Obscure 80's style Heavy, Speed, Thrash or Power Metal
Original post
Posted by ForeverDarkWoods, 02.07.2010 - 17:16
To start the thread, I am going to showcase some of my personal favourites. Some of these might be quite famous in their home countries, but they are practically unheard of outside of them.
The first band I am going to showcase is one of my peronal favourites: Aria from Russia.
This is really some excellent fucking heavy metal, sung in their mother toungue. People have called them a "Russian Iron Maiden" and some such, and to a certain extent this might apply, but it's not completely true either, since they have a very unique sound. IMO especially the debut album is excellent. I have also been told that the debut (Megalomania) was in fact the first metal album released in the Soviet Union, but since I have little knowledge of the early Russian underground scene, I cannot really comment on the authenticity of this statement. I know it predates Kruiz' metal releases (also fucking excellent speed metal) and Korrozia Metalla's releases (band used to be good thrash, but sucks now). Read reviews and listen to Aria:
http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=272
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U49yIOkFOlA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBeOx9VPjf4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZGpiOI-Siw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YdxEwNRawE
The second band I am going to showcase is Mindless Sinner from my own home country, Sweden.
This is some excellent rocking heavy metal part of what is sometimes referred to as the first wave of Swedish heavy metal (lots of great bands to be found, like Heavy Load, Axewitch, Hiroshima and so on). Really great riffs in a quite melodic but still riff driven 80's heavy metal style. Listen and read reviews:
http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=23990
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-OHTFzVwOw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCCDsqPWcto
The next band would be something that apparently a lot of South Americans have heard of, being the original band of a certain Paul Gillman (later in the band/solo project Gillman), being Arkangel from Venezuela.
This is a really good heavy metal band. MA labels them as Speed/Power, which is something I do not really understand, since to me, it is straight up heavy metal. It sounds a bit like Riot from the States sometimes, and there's a lot of Priest in there, but they also have this special vibe that's a bit hard to describe. Lyrics are in Spanish, but when it's this good, it doesn't matter if you can't understand a word they are saying. MA page (only one review for one album) and youtube links:
http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=2003
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaqUq1tKadg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EBGfbYEXqM
And finally in this opening post, I am going to showcase a speed metal band from Canada, being Assault from Vancouver.
This band which released only one album of completely awesome speed metal packed with great riffs might be somewhat heard of in Canada (I don't know really) or some Annihilator fans might know of them perhaps simply because of their ties to said band. This one album they released though,is something that should be a classic, And I'm nearly willing to bet that this band would have been huge had they continued. Right now the album is apparently quite rare, and this band is all but forgotten by most metalheads, which is a real shame.
http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=1925
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W90iWhpfFXI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fxDojhT_i0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w758JKif2s
All for now then. More to come later and please contribute with your own additions.
| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6107  |
Atrophy - I liked their album "Violent by Nature". Nice old school thrash/speed metal.
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6107 |
Hellbastard - quite intense thrash there, the album "Natural Order" spent a long time in my cassette (!) player in 1990.
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| Iriki Posts: 122  |
Tarantula: http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=1602 From Portugal, one of the very First European Power Metal bands (at the time that they was still original). There's some Fates Warning workship here.
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493  |
Morbid Saint, Hellbastard and Atrophy aren't really obscure, to be honest.
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6107 |
I don't really see them talked about at all, to be honest. That makes them at least forgotten.
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
They're all cult bands. Just because they aren't talked about like Metallica, Iron Maiden or Opeth doesn't mean they're very obscure, plus with the thrash revivalist moment, all these old school acts are getting more attention.
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6107 |
Written by vezzy on 31.08.2010 at 13:02 Which is exactly why I posted here about them - to bring them to your attention 
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Yeah, even though we kinda know them already. Oh yeah, that reminds me... Extreme Japanese thrash metal.
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6107 |
Kat, polish heavy/thrash act. They enjoy cult following in Poland and are unknown abroad. The following song is from their 1988 album, "Oddech Wymarlych Swiatow". Tjhe song is quite cool, try it. Fun fact: they supported Metallica on their first visit to Poland in 1987.
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Acid: '80s Belgian speed metal who released three full-lengths, but were never particularly noticed. They were also female fronted.
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| Iriki Posts: 122 |
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Exhumator. Bulgarian blackened speed/thrash one-man project who formed in 1980 and disbanded sometime in the late '90s or early 2000s. They put out some great stuff.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by vezzy on 31.08.2010 at 14:16 To requote your own words concerning Atrophy... "how is Acid obscure?" Acid were and are better known than Atrophy ever was. Even when they released their first two albums almost no-one had herad of Atrophy whereas Acid was actually relatively quite big when they released their albums.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Hm, interesting. Always was left with the impression that Atrophy were better known than Acid.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by vezzy on 31.08.2010 at 20:42 Maybe due to the fact Atrophy were on Roadrunner? At the time Roadrunner had a gazillion bands (also exhorder f.e.) Atrophy only toured Europe once (as far as I can remember) as opening act for Sacred Reich. Acid played a lot of metal festvials at the time and also toured Erope quite a bit.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6107 |
The key factor here might be age, Vezzy. Old men like Marcel and me remember those times from our own experience, so we have no problems assessing what was more and what was less known in the 80's. How old are you?
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262  |
Written by vezzy on 31.08.2010 at 19:07 I just listened to this full album, and I can't get into it at all - some parts are kinda cool, but others make me cringe. You keep mentioning not liking bands because of bad vocals, so I find it odd how you like this band so much. BTW, good call with that Acid song. That one has always been my favorite from their debut.
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Written by Dangerboner on 01.09.2010 at 06:56 Because: 1) Vocals only matter if they significantly add or detract to the music. 2) Wartime's music sucks. 3) Exhumator's vocals are in Bulgarian.
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| Geist Posts: 6783  |
Wouldnt that be the only reason vocals mattered... ?? Why would the language lyrics are sang in classify whether the vocals are good or bad... ??
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Written by Geist on 03.09.2010 at 12:41 For one, I don't remember vocals ever deciding my overall thoughts on the music (except Wartime, but their music sucks as well, so...) Exhumator's music is good, vocals aren't a strong point at all, but I appreciate the Bulgarian lyrics. Overall, not their very best album though.
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| Geist Posts: 6783 |
Hm... I dont remember that being my question. I never asked about your overall thoughts on music. You may wanna take another look at the quote... or the post above it. Anyhow, I'm sure most of you know about Stormwich. They're a cross of Maiden & Helloween. I particularly favor their first album: Walpurgis Night. I personally have not met many people who've heard of'em in my part of town.
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| max410 Posts: 3  |
Hi guys check out first demo song and give us your comments ans feedback www.myspace.com/raedonmetal please join our facebook group as well http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=73093714928
---- MAX KRAVEN
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099  |
I've always enjoyed an album by the British band Pariah called 'Blaze of Obscurity' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIBbiam6drU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR5rMUI_rbo Great 80's Thrash.
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| Charly546 Posts: 314 |
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| ForeverDarkWoods Posts: 1001  |
Hey all. I'm back from an absence due to being really busy with university studies and I'm happy to see the thread I started alive. I'm gonna start by seconding the Talisphere reccomendation. Talisphere is a truly forgotten gem. I am then going to go about reccomending a demo by a USPM band called Forte. The demo is called Dementia By Design and completely rocks. Sample here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2F6SCbU5Ak After that, a lot of you have probably heard this, but if you like overtly epic heavy metal, you should check out Medieval Steel. Sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q9Vzjefnik
---- Free nations are peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction! - George W. Bush, ex-president of the United States of America
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| R'Vannith ghedengi Elite Posts: 3099 |
Written by Charly546 on 13.11.2010 at 16:12 I have heard of Satan, although I've never given them a listen. I did know that Pariah had some members from Satan, but I didn't know they were the same band, as well as Blind Fury! Will check them out, thanks.
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262 |
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| Aristarchos Posts: 817 |
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| Aristarchos Posts: 817 |
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| Geist Posts: 6783 |
I stumbled across this thread by accident, completely forgetting I posted here once haha, being that it's 6:30 am here & I cant sleep, I thought it'd be cool to resurface this thread, as all ive been listening to the past few months is oldschool Speed/Power Metal. I dont know the extent of obscurity to these bands, but what is known to some may be completely unknown & obscure to others. Anyway, these are some of my personal favorites: Scanner: These guys hail from Germany & are still around today, though their last album was released in '02. They've had countless line-up changes, with the only original member being their Guitarist Axel "A.J." Julius. Oddly enough, their first vocalist bears a striking resemblance vocally to Kai Hansen & the album pretty much sounds like the Gamma Ray album you've never heard. http://youtu.be/-8oZ6L6D5Cg http://youtu.be/e9wNiNheyPY http://youtu.be/JFbbvecfnqE The second band ill mention is called Lords of the Crimson Alliance, they are virtually unknown by most metalheads & there really isnt much info about'em anywhere, only rumors & speculations. Hailing from the US, they released one self titled album, which is truly a forgotten gem of this era. http://youtu.be/iskSd8fA8B4 http://youtu.be/u9LNRmR1gIs http://youtu.be/_abMQOE_fls This third band may be better known to an extent, also hailing from the states, they're a straight US Power act & have some form of acclaim for once having A.J. Pero of Twisted Sister fame in their ranks. Although stated they were a side project, they infact were not. Cities was started by the Vocalist & his brother who played drums in the band. Cities unfortunatley only released one album & a handful of demo's & ep's, this band is highly overlooked & couldve been so much more. http://youtu.be/HfFe6HZ-CCM http://youtu.be/QmQ4uypu9aQ http://youtu.be/gwwwutAHlGw Last but not least: Thunder Way, these guys are from Albania, only releasing one album & although not from the 80's they play an 80's styled Power Metal with slight neo classical influences. Their first & only album was released in '93, so not too far a stretch. They split in '96, it's unfortunate they never followed up their debut as it had virtually no bad songs. http://youtu.be/W4Y9__t73do http://youtu.be/38ZCPMwQLJs http://youtu.be/HSXb_Tn0-0A I saw someone already mention Warlord, so I wont bring'em up, but if you've never heard'em definitley worth a listen. So there it is, 4 killer mostly unknown & obscure bands. Enjoy.
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