My/Your Top 10 "Metal" Albums

[OdinsCourt]

So I thought I’d list out my top 10 favorite "metal" albums with little blurbs of thoughts for each. It was much harder to do than I thought.

My biggest “rule” was no band repeats (otherwise, there would be too many albums by a handful of bands). And bands like Van Halen I didn’t consider, as they are more hard/classic rock IMHO. Other than that, I tried to think of the albums that I’ve listened to more than any others, the overall quality of the albums, their place in history, etc. Ultimately, what I have enjoyed listening to over the years.

These are listed in an order – kind of. From top to bottom, they are good to best (in general), though I really can’t put a “rank” to each.

• Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
  
  An album that has no filler. Every song, every riff, every note is done with a purpose. They even pay homage to Pink Floyd by redoing “Empty Spaces” on “Eyes of a Stranger”. While their earlier albums (including the original EP) where amazing, to me, they reached the peak of their style and creativity here. And the cool thing is they pulled it off live! :O Tate could sing like a monster both on and off the stage!

• Fear Factory – Demanufacture
  
  I first heard Soul of a New Machine when it came out (was that the early 90s?). Where I thought certain songs slayed (“Martyr” anyone?), their overall style and song writing wasn’t refined yet. A bunch of short songs that were almost spazzy (like Fantomos does now, but 15 years prior), but the beginning of an amazing sound. Besides Pantera, I think these guys really took metal and brought it to another level. They were the beginnings of a much heavier and darker rhythmic based sound. This album is awesome. Although there are a couple of weaker songs, most of this album is just pure brutality. But having the ominous keyboards and clean, haunting vocals mixed in really adds a nice touch.

• Type O Negative – October Rust
  
  For some reason, it is not only common, but seems to be expected that metal singers fit a certain mold – everyone must sound like Dio, Tate, Halford, or Dickinson – or at least be technically amazing with a range that reaches the stratosphere. That’s why I like Type O so much – Peter Steele is to low what the previously mentioned singers are to highs. And this album, to me, is simply put, “Metal” Pink Floyd. Floyd being my favorite band and all, it makes it a no brainer to like this one. And of course, the humor TON injects – they don’t take themselves too seriously, and my understanding about this album is that they almost were trying to parody goth metal to an extent. Whatever their purpose, they churned out an amazing work of art!

• Ozzy - Randy Rhodes Tribute
  
  What really needs to be said? Ozzy was still cool and the Prince of Darkness. He had the best guitarist in metal (to that point in history). Tommy Aldridge on drums. This album was pure magic. I can remember the hours I spent learning the songs and playing along. Randy was a god, and probably is my biggest influence ever (besides Gilmour). He really did an amazing thing taking classical and fusing it with metal, starting a trend with what would eventually become overdone by countless others in my humble opinion. At the time it was new and fresh though, and this album being live really gave it a special energy.

• Dream Theater - Images and Words
  
  Back in the early days of CDs, before the Internet and mp3 stealing/sampling/etc., there were stores that would open any CD for you and let you listen on their listening stations. I had heard about Dream Theater from a friend, so I went there to check them out. It took me hearing the first 10 seconds of “Pull Me Under” to pop the CD back out and run to the cash register. WOW. What a sound! I cranked that on my car stereo, home stereo, portable CD player (which back then was a huge device taking a crane to move it around ). This album launched a new genre. Though they really didn’t do anything “new”, the creative approach to mixing metal, prog, and multiple other influences yielded a very fresh sound.

• Faith No More - The Real Thing
  
  Before Dream Theater, there was Faith No More. This album really paved the way for keyboards in metal (though many still haven’t accepted this). And Mike Patton is just brilliant as a vocalist and band leader. Every song on this album rocks (yes, even the creepy “Edge of the World”). The song “The Real Thing” is especially great. This is a CD that rarely left my player for 5 years after it came out. I even still listen to it from time to time. Jim Martin was just about as cool as you could get as a guitarist – loved his cameo in Bill & Ted. And they took what Aerosmith/Run DMC started and upped it about 50 levels with “Epic”.

• Metallica - Master of Puppets
  
  Many might argue this should be number 1, and they may be right. Though this isn’t my favorite Metallica album (…And Justice for All and Ride the Lightning are both strong to me), this album took the world by storm. Their tour with Ozzy solidified their place in history, and this album is strong from start to finish. Even people who know very little about metal and are radio listeners will know the frantic riffing of Hetfield on the title track. And Hammett’s soloing was still inspired and well constructed. My favorite instrumental by them (overall) is “Orion” – Cliff Burton’s foundation for the great guitar solos and harmonies is to die for.

• Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
  
  Okay, this was really hard! Maiden is probably my favorite metal band (it used to be Metallica, though with only 4 or 5 albums that are truly amazing, they can’t keep up with Maiden). Piece of Mind, Killers, Number of the Beast, Somewhere in Time, Live After Death, and Powerslave are all equally as good, but maybe not quite; Maiden does happen to have a somewhat repetitive style – they know what they do well and run with it. However, this album really took a very positive step as far as musical maturity and writing goes. And of course, it is a concept album! I personally love albums that are a cohesive unit of songs, all tied together to form one nice picture. Oh, and there are keyboards on this one too – their first to include them. Every time I listen to this album it takes me back to 1988.

• Devin Townsend – Terria
  
  Devin is probably my 2nd favorite “band” (next to Floyd), and probably my 2nd favorite musical genius (to Waters). This guy is just amazing. And this album is my favorite out of all his work (though Ocean Machine is a very close 2nd). This album goes from heavy to light and back, and is so dense, that one listen will just confuse you. It took a few listens before I absorbed the brilliance of it all, but once I did WOW. It never gets old, and you’ll probably hear something new with every listen. Great melodies, amazing harmonies, and catchy songs. This album actually ranks higher for me if I consider all albums (and not just metal) – it would definitely make my top 10 (which is hard considering how many albums Floyd has ).

• Bruce Dickinson - Chemical Wedding
  
  One of the greatest “lesser known” metal albums ever. I often refer to this as the best “METAL” album ever. I know most will yell “blasphemy!” for what I'm about to say, but I think it is a more mature and solid album than (most?) everything Maiden has ever done. And Maiden is quite possibly my favorite metal band, so that says something. Bruce has some other great albums (especially Skunkworks, and to a lesser extent Accident of Birth and Balls to Picasso), but this one is just a work of art. Having Roy Z and Adrian Smith on guitar probably helps, but hearing Bruce with the freedom to do what he wants and not be restricted by the now predictable style Maiden typically employees (to appeal to fans?) is a breathe of fresh air. If you haven’t heard this one, you are so missing out! Pick it up now!

Honorable mentions: Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power, Danzig – Danzig, Angra – Holy Land, Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath, EDIT: Dio - Holy Diver

I’m sure there are plenty that I forgot due to time and the vast volume of records, tapes, CDs, and mp3s I own. I'll probably be embarassed when I go through my CD collection and realize all the greats that I overlook!

Anyone else care to throw their list up?

[Cheiron]

I haven't listened to the Fear Factory album. But this is a damn good list. And I can't argue against any of these albums, though I could argue for some others.

I'm not going to make a list, because I end up hating it. I hate the process.

You ought to cover a Devin Townsend song at some point (though not sure of which song that most people at a show might recognize. Probably would have to be a Strapping Young Lad song).

[OdinsCourt]

Thanks, glad you like my list! Yeah, there are plenty I left off.

Well, you could always list some of your favorites that come off the top of your head.

I'd LOVE to cover Devin. A few years ago we discussed doing "The Fluke". As far as recognize, I'd say "Earth Day" or bust...

[SavinoPalumbo]

Here are my picks, but in no particular order as I absolutely cannot rank these in any way.

Sikth - Death of a Dead Day. This album is insanely good. Aside from a short spoken word track, there isn't a second of skip-able material on this disc. Just solid, well-written technical metal of the highest quality. Sikth is one of the few bands in this genre that bothers to DEVELOP their musical ideas and not just shred as hard as they possibly can all the time. If you're new to the band, check out "Bland Street Bloom" to get an idea of what they're about. If you are interested in hearing how they can develop musical ideas and motifs, check out the tracks "When the Moment's Gone" and "As the Earth Spins Round."

Dream Theater - Awake. While Images and Words is their breakthrough and genre-defining album, Awake is by far my personal favorite. The band took their strongest points and focused them through simpler song structures (for the most part) and harder hitting straightforward riffs and melodies. The album contains dark overtones that I&W did not have, and since 94 was a turbulent time for the band, I believe that this disc is their most emotional. To me, the band peaked with this album - it is the last Dream Theater album with consistently thoughtful lyrics, emotion-based songwriting rather than technical-based songwriting, and Kevin Moore (who for me is the definitive DT keyboardist). Nothing they have written since has absorbed me nearly as much.

Metallica - …and Justice For All. No top ten metal list should go without mentioning at least one of Metallica's 80s releases, and since the rules for this list only allow one I will choose Justice. Master of Puppets really left a mark on the metal scene, so Justice was, in a way, more of the same. However the song structures are more complex, and I believe the emotions run more deeply throughout the album due to the prior death of bassist Cliff Burton. The instrumental dedicated to his memory ("To Live is to Die") is haunting. Many folks complain about the comparatively thin guitar tone on the album, but if you can get past that I think the album has Metallica's best riffs. One of my personal favorite Metallica songs of all time, "Dyer's Eve", is on this disc.

Meshuggah - Chaosphere. If the "no repeats" rule was not in effect, most of my list would be Meshuggah albums. This band is currently my favorite thing to listen to, hands down. Their execution of polyrhythmic patterns is unparalleled, and creates a sense of head-banging, foot-tapping, mosh-causing groove that you can't find anywhere else. I chose Chaosphere because it was a giant leap in complexity from the previous album, Destroy Erase Improve. It also was much less accessible, and defined what the new Meshuggah sound would entail. I've probably listened to this album over a hundred times easily, but still haven't figured every riff out. Listen to "New Millenium Cyanide Christ" and prepare to have your idea of metal altered forever.

Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element Part 1. Picking a particular PoS album is incredibly difficult, as every one of the Swedish group's releases has been absolutely stellar. I do believe that TPE1 is the best of the bunch though. This album is where they combined their earlier, more standard "prog" writing and injected it with a heavy dosage of superb lyricism and emotional expression. The heartbreaking story of He and She is carried out in the lyrics with a focus on social commentary and the way that our childhood affects who we become. More importantly, the album is unified conceptually by many themes that repeat throughout the entire album from song to song. The musicianship level is high, but it takes a backseat to the songwriting and delivery, which is a style that I've started to appreciate more than anything else. Also, Daniel Gildenlow's voice is one that I believe to be among the finest singing voices in the history of rock.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity. Holy cow folks, if you want a musical assault on your mind, you have to hear this album. Calculating Infinity was the start of a revolution in the subcategory of metal that has come to be known as "mathcore." This album is an angry, impossible mess of sound and noise that seems impenetrable the first time you listen to it (and probably the second time too). The group plows through ridiculous meter changes, polyrhythms, and idiosyncratic/unorthodox guitar figures at speeds that could only be described as "breakneck." Yet, there is order to the chaos - you MUST hear the album several times to get it. When you get it though, you'll really GET it - I was addicted to this album for a very long period of time. The drummer on this album, Chris Pennie (who unfortunately is no longer with the group) should go down in history for this recording and live performances. The song "43 Percent Burnt" is a notorious anthem for tech-metal/mathcore.

Opeth - My Arms Your Hearse. Opeth has released nine albums up to this point, which have been almost equally good without exception. For this reason, it is difficult to choose only one, but My Arms Your Hearse is my favorite for several reasons. It marks the beginning of the modern Opeth sound, a huge step up in my opinion from the sound on the Orchid and Morningrise albums. Mainly, the songwriting was improved a hundred percent, as the previous albums' songs felt like a mish-mash of good ideas that just didn't flow very well. On MAYH, the song lengths were shortened considerably to add more focus, and it worked. Secondly, the musicianship was improved on every level - the old bass player and drummer were replaced, and the addition of Martin Lopez on the kit completely revamped the sound of the band. Mikael Akerfeldt's clean vocals also made a giant leap in quality on this album, and the overall production is much improved. The lyrics are fantastic as well - they are written in a way that is almost like poetry. I love all of their releases, but their subsequent albums feel like they are just building on the foundation laid by this amazing release.

Devin Townsend Band - Synchestra. Devin Townsend possesses a unique mind, no doubt. His music has a distinctive sound that I could recognize from a mile away. His band Strapping Young Lad has released some great, ridiculously heavy music, but for colorful and engaging songwriting I always come his solo stuff. For me, this album is the best of the lot. "Triumph" is easily among my all-time favorite Devin Townsend songs - this man can write metal in major keys better than anyone else, period. For a taste of his sense of musical humor, check out "Vampolka/Vampira". For an emotionally gripping experience, listen to "Judgement". To hear beautiful instrumental melodies, listen to "Sunset." Or if you just want to have fun and bang your head, check out "Gaia." This album has something for everybody.

Tool - Lateralus. Tool have been one of my favorite groups for a long time. They are one of the very few bands that can be considered "progressive" that has a large mainstream audience. I believe that Lateralus remains their best overall album, as it took the foundation laid by Aenima and combined it with a spiritual element that their previous material did not have. "The Grudge" has to be one of the best album openers that I've ever heard. "Schism" won over a huge radio audience, regardless of it's undeniable rhythmic complexity and high level of musicianship. "Ticks and Leeches" shows the band at it's most volatile, with a vocal performance so intense that Maynard couldn't sing for weeks after he recorded it. The title track is an epic undertaking, with a complex song structure, lyrics about spirals, and syllabic patterns based on the Fibonacci sequence. Lateralus is a high point in "progressive" metal, and by this point has influenced nearly every band in the scene. Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, Riverside, OSI, Opeth, you name it.

Between the Buried and Me - Colors. An album consisting of several songs that play as one 65-minute piece, Colors is a monumental achievement. I've been listening to BTBAM since they released their second album, The Silent Circus, in 2003. When they released Alaska, I thought it couldn't be topped. But not only did this album top Alaska, it freaking eclipses it. It goes through nearly every genre imaginable, and almost never feels forced or uninspired. In one moment you will be pummeled by the heaviest riffage imaginable, and enter a serene trance the next. The technical mastery of the players on their instruments is so high that it seems steroid-induced, but it is still not the overall focus of the disc. Regardless of the album's constantly changing, almost ADHD-like nature, each riff is memorable. "White Walls" is an incredible album-closer; it contains what to me is the most stirring musical climax in all of metal. Colors is a monolithic product that takes the listener on a long journey through all kinds of sound. Where the band can go from here, I really have no idea.


Honorable Mentions:
Megadeth - Rust In Peace
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power
Soilwork - Stabbing the Drama
Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance

Albums that I really wanted on the list but are only partly "metal":
Oceansize - Frames
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Faith No More - Angel Dust

Yeah.

[OdinsCourt]

Great list, Vino! Yours tends to lean more towards Progressive Metal than mine. We have some crossover artists too. Even though we're always talking music together, it's cool to read your insight since you put so much thought and organization into it.

[WeAreInFlames]

I'll throw mine in...not really in order.
Only metal, eh?

Dark Tranquility - The Gallery
This is my all-time favorite. The entire album is brilliant. Every instrument seems to be playing on it's own but they all weave together. It's a mix of complete chaos and perfect harmony. The lyrics are great and delivered with intense fervor. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this album in the slightest.

In Flames - Subterranean
Another long-time fav. For one thing, it has the best opening of any album I've ever heard - the moody piano turning into a sci-fi sounding effect and then those trademark IF melodies coming in. The whole EP seems intensely tragic; at times they go into gothic influences, lyrically. All the melodies are beautiful. It's only 20 minutes long, but I love it.

Vital Remains - Dechristianize
The first time I heard this, I thought it was pretty average blast-oriented brutal death metal...until, that is, the first sweeping bit came in. When the main melody of Dechristianize came in, I was pretty much floored. I listen to this a ton, and it just gets better. The weaving of brutal death metal and flamenco- and classical- influenced sweeping melodies is absolutely brilliant. Glen Benton (whatever you may say about his absurd view on things, the man can growl) fits in great.

Amon Amarth - Once Sent From The Golden Hall
On this album Amon Amarth reach the perfect balancing point between the power, grit, and authenticity that comes with a raw production and the ability to actually listen to the album that comes with a decent production. They also were at the perfect point between their very early stuff, which was more aggressive and brutal (an early incarnation of AA was a grind band called Scum) and their later stuff, which would become more polished and melodic. On Once Sent, the melodies are epic and sweeping and the riffs thrash. The drumming is propulsive (Fredrick Andersson is the better drummer, imo, but Martin Lopez (now in Opeth) did a great job here) and fits in great. And of course Johan Hegg is simply The Man; he delivers the lyrics with power and conviction, but also a level of clarity that few death metal vocalists can claim. The back of the album is essentially a list of career highlights.

Orphaned Land - Mabool
Middle Eastern folk music mixes wonderfully with metal, so it's weird that so few bands tried it. Fortunately, Orphaned Land pick up the slack. This is an ambitious album with incredible scope and variety, but it works extremely well. You'd have to be tri-lingual to understand all the lyrics, but it doesn't take much to appreciate the strong folk influences here. Many "folk"-metal bands just take a couple folky scales and write some melodies for guitar based on that; Orphaned Land really go the whole nine yards.

Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
This is simply THE best black metal album. It's one of the most atmospheric and majestic pieces of art ever committed to plastic. The synth summons visions of bleak wastelands and vast mountains while Ihsahn's misanthropic croaks are pushed into the background. Nothing, not even Emperor's later efforts, has ever captured such darkness and majesty.

Bathory - Hammerheart
I could talk about how Quorthon pioneered black and viking metal and was awesome and all, but I'd rather talk about how awesome the song One Rode To Asa Bay is. It is my single favorite song of all time. Not that it's the only good song on the album. The whole piece is a collection of lengthy slabs of raw metal that sounds like it was recorded in a misty forest at dawn. It's all the more impressive that the whole thing is the work of one man in a car garage, but we won't go there. This is my favorite album from one of my favorite bands.

Slayer - Reign In Blood
This is, of course, really obvious, but I love this album. Great stuff. It was hard choosing between this and South of Heaven. Both are great, extremely evil sounding. Good for many, many listens. RiB is the only album where I can not just tolerate King and Hanneman's leads, but appreciate them, as they add to the frantic, dark sound of the album.

Avantasia - The Metal Opera, pt 1
Tobias Sammet is a genius. There's not really any other way to say it. How he managed to write this while keeping up Edguy's vigorous touring/writing/recording schedule (especially since he's their primary songwriter) is beyond me, but he done it. The plot is, of course, a joke, but the music is fantastic. The vocal lines are awesome and extremely catchy (I can never stop singing Sign Of The Cross), the riffs are crunchy power metal perfection, and the solos are generally quite nice. This is epic power metal done very right.

Blind Guardian - Live
I had to pick a live album, and it was between this and Kreator's Live Kreation. I went with this because BG are more sing-along-y. The performances are of course superb, but the thing that brings this over the top is the crowd's reaction; the crowd sings along every second of every song, and it seems like the entire crowd consists of power metal singers, because they're actually on-key!. Fantastic live album that anyone who even sorta likes power metal should own.

[OdinsCourt]

Very cool list! Some stuff in there I haven't heard, so I'll have to check them out!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mabool! I was happy to see that made your list. Orphaned Land are some talented guys! Saw them at Prog Power a couple years ago, OMG! Talk about larger than life on stage! Those guys put on an amazing show!

And Slayer is cool being one of the classic metal bands I grew up on. Good album by them too!

I like Dark Tranquility, but I haven't heard that particular album. I'm most familiar with Damage Done, which is a killer album.

Cool to see Blind Guardian too! I love Hansi's voice. I saw them live at Jaxx in Virginia with Symphony X one time. I wasn't as impressed with them live, but it could have been an off night (I know all about those!). Night at the Opera is my favorite by them, and Tales from the Twilight World is pretty cool too.

[Mr. Bungle]

This is gonna be tough, but here we go, in no particular order:

Zero Hour-The Towers Of Avarice
Simply amazing. Incredibly technical, but retains a beauty that many technical bands lack. The lyrics are fantastic, and the vocal delivery by Eric Rosvolt is amazing. And on kind of a side note, my favorite album cover/art ever. As another poster mentioned above, if not for the "no repeats" rule, every Zero Hour album would be on this list, they are my favorite band

Faith No More-Angel Dust
A fantastic follow-up to the also good The Real Thing. They probably could have become a mainstream hit after TRT, but they decided to go the opposite direction, and for fans, the results could not be better. Mike Patton IMO is the most diverse and talented vocalist out there. So much variety can be found on this album.

Queensryche-Operation Mindcrime
One of the greatest concept albums of all time, Geoff Tate gives a legendary performance. Not a single weak track on the album

Dream Theater-Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
This was a tough choice, I had to put DT on my list, and it was between this, Scenes From A Memory, and Awake, all of which are amazing. I think it is their most progressive and experimental album, and that's why I chose it.

Symphony X-The Divine Wings Of Tragedy
Wow, what an amazing album this is! From the powerful, exciting opener, to the incredibly epic title track, this album pleases from start to finish. Symphony X has many great albums, but this is the one I would use to introduce potential new fans.

Mr. Bungle-Self Titled
This is the best album I have for freaking out my closed-minded friends. Incredibly creepy and sinister, with an odd blend of pretty much any genre you can name, including circus and porno music, I think this is the most varied album in my vast collection.

Spiral Architect-A Septic's Universe
I LOVE this album, one of the most technical that I have. This is the kind of album that just wont get boring, there are too many layers in there to discover.

Iced Earth-Something Wicked This Way Comes
I'm a pretty big Iced Earth fan, and I think this is their best album, especially the "something wicked" trilogy.

Into Eternity-Buried In Oblivion
Mixing Death, Black, Progressive, and Power Metal styles together, Into Eternity created an absolute masterpiece. I'm usually not a fan of the Death Metal Growls or the Black Metal Shrieks, but IE does them right, plus they mix in clean vocals, and the "choir" type vocals used in most power metal.

Porcupine Tree-In Absentia
A great concept albums about a serial killer, this is IMO, Porcupine Tree's best album, it was also the first one to contain consistent elements of metal, as well as their normal progressive rock styling. Songs like Prodigal, Gravity Eyelids, and Blackest Eyes make the hair on my neck stand up straight

Honorable Mentions:
Iron Maiden-Powerslave
Opeth-Blackwater Park
Tool-Lateralus
Fantomas-Suspended Animation