Top 10
Top 10 metal albums of all time.
So we figured… if we ask the industry’s professionals, our headbang army and all the other metal heads from around the globe, while mixing in a pinch of our very own headbanging experience, why not do the impossible?
Some of you might just sit there in total awe of our awesome top ten list while the rest might abandon all hope and forsake HeadbangToday.com with total disgust! There are many that would agree, and many that would disagree… therefore there will be a discussion topic opened for the flame wars to begin!
World War III will not be a chemical warfare nor will it be nuclear… but it will probably begin as a cyber war sparked by metal heads on Headbang Today due to a top ten list of metal albums! (pathetic eh?)
Behold! We bring thee… the TOP 10 best, most influencial and most favourited heavy metal albums of all time!
(ahem. as voted for by bands, Arthur from Hazy Hamlet, Jeff Korn, site visitors, headbangers, tweeples, facebook zits, prawns, americans, Doctor Pain, Dabz, europeans, asians, canadians, the dutch, the most feared black metallic finnish, the polish, the asians, the africans, the surrogates, the kivis, the new zealanders, our parents, your parents, ourselves here at Headbang Today and all the others that we forgot to mention here. Sorry Emos, you weren’t included in this selection process because your genre is a bit too icky for this seriously dangerous situation that we got ourselves into.)
(Death metal, thrash metal, black metal all fall under the metal genre in our eyes. Weep about it elsewhere)
Starting the countdown off at #20 !
Now you’re going to ask: “Why 20? I thought this was a top ten list?”
Well, our answer is: Because you really didn’t think that with all of metal’s awesomness that we’re going compile a top ten list ONLY?
The build up surely has to start at 20!
THE TOP 20
20 - System of a Down – Toxicity
19 – Cradle of Filth – Damnation And A Day
18 - Deep Purple – Machine Head
17 – Killswitch Engage – Alive Or Just Breathing
16 – Obituary – The End Complete
14 – Led Zeppelin – IV
13 – Def Leppard – Pyromania
12 – Ozzy Osbourne – Diary of a Madman
11 – Slayer – Show no Mercy
# 10 – AC/DC – Back in Black
The first sound on Back in Black is the deep, ominous drone of church bells — or “Hell’s Bells,” as it were, opening the album and AC/DC’s next era with a fanfare while ringing a fond farewell to Bon Scott, their late lead singer who partied himself straight to hell. But this implies that Back in Black is some kind of tribute to Scott, which may be true on a superficial level — black is a funeral cover, hell’s bells certainly signify death — but this isn’t filled with mournful songs about the departed. It’s a more fitting tribute, actually, since AC/DC not only carried on without him, but they delivered a record that to the casual ear sounds like the seamless successor to Highway to Hell, right down to how Brian Johnson’s screech is a dead ringer for Scott’s growl.
ACDC - Back In Black
Most listeners could be forgiven for thinking that Johnson was Scott, but Johnson is different than Bon. He’s driven by the same obsessions — sex and drink and rock & roll, basically — but there isn’t nearly as much malevolence in his words or attitude as there was with Scott. Bon sounded like a criminal, Brian sounds like a rowdy scamp throughout Back in Black, which helps give it a real party atmosphere. Of course, Johnson shouldn’t be given all the credit for Back in Black, since Angus and Malcolm carry on with the song-oriented riffing that made Highway to Hell close to divine.
Song for song, they deliver not just mammoth riffs but songs that are anthems, from the greasy “Shoot to Thrill” to the pummeling “Back in Black,” which pales only next to “You Shook Me All Night Long,” the greatest one-night-stand anthem in rock history. That tawdry celebration of sex is what made AC/DC different from all other metal bands — there was no sword & sorcery, no darkness, just a rowdy party, and they never held a bigger, better party than they did on Back in Black.
# 9 – Iron Maiden – Powerslave
Iron Maiden- Powerslave
Iron Maiden’s music was evolving and growing with each successive release in the ’80s; each album outsold its predecessor and widened the band’s fan base. This was never more apparent than on 1984′s Powerslave. It was the first Maiden album to feature the same lineup for more than a single record, and with a long tour under their belt, the band’s playing on Powerslave was tight and inspired.
While other popular metal bands of the day were busy conquering radio with accessible singles, Maiden decided to include several noncommercial extended pieces, a throwback of sorts to their ’70s prog rock influences (Jethro Tull, etc.). MTV embraced the album’s two singles/videos, the rapid-fire “Aces High” and the complex antiwar tale “2 Minutes to Midnight,” but what really made the album stand out as a true heavy metal achievement was the epic compositions. The second side only consists of three songs, including the superb and explosive title track, plus the long and winding 13-and-a-half minute “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (based on the famous Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem). Add to it perhaps Maiden’s best instrumental, “Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra),” and forgotten-yet-strong album cuts like “Flash of the Blade” and “The Duellists,” and you have yet another highly recommended, essential Maiden classic.
# 8 – Slipknot – (Self Titled Debut)
Slipknot - Debut Album
Slipknot are no Insane Clown Posse, using hyperbole to mask a lack of talent. Slipknot’s sound, while indebted to the likes of Korn, is more aggressive and creative; indeed, it’s a closer kin to Slayer and death metal, yet listenable and surprisingly melodic. The common denominator among Slipknot and the late 1990s crop of neo-metal-rap bands is producer Ross Robinson (Korn, Limp Bizkit), who discovered the Iowa-bred Slipknot and signed them to his label, I Am Records.
His stellar production, melded with wonderfully creepy percussive elements, a sampler, a DJ, metallic-grind guitars, and singer Corey Taylor’s immense passion and wide melodic range, makes Slipknot immensely listenable. Slipknot isn’t for everyone, but they provide a visceral and satisfying ride for open-minded fans of metal. Slipknot’s debut album instantaneously placed them on the map for global domination, spawning a whole new generation of metal.
# 7 – Machine Head - The Blackening
Machine Head The Blackening
Machine Head The Blackening
The album received positive reviews from music critics, with some labeling it the best metal album of 2007. Blabbermouth.net reviewer Don Kaye awarded the album a 9.5 out of 10, saying The Blackening is “one of the purest, finest, most powerful expressions of modern heavy metal released” and compared it to the 1986 Metallica album Master of Puppets, while Allmusic editor Thom Jurek described the album as “an over the top rage and pummelfest with all the qualities that earned the group its enormous fan base by touring and recording”, praising the songs “Beautiful Mourning”, “Halo“, and “Now I Lay Thee Down“.
# 6 – Death – the sound of perseverance
Death The Sound Of Preseverence
Death The Sound Of Preseverence
This album is simply amazing – buy it without a second thought. It is death metal at its most technical and melodic. Chuck’s voice sounds less gutteral, making the lyrics easier to understand – not to say that he’s actually singing on this album, god forbid! His vocals are still raw and spat forth with venom as always. The first track ‘Scavenger of human sorrow’ starts the album off with a nice powerful drum pattern, followed by a piece of guitar mastery by the late Schuldiner to make even the most hardened guitar gurus hang up there axes and give up, followed by a crushing riff which makes you remember why you got into metal in the first place – yes, it’s that good. There are no weak tracks on this album at all, and a nice variation in sounds – the track ‘voice of the soul’ is purely acoustic/electric guitar only, overdubbed several times to give a lushious wall of harmonised sound.
# 5 – Motorhead – Ace of Spades
Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
With the 1980 release of Ace of Spaces, Motorhead had their anthem of anthems — that is, the title track — the one trademark song that would summarize everything that made this early incarnation of the band so legendary, a song that would be blasted by legions of metalheads for generations on end. It’s a legendary song, for sure, all two minutes and 49 bracing seconds of it. And the album of the same name is legendary as well, among Motorhead’s all-time best, often considered their single best, in fact, along with Overkill. Ace of Spades was Motorhead’s third great album in a row, following the 1979 releases of Overkill and Bomber, respectively. Those two albums have a lot in common with Ace of Spaces. The classic lineup — Lemmy (bass and vocals), “Fast” Eddie Clarke (guitar), and “Philthy Animal” Taylor (drums) — is still in place and sounding as alive and crazed as ever.
The album is still rock-solid, boasting several superlative standouts. Actually, besides the especially high number of standouts on Ace of Spades — at least relative to Bomber, which wasn’t quite as strong overall as Overkill had been — the only key difference between this 1980 album and its two 1979 predecessors is the producer, in this case Vic Maile. The result of his work isn’t all that different from that of Jimmy Miller, the longtime Rolling Stones producer who had worked on Overkill and Bomber, but it’s enough to give Ace of Spaces a feeling distinct from its two very similar-sounding predecessors.
This singular sound (still loud and in your face, rest assured), along with the exceptionally strong songwriting and the legendary stature of the title track, makes Ace of Spades the ideal Motorhead album if one were to choose one and only one studio album. It’s highly debatable whether Ace of Spaces is tops over the breakthrough Overkill, as the latter is more landmark because of its earlier release, and is somewhat rougher around the edges, too. Either way, Ace of Spades rightly deserves its legacy as a classic. There’s no debating that.
# 4 – Pantera – Vulgar display of power
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
Upon its release in the mid-1990s, Pantera’s Vulgar Display of Power proved that, even in an era of alternative rock supremacy, heavy metal fans were still a force to contend with. Blending eerie, surging grooves with thrashy speed metal riffs, Pantera created a bleak, oppressive disc that captured both ends of the speed spectrum without resorting to clichi, abrupt tempo shifts. Guitarist Diamond Darrell plays with as much crunch as the best Metallica, while vocalist Phil Anselmo screams loud enough to satisfy any GBH fan. Coupled with Vinnie Paul’s insistent, double bass-drum onslaught, you’re left with an album that’ll shake the fillings out of even the strongest teeth. –Jon Wiederhorn
# 3 Judas Priest – Painkiller
Judas Priest - Painkiller
Not many bands have mastered the art of deception, that is creating two or more different kinds of music (classic metal, thrash) that are very different from each other. When fans listen to their favorite bands’ music, after a few seconds they recognize what band it is, whether it be AC/DC, Ozzy, Led Zeppelin, or Iron Maiden (just to list a few examples). However, what we have here within the sheer glory that is “Painkiller”, is quite a surprise, but nonetheless a welcome change. In fact, you wouldn’t know you were listening to the same classic metal band, Judas Priest, that gave their fans such hits as “Hell Bent For Leather”, “British Steel”, and “Screaming For Vengeance”. Seriously, when the crazy, manaical, opening drum solo burst through my speakers, I had to double-check what band I was listening to, cause it could have passed as a Lamb of God or Shadows Fall piece. Now if that’s not talent(making their music sound COMPLETLELY different then what we’re used to), then I don’t know what is?
Many people have deemed “Painkiller” heavy-as-hades, but at the same time cheesy. If you ask me, “Painkiller” is sparse on the cheesiness and loaded with heavy metal madness, complete with crunching, heavy riffs, blazing and lightning-fast solos, and powerful vocals from one of metal’s finest recruits. Now, I knew Halford had a terrific voice (hearing all their other classics and all), but his performance on this cd further magnifies his greatness, as he soars with the screeching high notes and growls his way through riffs such as on “All Guns Blazing”, “Hell Patrol”, & “Metal Meltdown”. If I didn’t know any better, I would guess he was right in the middle of his prime, which was a whole 10 years before! And it’s not just him.
The whole cast is full-throttle with no holds barred. Scott Travis makes his debut on this album, and man he must have had SOMETHING to prove, ’cause he rips the floor up with his quick footwork and tears the skins W/ his complex hands. Downing and Tipton are phenomenol and are possibly in their best form, delivering wrist-workin’ riffs on tracks like “Leather Rebel”, “Metal Meltdown” and the title track. Their solos are incredible and full of toxic energy, something you wouldn’t expect this late in their game.
Really, you can’t go wrong with this album. From the ear-splitting opener to the somewhat epic closer and very catchy “One Shot at Glory”, this cd gives the listener a more than ample bargain. Other hits include the haunting and keyboard infested “A Touch of Evil” on which Halford dishes out some amazing vocals and really grabs your ears. Also, the catchy and guitar-driven “Night Crawler” and the underrated “Between the Hammer & the Anvil” add a lot to this metal masterpiece as they contain some screechin’ solos and delicious vocals from Rob. All in all, every song is a work of art, that deserves to be heard! Buy “Painkiller” along with ALL of the other Priest goods! ‘Cause when the Priest calls, you must answer
# 2 Metallica – Master Of Puppets
Metallica Master of Puppets
One of the defining albums of thrash metal, Master of Puppets is arguably Metallica’s best album (as well as their last with bassist Cliff Burton). Focusing on the concept of power and abuses thereof, this is a collection of complex, intelligent music, played at about a hundred miles an hour. Not that these are short songs; this eight-song album clocks in at over an hour, which makes it all the more impressive that not one moment on this recording is boring. In tackling various approaches to their subject.
Metallica is insightful lyrically as well as musically: “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” is from the point of view of an institutionalised inmate and “Disposable Heroes” is the perspective of a soldier. –Genevieve Williams
The Best Heavy Metal Album Of All Time
# 1 Megadeth – Rust In Peace
Megadeth Rust In Peace
“Brother Will Kill Brother, Spilling Blood Across The Land…”
Rust in Peace is perfect. On this record, Megadeth strikes the perfect balance of technicality and songwriting, injected with a unique formula of attitude and artistic drive and freedom. Nothing here feels bloated or unfinished, everything seems to begin and end at the right moment, and nothing is out of place. Every song takes you for a ride, from the no holds barred speed and brutality of “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” to the menacing swagger of the title track, which has a unique perspective on nuclear warfare–from that of a Polaris missile. Famous tracks like “Hangar 18,” with its suspenseful introduction and sudden transition to a shredfest until the end of the song, will not disappoint, and more underrated tracks like “Poison Was the Cure” will take you by utter surprise.
Every part of this album is simply great, and band is firing on all cylinders: Dave Mustaine is writing smashing songs and lyrics in addition to his guitar shredding and vocal snarls; David Ellefson’s thumping bass is given plenty of volume, and his rapid delivery and stand-alone parts make it a mystery why he isn’t better regarded among bassists; Marty Friedman delivers stunning leads and incredible, eastern-tinged solos (check “Hangar 18″ and “Lucretia” especially); and Nick Menza, while not quite as great as Gar, still kicks plenty of ass and his rapid delivery gives all the songs an even harder edge.
Rust in Peace is peerless classic which punches you in the gut with the opening track and sends you on a wild ride through eight other songs which reveals one of heavy metal’s most technically proficient and creative bands at its best. There’s a damn good reason why this is the #1 album for 1990 on this site. Owning this album is mandatory. Megadeth will take no prisoners. (Scream disagrees)
There you have it folks!
Flame war in 3…2…1
credits: Allalbumcovers.com for supplying album cover information, rateyourmusic.com for Megadeth’s album info, and Wikipedia for other information
# 7 – Machine Head - The Blackening
Machine Head The Blackening
Machine Head The Blackening
The album received positive reviews from music critics, with some labeling it the best metal album of 2007. Blabbermouth.net reviewer Don Kaye awarded the album a 9.5 out of 10, saying The Blackening is “one of the purest, finest, most powerful expressions of modern heavy metal released” and compared it to the 1986 Metallica album Master of Puppets, while Allmusic editor Thom Jurek described the album as “an over the top rage and pummelfest with all the qualities that earned the group its enormous fan base by touring and recording”, praising the songs “Beautiful Mourning”, “Halo“, and “Now I Lay Thee Down“.
# 6 – Death – the sound of perseverance
Death The Sound Of Preseverence
Death The Sound Of Preseverence
This album is simply amazing – buy it without a second thought. It is death metal at its most technical and melodic. Chuck’s voice sounds less gutteral, making the lyrics easier to understand – not to say that he’s actually singing on this album, god forbid! His vocals are still raw and spat forth with venom as always. The first track ‘Scavenger of human sorrow’ starts the album off with a nice powerful drum pattern, followed by a piece of guitar mastery by the late Schuldiner to make even the most hardened guitar gurus hang up there axes and give up, followed by a crushing riff which makes you remember why you got into metal in the first place – yes, it’s that good. There are no weak tracks on this album at all, and a nice variation in sounds – the track ‘voice of the soul’ is purely acoustic/electric guitar only, overdubbed several times to give a lushious wall of harmonised sound.
# 5 – Motorhead – Ace of Spades
Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
With the 1980 release of Ace of Spaces, Motorhead had their anthem of anthems — that is, the title track — the one trademark song that would summarize everything that made this early incarnation of the band so legendary, a song that would be blasted by legions of metalheads for generations on end. It’s a legendary song, for sure, all two minutes and 49 bracing seconds of it. And the album of the same name is legendary as well, among Motorhead’s all-time best, often considered their single best, in fact, along with Overkill. Ace of Spades was Motorhead’s third great album in a row, following the 1979 releases of Overkill and Bomber, respectively. Those two albums have a lot in common with Ace of Spaces. The classic lineup — Lemmy (bass and vocals), “Fast” Eddie Clarke (guitar), and “Philthy Animal” Taylor (drums) — is still in place and sounding as alive and crazed as ever.
The album is still rock-solid, boasting several superlative standouts. Actually, besides the especially high number of standouts on Ace of Spades — at least relative to Bomber, which wasn’t quite as strong overall as Overkill had been — the only key difference between this 1980 album and its two 1979 predecessors is the producer, in this case Vic Maile. The result of his work isn’t all that different from that of Jimmy Miller, the longtime Rolling Stones producer who had worked on Overkill and Bomber, but it’s enough to give Ace of Spaces a feeling distinct from its two very similar-sounding predecessors.
This singular sound (still loud and in your face, rest assured), along with the exceptionally strong songwriting and the legendary stature of the title track, makes Ace of Spades the ideal Motorhead album if one were to choose one and only one studio album. It’s highly debatable whether Ace of Spaces is tops over the breakthrough Overkill, as the latter is more landmark because of its earlier release, and is somewhat rougher around the edges, too. Either way, Ace of Spades rightly deserves its legacy as a classic. There’s no debating that.
# 4 – Pantera – Vulgar display of power
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
Upon its release in the mid-1990s, Pantera’s Vulgar Display of Power proved that, even in an era of alternative rock supremacy, heavy metal fans were still a force to contend with. Blending eerie, surging grooves with thrashy speed metal riffs, Pantera created a bleak, oppressive disc that captured both ends of the speed spectrum without resorting to clichi, abrupt tempo shifts. Guitarist Diamond Darrell plays with as much crunch as the best Metallica, while vocalist Phil Anselmo screams loud enough to satisfy any GBH fan. Coupled with Vinnie Paul’s insistent, double bass-drum onslaught, you’re left with an album that’ll shake the fillings out of even the strongest teeth. –Jon Wiederhorn
