IRON MAIDEN: THE NUMBER OF THE BEASTIron Maiden was reborn in 1982. The band started as a rather impressive NWOBHM band under the songwriting of Steve Harris and the vocals of Paul Di'Anno. Di'Anno though was never all that great of a singer, certainly not enough to be truly noticeable. Enter Bruce Dickinson, whose soaring classically-trained tenor became THE VOICE of Iron Maiden. Energized by their new singer, the band crafted a monumental album with several now-classic songs. The dueling guitars, galloping bass lines, and impressive vocals all add up to a monster album. This is not my absolute favorite Iron Maiden album, but it is certainly a great one.
JUDAS PRIEST: SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCEJudas Priest scored a massive hit of their own in 1982 with this album. Priest had long ago left behind whatever progressive rock tendencies they had. By this point, their music was simple, direct, and not the least bit subtle. "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" is the enormous hit on this album, and it really was big. This album was essentially Priest at their peak. All of the songsd are classics, with a couple that stand out higher than the rest. They would grow to be more metallic on subsequent albums, heavier and darker. However they would never be quite as memorable.
VENOM: BLACK METALPicking up where the last album left off, Venom released this album just the next year. You don't really see that much anymore. Their musicianship has tightened up a little bit, but they are still very raw. Their songwriting has also improved with several more complex structures on this album. This album's fairly simple riffs, fast speed and dark lyrics was an influence on the upcoming black metal scene, even moreso than the band's previous album. Hell, the genre even got its name from the name of this album. This is also Venom's best album in my opininon.
Honorable Mentions: Manowar: Battle Hymns, Motorhead: Iron Fist, Raven: Wiped Out, Twisted Sister: Under the Blade
Bands that formed in 1982: Artillery, Armored Saint, Corrosion of Conformity, Death Angel, Destruction, Dio, Exodus, Kreator, Napalm Death, Possessed, Sodom, Suicidal Tendencies, Voivod, W.A.S.P., Watchtower
I have the Iron Maiden, the Venom (I just listened to it today, before I saw this post), and the Motorhead, but not the others. I used to have some Judas Priest, but for some reason I've never really liked them--which is weird, because I like Halford's solo stuff, and I like some covers of Priest material (like Death's version of "Painkiller"). I know, that's kind of like saying "I like gangster movies, but I don't like The Godfather Part II".
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