Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1983

After fronting Rainbow and Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio formed his own group. He did a great job selecting his bandmates. Vivian Campbell is an outstanding guitarist and Vinny Appice a rock solid drummer. Their debut is a heavy metal classic. Dio has one of the best voices in metal, and some put him at the top. All 9 songs on the album are excellent, including the hits "Rainbow In The Dark" and the title track. "Stand Up And Shout" is also a very memorable song.

Metallica didn't invent thrash, but they certainly brought it to the masses, and this album is the one that started it all. Their debut album was groundbreaking, packed with raw power and blazing fast riffs that they would polish and perfect over the years. Dave Mustaine co-wrote several songs on this album, although he was no longer a member of the band by this time. Highlights include "Whiplash," "No Remorse" and "Seek and Destroy."

Def Leppard's third album was their masterpiece. Not only was it a monstrous commercial success, it also received a lot of critical praise. This was the album where everything came together, a combination of catchy rock anthems and massive MTV and radio exposure that pushed sales into the millions. Pyromania was filled with hits, including "Rock Of Ages," "Photograph" and "Foolin'."

The Crue's second album saw them refining their sleazy Sunset Strip glam metal, although the sound was still pretty raw. "Looks That Kill," "Too Young To Fall In Love" and the title track were successful singles, and they also did a cover version of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter." Commercially it also did rather well, peaking at number 17 on the album chart. It symbolized the sex, drugs and rock 'n roll vibe that the '80s were all about.

Iron Maiden continued their spectacular run in the '80s with another outstanding album. They had another lineup change, adding drummer Nicko McBrain to the group. It's a really diverse album, and a little less cohesive than Number Of The Beast. The lyrics are also diverse, taking elements from several different books and films. "Flight Of Icarus" is the highlight of this album.

The album's title track was a big hit and brought Accept some short-lived U.S. popularity. Balls To The Wall was melodic, but still packed plenty of punch. It had a great balance of simple riffs and more complex solos along with many different tempos. The lyrics were a bit cheesy, but English wasn't the German band's first language. Top to bottom this was probably Accept's best album.

Mercyful Fate was King Diamond's band. They released a couple of outstanding albums and then broke up for a decade. This was their debut, and was very important in the black metal genre. It had evil lyrics, dual guitars and elements of goth and progressive metal. King Diamond's vocals are really diverse, going from guttural growls to operatic singing.

On Ozzy Osbourne's fourth solo album he brought in guitarist Jake E. Lee to replace the late Randy Rhoads. Lee brought a different sound, one that was more traditional and a little harder than Rhoads. The title track was an MTV favorite with Ozzy dressed as a werewolf. This is a very solid album, and although Rhoads was irreplaceable Lee did an excellent job of bringing his own style and meshing it with Ozzy's voice.

Savatage was an American band fronted by Jon Oliva. His brother Criss played guitar, and was tragically killed in a car accident in 1993. Although their later material was much more polished, their early stuff, including their debut album Sirens was much rawer. It's powerful and intense, with great guitar riffs and strong vocals. The production isn't great, but it shows a new band with a lot of talent and promise.

This is Raven's third appearance in the top 10 in three years, but also their last. Their third album was outstanding, but after that their popularity and music quality slipped. All For One finds John Gallagher's high pitched vocals and his brother Mark's guitar in perfect form. The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal was fading, but in 1983 Raven was at their peak.