'80s Metal History (October 9th)

October 9, 1990: Slayer released their fifth studio album "Seasons In The Abyss" in North America. Rock radio mostly ignored it, but Slayer's first music video for the title track received substantial airplay on MTV Headbangers Ball. Release date source: Record-Journal (Meriden, CT) September 14, 1990.

October 1990: Testament released their fourth studio album "Souls Of Black" in North America featuring re-worked and lyrically re-written songs that were demoed in the late '80s. The LP debuted on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart on October 27, 1990 and an ad appeared on the front page of the magazine that same day.

October 9, 1983: Queensrÿche performed in Southern California for the first time at the Reseda Country Club. Other bands there watching that night included RATT, Mötley Crüe, Bitch, Great White and Alcatrazz.

In US record stores since September 26, 1984, Armored Saint's debut album "March Of The Saint" was a slow build with the music video for "Can U Deliver" hitting MTV in early November. A review in Billboard Magazine referred to them as a British band 🤦‍♂️ R&R radio trade publication ad - September 28, 1984

October 1976: Scorpions released their fourth studio album "Virgin Killer" in Germany featuring single "Pictured Life" and a controversial cover that was replaced when released in the UK and North America in 1977.

October 9, 1989: With Atomkraft bassist and vocalist Tony Dolan replacing Conrad "Cronos" Lant, Venom released their sixth studio album "Prime Evil" featuring single "Parasite" in the UK. Release date source: Kerrang! ad - October 14, 1989.

Happy Birthday to former Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton (October 9, 1952), who played on the band's first studio album.

Happy Birthday to Nasty Savage co-founder and guitarist David Austin (October 9, 1962).

October 1989: On the way to becoming one of Alice Cooper's biggest hit singles in the US, "Poison" was a rock radio staple that sounded like a typical '80s pop-metal song, but the intensity of Alice Cooper brought it to a whole other level. There are two versions of the music video with the original censored for showings during the day due to shots of a topless model. HITS radio trade publication ad - October 9, 1989

Listen to METAL SHOP for "The Very Beast Of DIO", but if that's just not enough for you, the Vol. 2 compilation covering the band's '90s/2000s output, released October 9, 2012, is a solid backup. Release date source: Blabbermouth.net - August 1, 2012.