MGP’s Teenage Checklist for Buying Metal Albums in the 1980s 

Now, I’m sure you had or even still have ways in which you discover great metal albums - perhaps even ones that don't involve the Internet. Let me know in the comments what I might have missed, or maybe even share your own stories of album discovery from your teenage years.

Wow! There are tons of ways, even if you were just using your local music store. Not just album covers and suggestions from the employees, but you could even check out the free fliers at the door of upcoming concerts. I was waiting for you to mention the radio. In Houston we had KTRU Rice college radio, but I listened to Pacifica radio, the public radio station 90.1, "the mighty ninety". I know it was around in the early 90s when I listened to it, but they still have the radio show "Sweet Nightmares" to this day. Again, radio shows would also go through the list of upcoming concerts and shows, discovering new bands that way. The clubs were also a great way to learn about new bands by knowing what bands were touring there. One other way was picking up compilation albums because you'd get to hear a few different bands and sometimes one or two bands would stick out and you'd go hunt for their albums.

Great video, thanks for the shout out!! Indeed it was a fun time discovering all those bands together back then, a friendly competition I always thought. I remember that Annihilator show that we heard but didn't see, it was at the Living Room in Providence RI. Other bands that night were Wrathchild America and Testament. So many great memories, speaking of drinking at shows you were quite buzzed when we met Sacrifice in Boston haha. The segment about letting other friends take a chance on albums was so spot on, made me laugh.

Wow. Thought me and my friend Kinney were the only ones that used these same methods. Although they didn't always work, but was fun nonetheless. We also had a friend that worked at the local record store who made suggestions as well. He referred us to sod. What a great reference. Enjoyed the vid.

Mags, Tape trading, cover art and got friendly with the guys behind the counter at the metal record shops and bought what they recommended 🤘

Cool video Matt , i'm an old fart too ... have the same kind of stories . Back in the day we used to keep bands to ourselves , didnt want anyone infiltrating our sacred music.

Kerrang, Raw and Metal Hammer were essential reading in the 80/90s!!

Cheers, mate. You know what for. ;) Great video! I used some of the very same tactics, as well as listening to The Friday Rock Show with Tommy Vance ("TV on the radio!") I got into a huge amount of bands because of that guy.

Boy I remember those days! Was so much fun, especially convincing your friend to buy an album based on the cover . I myself got some duds that way but also discovered many bands! Good times!

I cond my friends into buying tapes I wanted, then traded them out of them.plus to get that first listen like u said. All those things ways u mentioned I did the same thing,It was time consuming,now a couple clicks & the world I urs. I liked the olden ways.

I actually used a lot of these methods without even thinking about it. id have struggled to have come up with this list myself but i found myself saying 'oh yeah i did that' alot while watching. Fun video Matt!

Big thanks for all my metal friends back in 1990 for all the copies of great stuff. Shame on me for not buying much back then! 🤘

Used to read Kick Ass monthly fanzine who promoted all the underground bands. Also went to Johnny Zs Rock n Roll Heaven and went on what the album covers looked like. Also went by record labels. Combat. Megaforce. Noise Metal Blade. Shrapnel.

I'm from Finland and in the 80's it was pretty much similar in here. Sometimes even local libraries had decent selection of interesting (mostly mainstream AC DC, Iron Maiden etc.) heavy rock LP's. Luckily in the mid 80's I knew people who were into punk rock/hardcore punk music, so that's were I found many good interesting bands too. Towards the late 80's and early 90's things started to change rapidly and even the state owned national radio station started to play metal & extreme metal music almost daily.

This is a great video!

Cool video. Watched this specifically because of the 80's and this deluge of the more "extreme" types of metal coming out at that time. Can identify with a good bit of your top 10 tips : ) Before that, late 70's, tape trading with a fella at school and Sounds magazine, then cool looking album covers in record shops. Which led to other magazines, Kerrang which was a kinda offshoot from Sounds. Then onto Metal Forces, which was far better than Kerrang, which is where i found most of these heavier and faster bands. Which led to fanzines from Europe and the US, and demo tapes that were sent away for, as well as buying albums from record shops such as Shades in London. So exciting too, waiting for these new bands to drop through the letterbox : ) Anyway, enjoyed watching, and yeah, if you were into it enough, you'd always find a way to get the stuff you wanted!! Cheers!

I use the liner notes and band shirt method. Spotify and RU-vid are helpful in getting a sample of the music before I buy, but liner notes and band shirts point me in the direction of bands I might be interested in. I also use the association method. Sometimes, bands are super close with other bands and because of that relationship, I check out the other band. I'm a big Municipal Waste fan and their relationship with Toxic Holocaust got me into that band as well.

2 ways i discovered non mainstream real Heavy Metal bands in the 1980's included #1 A local mainstream Rock radio station had a 1 day a week show call "Midnight Metal Show" (1987-2016) heard Mondays at midnight for only 1 hour where they'd play heavier bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead, Accept, etc #2 A local University radio show called "Power Chord" (1984-2010) that played underground bands like Metallica, Venom, Slayer, VoiVod, Destruction, etc

College Radio I was blown away they were playing Lizzy Borden, Fates Warning, Queensryche before a lot of people even knew who they were

Tape lending and swapping,if it caught my ear i would go buy the album to support the band and for the better audio.Metal tee shirts worn by other headbangers at gigs and band promo shots a massive influence.Having a good record store with a metal section very important,every Saturday a pilgrimage to check out what imports where placed in the racks.Great era to be a teenage metal head 80s/90s.

Metal Maniacs, Terrorizer & Metal Hammer were my bibles & liner notes.

I got all my music not from my friends but my cousins. They’re older than me. I got into meal reeeeeally early - I was a kid and no one at my primary school was into it at all. But the high school kids who caught my afternoon bus were and they freaked a kid was into metal. I hug out with them at the back of the bus. I’ve always been a loner so not having anyone to gel with over music didn’t phase me . My folks hated it and freaked out - they still do - Especially mum. By the early 90s I discovered death metal. I discovered bands from seeing bands wearing t shirts too. We were really spoilt for talent back then. Everything was new. Everything was fresh. Everything was good! Metal creativity died around 95. It’s been nothing but regurgitated shit since. I do like new bands but originality has left the building.

In every single picture of Metallica in the 80s, they are wearing Misfits shirts. I went and risked it on a cassette purchase, and was highly rewarded lol. But for the most part i have to say Headbangers Ball on Mtv was where i found alot of bands.

Metal Maniacs and basically going through the liner notes

I used to look in the back of Hit Parader, Circus, and Faces mags. There were thrash and extreme metal albums in these ads. I would then go to my local record shop and have him order me stuff.

Metal Mania, Power Metal and Creem Metal magazines were mainly what I used to find new metal albums. I also lived near a Record Bar record shop that had a fantastic metal section. Picked out albums with the coolest covers and I don't recall being disappointed except one time. Nightwing weren't quite as heavy as I had hoped. Oh , almost forgot to mention that I would read the thank you lists on the inner sleeves of albums that I had. Many band would mention others. I'm assuming you used these methods. Writing this before I watch the video.

You may be interested to know there is a band known as MGP, better known as Moving Gelatine Plates, they are not extreme metal but a RIO or Zeuhl band. You mentioned "evil" then maybe should include the French band Ruins of Bevarast " The Thule Grimoires" or the British band Nefilim and thier album Zoon. If you like a laugh listen to Igorrr's album Savage Sinusoid, better than good :-) Cheers and greetings fom Wales. Don't forget Tryptikon.

I grew up in Norwalk, Ca in the 80's and I we had four great record stores. 1. Best Records - Cerritos, Ca. The guy behind the counter was a big influence on my purchases. My favorite and closest store. 2. Middle Earth Records - Downey, Ca. It was a bit of a hike on a bike, but always worth it. Would spend hours on a Saturday just finger fucking every album. 3. Zed's Records - Long Beach, Ca. I only went to this store when I could get my mom or my older brother to take me. 4. Wild Rags Records - Whittier, Ca. This was our least favorite because most of the records were already opened and the owner was a bit of a dick.

Creem magazine was the best

You missed Annihilator because you were stuck in line? What the hell, man? Was there some kind of holdup, or something? How aggravating...that would make me crazy if I heard the band start playing and they hadn't even let everyone in yet. Uh-uh...nope.

What challenge all you had to do was buy Music for Nations releases.