, a very underrated album that's only recently been given it's proper due.

This year would also be a boon for heavy metal fans, as several bands released several strong records, many of which were debuts: Scorpions released Animal Magnetism featuring "The Zoo"; Judas Priest had British Steel, galvanizing their sound with tracks like "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking the Law"; Iron Maiden had their raw and noodly self-titled debut; Black Sabbath reformed with Ronnie James Dio on the mic, giving us the titanic Heaven and Hell; Motorhead released Ace of Spades, featuring a title track full of gambling high-energy and drive; Diamond Head debuted with Lightning to the Nations, featuring the iconic "Am I Evil?" which would be famously covered by Metallica; Saxon cranked out both Wheels of Steel and Strong Arm of the Law; and Ozzy Osbourne would pull himself together for his own debut, Blizzard of Ozz, with iconic tracks like "Crazy Train," "I Don't Know," and "Mr. Crowley" proving Ozzy wasn't going away anytime soon.

One that stands out to me, though, is Def Leppard's debut On Through the Night.  It straddles the classic metal sound with the more pop-radio-friendly sound they would be known for, with some really catchy and well-written songs!  I remember giving this one a shot on a lark and was blown away with how much I liked all the songs!  It's like this band was made for the arenas!

Speaking of which, arena rock would also have a good year in 1980.  Journey's Departure provided "Any Way You Want It," Loverboy's debut exploded with "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" and "Turn Me Loose," Queen shook things up with The Game through the funky "Another One Bites the Dust," and the retro "Crazy Little Thing Called Love."

As the year goes on, we get the massive Back in Black by AC/DC, proving that even the death of the legendary Bon Scott couldn't stop this band (though Brian Johnson is no slouch in the vocals!).  I don't even need to tell you how many big tracks came from this album, as half of them are still played on classic rock radio stations around the world!

Towards the end of the year, we got Zenyatta Mondatta from The Police, with the massive hits "Don't Stand So Close To Me" and "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da."  The Alan Parsons Project released Turn of a Friendly Card, best known for "Games People Play" and "Time."  And Queen would return to their classic blend of hard rock and pomp by providing the soundtrack to Flash Gordon, the main theme of which remains one of their most iconic compositions, and given who I'm talking about, that's saying something!

I hope you're enjoying these little trips down memory lane, even if I don't have any of these memories myself, technically.  Still, 1980 was a very strong year, and I left a lot of good albums out of the article!  As always, there's a playlist below with even more, and I've missed any, let me know!  Until then, rock on! \m/