Once an album drops, fans and critics immediately run off to try to categorize and put it into a box. It was no different for a Guns N’ Roses album that got the industry talking. Steel Panther’s guitarist Satchel is apparently on the side of musicians that regard ‘Appetite for Destruction’ as a metal album since he named it in the list of his top ’80s metal albums during a recent chat with Loaded Radio.
Even though it took some time for ‘Appetite for Destruction’ to be recognized after its release in 1987, the record eventually became a massive hit and reached the top of the charts. While the album was a fan favorite, it also divided them on whether it leaned more toward hard rock or hair metal. One thing was for sure; it was a perfect blend of the musicians who made up Guns N’ Roses.
Regarding Satchel’s pick of top metal albums, the guitarist included the Guns N’ Roses album along with the records from iconic bands like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, who have heavier sounds. To him, ‘Appetite for Destruction’ had a different flavor, so it might just be the perfect place for someone starting to get into the genre.
Satchel’s words about his favorite metal albums from the 1980s:
“That’s a really good question. There are so many great ’80s metal albums, but just off the top of my head, I would tell them to get ‘Piece of Mind’ by Iron Maiden. I love that album. I’d say Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Appetite for Destruction’ because it’s a different flavor; it was, you know, different. I would also say maybe the first Dio record that’s a great one; Dio is such a great singer, or maybe Def Leppard’s ‘Hysteria.’
That’s definitely different, the other side of the spectrum. A great record as well; it’s almost overproduced in some ways. ‘Pyromania’ is one of my favorite Def Leppard records as well, but gosh, there are so many great ’80s records, and they’re all just chock full of bitchin’ songs, so Whitesnake’s album from 1987 is a great one as well, so many good records.”
Whether you agree with Satchel’s view of the classic Guns N’ Roses album as a metal album or you regard it as the band’s way of moving away from hair metal and taking the hard rock route, the hit album changed the trajectory of the band’s place in the music industry. Or do you think Guns N’ Roses don’t have to put a label on their music as long as they come out with albums like ‘Appetite for Destruction?’
