1978

"Wake the dead! The saints are in Hell!"

For those of you who wanted something just a little more interesting than "Reminiscing" by the LITTLE RIVER BAND, you should find the list below quite appealing. Fueled by the impeccable drumming of Les Binks, the PRIEST re-invents itself again with "Stained Class", their most aggressive and metallic effort to date. The guitarwork in songs like "Beyond the Realms of Death" has been cited by folks like Kerry King as some of the most inspirational ever captured on tape by a metal band. Sinister, dark, and evil, yet polished and powerful -- there was no topping "Stained Class" in 1978.

Believe it or not, this was also a time period during which Virginia's doom messiahs PENTAGRAM were cranking out some of their best stuff. The single "Living in a Ram's Head" was recorded around this time. Joel Hasselvander had just joined the band (check out the recently re-issued live disc "Keg Full of Dynamite" for a sample of the obscure greatness of this band). PENTAGRAM was in a constant state of flux that kept the band from releasing a full-length disc for years. Throughout the seventies and most of the eighties, even the most enlightened metalheads knew very little about the talents of Bobby Liebling and company. Thankfully, some reissues and improved distribution have increased their visibility and knowledge of their history.

Picks of the litter, 1978: