Bereits Ende der Siebziger ließen “New York's Finest“ die beiden saftigen Bröckchen "Rock City" ('77) bzw. "Narita" ('79) auf die Menschheit los, welche noch stark vom Rock der klassischen Schule geprägt waren. Jedoch dann, 1981, wird der berüchtigte Knüppel aus dem Sack geholt: "Fire Down Under" bläst bis dato so ziemlich alles - vielleicht mit Ausnahme von Venom oder Angelwitch - sich im Hartwurstsektor befindliche an die Wand - die dazumal ihrem Höhepunkt zugipfelnde NWoBHM bekommt mächtig Konkurrenz aus "Neu-England".

Die Symbiose aus Mark Reale's unverkennbaren Gitarrenharmonien und den charmanten Vocals von Guy Speranza traf derart ins Schwarze, dass spätestens ab jetzt klar war, dass Riot US Metal Geschichte schreiben würden. Ob nun in Form von "Swords And Tequilla" - die Bandhymne mitsamt ihrem prägnanten Refrain oder die beiden voran peitschenden Uptempo Rocker "Outlaw" und "Don't Hold Back" ... dies und mehr hat nach über 20 Jahren nichts an Klasse eingebüßt und bereitet Genreliebhabern wie meiner Wenigkeit einen Ohrenschmaus nach dem anderen. Parallelen zu Judas Priest, Iron Maiden oder Def Leppard sind zwar erkennbar, trotzdem hatten Riot hier bereits ein Maß an Eigenständigkeit und vor allem Dosen an Energien, wovon viele nur träumen durften.

Wenn man zufällig in diversen Magazinen über die Meinung "Fire Down Under" sei das erste offizielle Power/Speedmetal Album oder zumindest sowas wie ein Vorläufer" stolpert, ist dies gewiss nicht zu weit hergeholt, sofern man sich selbst mal den Titletrack oder "No Lies" sorgfältig reingepfiffen bzw. davon überzeugt hat. Hinzu kommt noch die für damalige Verhältnisse fette Produktion, welche sich hinter dem Birch'schen "Killers" Sound (selber Jahrgang) von Iron Maiden nicht zu verstecken braucht. Leider verließ Goldkehlchen Speranza nach Veröffentlichung dieser Götterspeise die Kapelle, die miese Vermarktung eines natürlich "viel zu unkommerziellen" Albums und die daraus resultierenden schwachen Absatzzahlen waren wohl Hauptgründe seiner Entscheidung.

Zwar brachten die Jungs mit Rhett Forrester, einer eher Blue sorientierten Stimme noch zwei recht ordentliche LPs ins Trockene, aber musikalisch konnte man hier nicht mehr an alte Glanztaten anknüpfen, die Folge: Riot lösen sich 1983 auf. Zur Überraschung aller verkündet Bandkopf Reale 1987 die Wiederauferstehung mit komplett ungekrempelter Mannschaft und die energiegeladene "Thundersteel" Scheibe (Release 1988) - sicher neben "Fire Down Under" die stärkste in der fast dreißigjährigen Bandhistory.



TOP-30-1984-1989

ETERNAL-TOP-200 & TOP-30-2000-2023/1990-1999

CLASSIC-REVIEWS

REVIEW-OVERVIEW-2003-2009

REVIEW-OVERVIEW-2010-2020

REVIEW-OVERVIEW-2021-2024

Top 30 von 1984 - 1989

1989 – TOP 30
~
Metal Church - "Blessing In Disguise"
Sepultura - "Beneath The Remains"
W.A.S.P. - "The Headless Children"
Overkill - "The Years Of Decay"
Savatage - "Gutter Ballet"
Lillian Axe - "Love & War"
King Diamond - "Conspiracy"
Mötley Crüe - "Dr. Feelgood"
Black Sabbath - "Headless Cross"
Faith No More - "The Real Thing"
~
Paradox - "Heresy"
Grinder - "Dead End"
Sodom - "Agent Orange"
Pariah - "Blaze Of Obscurity"
Exodus - "Fabulous Desaster"
Kreator - "Extreme Aggression"
Candlemass - "Tales Of Creation"
Whitesnake - "Slip Of The Tongue"
Victory - "Culture Killed The Native"
Fates Warning - "Perfect Symmetry"
~
Risk - "Hells Animals"
Powermad - "Powermad"
Kingdom Come - "In Your Face"
Running Wild - "Death Or Glory"
Pestilence - "Consuming Impulse"
Blind Guardian - "Follow The Blind"
Morbid Angel - "Altars Of Madness"
Nuclear Assault - "Handle With Care"
Testament - "Practise What You Preach"
Mekong Delta - "The Principle Of Doubt"
~
Beste Debütalben:
~
Badlands - "Badlands"
Atheist - "Piece Of Time"
Mordred - "Fool’s Game"
Annihilator - "Alice In Hell"
Obituary - "Slowly We Rot"
Blue Murder - "Blue Murder"
Axxis - "Kingdom Of the Night"
Dream Theater - "When Day And Night Unite"
~
Unter den Erwartungen:
~
Accept - "Eat The Heat"
~
Sonstiges:
~
Rush - "Presto"
Maniac - "Look Out"
Aerosmith - "Pump"
Vengeance - "Arabia"
Sabbat - "Dreamweaver"
The Cult - "Sonic Temple"
The Cure - "Disintegration"
Dark Angel - "Leave Scars"
Leatherwolf - "Streetready"
Voivod - "Nothingface"
Helstar - "Nosferatu"
Heir Apparent - "One Small Voice"
Cloven Hoof - "A Sultan’s Ransom"
Tesla - "The Great Radio Controversy"
Watchtower - "Control And Resistance"

1988 – TOP 30
~
Helloween - "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II"
Flotsam And Jetsam - "No Place For Disgrace"
Iron Maiden - "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son"
Queensryche - "Operation Mindcrime"
Metallica - "… And Justice For All"
Crimson Glory - "Transcendence"
AC/DC - "Blow Up Your Video"
Slayer - "South Of Heaven"
King Diamond - "Them"
Death - "Leprosy"
~
Riot - "Thundersteel"
Bon Jovi - "New Jersey"
Fates Warning - "No Exit"
Running Wild - "Port Royal"
Liege Lord - "Master Control"
Testament - "The New Order"
Cinderella - "Long Cold Winter"
Yngwie Malmsteen - "Odyssey"
Vicious Rumors - "Digital Dictator"
Megadeth - "So Far, So Good … so What?"
~
Nuclear Assault - "Survive"
Manowar - "Kings Of Metal"
Judas Priest - "Ram It Down"
Bathory - "Blood Fire Death"
Anthrax - "State Of Euphoria"
Helstar - "A Distant Thunder"
Magnum - "Wings Of Heaven"
Overkill - "Under The Influence"
Scorpions - "Savage Amusement"
Ozzy Osbourne - "No Rest For The Wicked"
~
Beste Debütalben:
~
Lita Ford - "Lita"
Reward - "Breakout"
May-Linn - "May-Linn"
L.A. Guns - "L.A. Guns"
Lillian Axe - "Lillian Axe"
Heretic - "Breaking Point"
Sieges Even - "Life Cycle"
Dare - "Out Of The Silence"
Wargasm - "Why Play Around?"
Drifter - "Reality Turns To Dust"
Grinder - "Dawn For The Living"
House Of Lords - "House Of Lords"
Kingdome Come - "Kingdome Come"
Greifenhagen - "Only For The Night"
Blind Guardian - "Battalions Of Fear"
~
Sonstiges:
~
Van Halen - "OU812"
Celtic Frost - "Cold Lake"
Vendetta - "Braindamage"
Survivor - "Too Hot To Sleep"
Tankard - "The Morning After"
____________
1987 – Top 30
~
King Diamond - "Abigail"
Savatage - "Hall Of The Mountainking"
Helloween - "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I"
Exodus - "Pleasures Of The Flesh"
Pretty Maids - "Future World"
Anthrax - "Among The Living"
Def Leppard - "Hysteria"
Whitesnake - "1987"
Y&T - "Contagious"
Dio - "Dream Evil"
~
TNT - "Tell No Tales"
Overkill - "Taking Over"
Motörhead - "Rock N` Roll"
Sepultura - "Schizophrenia"
Nasty Savage - "Indulgence"
Wild Dogs - "Reign Of Terror"
Sodom - "Persecution Mania"
Manowar - "Fighting The World"
Agent Steele - "Unstoppable Force"
Deep Purple - "House Of Blue Light"
~
Treat - "Dreamhunter"
Candlemass - "Nightfall"
Leatherwolf - "Leatherwolf"
Kreator - "Terrible Certainty"
Tankard - "Chemical Invasion"
Armored Saint - "Raising Fear"
Whiplash - "Ticket To Mayhem"
Warlock - "Triumph And Agony"
Mötley Crüe - "Girls, Girls, Girls"
Destruction - "Release from Agony"
~
Beste Debütalben:
~
Toxik - "World Circus"
Testament - "The Legacy"
Sacred Reich - "Ignorance"
Hades - "Resisting Success"
Sanctuary - "Refuge Denied"
Death - "Scream Bloody Gore"
Heathen - "Breaking The Silence"
Death Angel - "The Ultra-Violence"
Paradox - "Product Of Imagination"
Infernal Majesty - "None Shall Defy"
Faith No More - "Introduce Yourself"
Mortal Sin - "Mayhemic Destruction"
Guns N’ Roses - "Appetite For Destruction"
~
Sonstiges:
~
Celtic Frost - "Into the Pandemonium"
Running Wild - "Under Jolly Roger"
Alice Cooper - "Raise Your Fist And Yell"
____________
1986 – Top 30
~
Iron Maiden - "Somewhere In Time"
Metallica - "Master Of Puppets"
Metal Church - "The Dark"
Slayer - "Reign In Blood"
Motörhead - "Orgasmatron"
Helstar - "Remnants Of War"
Dark Angel - "Darkness Descends"
Ozzy Osbourne - "The Ultimate Sin"
Heir Apparent - "Graceful Inheritance"
Fates Warning - "Awaken The Guardian"
~
Van Halen - "5150"
Judas Priest - "Turbo"
Hexx - "Under The Spell"
Accept - "Russian Roulette"
King Diamond - "Fatal Portrait"
Tesla - "Mechanical Resonance"
Bon Jovi - "Slippery When Wet"
Europe - "The Final Countdown"
Queensryche - "Rage For Order"
Megadeth - "Piece Sells ... But Who’s Buying?"
~
Omen - "The Curse"
Sword - "Metalized"
Racer X - "Street Lethal"
Fastway - "Trick Or Treat"
Kreator - "Pleasure To Kill"
Villain - "Only Time Will Tell"
Sodom - "Obsessed by Cruelity"
Destruction - "Eternal Devastation"
Sacred Blade - "Of The Sun + Moon"
W.A.S.P. - "Inside The Electric Circle"
~
Beste Debütalben:
~
Tarot - "Spell Of Iron"
Fifth Angel - "Fifth Angel"
Tension - "Breaking Point"
Tankard - "Zombie Attack"
Mekong Delta - "Mekong Delta"
Crimson Glory - "Crimson Glory"
Angel Dust - "Into The Dark Past"
Candlemass - "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus"
Flotsam And Jetsam - "Doomsday For The Deceiver"
~
Unter den Erwartungen:
~
Savatage - "Fight For the Rock"
____________
1985 – Top 20
~
Marillion - "Misplaced Childhood"
Armored Saint - "Delirious Nomad"
Magnum - "On A Storyteller’s Night"
Anthrax - "Spreading The Disease"
Savatage - "Power Of The Night"
Ratt - "Invasion Of Your Privacy"
Dokken - "Under Lock And Key"
Helloween - "Walls Of Jericho"
AC/DC - "Fly On the Wall"
Slayer - "Hell Awaits"
~
Heart - "Heart"
Dio - "Sacred Heart"
Trouble - "The Skull"
Accept - "Metal Heart"
Rush - "Power Windows"
Omen - "Warning Of Danger"
Exciter - "Long Live The Loud"
W.A.S.P. - "The Last Command"
Mötley Crüe - "Theater Of Pain"
Fates Warning - "The Spectre Within"
~
Beste Debütalben:
~
Overkill - "Feel the Fire"
Kreator - "Endless Pain"
Exodus - "Bonded by Blood"
Malice - "In The Beginning …"
Possessed - "Seven Churches"
Hallow’s Eve - "Tales Of Terror"
S.O.D. - "Speak English Or Die"
Dark Angel - "We Have Arrived"
Warrior - "Fighting For The Earth"
Watchtower - "Energetic Dissambly"
Vicious Rumors - "Soldiers Of The Night"
Megadeth - "Killing IS My Business .. And Business Is Good"
_____________
1984 – TOP 20
~
Metallica - "Ride The Lightning"
Metal Church - "Metal Church"
Iron Maiden - "Powerslave"
Manowar - "Hail To England"
Dio - "The Last In Line"
Q5 - "Steel The Light"
W.A.S.P. - "W.A.S.P."
Van Halen - "1984"
Saxon - "Crusader"
Toto - "Isolation"
~
Warlord - "And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun"
Mercyful Fate - "Don't Break The Oath"
Judas Priest - "Defenders Of The Faith"
Pretty Maids - "Red, Hot and Heavy"
Exxplorer - "Symphonies Of Steel"
Scorpions - "Love At First Sting"
Stormwitch - "Walpurgis Night"
Twisted Sister - "Stay Hungry"
Queensryche- "The Warning"
Loudness - "Disillusion"
~
Relevantes Comeback:
~
Deep Purple - "Perfect Strangers"
~
Beste Debütaben:
~
Omen - "Battlecry"
Trouble - "Psalm 9"
Helstar - "Burning Star"
Anthrax - "Fistful Of Metal"
Celtic Frost - "Morbid Tales"
Warlock - "Burning The Witches"
Ruthless - "Metal Without Mercy"
Fates Warning - "Night On Bröcken"
Armored Saint - "March OF The Saint"