Top 10 for 1986

TheBigBlack's Rock Top 10

Bon Jovi
Slippery When Wet

Rock | Album | 18 August 1986

The Angels
Howling

Hard Rock | Album | 29 October 1986

Motorhead
Orgasmatron

Hard Rock | Album | 9 August 1986

'Orgasmatron' is the eighth album by Motorhead. It is the band's first album to feature two guitarists - Phil "Wizzo" Campbell and Michael "Wurzel" Burston - and also the only full Motorhead studio album to feature Pete Gill on the drums, although all three also played on the new tracks recorded for the compilation album 'No Remorse', recorded and released in 1984. This is also the band's first album featuring a four-piece band lineup, instead of a usual trio.

In the three years since their last album, the generally panned Another Perfect Day, Motorhead had made many changes. Apart from frontman and band leader Lemmy Kilmister, this was an entirely new group - and with a twin guitar attack instead of the usual three piece. This new version of the band had been introduced to the world previous on the four new tracks from the No Remorse compilation two years earlier, but those tracks only hinted at the potential, and were generally pretty 'safe'. Orgastmatron was the band's first chance to really show the fans what this new version of the band could do. 'Deaf Forever' opens the album at a slow pace, but with a grinding intensity that the earlier band had never had. It feels free of excesses, and gets to the point with little fuss. Even the lyrics are focused, and Lemmy sings with a 'take no prisoners' attitude. It's an ode to war, at the same time as a harsh criticism of it, and the song feels like it was carefully chosen to introduce us to a streamlined 1986 edition of the band. 'Nothing Up My Sleeve' sound more like the familiar Motorhead, speeding along like an out of control race car. The production, although often criticised by the band, is perfect for the music, sounding aggressive and in your face. It is a little bit muddy, but it adds a certain 'live' feel to the songs. 'Claw', an immediately fan favourite, is packed with fast guitar riffs and double entendres galore, and is the final nail in the coffin of the old brigade fixated on the band's 'classic' line-up of the earlier albums. 'Mean Machine' is straight up punk rock, and is one of the most intense songs performed up to this point by the band. There is little room to breathe, and closes the first half of the album nicely. Side B deliberately slows the pace with 'Built For Speed', and much like a boxer in the ring, the band now knows they have the listener subdued. The original plan for the album was to name it Riding With the Driver (hence the cover art), and although the title is a little flat, the same can't be said about the song. There are more moments driven by speed (both descriptively and likely by the actual substance) on this album than any previous, and although the album clocks in at under 45 minutes, it is both an energizing and exhausting listen. Drawing the album to a close is the grinding masterpiece that is the title track. It is unique, not just in the band's discography, but in general. The swirling production gives the repetitive plodding riff an otherworldly feel that is almost unsettling. Lemmy sings of the great hypocrisies of religion, politics, and war, all veiled in cosmic references to gods and times both past and future. As a lyricist he could run the gamut of shallow sexism right through to intensely bold and intelligent lyrics, and this song is far right on that scale, possibly being the greatest words that ever left his mouth. The track is bold and profound in a way that the band rarely ever explored again. Although the album is solid, the band itself was still in rough waters at this point, with drummer Pete Gill barely lasting the next album, and guitarist Wurzal also gone a few short years later - but guitarist Phil Campbell went on with the band for another three decades until Lemmy's death, making him the second longest member (behind Lemmy himself). Ultimately Orgasmatron is an album that demands attention, and creating such in a time where the band was at a 'do or die' juncture was placing a bet that ultimately paid off. The band created an album that will never quite be their best, but will never be close to their worst - A very solid middle of the road effort, that was as much about renewing faith in themselves, as it was the fans.

TheBigBlack's Rock Honourable Mentions

Guns n' Roses
Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide

Hard Rock | E.P.; Live | 16 December 1986

'Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide' is the debut E.P. by Guns n' Roses. The record itself was reportedly limited to only 10,000 copies, released only in vinyl and cassette formats. The tracks were later re-released along with four new songs on the E.P. 'G N' R Lies' (1988).

Various Artists
Deep Six

-Various- | Album; Compilation | 21 March 1986

TheBigBlack's Metal Top 10

W.A.S.P.
Inside The Electric Circus

Heavy Metal | Album | 8 November 1986

'Inside The Electric Circus' is the third studio album by W.A.S.P. The album is the band's first to feature singer and bandleader Blackie Lawless playing guitar, having switched from bass to rhythm guitar. It reached No. 60 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, where it remained for 19 weeks. Lawless himself has been critical of the album, going as far as to name it his least favorite W.A.S.P. album, calling it a 'tired record done by a tired band'.

Nuclear Assault
Game Over

Thrash Metal | Album | 7 October 1986

Destruction
Eternal Devastation

Thrash Metal | Album | 12 July 1986

'Eternal Devastation' is the second album by Destruction. It showed that the band, while still rooted in the speed metal/proto-black metal-influenced style of material evident on earlier releases, had started moving in the direction of a more contemporary thrash metal style. This is the last studio album to feature drummer Thomas Sandmann, who left the band later in 1986 and was replaced by Oliver Kaiser.

Kreator
Pleasure To Kill

Thrash Metal | Album | 1 November 1986

'Pleasure To Kill' is the second studio album by Kreator. It is widely considered a landmark thrash metal classic, along with many other thrash albums released in 1986. The production is raw, adding to the brutal nature of the music. Due to this it played a considerable role in the development of many extreme metal subgenres and death metal bands, such as Cannibal Corpse citing the album as an influence.

Ozzy Osbourne
The Ultimate Sin

Heavy Metal | Album | 22 February 1986

'The Ultimate Sin' is the fourth studio album by Ozzy Osbourne. It is the second and last of Osbourne's albums to feature lead guitarist Jake E. Lee, the first to feature drummer Randy Castillo, and the only album to feature bassist Phil Soussan. The album was awarded Platinum status in May 1986 and was awarded Double Platinum status in October 1994 by the RIAA.

The Ultimate Sin, Ozzy's fourth solo album overall, is often viewed as low point in his career. He had just spent time in rehab, and has often said that recording the album wasn't a pleasant experience. He was not in the right state of mind, and contractual disputes with band members made the whole experience rather forgettable. Guitarist Jake E. Lee would present no material until contracts were signed and bassist Bob Dailey quit before recording even started. With all this chaos in mind, somehow an album of above-average quality emerged. The songs were hard-edged, with a tight production, but still held the pop sensibilities of early albums in the catchy choruses and accessible lyrics. The title track rumbles from the speakers with the opening drum pattern, and although the song isn't fast - it is sinister, and Ozzy's vocals sound focused and aggressive. The track even features some double-bass drumming towards it's close, reminding us that is all these great guitar hooks this is still a metal album. The music feels focused in a way Osbourne's music hadn't before. This continues into 'Secret Loser', and although the chorus is almost cringingly poppy, the ragged guitar tones still carry it beautifully. Although Lee would never be seen by fans as a worthy replacement to dead guitar god Randy Rhodes, his solo here shows why he should be. The anthems continue, with 'Never Know Why' giving the best stadium fist pumper of the album. 'Never' features some great six-string work, even if it does lean a little too close to too much of that 80's reverb. 'Killer Of Giants' is a rare quiet moment on the album, and in Ozzy's career overall. It gathers some momentum and punch toward the end, but his heartfelt vocals really touch a nerve as pleads for the warmongers to stop. He is delicate and vulnerable, and it adds a deeper dimension to the album overall. The closer, 'Shot In The Dark', is an oddly sombre track, although it has a decent tempo and a sing-along chorus. From the opening steady bass line and scant guitar, it just has a different feel to the rest of the album - like it is a song that has a different goal than the others. It is a perfect closer to an album, although it wouldn't seem that way if heard on its own. It has a feeling of a restless farewell, of a door being closed that will not be opened again. Rather fitting really, when in hindsight we know that this version of the band would completely splinter in the very near future. It would also be a song that would be at the centre of legal disputes for years to come. The album isn't Osbourne's best work, but it did add another strong group of songs to his growing solo legacy at the time. Although many of the tracks aren't brilliant, overall it is one of his most consistent bodies of work, with no absolute low points. In later years he openly stated it was his least favourite album - but those comments never seemed to be about the songs, more the period of time.

Mortal Sin
Mayhemic Destruction

Thrash Metal | Album | ?? September 1986

As great of a time as it was in 1986 to be a fan of thrash metal, it always felt slightly untouchable. The titans of the genre like Metallica and Slayer were well established and were playing music that seemed otherworldly - because they were just so far from me geographically. Mortal Sin brought that feeling of isolation to a sudden halt when 'Mayhemic Destruction' started filtering through the underground. Sure, the production was pretty flat (apparently the album was recorded as a demo, but got released to save money) - but this was thrash that was as dark as Slayer and as well-crafted as Metallica, and it was right out of the land down under. Songs like Liar and Lebanon thundered along, the dull lifelessness of the drums actually propelling the songs further into darkness, and Blood Death Hatred and Into The Fire were as good as any U.S. or German act were putting out. And do I smell a whiff of early Death Metal in the title track?

Megadeth
Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?

Thrash Metal | Album | 20 November 1986

'Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?' is the second studio album by Megadeth. The project was originally handled by Combat Records, resulting in the original mix of the album being co-produced by Randy Burns. Capitol Records then bought the rights to the album and hired another producer named Paul Lani to mix it himself. The recording of the album was difficult for the band, because of the ongoing drug issues the members had at the time. Drummer Gar Samuelson and guitarist Chris Poland were fired shortly after the album's promotional tour for drug abuse. It is often regarded as a thrash metal classic and as an album that gave prominence to extreme metal. It has been featured in several publications' best album lists, including Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and Martin Popoff's Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time.

Iron Maiden
Somewhere In Time

Heavy Metal | Album | 29 September 1986

'Somewhere In Time' is the sixth studio album by Iron Maiden. It was the band's first album to feature guitar synthesisers. Since its release, it has been certified platinum by the RIAA, having sold over one million copies in the U.S.

Metallica
Master Of Puppets

Thrash Metal | Album | 3 March 1986

'Master Of Puppets' is the third studio album by Metallica, released on March 3. It was the band's final album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus accident in Sweden during the album's promotional tour. It peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its music and political lyrics. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential metal albums of all time, and is credited with consolidating the American thrash metal scene. It was certified six times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2003 for shipping six million copies in the United States, and was later certified six times platinum by Music Canada and platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). In 2015 it became the first metal recording to be selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Slayer
Reign In Blood

Thrash Metal | Album | 7 October 1986

'Reign In Blood' is the third studio album by Slayer. The album was the band's first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose input helped the band's sound evolve. The release date of the album was delayed because of concerns regarding the lyrical subject matter of the opening track 'Angel Of Death', which refers to Josef Mengele and describes acts such as human experimentation that he committed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The band's members stated that they did not condone Nazism and were merely interested in the subject. It was well received by both critics and fans, and is often mentioned among the greatest heavy metal albums ever recorded.

TheBigBlack's Metal Honourable Mentions

Judas Priest
Turbo

Heavy Metal | Album | 14 April 1986

'Turbo' is the eleventh album by Judas Priest. The album is notable for the band's change to a commercial glam metal sound, that had them using synthesizers for the first time.