Was there a better 2 years for Heavy Metal?

[jack butler]

I turned 12 in 1988. I had been playing guitar for 1.5 years and loved heavy metal. I started thinking about that time and the incredible music that was coming out. 1988-1990 in no particular order. It's just incredible how so many great records were made in such a short span of time. I'm sure I've missed some, but for a lot of these bands it was their high water mark for me.
Savatage Gutter Ballet 1989
Anthrax State of Euphoria 1988
Suicidal Tendencies Lights Camera Revolution 1990
Sanctuary Refuge Denied 1988
Sanctuary Into the Mirror Black 1990
Forbidden Forbidden Evil 1988
Forbidden Twisted into Form 1990
Metallica And Justice for All 1988
Queensryche Operation Mindcrime 1988
Queensryche Empire 1990
Judas Priest Painkiller 1990
Manowar Kings of Metal 1988
Megadeth So Far So Good 1988
Megadeth Rust in peace 1990
Annihilator Never Neverland 1990
Annihilator Alice in Hell 1989
Pantera Cowboys from Hell 1990
Jason Becker Perpetual Burn 1988
OverKill Years of Decay 1989
Danzig Danzig 1988
Danzig Danzig 2 1990
Helloween Keeper of the 7 keys 2 1988
Iron Maiden Seventh son of a Seventh Son 1988
Slayer South of Heaven 1988
Slayer Seasons in the Abyss 1990
Testament The New Order 1988
Testament Practice What you Preach 1989
Testament Souls of Black 1990
D.A.D No Fuel Left For the Pilgrims 1989(not metal, still excellent)

 

[RaceU4her]

I’d say 90-92 just because some classic death metal albums were out by then. 90-95 was the best years for music overall, every genre had it going on in those years and it was “real” without protools and everything else

 

[Rock Bodom]

I love that 88-90 timeframe as well, pretty much every album you listed I remember listening to back then and still have. Some other favorites: Vicious Rumors - Digital Dictator (1988), Overkill - Under the Influence (1988), Chris Poland - Return to Metalopolis (1990), Marty Friedman - Dragon's Kiss (1988).

Like you said, it's amazing how many great albums came out right in that timespan.

But in terms of best range 2 years apart, I gotta give a shout out to 84-86 just on how major the impact of that period was:

Metallica - Ride the Lightning (1984)
Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)
Megadeth - Killing is My Business (1985)
Megadeth - Peace Sells (1986)
Slayer - Hell Awaits (1985)
Slayer - Reign in Blood (1986)
Maiden - Powerslave (1984)
Maiden - Somewhere in Time (1986)
Priest - Defenders of the Faith (1984)
Priest - Turbo (1986)
Exodus - Bonded by Blood (1985)
Anthrax - Fistful of Metal (1984)
Anthrax - Spreading the Disease (1985)
Overkill - Feel the Fire (1985)
Helloween - Walls of Jericho (1985)
Metal Church - Metal Church (1984)
Metal Church - The Dark (1986)
Fates Warning - Night on Brocken (1984)
Fates Warning - The Spectre Within (1985)
Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian (1986)
Racer X - Street Lethal (1986)
Tony MacAlpine - Edge of Insanity (1986)
Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force (1984)
Yngwie Malmsteen - Marching Out (1985)
Yngwie Malmsteen - Trilogy (1986)
Kreator - Endless Pain (1984)
Kreator - Pleasure to Kill (1986)
Vinnie Moore - Mind's Eye (1986)
Nuclear Assault - Game Over (1986)
Queensryche - The Warning (1984)
Queensryche - Rage for Order (1986)

That's not adding in yet bands more like Dokken, Dio, Ozzy, etc., who had so many great albums during that time.

My opinion: the entire 80's was awesome.

 

[Beyond Black]

1988 was the year I graduated from HS, and it was an amazing time to be a metalhead, especially for Slayer shows. They were larger than life and untouchable in ‘88.

 

[thenine]

81-82

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

1986-1988

 

[romanianreaper]

1986. End of thread in my opinion. Hard to pin down a year because there have been some absolutely amazing metal years!

 

[romanianreaper]

1986. End of thread in my opinion. Hard to pin down a year because there have been some absolutely amazing metal years!

After looking at what came out, definitely would have to stretch it out a bit more into two years. Maybe an 85'/86' combo. LOL

 

[skoora]

81-82

Yes, my pick as well. Basically 80-82.