10 Extremely Underrated Metal Albums From The 1970s

The 1970s was the burgeoning age of heavy metal. With the rise of Black Sabbath, many occult rock acts began to grow, filling the early '70s with doomy, proto-metal gems.

The decade also saw the rise of the rip-roaring NWOBHM style, along with precursors to both power and prog metal. These 10 bands all set the stage for those genres to exist, even when some of their albums were lost until the 1990s and 2000s.

This isn't some long lost Judas Priest or Led Zeppelin album, it's the 1970 debut from German band Lucifer's Friend. One of the pioneers of the "rip-roaring" heavy metal style, Lucifer's Friend came out three years before Rob Halford has even joined Judas Priest. The opening track "Ride the Sky" has a strong "Immigrant Song" vibe, but it came out at the exact same time Led Zeppelin III did. Regardless, Lucifer's Friend was dialed in to what made killer underground music in 1970.

This band could've been right on the heels of Black Sabbath if they hadn't broken up right after recording their debut album. Hailing from Kansas, Bulbous Creation recorded You Won't Remember Dying in either 1970 or 1971, but the album didn't see the light of day until 1994. The album's most memorable song is "Satan," which plays like a chiller version of Sabbath's "Hand of Doom." 

These damn hippies could lay down some heavy licks. Though Leaf Hound were very much a hard rock band, they tapped into some proto-metal grooves on their early ‘70s debut, Growers of Mushroom. There's a definite Iommi/Butler/Ward dynamic going on in Leaf Hound's instrumental section, keeping the grooves thick and stiff while vocalist Peter French just sings his ass off.

Captain Beyond is the definition of underrated, especially when it comes to their 1972 self-titled debut. Captain Beyond is the band's heaviest release, featuring original Deep Purple vocalist Rod Evans along with members of Iron Butterfly and Johnny Winter's band. There's not a single dull moment on this album, and it taps perfectly into that early ‘70s experimental energy.

Japan's Flower Travellin' Band released one of the heaviest albums people had ever heard in 1971. Satori sounds like a faster, more progressive Black Sabbath, but it's so experimental and unhinged that it'd still blow minds if it came out today. You can't fake this kind of weirdness — thank goodness for the chemicals Flower Travellin' Band must have been enjoying at the time.

Some point to Riot's 1977 album Rock City as an early incarnation of power metal. It's definitely got those big choruses and "happy" moments, along with a frenetic pace and fantastic shredding. You could say it's got just as much in common with NWOBHM, but one thing is for sure — Rock City fucking rips. Insane that this band came out of New York City.

Big big riffs! All the way from Australia, Buffalo had Black Sabbath licks with AC/DC swagger. Buffalo were heavy hitters in the 1970s Aussie underground, arguably peaking with their 1973 sophomore album Volcanic Rock. The bass playing is so damn good on this album, and Peter Wells would later switch to guitar when he joined Rose Tattoo in the mid-‘70s. 

Another band that didn't see a wide release until long after they'd broken up, England's Wicked Lady made some hidden gems in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Psychotic Overkill (great fucking title) was recorded in 1972 and features a pretty awesome version of "Voodoo Chile." The proto-metal juice really squirts on the album's closing track "Ship of Ghosts," which clocks in a 22 minutes. What a jam!

These songs were lost for nearly 40 years before finally seeing a release in 2009. Written between 1970-1974, the songs on Iron Claw's self-titled album feature some of the heaviest guitar tones of the age. This is such doomy, bleak music… who the fuck else made songs like "Skullcrusher" in 1970? Do yourself a favor and jam this album.

England's Warlord is so much fun, you guys. It's like Halloween haunted house music from a bygone era. The organ is so tasteful on tracks like "Devil Drink," as is the ghostly voice of Richard Roffey. This rare album is basically proto-doom from a bunch of godless degenerates. "Devil Drink" is a smart warning against the sauce, though.