Text
This Month In Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Album Releases - March
There are quite a few landmark anniversaries for hard rock and heavy metal albums this month. Here are a few I’m saluting:
March 3, 1986: Master of Puppets released
In March 1986, Metallica’s third album was released. It’s considered by many to be their best album. I am partial to Kill ‘Em All, but this is pretty close. I picked it up in junior high after I had gotten into the band and listened to it countless times. It’s also a special album because it’s the last one bassist Cliff Burton played on before his death later that year. Happy 40th MOP!
March 5, 2001: Just Push Play released
Aerosmith’s first album of the new century was released in March 2001! I grew up on Aerosmith and all through Junior High and High School they were my favorites no matter what music phase I was going through. After their 1997 album Nine Lives, they had their first #1 hit with “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”. So with this new album, hopes were high. There were dated touches like them flirting with rap metal, but overall, it’s a solid album. “Jaded” was the band’s last big hit (reached #7 on the singles charts). I remember going to Virgin Megastore in NYC the day it was released and being excited about buying it that day. It was often in my CD player that year. Happy 25 Just Push Play!
March 9, 1971: Love It To Death released
In March 1971, the third album from Alice Cooper was released. It was a breakthrough album for the shock rock band fronted by Mr. Alice Cooper. While the album itself falls in line with hard rock, it is often looked at as a big influence on punk rock. There’s some serious bangers here like “I’m Eighteen”, “Long Way to Go”, and “Is it my Body”. This is definitely one of the best albums by the Alice Cooper band, up there with Billion Dollar Babies. Happy 55th LITD!
March 15, 1976: Destroyer released
In March 1976, Kiss’s fourth studio album was released. It had the good timing of being released the year after their live album Alive! There’s are a ton of classics here like “Detroit Rock City”, “Shout it Out Loud”, “Beth” and “Do You Love Me”. Of all their 70s studio albums, this is up there as one of their best. And how about that album cover? Legendary! Happy 50th Destroyer!
