Music was hit with some tragedies that year: John Bonham died and Led Zeppelin called it quits. Bon Scott died and AC/DC had to make a quick decision on their own mortality. But both events acted as catalysts to the strengthening and uprising of the existing and upcoming artists.
A lot of metal bands released records in '80, but I was, and still am, not very familiar with some of those artists... like Saxon, Diamond Head, and Angel Witch, just to name a few. I will, however, talk about bands that I did follow or discover in that crucial year.
I guess it only makes sense that I begin with a little chat about the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which had been building in the late 70's, then came to the world's attention in the early 80's. The beginnings of the movement made a splash in 1980, with exciting new music by Ozzy, Motorhead, Maiden, Priest, and Leppard cruising into the public consciousness. Of course, Ozzy was no stranger to fame and fortune with Black Sabbath, but this was the year he struck out on his solo career. And Judas Priest, while practically veterans of the biz, sort of rode into a new phase of success with the young crop of musicians being exported from Britain.
Whether international stars like Maiden and Def Leppard or underground acts like Diamond Head and Venom, this wave of emerging artists signaled important change in the metal genre. More heavy bands than ever were achieving world-wide success, and America's MTV played no small role in extending their global presence. Of course, MTV also contributed to the diluting of the music. You know, formulaic songwriting and posturing for "live concert" music videos. For a while, the network was the perfect medium to bring bands young and old to the world. The convenience of television helped bands without a lot of financial backing to whip up cheap-and-cheerful music videos and... instant success! Sometimes that success was fleeting, but in some cases, artists were launched on long and fruitful careers thanks to the platform.
1980 saw the rebirth of some bands, the debuts of others, greater exposure of emerging artists, and a healthy kick in the denims (or leathers) for the metal genre in general. It's also interesting that so many established acts re-tooled their sound for the next decade. Here is a handful that I think represent the best of the bunch:
Ozzy Osbourne: temporarily de-toxed, he recruited guitar wonderkid Randy Rhoads and released his solo debut, which was to become a metal classic, Blizzard of Ozz. 'Nuff said.
Judas Priest: though they'd paid their dues for a decade, they found a greater audience through their new stripped-down (and more accessible) sound on British Steel, the album which firmly established them as Metal Gods.
Motorhead: with their fourth album, Ace of Spades, the boys took their gritty, nasty songwriting to another level, achieving radio airplay even across the pond in my little Canadian hometown. Bravo, Lemmy, Phil, and Eddie!
Iron Maiden: that album cover alone secured them a place high in the pantheon of metal gods. Their debut album sort of led the charge of the NWOBHM, even if others preceded them. This record took fans by the throats, eliciting a mighty roar, a declaration that a new young breed was taking over the kingdom.
Black Sabbath: like Priest,Sabbath were the old-timers (and pioneers) of the metal musical form, but it was in '80 that massive change brought about renewed interest. Out with Ozzy and in with diminutive Ronnie James Dio, the man with a giant-sized vocal presence. Dio inspired axeman Iommi to up his game, and with that, the Heaven and Hell album became a masterpiece of metal. Among my fave albums of all time.
AC/DC: until this year, I felt these rowdy Aussies were more hard rock than metal, but once behatted Brian Johnson took over the mic from deceased Bon Scott, the band seemed to breathe even greater fire into their increasingly metallic songs. The end effect is a heavy, crunching collection of instant classics, still in heavy rotation the world over. Again, these guys already had a solid track record, but Back in Black took them to the very top. Good job!
Scorpions: not quite of the NWOBHM, these German metalheads were reaching toward their peak years in '80. Already comfortable in the genre, the Scorps were refining their sound, aiming for greater exposure and more commercial success. With Animal Magnetism, they delivered a strong set of metallic standards, edging ever closer to the international fame they'd find just a couple of years later.
Def Leppard: the Leps' debut album On Through the Night introduced a hungry young band of rockers with a knack for hooks. They'd yet to write their string of big radio hits, but here we get a taste of their energetic hard rock. Produced by Tom Allom (who worked with Judas Priest), this album signals a promising band on the rise. Leppard would shine more fully on their next record, with maestro Mutt Lange at the helm. Truly a NWOBHM band.
Van Halen: after two successful albums augmented by beefed up cover songs, the boys took a turn into darker, heavier territory on Women and Children First. Some truly metallic moments here. Dave, Ed, Al, and Mike all in fine form as they knock out a set comprised entirely of their own songs. Eddie's prowess on guitar is accentuated by relentless ferocity here. The first VH album I ever bought, this one has a lot of sentimental meaning to me.
A few side-notes:
Rush's Permanent Waves album, though hardly metal, does contain some heavy songs and moments... all still very progressive, though the band begins to carefully craft shorter, more accessible music for the masses. With integrity, as always.
KISS took off their make-up and monster duds for their Unmasked album this year. A bit of a Phantom of the Opera shock there. But this turning point in KISS' career proved profitable (yay, Gene!) in most quarters. Though Unmasked fared poorly in the U.S., it was well received elsewhere the world over. Still, an important event in KISS and rock history. Or is it?
Alice Cooper took a major risk on Flush the Fashion in 1980. The record was a drastic departure from Cooper's lean hard rock sound of the past decade. Here we got some synth experiments, some sort of dance-y or New Wave-y tunes... and yet I find it a fascinating if curious recording. Flush was actually more successful than Coop's previous few albums, an odd but welcome kickstart to a career flagging due to substance abuse issues.
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