25. Slayer - Reign in Blood
Simply put, this is the fastest, most intense thrash album ever created by anyone. If you can find one that's more insane than this one, you're living a lie. 10 songs at an average of 220 BPM, lyrics ripe with violence and blasphemy, one of the most skilled drummers in metal, ferocious guitar assaults from Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman. To use a humorous metaphor, that's a recipe for one deadly thrash metal cookie. The first time I heard this album, I kept listening to it again and again because I just couldn't get enough of it. It was a daily listen for about 5 months before I started to get tired of it. Even then, this is one of those albums I can put on at any time and still love it.
Recommended tracks: Angel of Death, Altar of Sacrifice, Reborn, Postmortem
24. Devin Townsend - Infinity
This one may seem like an odd choice, even for long-time Devin fans. Infinity isn't one of Devin's most popular albums, but he has stated numerous times that it's his favorite (this was before the DTP, so maybe it has changed by now). This one, to me, is a great representation of all that Devin does. Truth is your epic instrumental opening that lays down the law right away. This gives way into Christeen, which is a delightful pop song. After that is Bad Devil, a crazy song that touches on Devin's more fun aspects. The rest of the album follows that pattern, all the while telling a conceptual story about the workings of the universe, and how we have no idea how complex our world really is. This concept alone puts it high up on my list, since I can really relate to wondering how the hell the universe works. A few bands have been referred to as "thinking-man's metal", but no other album fits that description as well as Infinity. Another interpretation is that the album is representative of Devin's bipolar disorder, since it tends to swing from beautifully depressing to chaotic and fun at the drop of a hat. The album culminates in a comforting message before Noisy Pink Bubbles saying, "It's all right, it's all right." I could try to explain it more, but it's tough to grasp. Just listen to it.
Recommended tracks: The whole thing. Listening to individual tracks ruins the natural flow.
23. The Offspring - Ixnay on the Hombre
I could pretty much redo the Americana write-up with this one. But, this album is functionally different from Americana in the tone of the songs. While Americana is mostly full of fun songs that sometimes have depressing lyrics, Ixnay has a few songs that are just so full of emotion that it's hard not to be touched. This is all coming from a punk band that writes songs about little kids eating dog shit after thinking it's a candy bar. Seriously though, Gone Away and Amazed are two of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, and pretty much anybody can relate to the feeling of helplessness expressed in both of them. That's what impresses me so much about The Offspring. The first half of the album is mostly fun punk songs about silly topics, and then a song like Gone Away kicks in. It's a pretty incredible experience.
Recommended tracks: The Meaning of Life, Gone Away, I Choose, All I Want, Amazed
Topic: Top 50 Albums: The UMH Experience (Read 65268 times)
