27. Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time (1986)
Genre: Heavy MetalI didn't like Powerslave that much. There's a few good songs, but the middle portion is kinda shit. I'd still rank it above most of the post reunion material though. Somewhere in Time was a huge improvement over Powerslave, and the addition of the relevancsizer wasn't a detractor at all. The songs were more energetic, heavier, and were all well written and catchy even without the help of any songwriting from Bruce Dickinson. I believe he is usually the one who writes all the singleworthy stuff. After a brief intro, the title track kicks you in the face with an extremely catchy, but heavy as fuck riff, and doesn't stop until the 7 minutes are over. Iron Maiden hasn't really been on my currently playing list of bands in a while, and I don't know how often Wasted Years was played on the radio, but in my 10 years as a fan, the song has never gotten old, and I never grew tired of it. It's just a great song. I can see Heaven Can Wait doing that though, although that song isn't bad either. Sea of Madness picks up where the title track left off with the pounding metal onslaught. My least favorite would be Loneliness of the Longest Song Title Ever (I may have done this joke before in my last list, and if so I apologize... it's not that long). The two closing tracks, Deja Vu and Alexander the Great are pretty epic, if not a bit silly. Alexander the Great I imagine is where Jon Schaffer got his inspiration for The Glorious Burden as it reads like a history book, but the instrumental/solo section is amazing. Seventh Son was an amazing follow up, but Somewhere in Time still slays it.
Favorite song: Alexander The Great
26. Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes (1998)
Genre: Metal/Power MetalI liked The Dark Saga. It has my favorite Iced Earth song, but it lacked oomph. Something Wicked gives us that oomph. Kinda picking up where Burnt Offerings left off with the "I hate organized religion" lyrics which is cool with me, this album combines the heaviness of BO with the accessibility of The Dark Saga to create a mainstream, but heavy album. Jon was feeling ballad happy though because every other song is a ballad, so the album might not have the best flow for some people. I've actually re-ordered the track list to a pretty good line up, but I had to omit Watching Over Me. The album is fine as is though. Jon is pretty inspired and the whole "band" sounds great. The bass is thick and audible, and the drums sound natural, and Larry's lead playing is stellar. This album also saw the birth of the Something Wicked storyline, and the ending trilogy is amazing. One of the best things IE has ever done. The riffs are incredible, and Matt tears it up on vocals. If you were thinking of getting into Iced Earth, this is probably the best place to start. It isn't a thrash monster like Night of the Stormrider, but it's a heavy, accessible, and kick ass Metal album.
Favorite song: The Coming Curse
25. Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera (2002)
Genre: Symphonic Power MetalHansi decided one day he was going to stop fucking screaming and start fucking wailing. A Night at the Opera sees Blind Guardian changing from Thrash/Speed/Power Metal to Symphonic Power Metal. Hansi is one of my favorite singers, and his high notes are just incredible. I really like the mix here. Most BG fans seem to complain about it, and I will agree it's loud, as in, Hansi will give you a headache, but the mix as a whole never bothered me. It still sounds better than the remix from the recent box set, where audio drops down, and the kick drums are way too quiet, one of the best parts about the original mix. There is lead guitar playing literally throughout every song, which always had me wonder how the hell they're able to memorize all that live. It sounds cool though. this is still very much a Power Metal album, but not enough for the drummer to stick around. This is some of Thomen's best work I think. It was actually hard for him to play live which is why they've never played Battlefield. Although their next album was a dud, Blind Guardian would pick things up again for 2010's At The Edge of Time, where they would have a real orchestra and return to their thrashier roots. I recommend that album as well. I almost forgot to mention the 14 minute masterpiece that is And Then There Was Silence. The epic to end all Power Metal epics. At 14 minutes, this song never slows down (even at the slow parts) and even at 14 minutes, it has a rather typical song structure, and flies by. It's so enthralling that it's over before you know it. It's just an amazing song. It was actually released as the albums' lead single which is rather odd, but at the same time makes perfect sense. Listen to it NAO.
Favorite song: And Then There Was Silence
Topic: Zook's Top 50 v. Screw it, here's #13-1! (Read 16099 times)
