This, simply put, is an idea I had after seeing all of the other lists for albums of the year, albums of the decade, etc... I want to know the top 10 albums that define you either as a person, or just as a metalhead. Personally, I've only been into metal since about 1998-1999, and even then, I was only into the extreme crust of the metal pizza, per say. Since that time, I have fallen head first into the music I love so much. It's now, pretty exclusively, all I listen to (give or take a few bands, here and there). These are probably
pretty well in order, give or take a place.
10. Iced Earth - Night Of The Stormrider. It was hard to pick between this one and the self titled, and although I love Gene Adams' vocals on the first album (a lot of people hate him :/), I like John Greely more. This album is also made better to me based on my own views on religion, and this album seems to share a lot of that same sentiment. It's Iced Earth at it's most angry (not depressed, for that, see Burnt Offerings), and I love it.
9. Annihilator - Criteria For A Black Widow. One of the most perfect thrash albums ever made, and definitely my favorite from the 2nd half of Annihilator's catalog. Jeff was extremely pissed off when he wrote this record, just having gone through a bitter divorce and starting an even more bitter custody battle with his ex wife over the custody of their children. Something unique about this album is the fact that it is almost the entire original lineup, including Randy Rampage (who was unfortunately fired again after this record/tour because of his drinking problem). The interesting thing about this album is Jeff called in Randy to record demos first before doing the real thing, but had no intentions of having Randy do second takes to anything, wanting to use the first takes as the final for the album. He never told Randy until it was all said and done. The result? A very raw and gritty performance which I think is better than his on Alice In Hell. It all worked out great and this album is definitely made better because of it.
8. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime. My 2nd favorite concept album ever. Geoff Tate gets a lot of shit for his influences and the fact that he doesn't listen to much metal and only performs it, but goddamn, his idea for this album truly hit it out of the park. While he can't take all of the credit for the finished product, he did at least come up with the general concept. I also believe it was his idea to bring a theatrical aspect to it in a live setting. Although Queensryche have definitely lost it live over the past several years, the two times that I have seen this performed in it's entirety have been two of my favorite shows I've witnessed.
7. Megadeth - Killing Is My Business, And Business Is Good. This is the first metal album I ever got. Well, I got two at the same time, this and Mercyful Fate's 9. This one has been with me ever since. Although there are some very strong albums in Megadeth's catalog (read: almost all of them), this one just barely takes the cake. Dave had something to prove here, and his mission was to outclass and outmetal his previous band. As for debuts, this one crushes Kill 'Em All, IMO.
6. Metallica - Master Of Puppets. What can be said about this album? It's one of the most coveted and perfect thrash albums ever created. Although, as a whole, I prefer Megadeth to Metallica, this album just barely edges out everything in Megadeth's catalog. Although there are some cliche songs on here that I get tired of from time to time (The Thing That Should Not Be and Welcome Home), the later half of the album is my favorite. Leper Messiah and Disposable Heroes being my two favorites.
5. Death - Symbolic. The first Death album I ever got. I absolutely love every song on here, with Crystal Mountain being my favorite. It's a brilliant display of blistering metal, start to finish, and is quite certainly 50 of the greatest minutes of music to ever emerge from the metal world.
4. Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings. Jon and Co. may hate this album, but I sure as hell don't. I know their reasoning for hating it, they were all in a bad place when it was written, Jon was very disenfranchised with the music industry and was also dealing with some personal problems. Besides being home to Dante's Inferno (the 2nd greatest metal song ever written, IMO), there are a barrage of other excellent songs on this album, including an updated Last December, which Matt brought with him from his previous project Cauldron. To give you an idea of how much I love this album, it holds the spot of being the most expensive vinyl I've ever bought. $130 bucks for the gatefold import LP from Greece a couple of years ago.
3. Annihilator - Never, Neverland. It was hard to pick my favorite from this band, as I believe that every release they ever put out was solid, but this album just is slightly over the top for me. Although Alice In Hell is amazing, this album is just a little better, both in songwriting and maturity. While I prefer Randy Rampage to Coburn Pharr, these songs definitely called for a more melodic voice, and Pharr definitely destroys Rampage in that department. No matter how many albums they put out, this one will always hold a special place in my heart.
2. Nevermore Dreaming Neon Black. This album has gotten me through some really tough times in my life. The sheer emotion and raw intensity of it send shivers down my spine every time I listen to it. Hell, to even further drive my point home, depending on when I listen to it, if Im really depressed, this album has brought tears to my eyes by the time it was done. Wonderfully depressing but somehow, always picks me up when Im really down. As far as concept albums go, I hold this in higher esteem than Mindcrime, honestly, especially since its based off of a true story.
1. Judas Priest Painkiller. In my eyes, the greatest metal album ever made. Its one of the first metal albums I ever heard, and was the album that introduced me to Judas Priest on the whole (outside of the radio singles one would hear). Painkiller is and has been, since that time, my all time favorite metal song. It has everything I want from a metal record. Big choruses, banshee screams, blistering riffs, pounding drums, etc Its perfect. This album definitely made me the metalhead I am today.
That's it. Unfortunately, as much as I love Black Metal, there isn't a single Black Metal release on my list. I can't say for certain why, but for now, that's just the way it is. I went through my favorites and none of them really stack up against these, in my eyes. Maybe one day that will change.
Get to writing! *cracks whip*
pretty well in order, give or take a place.
10. Iced Earth - Night Of The Stormrider. It was hard to pick between this one and the self titled, and although I love Gene Adams' vocals on the first album (a lot of people hate him :/), I like John Greely more. This album is also made better to me based on my own views on religion, and this album seems to share a lot of that same sentiment. It's Iced Earth at it's most angry (not depressed, for that, see Burnt Offerings), and I love it.
9. Annihilator - Criteria For A Black Widow. One of the most perfect thrash albums ever made, and definitely my favorite from the 2nd half of Annihilator's catalog. Jeff was extremely pissed off when he wrote this record, just having gone through a bitter divorce and starting an even more bitter custody battle with his ex wife over the custody of their children. Something unique about this album is the fact that it is almost the entire original lineup, including Randy Rampage (who was unfortunately fired again after this record/tour because of his drinking problem). The interesting thing about this album is Jeff called in Randy to record demos first before doing the real thing, but had no intentions of having Randy do second takes to anything, wanting to use the first takes as the final for the album. He never told Randy until it was all said and done. The result? A very raw and gritty performance which I think is better than his on Alice In Hell. It all worked out great and this album is definitely made better because of it.
8. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime. My 2nd favorite concept album ever. Geoff Tate gets a lot of shit for his influences and the fact that he doesn't listen to much metal and only performs it, but goddamn, his idea for this album truly hit it out of the park. While he can't take all of the credit for the finished product, he did at least come up with the general concept. I also believe it was his idea to bring a theatrical aspect to it in a live setting. Although Queensryche have definitely lost it live over the past several years, the two times that I have seen this performed in it's entirety have been two of my favorite shows I've witnessed.
7. Megadeth - Killing Is My Business, And Business Is Good. This is the first metal album I ever got. Well, I got two at the same time, this and Mercyful Fate's 9. This one has been with me ever since. Although there are some very strong albums in Megadeth's catalog (read: almost all of them), this one just barely takes the cake. Dave had something to prove here, and his mission was to outclass and outmetal his previous band. As for debuts, this one crushes Kill 'Em All, IMO.
6. Metallica - Master Of Puppets. What can be said about this album? It's one of the most coveted and perfect thrash albums ever created. Although, as a whole, I prefer Megadeth to Metallica, this album just barely edges out everything in Megadeth's catalog. Although there are some cliche songs on here that I get tired of from time to time (The Thing That Should Not Be and Welcome Home), the later half of the album is my favorite. Leper Messiah and Disposable Heroes being my two favorites.
5. Death - Symbolic. The first Death album I ever got. I absolutely love every song on here, with Crystal Mountain being my favorite. It's a brilliant display of blistering metal, start to finish, and is quite certainly 50 of the greatest minutes of music to ever emerge from the metal world.
4. Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings. Jon and Co. may hate this album, but I sure as hell don't. I know their reasoning for hating it, they were all in a bad place when it was written, Jon was very disenfranchised with the music industry and was also dealing with some personal problems. Besides being home to Dante's Inferno (the 2nd greatest metal song ever written, IMO), there are a barrage of other excellent songs on this album, including an updated Last December, which Matt brought with him from his previous project Cauldron. To give you an idea of how much I love this album, it holds the spot of being the most expensive vinyl I've ever bought. $130 bucks for the gatefold import LP from Greece a couple of years ago.
3. Annihilator - Never, Neverland. It was hard to pick my favorite from this band, as I believe that every release they ever put out was solid, but this album just is slightly over the top for me. Although Alice In Hell is amazing, this album is just a little better, both in songwriting and maturity. While I prefer Randy Rampage to Coburn Pharr, these songs definitely called for a more melodic voice, and Pharr definitely destroys Rampage in that department. No matter how many albums they put out, this one will always hold a special place in my heart.
2. Nevermore Dreaming Neon Black. This album has gotten me through some really tough times in my life. The sheer emotion and raw intensity of it send shivers down my spine every time I listen to it. Hell, to even further drive my point home, depending on when I listen to it, if Im really depressed, this album has brought tears to my eyes by the time it was done. Wonderfully depressing but somehow, always picks me up when Im really down. As far as concept albums go, I hold this in higher esteem than Mindcrime, honestly, especially since its based off of a true story.
1. Judas Priest Painkiller. In my eyes, the greatest metal album ever made. Its one of the first metal albums I ever heard, and was the album that introduced me to Judas Priest on the whole (outside of the radio singles one would hear). Painkiller is and has been, since that time, my all time favorite metal song. It has everything I want from a metal record. Big choruses, banshee screams, blistering riffs, pounding drums, etc Its perfect. This album definitely made me the metalhead I am today.
That's it. Unfortunately, as much as I love Black Metal, there isn't a single Black Metal release on my list. I can't say for certain why, but for now, that's just the way it is. I went through my favorites and none of them really stack up against these, in my eyes. Maybe one day that will change.
Get to writing! *cracks whip*
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