Swans - Filth [1983]

Blog alone for a few days.

This is Swans debut and one of the most "heavy" if not the most heavy one, in this first release Swans featured Norman Westberg for the first time Michael Gira obviously and two drummers, Jarboe was not yet in the band. The consequences of that and given that Gira was not yet using the whole folky stuff he later used never to let go completely (at least till this point) is a no wavy, noisy and repetitive as fuck release. Gira's vocals are far from melodic. For Swans fans or noisy stuff fans this might be a masterpiece for the others only a listen will tell.

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Re-upload: Manilla Road - Crystal Logic [1983]

Manilla Road are a perpetually underrated speed/power metal band, with elements of thrash. Throughout their 14 album career, they have not released a bad one, however, this is their best. And their lyric 'I'm lost in necropolis' will always sound to me like 'I'm lost in the gravalax'.

Re-upload notes: I was just listening to this today and it struck me how good it was, and how I should therefore re-upload it. This is essential.

128 kbps

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Re-upload: Satan - Court In The Act [1983]

Satan's debut is where this blog got its name from, and is rightly a cult NWOBHM classic. Some may find the vocals a little hard to acclimatize to, but once you manage that, this is truly a gem, and a fantastic album. This is also clearly influenced by the proto-thrash which had then been around for a while - one can hear faint touches of Kill 'Em All and early Exciter. The unusual technicality for a NWOBHM album may fluster some, but the album is nigh on perfect in my eyes.

320 kbps

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D.R.I. - Dirty Rotten LP [1983]

Raw, unadulterated proto-crossover thrash madness. This is essentially a hardcore record (hell, thrash had barely been conceived at the time of its release), but the sheer speed and crazy approach of it should make it appeal to all fans of the likes of S.O.D., Cryptic Slaughter and indeed later D.R.I.. Some of the tracks on here were later re-released on Dealing With It - personally, I prefer that one, but this shouldn't be passed up on either.

192 kbps

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Hell - Save Us From Those Who Would Save Us (single) [1983]

This 7" from Hell's former incarnation features on vocals the now-unfortunately-deceased Greg Halliday. This made it on to their debut Human Remains from this year, and frankly it's an astounding song. The B-side isn't too shabby either. Worth it for fans of the band - certainly to hear a bit of Hell history.

192 kbps

Link taken down. Comment to see a reupload!

Dio - Holy Diver [1983]

When I say R.I.P. this time, it's a statement echoed by millions around the world; when Ronnie James Dio, one of metal's figureheads (even if one couldn't see him in a crowd) succumbed to the clutches of death, the genre lost one of its most talented exponents. I know, therefore, that I am more than a year late with this tribute, but I find it fitting to mention it, as I post this, Dio's most famous, and to me, best, solo album.

The Killswitch Engage cover of the title track is execrable, don't listen to it (felt it inappropriate to mention that in the same paragraph as a tribute).

128 kbps

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Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind [1983]

I read somewhere that no band has ever released more than three great albums - Maiden are living contradiction to that, with 6 or 7. This is the home of live staple and absolute metal hallmark 'The Trooper'.

128 kbps

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Slayer - Show No Mercy [1983]

This is Slayer's debut, pretty much at the dawn of thrash, and although it incorporates heavy doses of speed metal, it's easy to see why this is considered a heavy influence on the black metal scene. Araya has not sounded so demonic since.

192 kbps

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Metallica - Kill 'Em All [1983]

Debatably the album that started the thrash scene off (depending on whether Venom are thrash or not), I'm not going to directly post a link to this in the post for fear of Ulrich's minions. Post your email address as a comment and I'll send you the link.

192 kbps

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Black Flag - My War [1983]

This is my favourite Black Flag album; along with the Melvins, it was one of the early pioneers of the sludge sound on its second side, along with some brilliant punky songs on the first side. Unbelievably good.

128 kbps

DMCA came calling.