Kai vs. RYM metal charts: 1987

    1987 was when metal became a type of pop music, thanks to the likes of Appetite For Destruction, Whitesnake, Hysteria, or Slippery When Wet. It's also another odd year where the major players who released an album in 1986 are either touring/writing/catching their breath. As a result, many filthy casuals might think 1987 was nothing to talk about beyond the above mentioned pop-metal releases.  Well, those people would be dead wrong, as the spotlight is snatched by those whom, when you think about it, sew the seeds for metal's direction in the 90s.  While this might not be a "better" year for metal than 1986, it's easily a more interesting one.  No EPs this time, for reasons that will be explained:


1. Candlemass- Nightfall
     Huh… I mean I love Nightfall and it should absolutely be here, but #1?  Under The Sign of The Black Mark must have been star-bombed by hipsters.  Still, Nightfall is arguably the greatest doom metal album ever, and a change of vocalist proves no setback for them.  Candlemass proved doom metal doesn't mean meandering with no sense of songwriting.

Should this be in a top 10: YES

Would this be in my top 10: YES




2. Bathory- Under The Sign Of The Black Mark
     I’m not sure if this is the greatest black metal album of all time, but it is the greatest gateway black metal album of all time.  Venom, Hellhammer and Slayer deserve credit for getting the ball rolling, but it's here where black metal as we know it today begins.   Pay particular attention to the solos, and then be dumbfounded why the rest of black metal seemed to ignore this component of Bathory.  This is by no means a one-dimensional, one-tempo album.  Under The Sign of the Black Mark truly runs a gamut, from violent and lightspeed like "Chariots of Fire" and "Woman Of Dark Desires" to arena bangers like "Call From The Grave" and "13 Candles" to the sprawling superstructure known as "Enter The Eternal Fire."

Should this be in a top 10: Yes

Would this be in my top 10: Yes


3. King Diamond- Abigail
     Fuck yeah, this is what should have followed Don't Break The Oath.  This is a masterclass of power metal (yes, it's 80s power metal, deal with it).  What, power metal can't be a horror story?  It also flirts a fair amount with prog-metal: it's a concept album and there's time changes galore -that part in Family Ghost where it drops into vicious thrash, THAT is a breakdown kids-.  While it isn't their first album, this is the album that put Andy LaRocque and Mikkey Dee on the map!  This is where King Diamond becomes known as the master spooky metal storyteller we know him for today (or at least he would be today if he made anything in the last 20 years)

Should this be in a top 10: Yes

Would this be in my top 10: Yes


4. Manilla Road- Mystification
     We've finally made it!  My #1 recommendation for people who keep hearing about this Manilla Road business and wonder what that's about.  This is where you start, good person! There's light and shade, there's a tendency to thrash (and Mark would go full thrash on the follow-up Out Of The Abyss), there's some of the thickest guitar sounds you've ever heard and topped off with Shelton's wizardly vocals. One of Unites States of American power metal's unquestionable gateways.

Should this be in a top 10: Yes

Would this be in my top 10: Yes


5. Voivod- Killing Technology
    I don't get Voivod, but hoooo boy do they have a dedicated fanbase. I'm surprised their previous two albums didn't pop up on their respective years.  It's decent thrash, but the highest rated thrash album of the year?  No.

Should this be in a top 10: Perhaps

Would this be in my top 10: No


6. Savatage- Hall of the Mountain King
    God forbid anyone thing if I haven't heard an album I never get around to it, I only picked this one up a couple of weeks ago and GODDAMMIT WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO GET THIS?!  What's fucked up was I always knew the title track contained one of the greatest, if not the greatest riff ever, but fuckin A, I had no idea everything else would be this godly! "24 Hrs Ago," "Strange Wings," and I'm 75% sure the Greek black metal scene decided to steal its whole identity from the opening of "The Price You Pay." Then of course the unique, but stellar vocals of Jon Oliva, how are those online grifter vocal coach reaction channels ignoring this guy?  Also, this band would eventually germinate into something you may have heard about, a tiny holiday outfit called The Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Should this be in a top 10: Yes

Would this be in my top 10: Yes


7. Helloween- Keeper Of the Seven Keys Part 1
    Helloween could very well be my favorite band of all time, but...put it this way, I have no issue with Hall of the Mountain King being ranked higher than Keeper Of the Seven Keys Part 1.  Don't get me wrong, this album is super important for multiple reasons: a) it's the first time we are introduced to the GOAT of metal vocals, Michael Kiske, 2) It answers the question of 'what does Iron Maiden mixed with Metallica sound like?', 3) it contains therein the greatest heavy metal epic known to man: "Halloween."  Yes the lyrics are completely bibbidy-bobbidy-beautiful-tragedy-wonderful-fantasy that power metal gets stereotyped for multiple reasons but goddammit it fucking WORKS!  

Should this be in a top 10: Yes

Would this be in my top 10: No


8. Sodom- Persecution Mania
    Quick note: On this album's page the major and minor subgenres listed are thrash metal and black metal.  This has as much to do with black metal as Pantera does, both 90s AND 80s.  Black metal is about highs and almost a thinness sonically.  With some exceptions, if your black metal is extra thicc, you're doing it wrong.  Persecution Mania is proto- death metal. It doesn't quite reach the darkly descend to the violent depths of Pleasure To Kill, but anyone who ain't in the mood for Electrocution, Bombenhagel and PAIN! OF DYING! SLOWLY! NUCLEAR WINTER! is clearly no fun at a party.  Essential German thrash.  Hell, essential German metal!

Should this be in a top 10: Yes

Would this be in my top 10: No


9. Testament- The Legacy
    The debut of the most successful thrash metal band outside of the big four (and these days Anthrax might very well open for them).  Chuck Billy, Eric Peterson and the legendary Alex Skolnick (saying that name makes my metal-tism so happy) are introduced to the world through The Legacy.  Yeah Chuck is a Hetfield clone but a) 80% of metal is Phil Anselmo clones these days, b) he sounds more Hetfield than Hetfield himself does these days. Best thing they ever did IMO.

Should this be in a top 10: Yes

Would this be in my top 10: Yes


10. Death- Scream Bloody Gore
    I must admit I'm breaking my own rules here because if I include EPs, Sodom's Expurse of Sodomy knocks this out of the top 10. Expurse is a nifty little EP, but I don't think even the most demented Sodom fan would dare say it's more important than Death's legendary debut.  Hell, no Sodom fan should say this is better than any Sodom record!  Not to mention there's a second EP ranked higher than that on this list, a 2-Singles-on-1-EP re-release of Metallica's Jump In The Fire and Creeping Death single.  What the actual fuck? Nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but no way was that doing anything for either metal's popularity, development or even Metallica's own momentum that Master Of Puppets or even the Garage Days EP meant to introduce Jason Newsted! I don't like to tell people to downvote bomb something, but downvote bomb that Creeping Death/Jump In The Fire EP because that's just retarded.
    Focus Kai, focus.  Now, Dio forbid you're one of the people who thinks Seven Churches isn't death metal, but rather black metal or just plain ol thrash, there is no denying what so ever that death metal begins it's journey right here with Scream Bloody fuckin' Gore! Without debate the greatest and most important Death album ever made. No it's not progressive, no Chuck's musical skills aren't what they would be in 1991, let alone in 1998, yes the lyrics are snuff-film schlock, THATS THE GODDAMN POINT OF DEATH METAL!  And the fact that RYM ranks this the second lowest Death album is proof that the tiktok/core kids reviving Death have no goddamn clue what they're talking about.  Put the Symbolic down you virgins.  You're ruining it for everyone.  A strong contender for greatest metal album of the year.  

Should this be in a top 10: Yes

Would this be in my top 10: Yes 


My personal top 10 in alphabetical order:

BATHORY- UNDER THE SIGN OF THE BLACK MARK
CANDLEMASS- NIGHTFALL
CARNIVORE- RETALIATION
CORONER- R.I.P.
DEATH- SCREAM BLOODY GORE
KING DIAMOND- ABIGAIL
MANILLA ROAD- MYSTIFICATION
OVERKILL- TAKING OVER
SAVATAGE- HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN KING
TESTAMENT- THE LEGACY

    I should chastise the voters for not having Among The Living in this top 10, but as you can see, I don't have them in mine either.  I will admit this internet backlash/slide into cultural irrelevance of Anthrax is sad to watch, but I barely listen to them myself anymore.  Charlie ditching them to go drum for the Phil Anselmo pyramid scheme certainly didn't help.  But man, they just took too long to make that follow up to For All Kings.  Fuck, Metallica put out a new album before you guys did.  Judas Priest made two.  Hell, KK's Priest made two!

    Let's briefly talk about the pop-metal juggernauts that came out this year.  If anything deserves to be in this top 10, it's Appetite For Destruction.  I mean, sales aren't supposed to be everything, but this is one of the highest selling albums of all time.  Not for metal, not for hair metal, not even for rock, highest selling albums. Unlike even Metallica, there ain't a single power ballad on that thing. And here's something you might not know: Appetite For Destruction has outsold Metallica in the states!  (As of this writing, Appetite stands at 18 million copies sold, Metallica stands at 16 million) It's hilarious to me how Lars wanted to be in Guns N' Roses so bad yet he couldn't figure out one reason why Appetite and Guns N'Roses were so loved is because there was no Nothing Else Matters (at least not until the next year).  If everyone is coping on how nu-metal was some sort of gateway these days, well you can't deny that Appetite was a gateway.  Fuck Metallica, think of where metal would be without Appetite!  I'm no Axl Rose fanboy either, I've slandered him for almost 25 years at this point!  But this, Back In Black and other big hard rock best-sellers getting denied bolded status on RYM makes me think some wedgies and swirlies are in order (do kids today even now what a swirly is?)!

    Other final observations: Dream Evil is a way better album than Last In Line, but I'd be lying if I said Savatage, Manilla Road and King Diamond didn't do what he was trying to do better this year.  Slightly surprised Scum didn't make it, given what that revolutionized.  Finally, not so much a genre complaint, but you can't really overstate how this year begat the two sub-genres that for all intents and purposes, dominate the metal underground to this day!  Really three, as power metal seems to snag more headlines that NWOTHM does, even though power metal seems to be seen as an STD.

Next week, my favorite year in metal!  See ya then!

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