10 Most Underrated Metal Albums Of The 80s

The fact that Girlschool were oft-called the female Motorhead says it all. The longest running all-female rock/metal group of all time, Girlschool's debut LP hit the stands in 1980 to modest success.

Peaking at No.28 on the UK Albums Chart at the time, 'Demolition' still didn't quite hit the level of recognition it deserved. Their blend of venomous punk rock with the early '80s new wave of British metal was a perfect fit in the UK rock scene at the time.

Widely accepted by the male-governed heavy music scenes they were breaking into, Girlschool's angry, uber-confident attitude was a dose of bad taste musical madness. From their frenzied, often self-destruction-focused lyrics to their astoundingly blunt and graphic interviews, their music was as much about character as it was the actual music.

The LP itself is consistently heavy and well-paced, blazing through a variety of intimate, troublesome lyrical notions. Kelly Johnson's lead guitar is punchy and potent, providing the songs a big boost in their pace. The general song structures are water tight and no-nonsense, keeping the album more in line with the ideal all killer, no filler standard.

Overall, given its quality, 'Demolition' deserved to be acknowledged on the level of the early work of fellow new wave metal giants like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard. Despite their talents, Girlschool remained very much in the niche, cult favourite market while many similar groups passed them by into the mainstream.