The Top Ten Metal Albums -- Ever!
 

I'd like to feature this in Metal Month II if possible. Just list your top ten metal albums --- of any/every subgenre --- in order from ten to one. If you want to write a little about why they're so good you're welcome, but all I really want is a list so I can tabulate, add up and see what are considered overall the top ten Heavy Metal albums of all time. I'll then review them next month in reverse order.

Okay .... Go!

10. Godflesh - Streetcleaner: Industrial Metal album. Love it to pieces. Listening to it again today actually.

9. Melvins - Gluey Porch Treatments: These guys know how to mix sludgy metal with punk influences.

8. Discordance Axis - The Inalienable Dreamless: This is "grindcore" but there's definitely elements of Metal in there. Awesome album.

7. Jesu / Battle of Mice - Jesu / Battle of Mice: Post Rock/Shoegaze on the first side and then some more sludgy atmospheric metal on the second side. Listening to it as I type.

6. Melvins - Houdini: My favourite Melvins album. Great stuff. Stoner/Sludge.

5. Mastodon - Leviathan: Y'all know what Mastodon are all about. Some proggy elements, some sludge.

4. Tool - Ænima: Tool kick ass, and this album invariably kicks a lot of it too.

3. miRthkon - Vehicle: Avant-Garde Metal. If you haven't heard it yet, I am sure you will love it.

2. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath: Self explanatory.

1. Electric Wizard - Dopethrone: The epitome of stoner metal as far as I know. Brilliant.

Love that you put up their first album. As flawed as the second half is, the A-Side is one of the most metal things ever recorded.

Which is why Paranoid is a better album.

10. Lykathea Aflame—Elvenefris: Grindcore meets Killing Joke in the middle east and the results are amazing.

9. Gridlink—Amber Gray: Some of the tightest grindcore songwriting and playing I've ever heard.

8. Shining—Blackjazz: What happens when a jazz band makes a metal album? Pure awesomeness.

7. High On Fire—Death Is This Communion: Though generally regarded as doom, I see this as more of a new take on thrash than anything else, and a terrific one at that.

6. Faith No More—Angel Dust: Flawless from beginning to end. Filled to the brim with their usual musical diversity but somehow more focused and a lot more intense.

5. Psychofagist—Il Secondo Tragico: A little grindcore, a little sax, and a whole lot of fantastic.

4. Electric Wizard—Witchcult Today: Often overlooked, but I think it's their best. The 70s reimagined with a lot more balls.

3. Slayer—Reign In Blood: There isn't much to say about this that hasn't already been said but nevertheless it's a classic that really upped the ante with regards to what metal could be.

2. Ufomammut—Idolum: Outer space doom that is just massive and stunning.

1. Swarrrm—Nise Kyûseishu Domo: This has all the heaviness and craziness I look for in metal and is also somehow almost catchy at times. Every last bit is astonishing.

None of the songs on Paranoid are as good as "Black Sabbath", "The Wizard", or "NIB". That riff on "Black Sabbath" is the very essence of metal, distilled into three perfect notes, on the first song, of the first album, of the first metal band. Never in the history of metal has such a brilliant statement of intent been lain down at the very moment of a band's introduction to the world. And we've already discussed the poor album flow that messes up the first half. Great album, but its flaws affect my enjoyment of it more than the debut's. And then there's that evil atmosphere on Black Sabbath. Man, that is one awesome album.

gonna have to look into that Jesu/Battle of Mice split


10. Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss personally i don't think you can make a list without Slayer....and this is my favorite album

9. Demonic Death Judge - Knee sludgy stoner metal from Finland...i got nothing more...this **** just fucking rocks

8. Sunn0))) - Black One pure drone....like a mist of poisonous gas slowly crossing no mans land and blanketing the troops in the trenches

7. Godflesh - Streetcleaner easily a five star album for me....the computer drums mixed with that crushing bass.....and guitar work ...misanthropy at its best

6. Thorr's Hammer - Dommedagsnatt crushing, slow and methodic....i'd like to see any pop princess try and hit the notes this chick does

5. Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape avant-garde progressive black metal?....what ever this is it's ****ing amazing....definitely the thinking man's album

4. Asunder - A Clarion Call i guess this would be funeral doom....that title works as this album is three 14 minute songs of slooooooooow crushing riffs with satanic chanting...and cello

3. Bongripper - Satan Worshipping Doom yeah! i could seriously listen to this album for the rest of my life....this....in my opinion...is what all metal...esp doom metal aspires to be

2. Bathory - Blood Fire Death wow listening to this really brings back some great memories....not sure is this is even considered black metal anymore.....but when i first heard it in 92 or 3 this was some of the evilist **** i had ever heard.....perfectly played....haunting as well as atmospheric and trashing....just a damn near perfect heavy metal album

1. Neurosis - Enemy of the Sun this is the album that really got me into Neurosis...i mean it opens with lines from what is probably my favorite novel and follows the same formula....in mine eyes this album is perfect

This just barely escaped being on my list. Such a great album.

I guess mine is something like

10. Burzum - Filosofem
9. Autopsy - Mental Funeral
8. Teitanblood - Seven Chalices
7. maudlin of the Well - Bath
6. Faith No More - Angel Dust
5. Kreator - Pleasure to Kill
4. Drudkh - Blood In Our Wells
3. At The Gates - The Red In the Sky Is Ours / Neurosis - Souls At Zero (I guess I made a top 11)
2. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
1. Acid Bath - When the Kite String Pops

10. Cavalera Conspiracy - Inflikted
09. Faith No More - Angeldust
08. Iron Maiden - Number Of The Beast
07. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
06. Metal Church - Metal Church
05. Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality
04. Metallica - Ride the Lightning
03. Slayer - South Of Heaven
02. Dio - Holy Diver
01. Michael Schenker Group - Built To Destroy

I numbered them randomly, since I love all pretty much equally. I had a rough time selecting only 10.

10. Megadeth - Rust In Peace
9. Alice In Chains - Dirt
8. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
7. Stone Sour - Audio Secrecy
6. Corrosion Of Conformity - In The Arms Of God
5. Fu Manchu - King Of The Road
4. NIN - Year Zero
3. Corrosion Of Conformity - Deliverance
2. Clutch - Blast Tyrant
1. Judas Priest - Stained Class

I'll add my thoughts to these later but I'm pretty lazy so don't count on it.

1. Naked City - Torture Garden
2. Fantômas - Fantômas (Amenaza al Mundo)
3. Sunn O))) - Black One
4. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
5. Gorguts - Obscura
6. Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky
7. Electric Wizard - Dopethrone
8. Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler
9. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
10. Primus - Pork Soda

Listen son, everything apart from the title track on Paranoid is as good as those songs and the reason why it's a better album is that there are just more classic songs;)

Seconds out for Round One! "Black Sabbath" vs "Paranoid"! Place yer bets, ladies and gentlemen, place yer bets!

RIP everyone elses dumb lists

Tho this is not really in any order and I'm basically going by memory here. Hin-Fort should probably be higher but I am lazy and not moving it.

1. Ultima Thulee by Blut aus Nord
-raw icy black metal

2. Unholy Cult by Immolation
-earth-opening death metal

3. Wake/Lift by Rosetta
-one of those dreams where you're just falling, but in sludge metal form

4. Autumn Aurora by Drudkh
-there is no better way to describe this other than the album title.

5. Through Silver in Blood by Neurosis
-I'm not sure why but I get the image of a factory on fire when listening. Thick black smoke

6. The Mantle by Agalloch
-or "how to cope with being indefinitely alone"

7. Onward to Golgotha by Incantation
-soundtrack of hell

8. Hin-Fort by Trist
-will probably be my next entry into that 1001 albums thing so stay tuned

9. Verrater by Leviathan
-holy shit

10. Blood of the Hermit by Mortualia
-depressing as all hell

Yeah wow damn metal is good and cool

Oh and ftr Paranoid > Black Sabbath but neither deserve top 10 status (Paranoid for top 100 maybe) ok bye

Um, this isn't working. So far I've about 100 different albums, many of which I have never even heard of. I had hoped most people would have at least one or two albums the same so I could start ranking them, but this way it's never going to happen. Not that I don't respect your choices, but I don't feel I'll be able to whittle this down to a top ten.

So let's try this:

Your Top 10 CLASSIC Heavy Metal albums.

Criteria: they must either have nudged into the mainstream charts a little, they must be relatively well known or at least known outside the genre (Motorhead, Priest, Maiden, Metallica et al) and they must be known and respected within the genre.

I know, it cuts out a lot of favourites but I don't see another way to do this. I need some sort of consensus so I can pick the top albums. Either that or I'll present a list of fifty or whatever and you can only pick from those. I know it won't be a really true representation of the wide, varied and in some cases obscure (though no less good) tastes of some of our metal gurus here, but for the purposes of my "chart" and so that Metal Month II doesn't end up getting pushed back ten years, I think this is the way to do it.

If anyone has any suggestions then I'm open to them. If it doesn't work I guess it's no big deal; it's just an idea anyway.

Then what's the point? You can just go on any number of sites and get the exact same kind of list.

Dunno, maybe it's a bad idea. I didn't expect so many and varied albums/artistes. There's no way I can whittle any of those down to ten. Perhaps it's best if I just leave it, or do my own personal top ten? Bah! I weary of coming up with ideas for this Metal Month II of which you speak! It ain't easy, you know!

Sigh.

Alright, let's try this then. Everyone give me your single top metal album and I'll try to review it, so we'll have like Batlord's Number One (stop sniggering you immature...), Frownland's Top Album, Janszoon's Favourite etc. No? Then fuck off the lot of ya! I think I'll go back on break! :shycouch:

Oh my, good luck and godspeed with listening Naked City. Make sure your copy of Torture Garden has Leng Tch'e on it.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ulFateDBTO.jpg

Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath

I was thinking of picking Dio's Holy Diver, or maybe an Iron Maiden album, but those are probably ending up here anyway. I don't think Mercyful Fate broke into the mainstream, or gained much popularity outside of metal circles, but this album seems to be known and respected by most metalheads and is on many of the "best metal albums" lists and I think that's good enough.

**** me. I have no idea how to pick a favorite. I didn't even really know about choosing ten. **** it, I'll just go with Bathory's Hammerheart. I'll be as satisfied with that as anything.

You need to remember the average age of this forum, meaning that for most younger members their metal really starts in the 90s and 00s which means that most will be into extreme metal, its numerous sub-genres and metal fusions with other types of music. Therefore I'd expect most people's lists to be very different and diverse. Most people don't really pay attention to chart position or hit singles anymore, as the internet has blown everything wide open.

I think I've mentioned this to you before, but metal is just too vast now after 40 years for people to really pigeon hole bands and have a vast enough knowledge to create the type of list you're looking for.

I'd say you're better off getting people to do lists either by the decade or by metal sub-genre, it's the only way you'll get any real focus.

Yeah I know. On the face of it, dumb idea. Oh well. Probably just leave it then; no point creating EVEN MORE work than I already have set out for myself!

Gotta set limits for yourself. Don't wear yourself out, man! It doesn't matter all that much for us others on the forum, but for you, the man behind the project, it can easily lead to exhaustion. And exhaustion sucks.

It does that. And I've already plenty to work on. Gotta stop shooting for the stars, I know. Rein it in, Trollheart: rein it in...

Looking at some of the other lists and noting my ignorance of most of the bands listed, it's clear that I'm NOT a metal head. Well, anyway......

Oldest to newest:-

Black Sabbath's PARANOID (1970)
AC/DC's HIGH VOLTAGE (1975)
UFO's LIGHTS OUT (1977)
IRON MAIDEN (1980)
Judas Priest's BRITISH STEEL (1980)
Queensryche's RAGE FOR ORDER (1986)
AC/DC LIVE (1992)
The Offspring's SMASH (1994)
Manic Street Preachers' THE HOLY BIBLE (1994)
Steve Vai's FIRE GARDEN (1996)

:)

Psst... The Offspring is a pop punk band...

Not quite sure what's going on with this thread now but I want to do a top ten anyway. I'm keeping it one album per artist.

10. Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler
The peak of their black metal era. The perfect blend of atmospheric black metal and dark folk.

9. Sabbat - Dreamweaver
The English band not the Japanese band. Has some mind-bending lyrics inspired by Wyrdism and paganism and some great riffs courtesy of Andy Sneap. Thinking man's thrash metal.

8. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
A progressive metal masterpiece that I haven't grown tired of after nine years. This is Opeth at the peak of their game.

7. Slayer - Reign in Blood
The first metal album to both genuinely frighten me and make me think "this is friggin' badass!" You can read a review of it in my journal here.

6. Death - Human
I had a tough time deciding on a Death album. This album is the perfect introduction to death metal. It's relatively accessible in terms of the genre yet has amazing depth. This is the band at their most focused and best.

5. Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
The best thing to come out of Norwegian black metal. It took the genre into a more adventurous and atmospheric territory with long compositions and some dark ambient electronica. Read my journal review here.

4. The Angelic Process - Weighing Souls With Sand
Residing at the meeting points of drone, doom metal and shoegaze. Probably the heaviest album in my music collection. Not solely in terms of crushing, speaker-destroying guitars, but also in terms of soul-sucking emotion.

3. Electric Wizard - Come My Fanatics...
The choice between this and Dopethrone was tight, but I just love the guitar sound on this album. It's like being pinned to the ground by some invisible force as the sky above you turns red.

2. Bathory - Blood Fire Death
How do you know whether you love extreme metal or not? Listen to this album, turn the volume up so loud your ears start to itch and you will soon find out.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...fter_Death.jpg

1. Iron Maiden - Live After Death
I could have gone with Powerslave but I decided to go with the live album they recorded during the Powerslave tour. To me this album represents Maiden at their 80's peak and is a damn perfect slice of heavy metal. Then there's that artwork. Just look at it. Iron ****ing Maiden.

Well done Zero, even more albums that Trollheart won't know.

Totally forgot about this album. I'm amending my list to show how much I love it.

:cool:

If The Offspring is pop-punk then pop-punk is a pretty broad class. The songs on Smash are pretty damn heavy.

Probably not going ahead with this idea in the end, but a few points to bear in mind nevertheless...
I think most people will agree AC/DC are more on the hard rock end of the scale rather then heavy metal...

UFO's LIGHTS OUT (1977)
Already did an extensive review in my journal under "Maiden Voyages"
Very rarely do live album reviews
There is no way either of these could be considered heavy metal (or even hard rock really)
Steve Vai is certainly cool.

Thanks for the input anyway!

Just so you kow Zero, not proceeding with this now but wanted to throw in a few comments so...
Already have this lined up.... watch for it in Metal Month II
Reviewed this last year in the original Metal Month
And this, in the section "The Metal that Made Me" (returning this year) last time out.

Thanks for the suggestions though.

I've got an idea. Why not do just the eighties? It's generally considered metal's classic decade, if there is such a thing, and the sub-genres weren't so developed at the time, so it might be easier for people's lists to overlap. You might have to institute a "No Iron Maiden" rule though, since I'm sure you don't need to listen to Number of the Beast again.

You already did Reign In Blood for your Classic Albums I've Never Heard journal. If you're gonna do another Slayer album then I'd suggest South of Heaven. It's easily their most melodic album, and Tom Araya's closest performance to actual singing.


Might just be Slayer's most melodic song ever. If you're gonna like one of their songs it would probably be this one. Great, great song too.

That's a pretty good idea man....
Yeah I did that under duress and it was a short review. This is longer. Plus I also ... nah, nah! That would spoil the surprise. Just make sure you're reading, is all I'll say at this point. ;)

Everyone knows that album, do Divine Intervention

Or you could always do a good album.

blech. 80s metal = worst metal

The list I made on the first page feels all lonely and sad.