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20 Albums Released In 2023 That 80s Metal Fans Should Hear
Each year, it seems that the remaining 80s hard rock and metal bands that are still putting out new music seem to get smaller and smaller. However, don’t let that discourage you as a metal fan, because at this point…
Check Out These 80s Metal And Hard Rock Stars’ Real Names
Check out these 80’s Hard Rock And Metal Stars’ Real Names! Some of these names are well known to fans, while others might find these stars real names both fascinating and understandable why they chose a stage name in some…
Who Were The Top 15 Most-Glam Mainstream Metal Bands Of The 80s?
The 80s were the decade of excess and musically that was absolutely true as well. The hard rock and heavy metal musical landscape exploded with band members with huge, hairsprayed hair, and outlandish, often colorful outfits, and both male and…
Who Were The Best Straight Up, No Frills Hard Rock And Metal Bands Of The 80s?
The 1980s hard rock and metal scene is widely known as a generation of excess and a lot of over-the-top imagery. In fact, most people refer to the 80s as the decade of Hair Metal or Glam Metal because many…
25 Bands That Were Influential To The 80s Glam Metal Scene
The 1980s were an awesome time thanks to the glam/hair metal scene. The image almost became as important as the music during this period, and MTV helped keep that image front and center. With this list, we’re not ranking who…
Songs Of Forbidden Love By Motley Crue, KISS, and Winger That Seem Super-Cringey Today
Sex, Drugs, and Rock N ‘Roll. Hard rock bands are no strangers to wild tales of groupies and debauchery, but three songs, in particular from well know artists like Motley Crue, KISS and Winger pushed the envelope with their lyrics…
Really Bad Metal Album Covers Of The 80s
Battle Axe – Burn This Town Burn this town? More like burn this album cover! Although, apparently this was only supposed to be an unfinished sketch of what the idea of the cover would look like and the record…
400 + Hard Rock And Metal Bands From The 80s And 90s That You Should Hear
The 1980s and early 90s saw hard rock and heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into sub-genres like Hard Rock, Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Metal, and more. Regardless…
The 60 Best Classic Punk Bands From The U.K.
Some of the greatest punk bands of all time have come from The United Kingdom. While you would practically have to be living under a rock to not be aware of bands like The Sex Pistols and The Clash, there…
Ratt – How Many Of These Ratt Facts Do You Know?
How Many Of These Ratt Facts Do You Know? Ratt Started in 1977 by singer Stephen Pearcy under the name Mickey Ratt which was based on poking fun at Mickey Mouse Early versions of Mickey Ratt Included Jake E.…
Ranked: Extreme’s Albums “Best To Worst”
Extreme’s most well-known line-up included Gary Cherone – lead vocals, Nuno Bettencourt – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals, Paul Geary – drums, and Pat Badger – bass, backing vocals. The band owns its place in rock music history with the incredible…
Ranked: Cinderella Albums Best To Worst
Formed in 1982 by Tom Keifer and Eric Brittingham, Cinderella was one of the biggest bands of the ’80s rock and metal era. Following several lineup changes, the band solidified their members with Jeff Labar and Fred Coury. The band’s…
5 Incredible Metal Anime Openings
Japan has had an enormous effect on the worldwide entertainment industry. Even Star Wars has been influenced by the legendary Akira Kurosawa. Their music has been huge as well, however, Japan is mostly known for manga and anime when it…
Ranked: Lita Ford Albums “Best To Worst”
Starting out as a teenager alongside fellow rocker Joan Jett in the now legendary band “The Runaways”, Lita Ford would go on to pursue a solo career that would see her reach new heights and lay claim to her place…
The XS ROCK Top 15 Best Rock Albums Of 2021
#1 Ministry Album: Moral HygieneLabel: Nuclear BlastRelease Date: October 1, 2021 Never one to shy away from expressing his feelings about societal problems, Uncle Al returns with all guns blazing and a firm middle finger for those he deems a…
Ranked: Twisted Sister Albums “Best To Worst”
As big of a band as Twisted Sister was, it’s kind of amazing that they only released five full studio albums during their career. That is if you don’t count their Christmas album. Twisted Sister was filled with big personalities…
4 Of The Singers For The Top 5 Grunge Bands Of The 90s Are Dead… So What Happened?
In no particular order, the top 5 Grunge bands of the 90s were Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, and Pearl Jam. Of those bands, the only original singer left alive is Eddie Vedder, vocalist for Pearl Jam.…
Top 10 Metal Songs That Perfectly Describe An Anime/Cartoon Character
Many great animes and cartoons have amazing opening themes. Many characters from these shows are also associated with songs because of YouTubers making AMV videos. Many of these songs are metal with Skillet and My Chemical Romance being among the…
250 Underrated Hard Rock Bands From The 80s And 90s
During the 80’s hard rock ruled the airwaves. Quiet Riot’s Metal Health became the first #1 metal album of all time. Soon after the scene exploded with bands like Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, Dokken, Ratt, Warrant, Poison, and many…
80 Lesser Known Hard Rock And Metal Bands From The 80s That Should Have Been Bigger
For every Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and Van Halen, There were many other bands that were really good, but somehow didn’t quite make it to the top. The 80s Hard Rock and Metal scene had some really great bands that…
Should These Songs Have Been Guns ‘N Roses’ “Ultimate Illusion”?
When Guns N’ Roses released Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II on the same day back in 1991, a lot of critics slammed the band for releasing two albums with what they said amounted to a few…
Ranked: Ozzy Osbourne’s Guitarists “Best To Worst”
If Ozzy Osbourne has done one thing right with his solo career, it’s been employing some of the best hard rock and metal guitarists on the planet. Considering the company, being the “worst”, if you can call it that, of…
Ranked: Motley Crue Albums “Best To Worst”
Motley Crue is a legendary band that became not only one of the biggest bands of the 80s but one of the biggest bands in heavy metal history. However, not every Motley Crue album was created equal. With this list,…
Ranked: KISS Albums Of The 80s
KISS released 8 studio albums during the 1980s. These albums cover a lot of territory including the albums that most likely saved and re-invigorated their career as well as the ones that almost ended the bands’ career altogether. So keep…
The Top 5 Australian Metal Bands Of The 80s
Australia…the land down under provided some really good metal and hard rock bands during the 1980s. While one of these bands went on to superstardom, most flew under the radar. The five listed below are all worth your time to…
The Top 15 Canadian Metal Bands Of The 80s
Canada has produced some great metal bands over the years. This list is based on what was considered heavy metal during the 80s. Today, a few of these bands are often classified as hard rock or mainstream rock, but during…
The Top 15 Japanese Metal Bands Of The 80s
#15 Aion Formed in 1983 by guitarist Izumi Ochiai, Aion started out as a thrash band but would later develop into more of a power metal-sounding entity. . Along with X Japan, Aion was one of the creators of the…
The Top 15 German Metal Bands Of the 80s
# 15 Rage Rage actually formed in Germany in 1984 under the name Avenger but changed their name to Rage in 1985 after another band was also using the name. The band has had a large album output over the…
Top 10 Metal Screamers
Metal has been around for over half a century. Many stars have risen during that time. From the new wave of British heavy metal to American power metal, until today, screams have become a part of the genre. Not just…
The Top 50 Thrash Bands
Sure, everyone who’s a true metal fan knows about “The Big 4” of Thrash, but do you know the other 46 bands that make up the “Top 50 Thrash Metal Bands”? Check out the entire list below counting down from…
Metal Music Is A Constantly Evolving Art Form
Some of the greatest pioneers of music have been metal artists, ever since the inception of the genre. Black Sabbath, widely credited with creating heavy metal started as a blues band called Earth. Their self-titled debut album, with a song…
Is Emo Metal Underrated?
From the early 2000s to the 2010s emo culture seemed to take over. For some, it was the next big thing. Some considered it diet goth. Others looked at emo as a joke. Oftentimes it would even be confused with…
Featured Artist – Dirty Honey
Check out this recent list of accomplishments by Dirty Honey, the band that’s hit the rock scene like an explosion. These guys are the real deal and you haven’t checked them out yet, you’re in for a real treat. Just…
Ranked: The Top 10 Two Guitar Systems In Metal
For this list, I will be counting down the best double-stringed assaulters of our parent’s ears in heavy metal. This also includes sub-genres such as speed and power metal with a bit of glam. Some are here more for their…
3 Metal Bands That Deserve More Respect
Quiet Riot was around for a long time before they made it big. Originally with the legendary Randy Rhoads at guitar, they released two albums for Japan. By the time they broke into the scene, their original bassist had planned…
Former Judas Priest Guitarist K.K. Downing Should Shut Up And Put His Money Where His Mouth Is
I don’t know about everyone else, but I for one, am sick of seeing interview after interview with former Judas Priest guitarist, K.K. Downing complaining about his exit from the band. Now, before all of K.K.’s fans attempt to crucify…
Why Would Anyone Be Calling For Reunions Of Van Halen And Pantera At This Point?
Recently there’s been a lot of talk about reunions of the bands Van Halen and Pantera. Which begs the question “Are you out of your fucking mind?” I mean, what the hell is wrong with people? Just look at the…
What If Stephen Pearcy Had Replaced Vince Neil In Motley Crue After Their Break Up?
What if Stephen Pearcy had auditioned for Motley Crue when Vince Neil left and had become their new singer instead of John Corabi? I know, I know… of course that didn’t happen, but there were actually a lot of things…
5 Lesser-Known Grunge Bands From The 90s That You Should Hear
Grunge music exploded commercially with the first riff of Nirvana’s “Smell Like Teen Spirit”. The scene became huge very quickly with bands like Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, and Pearl Jam becoming successful and elevating the scene to…
XS ROCK Featured Artist: Holy Mother
The XS ROCK Featured Artist Holy Mother simply has to be heard to be believed. The band is a great mix of traditional metal with some modern touches. Fans of classic bands like Dio, Judas Priest, and Whitesnake…
200+ Hard Rock And Metal Bands From The 80s That Are Worth Listening To (Part 5)
The 1980s saw heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into sub-genres like Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Metal, and more. Regardless of which sub-genre you preferred, there was no…
Over 200 Metal Bands From The 80s That You Absolutely Must Hear
The 1980s saw heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into sub-genres like Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Metal and more. Regardless of which sub-genre you preferred, there was no…
200+ Hard Rock And Metal Bands From The 80s That Are Worth Listening To (Part 4)
The 1980s saw heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into sub-genres like Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Metal, and more. Regardless of which sub-genre you preferred, there was no…
Can K.K.’s Priest Compare To Judas Priest?
Former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing has started his own band called KK’s Priest. The band featuring Downing on guitars, AJ Mills on guitar, Tony Newton On bass, Les Binks on drums, and former Judas Priest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens…
Would You Support A Version Of KISS That Features None Of The Original Members?
While KISS still has some dates to resume on their “End Of The Road” Tour, it appears that the end of KISS is near. Or is it? Paul Stanley and KISS manager have both hinted at the possibility of “KISS”…
200+ Hard Rock And Metal Bands From The 80s That Are Worth Listening To (Part 3)
The 1980s saw heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into sub-genres like Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Metal, and more. Regardless of which sub-genre you preferred, there was no…
200+ Hard Rock And Metal Bands From The 80s That Are Worth Listening To (Part 2)
The 1980s saw heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into sub-genres like Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Metal, and more. Regardless of which sub-genre you preferred, there was no…
200+ Hard Rock And Metal Bands From The 80s That Are Worth Listening To (Part 1)
The 1980s saw heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into sub-genres like Glam Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, NWOBHM, Traditional Metal, and more. Regardless of which sub-genre you preferred, there was no…
Seriously…How Many People Thought At Least Some Of The Band Members In Poison Were Female At First?
Okay, let’s talk about this for a minute. I seriously can’t be the only guy that thought at least one of the band members was a girl when this album first came out. Back in August of 1986, Poison released…
Five Finger Death Punch Is The Nickelback Of Metal
Anytime you write an article like this, you’re going to get some salty comments about your opinion. And that’s okay. I’d expect nothing less. However, my opinion remains the same. And my opinion is that Five Finger Death Punch are…
Another 25 Great Hard Rock Albums Of The 80’s That You Might Have Missed
One of XS ROCK’s most popular articles has been our article on 25 Great Hard Rock Albums Of The ’80s That You Might Have Missed. So popular in fact, that we now present the second round of “Great Hard Rock…
8 Goth Rock Bands That Made A Big Impact During The 1980’s
Recently, we published the article “10 Bands That Helped Form The Gothic Rock Movement” which you can read here. Now, we’re going to start to dig in a little deeper and take a look at some more bands that started,…
10 Bands That Helped Start The Gothic Rock Movement
If you’re a fan of Gothic Rock and you haven’t heard all of these bands before, by all means, check them out. These bands along with numerous others helped create a new sub-genre of rock music that still thrills fans…
Def Leppard’s Change In Sound: The Tale Of Two Leppards
Def Leppard is arguably one of the most successful bands to emerge from the 80’s hard rock and heavy metal scene. The band found success early on, hitting the scene with their debut full-length album “On Through The Night” in…
10 Bad Albums By 10 Great Hard Rock Bands
You wanted the best….you got the best! Now here are some of their worst albums These 10 artists are some of hard rocks’ most famous bands. Most have long careers with certified Gold and Platinum albums. But even these artists…
The Good, The Bad And The Dirt On The Motley Crue Movie
On March 22nd, Netflix premiered “The Dirt”, the biopic about the infamous and sordid details of lives of Motley Crue. Having read the book, I was curious how they were going to fit everything into a two hour movie. And…
Top 15 Christian Metal Bands Of The 80’s
01. Stryper-Stryper has to be at the top of this list. Not because I think they’re the best, but because their contribution to Christian metal is the equivalent of Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest in the non-christian metal…
How Beavis & Butthead Ruined Winger’s Coolness At The Peak Of Their Popularity
From the late 80’s into the early 90’s Winger built momentum and became an overnight sensation, in part thanks to heavy rotation of their videos on MTV, which at that time, actually showed music videos. Winger’s debut album went platinum…
25 Great Hair Bands That Debuted In The 90’s
During the 80’s glam and melodic metal ruled the airwaves. For all of the bands that made it big, there were plenty of other talented bands that got lost in the shuffle. Many of them suffered from lack of promotion…
25 Great Hard Rock Albums Of The 80’s That You Might Have Missed
During the 80’s hard rock ruled the airwaves. Quiet Riot’s Metal Health became the first #1 metal album of all time. Soon after the scene exploded with bands like Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, Dokken, Ratt, Warrant, Poison, and many…
Best & Worst Lead Singer Changes In Rock N’ Roll
The Most Successful Bands To Change Singers While many bands have tried, only a few have been really successful with switching lead singers after they become famous. Let’s take a look of some of the best lead singer changes first….…
Hard Rock and Metal From Japan
A BRIEF HISTORY OF JAPANESE HARD ROCK AND METAL Part One Recently, there has been a lot of publicity around the Japanese band Babymetal. This trio of Japanese teens have taken the world by storm and found international success. Now,…
