80s GREEK COMPILATIONS VOL. II
80s GREEK COMPILATIONS VOL. II
Now we enter 1986, and what you’ll see happened only in Greece... hahaha... we’re such a sloppy country sometimes… what can I say? I’ll tell you straight away why. As I mentioned above, CBS released the compilation ''Heavy Metal Killers'' in 1984, and now, in 1986, we get again the same title AND THE SAME COVER!!! Hahaha, what’s going on?? Same title, same cover?? Words are not enough… hahaha! The songs change (although Ozzy’s track remains the same), but we get mainstream hard and heavy metal bands again.
That same year, we also have a very special compilation released by Greek EMI called ''Metal to Metal''. It has quite a good cover (though taken from another foreign compilation) and respectable mainstream hard and metal bands, with a few exceptions that are really strange how they got included here. Beyond super well-known acts like W.A.S.P., SAMMY HAGAR, ALCATRAZZ, the compilation features the Swedish PROUD with the amazing track ''Echoes From the Past'' - a killer heavy metal song, check it out. The second surprise is the Greek band FIGHTER, who were actually the well-known SPITFIRE with their metal anthem ''Lead Me On''. However, on this compilation, it’s a different version from their first album ''First Attack'' released in 1987! Very interesting!
In 1987, we have two more compilations from Greek EMI. The first one is called ''Metal Thunder'' (very unique title… hahahahaha!!!) with a very cheesy cover this time. As you’d expect, this compilation is packed with mainstream acts (well, EMI put it out after all!!) like W.A.S.P., SAXON, FATE, MANOWAR, and many more, with the only exception being (again like in ’86) SPITFIRE with the very beautiful track ''Lady Of The Night'' - exactly the same version from their debut album. It was also released on cassette.
The second compilation for 1987 is called ''Metal "Monsters''… hahaha what a name, right?? The cover is pretty kitschy (like many things from the ’80s!), but the back cover is totally confusing and awful… pixelated and meaningless, really bad. Also, the track titles are barely readable due to poor printing. As always, we have lots of mainstream bands like MEGADETH, WHITESNAKE, FATE, GREAT WHITE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS (wait, why on earth did they put these guys in a metal compilation… what were they thinking, seriously?) with two exceptions from Greek bands - again SPITFIRE with ''Evil Thoughts Around'' (they really pushed SPITFIRE a lot in these compilations and in the press back then) and NORTHWIND with ''Bad Orion'' from their album ''Mythology''.
In 1988, we have only one compilation to present, released by Greek PolyGram / Mercury Records, titled ''All You Need Is Heavy Metal'' (nice title!). And here, like almost all the compilations I’ve shown from the ’80s, we have plenty of mainstream bands and artists like BON JOVI, CINDERELLA (ohhhh so hot metal, right? hahahaha), ARMORED SAINT, WARLOCK, and many more - but at the end, there’s a track by MORTAL SIN called ''Blood, Death, Hatred'', which is very weird for this compilation!
The end of the ’80s finds us with a very cult double LP and double cassette compilation titled ''Greece Attacks'', featuring Greek bands. The cover was supposed to have the Greek flag, BUT for some inexplicable reason, the designer chose to put the Scottish flag instead… hahahahaha, well, Greece - the land of “whatever happens, happens.” The compilation is pretty interesting with great bands like CRUSH, DANGER CROSS, VAAL, MYSTERY, GLADIATORS, and many others. For the Greek metal scene, this was definitely considered a classic compilation!
These were the compilations released exclusively for the Greek market during the ’80s. Of course, there were other foreign compilations released in Greek editions, but as I mentioned earlier, this tribute is only about those compilations that came out exclusively in Greece for the Greek audience. I’ll be back very soon with some really interesting compilations released only in Greece during the ’90s! If I forgot any, write me in the contact section below, and for anything else, don’t hesitate to leave your messages.
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
