Talk about a steam roller of a fucking record! It sure feels like you got ran over by one when you are done listening to the album, and boy, what a good feeling that is! When this album came out in 1985, it changed the game for thrash. Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Overkill, and other bands at the time were churning out this music, along with Exodus. But after 5 years of slaving away on the club scene, Exodus finally got a record deal and put together their first record that would have such a tougher, heavier, faster sound compared to the other bands in their genre, at the time. Just when people thought metal got at its heaviest with bands like Metallica and Slayer, Exodus comes along and just takes it up a few notches. You can hear a lot of this record in metal bands today, like Toxic Holocaust, Municipal Waste, and Havok, which goes to show you how big of a influence this record has had on metal in general.
Bitchin' Tracks: "Bonded by Blood," "Piranha," "Metal Command," "Strike of the Beast"
When this album was released in 1987, hard rock was getting...well, wimpy. The older guys trying to be "hip" like KISS, Aerosmith, and Ted Nugent, were making their worst music of their career around this time. The newer bands cared more about their looks than their music (I'm looking at you, Grim Reaper and Nitro.) It seems as if hard rock was about to take its fall. But, along comes a band from the dirtiest, grimiest, darkest, sleaziest part of LA that gives hard rock a much needed kick in the ass, and that band was Guns N' Roses. This album was a reminder of what hard rock once was: dirty, sleazy, loud, and rip-roaring. The album reaked of the mean streets of LA where they come from. It was a wicked combination of old, kick-ass Aerosmith and Bon Scott-era AC/DC, with punk and metal flavors thrown into the mix. There was NOTHING like this out in 1987. Not even Motley Crue was this raw and heavy, at the time. They were as slick as Rick. This album really changed the game for hard rock, especially when this album started selling like fucking hotcakes. From then on out, hard rock started focusing more on the music, and less on the looks.
Bitchin' Tracks: "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," "My Michelle," "Rocket Queen"
Here it is. The album that pretty much made metal...well, metal. This is what would influence all kinds of metal in the future, from black to progressive, death to glam. There was nothing this heavy at the time. Nothing so dark and eerie either. Yeah, there were bands that were playing loud as fuck, like Blue Cheer, MC5, and the Stooges, but the shit they were playing was still very rock n' roll. Sabbath comes along, and just creeps the shit out of you. I mean, listen to the album-opening title track. The sounds of rain falling and bells ringing. You turn the lights off at your place and put that on, and you will shit your pants in fear. It gives me chills whenever I listen to it. It's still THE darkest thing I have ever heard. This whole album was loud, dark, mysterious, and heavy. Heavy as HELL! Nobody was playing the bass like Geezer Butler was at the time, with the sound heavily distorted and loud as hell. Nobody was pounding the skins like Bill Ward was, in his weird, syncopated jazz-metal way. Nobody was churning out heavy fucking riffs like Tony Iommi, and lastly, nobody was singing like Ozzy was singing like, in his maniacal, lunatic-esque way. These guys started it all, along with Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, and this album is a milestone in heavy metal. The groundwork, you can say.
Bitchin' Tracks: "Black Sabbath," "The Wizard," "N.I.B.," "Warning"
Holy hell! Now, here's an album that turned a lot of heads when it came out back in 1983. No one was making metal this fast and this vicious, at the time. It was very punky and very British sounding, yet, this fuckers were from San Francisco. Metallica was taking things that Maiden and Priest were doing, and taking them up a few notches. A couple years before "Bonded by Blood" was released, this was THE thrash album, and honestly, to me, still is THE thrash album. Yeah, "Bonded" kicks loads of ass, but, this was the first REAL thrash record released that would go on to influence many other thrash bands, and metal bands too. The album had such a raw and exhilarating sound to it and was very refreshing. Not a lot of people knew about the bands in Europe that were making this kind of music, which influenced Metallica to make the music they make, and what Metallica did was take what these European bands were doing at the time, putting their spin on it, and unleashing it on the unsuspecting US of A. No one knew what to think of this, at first. It was so out there at the time. A band playing so fucking heavy, loud, and fast, with a punk attitude. Not a lot of American bands were doing this. American bands were looking to be the next AC/DC. Metallica comes along with this record and just kicks these Americans right in the ass, and well, they caught on as years went along. This is the album that would kick start a THRASH-eration!
Bitchin' Tracks: "Hit the Lights," "The Four Horsemen," "No Remorse," "Metal Militia"
This album right here...what can I say except...it's VAN FUCKING HALEN! These dudes, along with Sabbath, really changed up the hard rock and metal games in the 70s, musically, and this album...well, REALLY changed shit up. This album was a high-speed, energetic, in your face, party hearty, and horny as hell! No one at the time was making this kind of hard rock. Not even AC/DC. Not even KISS! These guys came along, and while I hate to say it, put the dinosaurs (Sabbath, KISS, Aerosmith, Nugent) to sleep. Everybody was like, who the HELL is this band? And WHY are they playing like THAT?! The guitarwork from Sire Edward Van Halen was fucking MINDBLOWING at the time, especially on this record. Nobody was doing the shit he was doing at the time, except maybe for Ace Frehley. But, Eddie took it to a whole new level. A level that could not be reached for a LONG TIME. David Lee Roth made sure it was important to be a kick ass frontman as it was to be a killer vocalist. Nobody could touch Diamond Dave. His jumps, leaps, and gymnastics-esque moves were one of a kind, and would go on to influence many to come after him. This album would set the groundwork for metal to come, especially thrash and glam bands. It sure set the groundwork for me! I heard this album when I was 7 years young and got put on my ass by it! It was fucking unbelievable! It was full of fucking energy and made me fucking energetic as hell while listening to it. It really got me going, unlike any other album I heard at the time. THAT, along with it being very influential, is why I picked this album as my favorite debut album of all time.
Bitchin' Tracks: "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love," "I'm the One," "Feel Your Love Tonight," "On Fire"
A Very Honorable Mention Goes Out to...
Since I was doing a top 5 list, I couldn't put ALL of my favorites on the list, which was a bummer, because there is a lot of awesome ones. But, I could not leave this album off, because one, it's fucking MOTLEY CRUE. These guys kick loads of ass, and I don't give a fuck if you don't think so, and two, this album is raw and dirty as hell! This album helped kickstart the glam movement in LA and was very influential in the hair metal world. The album was very punky, yet sweet. Heavy, yet melodic. Van Halen was very straight-ahead, balls-out hard rock, while Motley was very street-smart and raw. The album took what Van Halen was doing, mixed in some punk and 70s glam, and basically had themselves an album! My second favorite Crue record next to the untouchable "Shout at the Devil."
Bitchin' Tracks: "Live Wire," "Public Enemy No. 1," "Piece of Your Action," "Too Fast for Love"
Other Killer Debut Albums Worth Checking Out:
Twisted Sister – “Under the Blade”
KISS – “KISS”
AC/DC – “High Voltage”
Megadeth – “Killing is My Business…and Business is Good!”
Def Leppard – “On Through the Night”
Cheap Trick – “Cheap Trick”
Ozzy Osbourne – “Blizzard of Ozz”
Iron Maiden – “Iron Maiden”
Raven – “Rock Until You Drop”
Testament – “The Legacy”
Slayer – “Show No Mercy”
Dio – “Holy Diver”
Led Zeppelin – “Led Zeppelin”
So, there it is! MY list of favorite debut albums, and I suggest you check them ALL out, because they are all very noteworthy and kick ass.
ALSO! Good news on my homefront. Myself and my buddy, Will Stricker, had an interview yesterday night at the campus radio station here at Ball State, WCRD 91.3, to have our own radio show. Because of our enthusiasm, dedication, and love for heavy metal, along with an open time slot, Will and I now have our own radio show on Metal Mondays called "Portion of Distortion with Will and Brad!" Basically, it will be where the old heavy metal meets the new heavy metal, with all of it's subgenres in between. The show tentatively starts on 9/19/11 and will air every Monday from 11 to midnight on WCRD 91.3. If you do not live in the Muncie area or are just looking for a way to stream my show, you can go to http://wcrd.iweb.bsu.edu/ and listen to the "Portion of Distortion" online! I am unbelievably stoked about this show and cannot wait to spread my love of killer metal music with everyone! I'll let everyone know about the details about the first show when I get them, but be ready to put up the horns and be fed a PORTION OF DISTORTION very soon!
Until next time fuckers,
Bonzo Brad
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