The article highlights three 1980s heavy metal albums that helped establish influential extreme-metal subgenres. Venom’s *Welcome to Hell*, Metallica’s *Kill ’Em All* and Possessed’s *Seven Churches* each introduced fast, raw or unusually dark sounds that inspired musicians and expanded metal’s audience.

Venom’s 1981 debut is regarded as foundational to black metal, while Metallica’s 1983 debut helped bring thrash metal to wider attention, despite not entering the Billboard 200 until 1986. Possessed’s *Seven Churches* is often considered the first death metal album; although it did not chart, it became highly influential, with teenage members Jeff Becerra and Larry Lalonde recording it at 16.