Top 10 for 1988

TheBigBlack's Rock Top 10

Noiseworks
Touch

Rock | Album | 14 November 1988

AC/DC
Blow Up Your Video

Hard Rock | Album | 18 January 1988

'Blow Up Your Video' is the eleventh studio album by AC/DC. It reached No. 2 in the U.K. and No. 12 in the U.S. The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal Or Instrumental in 1989.

Robert Plant
Now And Zen

Rock | Album | 29 February 1988

Mudhoney
Superfuzz Bigmuff

Grunge Rock | E.P. | 20 October 1988

'Superfuzz Bigmuff' is the debut E.P. by Mudhoney. The album was named after two of the band's favorite guitar effects pedals: the Univox Super-Fuzz and the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, which helped to provide the band's signature dirty sound.

Green River
Rehab Doll

Grunge Rock | Album | ?? June 1988

'Rehab Doll' is the debut (and only) album by Green River. It is often referred to as a 'mini-album' due to it's short length of under 30 minutes. By the time the album was released the band had ceased to exist.

Soundgarden
Ultramega OK

Grunge Rock | Album | 31 October 1988

'Ultramega OK' is the debut studio album by Soundgarden. It contained elements of heavy metal, psychedelic rock, and hardcore punk. The band supported the album with a tour of the United States, as well as its first overseas tour. In 1990, the album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance.

Jane's Addiction
Nothing's Shocking

Alternative Rock | Album | 23 August 1988

'Nothing's Shocking' is the debut studio album by Jane's Addiction. Records. It was well received by critics and peaked at number 103 on the Billboard 200. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album at number 312 on its "500 Greatest Albums Of All Time". It received a nomination for the 31st Grammy Awards in the category for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental.

1927
...ish

Rock | Album | 14 November 1988

Guns n' Roses
G N' R Lies

Hard Rock | E.P. | 29 November 1988

The Traveling Wilburys
Traveling Wilburys, Volume 1

Rock | Album | 8 October 1988

TheBigBlack's Rock Honourable Mentions

The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Radio One

Classic Rock | Album; Compilation | ?? November 1988

'Radio One' is a compilation album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was released posthumously and compiles tracks recorded between February and December 1967 for broadcasts by BBC Radio. The album peaked at number 30 on the U.K. Albums Chart while it charted at number 119 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. After Hendrix's family gained control of his legacy, Radio One was supplanted by the more comprehensive BBC Sessions in 1998.

U2
Rattle And Hum

Rock | Album | 10 October 1988

'Rattle And Hum' is a hybrid live/studio album by U2, and a companion to the rockumentary film directed by Phil Joanou. Following the breakthrough success of the band's previous studio album, 'The Joshua Tree', the Rattle And Hum project captures their continued experiences with American roots music on tour, further incorporating elements of blues rock, folk rock, and gospel music into their sound. Although Rattle and Hum was intended to represent the band paying tribute to legendary musicians, some critics accused U2 of trying to place themselves amongst the ranks of such artists. Critical reception to both the album and the film was mixed; one Rolling Stone editor spoke of the album's "excitement"; another described it as "misguided and bombastic". Facing creative stagnation and a critical backlash to Rattle And Hum, U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s through a new musical direction and public image.

Various Artists
Sub Pop 200

-Various- | Album; Compilation | 1 December 1988

TheBigBlack's Rock Dishonourable Mentions

Bob Dylan
Down In The Groove

Classic Rock | Album | 19 May 1988

TheBigBlack's Metal Top 10

Hobbs' Angel Of Death
Hobbs' Angel Of Death

Thrash Metal | Album | ?? July 1988

'Hobbs' Angel Of Death' is the debut studio album by Hobbs' Angel Of Death.

Vengeance
Human Sacrifice

Thrash Metal | Album | ?? ?? 1998

'Human Sacrifice' is the first studio album by Vengeance Rising (known as Vengeance at the time of release). It was the first full-length Christian thrash metal album released. Though controversial, 'Human Sacrifice' and the following album, 'Once Dead' (1990) were huge successes in the world of Christian music, making Vengeance Rising one of the few bands in the genre to cross over into the secular music scene. In 2010, HM ranked 'Human Sacrifice' the best Christian metal album of all time on its Top 100 list because it "tilted the Christian metal world on its ear".

Testament
The New Order

Thrash Metal | Album | 5 May 1988

'The New Order' is the second album by Testament. It was the album that broke Testament into the thrash metal mainstream, and was the first Testament album to enter the Billboard 200, reaching number 136 on that chart. It was also the band's first album to include an instrumental track.

Ozzy Osbourne
No Rest For The Wicked

Heavy Metal | Album | 22 October 1988

'No Rest For The Wicked' is the fifth studio album by Ozzy Osbourne. It was the first album to feature guitarist Zakk Wylde, keyboardist John Sinclair and the first to feature bassist Bob Daisley since 'Bark At The Moon'. The album was certified gold in December 1988 and has since gone double platinum. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200.

Death
Leprosy

Death Metal | Album | 16 November 1988

'Leprosy' is the second studio album by Death. The album is notable in its different tone and quality from the band's 1987 debut, as it is the first example of Scott Burns' work heard on many of the death metal and grindcore albums of that era. It is the first album to feature drummer Bill Andrews and the only one to feature guitarist Rick Rozz. In a poll by the German Rock Hard magazine, it was voted the number one of the 25 most important death metal albums of all time.

Anthrax
State Of Euphoria

Thrash Metal | Album | 18 September 1988

'State Of Euphoria' is the fourth album by Anthrax. The majority of the album's music was composed by drummer Charlie Benante while lyrics were composed by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian. The album reached No. 30 on the Billboard 200 chart in late 1988 and was certified Gold by the RIAA on February 8, 1989.

Danzig
Danzig

Heavy Metal | Album | 30 August 1988

From the moment 'Twist Of Cain' starts to play my head starts to bob, and there is nothing on this album that stops it. Debut albums are an interesting beast. Bands aren't burdened with expectation of fans and record companies, and therefore they can just be whatever they want to be, and have fun along the way. Sure, Glenn Danzig already had the legacy of the Misfits and Samhain behind him (although they weren't really 'legendary' yet), but this was still like a whole new start for him - and it shows. The music isn't particularly up tempo, and it certainly isn't technical, but it moves along with a swagger that most bands would never ever get close to. Every word that drips from Glenn's mouth feels like it is sung with a mischievous smile, and on tracks like 'She Rides' and 'Am I Demon' he really opens up, and let's not forget to mention the greatest track in the Danzig repertoire - 'Mother'. I think the thing that constantly draws me back is that on the surface it all feels a bit. tongue in cheek, and yet you still feel some underlying menace. I bit like discovering your kind old next door neighbour is possibly a genocidal war criminal in hiding.

Megadeth
So Far, So Good... So What!

Thrash Metal | Album | 18 January 1988

Slayer
South Of Heaven

Thrash Metal | Album | 5 July 1988

'South Of Heaven' is the fourth studio album by Slayer. Given the innovative speed metal pace of their previous album 'Reign In Blood', Slayer deliberately slowed the tempo on 'South Of Heaven' and used undistorted guitars and toned-down vocals. It reached number 57 on the Billboard 200.

Following up on Reign In Blood (1986), one of the most diabolical and ferocious albums ever recorded, was not going to be easy for Slayer. Usually a band not known for doing things different, they this time realised they had to. When you can't get any faster, the best thing to do to shock your audience is slow down. 'South Of Heaven' rumbles the album into life with a slow and haunting riff. This builds to a crescendo with Tom Araya's scream of "You must die!", but even at full pace the track is still a crawling snail in comparison to many tracks on the previous album. Slayer have brought in more here than just a slower speed - they have added weight. The music is heavy as hell and the production when the double bass kick drum bursts into life sucks the air from the listener. This is calculated and purposeful in its creation, to hook you in so far you forget that speed was what you desired. The subject matter is classic Slayer of course, with demons and devils and all things Satan circling around a spiralling vortex of evil - but the song is still perfect in execution. As it winds down to a whimper 'Silent Scream' smacks you in the face like a ton of concrete, with one of the faster songs the band had ever created. It is just here to remind you that this is still the same band, but now they are in control. Araya's usually shouted and tortured vocals are restrained here, as they are throughout the album, and his best vocal performance reveals itself across the ten tracks. He would never again 'sing' Slayer songs so well, and the band was made less for it. Dave Lomardo's kick drums are again the star here, and only an expert drummer such as he knows that restraint is what makes his playing so good. He accentuates the songs instead of dominating them. 'Live Undead' is a brooding track, but really showcases that much like the previous album, the tight and punchy production of Rick Rubin is a key part of the puzzle. The frantic guitar solos of Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman blend and weave with perfect clarity, but never sound out of place or overlayed - instead being a part of the overall composition. 'Behind The Crooked Cross' sees Araya take one step further into actually singing, and the song overall is a very different animal to any Slayer have attempted before - or since for that matter. In fact as the album unfurls like a snake it could be said that this is Slayer at their most experimental, trying different tempos and guitar styles. Nothing really fails, and mid-paced tracks like the magnificent 'Mandatory Suicide' or the more typical Slayer number 'Ghosts Of War' were always destined to become crowd favourites. They both have great sing-along choruses that are totally irresistible. 'Read Between The Lies' slows the pace and again, and doesn't really add anything new. It is arguably the least important track on the album, but is far from being a bad song. 'Cleanse The Soul' another speedy track that could easily have been at home on Reign In Blood is like a kick to the face, but does feel like a track that later Slayer could have written on auto-pilot. At this point in their career though, it did still sound fresh and the album is certainly better for it. The penultimate track on the album was no doubt added to pad the run-time, and is a cover of Judas Priest's 'Dissident Aggressor'. It must be said though that it is brilliantly performed, and dare it be uttered, better than the original - making the whole tune more dark and muscular than the falsetto vocals of Rob Halford ever did. The album wraps up one of the slowest but downright dark songs the band ever committed to tape. A ballad in all respects, well as much of a ballad as Slayer could ever conjure from the darkness of their minds, the song weaves and turns though a dark tale of a soul taking the hand of the devil and being granted all their darkest desires. It is a modern day version of Black Sabbath's 'N.I.B.', but the melody is so haunting it is almost unnerving. One has to wonder how dark Slayer could have made a simple ballad if it wasn't for their need to always introduce the heavy guitars. The album ends with one final punch to the gut and it is all over, leaving nothing but silence. At the time of its release the album did get mixed reviews, but mainly because reviewers didn't take the time to let it soak in before committing thoughts to pen and paper. In fact, even today it stands out as something of an anomaly in Slayer's catalogue, but not in a bad way. It shows incredible growth in the band's abilities to craft songs beyond nothing but speed, with flourishes and passages that take the album to levels other bands could only dream of. It is an album that requires time and many listens to really reveal everything it has on offer. Many of the new tricks the band used here were repeated on future albums, but never to this effect again - and 1990's Seasons In The Abyss mostly fell back on speed to carry it. Regardless of initial thoughts the album is certainly seen as classic today, both from the band and for heavy metal in general. They don't make them like this anymore.

Metallica
...And Justice For All

Thrash Metal | Album | 7 September 1988

'...And Justice For All' is the fourth studio album by Metallica. It was the first Metallica album to feature bassist Jason Newsted, following the death of their previous bassist Cliff Burton in 1986. It was acclaimed by music critics for its depth and complexity, although its dry mix and nearly inaudible bass guitar were criticized. It was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1989, controversially losing out to Jethro Tull in the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental category. It was successful in the United States, peaking at number six on the Billboard 200, and was certified 8? platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2003 for shipping eight million copies in the U.S.

TheBigBlack's Metal Honourable Mentions

Iron Maiden
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

Heavy Metal | Album | 11 April 1988

'Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son' is the seventh studio album by Iron Maiden. A concept album inspired by the novel Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card, the record incorporates elements of progressive rock, seen in the length and complex structure of the title track. It was also the first Iron Maiden album to feature keyboards. The album debuted at number one on the U.K. Albums Chart. The lead single 'Can I Play with Madness' was also a commercial success, peaking at No. 3 in the U.K. Singles Chart.

Manowar
Kings Of Metal

Heavy Metal | Album | 18 November 1988

'Kings Of Metal' is the sixth album by Manowar. The album was the last to feature guitarist and founding member Ross 'The Boss' Friedman, who later went on to rejoin punk band The Dictators. Drummer Scott Columbus left the band after this album as well, but rejoined for 1996's Louder Than Hell and remained with the band until 2008. In 2017, Loudwire ranked it as the 13th-best power metal album of all time.

Bathory
Blood Fire Death

Black Metal | Album | 8 October 1988

Coroner
Punishment For Decadence

Thrash Metal | Album | 1 August 1988