Ride the Lightning is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 27, 1984, by the independent record label Megaforce Records. The album was recorded in three weeks with producer Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. The artwork, based on a concept by the band, depicts an electric chair being struck by lightning flowing from the band logo. The title was taken from a passage in Stephen King's novel The Stand, in which a character uses the phrase to refer to execution by electric chair.
Fistful of Metal is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Anthrax, released in January 1984 by Megaforce Records and Music for Nations internationally. The album includes a cover of Alice Cooper's "I'm Eighteen". This is the band's only album to feature original frontman Neil Turbin and original bassist Dan Lilker, who were replaced by Matt Fallon and Frank Bello, respectively. Former original guitarist Greg Walls claims that Anthrax "ripped him off" as he claims he wrote the material on the album.
Spreading the Disease is the second studio album by the American thrash metal band Anthrax, released on October 30, 1985 by Megaforce Records and Island Records. It was the band's first album to feature vocalist Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello. A special two-disc edition of the album was released in 2015, celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Armed and Dangerous is the first EP by American heavy metal band Anthrax, released in February 1985 through Megaforce Records. The band produced the album with Carl Canedy and Jon Zazula acting as executive producer. This is the first Anthrax release to feature Joey Belladonna on vocals, and the first Anthrax release to feature Frank Bello on bass guitar.
State of Euphoria is the fourth studio album by the American thrash metal band Anthrax. It was released on September 19, 1988 through Megaforce/Island Records.
Live: The Island Years is Anthrax's first full-length live album. The album was released in 1994 by Megaforce Worldwide/Island Entertainment. As it is a live album, there were no new singles. The album features vocalist Joey Belladonna, who had been replaced in the band two years earlier by John Bush.
Cat Scratch Fever is the third studio album by American rock musician Ted Nugent. It was released on May 13, 1977, by Epic Records. Vocalist Derek St. Holmes, who had left the band during the recording of the album Free-for-All, had come back for touring in 1976 and was again the principal lead singer on this album.
Trouble Walkin' is the fourth full-length solo album released by Ace Frehley. No longer under the band name Frehley's Comet, the album features guest performances by former Kiss drummer Peter Criss, as well as Skid Row members Sebastian Bach, Rachel Bolan and Dave Sabo.
Bonded by Blood is the debut studio album by the Bay Area thrash metal band Exodus. Although the album was completed in the summer of 1984, it was not released until 1985 due to issues with Exodus and their record label. It is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time. This is also the only full-length studio album of Exodus to feature Paul Baloff on vocals, though he was also on their 1982 Demo and appeared on their 1997 live album Another Lesson in Violence.
Frehley's Comet is the second solo release by American musician Ace Frehley, former lead guitarist of Kiss. Frehley also named his band after the title of this album, and in this way, it is also considered the self-titled debut album credited to Frehley's Comet, as opposed to a Frehley solo release. It was the first album that Frehley released after leaving Kiss in 1982.
Live at the Inferno is a live album by the heavy metal band Raven. It was released in 1984 on Megaforce Records. The song "Live at the Inferno" first appeared on Raven's 1982 album Wiped Out. The album was intended to discourage the band's former label, Neat Records, from putting out a greatest hits compilation. It was the band's last release before signing with Atlantic Records.
Great White is the first full-length album by the American rock band Great White. Three tracks are taken from the band's previous EP, albeit in re-recorded versions. The musical style of this album is very different from the following highly successful releases of Great White, as they display here a more hard-driving metal sound as opposed to their later, blues-infused rock sound. EMI America judged the album a disaster and Great White was dropped. This led to a rethink by the band, and they became less heavy, introducing a tame hard rock sound for later albums.
Psycho City is the sixth studio album by the American hard rock band Great White, released in 1992. It was the last studio album produced for Capitol Records, with the exception of the 1993 compilation The Best of Great White: 1986–1992. It was reissued in 1999 by French label Axe Killer with four bonus tracks.
The Rods are an American heavy metal band formed in 1980 by David "Rock" Feinstein [Born in 1947], Steven Starmer, and Carl Canedy. After the first album Starmer was replaced by Garry Bordonaro. Feinstein had first come to mainstream attention after playing in Elf with his cousin Ronnie James Dio. The Rods' sound differed considerably from Elf, adopting a more traditional heavy metal sound compared with the blues-rock sound that Elf preferred.
Feel the Fire is the debut studio album by thrash metal band Overkill, released on October 15, 1985 through Megaforce Records.
Heavy Metal Maniac is the debut studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Shrapnel Records in 1983. The album was reissued by Megaforce Records in 2005.
Long Live the Loud is the third studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Music for Nations in 1985 and re-released through Megaforce Records in March 2005 with the EP Feel the Knife.
Unveiling the Wicked is the fourth studio album by Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Music for Nations in 1986 and reissued through Megaforce Records in 2005. Is the first album without the original guitarist John Ricci, replaced by Brian McPhee.
Exciter is the fifth studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through the Canadian label Maze Music in 1988. The album was re-released in 1995 Magnetic Air Records and again by Megaforce Records in 2005 with the title O.T.T., which stands for "Over the Top". This is the first album as a quartet, with new frontman Rob Malnati replacing Dan Beehler as lead vocalist of the band; however Beehler still performs drums and backing vocals.
Night of the Blade is the second studio album released by the British heavy metal band Tokyo Blade on Powerstation Records in 1984. It is the first Tokyo Blade album with Vicki James Wright on vocals. He replaced Alan Marsh when the vocal tracks for the album were already completed, forcing him to re-record the lead vocals in a very short time. Marsh's backing vocals remain on the album except on two tracks, which were recorded after he left the band. The original vocal recordings by Alan Marsh were released in 1998 in the album re-issue Night of the Blade... The Night Before.
