In Metal, longevity has always been part of mythology. Only a rare few bands who grind it out across multiple albums, tours, and (I'll just say it), years of failure, before finally breaking through.

What's the best metal album of each year of the 1980s? Let's find out! Building off the collective foundation laid by '70s legends such as Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Led ...