Soundtrack to... 1995: In 20 Albums

Finally, we fast forward ten years from our last trip in the Intravenous Magazine time machine (FYI, we're using Back To The Future Rules here!). The year is 1995; MTV still has a generation grasped firmly in its neon claws feeding it a steady diet of alternative rock and electronic music. AOL and Prodigy coupled with Windows 95 and Yahoo! made home computing and access to the world wide web to millions. Richey Edwards form The Manic Street Preachers goes missing and is never seen again. Saddam Hussein is getting under the west's skin. Russian and US cooperation reaches new heights as NASA astronauts dock with the space station Mir. The DVD is announced as a new video and storage format. And the Million Man March happens in Washington D.C.

It was also another great year for music that saw heavyweights of goth, rock, indie, industrial, metal, and electronic music from the previous decade rub shoulders with a slew of hot newcomers and hungry young bands.

As with our previous outing we decided to keep it to just twenty LP/EP releases that stood out and set the standard for that year.

As with most of these kind of articles this is by no means the definitive releases of the year. Rather a cross-section of classics and other gems celebrating their 20th year. So sit back and relax as we take a trip back to 1995...


Siouxsie And The Banshees – 'The Rapture'

1995 saw the eleventh and final studio album from the seminal Siouxsie And The Banshees. Having formed in the crucible of punk, the band had become internationally renowned by the 1980s and Siouxsies iconic voice and style became a heavy influence on the gothic movement. The album showed that even after 20 years they were still able to pull a great album out of the bag, and one that continued to push the experimental ideas first heard on 'Peepshow', and blend them with the psychedelic pop of 'A Kiss In The Dreamhouse'. For some bizarre reason the band's label Polydoor would soon drop them, instigating the band's break-up after a world tour to support the album. Siouxsie and Budgie carried on as the Creatures, and seven years later the Banshees reunited for a tour and live album. But 'The Rapture', however lived up to it's title and is a fitting swansong for a band that is still sorely missed.




Swans – 'The Great Annihilator'

'The Great Annihilator' is a bit of an oddity in the Swans back catalogue but for good reasons. After a three year break, Michael Gira and Jarboe return with a refreshed core of musicians and some new ideas that they have had plenty of time to perfect. It is a wonderfully vibrant and experimental blend of post-punk, noise rock, gothic and industrial that sees a renewed and stripped-down approach and some of the band's catchiest songs to that point. The end result is something much more approachable than any Swans album before it, yet it keeps that uncompromising artistic integrity and apt for challenging songwriting. It's little swing towards some more commercial noises may have set off alarm bells for a few critics at the time. But there is no denying that 'The Great Annihilator' has held its own over the past 20 years as one of the essential albums in the band's catalogue.




Dark Tranquillity – 'Of Chaos and Eternal Night'

'Of Chaos And Eternal Night' was a crossroad for Swedish death metal outfit Dark Tranquillity. Having first dropped the super-technical, though unfocussed 'Skyflower' in 1993, the band subsequently lost their original vocalist and began to work towards the more disciplined melodic death metal that would become their forte. This EP has been maligned by a lot of people over the years, but it is still an important release not only in the development of the band, but of the melodic death metal genre as a whole. There is a defined sense of evolution over the course of the tracks here which range from the scatter-shot technical death metal sound of their first album, becoming more focused as they incorporate death-doom and more traditional rock songwriting elements into their sound. It may not be a definitive release for the ages, but for those with a love of melodic death metal, this EP perfectly distils the efforts of this generation of bands to move from their roots and form that sound.



Aphex Twin – '...I Care Because You Do'

Richard D. James returned in 1995 with 'Ventolin', one of the harshest techno singles ever, quickly followed by his third full-length album '...I Care Because You Do'. Blending his early hardcore techno roots with his more ambient leanings, James manages to create an album that is both comforting and unsettling at the same time. There are nods to the likes of Philip Glass and John Cage, as well as early drum 'n' bass elements making an appearance. There is an air of simplicity about the arrangements which only serves to heighten the disparate elements that James chooses. It isn't the mass appeal techno of The Chemical Brothers, Moby, or The Orb. It is a deeper more intelligent approach that owes just as much to avant-garde pioneers as it does to the dance floor. '...I Care Because You Do' is an important album in the development of IDM and bringing a more cerebral approach to electronica.



Faith No More – 'King For A Day... Fool For A Life Time'

Faith No More's fifth studio album was a serious departure that divided critics upon its release in 1995. The first of the band's album's recorded without Jim Martin, the heavy metal leanings of their previous output began to be mixed with elements of jazz, funk, prog rock and classical music. The result is a provocative and eclectic exploration of genre and songwriting conventions. It was perhaps a little ahead of it's time which is why it is so criminally underrated today. But with songs such as 'Ricochet', 'Digging the Grave', 'Evidence' and 'Just A Man' included, it is hard to resist its charms if you are open to them. It is one of the most accomplished and nightmarish albums in the brilliant Faith No More discography and one that definitely needs to be re-evaluated by critics for the progressive work it is that laid the groundwork for the final album of their original run and subsequent studio comeback in 2014.



Atari Teenage Riot – 'Delete Yourself!'

'Delete Yourself!' is part album, part political manifesto. Berlin's Atari Teenage Riot burst onto the scene in a big way in 1995 with their full-length début. Opening with the rallying cry of 'Start The Riot!' the Trio of Alec Empire, Hanin Elias, and Carl Crack unleashed an intense barrage of high BPM blends of jungle, techno, punk rock, and rave they christened “Digital Hardcore”. A reaction to the neo-nazi influenced Berlin techno scene of the time, the album's anti-fascist themes, slogan-like/sound-bite lyrics that sound as though they were recorded through a megaphone, and fast adrenalin fuelled rhythms combine to create an aggressive and powerful call to arms for cyberpunks. Though subsequent albums would further stylize and perfect the band's formula, 'Delete Yourself!' remains a pure expression of angst and political radicalism that stands on the barricade ready to take on all comers.



KMFDM – 'Nihil'

By the time 1995's 'Nihil' was unleashed, KMFDM were already a veteran band with seven albums under their collective belt. Seeing the return of Raymond Watts to the fold was a breath of fresh air for the band and the subsequent album 'Nihil' went on to produce one of the band's best known anthems in 'Juke Joint Jezebel', as well as 'Disobedience', 'Flesh', 'Beast' and 'Brute'. By the end of the year the album became Wax Trax! most successful release and KMFDM their most valuable asset along with it. Quite rightly the album saw critical praise for the both the songwriting quality and the high-tech production heaped on it from all sides. With this in mind you'd be forgiven that after 20 years it may not hold up to it's original hype. But it does. If anything it has matured and settled as a good album should and remains a vital record for fans of industrial rock to this day.



Strapping Young Lad – 'Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing'

Self-confessed “musical whore” Devin Townsend's first outing under the Strapping Young Lad moniker is pretty much the definition of a slow burn. Despite largely favourable critical review upon its release in 1995, it sold only 143 copies in its first six months on sale and it's creator has largely dismissed it as a collection of remixed demos with two great songs on it. Which is unfair. Sure the production is lacking, but 'Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing' is a genuinely great album. It's blending of thrash, death and industrial metal, along with the emphasis of intensity over song structure and a heaped dose of black humour makes for an absolute mind fuck of a roller-coaster ride. It hasn't aged particularly well, and it may be a sore point for it's creator who has gone on to do much bigger an better things with Strapping Young Lad, as well as under his own name, but there is something about 'Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing' that makes it a valuable listening experience.




White Zombie – 'Astro Creep: 2000'

With the surprising breakout success of White Zombie's previous album 'La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One' all eyes were on the New York alternative metal outfit. The album they produced, 'Astro Creep: 2000', would go on to not only be their most successful album... but it would prove to be their last. Favouring a more industrial metal sound over their previous psychedelic-tinged groove metal it produced monster hits such as 'More Human Than Human', 'Electric Head', and 'Super Charger Heaven'. It is a thematic blur of horror, sci-fi and Americana set to down-tuned guitars and addictive keyboards that is both heavy and dance-friendly. It is the formula that would go on to inform vocalist Rob Zombies most successful solo albums. The album would go double platinum and see the band receive a Grammy for their performance of 'More Human Than Human'. It is a classic example of a band dissolving at the peak of their success. But what a way to go out.




Moonspell – 'Wolfheart'

Portugal's Moonspell made their début in 1995 with the dark 'Wolfheart'. Mixing gothic metal and black metal with elements of doom, the band thematically walked a similar path to England's Cradle Of Filth, though opted for a far more romanticised execution. Their first offering 'Wolfheart' is one of those wonderfully naïve recordings that take on and increasing charm as the band's evolve and grow over time. With songs such as 'Wolf Shade', 'Vampira', 'An Erotic Alchemy', and 'Alma Mater' the band blend morbid lyrics, death grunt and baritone vocals, sexy keyboards and addictive riffs to create a strong musical foundation from which to move forward. There are a few points where the formula slips into self-parody, but they are as previously stated mainly out of nativity. And to judge the whole album at their expense is an injustice. 'Wolfheart' along with Tiamat's 'Wildhoney', Type O Negative's 'Bloody Kisses' and My Dying Bride's 'The Angel And Dark River' provide the foundations for the gothic metal genre.

Babes In Toyland – 'Nemesisters'

'Nemesisters' is another one of those great albums by a great band that unfortunately dissolved soon after release. American punk rockers Babes In Toyland achieved mainstream success on the back of the grunge and alt rock movements of the early 90s with their second album 'Fontanelle' showcasing a refreshingly raw and primal sound 'Their follow-up 'Nemesisters' walked a much more experimental path that blended their previous formula with heavy metal and power pop to create a deceptively slick but punishing album. Songs such as 'Hello', 'Sweet 69', '22' and 'Killer On The Road' are great and show a band having a bit more fun with their sound. While the de-constructed cover versions of 'All By Myself', 'Deep Song' and 'We Are Family are worth the price of admission alone. The anger of their first two albums that endeared them to so many at the time is largely missing in favour of more humour, which led to mixed reviews on its release. But it is long overdue a re-evaluation.

Opeth – 'Orchid'

Since their début album 'Orchid' in 1995, Sweden's Opeth have gone on to be one of the cornerstones of modern heavy metal. Progressive, cerebral and always interesting, their path started with the seminal 'Orchid'. Progressive rock, folk rock/acoustic, black metal, and death metal elements came together in a perfect storm that kicked both genres up the arse and made a lot of people take notice. Most of the songs exceed nine minutes in length and showcased a hungry young band with grand ambitions, but most importantly the talent to live up to them. Songs like 'In Mist She Was Standing', 'Forest Of October', 'Requiem', and 'The Apostle In Triumph' are grand evocations that foreshadow a long and eclectic career as they blend extreme metal with prog, jazz, folk and simply wonderful instrument ion. It is deeply introspective to the point of being awkwardly pretentious in places, however so strong is the band's conviction, you can't help but fall in love with it.



My Dying Bride – 'The Angel And The Dark River'

Yorkshire's masters of the morbid and morose, My Dying Bride, hit their stride with 1995's 'The Angel And the Dark River'. The third studio outing from the band created their most sumptuously melancholic expression up to that point. Moving away from their death-doom origins, they drenched themselves in gothic misery as though it was rain on the moors outside Whitby. Aaron Stainthorpe dropped the death grunts in favour of his anguished baritone, while the songs took their cues from the intricate violin and keyboard work of Martin Powell. The end result is seven tracks of epic proportion that ooze gothic melodrama in it's purest sonic form. It can be argued that this is the point where the gothic-doom genre solidified into a definitive formula, but it goes without question that this is one of the band's strongest and most strikingly original albums in their expansive canon. Quite simply put, if misery loves company, let this album be your companion is despair.



Nine Inch Nails – 'Further Down The Spiral'

“A remix album!” I hear you cry? Well yes, and with good reason. 1994's 'The Downward Spiral' by Trent Reznor and his Nine Inch Nails is undoubtedly one of the most important industrial rock albums of all time. But it is a testament to the original album and Reznor as a writer that the collaborative deconstructions and regurgitations on it's remix companion are so strong. What we have here is the experimentalism of the original pushed to the fore by a cohort of legendary names such as Rick Rubin, J.G. Thirlwell, Jhonn Balance, Peter Christopherson, Aphex Twin, Dave Navarro, Sean Beavan, Dave Ogilvie and the Nine Inch Nails crew themselves. The name of the game isn't the standard dance-friendly mixes that come to inhabit remix albums these days, but a purely industrial kind of anarchy that builds on the work seen on 'Fixed' and 'The Downward Spiral' to become its own monster. It's remixing done right.



Paradise Lost – 'Draconian Times'

They may have christened a new genre with there album 'Gothic' but it wasn't until 1995's 'Draconian Times' that Yorkshire's Paradise Lost began to reach their potential. The band referred to it as the missing link between Metallica and The Sisters Of Mercy, and that description holds up throughout. Spacious epic guitars, thunderous drums, brilliant riffs, sensual keyboards and anguished vocals make this an essential release in the gothic-doom/gothic metal genres. The arrangements are more rock orientated, and the performances more contemplative than previous albums. The album charted well across Europe and the subsequent touring sealed the band's status as a headline act to take note of. After this album the songwriting would veer more towards dark rock and electronic orientated sounds that would alienate some of their early audience, but in recent years the influence of this album has been felt increasingly amongst new Paradise Lost releases which have drawn those fans back.



Garbage – 'Garbage'

Out of an anarchic sea of band break-ups, suicide, and heavy experimentation, the eponymous début album by rock super-group (of sorts) Garbage in 1995 and the band members never looked back. Spear-headed by ex-Spooner hand and producer Butch Vig and fronted by the indomitable Shirley Manson the band produced a richly layered, grungy and dark album that innovated on every single track. The album with songs such as 'Vow', 'Only Happy When It Rains', 'Queer', 'Milk', and 'Stupid Girl' tearing up radio stations worldwide was an instant hit and made Garbage a household name over night. It charted high and achieved gold and platinum status in numerous countries around the world, and is still considered one of the most innovative and strong débuts of the 1990s by many critics. Even after 20 years, it is an album that still holds up.



My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult – 'Hit & Run Holiday'

Most often associated with the early years of Chicago's Wax Trax! Records, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult had since made the move to Interscope by they time they dropped 'Hit & Run Holiday'. Already infamous for psychedelic industrial hits such as 'Kooler Than Jesus', 'A Daisy Chain 4 Satan', and 'Sex On Wheelz', the band threw in generous helpings of surf rock, motown and good ol' fashioned American fun for their answer to a concept album. The album is far sunnier than its predecessors with a kitsch b-movie party atmosphere that frames the band's usual themes of camp excess. It may be somewhat over shadowed by classic albums such as 'Confessions Of A Knife...', but this is a damn fun album that has aged really well. It was critically well received at the time of its release and is easily the most accessible of the band's discography for newcomers to get in to. It is definitely one to explore if you haven't done so already.



Rammstein – 'Herzeleid'

Ah Rammstein, where would modern metal be with out those industrial Teutonic pyromaniacs? I dread to think. The band are international arena headliners, selling out venues all over the world and have become one of the most successful heavy bands on the planet. But it comes from such an unlikely source. Born from the German Neue Deutsche Härte scene, the band's first album 'Herzeleid' is a fairly standard mix of industrial metal, European techno and dark, sexual German humour. The album is very easy to get into with singles such as 'Du Riechst So Gut', 'Seemann', 'Asche Zu Asche', and the disturbing 'Rammstein', which featured on the soundtrack to David Lynch's 'Lost Highway'. It's frenetic, heavy, and easy to dance too. But once again it is a very naïve début album that shows the seeds of the later genius. The band definitely had some growing to do between this and their breakthrough 'Mutter', but Herzeleid is a charming and catchy first outing from these future powerhouses.



Marilyn Manson – 'Smells Like Children'

Another remix album?! Yes! 1995's 'Smells Like Children' is a real oddity in the Manson discography, and one that was meant to be far darker and more conceptual than it actually turned out (see Manson's autobiography 'The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell'). It bridges the gap between the nightmarish psychedelic rock of his début album with elements of a nastier, thrash-industrial metal sound that would characterise his follow-up, 'Antichrist Svperstar'. Featuring remixes, crazy instrumentals and warped samples, the album's biggest selling points are its brilliant covers of 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)' – which gave the band their first heavy rotation on MTV – 'Rock 'n' Roll Nigger', and 'I Put A Spell On You'. It is a confusing, and odd collection that received mixed to negative reviews upon release. But it has a genuine character to it that is hard to find on remix albums these days, and for that it is a must listen.



Fear Factory – 'Demanufacture'

Cyber metal outfit Fear Factory unleashed their sophomore album 'Demanufacture' in 1995 and with it etched their place in metal history. The conceptual storyline is pure Terminator as man goes head to head with the machines set to a blistering display of heavy riffs, pounding rhythms and scathing synthesizers as thrash, industrial and groove metal elements are churned up within. It is a landmark industrial metal album that was years ahead of its time, spawning a host of imitators over the years while tracks such as 'Demanufacture', 'Zero Signal', 'Replica', 'Piss christ' and their cover of 'Dog Day Sunrise' have gone on to become genre standards. Fear Factory's career may have been subject to its ups and downs in the years since, but this album is the linchpin (no pun intended) of their discography that captures the band at their best in terms of songwriting quality and level of performance.

Right, that's our countdown of 1995 in 20 albums. We hope you enjoyed it and we're sure you have your own picks to add to the list. If you want to make your voice heard leave a comment on this post on our Facebook page. We'll be back with another countdown next year when we look back at 1986 and 1996.

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Soundtrack to... 1985: In 20 Albums

Ah 1985, the mid eighties is now officially three decades ago, it was an eventful 52 weeks... It was the year the Internet’s DNS was created. The year Mikhail Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union. The year of the first Wrestlemania at Madison Square Garden. And the year of the first Live Aid concerts in London and Los Angeles which raised more than £50 million for famine relief.

It was also a good year for music that saw a slew of classic albums released in every genre in alternative music be it post-punk, goth, rock, metal, or electro and took their artists to international fame. There were so many in fact that this list could have been a lot longer. But we decided to keep it to just twenty LP/EP releases that stood out and set the standard for that year.

As with most of these kind of articles this is by no means the definitive releases of the year. Rather a cross-section of classics and other gems celebrating their 30th year. So sit back and relax as we take a trip back to 1985...



 Cocteau Twins – 'Tiny Dynamine' EP

1985 saw the Scottish ethereal rock outfit Cocteau Twins release three separate EPs in between full-length albums. All three had never really originally been intended for release and as such provided an opportunity for the band to indulge their more experimental sides in ways that would ultimately culminate in the stunning 'Victorialand' the following year. However all three EPs offer plenty of great tracks to get stuck into, in particular the second of the year's releases 'Tiny Dynamine'. The EP boasts four stunning cuts of pure richly layered ethereal joy with the rare instrumental 'Ribbed And Veined' being a highlight, as well as the opening number 'Pink Orange Red' which is a perfect summation of everything the band had been doing up until that point.




The Sisters Of Mercy – 'First And Last And Always'

After a run of independent singles and EPs caught the attention of the public and music journalists alike in the preceding years, The Sisters of Mercy unveiled their full-length début album in 1985 and secured their spot as the kings of goth. Moody atmospheres, icy guitars, throbbing bass, the mechanical beats of their drum machine Doktor Avalanche, and of course Andrew Eldritch's baritone croon combined to create one hell of an album. It's a formula that endeared them to a generation and provided a template that is still going strong 30 years later. The album is crammed full of essential hits such as 'No Time To Cry', 'Marian', 'Black Planet', 'Walk Away', and 'Nine While Nine'. Although the band would split into three entities with Eldritch carrying on the Sisters moniker, and guitarists Gary Marx and Wayne Hussey going on to form Ghost Dance and The Mission respectively, 'First And Last And Always' remains a key album in the history of gothic rock.




Slayer – 'Hell Awaits'

We lurch now toward the USA and the distinctive satanic thrash metal of Slayer. Now considered legends for their horror influenced heavy metal and paving the way for more extreme forms of metal to emerge from the underground. However in 1985 they were a young band who needed to follow up their début. The result of their efforts was the far more powerful and assertive 'Hell Awaits'. Continuing to develop from the previous year's début, 'Show No Mercy' the band upped their game with a much more professional sounding recording, as well as much tighter song writing and vocal performances. Tracks from the album including 'Hell Awaits', 'Kill Again', 'Praise Of Death', 'At Dawn They Sleep', and 'Necrophilliac' have become essential to cover for many up-and-coming (as well as a fair few established) metal bands in the years since. Although the band's subsequent output may eclipse their sophomore outing, it is here that Slayer truly came into their own.




Killing Joke – 'Night Time'

Five albums in five years may seem like a killer schedule for any modern band, but for the most prolific post-punk group of the 1980's it seemed effortless. Killing Joke by 1985 were already and established force with their hard, post-punk attitude and aggressive execution finding favour with the public. 'Night Time' saw the band balance this earlier antagonism with a more refined pop sensibility, and as a result saw the album become one of their biggest hits. Complete with the stunning singles 'Eighties', 'Love Like Blood', and 'Kings And Queens' the band left an indelible mark on the musical landscape of the mid-80s. 'Night Time' is the high water mark of the band's 80s output, and although it could be retrospectively looked at as the first step in the gradual softening of the band before they ultimately swerved back into heavier territory in the 90s, it is nonetheless and perfect blend of accessible dissidence.




Skinny Puppy – 'Bites'

The début album by Canadian electro-industrialists was a game changer when it was released in 1985. Prior to its release industrial had been distinctly more abrasive in the hands of acts like Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, and Einsturzende Neubauten. Born originally as an experimental side project for composer cEvin Key while working with new wave band Images In Vogue, the band would quickly evolve to incorporate dark electro-pop elements into their sound and as a result developed a strong dance potential. The band's début album 'Bites' immediately spawned club classics such as 'Assimilate', 'The Choke', 'Deadlines', and 'Last Call' as well as providing an influence on acts such as Ministry, Nine Inch Nails and many more. Although the band would find success with the breakthrough albums 'VIVIsectVI' and 'Rabies', 'Bites' remains a cult classic for all of the right reasons.




Laibach – 'Laibach'

With the release of Laibach's 2014 album 'Spectre' it seemed as though the musical intelligentsia had finally caught up with the pioneering Slovenian group's manifesto that had been laid out on their challenging 1985 eponymous début. Provocative, ambiguous, clever and always memorable, the band blended martial industrial with folk elements on this artistic and cutting edge release. The album may seem primordial compared to subsequent releases 'Nova Akropola' and 'Opus Dei', which refined the band's early industrial menace before exploring more electronic and rock orientated territory in the 90s. However its rawness amplifies its ferocity and menace, and despite its age the band still regularly return to tracks such as 'Država', 'Brat Moj', and 'Panorama' for live performances. To this day it continues to exude a gravitas that few early industrial albums are able to, and for that reason it remains essential listening.







Bathory – 'The Return......'

Bookended by the iconic albums 'Bathory' and 'Under The Sign Of The Black Mark', Bathory's second album 'The Return.....' is somewhat overshadowed. Yet it remains a highly influential album that would help to shape the growing black and death metal scenes in Scandinavia. The album is constructed almost like an epic poem with the track list leading you on a journey that ultimately reveals the full title of the album on it's penultimate track. Raw thrash metal and first wave black metal influences combine to create a visceral assault on the ears as the guitars and vocals screech around thunderous rhythms. It's production may be pretty lacklustre by today's standards but with tracks such as 'Total Destruction', 'Bestial Lust (Bitch)', 'Possessed', and 'Sadist (Tormentor)' still finding favour among fans of extreme metal, time certainly hasn't dulled its edge.




Talking Heads – 'Little Creatures'

The New York based quartet Talking Heads had been pioneering new wave music for nearly ten years by the time they released their sixth album 'Little Creatures'. Already a firm favourite of the iconic David Bowie, the band had by this point enjoyed a fair amount of commercial success. But it was this album that proved to be the highest selling in their back catalogue. And with singles such as 'And She Was', 'The Lady Don't Mind', and 'Road To Nowhere' (as well as their MTV-friendly promotional videos) it isn't hard to see why. David Byrne had perfected his blend of art rock meets new wave meets pop formula and had well and truly hit his stride as a producer by this point. The end result of which is a sublime journey into the idea of Americana at the end of the 20th century. 'Little Creatures' remains a classic album and a testament to the enduring legacy of the band.







Megadeth – 'Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!'

Fuelled by a desire for revenge on his former bandmates, ex-Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine set about trying to outdo them in every way possible, but especially in terms of speed and heaviness, the result of which was the 1985 début 'Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!'. Despite the aggressive thrash metal content of the album, it received positive review even from non-metal/rock publications and established Mustaine as a song writer in his own right. The album may not be as well rounded as the band's follow up offering 'Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?', but the anger and passion with which the tracks are performed has contributed greatly to it's longevity and ensured that fan favourites such as 'Killing Is My Business...', 'Rattlehead', and 'Skull Beneath My Skin' still get a regular airing on tour, and why this album still features among the greats of the genre.




Clan Of Xymox – 'Clan Of Xymox'

Dutch gothic/darkwave act Clan Of Xymox had their finger on the pulse of the emerging gothic rock scene when they released their self-titled début on the influential 4AD label. The album is full of icy guitars, throbbing synthesizers, and ethereal atmospherics that blends the melancholic aura of Joy Division's 'Unknown Pleasures' with the accessibility of The Cure's 'The Top'. It sweeps between eloquent guitar driven tracks that beg for live performances to electronic dance anthems to hook the club scene. The production may sound dated by today's standards, but the likes of 'Cry In The Wind', 'Stumble And Fall', '7th Time', 'Stranger', and 'A Day' are still strong gothic rock tracks that can be heard in clubs around the world and whose influences can still be felt in bands such as The Last Dance and London After Midnight.







The Damned – 'Phantasmagoria'

The Damned had already been a firm favourite of the punk, and post-punk scenes in the UK from 1976. But 1985's 'Phantasmagoria' took a much gloomier turn building on the themes of their previous two albums while focussing heavily on vocalist David Vanian's deep voice. The end result is a heavily gothic infused pop-rock sound that provided the band with their highest charting release. Songs such as 'Shadow Of Love', 'Sanctum Sanctorum', 'Grimly Fiendish', and 'Is It A Dream?' are stand-outs in an already influential discography and remain firm fan favourites to this day. Sadly the follow-up album 'Anything' was the beginning of the end of their run at the top, but 30 years later the band still tour and air tracks from 'Phantasmagoria' in their set lists. The album shows the band at their peak and their most well-rounded writing effort.




The Cure – 'The Head On The Door'

In the early 80s The Cure had steadily grown from morbid post-punks to having some hit singles with the likes of 'Let's Go To Bed', 'The Walk', and 'The Love Cats' all doing pretty well in the charts. But it wasn't until the band released their 1985 album 'The Head On The Door' that international success became attainable. Walking a fine line between the band's most gothic inclined album 'Pornography', and their optimistic psychedelic pop of 'The Top', the album balances everything the band had been up until that point. The album produced two hit singles in the forms of 'In Between Days' and 'Close To Me', but also contained such gems as 'Kyoto Song', 'Six Different Ways', 'A Night Likes This', which are fine examples of the band's writing during this transitional period and paved the way for their superstar status that followed.




Christian Death – 'Ashes'

Christian Death were a band that have always courted controversy, no less amongst their own fan base. The debate still rages on as to whether it is Rozz William's Christian Death or Valor Kand's that is the true band. But no matter which side of the fence you fall on it is clear that together they created two classic albums in the form of 'Catastrophe Ballet' and 1985's 'Ashes'. This album was the last to feature founding vocalist Rozz Williams (before he resurrected his own incarnation of the band in the 90s). The album builds on the romantic and dada influenced themes of it's predecessor, honing them into a flurry of sensual and dramatic gothic anthems such as 'Ashes', 'When I Was Bed', 'Lament – Over Shadows', and 'The Luxury Of Tears'. All of the latter fallout aside both 'Catastrophe Ballet' and 'Ashes' are stunning albums that hint at a partnership that could have yielded so much more.




Kate Bush – 'Hounds Of Love'

Prior to the release of 'Hounds Of Love' in 1985 Kate Bush's previous offering 'The Dreaming' had received a lukewarm response and it was evident her fifth album would need to be something special. The result was an album of two halves – the first featuring five stunning pop songs, four of which found instant chart success – while the second half of the album sees Bush in all of her conceptual glory weaving seven beautiful romantic prog-pop songs into a continuous whole called 'The Ninth Wave'. Some of the synthesized elements, may have dated over the years but the relentless moods and atmospheres they evoke are just as powerful as ever after three decades. 'Hounds Of Love' is a masterful exercise of both commercial and conceptual song writing by an artist at the top of her game and saw her secure her place as one of the most influential women in pop music.




Gary Numan – 'The Fury'

 Having long since moved away from his synthpop roots, Gary Numan had become artistically more eclectic and gradually more maligned by the media. 'The Fury' sees Numan combine elements of synthpop, funk rock, new wave,industrial rock, and darkwave into a morbid pop record that utilises heavy amounts of sampling. It continues the harder edge from the previous 'Berzerker' album and as a whole album it did quite well in the charts (and remained his last top 30 charting album until 2013's 'Splinter'). However it's supporting singles didn't fair so well due to lack of radio airplay. Yet it is a fundamentally great pop album with a much more industrial edge. Songs such as 'Call Out The Dogs', 'Miracles', 'Creatures' and 'I Still Remember' are worth the price of admission alone, and thirty years later it is long overdue a re-evaluation from the media.





The Chameleons – 'What Does Anything Mean? Basically'

Mancunian post-punks The Chameleons were one of the great "what if?" stories of the 1980s. With four albums under their belts they were just on the brink of international success, when it all unfolded after the death of their manager. But that doesn't mean that their music didn't find a loyal audience (one that counts the Gallagher brothers and The Verve among its members). Introspective, anthemic, aggressive and haunting, the band ticked all of the right boxes, and their sophomore album sees them come together in stunning style. It may have only launched one single in the form of 'Singing Rule Britannia (While The Walls Close In)', but 'What Does Anything Mean? Basically' is an archetype of 80s indie perfection. It may have lost the raw impact of their début, but with tracks such as 'Perfumed Garden', 'Return Of The Roughnecks', 'Looking Inwardly', 'One Flesh', and 'P.S Goodbye' it provides a treasure trove of delay drenched gems and a real career highlight.




Love And Rockets – 'Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven'

The 1985 début album of Love And Rockets saw three-quarters of the legendary gothic pioneers Bauhaus reunite for a decidedly more upbeat direction that saw them fuse psychedelic pop and alternative rock with great effect. 'Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven' is a tentative first step in a newer, brighter future. It is on the one hand hopeful, but on the other still somewhat unsure of itself. But with songs such as 'If There's A Heaven Above', 'The Dog-End Of A Day Gone By', 'The Game', and 'Haunted When Minutes Drag' are genuinely profound moments of song writing that are different to what came before, but no less powerful. Along with the single 'Ball Of Confusion' the band's first release provides a solid base that kicked off a decade run of great releases.





The Cult – 'Love'

In their time, the once darlings of the post-punk underground known as Southern Death Cult, then as Death Cult, and finally The Cult, quickly evolved into internationally successful hard rockers thanks to their Sophomore release 'Love'. Complete with the singles 'She Sells Sanctuary', 'Rain', and 'Revolution', the band became an international name thanks to their combination of post-punk grit, psychedelia, and guitar hero riffs. Their sound found favour with fans of hard rock, indie, goth and post-punk. The band would build on the success of this album until their brief split in the mid-90s derailed their momentum. But 'Love' remains a firm favourite among fans with its singles still getting regular club play and ultimately providing the purest snapshot of the band's song writing talents.





Celtic Frost – 'To Mega Therion'

Celtic Frost is a name that is both infamous and influential in the black metal and doom metal scenes. Injecting a heavy dose of gothic atmosphere into their extreme metal anthems, the band have never been afraid to experiment with their sound, which has over the years made them very difficult to classify. 1985's 'To Mega Therion' however is a mighty mix of primordial thrash, death and black metal heavy on atmosphere and menace. The album is focussed in its direction and executed with Wargnerian power and determination on tracks such as 'Innocence And Wrath', 'Circle Of Tyrants', 'The Usurper', and 'Eternal Summer' showing how far the band had come on not only in terms of song writing, but also in performance and production since their début 'Morbid Tales'. It's easy to hear why 30 years down the line 'To Mega Therion' is a classic extreme metal album.




The Jesus And Mary Chain – 'Psychocandy'

Riding the success of their first single 'Upside Down' Scottish alternative rockers unleashed their début full-length outing 'Psychocandy' and immediately struck a nerve. Raw walls of noise, post-punk attitude, and pop melody culminate in a uniquely visceral but accessible sound that serves as a precursor to shoegaze. The album received rave reviews upon release in the music press and placed highly on end of year top picks. In the decades since it has continually been lauded as one of the best albums of all time by many publications. Spawning the three singles 'Never Understand', 'You Trip Me Up', and 'Just Like Honey' that each made a decent impact on the charts, the band quickly developed a strong following that would last throughout their career. 'Psychocandy' is a raw and intuitive album, but it has aged surprisingly well and is still influencing bands to this day.






Right, that's our countdown of 1985 in 20 albums. We hope you enjoyed it and we're sure you have your own picks to add to the list. If you want to make your voice heard leave a comment on this post on out Facebook page. We'll be back with another countdown soon, next time fast-forwarding to 1995 when alternative rock had the MTV generation by the balls.

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