For the 80's? Not even close.
Only Helloween are very good and they are not even in the same league with the biggest 80's British and American metal bands.

I think Sodom and Kreator are as good or better than most of their American or British counterparts.

Destruction were fantastic as well, and let's not forget Accept, Mekong Delta, and... sigh... Scorpions. But yeah, they weren't quite Britain and America is a big god damn country with a big talent pool, so that's not really a fair comparison.

Scorpions, Accept, Grave Digger, Warlock etc.

I think Saxon beats Sodom and Kreator easily.

Scorps are hard rock, not metal.

Truth. Saxon beats out Maiden for me these days tbh, even if they don't have the longevity, songwriting talent, or diversity. I just, you know, like listening to them more.

No they're metal. If they're not then neither are Saxon.

This is pure metal.

70s Scorpions is way better than 80s Scorpions tbh. Taken by Force is ****ing sick.

Where I am from (England), metal doesn't seem that popular at all. People in my age group (under 30s) don't really listen to it (and have a strange idea of what it is). It's either various forms of Hip-Hop, Electronic music or the awful Indie 90s Britpop stuff, whatever you want to call it.

So whether the music is better from here or not, it seems like it's more popular in the US, imo. Not saying that is true but it just seems like metal is more appreciated in the US than it is over here.