Disclaimer:
Please don’t unleash years of suppressed anger and throw a hot cup of coffee in your dog’s face if you don’t see (insert band name) at (insert position) or any such situation. This feature is based on the opinions of an author that writes, primarily, based on experiences and makes no claims that the collection of releases you’re going to be reading about is certified by God, Satan, Rick Moranis, or any other extremely prominent deity. Enjoy.
Introduction:
This list is the final piece of the feature trilogy focusing on heavy metal and extreme music in 1988. We’ve seen incursions on these lists from proto-death metal and death metal bands going back a few years now and witnessed death metal’s global expansion within the demo scene of 1988. This year is no different, with only a handful of death metal bands making the list, with most of the entries still belonging to thrash metal, traditional metal and power metal hybrids. However, that grip is rapidly fading. Grindcore made a solid showing in the early part of the list but is still in its infancy and still wrestling with its conventional sound. There is no black metal on this list. There is, however, black metal turned folk.
As far as record label spread, there are a lot of mainstream labels – EMI, RCA, CBS, Elektra Records, Def Jam Recordings – representing…well, what would now be considered mainstream bands. Era heavyweights Combat Records, Noise Records, and Earache Records all make sizeable contributions to this list.
When it comes to regional output, this is going to be an American release-heavy list, followed by the English, but also featuring Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and many other single-release nations.
As the decade ends, we’re witnessing the last triumphant stand of traditional heavy metal as the crown leader of the ‘heavy’ world. Grindcore has permeated the global sonic consciousness and death metal is rapidly spreading, evolving, and solidifying just below the surface of the mainstream. The next wave of black metal has yet to explode, which we’ll see in the next decade.
Without further delay, here are The Top 25 Metal Albums of 1988. Enjoy your bowel movement.
#25: Lord Crucifier (ITA) – The Focus of Life
Label: Metalworks
Thundering death thrash from Italy. Vocal heavy with guitars low in the mix. Lord Crucifer eventually relocated to England, but this still stands as the only full-length release the band ever produced. Aside from one more demo appearing in 1989, the band never released anything else and faded into obscurity.
#24: O.L.D. (USA) – Old Lady Drivers
Label: Earache Records
Our first grindcore entry on the list belongs to O.L.D., a rather comical and unserious lyrical front braced with crushing and fast-paced mincing grind. Originally known as Regurgitation, the band changed their name to their current one in 1987. After changing from their original sound found here, they eventually disbanded in 1995.
#23: Carcass (GBR) – Reek of Putrefaction
Label: Earache Records
A monolithic testament to the crushing power of grindcore. This debut album from Carcass is a sloppy mess with barely contained production. What has now become a legendary album in the band’s canon, this was quite a monstrosity for the year 1988.
#22: Napalm Death (GBR) – From Enslavement to Obliteration
Label: Earache Records
Our second entry from Earache Records sees the second album from British grindcore institution Napalm Death bulldozing its way onto the list. The last album to feature Lee Dorrian and Bill Steer, was a dogpile of basic chromatic riffing and furious blastbeats. Absolute power.
#21: Voivod (CAN) – Dimension Hatross
Label: Noise Records
The fourth album of the legendary Canadian act. Dissonant riffing interchanges with melodic flourishes amid compositions that most bands were not capable of creating at the time. A worthy follow-up to 1987’s Killing Technology.
#20: Raven (GBR) – Nothing Exceeds like Excess
Label: Combat Records
The seventh album from the long-standing NWOBHM/speed metal trailblazers. While they’ve been running out of solid ideas for years now, Nothing Exceeds like Excess still sounds fresh and hits hard and fast.
#19: King Diamond (DNK) – “Them”
Label: Roadrunner Records
“GGGGGGRRRRRAAAAAAANNNNNNDDDDDDDMMMMMMMAAAAAAAA!!!”
#18: Coroner (CHE) – Punishment for Decadence
Label: Noise Records
The follow-up to 1987’s R.I.P. was another monumental slab of progressive thrash metal. Tommy Baron is a versatile riff crafter and has penned some brilliant lead pieces. Rich and full production that really fills up all the negative space.
#17: Vio-Lence (USA) – Eternal Nightmare
Label: Mechanic Records
The debut, and quite possibly the peak, of Vio-Lence. Featuring a front section that featured Phil Demmel and Robb Flynn, this was another gem from the American west coast thrash metal scene.
#16: Incubus (USA) – Serpent Temptation
Label: Brutal Records
Rock solid death thrash from the deep south. Packed full of blasting and churning riffs, the band eventually changed their name to Opprobrium in 1999, where they continue to have an active and well-respected career.
#15: Sadus (USA) – Illusions
Label: Sadus Records
The debut record of west coast thrash powerhouse Sadus. Featuring a fledgling Steve DiGiorgio on bass, the band was another addition to the ridiculously stunning roster of American west coast thrash acts and another powerhouse debut in 1988.
#14: Num Skull (USA) – Ritually Abused
Label: Medusa Records
Punishingly heavy mix of proto-death metal and thrash metal. Great execution and delivery, there was a lot of promise for this band at one point. While this is not a true ‘one and done’ situation, considering their 1996 full-length, this was the only album from the founding days of the band’s career. There was another album recorded in 1991 that was never released.
#13: Flotsam and Jetsam (USA) – No Place for Disgrace
Label: Elektra Records
While lacking the raw, almost juvenile, passion that was on their 1986 debut, Doomsday for the Deceiver, the band managed to write a solid follow-up record in No Place for Disgrace. One of the biggest changes in the band’s sound from their 1986 debut is the absence of Jason Newsted on bass.
#11: Helloween (DEU) – Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II
Label: RCA
The sophomore effort of Helloween was just slightly a step under from their debut, which was a little more dynamic and more composition focused. Regardless, Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II spawned numerous anthemic raging power metal tracks, most importantly, the mammoth ‘I Want Out.’
#10: Pestilence (NLD) – Mallevs Maleficarvm
Label: R/C Records
Perhaps the best example of the closest proximity to death metal on this list. While being something ‘more’ than a thrash metal band, Pestilence weaved crushing riffs with masterful percussion and searing leads. An early and often overlooked early glimpse at death metal canon.
#9: Riot (USA) – Thundersteel
Label: CBS
The title track will put some hair on your chest. Absolute ripper. More of this could have propelled the album higher up the list. This was Riot’s 6th album, having been active since 1977, dwarfing everybody else on this list in terms of longevity.
#8: Bolt Thrower (GBR) – In Battle There is No Law
Label: Vinyl Solution
A grind bulldozer of monumental proportions. In Battle There is No Law is ugly, violent, and militant. This is the soundtrack to warfare.
#7: Razor (CAN) – Violent Restitution
Label: Steamhammer
Violent and confrontational, no-bullshit thrash metal. One of the hardest, most productive bands in the thrash metal scene, Violent Restitution was the 5th album in a span of 3-4 years. No gimmicks, no showboating, just riffs and slamming drums.
#6: Testament (USA) – The New Order
Label: Megaforce Records
The follow up to 1987’s The Legacy, Testament showed off a majority mid-tempo performance that was riff-centric and just the right amount of technicality and progressiveness. The Alex Skolnick/Eric Peterson combo was bombastic and focused, a multi-faceted killing machine.
#5: Metallica (USA) – …And Justice For All
Label: Elektra Records
The last reasonable album released by the band, …And Justice For All showcased a slightly slower, more focused, and progressive-minded Metallica, who were, at the time, an absolutely colossal act in the heavy metal scene. Obviously, the production issue of essentially removing the bass guitar is what will forever plague this album, but the writing and technical fluidity of these tracks have withstood the test of time.
#4: Slayer (USA) – South of Heaven
Label: Def Jam Recordings
Yet another veteran thrash act that decided to slow things down, Slayer’s success on South of Heaven came from the compositional powerhouse that was Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Some of the band’s most iconic riffs – from the opening notes of the title track, to the mid-tempo stomp and smash of ‘Mandatory Suicide, and the hellish speed and fury of ‘Silent Scream – were present on this record.
#3: Iron Maiden (GBR) – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Label: EMI
The 7th full-length of the legendary Iron Maiden sees a fully matured and progressive band that had completely found its stride. The warmth of the double guitar melodies, the galloping bass lines, and the soaring triumphant vocals are on full display here. Gorgeous production that really had every instrument cutting clearly through the mix just really tops things off here.
#2: Death (USA) – Leprosy
Label: Combat Records
The follow-up to 1987’s Scream Bloody Gore saw less of a blatant hard-charging and flailing Death and more of a matured, centered, and riff-centric one delivering pummeling death metal. With Chris Reifert out and Bill Andrews in (alongside Rick Rozz on guitar), the band’s figurehead, Chuck Schuldiner, composed expert metal as evidenced by ‘Open Casket,’ Pull the Plug,’ and ‘Left to Die,’ amongst the others.
#1: Bathory (SWE) – Blood Fire Death
Label: Under One Flag
Simply put, nobody was making music like this. Out of all the bands on the list, the compositional skill, song crafting, and riff writing melded together perfectly on this one disc. The Viking-themed Nordic metal was the stuff of legend and folklore and helped usher in practically an entire sub-genre on its own. This was the band’s first published attempt at epic and heroic songwriting, and it was a supreme success.
There you have it. As stated in the introduction, this could possibly be the last triumphant stand of traditional heavy metal and power metal, potentially even thrash metal. The next crop of extreme metal bands was rapidly approaching, and it would forever change the sonic landscape of extreme music.
With the majority of the Top 10 belonging to legacy bands that were all well past their debut effort, many of these bands have lost some of their golden intensity which propelled them up the previous lists. The contrast between Slayer’s Reign in Blood in 1986 compared to South of Heaven in 1988 were pretty obvious and immense. The same contrast can be seen in Death, Metallica, and Bathory, all of which were past their debut efforts, but rapidly changing their sonic direction and delivery.
Some bands such as Vio-lence essentially peaked on their debut effort and will probably never be mentioned on this site again. The same for the likes of bands such as Raven and Riot, who were deep into their careers and dead set in their ways, as the world of heavy metal was violently evolving around them.
We have yet to witness the full assault of the growing death metal scene and the next wave of black metal to sink into the heavy metal canon, but the time is drawing ever so nearer.
Would you have changed anything on this list? Let me know in the comments.
If you’re interested, you can check out The Top 25 Metal Splits/EPs of 1988 and The Top 25 Metal Demos of 1988 while you’re here.
By clicking on the ‘features’ hashtag, you can view all of our ‘Best Of…’ trilogies dating back to 1985.
As always, thanks for reading.
-AJK
apanthropy 
Leave a comment