The year 1985 stands as a pivotal moment in the history of heavy metal, a year where boundaries were pushed, genres splintered, and some of the most influential records ever made were unleashed upon the world. As the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) began to evolve, thrash metal surged into dominance, bringing with it a rawer, more aggressive sound that would shape the future of the genre. Meanwhile, glam metal continued to climb the charts with its flashy style and infectious hooks, offering a stark contrast to the darker, more underground movements brewing beneath the surface.
This was the year Slayer redefined brutality with Hell Awaits, Megadeth sharpened their technical edge with 
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!, and Celtic Frost blurred the lines between metal and avant-garde on To Mega Therion. Iconic bands like Iron Maiden and Dio continued to soar, while up-and-comers like Exodus and Overkill carved out their place in the growing thrash scene. Even within the more melodic spectrum, bands like Accept and Loudness proved that metal could be both powerful and polished.
In this retrospective, we'll revisit some of the greatest metal albums released in 1985, records that not only captured the spirit of their time but also left a permanent mark on the genre's evolution. Whether savage, theatrical, or groundbreaking, these albums stand as a testament to metal's enduring power and diversity during one of its most explosive years.
Let's find out what some musicians thought about the albums that were released in 1985, some 40 years ago...
Our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in this 1985 metal albums feature.
What kind of role did the year 1985 play in your musical development as far as some of the year's metal albums were concerned?
Titan Fox (HAMMER KING): In 1985, Helloween released their debut mini-LP and Walls of Jericho, two of the finest releases in heavy metal, at least in my book! Honestly, these two records could never be matched, replicated or surpassed. The only way forward Helloween had was to change, which they did.
In that same year, we also got one of the greatest live albums of all time, Live After Death by Iron Maiden. To this day, the track list remains unbeaten, the artwork, the dozens of pictures, they all set the pace for what was to come in regard to live albums.
Tony Dolan (VENOM INC., ATOMKRAFT): Well, Atomkraft's Future Warriors was finally released that year, so it was quite a significant year for me. My Grandmother died while recording the album, which was a painful moment for me as well as seeing 
my father appear vulnerable for the first time in my life.
As far as releases? Significant and to be part of that movement? Amazing and still I have the privilege to remain friends with people who made that movement come alive and are STILL doing it.
Kim Strömsholm (ANTIHUMAN INDUSTRIES): Oh shit...!! 1985 gave us a flood of albums that shaped both thrash and extreme metal, many of which probably fueled my early obsession. Slayer's Hell Awaits, Celtic Frost's To Mega Therion, Possessed's Seven Churches, Exodus's Bonded by Blood, Kreator's Endless Pain, and Bathory's The Return all came out that year, each one defining brutality in a new way. Meanwhile, traditional heavy metal still dominated with Accept's Metal Heart and Dio's Sacred Heart, plus Iron Maiden's Live After Death, which is the last Maiden album I listened to. So, in terms of my "career" as a metal listener, 1985 was probably like being hit by a tidal wave. I was young enough for the shock value to feel dangerous and exciting, but old enough to start following the scene, learning the names, and building my own identity around it.
Kari Kankaanpää (SEPULCHRAL CURSE): That year has not really affected me directly that much. Of course, without Possessed and their Seven Churches album, death metal would probably be a lot different as well as the bands I sing in. Perhaps a fun observation, but Celtic Frost's album To Mega Therion has the song "Dawn of Megiddo," which is one of the first songs I ever covered with a band, so that is a connection to 1985, too. I can't really say that any of my all-time favorite albums were released in 1985. I guess on a very personal level 1985 marks the birth of one of my older sisters who eventually introduced me to heavy metal, so in that sense it could be counted as very important year to me, heh!
Ignazio Nicastro (XENOS A.D.): It was certainly a very important year that saw the birth of some of the most important albums in the history of metal, such as Bonded by Blood, Killing Is My Business..., Infernal Overkill, Hell Awaits and many others that largely characterized 1985 and many of the years that followed.
Ricard (PROSCRITO): Hail & kill, Luxi, and thanks for inviting me to this new tribute. Undoubtedly, 1985 is my favorite year in metal, albeit I didn't show up in human flesh until seven years (and churches) later. I kneel at the altar of heavy metal, ripe with all those sleazy classics made for indulging in bad behavior, like those of W.A.S.P., Dokken, Saxon, Savatage and I'm also deeply indebted to the thrash/speed milestones by Exodus, Blessed Death (!!!), Overkill, Megadeth, Abattoir, Razor, Onslaught, Dark Angel, Anthrax, Iron Angel, Warfare, Helloween, Exciter, Hallows Eve, Savage Grace, Running Wild, etc. that everyone and his mother know 
and seem to enjoy already. Also, Corrosion of Conformity released their best LP, namely Animosity, Trouble and Saint Vitus followed suit with The Skull and Hallow's Victim, respectively (along with Pentagram's self-titled occult masterpiece), and the Irons granted us one of the most legendary live records of all time. In my hometown, Barón Rojo and Ángeles del Infierno offered two mandatory slabs of hellbent leather. Nasty Savage released their iconic debut, which deserves a special mention. But in this case, I'm more partial to those albums that redefined the extreme fringes in search of a darker, twisted and deviated medieval cruelty, drinking from the foulest black semen of the executioner of Sodom's In the Sign of Evil on the day of wrath forecasted by Bulldozer. And, of course, I'm also possessed by Venom's rancid "HELLCHILD"!!!
Danny Lilker (ex-NUCLEAR ASSAULT, etc.): I was on the S.O.D. album!
Lasse Pyykkö (HOODED MENACE): Well, I was born in 1974, so many of the metal albums released in 1985 served as the soundtrack for me growing up in the '80s. Accept's Metal Heart, Live After Death by Iron Maiden, World Wide Live from Scorpions (my all-time favorite live records), Thunder in the East from Loudness, Sacred Heart by Dio, and Yngwie Malmsteen's best album Marching Out heated up my piece of crap boombox during those years.
Things got heavier when I discovered Exodus and their kick-ass debut Bonded by Blood, Anthrax's Spreading the Disease, Speak English or Die by S.O.D., Slayer's Hell Awaits, Seven Churches by Possessed, and Bathory's The Return. The last three especially inspired me and my buddies to form our own band, Phlegethon, in 1988.
In 2007, I got Hooded Menace going and some of the influential records for the band come from 1985, such as The Skull by Trouble and Pentagram's Relentless. 1985 brought us also Under Lock and Key from Dokken and Ratt's Invasion of Your Privacy. There's no denying that those "hairier" albums have shaped up the more recent sound of Hooded Menace to some degree. In fact, most albums mentioned here have had an influence on Hooded Menace.
Jarmo Puolakanaho (GOASHEM): 1985 wasn't the most defining year for me, personally, but it planted some seeds. Albums from that time hinted at the directions metal would soon take, and I found inspiration in how diverse the scene was becoming.
Petri Hallikainen (PERPETUAL RAGE): Of course, it plays a big role, even though I was a little schoolboy back then. That's when I first listened to heavy metal, and afterwards I realized how much great music the year 1985 contained. Even today, I listen to a lot of albums from that year. A really great year for hard rock and metal music, that's for sure!
Tomislav Ferenc (ELUSIVE GOD): In retrospect, I can see that a lot of albums I really like were released in 1985. However, I didn't start to like these albums just because they were released in 1985. For me, metal music is timeless and that's basically the whole idea behind good music. The fact that we still talk about these albums after so many years proves my point. I'm sure we'll talk about 1985 releases 20 years from now.
Dee Dee Altar (BUNKER 66): 1985 is a very important metal year that has shaped Bunker 66 musically. I won't bore you with endless lists. The quality of metal music during those years was incredible, the only flaw is that no studio albums from Maiden 
and Priest came out during that year, haha!! It was also a great year for metalpunk/crossover, English Dogs' Forward into Battle, D.R.I.'s Dealing with It!, S.O.D.'s Speak English or Die, Onslaught's Power from Hell, to name a few. These were crucial for my drumming in Bunker 66 and I think they are "guilty" of why we are so liked by many hardcore punk music lovers.
Allan Johnson (EXCITER/MAD ALEISTER): Exciter released our third album Long Live the Loud and it was getting great reviews. It was the first time we had a really professional production, and the sound was the best to date. We recorded it where Motörhead recorded No Remorse at Britannia Row studios and we used the same producer, so we finally had a real studio sounding album for the first time.
Vic Stown (VINDICATOR): I think eighty-five marked a huge moment with metal taking that next big step in its evolution and starting to shape the sounds from which I would draw my biggest influences.
Jens Finger (SLAUGHTERDAY): I wasn't around in 1985; I arrived a year later in '86. But once I started digging backward, that year hit me like a missing piece of my own musical DNA. At first, I focused on what was new: Reign in Blood, Peace Sells, Master of Puppets, the big statements that defined the mid-eighties. Then I began tracing the roots, and everything pointed back to 1985.
Albums like Hell Awaits, Bonded by Blood, To Mega Therion, and Seven Churches had an unrefined energy I hadn't fully appreciated before. They weren't trying to be perfect, they were trying to be real. You could feel the hunger, the mistakes, the experimentation. That sense of fearless creation really shaped how we approach writing for Slaughterday.
When we started the band, I wanted to capture that same spirit; riffs that felt alive, not overproduced or over-planned. Listening to those '85 records reminded me that heaviness isn't just about tone or speed; it's about intention. The way those bands pushed boundaries without worrying about rules gave me the confidence to trust instinct over precision.
Even though I discovered it later, 1985 became a kind of teacher. It showed me what happens when musicians stop trying to please anyone and just let the sound take over. That attitude is still embedded in every track we write for Slaughterday — the idea that metal should always feel like it's just about to lose control.
Aethon/Aithon (EURYNOMOS/MEGATHÉRION):
You mean what kind of impact 1985 had on my own musical creations? In 1985 lots of iconic albums were made. Some bands had their best moments in 1985, in my opinion, because they released their debut albums, like Exodus, Agent Steel, Overkill, Atomkraft, Kreator,
Carnivore, etc.
As for influences, Slayer and Venom were big inspirations for me; releases like Possessed, Nightmare and Hell Awaits have tons of killer songs and riffs. Also, Endless Pain by Kreator and Seven Churches from Possessed.
Drew Rizzo (MIDNITE HELLION): Some of my favorite musicians released extremely influential albums that year, so it's always been a go-to for me. Gar Samuelson's drumming on Megadeth's Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! is beyond, man, not to mention that this is my favorite Megadeth record (hunt down a copy of the Music For Nations double LP for the coolest sounding version). Then you've got Charlie Benante's songwriting and drumming with Anthrax on Spreading the Disease and S.O.D.'s Speak English Or Die. Tie this in with Emperors Return (Celtic Frost), Carnivore (Carnivore), Invasion of Your Privacy (Ratt), Delirious Nomad (Armored Saint), Midnite Dynamite (Kix), Theater of Pain (Mötley Crüe), Bestial Devastation (Sepultura), Asylum (KISS) and Tales of Terror (Hallows Eve), and you've got a good idea of what has made me, me. Of course, you gotta include these into the soup: Bonded by Blood (Exodus), Walls of Jericho (Helloween), Seven Churches (Possessed), Metal Church (Metal Church - Elektra '85 re-release*), Feel the Fire (OverKill), Fear No Evil (Grim Reaper), Metal Heart (Accept), The Last Command (W.A.S.P.), Infernal Overkill (Destruction), and what might be the mightiest beast of them all, HELL AWAITS (Slayer), the tape that my fiancée and I decorate for Christmas to.
All of these albums have played a role in shaping my musical ear as a musician and a fan. They all struck me then, and I still feel like a kid again every time I play them. I'm also extremely lucky to have seen all but two of the aforementioned bands live, so it's really cool to be able to put that experience with the record.
Jeremy Golden (HEAVEN AND HELL RECORDS): I can't really say that the year 1985 had any influence on me or played much of a role in the development of my interest in heavy metal, at least not at the time. I won't be one of those poser type guys who will make up a back history of their relationship with heavy metal. In 1985, I was 9 years old, back then He-Man was more important to me than music, and I don't believe the term heavy metal was in my adolescent vocabulary. Although it would not be long until I discovered heavy metal. At that time, I listened to mainstream radio and owned Culture Club, Duran Duran, and Rick Springfield albums.
I am sure back in 1985 I was hearing stuff like Ratt, Kiss, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, and other such pop hard rock and heavy metal adjacent bands. That stuff really wasn't registering with me at that young of an age. I can't and won't pretend that it was. However, I would obviously discover a lot of 1985 albums in the years to come.
Ben Brower (BREAKKER): I would have been 15 at the time and discovering new music pre-internet wasn't impossible, of course, but the process was very different. Up until that point, I basically just consumed what was around me at the time via the radio and my older sister's cast off '70s records (Styx mostly because she had a crush on singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw). There were magazines like Circus, Hit Parader and even Kerrang! hyping up exciting new metal bands from far and wide. The then-new music video age was also bringing the latest heavy metal acts right into American living rooms.
Also, there were syndicated FM radio shows like Metal Shop, which I tuned into and often taped. I was right in the target demographic 
for the emerging heavy metal takeover, and I ate it up! Metal in the early to mid '80s was very much marketed to teen boys, and in 1985 I was exactly that.
Stevie Lang (BREAKKER): As far as my music career is concerned, I didn't have one, I was a little kid in 1985 and hadn't heard the term heavy metal yet.
Jökä Reinholm (FREEDOMINATION): In 1985 I was 14 years old and mostly listening to Elvis, Stray Cats, Kiss and such. Gradually I started to get into metal bands like Iron Maiden, Dio, Accept, Helloween, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, just to name a few.
About the same time, I started fiddling around with the electric guitar and slowly tried to learn some riffs and songs. As Bay Area thrash started to really take off in Finland it quickly became my main influence musically. And, of course, we eventually had to start a thrash band.
Juri Vuortama (FIRE ACTION): I was just taking my first steps in the world of music and had barely discovered W.A.S.P. and Twisted Sister. However, my hunger for metal quickly became insatiable, and I would use any excuse to ask my parents and relatives for more heavy metal records, not just Christmas and birthdays.
Soon I started to come across bands that were 2.0 versions of my early favorites...
Jón Aldará (IOTUNN): The '80s, in general, produced a molten mass of material that generated extreme metal for decades to come, so in ways both direct and indirect, this period has played an immense role in both my musical career but also my life as a whole. Having discovered metal for myself in the late '90s, however, I already had a whole generation's worth of music to dig into, so there were some aspects that went neglected. One of these was the early growth of the darker side of heavy metal, which (save for a few bands such as Mercyful Fate and Celtic Frost) I have only come to appreciate later in my life. On the other hand, most of my favorite artists in the less extreme end of metal did not release anything this year, and especially the years between 1986 and 1989 hold greater importance to me.
What are your 3 favorite metal albums from that year, and why?
Titan Fox (HAMMER KING): The three above as they built the foundation of what defined me as a metal fan and 
musician.
Tony Dolan (VENOM INC., ATOMKRAFT): Hell Awaits by Slayer. Just so fast and glorious. We played with them, just the two of us in London at the old Marquee club that year. The only UK date promoting that release, so I got to hear it live and it was even more perfect!!
Bonded By Blood by Exodus. After Kill 'Em All, it's just a pure thrash epic and I LOVED thrash metal!! We toured with them too that year through Europe, so I heard it live each night. Baloff was an Atomkraft fan and we became good friends.
Infernal Overkill by Destruction. "Bestial Invasion," "Invincible Force," and "Antichrist" are some of my favorite tracks on there along with the awesome cover art. I had the cassette tape I'd traded for and played it to death. We'd later go on to play with them at Dynamo together, along with Testament and I have been friends with Schmier and Mike ever since.
Kim Strömsholm (ANTIHUMAN INDUSTRIES): In retrospect... hmm... I'd say these three albums were great back in the day and are still hard-hitting albums: Kreator's Endless Pain, Slayer's Hell Awaits and Accept's Metal Heart.
Damn, three is not enough. Nowadays I'd also say Descendents, Dire Straits and Dead Kennedys, just to simplify all with the letter D.
Kreator because it's one of the true thrash metal bands without compromises and still is to this day. The first three Slayer full-lengths are just insanely tremendous. And everything by Accept from 1979 to 1986 is just arggghh! -marvelous. I have never really been a "fan" of anything, but thrash metal as a genre has always been closest to my heart, so, of course, Slayer, Kreator, Destruction, Possessed, Onslaught, S.O.D., etc. came out with outstanding and unforgettable albums this particular year.
Kari Kankaanpää (SEPULCHRAL CURSE): Quite a coincidence, but in the year 1985 there came out three albums that have defined my musical path or at least reflect where I have come from and where I was heading to!
Helloween – Walls of Jericho: It is no secret that Power Metal was my first encounter with heavy metal. As I am writing this I have been, coincidentally, on a Helloween-binge! One of the first heavy metal bands I ever got into was Helloween. I think I had some sort of compilation and on that there was "Heavy Metal (Is the Law)", "Murderer" and "Starlight." I know that the latter two are not on the original release, but to me they are definitely part of Walls of Jericho. What can be said about the album? Naturally this is not a power metal album, more like speed metal, but this is really a genre-defining album. So many killer songs that withstand the test of time! Though Helloween has made better albums than this, for some of its hit songs, this one holds a very special place in my heart.
Saint Vitus – Hallow's Victim: After Power Metal began to feel too lame and I needed something heavier. Then came doom metal into my life and more precisely its traditional form. Saint Vitus was one of the bands I became obsessed alongside bands like Candlemass, Reverend Bizarre, Spiritus Mortis, Fall of the Idols, etc. Out of the USA's doom metal scene, Saint Vitus was always the thing for me. Hallow's Victim is not the best album, but it has killer songs like one of my favorite Saint Vitus songs, "War Is Our Destiny"! Without a doubt a classic album when it comes to doom metal!
Possessed – Seven Churches: Talking about classics, eh? After doom metal came death metal and as most know, it still defines me the best. I think there was/is debate over which is the first death metal band, Death or Possessed. I think there is only one correct answer and that is Possessed. This one is such a banger. It is heavy, vicious, raw yet all the pieces seem to be 
in their correct places. A perfect example of how thrash metal evolved into heavier and more twisted and dark music. The whole death metal scene owes a lot to this particular record. If my picks have been kind of genre-defining, this is without a doubt the most.
Ignazio Nicastro (XENOS A.D.):
Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion: It's probably one of the most complete and perfect albums ever produced by the human mind. The use of dissonance in sophisticated songwriting and absolute artistic depth make To Mega Therion a manifesto for all things metal. An album from a future still too distant.
Slayer – Hell Awaits: It's probably one of the most evil and dark chapters in the history of metal. Hell Awaits is the antechamber of hell set to music, the vinyl grooves reek of sulfur, the band's performance is devastating. Hell Awaits is evil in music.
Bathory – The Return...... : For me, it's the first truly pure black metal album ever recorded, even more so than the previous album. If someone were to ask me what black metal means to me, I'd undoubtedly say that The Return... is the quintessence of black metal evil. A timeless masterpiece.
Ricard (PROSCRITO): It has to be To Mega Therion for the baroque, greater-than-life reincarnation of the best metal release ever (a.k.a. Emperor's Return), for the completely unique Cimmerian atmosphere of deities from a long-forgotten time, buried by dust and engulfed in Sumerian haze.
Then it's Seven Churches for the wicked METAL overdose that defined an entire genre and era, for some of the coarser vocals ever put to tape and the most iconic guitar leads I can think of, along with those irreplaceable drum fills and classic lyrics. As one friend would've said it, the one and only album that sounds like hell with its demonic legions breaking loose.
Finally, The Return...... , because I love the first four albums by Bathory as much as any guy but that's the one that really hits home with a real mystique that wouldn't sacrifice the sloppy savage, nocturnal, bestial berserkery and critical amount of catchy yet occult riffage. Quorthon NEVER recorded a better song than "Sadist."
Anyway, I couldn't leave the hall without mentioning Hell Awaits, Infernal Overkill, Endless Pain and Carnivore's s/t. Each of them is deeply engraved in my psyche and soul and could've made it under a different disposition.
Danny Lilker (ex-NUCLEAR ASSAULT, etc.):
Exodus - Bonded by Blood because it was nice to hear the proper recording instead of the release tape that was 500 generations away by the time I got it.
D.R.I. - Dealing with It because it was a huge influence on Nuclear Assault
Bathory - The Return...... because I was also enjoying first-wave black metal back then.
Lasse Pyykkö (HOODED MENACE): This is an extremely hard question, but let's give it a try...
Slayer - Hell Awaits: OK, this is an easy one. Phlegethon wouldn't have existed without Slayer's Hell Awaits (and Reign in Blood), simple as that. Hell Awaits has such a unique, thick and spooky atmosphere. It kinda scared the crap out of me when I heard it the first time.
Anthrax - Spreading the Disease: I just have to pick this. The album made such a huge impression on me when I discovered thrash metal. Amazing guitar tone and riffs for days. Super catchy, fun album.
Accept - Metal Heart: So much love for this album. A total heavy metal classic with shameless commercial touches like "Screaming for a Love Bite" and "Midnight Mover," but it's just so good. I can tell you this record was played over and over and there's no end in sight.
Jarmo Puolakanaho (GOASHEM): Retrospectively, my three favorites from that year would be Anthrax's Spreading the Disease, Helloween's Walls of Jericho, and Zero Nine's White Lines. Each has captured a different shade of what I love about metal: raw energy, melody, and that sense of forward motion that made the late '80s so exciting.
Petri Hallikainen (PERPETUAL RAGE):
Dio's Sacred Heart. Dio was a legend even back then, with a wild, powerful singing voice and great playing, great songs and great sounds.
Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Marching Out. All are superb songs on this album, legendary guitar playing, and, of course, Jeff Scott Soto's amazing singing voice!
W.A.S.P.'s The Last Command. Blackie's vocals are absolutely incredible. The songs are absolutely top-notch, and I love the sound of the album.
Tomislav Ferenc (ELUSIVE GOD):
Slayer - Hell Awaits: This album is a blueprint for extreme metal that developed later on. I like the cavernous sound and the fact that this is probably Slayer's album where the bass guitar is clearly audible. I like their unapologetic Mercyful Fate influence and how they took it further and incorporated it in their own style. Also, Hell Awaits' intro and song itself is one of the greatest 
moments in METAL music ever. It's a classic album that I revisit very often.
Iron Maiden - Live after Death: The set list and the sound of this album are amazing. There's some serious magic in early Iron Maiden works, particularly sound-wise. It's not like their later records don't sound great, but their early work (ending with this live album) had some special sound character that is very dear to me. Also, it's fascinating how Dickinson's voice was still holding up considering the fact that they recorded this live album after extensive touring. It's like early Iron Maiden "Best of" performed live with truly amazing production.
Pentagram – Relentless: This is DOOM fucking metal. It's not epic, it's not grandiose, it just absorbs you with the feeling of impending doom. You get the feeling something bad is gonna happen when you listen to this record, but, on the other hand, you feel perfectly safe. It's also really bluesy, but in a very evil and rotten way. That's what traditional doom metal is all about if you ask me. The sound is properly dirty and raw with some of the best guitar riffs ever recorded in metal music. Again, a true classic and a blueprint for many more great releases to come.
Dee Dee Altar (BUNKER 66):
Spreading the Disease, Bonded by Blood and Seven Churches. Why? Because all three have deeply shaped my youth. I also remember who, among my friends here in Sicily, bought Spreading... and Seven... first and I should thank them every day for letting me copy them.
Bonded... came some years after in my life. I remember I bought it at "Flimmern und Rauschen," a great vinyl shop in Kassel, Germany, not far from my maternal grandparents' house. I played that sooooo many times on my grandparents' turntable and they never complained, eternal hails!
Excuse me but I have to mention another 1985 top 3: Infernal Overkill, Hell Awaits and To Mega Therion, yes!
... wait, The Return...... is from 1985, too... ok, I'm giving up now. ;)
Allan Johnson (EXCITER/MAD ALEISTER):
Accept - Metal Heart: We opened for Accept in March of '85 for a European tour. This album had not come out yet and the band 
gave me a copy of it on cassette; it was like a demo version on a blue tape. I listened to that album all through the summer of '85 and it still is one of my favorite Accept albums. Not a bad track on the entire album.
W.A.S.P. - The Last Command: "Wild Child" and "Blind in Texas" are two of the most iconic, classic W.A.S.P. songs ever. This was a great album overall.
Dio - Sacred Heart: Definitely not the best Dio album, it was very disappointing; however, it's still worth mentioning.
Vic Stown (VINDICATOR): Off the top of my head, it'll be the following:
Megadeth's Killing Is My Business. While K.I.M.B. isn't my favorite Megadeth release, it launched the career of the band that would influence me most. It's raw, energetic, and wildly different from where the band would wind up. Uniquely out of the box to this day and has a charm all its own. The title track has always been one I'm drawn to. You can hear what Dave was doing with Metallica on that one, by far my favorite. It's closely followed by "Chosen Ones" and "Looking Down the Cross."
Exodus' Bonded by Blood is an album I revisit often. If you've ever listened to Vindicator, you're going to hear the Exodus influence spanning the entirety of our career. B.b.B. brings chord-driven riffs and a maniacal energy I've always loved. Tracks like "And Then There Were None" and "Metal Command" (which we have covered numerous times throughout the years) standout and live rent-free in my head. Just the melodies.
I would be remiss if I didn't include Cleveland's own Destructor in this. Maximum Destruction has always been a heavily played album for me thanks to Vindicator cofounder Wayne Holocaust. Its brutal simplicity and honesty have withstood the sands of time and allowed Destructor to enjoy a renewed interest. This album proves you don't have to write the most complex music for it to get your head banging, just unadulterated raw passion. It doesn't hurt that Dave Overkill is one of the most underrated vocalists of all time. "Pounding Evil" is one of my all-time favorites from Destructor as well as "Iron Curtain."
Jens Finger (SLAUGHTERDAY):
Slayer – Hell Awaits: That album showed me how far you could push aggression without losing focus. The sound was sharp, fast, and precise, no gimmicks, just intent and control. The speed and clarity of the lyrics especially stood out to me; they were 
delivered with real discipline. I've always admired that, and it's something I try to bring into my vocal work with Temple of Dread. Every part has purpose.
Iron Maiden – Live After Death: The ultimate live statement. This wasn't just a concert; it was a ceremony. Still, for me, the best live album of all time by the best band of all time. What makes it exceptional is its energy and precision, capturing the excitement of being in the crowd. The band plays complex songs without losing intensity. Bruce's vocals are strong and clear, and the audience interaction adds a real sense of scale and presence. It's not just a live recording, it's a complete statement of what a metal performance can be.
Celtic Frost – To Mega Therion: This album stands out for combining heaviness with creativity. The riffs are crushing, but the songs aren't just about speed or aggression, they're carefully structured, full of dynamics and atmosphere. Celtic Frost weren't afraid to experiment; adding unusual rhythms and riffs no other band would play. That willingness to break from standard metal formulas gave the album a unique, almost timeless quality. For me, it's a record that taught the value of tension and variation in writing heavy music.
Aethon/Aithon (EURYNOMOS/MEGATHÉRION):
Hell Awaits by Slayer: With this album, Slayer pushed the boundaries and made thrash really wicked and without any mercy. The song, "Hell Awaits" is one of my all-time fave songs.
Seven Churches by Possessed: The blueprint for Death Metal. Massive production, a wall of guitar power and vocals that were beyond killer.
The Return...... by Bathory: Probably the most evil album released in 1985.
Drew Rizzo (MIDNITE HELLION): This is probably one of the toughest questions I've ever had to answer, because so many albums from '85 have been important to me and have essentially shaped who I am. Especially after mentioning everything above, here goes nothing...
S.O.D. - Speak English or Die: THE heaviest riff ever put to tape, "March of the S.O.D," kicks off this absolute masterpiece of a record. It's everything you've ever wanted in a record and then some, as not only did it feature the first ever blast 
beat on tape, but it also helped spawn a lot of the grindcore sound thanks to the songs featured from the Crab Society North sessions. For those that don't know, those are the songs under 5 seconds long, such as "Anti-Procrastination Song" and "Diamonds & Rust." This record is a thing of beauty because it was created purely for raw art, expression, and pure fun. Because of the genre blending, there were no rules (to paraphrase another great '85 song title), and since they did not take themselves seriously in terms of topics of discussion, it was extremely fun.
As a Megaforce junkie (how can one label be so heavy?!), there's a lot of fun trivia with this record that we probably don't have the print space for (recorded and mixed in 3 days - snuck one in!), so I'll just quote Scott Ian from the Live At Budokan liner notes: "a once-in-a-lifetime band that could never be, but will last forever."
Getting personal here, I got to fulfill a dream with my band, Midnite Hellion. We recorded the Kingdom Immortal record at the same studio (Pyramid Sound) with the same producer (my friend Alex Perialas) using the same amps (MARSHALL!!!! You ain't getting the models outta me!) and even some of the same guitars (only a GIBSON is good enough!) as used on the S.O.D. record. I even got to jam on some S.O.D guitar riffs using above said gear during downtime... pretty fuckin' cool!!!
OverKill - Feel the Fire: I'm a Jersey boy, whaddya expect? The greatest OverKill record, maybe not (we'll discuss that in two years...) BUT what a statement! These dudes literally came charging out of the gate under Rat's drums (if you know, you know) and hit us Hammerheads where it hurts. What's really cool about this record is how essentially Feel the Fire and Taking Over are the same album released a couple of years apart, as a majority of the songs for both were written and performed live prior to the release of Feel the Fire - the boys just took some time to release more of the songs with punkier elements in '85 while waiting for more of the "power metal" (Blitz' categorization of the band at that time prior to the term being coined) songs to be released in '87. This is a record full of piss 'n vinegar, capturing what really is the first thrash band (formed in '79) finally on wax, not recorded in two shitholes, but at the incredible (yes, you guessed it) Pyramid Sound! This era of OverKill almost had a haunting mystique or chill surrounding them, kinda hard to describe in words but can be felt. It was a really special time, and their sound definitely made a noticeable change come '88 - not for better or worse, just simply different and equally as cool.
If the verse riff to "Rotten to the Core" doesn't make you wanna destroy, that's a YOU problem...
Helloween – Helloween / Walls of Jericho: I'm combining these releases because, quite honestly, I can! Mwahahahaha!!! Both released in '85 and combined together with '86s Judas single, these made the Noise compilation CD re-issue of Walls of Jericho. Aside from being total and utter masterpiece songwriting and performances from the Hamburgers, this set the stage for what was to come.
There is literally no sleeper cut on either of these, a rare feat at any time. The atmospheric keyboards interlaced perfectly in "Phantoms of Death," the full 'o feelin' adventure of "Ride the Sky," runaway train of "Starlight," and even showing more classical elements in "Gorgar," there's something for everyone in the Kai Hansen vocally-led era of Helloween. What he accomplished along with Weikath, Ingo, and Markus cannot be understated - they literally single-handedly created an entire sub-genre of metal! Helloween is power metal, everything else is a big, ugly, half-price-selling pumpkin.
Onto the artwork, wow!! Both works created by Uwe and Edda Karczewski led Helloween into a league beyond others on the strength of the covers alone. Put the needle on the record and the grand and triumphant sounds emanating from the speakers showed that the cover matched the wax... nothing phony here.
Onto the next era of Helloween, being fronted by Michael Kiske, these two very important releases set them up perfectly for Kiske to jump right in... and again, Uwe and Edda's art on the next two albums (Keepers pt. 1. and 2.) made the listening experience even more enhanced.
Unfortunately, these were not recorded at Pyramid Sound...
Jeremy Golden (HEAVEN AND HELL RECORDS): Several good albums came out in 1985; however, I would not hear them until years later. I would say that many bands were on a downward trajectory that year, such as Twisted Sister, Mötley Crüe, and AC/DC.
It is hard to choose what my favorite albums would be from the year, as there were several good ones; Manilla Road's Open the Gates. Savatage Power of the Night, Omen Warning of Danger, Possessed Seven Churches, and I can't forget the debut of 
the mighty Celtic Frost, To Mega Therion.
I would say Fates Warning's Spectre Within is probably one of the best albums of that year. That album is just a masterpiece; the epic song "Epitaph" alone makes it one of the greatest heavy metal albums ever recorded. The album has a cinematically epic flow to it with all its beautiful compositions. And John Arch weaves vocal melodies like a master magician casting a spell.
S.O.D.'s Speak English or Die would be another favorite from 1985; I would say it was an important album in my earliest exposure to heavy metal. Of course, I'm talking about "March of the S.O.D." playing at midnight every Saturday night at the opening of Headbangers Ball. It would be my first exposure to thrash and what I would later come to know as crossover.
I can still remember when I got my first Speak English or Die cassette; it was the most badass and aggressive thing I had ever heard up to that point. Looking back now, that album seems like it was a rite of passage of sorts, like a gateway of stepping into new heavy metal territory.
My favorite non-makeup Kiss album, Asylum would come out that year, but I don't consider that heavy metal.
I would say that W.A.S.P.'s Last Command is another favorite from 1985. Like with every metal album from that year. I would not hear it until a couple years after it was released, around the time I was entering junior high school. I had seen the video for "Blind in Texas" on Headbanger's Ball. However, I would not pick up that album until a high school girl I knew told me that she was into W.A.S.P and that her favorite song was "Wild Child."
When the cool, really smokin' hot high school rocker chick tells you that W.A.S.P is pretty cool, then you go out and pick up a W.A.S.P album. Now whenever I hear that song, I think of that bleach-blonde chick named Wendy Carter in an acid-washed mini-skirt.
Ben Brower (BREAKKER): Over the intervening years between 1985 and now, I became much more aware of what a watershed year that was for metal.
But, in fairness, I hadn't heard many of my favorites from '85 until later in life.
So, I'm giving you my three favorites that I actually owned in 1985 when they came out.
Accept Metal Heart; Accept to me felt like a clean break from my sister's hand-me-down, '70s music and even "heavy" plodding older bands like Zeppelin and Sabbath. Accept were heavier, faster, no bullshit blues noodling, just heavy power! They sounded like MY generation's metal. Udo's voice was foreign, strange, grating to adult ears and perfect! "Midnight Mover" still rules!
Loudness Thunder in the East I purchased on cassette based solely on the striking cover alone. Red, white and black, Japanese rising sun, jagged classic Loudness logo. "Yeah, this is going to rule!", I thought. The opening track sealed the deal. That opening riff to "Crazy Nights" to me was the best heavy guitar intro to come along since Van Halen's "Unchained."
They were already a well-established and huge band in their native Japan, and this record was their play for the American market. And man, did it ever deliver on that front for me!
This record is so important to me because not only did it make me an instant Loudness fan, but it also tipped me off to a previously unknown world of amazing metal from the far east.
Without Loudness, I probably wouldn't have discovered Anthem, Bow Wow Wow/Vow Wow, Earthshaker, 44 Magnum, and Action. Language barrier be damned!
Kick Axe's Welcome to the Club; I had bought the previous Kick Axe album Vices first based only on the cover art, and cool-sounding band name, probably the same year as I got Welcome to the Club, in 1985.
Eh, it was clunky Canadian party metal. Okay, I guess. It held enough interest to warrant me picking up the follow-up album once I had the money. The vibe was way different on Welcome to the Club; more "mature" maybe? Or what passed for mature to 15-year-old me. It had a surrealist, unsettling album cover, almost like something design house Hipgnosis would create for a late '70s UFO record.
The title track is kind of a somber rumination on addiction with a haunting semi-clean guitar riff. Then there was "Comin' After You," a really great slow build arena rocker.
It's not even that "heavy" of a record overall. It bombed commercially and they tried to reign in the maturity on subsequent outings.
So, why is it in my top three with all of its obvious flaws? Because I still play it front to back to this day.
Stevie Lang (BREAKKER): So many amazing albums to pick from. Even trying to do a top 15 would be very difficult but my top three would be; Ratt Invasion of Your Privacy, Dokken Under Lock and Key, and Attacker Battle at Helm's Deep. Some honorable mentions would be Dio Sacred Heart and Savatage Power of the Night.
All of these albums have meant a lot to me and have for a very long time. I still play these albums often. A personal highlight of mine is that I had the chance to open for Dokken, Ratt and Attacker during my music career while in some of my former bands. I know some of the guys in Attacker and they are very cool people. Hopefully Breakker can share the stage with them in the future.
Jökä Reinholm (FREEDOMINATION):
Exodus - Bonded by Blood: Best thrash debut album of them all: great songs, riffs and one of the best drummers in metal.
Megadeth - Killing Is My Business...: Maybe not the best sounding album, but the songs are really versatile with really intricate riffs and arrangements. Of course, Chris Poland's outstanding solos and Gar's phenomenal drumming make the record stand out for sure.
Anthrax - Spreading the Disease: Fast and furious with Joey Belladonna's clean cutting vocals, and really tight guitar work.
Juri Vuortama (FIRE ACTION):
Ratt - Invasion of Your Privacy
Stryper - Soldiers Under Command
Lȧȧz Rockit - No Stranger to Danger
These could have been Spreading the Disease, Thunder in the East and Under Lock and Key as well but as finding Ratt and seeing their video "Lay it Down" in Sky Channel's Monsters of Rock was a life-changing moment, they belong to the top of the list.
Stryper I found a bit later, but they stole my attention right away. My father used to warn me about religious people and urged me to stay away from the tents of sectarians that appeared in Kaisaniemi Park, Helsinki from time to time.
As the devil worshipping was already default in metal music, my jaw dropped when I saw four guys with huge hairdos holding machine guns around an A-team style van with the same colors as their outfits with text of Isaiah on the record sleeve...
I remembered my father's warnings and was like, these guys are really nuts or evil or whatever, and I gotta have that record! And I did. The title track blew my mind. There were even semi-thrash riffs on songs like "Surrender," but it was still very catchy and melodic overall. My cup of tea, obviously.
I like rhyming titles like Insult to Injury or Impact Is Imminent, but Lȧȧz Rockit came up with maybe the coolest, No Stranger to Danger! And they looked badass even without guns and ammo. [*LOL*]
The production is a bit thin, but the songs are killer and lead singer Michael Coons is maybe the best in speed/thrash of the era. It was this or Spreading the Disease, but the vocalist tipped the scales for Lȧȧz Rockit.
Jón Aldará (IOTUNN): I did not grow up with the underground extreme metal from that time, although I've come to appreciate it later. In general, it is not a year that holds any all-time favorites for me, though To Mega Therion is up there. Massively unique and impressive band. Dio and Gary Moore release really solid albums in Sacred Heart and Run for Cover ("Military Man"), respectively, so they might be number two and three. But I much prefer other Dio albums over that one. I learned about both artists through my dad when I was very young, so they have had a huge impact on my music appreciation. Later in my youth, I've had brushes with classics such as Hell Awaits (the title track) and Speak English or Die ("March of the S.O.D.," "Freddy Krueger"), which I really enjoy, but the neighboring years, 1984 and 1986, as well the late '80s are closer to my heart.
... and then the toughest question for you: Do you see 1985 as the most solid yet important year for metal, quality-wise that is?
Titan Fox (HAMMER KING): Actually not! If we look at Priest, Maiden, Helloween or Saxon, they have many of their defining albums either before or after 1985.
Iron Maiden, The Number of the Beast, Powerslave but also Somewhere in Time or Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.
British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance, Defenders of the Faith but also Painkiller.
Wheels of Steel, Strong Arm of the Law, Power and the Glory but also Solid Ball of Rock, Unleash the Beast, Sacrifice, Battering Ram, Hell Fire and Damnation.
And in Helloween's case, there's the Keeper albums and, in my book, The Time of the Oath, Better Than Raw and The Dark Ride.
Tony Dolan (VENOM INC., ATOMKRAFT): Not sure, maybe yes. Important? Yes. The scene was changing fast, and the progression was exploding with Possessed, Celtic Frost, Anthrax, Bathory etc. all releasing significant music and the quality was certainly improving at each step, becoming more pronounced and defined, not the shambles it had seemed to some degree.
Kim Strömsholm (ANTIHUMAN INDUSTRIES): Most important and solid, at least one of the great heavy years 
indeed. But that's a tough one I must admit because 1985 really does stand out in terms of quality and importance. At a very early stage I was already consuming every hard sound I could get my hands on, and that year delivered an unbelievable spread of defining records. Thrash was exploding with Slayer, Exodus, and Kreator, while extreme metal was taking its first true forms through Possessed, Celtic Frost, and Bathory. At the same time, the more traditional giants like Maiden, W.A.S.P., Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, Dio, and Accept were still firing on all cylinders. So, you had both the old guard at their peak and the new wave carving out entirely fresh territory. Was it the most solid year? It's up there along with 1984 and 1986 without question. In terms of diversity, innovation, and sheer consistency of classic releases, 1984-1986 might just be the years that proved metal could split into a thousand deadly directions and still remain united under the same banner. And if you look at what shit comes down the pipes these days, I'd be the grumpy old man saying, "It Used to Be Better."
Kari Kankaanpää (SEPULCHRAL CURSE): This is easy for me. Nope...! I know many legendary and genre-defining albums came out during that year, but I would say to me on a personal level, there are many years that have better or more important albums. Nothing away from the classics, of course.
Ignazio Nicastro (XENOS A.D.): For me the most solid of all is 1986, but obviously 1985 can and should be considered the godfather of the greatness that was 1986. Without the monstrous albums of 1985, 1986 would have been a completely different story.
Ricard (PROSCRITO): That's not tough at all, because I wholeheartedly agree. Forty years later and the fire still burns (of course, the pun is intended). Crack open a cold one and spin the Slauter Xstroyes LP, my friend.
"When the lambs is lost in the mountain, he said. They is cry. Sometime come the mother. Sometime the wolf."
― Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian (1985)
Danny Lilker (ex-NUCLEAR ASSAULT, etc.): No. I'd say a lot of stuff from '84-'87 was all extremely important so 
it would be unfair to have to just pick one year from that period.
Lasse Pyykkö (HOODED MENACE): 1984, 1985 and 1986 were all insane, but 1986 brought some of the most important albums for me ever, so I don't know. But yeah, 1985 was crazy solid. I can't argue with that.
Jarmo Puolakanaho (GOASHEM): I wouldn't call 1985 the most important year for metal overall. For me, the latter part of the decade had a more lasting impact. Still, it was a strong year that set the stage for what was to come.
Petri Hallikainen (PERPETUAL RAGE): Yes, 1985 definitely is one of them! It's hard to prioritize the years from the 1980s because they're all important in their own way in the world of heavy rock and metal!
Tomislav Ferenc (ELUSIVE GOD): 1985 was a great year for metal. But for me, it's hard to pick only one year as the most important. Every year in the '80s had some very strong and influential releases. Heavy metal was really strong at the time, while thrash metal still had its heavy and speed metal elements. Extreme metal was still young, and doom metal was also ready to take its place. I'd say it was a magical time for metal music but also for the music in general.
Dee Dee Altar (BUNKER 66): Impossible to answer to this one, perhaps I would go further back in time, to those records and years that inspired the guys who played on the records mentioned above.
"Life's a never-ending wheel..."
Allan Johnson (EXCITER/MAD ALEISTER): This is the easiest question for me, I totally disagree. I think that the absolute best years for heavy metal were 1980 to 1984.
Vic Stown (VINDICATOR): I wouldn't say eighty-five was the most important year in metal as I've reserved that for my birth year of eighty-three. Maybe I'm biased, but it was a massive year for metal and important for its own reasons, as I previously mentioned. New twists and turns and creative directions were just beginning to spring up and take hold. Some of my favorite bands were seasoned and honing their skills at this point. Most were still hungry, which is massively important to their sound. They weren't quite comfortable yet and it shows in the songwriting. It was a great year for releases all around.
Jens Finger (SLAUGHTERDAY): 1985 was a very strong year for metal, a summit that the genre has been trying to climb back to ever since. Thrash was reaching perfection, black metal was taking shape, and the first pulse of death metal was beating beneath the surface. Perhaps it's fair to say that every branch of the metal tree found its roots that year.
Sure, masterpieces followed, but '85 was the moment the metal underground became unstoppable. That year didn't just define metal's sound; it defined its spirit.
Aethon/Aithon (EURYNOMOS/MEGATHÉRION): Probably yes. 1985 is probably the most "metal" year of all the years. Bands still wore leather, studs, chains, etc., lyrics were still dark and in a very metal style. Call it cliché or not, but it was everything that could be defined as pure metal, music that the mainstream hated. 1985 had tons of killer releases that have stood the test of time, releases that set new standards in metal and pushed the boundaries.
1986 was a killer year for metal as well, but 1985 was probably the best when it comes to the "metal year" because many 
now-iconic bands still had an underground type of image, as they just started and were hungry like lions, trying to be the toughest and being as metal as possible.
Drew Rizzo (MIDNITE HELLION): This might be the easiest one, surprisingly, only because I answered this last! So many bands matured by this point, so many bands finally released their first full-length recordings after years of struggling, and so many subgenres were heard for the first time in '85. The formative times of death metal, grindcore, black metal, power metal, and the evolution of thrash metal and heavy metal was wild at this moment.
Probably the most important thing for me personally, the first three thrash bands (based on formation year) all made their statements with full-length albums; OverKill, Exodus, and Metal Church. Metal Church's Red Skies demo is the first-ever thrash recording in '81, and while their first full-length album was self-released in '84, Elektra remixed, remastered, and re-released Metal Church for a proper world-wide release in '85.
In a way, the Big 4 of Thrash all released something in '85 (Kirk's songs with Exodus). That's another cool tidbit. Not to mention, the Teutonic Big 4 also all had releases in '85. Crap, I knew I forgot to talk about In the Sign of Evil, Alcoholic Metal, and Endless Pain... I gotta cut it somewhere.
1985 poured sweet and clear, it was a very good year.
Jeremy Golden (HEAVEN AND HELL RECORDS): I sometimes think that a lot of people might romanticize the 1980s. Certainly, it was "the Golden Age of heavy metal," and a lot of pivotal moments occurred that year, and groundbreaking albums would be released. We would see thrash metal come into its own, the birth of death metal, the development of crossover, and many other pivotal moments in the development of heavy metal as we know it today.
However, I think many people, certainly younger people and some of those who were my age through the decade, see it a little bit differently than it really was; heavy metal did not dominate the airwaves, heavy metal was not all over MTV in regular rotation, heavy metal, with the exception of a handful of bands wasn't touring arenas, at least not here in the US. This is why I believe that a lot of people romanticize the 1980s and see it in a more spectacular way than it really was. By saying this, I don't think I am dismissing or taking anything away from the impact of the 1980s heavy metal movement. On the contrary, I feel that I'm looking at it from a more honest perspective. I feel that one of the factors that led to this embellished reimagining of the decade is based on the fact that bands like Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Poison, Dokken, and all that stuff, later deemed as hair bands, were so prevalent and gained so 
much exposure. In my book, these bands were not metal, perhaps heavy metal adjacent, but not heavy metal. Heavy metal was still a pretty underground scene in which only a handful of bands were rising to the top and gaining more mainstream acceptance. Sure, there were magazines on the newsstand, scattered radio shows and other means exposing heavy metal to the public, still it was not all around like it would be in the decades to come.
I think a good argument could be made that heavy metal, in some form, was more popular in later decades. Perhaps it wasn't one's chosen type of heavy metal, but still some form of heavy metal nonetheless.
As for 1985 being the best year in heavy metal, it is very difficult for me to agree with such a broad statement. Saying that 1985 was the best year in heavy metal or even suggesting it dismisses four decades of heavy metal that came afterwards. I'm not even sure I can say that 1985 was the best year from that decade. Personally, I know I would not want to limit myself to thinking that it was. Saying that 1985 was the best year in heavy metal is very limiting, and it comes off as one of those statements that would be made by people who aren't aware that classic bands still put out albums or that there are new bands that play an older style of metal.
Heavy metal has moved on and continued to develop over the past four decades. I'm also not sure what year I would even deem as the best year of the 1980s. I listen to more heavy metal from the 80s than from any other decade. I don't believe I can say it was better as far as the decades' output or its influence on me.
I do remember that around 1985 was when I first saw Loudness on the show Night Flights. I had no idea what heavy metal was at that time, nor did I know who Loudness were, but I remember seeing the "Crazy Nights" video. Years later I would get my first copy of Thunder in the East.
Ben Brower (BREAKKER): When you assign a specific time frame for any kind of musical style to be officially ordained as its "unquestionable apex," you effectively slap a big old tombstone on top of it. You house it behind museum glass, build a mausoleum around it. Don't even bother trying to expand on it or push it somewhere new.
1985 was a time in which many records I love were created. But the same can be said for so many years before and long after 1985.
Nostalgia is a trap. I can look back, but I never want it to be at the expense of seeing what is good and exciting in metal right now. Sure, some new stuff doesn't connect with me in the same way that "the classics" do. I'm also not a 15-year-old kid anymore. Not much connects with me the same way as it did then. But I'm still discovering new artists all the time that give me the same rush I got from hearing Metal Heart back in 1985.
Stevie Lang (BREAKKER): 1985 is a solid year for metal no doubt, as is every year of the '80s. I can easily name
10 to 15 masterpieces from each year of that decade. It's crazy how much amazing music came out during the '80s, it's mind-blowing, actually. I guess if I had to pick my favorite year it might be 1983 or 1984.But, really, it could easily be any year of the '80s, the best decade of heavy metal hands down.
Jökä Reinholm (FREEDOMINATION): 1985 was for sure a good metal year, with many good albums by bands that would refine their sound and define my musical taste for years to come, but '86 takes the cake for me.
Juri Vuortama (FIRE ACTION): I don't think so. There were so many great albums - and even new bands - yet to come. For example, Ozzy's Ultimate Sin, Iron Maiden's masterpiece Somewhere in Time, my all-time favorites Vinnie Vincent Invasion, King Diamond, FireHouse, Slaughter to say nothing about all the speed/thrash classics such as The Legacy, Master of Puppets, Souls of Black, Rust in Peace, Horrorscope, Justice...
The list is almost endless, so much good music was on the horizon back then.
Jón Aldará (IOTUNN): Quality-wise, it is perhaps debatable and subjective which year is the most important one for metal as a genre, since there have been different movements along the way, leading to different subgenres. But it might be the most important year for extreme metal, considering the amount of extreme metal bands who raised the bar with their debut or sophomore album this year, including long-standing thrash legends including, but not limited to, Sodom, Destruction, Overkill, Megadeth, Kreator, and Exodus. Of course, some of the most infamous progenitors of the darker side of metal had already had their start, including Venom and Mercyful Fate. But 1985 saw the release of monumental masterpieces that would inspire practically all future death and black metal as we know it. Celtic Frost's To Mega Therion, Possessed's Seven Churches, Bathory's The Return......; all of them cited a million times over by the giants that would go on to further formulate extreme music. And not to mention Energetic Disassembly by Watchtower, which proved before Cynic, Death and Atheist that complexity and aggression could be united in glorious fashion. It certainly stands to argue that 1985 was a defining year for these styles of music.
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