underrated hair metal albums

On a commercial level, it didnt do much, which isnt a surprise given the era it was ruthlessly dropped into. Instead, these New Yorkers are cursed to exist in a world that doesnt give a shit about a bunch of LOreal-haired dudes playing blockbusting songs with choruses bigger than Vince Neils Spanx collection. Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by R79, Jan 27, 2022. Heavy Bones came relatively early in Hoey's professional career (having moved from Boston to Los Angeles in the late-'80s upon the recommendation of Ozzy Osbourne, after auditioning for the position that ultimately went to Zakk Wylde), and released but one self-titled album on Reprise Records in 1992. Sure, it lacked big-budget gloss, and original singer Steevi Jaimz sounded like he was ready to chin anybody who dared look at his pint wrong, but Young And Crazy bristled with the kind of attitude every pack of Sunset Strip poodles would have sold their grannies to have. I think Hooked was still a success, but Psycho City never got the attention it deserved. Their recordings were reissued on CD several years ago by Retrospect Records, howevergranted the disc is already out of print and fetching overly expensive prices on eBay. Well, I am here to tell you that those people are assholes. #bringstadiumrockback #besteraGreat White Live Ritz 1988 - All Over Nowhttps://youtu.be/gBiAnQXuF6w1- . Total nostalgia trip for me. When I was talking about the Warrant line-up, I just meant the classic line-up. Kingpin were Swedens entry into the 1988 Hair Metal Olympics. * Femme Fatale Femme Fatale (1988) Warrant Dog Eat Dog (1992) When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Vito Bratta is one of the really underrated guitar players, alongside Reb Beach. People didnt give a shit then either. 05. Ironically, this record is probably regarded as Warrants strongest record from a critical standpoint, whatever thats worth. Anyway, come what may, I will stand by this pick for a few reasons: 1) Ace Frehley wasnt an old man in 1987, but at 36, he was something of an elder statesman of the Rock world, and the fact remained that he is perpetually cited as a direct influence to nearly all those who came after him. Not sure why Ann from NRR sits on it to this day. Google, here I come! Blackout in the Red Room has a couple of classics, too, though some of the lyrics get questionable for sure. Severely underrated, and released at a time when hair metal was just about dead. The production, helmed by underrated hair metal architecht Michael Wagener, is nearly perfect, as are the earnest heart spills of frontman Mike Tramp and fret-board gymnastics of guitarist. If Tear the House Down had hit the streets just two years earlier, I bet Hericane Alice would've been at least as successful as the Bulletboys, so it's a shame they never got the chance. Vixen was and are as authentic as they were talented. During that time, he has been Deputy Editor on Kerrang! So being that I grew up on this stuff and have been doing a hair metal podcast for 20 years Ill lay on a few more underrated jems: BANG TANGO Psycho Cafe, DANGEROUS TOYS self-titled debut, LYNCH MOB Wicked Sensation, DON DOKKEN Up From the Ashes, FIREHOUSE self-titled debut, KIX Hot Wire, XYZ Hungry, ICON self-titled debut, BANYLON A.D. self-titled debut, CHILDS PLAY Rat Race, EXTREME self-titled debut, RACER X Second Heat, SLEEZE BEEZ Screwed, Blued, & Tattooed, and lastly Y&T, they have so many underrated albums it is mind blowing. Alleycat Scratch - Deadboys in Trash City 06. Unfortunately, the album's lack of commercial success, coupled with being called out on Beavis and Butt-head and several other factors saw Winger disband in 1994 and remain so for the rest of the decade. What about the tactful keyboards, chorus hook, and big vocal harmonies of token power ballad "Dry Your Eyes"? One year prior Skid Row had done quite well with comparable tracks, but by '92 I guess it was just too late, despite the musical chops and name recognition of Heavy Bones' lineup. Speaking of Vixen, here they are! But the public proved resistant to the hard sell, and Vain were left sitting forlorn and alone on the sidewalk while lesser groups were whisked behind the velvet rope of fame. While Dead Davidson may have been a jerk for leaving his bandmates in the lurch, he also was extremely talented, and his buzzsaw vocals simply were not easily replaced. 02. This is an album that was completely buried by the Alt-Rock and Grunge craze that was sweeping the nation in the early 90s. The early 90s cultural zeitgeist was unkind to this record, but present day, we have a chance to flip the script. Wanna know the details? Then again, "Heat Me Up" is a prime cut of typically structured hair metal with a raspier snarl to the vocals; while "She's Untouchable" combines crunchy rhythms, fluid melodies, and slick vocal harmonies. Seriouslyher lead work is some of the best of the era, in my opinion. Aerosmith's second shot at glory, and they pulled it off. Its like Dee Snider said, Were Not Gonna Take It, and for Hair-Metalheads, we wouldnt have it any other way. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Their take on nu metal at the time brought the machine gun precision of a band like Fear Factory, but also a . In fact, I myself have only learned about the following groups within the last 10 years! Less than two years later, Femme Fatale broke up in 1990, ending what could have been a promising career. You come up with fun lists. Sadly, all of this complexity and diversity of "Dog Eat Dog" went under the radar of most mainstream music fans, as the association Warrant with all the corny aspects of glam was simply too strong. But their debut album was pop-metal perfection what featherweight party anthems Toast Of The Town, Rock And Roll Outlaws and shoulda-been-massive single Rock & Roll (Is Gonna Set The Night On Fire) lacked in heaviosity they made up for in pleather-trousered attitude. Say what you will about KISS or my placement of this record, but there is no denying its greatness. All rights reserved. I am not anticipating a part three to this thing, but Ill never say never. One of the most underrated bands in the genre. Yes. They changed their name to Shotgun Messiah, fired their singer and eventually went industrial metal. Great White was the would-be Blues-Rock band, that simply couldnt help but indulge in Hair Metal. Hair metal with real bad attitude. 10. I meancome on, Space Ace Frehley basically invented Glam Metal with KISS. Another decent glam band that came out of Chicago was Holland. If he doesnt belong at the top of this list, I dont know who does. Aside from the Ozzy connections with the Rough Cutt and Britny Fox albums, heres anotherAside from being the original guitarist in Ratt(! "Slave to the Grind" arrived at the time when record label's realized that the audiences were beginning to get tired with over-saturation of glam metal, and received fairly little support and air time as a result. Who ever thought that Def Leppard could make an album that would outsell Pyromania? Britny Foxs record company (Columbia Records) seemed to agree and unceremoniously dropped Britny Fox, effectively leaving them for dead. They had a couple of songwriting contributions from Jim Vallance and Kiss' Paul Stanley (the former having co-written hits such as Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69" and Aerosmith's "Rag Doll"). Unfortunately, in most cases, the label stuck like a nasty coffee stain, while the attempts of self-reinventing usually didn't go well. It now enjoys a cult following among fans of hair. Probably one of the coolest hair metal albums you've never heard. Some remain underrated despite having done moderately well in their day, while others have been lost to near complete obscurity. Heres how it works. Def Leppard officially stepped into pop metal territory with this one. DLR's full length debut (after a 4 song EP in 1985). #shorts, Imagining the World Through the Eyes of John Lennon, I Love It Loud: 20 of Gene Simmonss Most Overlooked Tracks, Traversing the Abyss: A Guide to Obscure 70s Rock. These are the forgotten heroes of hair metal. Well, in the wake of the Hot In The Shade screw-job, the band still managed to book a nice tour of well-paying gigs and were set to depart, when Dean The Diva Davidson decided to split and make a go of it on his own. Extreme: The thinking person's hair metal band. Metallica reveal details of special 72 Seasons global album listening event, Rob Halford on Ozzy Osbourne's retirement from touring: "he made the right call", Every issue delivered direct to your door. Present-day, Ace is having one of the most fruitful and creative periods of his career. Hey, you never got that with Warrant. Wildside is still one of my faves simply because it was so much heavier than all the bands at that time and darker too. The '80s have taught us that you could expect a lot of things from Blackie Lawless, but releasing a concept album wasn't one of them. Winger epitomized late 80's pop metal, and seemed to be the pinup boys for all the hatred towards hair metal with the dawning of grunge. Brighton Rock - Love Machine The one that gave birth to the entire genre. The Nelson brothers could write a hell of a song, because every one on this album is catchy and loaded with hooks. Bon Jovi 7800 Fahrenheit (1985) underrated hair metal albums. Be warned! You'll find this album at at least the top five of any hair metal list, and mine is no different. I tend to be a huge sucker for catchy songs, so some degree of commercialism probably flies past my radar, heh. As for the comments, they ranged from things like, This album sucks all the way to, This is awesome! Theme: The Road to The Roxy: 10 Underrated Glam & Hair Metal-Era Albums Part II, Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), My fingers feel possessed on the EC-1000! . Most people will recall this as The record that came out after The Final Countdown, or The record that came out after John Norum left the band. For many reasons, this is a pretty sad state of affairs, as this record is really, honestly nearly as good as The Final Countdown, if not, dare I say itbetter. Not to mention the fact that Andrew W.K. Blue Murder - Blue Murder (1990) Only Bas could rival his voice. You couldn't go two hours without seeing a Whitesnake video on MTV back in '87. If anyone at all loves Cock Rock, No Respect by Vain should be in their collection, and Davy Vains subsequent efforts have all been respectable. Just great guitar shredding all over this album. Many bands would have given up right then and there, and no one would have blamed Britny Fox for packing it in, but after all, they had been through, I suppose that wasnt an option. Sebastian Bach is THE singer of the hair metal genre. I still need to try and get used to the vocals in Heavy Pettin, but Q5 is indeed awesome. They're kind of like Skid Row, the Bulletboys, and Faster Pussycat thrown in a blender. Dont do drugs, kids. Hericane Alice formed in Minnesota in the mid-'80s, and released their debut self-titled EP in 1986 under the properly spelled name of Hurricane Alice. BulletBoys came with a pedigree right from the start, as the band was founded by Mick Sweda (guitar), who had already starred in the also underrated King Kobra. By that point, oversaturation was just starting to set in, and so, if you werent truly aces, you werent going to make it. Easily Ratt's finest hour. This one also gave birth to the tern "pop metal," and made metal accessible to screaming girls everywhere. ), Bulletboys singer Marq Torien was Ozzys guitarist for a brief moment after Randy Rhodes death. And I still think Sole Survivor is just one of the greatest rock songs ever (despite the ear-splitting treble caused by a shitty mix at the end of the song). If you dont, I promise youll regret it later. In retrospect, the tone and style of the record truly are the last of what we have come to know as Glam Metal styling, as not too many albums like it came out afterward if any did at all. For every Axl Rose or Nikki Sixx, there were hundreds of also-rans, buffoons and no-hopers who crashed and burned before they had a chance to leave any lasting mark. So, what have you got to lose? On the other hand, the fact that it brought something any lingering W.A.S.P. But they could write some damn catchy tunes. As "glam" or "hair metal" almost became dirty words in the early '90s music industry, a lot of bands who got labeled as such in the past (rightly or not) tried hard to disassociate themselves from the label by diversifying their sound. Maybe even an old T-shirt laying around! Love em, Leave emAs long as their breathin! -Love on the Run. As you stated I have always championed JOKER myself. Their follow up has some of the best songwriting in Cock Rock, in my opinion. Now, this is a weird entry in many ways. As expected Ive only heard of two or three of the bands you listed off there. 07. I prefer Pump over this one, but this is filled with killer cuts. Alice Cooper's pop metal album, loaded with great players and great songs. Rounding out this powerhouse line-up was Share Ross on bass and the thunderous Roxy Petrucci on drums, who is as hard a hitting drummer as youll ever hear. Southgang - Tainted Angel Yeah, the Chicago bands none-more-unique selling point was perma-squinting frontman Stanley who, when he wasnt spitting out genius fuck-you anthems Jawohl Asshole and Fuckin Shit-Ass, lived on the street and had the malodorous clothes and propensity for shitting in public to prove it. Femme Fatale - Femme Fatale (1988) While the era of 80s Hair Metal and Glam is mostly known as being predominantly male, several females infiltrated the scene and staked their claim as well. One of my favorite albums of all time!!!! They had stars at every position and deviated from the traditional fun hair bands at the time. As far as I can tell they only made a music video for the lead track, "Wild, Young, and Crazy," but almost every song herein is better than good, and several are fucking outstanding. Songs like "Rest in Peace", "Tragic Comic", and "Warheads" had cleverly arranged harmonies, featured very diverse stylistic approaches, and all had engaging lyrics, but the album produced no hit singles and ended up a commercial disaster despite being the highlight of Extreme's career. The metal press fell hard for em, setting the singer up as a leather-trousered, barefooted pin-up. Toodlum 4 yr. ago. Silent Rage. Categories: Genre [List226813] | +37. Winger - In The Heart Of The Young (1990), McQueen Street should be in this discussion and in your collection. More sleaze than hair or pop metal, but once you hear this album, you will never forget it. There's an additional layer of irony to this since Warrant's main arranger and vocalist Jani Lane admitted that he wasn't exactly fond of "Cherry Pie", and that the whole album ended up being a dollop of glam cheese (although the cheese in question must have been some gourmet shit) simply because that's what was selling at the time. Another one from 1984 that influenced tons of bands in the 80's. I didn't discover this album until a few years ago, and it, too, has slowly inched its way into my all-time hair metal Top 10. picdoc 4 yr. ago. Now that weve got my justification out of the way lets talk significance. It kinda sucks when your biggest hit is a cover song, although probably nobody knew that back in 1989. Pure attitude from a band that actually lived it. Problem was the masses didnt want smart or classy, so they just went and bought their zillionth copy of Appetite For Destruction instead. You simply live in a cave if you have not heard at least one song from this album. Bonus fact: future Wildhearts frontman Ginger was briefly a member, reputedly dying his hair black as part of the deal. The best LPs from the age of Aqua Net. He went on to start Nitro which was a horrible band. (I can't help but feel like the epic power ballad, "Too Late," should've been a massive hit single.) Shortly after the Retrospect Records reissue, Real Steel performed at Rocklahoma 2008 and were talking about working on new material, but it would appear nothing much came of that. It was mixed by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero (who also mixed Appetite for Destruction and .And Justice for All, to name but a few). On the other hand, "Dog Eat Dog" represented what the band really wanted to do with their career, which included a much heavier sound and lyrics more diverse than drooling over girls. The follow-up album "Blood from Stone" was released in 1991. White Lion are actually my second favorite hair band, but I know they won't rank high on any all time list simply because they were considered wimpy, mainly because they loaded their albums with love songs. Contraband - s/t If you're old enough to have been reading guitar magazines in the early-'90s, you probably at least recognize the name Gary Hoey, and may recall having seen him in a good number of advertisements, if nothing else. yeah, that thing is always priced so high! OzzyOsbourne_ 3 yr. ago. That said, aside from the classic Smooth Up In Ya, BulletBoys has become a largely forgotten record, and the band is rarely mentioned in those generic MTV/VH1 best of the 80s lists. Sure, they were sort of late-stage Hair Metal, but these guys rock hard, so if you see this record, scoop it up. Wake Me When It's Over (1989) Full of sleaze and attitude, one of the better hair metal albums to come out at the tail end of the 80's. Had a minor hit with "House of Pain," but never really went anywhere. Warrant has had the unfortunate fate of being arguably one of the best hair metal bands out there and arrive at the scene too late for what it wanted to do. The Welsh wonders' second album, 1990's Berzerk, is a stone-cold classic featuring the greatest pop-metal anthem of the era in Love Bomb Baby. Oops. Now, in the 80s, you basically had two types of Guitar Gods: the Neo-Classical speed shredders, such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, and Vito Bratta, and on the other side of the spectrum were the players who were more rooted in the 70s Classic Rock and Blues, such as Slash, CC Deville, Bruce Kulick and of course, Mick Sweda. But Stained Glass is A-grade arena rock like they used to make before Nirvana came along and curled out a turd in the punchbowl. Louder is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Whereas Skid Row got marketed as your run-of-the-mill pretty boy glam metal outfit from the get-go, their self-titled debut showed that they were capable of much more than providing quick and cheap amusement for the masses, and their sophomore album "Slave to the Grind" made the most of the band's prodigious potential. Put together by former members of Bay Area crossover crew Attitude Adjustment who swapped their white hi-tops for cheap leather trousers and bargain-shop bandanas, their debut album plunged its needle into the same vein of bluesy cock rock as fellow greasers Circus Of Power and Little Caesar, throwing in some hardcore-esque gang vocals and nailing their were-not-White Lion cred with a punkabilly cover of Johnny Cashs Folsom Prison Blues. With a much harder edge than the previous release, the second album was produced in Los Angeles by renowned Keith Olsen.