Vote For Your Five Best Metal/Hard Rock Albums From 1986

[Jack the Stripper]

1986 - While the 1980s on the whole gave us some of the most timeless heavy metal albums, one would be hard-pressed to find a year within the decade that presented more landmark records than 1986. It was by far the best year thrash has ever had. Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth all released genre-defining albums not to mention some of the best metal albums ever heard.

Well-established acts were beginning to adapt to the changing times, employing what many considered to be the dreaded synthesizer. While cringeworthy and almost blasphemous on the surface, things turned out remarkably better than expected. Speed was also becoming the new standard, but other acts took the opposite approach, writing the next chapter in the book of doom that Black Sabbath had almost solely been authoring since 1970. While at the other end of the spectrum, glam continuied it's meteoric rise to the top.


Vote for what you consider to be the five best albums from 1986

Once this poll is done and we have a winner we'll move onto 1987 and so on...

Then we'll put all the winners from the years 80-89 up against each other to determine the greatest metal/hard rock album from the 80's.

Poll will run for five days before closing.

Vote away 

Capped this poll at 100

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Slippery When Wet - Yes, I know, it won't happen again, but I really enjoyed that album when it came out... I've since matured and grown a pair!

Seventh Star - despite being one the weaker albums, it's still better than most others best.

Somewhere In Time - one of their weaker albums but it's half a great album.

Master of Puppets - Along with Ride the Lightning streets ahead of the rest of their catalogue.

Orgasmatron - If only for the title track but I like some of the other songs too.

[Charger]

Oh boy....

I just realised that Among The Living was actually released in March of 1987 not 1986...eventhough it says 1986 on my cd!!!!

Albums worthy of a vote are:

Epicus Doomicus Metallicus - Candlemass
Somewhere in Time - Iron Maiden
Peace Sells But Who's Bying - Megadeth
Master Of Puppets - Metallica
Orgasmatron - Motörhead
Reign In Blood - Slayer
The Dark - Metal Church
True As Steel - Warlock



Turbo, Seventh Star, Fight For Rock and Ultimate sin are easily excluded from the list as they are all sub par albums from those bands. No way could I ever give a vote to any of them.

I think I'm gonna have to take a moment to really see how on earth can I narrow that list down to just 5....I knew this was gonna be tough.

[Tyr66]

Black Sabbath - Seventh Star
Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Metallica - Master of Puppets

special mention to :

King Diamond - Fatal Portrait . His first solo album but not his best.
Kreator - Pleasure To Kill
Megadeth - Peace Sells ...
Queensrÿche - Rage For Order . I enjoyed this album but later. I had to dominate this horrible hair metal on the stairs printed on the inner sleeve. De Garmo and Jackson, OMG!
David Lee Roth - Eat 'em and Smile . same as Queensrÿche but what a fucking good album !
Nuclear Assault - Game Over
Metal Church - The Dark

[discman69]

Most of my votes will only receive 1.

Night Songs- Cinderella......Very good debut. Better than Bon Jovi
Somewhere in Time- Iron Maiden......Last great one from them IMO
Turbo- Judas Priest......Maybe I am an oddball but I love this album
Rage For Order- Queensryche.....Side 1 is just freaking awesome
5150- Van Halen......Not the best Sammy led VH but still one I listen to over others from 1986

[Thelemech]

Holy fuck - what a GREAT year for Metal!!

I had to leave so many awesome albums out 

Eternal Devastation – Destruction
Somewhere In Time - Iron Maiden
Pleasure To Kill – Kreator
Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? – Megadeth
Master Of Puppets – Metallica

[Vyn]

Accept - Russian Roulette: not their best, but they were still steamrolling.

Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time: not their best, but was the last IM album I bought (and still have it!) and I played it so much I can't get over it.

Megadeth - Peace Sells...but Who's Buying?: fantastic set of songs, and would be on my list even if "My Last Words" was the only one on it.

Slayer - Reign in Blood: words can't do this hot plate justice.

Voivod - Rrröööaaarrr: when I listen to this, so does everyone within a one kilometer radius.

[Charger]

Okay so with a heavy heart I came to this conclusion.

Epicus (Classic doom...enough said)
Somewhere In Time (the last classic Maiden album, lots of synths on this one too but unlike Priest they actually made it work, but this album was the beginning of the decline)
Peace Sells (One of Megadeth's finest...not a single bad song on it)
Master Of Puppets (Metallica's magnum opus)
Reign In Blood (My second favourite Slayer album and an undeniable classic)


It literally pains me to leave Motörhead, Warlock and Metal Church out of this vote...damn.

[Billy Underdog]

Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer. Hey; Sepulturas genre-defining Black/Death Metal album, anyone? And after thinking about it hard & long (the way i like 'em) Kreator won over Sodom...

What a Thrashy year this was.

Edit: Rooting for two more votes for 'tallica, none for Maiden

[AnnoMundi]

I accidentally clicked the wrong boxes, can someone fix it or delete my choices?

[Charger]

I accidentally clicked the wrong boxes, can someone fix it or delete my choices?

Unfortunately I can't do that...the software won't allow it.

[AnnoMundi]

I accidentally clicked the wrong boxes, can someone fix it or delete my choices?

Thank you anyway.
Unfortunately I can't do that...the software won't allow it.

[AnnoMundi]

Thank you just the same Charger.

I accidentally clicked the wrong boxes, can someone fix it or delete my choices?

Thank you anyway.
Unfortunately I can't do that...the software won't allow it.

[Jack the Stripper]

I actually found three quite easy to vote - Master Of Puppets, Peace Sells and Reign In Blood. All three speak for themselves. The other two were a little harder, particularly my last last choice but I went with Somewhere In time as my fourth choice. Probably my least favourite of the first six Maiden albums but I still enjoyed it and still do quite a lot and as others have mentioned, was the the start of their gradual decline until they came back with a vengeance with Brave New World.

My last vote was much harder, it was between The Dark, Pleasure To Kill and Epicus but in the end I settled on Inside The Electric Circus. Far from W.A.S.P.s strongest effort but I just have a thing for Blackie's melodies and harmonies and he is one of my all time favourite singers. W.A.S.P. have just always hit the spot with me.

[Zzzptm]

1986 was brought to you by the letter M.

Megadeth
Metallica
Motorhead
Metal Church

And by the letter I

Iron Maiden

That's the soundtrack for my first year of college.