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General => Archive => General Music Archives => Topic started by: Scorpion on September 23, 2012, 08:44:47 AM
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Alright, time to get this on the road. I'll be starting my Top 50 right now, as all the other people in front of me on the waiting list aren't ready yet and we should really bring some action back into the Top 50 threads. If anyone objects to this, please tell me.
This list will consist of my Top 50. I can't really say how much "all-time" this is, as it features a lot of music that I discovered on DTF, but when I read through the list again today, I can honestly say that this list is a pretty good representation of my tastes. I made some final adjustements and it is now complete, to be posted in small steps for you to enjoy/dissect/bemoan or whatever else you wish to do with it.
Each band on this list will have no more than two albums, simply to prevent this from becoming a five-band-affair (I'm exaggerating slightly, but not that much) - a few albums that I simply could not leave off will therefore be part of the honourable mentions at the end. I'll try to update twice a day, but at least one update a day shall be guaranteed.
My tastes are probably not what most people would call diverse, but I can safely say that they are far more diverse than they were a year ago and this list reflects that. Expect to see mainly metal, but there should be the odd surprising pick thrown in which should (hopefully) prevent this list from becoming boring and predictable.
So, without further ado, begin!
50. Transatlantic – Bridge Across Forever (2001)
(https://united-metal.ru/uploads/posts/2011-10/1318187741_transatlantic-bridgeacrossforever.jpg)
And off we go with a choice that will already have people moaning at its low placement, but I can’t help it. Yes, this album is the best album that Transatlantic have ever done, and each of the four pieces, save for Suite-Charlotte Pike (which has a distinct "jammy" character instead of the feeling of a composed song) are masterfully constructed and have their abundant share of atmospheric textures and great melodies, and yes, all the musicians are top-notch here, with Portnoy delivering some extremely tasteful and yet driving drumming instead of his in-your-face approach (Stranger in Your Soul comes to mind as a perfect example) and the vocal interplay between the different vocalists is nothing short of amazing – hell, even the fact that Bridge Across Forever is cheesier than a Pizza Margherita doesn’t bother me.
However, there is one thing that bothers me with this record and that is also the reason for this low placement, despite all of the positives listed: Transatlantic’s music lacks, for lack of a better word, a certain punch, a certain aggressiveness. Now, this doesn’t mean that music has to be 100% heavy-balls-out, or that there are no heavy parts on this album, but the music, while masterfully crafted and performed, is simply a little too tame. It is never really edgy, but instead meanders around a little, not really being boring, but not being that interesting either. When I force myself to really listen, I always appreciate it, but the bottom line is that because I have to force myself to listen to reach this effect, this otherwise amazing album sadly on gets the 50th spot on my list.
Recommended tracks: Duel With the Devil, Stranger in Your Soul
49. Led Zeppelin – IV (1971)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ssUkMMEfH40/TdxbM_pM2LI/AAAAAAAAABI/Zkprabimc-4/s1600/LEDCD004.jpg)
Now, if the previous pick didn’t have the people ranting and raving, then this probably does, it being one of the most important albums of classic rock and heavy metal in general, with a legacy that few albums out there can ever hope to match. And rightly so – the musicianship is stellar, with both creative songwriting and great performances all over the place.
However, in the end, the problem with this album is that there are many stellar songs on this album, a few of them fall short of this and come close to ruining the experience of this album (mainly Misty Mountain Hop and Four Sticks) – also, Robert Plant’s vocals have, for a long time been something that I hated with a passion. I can stand them now and appreciate the majority of the album for what it is – a defining album in the history of rock – but unfortunately, the album, while good, isn’t really all that excellent as most people make it out to be.
Recommended tracks: Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, When the Levee Breaks
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I don't have either of those, but they both sound great!
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Following intently.
The Transatlantic is great. Led Zep I never got. I understand that they wee groundbreaking and the influence they had, I just don't like 'em. Plant: Hated his voice and his mannerisms and I can't stand folk music.
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Well, I'm glad that I'm not alone in the "doesn't-really-like-Led-Zep" corner. :lol
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Well, I'm glad that I'm not alone in the "doesn't-really-like-Led-Zep" corner. :lol
I'll join you in said corner.
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Following intently too! I'm in the other corner for LZ. But I definitely understand how people dont get huge influential bands. I don't get the Beatles whatsoever.
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I don't get it. Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but it sounds like: in your opinion, the 49th greatest album ever - that out of the millions ever recorded, there are only 48 better than - is one that you don't really like that much? I can appreciate the influence The Beatles and Hendrix and Elvis had but you wouldn't find them anywhere near my list - it's your favourite albums, not the most influential ones.
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I don't get it. Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but it sounds like: in your opinion, the 49th greatest album ever - that out of the millions ever recorded, there are only 48 better than - is one that you don't really like that much? I can appreciate the influence The Beatles and Hendrix and Elvis had but you wouldn't find them anywhere near my list - it's your favourite albums, not the most influential ones.
:lol
That occurred to me too. If you read the write up you certainly wouldn't know that was a top 50 album from the review!!!
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And we are off to a great start. Both amazing albums
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I don't get it. Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but it sounds like: in your opinion, the 49th greatest album ever - that out of the millions ever recorded, there are only 48 better than - is one that you don't really like that much? I can appreciate the influence The Beatles and Hendrix and Elvis had but you wouldn't find them anywhere near my list - it's your favourite albums, not the most influential ones.
I guess that that's rather badly worded. The thing is just that I was rather justifying why this album was in 49th place and not higher, because so many people rate it far higher than I do. That said, it's still a great album, with the things that I mentioned being the only problems that I have with it. The songwriting on the other songs and the performance of the whole album is something to behold, and I really enjoy the album when I listen to it - it's just that it's lower than some people would expect it and that's why the whole review of the album is negatively tinted, as I was assuming that everyone is familiar with the positives.
I'll try to be more clear in the future, alright?
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Following intently too! I'm in the other corner for LZ. But I definitely understand how people dont get huge influential bands. I don't get the Beatles whatsoever.
I'm not a huge Zep guy. There will be only one Zep album in my Top 50.
I am definitely not a Transatlantic guy either.
Scorp, definitely following.
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Bridge Across Forever is about 47 spots too low, but cool to see it included. :tup
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6th mention of Bridge on these lists. Two people rated it their 3rd favorite album.
3rd mention of IV. Previously rated 4th and 29th.
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Bridge Across Forever is about 47 spots too low, but cool to see it included. :tup
Yeah, well this. Should definitely be in the top 10.
That said, I didn't have it in mine, but that was only because I limited myself to albums I had known for more than 6 months. Now I wouldn't hesitate putting it in the top 10.
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Thanks for the interest, and update time!
48. Scars on Broadway – Scars on Broadway (2008)
(https://www.freecodesource.com/album-cover/51oB2k9PVQL/Scars-On-Broadway-Scars-On-Broadway.jpg)
Scars on Broadway, for those of you that don’t know, is the side project of System of a Down-guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan, and the band’s close ties to System of a Down can be heard very clearly. All of the songs are delivered in a very SoaD-esque manner, with Daron singing everything, not splitting it like in SoaD. The musicianship is, as was expected, top-notch, with Daron’s guitars easily being the stars of the album.
But not only the musicianship shines, the song-writing is great as well. The songs are, in most cases, catchy as hell, with plenty of hooks, yet without drifting into mainstream territory, and they transport an unbelievable amount of energy and atmosphere, in the fast-paced rockers just as in the slower pieces.
However, the album’s greatest strength and what drew me to the band in the first place – the closeness and likeness to SoaD is probably also the bands greatest weakness. This record would be a fantastic, maybe even a perfect record on its own, but as it is, this album cannot escape the comparison with SoaD – a comparison where it, in my opinion, is the clear loser, because where Scars on Broadway is more or less all in the vein of Daron’s songs for SoaD, it lacks the balance that SoaD has with Serj writing the other half. And while each song on Scars on Broadway’s debut album is masterfully crafted and executed with great atmospheres and stunning melodies, I can never help but wonder: how good could this have been with Serj?
Recommended tracks: Funny, Babylon, Chemicals, Whoring Streets
47. Queens of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf (2002)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4azCoRPREQM/TAHjZmEZ4EI/AAAAAAAAALU/tv1FW7G6wSI/s1600/sftdqotsa.jpg)
Most of you have probably heard of this band, even if you haven’t yet listened to them. I must say that I never got into anything else that Josh Homme had done, and even with QotSA, this album is the only one which really holds my interest, but it is a killer album in itself, with a very unique style. This is probably one of my favourite straight-out rock albums of all time (what I classify as rock, anyway, but I have always been very lenient with regards to genre descriptions).
Especially the longer tracks on this record really stand out. The shorter tracks like Go With the Flow, probably the most well-known song off this record or the tone-setting opener You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionare aren’t bad by any means, but they do pale a little when compared to their longer colleagues that can be found on Songs for the Deaf.
Mosquito Song, which was my favourite for a long time, is perhaps the biggest surprise of all on this CD. The other tracks, even though they are far better than most other QotSA tracks, are still easily identifiable as the band, as their sound is more refined, but ultimately rather similar. Mosquito Song breaks away from that completely, using clean guitars and an orchestra instead of distorted guitars and drumming. Some people might consider it to be cheesy, but for me it is the standout track on an already great album and it is single-handedly responsible for this album being in my Top 50.
Recommended tracks: Go With the Flow, God Is on the Radio, A Song for the Deaf, Mosquito Song
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only the second mention for both of these.
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only the second mention for both of these.
I love your statistics and your spreadsheet, keep 'em coming! :)
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only the second mention for both of these.
I love your statistics and your spreadsheet, keep 'em coming! :)
I think there's likely to be a few firsts and probably onlys when it gets to my turn ;D
Two that are probably not up my street but I'll give em a listen first chance I get.
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don't know either of those
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I felt that an awesome thread's just started.. I wasn't wrong!
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:lol
Thanks. :heart
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Update!
46. Angra – Temple of Shadows (2004)
(https://images.uulyrics.com/cover/a/angra/album-temple-of-shadows.jpg)
Angra are probably a household name for anyone that is a fan of progressive power metal, and with this album, they reached their peak. Temple of Shadows is a concept album, telling the story of a crusader in the 11th century who defies the ideals of the Catholic church and is subsequently branded a heretic and flees, before starting a new religion or something like that. Quite frankly, I don’t really care, because I never got that from listening to the album, and the lyrics aren’t really the strong point of this album anyway.
No, the real gem that can be found here is the music and from the first notes of Deus Le Volt!, which segues directly into the aggressive and fast-paced riff of Spread Your Fire, to the last moments of the orchestral album summary Gate XIII, there isn’t a musically weak moment to be found here. Angra do a masterful job in combining power metal, progressive elements and traditional Brazilian music, taking the best from each world and melding it into a potpourri of awesomeness – the best example for this is the longest track, The Shadow Hunter.
As this is a power metal album, of course the main focus lies on the guitars, but every member of the band does a fantastic job, and even though the lyrics aren’t really all that innovative, deep or exciting, the vocal melodies are nothing short of amazing either. Some well-known guest vocalists such as Kai Hansen and Hansi Kürsch round the whole thing off, but they probably wouldn’t even have been needed.
All in all, a fantastic album and definitely one of the best power metal albums that I have ever heard.
Recommended tracks: The Temple of Hate, The Shadow Hunter, No Pain for the Dead, Morning Star
45. King Diamond – Abigail (1987)
(https://image.payloadz.com/products/850360_1.jpg)
From the devilishly distorted words of Funeral, the opening track to the last second of Black Horsemen, this album emanates an angry, evil vibe like no other album that I know – King Diamond’s voice is truly incredible in that aspect. No other album, however, that he has sung on (at least, that I know of, as I have not yet listened to all Mercyful Fate and King Diamond albums) is, in my opinion, quite as well-crafted as Abigail is. Of course, the storyline does sound rather laughable on its own, but when it is accompanied by the music, then the tale becomes scarier than many horror movies that I have seen (which is, admittedly, not a lot).
The drumming is spot on, the guitars pack quite a punch and the soloing is top notch, but it is King Diamond’s voice that sounds like straight out of hell that makes this album so great, especially his ability to shift from growling to screaming at lightning speeds, without making it sound forced in any way. The musical creativity is there in heaps as well; just listen to the amount of awesome riffs that can be found in The Family Ghost alone.
I suspect that many of you already know this album, but those who don’t, get it now. You won’t regret it.
Recommended tracks: Arrival, The Family Ghost, The 7th of July 1777, Black Horsemen
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Alright, one more to listen to.
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Which one of the two do you mean?
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Abigail. So far the only one I don't know in your list.
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Abigail is awesome. The Eye is slightly better. I like some Angra but not got this one.
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Good to see Abigail on another list, perfect metal. That Angra album is good, but I prefer quite a few of their other albums over it. Although, Waiting Silence is their best song.
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Out of interest: which Angra albums do you two prefer over Temple of Shadows?
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Rebirth, Angels Cry and AC. Temple was good, but it just never clicked with me as it seemed to with most.
Abigail is awesome. The Eye is slightly better. I like some Angra but not got this one.
I like this appreciation of The Eye, really great album and one of King's most underrated, awesome.
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Out of interest: which Angra albums do you two prefer over Temple of Shadows?
I've got Angel's Cry and Fireworks which are both very good albums. I wouldn't say I prefer it over ToS as I haven't heard it. Heading to Spotify as it sounds like I will like it.
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Angra :2metal:
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don't know either of those
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Abigail is great.
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I have nothing to do atm, so here's the next installment. Tell me if I'm going to fast.
44. Green Carnation – Light of Day, Day of Darkness (2002)
(https://images.cryhavok.org/d/7623-1/Green+Carnation+-+Light+of+Day_+Day+of+Darkness.jpg)
If someone came to me and asked me for dark and dreary music, that is long without feeling lengthy, this is the album that I would pick up and give them. This album is a sixty-minute, one-track ride through the darkness, with heavy and soft moments all over the place, yet creating a feeling of a perfectly coherent track all the same.
The song starts calmly, before going into some heavy riffage, which is cleverly alternated with some calm parts until around the thirty-minute mark. Then we come to a very ethereal part of the song, with the vocals becoming the centre of the listener’s attention. Even though there aren’t any real lyrics in this part, only sounds, this part exudes raw emotion in a way that few other albums that I now could ever manage.
And then, the true climax of the song, around the forty-minute mark: the guitar solo. This solo is long, melodic, it has faster and slower bits, yet never feels forced or showy just for the sake of it. Really, this is exactly how a guitar solo should be. After that, we are treated some more musical goodness, including great riffs, bass licks, gorgeous female vocals and acoustic guitars before the song comes to its close.
All in all, this album is nothing short of an incredible musical journey, going pretty much everywhere that is not happy or positive. It may take a few listens to click, so don’t be disheartened if you don’t like it on your first listen – it is really, truly worth it.
Recommended tracks: :neverusethis:
43. Stratovarius – Dreamspace (1994)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jXdzSQc9tg0/TtvtwtzaJgI/AAAAAAAAAm8/cxT3QtmJRzc/s1600/front.jpg)
Just as the previous pick, this album is fucking dark. Not as dark as Green Carnation, that’s true, but it is still the single-handedly darkest album in Stratovarius’ whole discography, and while most Stratovarius albums are pretty awesome, the haunting atmosphere of this album is something that has always made it a favourite of mine.
A short word regarding the production: the production of this albums isn’t the best that Stratovarius has to offer, with the whole thing sounding somewhat cold and a little dry (I’m not really that good in describing this kind of stuff, so this is the best that I can do in describing it), but with this album, it really works and I wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, the rather sparse production of the album even furthers the haunting atmosphere of this album.
Now, after a word to the icing on the Dreamspace cake, let’s take a look at the cake itself – and there’s really no other way to say this than that this cake is fucking delicious. The songs themselves are great, with Timo Tolkki easily being the central man of this album, both his vocals and his guitars dominating the record. Unlike later Stratovarius records, the keyboard doesn’t really have a lead role, but is rather used in a atmospheric way, leaving the guitar to do all the leads, something that Tolkki does brilliantly – a great example of this is Atlantis, a one-minute track featuring only keyboards and acoustic guitars.
My favourite track off this album is probably Abyss, with the main riff and the chorus being one of the catchiest that Stratovarius have ever written, while never sounding poppy in any form – but really, most, if not all tracks on this album, range from very good to excellent.
Recommended tracks: Eyes of the World, Dreamspace, Atlantis, Abyss, Full Moon
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You seem rather negative in your reviews for a list that should contain your 50 favourite albums :lol
Again, nothing new for me, Light of Day is amazing, but I can't say the same of that Stratovarius album. It's good, but not good enough for a #43 place.
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You seem rather negative in your review for a list that should contain your 50 favourite albums :lol
Where? :huh: I have nothing but praise for the last two albums.
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I'm with Elite here. You do praise the albums but there are a couple of negative comments there that one would not expect in a top 50
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I'm with Elite here. You do praise the albums but there are a couple of negative comments there that one would not expect in a top 50
Just because I love albums doesn't mean (at least for me) that they couldn't be better, you know?
Also, I don't really think that I was being overtly critical here. Maybe that's just me. :lol
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I've heard the Green Carnation when it' s been recommended in other threads- it's certainly dark and whilst I enjoyed it I don't know when I'd ever be in the mood to listen to it.
I like Stratovarius but only have The best of, Infinite and Elysium. Shame that Timmo has his demons- it's held him back in recent times.
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Nothing wrong with being critical, especially since at your age still drawing from a smaller pool than some of us. Even if you are jacking albums left and right, you still have to listen to them.
I don't think that Stratovarius album would be in my top 5 Stratovarius albums.
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Following. Not lots of stuff that I know so far, so I'll have to check some of it out. :tup
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Temple of Hate is an awesome fucking album. As for Strato, definitely nice seeing them in the thread, but that album should not be the one that gets them on a list.
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Thanks for the interest in this!
Nothing wrong with being critical, especially since at your age still drawing from a smaller pool than some of us. Even if you are jacking albums left and right, you still have to listen to them.
Thanks for coming to my defense. I'm just trying to describe these albums in the way that I see them, and in many cases I love them despite their flaws. It would be boring if I blew my load over every single album, wouldn't it?
Temple of Hate is an awesome fucking album.
Nice that we agree, but the album is still called Temple of Shadows. :dammitamanda:
Here's some new stuff for all of ya!
42. Machine Head – The Blackening (2007)
(https://thesilvertongueonline.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/folder1.jpg)
Machine Head’s discography is an interesting little thing. Every album good, without being great for the most part (really, that’s true for all the albums by them that I have heard, with each featuring a bunch of great tracks and a bunch of tracks that I don’t care about at all) – and then, out of nowhere, comes The Blackening.
The Blackening is a behemoth of a thrash metal album, a relentless factory of riffs that come crashing down on you during every moment. The song writing isn’t really that varied, true, but at least for this album, it doesn’t bother me in the least, because the song writing is just so damn good.
Not just the song writing shine, but also the musicians – the most noteworthy is, of course, vocalist and guitarist Robert Flynn, who holds the title of being the first vocalist to use growling (or harsher vocals in any way) that I could get into, and his guitar playing is nothing short of excellent as well, providing the listener with memorable riffs and solos in every song.
Something, however, that really makes this album (not that it’s really needed, because it’s awesome in its own right) is the track order, because the album starts high with Clenching the Fists of Dissent and Beautiful Mourning, only to proceed to climb a little higher with each following song, ending the album on the best Machine Head track that I have ever heard, A Farewell to Arms. Were the order reversed, then I think I might even get bored of the second half a little, but as it is, there is not a single boring moment on this CD.
Everyone who is a thrash metal fan and has not yet heard this album, do so now. You can thank me later.
Recommended tracks: Slanderous, Halo, Wolves, A Farewell to Arms
41. Sum 41 – Chuck (2004)
(https://images-jp.amazon.com/images/P/B00035VYYS.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
And here we have the first pick that is probably truly surprising. Sum 41 are somewhat similar to Green Day, in that they call themselves a punk band, but they aren’t really one. However, that’s also where the similarities end, because even though Sum 41 play a certain brand of pop-punk, they mix that with a healthy amount of metal, just enough to keep it accessible.
Later and earlier efforts than Chuck (named after Chuck Pelletier, an ambassador that saved the group’s life in Africa, if I recall correctly) are all decidedly more poppy than this album, with only the most recent album going in a similar direction. Chuck, however, is pretty much a perfect blend of metal and pop-punk – heavy songs that are still accessible and have plenty of hooks – the best example of this would be 88, but really, there are tons of great songs on the album, which are not exactly varied, but very enjoyable nevertheless.
Lead guitarist Dave Baksh left Sum 41 after this album, which is kind of a shame, because his leads were really something that I liked most about their sound, and I could even imagine their latest album Screaming Bloody Murder surpassing Chuck if he were to play on it, but oh well. He did play on Chuck, and Chuck is awesome, so I won’t complain much.
Recommended tracks: We’re All to Blame, Open Your Eyes, I’m Not the One, 88, Noots (this is a bonus track on the international edition, so I’d recommend getting that one)
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The Blackening = countless spins for me when it first came out. Very cool album.
I haven't really heard anything by Sum 41 and I don't think I ever will.
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Two more that aren't for me. :sad:
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Never really got into The Blackening. Much prefer Locust, More Things Change and Burn my Eyes.
Interesting Strato pick and love the addition of Green Carnation, deserves all the praise it gets.
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40. Rammstein – Reise, Reise (2004)
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6o0-wiuzD9U/Tyya5g-CjgI/AAAAAAAABrk/bBOd5y_0atQ/s1600/Rammstein-Reise-Reise-496697.jpg)
Ah yes, Rammstein - a band that has the ability to split the public (at least here in Germany) like no other band that I have ever encountered. While some people outright hate Rammstein for their perceived “shocking for the sake of shocking” (interestingly enough, Rammstein is also one of the few bands that some people that I know actually hate), whereas others love their music and their lyrics. I am obviously in the latter camp, much to my roommates chagrin. :P
For those of you that don’t know, Rammstein play a genre of music that is most commonly referred to as Neue Deutsche Härte or Industrial Music, though the guys from Rammstein call it “dance metal” themselves, with the last description pretty much nailing it. Their music is, in most cases, heavy, yet very emotional and also very catchy and danceable. I can’t really describe the sound any better than that – Rammstein have to be heard to understand it fully, I think.
Reise, Reise is Rammstein’s fourth album and by the time of its release, they had long since gained notoriety, if not outside, then at the very least inside of Germany, whether for their alleged ties to the Nazi scene, controversial song themes (Heirate mich on their debut album, which is about necrophilia comes to mind) or for actually engaging in anal sex with a dildo and ejaculating prepared semen from it onto the first rows of the audience during their first live DVD, Rammstein had long since become a name that everyone knew, even those that had no interest in this kind of music.
With such a reputation to live up to, as well as the amazing predecessor Mutter, expectations were high prior to the release of Reise, Reise – and Rammstein, despite these high expectations, didn’t disappoint in the slightest – I would probably even dare to say that they surpassed them.
The album is amazingly consistent, with not a bad track to be found on this release. Interestingly enough, Rammstein also moved away from the controversial themes on this album. Of course it did contain the obligatory scandal song (Mein Teil), complete with a video that could only be aired on MTV between ten and six, because it featured scenes of singer Till Lindemann being fellated by an angel, while tearing out it’s feathers, but other than that, the songs seem to move away a little from the shock angle and feature some stunning lyrics (mainly those that tell stories, such as Dalai Lama and Stein um Stein – songs about emotions are more prone to become cheesy, such as Ohne dich) in their own right.
The performance of the six musicians is stunning as well, with singer Till Lindemann really standing out, as his voice, while it does take some getting used to, is a very powerful and emotional one, which, along with great vocal melodies, make the vocals to be the most praiseworthy thing on this album, in my opinion.
But really, everything about this album is great. Many will probably not agree – if you don’t enjoy Rammstein, then this album isn’t for you – but if you haven’t heard Rammstein yet, then this is an ideal starting point.
Recommended tracks: Dalai Lama, Morgenstern (fun fact: my mother sings in the choir in this one), Stein um Stein, Amour
39. Deep Purple – Made in Japan (1972)
(https://i2.listal.com/image/1468653/600full-made-in-japan-cover.jpg)
This live album is, for me, the pinnacle of what Deep Purple would accomplish. Released at the very height of their career, this album showcases all the aspects of Deep Purple that have made them one of the most successful rock bands to have ever existed.
The song selection, something which makes or breaks a live album for me (among other factors, of course) is spectacular, with all of my personal favourites (Highway Star, Child in Time, Space Truckin’, Speed King) being represented, most of them in extended versions which truly showcase the creativity of all the members, though Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord especially shine – the key solo in Highway Star, for instance, is one of my favourite keyboard solos ever to be recorded.
All in all, there’s really not a lot to say about this album. It’s considered one of the best live albums in the history of rock, and not an ounce of this praise is undeserved. If you don’t have it, buy it. Now.
Recommended tracks: Highway Star, Child in Time, The Mule, Space Truckin’
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I'll be honest and say I don't know full albums by Rammstein, only individual songs. Mostly because of the 'Volkerball' (sp?) dvd. Live in Japan is however awesome (but aren't you breaking any unwritten rules by putting a live album in your top 50?) and it's frankly the only Deep Purple 'album' I own a physical copy of. Cool stuff.
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but aren't you breaking any unwritten rules by putting a live album in your top 50?
My Top 50, my rules.
(https://assets0.ordienetworks.com/images/GifGuide/DealWithIt/tumblr_l6ouy08TEp1qz9muno1_r1_400.gif)
Also, Völkerball is indeed awesome. I would have loved to be there, one of the best concert DVDs I have.
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Made In Japan is great and there will definitely be live albums in my Top 50. Two of which are in my Top 10
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Good picks in here. Abigail is one of the best albums ever, for sure. Reise, Reise is my favorite Rammstein album, but Till is pretty much the only reason I come back to that band anymore. Their music just doesn't interest me enough to listen to them for an entire album's length. I'm not sure what happened, because I used to love them to death.
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Highway Star live is awesome.
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First mention of Deep Purple in any list so far
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They were very close to making it in mine. As to live albums, I had seven or eight.
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Reise, Reise :tup. Dalai-lama is indeed awesome, and I found it even more awesome, when I found that it was inspired by Schubert's Erlkönig.
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Reise, Reise :tup. Dalai-lama is indeed awesome, and I found it even more awesome, when I found that it was inspired by Schubert's Erlkönig.
That is pretty awesome indeed, especially considering how boring the original poem is and what Rammstein made from it. Der Erlkönig is by Goethe, however - Schubert only a wrote a song based on that poem later.
Anywho, update time!
38. Placebo – Without You I’m Nothing (1998)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jAddddpPR3Q/T6P_cg6X1JI/AAAAAAAAAuk/zwvUMUisUaI/s1600/WYIMN_album.jpg)
Placebo is one of the few remnants of the music that I listened to before I discovered metal and only listened to what my father was listening, and while our tastes now diverge quite strongly, we both still enjoy Placebo a lot.
Placebo are a British alternative rock band, though their sound has been too continuously evolving to be able to really limit Placebo to this genre. Their first album was much more in the vein of punk (though still far from it), whereas this album, even though it does contain elements of this sound (Scared of Girls or Brick Shithouse, for example), goes more into the direction of depressing and melancholy music, with some experimental elements thrown in.
Without You I’m Nothing is Placebo’s sophomore effort, and with Every You Every Me it contains one of the band’s best known songs, due to the fact that it was part of the soundtrack of the movie Cruel Intentions.
Every You Every Me is an obvious choice for a single on this album and it is a pretty awesome song as well, but it pales in comparison to the rest of the album. This album contains nothing but beautiful songs that are often very haunting, melodic and intense, and it is one of the most emotional albums that I know. From the instantly recognizable beginning of Pure Morning to the final chord of Burger Queen, this album offers amazing music in astounding quantities, which is strongly enhanced by both singer Brian Molko’s voice and by the production of the album itself. Even the cover is a good representation of what the album feels like, in a sense.
To top it off, the album contains a bonus track which has some of the most hilariously creepy lyrics that I have ever read, though it is made even funnier by the fact that they aren’t even written by the band, but simply the contents of a message that Brian Molko found on his answering machine on day. The track is aptly title Evil Dildo, and the lyrics talk are a threat towards Molko, saying that the caller will come to his house, cut off his penis and eat it. That, in combination with the creepy music, makes, while certainly very different than the rest of the album, an awesome track all in itself, though I understand why it was only put on a bonus track.
In summary: if you like dark, melancholic music with lyrics that are not quite poetic, but pretty damn well close, then chances are you’ll like this album, and I suggest you give it a spin.
Recommended tracks: Ask for Answers, Without You I’m Nothing, The Crawl, Burger Queen
37. Luna Mortis – The Absence (2009)
(https://images.cryhavok.org/d/13743-1/Luna+Mortis+-+The+Absence.jpg)
And here we are at the other end of the spectrum, at least musically speaking. Luna Mortis are a – sadly – relatively unknown band that plays a blend of progressive, thrash and melodic death metal. They only released one full-length album before dissolving in 2010, but this album is really something to behold, and also something that every fan of the aforementioned genres should have listened to at least once and is rather likely to like.
Except, of course, if this metal fan dislikes female vocals, because that is one of the things that make Luna Mortis’ sound rather unique, in my opinion (keep in my mind that I’m not really all that well versed in the realms of melodic death metal, so there’s a high probability that many of you could prove me wrong here). Before hearing this album, I would have never thought that females could deliver such a presence in growling vocals as vocalist Mary Zimmer does on this album, but her vocals are nothing short of astounding.
However, the true star of the album is guitarist Brian Koenig, who, on this album, delivers memorable riffs and leads left and right, such as the opening riff of Ash, the album opener. The production of the album isn’t anything special, but it does its job well enough and it isn’t bad by any means either.
Another point where Luna Mortis manage to impress – and arguably the most important one, that is – is the songs themselves. They aren’t really anything extremely innovative, neither in sound nor in structure, but they are all concise and to the point, as well as masterfully crafted and executed. There’s the obligatory ballad (This Departure), but even that is pretty good, and the rest of the songs simply slay.
Recommended tracks: Ash, The Absence, Never Give In, Embrace the End
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Haven't heard these 2
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From what I know about your tastes, you probably would enjoy neither. :P
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:lol I know. I read your reviews and the second one is a no for sure but I may need to give Placebo a shot. I love their song Every me and every you
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:lol I know. I read your reviews and the second one is a no for sure but I may need to give Placebo a shot. I love their song Every me and every you
Well, the rest of the album is a little darker and more melancholy for the most part, but if you like Every Me Every You then you should definitely give it a shot.
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Haven't heard these 2
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Haven't heard these 2
though Luna Mortis sound interesting. Do you think I'll like it?
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If you aren't opposed to harsher vocals, give it a spin.
This is the track that got me into them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPI1eeRAyrw
EDIT: Quality sucks, but it should give you an idea.
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I'm not. I used to listen to a lot of Melodic Death Metal when I was younger.
EDIT: Wow, that track was pretty cool. You should have saved it for my roulette, could have scored some points with it :P
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Nooooooooooooooooooooo!
Uhm, yeah. Check out the rest as well.
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Haven't heard these 2
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Ouch, late to the party. Some quite amazing albums so far. :tup
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Ouch, late to the party. Some quite amazing albums so far. :tup
No arguments from me towards that statement. :P
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Made In Japan is great and there will definitely be live albums in my Top 50. Two of which are in my Top 10
Several live albums in mine too. ;D :metal
Not a Rammstein fan but the video with the evil Snow White in it did things to me... :heart :blush
Purple I love. Great live album.
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Lowdz, did you get my PM?
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Lowdz, did you get my PM?
I did. I've got that album. He's good. I'm not too int the modern metal guitar sound- that downtuned or 7 string sound, but J5 is good no doubt.
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Time for an update before I go to bed! Somehow, these write-ups get lengthier and lengthier as we progress, I hope you don't mind. Tell me if no-one bother to read them anymore, then I'll reign myself in.
36. Pink Floyd – Animals (1977)
(https://legrandirecensioni.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/animals.jpg)
Animals – what can I say about this album that hasn’t been said already? Next to Wish You Were Here, Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, this album is often cited as Pink Floyd’s greatest achievement, and it is easy to see why. This album contains three longtracks, bookended by a short acoustic piece split into two parts. The songs themselves deal with humanity and its structural concept as presented by George Orwell in Animal Farm – Pigs, Dogs and Sheep, representing the greedy and gluttonous leaders of society, the hardworking and goal-oriented people that seek to maximise their own gain at whatever cost, and the mindless followers that do as they are told.
This seems like an ambitious concept at first glance, and while it really is nothing but simple, Pink Floyd (mainly in form of Roger Waters as the main songwriter, who, despite of how much of a dick he was as a person during the later years, was a musical genius in his own right) somehow manage to make it work, creating a dark and gloomy album about the faults of humanity, yet somehow still interjected with a little hopefulness, found primarily in Pigs on the Wing (both parts), which offer the only reprieve from the gloomy mood of the album.
Animals is, of the Pink Floyd albums that I know (which are all from Atom Heart Mother to The Division Bell, excluding The Final Cut), the album that took the longest to click for me, but when it did, I was rewarded with a listening experience that really is second to none.
A word to the performance: as usual, the members of Pink Floyd show that they are undoubtedly a very talented bunch, even if they don’t fly up and down their instruments at blistering speeds, but the real star of the album, even though it is, when boiled down, ultimately a creation of Roger Waters, is David Gilmour, who delivers some of his most memorable playing of his whole career on this album. The main example for this is Dogs, which features plenty of perfectly crafted leads and a very innovative use of the voice box, which Gilmour manages to use in a way that actually enhances the song, without sounding gimmicky or stupid.
All in all, this album is truly fantastic, though it is also a lot to digest. If it doesn’t click immediately for you, don’t give up, because when it does, the end result is well worth it.
Recommended tracks: Dogs, Pigs (Three Different Ones), Sheep
35. die ärzte – Geräusch (2003)
(https://www.abload.de/img/51fnqztbnwlmj61.jpg)
And here we have arrived at the first album of die ärzte on this list, one of my all-time favourite bands and also one of the first bands that I listened to at all. They are also the band that I have seen most often live, that I have the most albums and that I have, if last.fm is to be believed, most often.
die ärzte play a very distinguished version of rock, though you would be hard-pressed in trying to actually shoehorn them into one genre alone, because from their debut album on, they have always loved to experiment and to enrich the songs with elements utterly alien to the genre of rock in normal cases, such as rap, metal, country, ska and many more.
Geräusch, released in 2003, is a rather special album, even in the extensive discography of the band, mainly because it is a double album, featuring twenty-six tracks (twenty-seven if you count the hidden track on CD 1), which, once again while rooted in rock somewhat, span a variety of genres and themes.
I have not mentioned it before, but one of the things that makes the music that die ärzte do work and not simply seem over the place or pretentious is the fact that the band take themselves about as unserious as I could imagine for a band that still manages to live on their income, and they have a rather unique sense of humour that is, in one way or another, imbued into nearly every song that they have recorded. This sense of humour is even more prevalent live, where the lyrics of songs are often spontaneously altered, the result making no sense whatsoever (indeed, one of their songs, Rock Rendezvous has never been performed with its original text).
On this album, die ärzte have managed to balance this humour with a little more seriousness, which allows them to also tackle political and social issues without coming across as people that have no idea what the hell they are actually talking about – and this is exactly what makes Geräusch such a great album. Simply every aspect of the music of die ärzte is present, be it the wildly humorous and at times even nonsensical (Als ich den Punk erfand, Jag Älskjar Sverige!, Pro-Zombie), simple rock songs about day-to-day occurrences (Anders als beim letzten Mal, T-Error, Nichts in der Welt) or songs that deal with more serious issues (Geisterhaus, Nicht allein, Der Grund, Nichtwissen).
This diversity is not only present in the lyrical themes, but also in the music, with everything from straight-out rockers skidding on the edge to metal (Geisterhaus, Der Grund, Die Nacht) over the anthemic and grandiose Nicht allein to songs with ska and jazz influences (Jag Älskjar Sverige!, Als ich den Punk erfand) and even piano ballads (WAMMW), everything is present on the CD. Every member has also penned several of the twenty-seven songs that can be found here, which further heightens the diversity.
Yet, despite all the diversity of this album, die ärzte manage to somehow still make this record feel cohesive instead of a random assembly of tracks, and that is maybe the greatest achievement of this album. No, the end result is not greater than the sum of the tracks, but it is also nothing less, and that is something that is a thing to behold in itself when talking about an album with twenty-seven tracks.
Recommended tracks: Nicht allein, Geisterhaus, Jag Älskjar Sverige!, Schneller leben, Unrockbar, Deine Schuld, Nichts in der Welt, Pro-Zombie, Nichtwissen
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die ärzte sind Prima! Ich finde sie sehr komisch.
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die ärzte sind Prima! Ich finde sie sehr komisch.
:lol I had no idea that anyone aside from Mladen and me even knew them! How did you find out about them?
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Animals is an awesome disc; my favorite from PF. Great choice. Not even the foggiest idea who die arzte are
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Just read through the thread and caught up, some good picks so far :tup
Have to disagree with Animals, it's a good album but it falls somewhere in the middle of PF album rankings, I will agree that Gilmour has some great moments on that album.
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Animals is an awesome disc; my 2nd favorite from PF. Great choice. Not even the foggiest idea who die arzte are
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die ärzte sind Prima! Ich finde sie sehr komisch.
:lol I had no idea that anyone aside from Mladen and me even knew them! How did you find out about them?
You come across the most fascinating things on TVTropes (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Music/DieArzte).
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Animals :heart
I'm glad I heard that album when I did, it was the perfect time, and it was love at first listen. Favorite Floyd album.
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Animals :heart
This. Such a fantastic album
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Animals :heart
Second Favorite Floyd album.
Awesome pick. I almost love you :heart
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Reise, Reise :tup. Dalai-lama is indeed awesome, and I found it even more awesome, when I found that it was inspired by Schubert's Erlkönig.
That is pretty awesome indeed, especially considering how boring the original poem is and what Rammstein made from it. Der Erlkönig is by Goethe, however - Schubert only a wrote a song based on that poem later.
Ach ja! Es ist ein Lied, oder was?
Nein, nicht Glied...
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Stimmt. :tup
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Animals :heart
I'm glad I heard that album when I did, it was the perfect time, and it was love at first listen. Favorite Floyd album.
Completely agreed. LOVE Animals :heart
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Very interesting list so far :hat
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Thanks Barry! I really liked your list as well and it introduced me to quite some new stuff, has anything off mine tickled your fancy yet?
Also, an update.
34. Gamma Ray – Land of the Free II (2007)
(https://www.metalmusicarchives.com/images/covers/gamma-ray-land-of-the-free-ii-20120123143157.jpg)
Most people regard either this album’s namesake Land of the Free, or Power Plant as Gamma Ray’s finest effort, but I have to disagree, because while the first has some of the best Gamma Ray songs, yet also some of the worst, whereas Power Plant is very consistent throughout, yet offers no real standout tracks either, save maybe for Armageddon.
Land of the Free II is, however, both consistent and consistently good, which is what puts it above the other two albums in my book, and while it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Rebellion in Dreamland, there is not a bad track to be found on this CD, making it a very enjoyable listening experience.
For those that don’t know Gamma Ray, they emerged from the German power metal band Helloween when creative mind and guitarist Kai Hansen left Helloween, and they have since then been dwarfing Helloween’s later output left and right (save for To the Metal!, which doesn’t hold a candle to 7 Sinners). The styles of the two bands are rather similar, both rooted strongly in power metal, but what really sets them apart is the masterful song writing of Kai Hansen, something that the boys from Helloween just don’t have in the same amount as their colleagues do.
As with most power metal albums, the guitars are the central pieces here, though drummer Dan Zimmerman and bassist Dirk Schlächter have their moments as well – however, what Kai Hansen and his fellow guitarist Henjo Richter do on this album takes place on a whole different level. They may not be the most technically proficient guitarists to have ever existed, but they certainly are no slouches and they always seem to know when to use their chops in which way to maximally enhance the songs.
The production of the album is pretty great to, though it is pretty crappy on To Mother Earth, something I could never figure out why, which is kind of a shame, because that ruins the song a little for me, though I don’t skip it when it comes up and I enjoy it when it does, but it could have been a lot better.
Recommended tracks: From the Ashes, Rain, Empress, When the World, Insurrection
33. Helloween – Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1 (1987)
(https://sp0.fotolog.com/photo/32/55/113/mailgibson/1300258901255_f.jpg)
As I said for the last album already, Gamma Ray’s recent output is miles better than Helloween’s recent output, but despite that, the best album that Kai Hansen has ever been on and the best album that was released between the two bands is only Helloween’s second album, an album that was recorded before Gamma Ray even came into existence – Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part 1.
Now, before I commence blowing my load all over this album, I will at first mention the only negative aspect of this album, so that’s out of the way: the production. Granted, this is 1987, so I’m not expecting any sonic masterpieces, but even in context of that, the production leaves a lot to be desired, and I know plenty of albums that were released during that time or earlier that have a much better sound. I have to concede that it is probably not Helloween’s fault – after all, the possibilities that a band that had just entered the scene had, especially back then, can’t be compared to those that bands had during the eighties that had already been successful in the seventies or sixties, but it still irks me a bit.
However, despite the flimsiness of the production, this album is all kinds of awesome in pretty much every other aspect that counts for something. The energy of the debut album is still there, but it is now much more refined and has matured a little, though a lot of that probably also has to do with the new singer of the band, Michael Kiske.
Kiske is heralded as one of the best voices in power metal and this album was truly recorded during the peak of his career – the energy and power behind his voice are astounding and so much of a better fit for Helloween than both Hansen’s voice before and Deris’ voice afterwards were and would be. The other members of the band are at the top of their game as well, with both Hansen and Weikath showing that they truly know what they are doing, despite their young ages (Hansen was 24 when this record came out), both in terms of performance and of song writing. I am not as big a fan of Weikath’s song writing as I am of Hansen’s, but the one song that he penned for this album, A Tale That Wasn’t Right, is one of his best, whereas Hansen, who would later mature even more during his time with Gamma Ray already shows his budding song writer talents on this album, with more than half of the album being works of his.
Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1 also contains my favourite Helloween song and one of my favourite metal songs of all time: Helloween’s first and nearly-eponymous epic Halloween, which is a masterful 13-minute journey of aggressive and relentless riffs, acoustic interludes, blazing leads and vocals that are out of this world. The first time that I heard this song, I was left speechless, and even now I find something new and exciting on every listen. Alone this song makes the album worth buying.
Also, awesome cover. 'Nuff said.
Recommended tracks: Twilight of the Gods, A Tale That Wasn’t Right, Future World, Halloween
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I guess I'll need to listen to both.
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I guess I'll need to listen to both.
You don't know them? :omg:
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Only by name. I've heard of Kai Hansen though :P
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Keeper Pt One was absolutely one of the most game changing albums in my life.
I do like Gamma Ray, too, but I find it hard to pick a fave.
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Both good power metal albums. But you are wrong, Powerplant is in fact GR's best album :smiley:
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Helloween
The Living Room
Providence, RI
September 24, 1987
(https://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z246/TACPics/Kai1.jpg)
(https://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z246/TACPics/Hween.jpg)
(https://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z246/TACPics/MK.jpg)
I will never forget the day I met Michael Kiske. Almost exactly 25 years ago! We were both 19 in that picture.
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Sweet! Did they put on a good show?
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Can't go wrong with either Keeper album! Both classics. And cool pics TAC!
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Two great power metal albums :tup
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Like both of those albums but only heard them this year having ignored them for years. I do find them a little bit too "happy" sounding for metal to truly love them, and I'm not a huge fan of Kiske's voice either. He's certainly not bad, though.
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die ärzte sind Prima! Ich finde sie sehr komisch.
:lol I had no idea that anyone aside from Mladen and me even knew them!
Ähh, was meinst du denn wo ich und Ichbinbesser her kommen? :) Wird wohl kaum einen Deutschen geben der die Ärzte nicht kennt.
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die ärzte sind Prima! Ich finde sie sehr komisch.
:lol I had no idea that anyone aside from Mladen and me even knew them!
Ähh, was meinst du denn wo ich und Ichbinbesser her kommen? :) Wird wohl kaum einen Deutschen geben der die Ärzte nicht kennt.
Stimmt. Lass es mich anders ausdrücken: ich wusste nicht, dass irgendjemand außer mir und Mladen sie gut findet.
Besser so?
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32. Buckethead – Colma (1998)
(https://united-metal.ru/uploads/posts/2010-09/1285664140_buckethead-colma-1998.jpg)
This is a rather recent discovery for me, and I have to thank UMH and Lat for it. While browsing the review section, I stumbled across UMH’s review project of Buckethead, where he gave Colma a 5/5 – however, for some reason, I didn’t really check it out, mainly because what I already knew from Buckethead hadn’t really given me the incentive to do so, and I was busy checking out other stuff then. A little while later, though, I was reading lat’s Top 50, which mentioned Buckethead’s Population Override. Upon reading the description, I was reminded of Colma, because both of them are the most laid-back albums that Buckethead has done, and because I didn’t have a lot of other stuff on my check-out plate at that moment, I decided to try out Population Override. The problem was that it wasn’t on Spotify, but Colma was, so I listened to that instead.
As you have probably guessed from the high spot that this album has on my list, it completely blew me away. It was so different from the other Buckethead stuff that I had already heard (like 20th Century Boy, which is basically just some mindless shredding thrown into an already existing pop song), and it was so much better. I have never heard an instrumental album that has managed to convey emotions in the same way that this album does, especially in For Mom, Hilly of Eternity or Ghost.
Buckethead also shows his maturity as a composer in comparison to his earlier stuff, writing tasteful arrangements and in many cases forgoing shredding in favour for more simple and melodic pieces. Sure, there is still shredding present, but it never goes overboard or becomes unnecessary and a chore to listen to.
I’m not really all that big on instrumental music, and I have few pure instrumental albums, so giving this album the title “best instrumental album that I own” might seem like a rather insignificant accomplishment, but this album is really a great album in its own right as well, and I have as of yet not found anyone who dislikes this album.
Recommended tracks: Whitewash, For Mom, Hills of Eternity, Machete, Ghost, Colma
31. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads (1996)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5O3o9EXImHA/TZryjMsh7dI/AAAAAAAAApE/0dX4GVCamCI/s1600/1247598249_cover.jpg)
Nick Cave, for those of you that don’t know him, is an Australian singer and songwriter who formed Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in 1983. They have gathered a lot of critical acclaim over the years and they have also released a lot of stellar music, peaking with Murder Ballads in 1996.
The album is based on a very dark concept – each song deals with murder in different ways, some through the eyes of the killer, some through the eyes of the victim or told by bystanders, some explicit, some rather implied. The variety can be attributed to the music, which, even though it explores many different sounds, from ballads to groovy slow rock songs, from blues-inspired pieces to aggressive and over-the-place songs, all the while still retaining a very cohesive and ultimately, a very dark feel.
The performance is very good, with Nick Cave’s voice making the whole thing a rather unique affair, just as his lyrics do. The album is also rich with guests, which are all big names in certain circles themselves, such as PJ Harvey, who sings in duet with Cave on Henry Lee, Kylie Minogue who does the same thing on Where the Wild Roses Grow and various others. This is probably both attributed to Cave’s talents as a song writer and the picks that he used for his choices as guests, but they always seem to add something to the song, never being there just for the sake of it.
The only reprieve that this album offers from the its gloom mood is the album closer, which is actually a Bob Dylan cover, Death Is Not the End, which manages to interject a small measure of hope into the otherwise so dark and brooding songs that closes the album on a welcome note. And while many will surely consider this to be blasphemous, I actually prefer this version to Dylan’s original recording.
All in all, if you’re a fan of dark and brooding music, coupled with rather morbid, but not necessarily gory or in-your-face lyrics, you might want to check this one out. Not everyone likes Nick Cave’s voice, but it lends a unique timbre to the album and I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.
Recommended tracks: Stagger Lee, Henry Lee, Where the Wild Roses Grow, The Curse of Millhaven, The Kindness of Strangers, Death Is Not the End
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Love Colma, and I got into it the same way you did in UMH's Buckethead reviews. I wrote him off from the image and hearing the track he did on the Last Action Hero soundtrack. He's the real deal though. Great musician- though his more surreal/weird stuff does nothing for me.
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Nick Cave is pretty popular here, although I respect his work but never really got into his music.
Great choice with Keepers and LOTF2 is the third best Gamma Ray album, simply incredible, good pick.
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Animals and Keeper 1 are two of my favorite albums of all time, both in the top 10 for me. :tup
I've never heard the entire Geräusch, although I've always loved the singles that were spinning on MTV and Viva Plus back in the day, those are the songs that actually got me into them. In fact, I listened to Nichts in der Welt and Unrockbar two days ago and I still think they're awesome. :metal
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I've never heard the entire Geräusch, although I've always loved the singles that were spinning on MTV and Viva Plus back in the day, those are the songs that actually got me into them. In fact, I listened to Nichts in der Welt and Unrockbar two days ago and I still think they're awesome. :metal
Three words: do it now.
30. Myrath – Desert Call (2010)
(https://elit-torrent.com/torrentimg/7c1ed30a3650d58a29cd088f51a144d5357cefbf.jpg)
This is another pick that I discovered rather recently, and I have to thank my bro Elite for this one. He mentioned it in his Top 50, and while it didn’t get a particularly high placement, the description intrigued me enough to check out the band, which resulted in me getting both this album and Tales of the Sands. Tales of the Sands impressed me very much, whereas Desert Call didn’t leave that much of an impression upon me, but it with every listen it climbed and after only two weeks (of admittedly listening to pretty much only Myrath), it had surpassed Tales of the Sands as my favourite album by these talented Tunisian musicians.
Myrath are, at the core, a progressive metal band, yet they have been, since their first album, mixing progressive metal with elements of traditional Arabian music, and this blend not only succeeds in making their music unique and memorable, but it works pretty damn well in context with the songs as well – they always feel like a natural part of the song, instead of simply being slapped upon the finished product as I had initially feared, after having heard many bands fail at such a style merge.
What gives this album the edge over Tales of the Sands is the song writing – the musicianship is stellar on both albums, as is the merging of the Arabian elements with the music, but on Desert Call, the music with which they are merged is far more consistent, if that makes any sense. One thing I especially like is the creativity that can be found in the bass line, which deviates from the standard playing of the root note in a certain rhythm and the switching quite a bit – fortunately, the bass is also audible enough to actually make this out.
The only thing that I would like to change about this album, actually, is the production. It isn’t really bad by any means, but since I was listening to this album while alternating it with Tales of the Sands, I couldn’t help but notice that the latter, even though Desert Call is musically stronger, has a much clearer and crisper production than Desert Call, which is something that I think the album would have benefited further from.
Recommended tracks: Forever and a Day, Desert Call, Madness, Silent Cries, Memories, Empty World
29. Marillion – Clutching at Straws (1987)
(https://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110904173820/lyricwiki/images/d/de/Marillion_-_Clutching_at_Straws.jpg)
Another DTF-inspired pick, the thanks go out to lonestar this time, who introduced me to this album in a way – I had actually heard it once, a long time ago, but because he spoke so highly of this album, I was inclined to revisit the record and it blew me away on a level that it didn’t on my first listen in any way.
As probably most of you know, this album is the last album that singer and lyrical genius Fish recorded with the band. Tensions had already begun to mount within in the band and all of this frustration is poured into this record, both in lyrics and song writing, creating an emotional experience that few albums can match in any way.
This album isn’t really a concept album in the way that it tells a cohesive story, but loss, alcoholism, grief and guilt are themes that are prevalent all through the album, with two exceptions which lose some of the personal scope (White Russian and Incommunicado), yet remain emotional and heartfelt all the same.
The album starts out really high, with the trilogy of Hotel Hobbies / Warm Wet Circles / That Time of the Night (The Short Straw) being great songs and even greater in their cohesiveness, but this is but a taste of what the album has to offer. It actually seems that as this record goes on, with the exception of Incommunicado, which, while catchy and not a bad song by any means, certainly does break the flow of the album, each song is better than the song preceding it – which, considering how touching and heartfelt the introductory trilogy was, is really something to behold. Especially the last four songs, which return to the album’s concept after the aforementioned brief reprieve, are easily the high points of the album, both musically and lyrically, with Sugar Mice (“So if you want my address, it’s number one at the end of the bar / where I sit with the broken angels, clutching at straws and nursing our scars”) and The Last Straw (“And if you ever come across us, don't give us your sympathy / You can buy us a drink and just shake our hands / And you'll recognize by the reflection in our eyes / That deep down inside, we're all one and the same”) featuring some of the best lyrics that I have ever heard.
Recommended tracks: White Russian, Torch Song, Slainte Mhath, Sugar Mice, The Last Straw
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“And if you ever come across us, don't give us your sympathy / You can buy us a drink and just shake our hands / And you'll recognize by the reflection in our eyes / That deep down inside, we're all one and the same”
As I said in my review of this album, this is also one of my favorite lines of all time as well. And it's not just the lyric, but the fantastic delivery of it both by Fish and the music surrounding.
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Desert Call!! :tup :heart
I have yet to get round to listening to Clutching at Straws. Still on my to do list.
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Two beauties there Scorp.
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Murder Ballads is a great album, good to see on someones list!
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Update time!
28. Placebo – Meds (2006)
(https://israbox.com/uploads/posts/2009-04/1238833346_placebo-meds-2006.jpg)
Here we have the second Placebo album on this list, and while Without You I’m Nothing was a masterpiece in its own right already, this album takes it even further to create an album of 13 tracks, all ranging from great to perfect, combined into the most cohesive and well-rounded album that the band has ever created.
From Without You I’m Nothing to this album, the musical diversity of Placebo has steadily increased – while their first and second albums were focused on guitar sounds, they have been adding more and more electronic elements to their music as a counterpart, and this is something that works very well, though nowhere as good as on Meds. In many songs (Meds, Drag, Follow the Cops Back Home) the guitar is still the central element, but songs like Infra-Red, Space Monkey, Post Blue, Blind and Pierrot the Clown take notably different musical routes, and this heightened diversity is what manages to elevate this record above Without You I’m Nothing.
The song writing is very concise and to the point, with this album featuring no song longer than five minutes, and the production is crisp and clear, making this a very enjoyable. Also, this album features two guest vocalists, which are both used to the betterment, not the detriment of the songs – Broken Promise, featuring Michael Stipe, is actually one of my favourite songs from this album.
The lyrical themes remain dark, as they were in the previous albums, though in this album, Placebo also manage to meld such lyrics with almost happy music, a dichotomy that works surprisingly well (Drag is the perfect example, with upbeat and lively music being accompanied by vocals about the fear of failure and not being able to keep up with other people and their expectations).
All in all, this is a fantastic album, and also a fantastic starting point for Placebo, with enough accessible songs that still convey what the band is all about – if you are, at any point in time, looking for an introduction to this amazing band, then look no further than this album.
Recommended tracks: Infra-Red, Drag, Space Monkey, Post Blue, Broken Promise, In the Cold Light of Morning, Song to Say Goodbye
27. Stratovarius – Polaris (2009)
(https://images.cryhavok.org/d/13909-1/Stratovarius+-+Polaris.jpg)
In 2009, the only remaining founding member, long time songwriter and guitar virtuoso who had helped to define the Stratovarius sound had just left the band, leaving many people in doubt about the follow-up album, and many (myself including) were somewhat sceptical if newcomers Matias Kupianen (guitars) and Lauri Porra (bass) would be able to adequately fill the void that their predecessors had left.
By the first time that I had listened to this album (which was about a week after its release or so), I knew that they had not only been able to fill these voids, but to also bring fresh energy into the band, making every member of the Finnish quintet seem revitalised. Additionally, both new members contributed to the song writing on this album and showed that they are no slouches in that regard either, though especially Lauri Porra shines in that regard, penning four songs on the album, with Emancipation Suite being my second favourite Stratovarius song ever, blowing every comparable Tolkki-era epic completely out of the water.
From blisteringly fast power metal attacks (Blind, Forever Is Today) over mid-tempo rockers (Falling Star, King of Nothing, Somehow Precious) to tasteful ballads (Winter Skies), this album encompasses every aspect of the Stratovarius sound, and it does so in a manner that shows everyone that Tolkki’s departure had by no means even the smallest bit a problem for Stratovarius.
Polaris, to me, is, as of now, the peak of Stratovarius’ musical career, with no song being anything less than very good. If you are in any shape or form a fan of good power metal, then this album is a perfect example of what this genre is capable of producing.
Recommended tracks: King of Nothing, Winter Skies, Somehow Precious, Emancipation Suite
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Polaris is another solid addition.
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Polaris is another solid addition.
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Polaris is good, but no top 50 material for me. It's definitely better than the other Stratovarius album you put in though.
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26. Iron Maiden – A Matter of Life and Death (2006)
(https://covers1.img-themusic-world.info/000/7/7409.jpg)
Everyone who knows anything about my musical tastes also had to know that Maiden would inevitably pop up at some point on this list, but I’m sure that the choice of the album surprised a lot of people, and it surprised me as well when I did the ranking, but looking at it, I can say that this album deserved this place, and that it is also one of the best Maiden albums ever recorded.
As probably everyone could guess from the cover, this album is fucking dark. While not a concept album, war and religion are recurring themes, especially in cases where they become linked, which results in a picture that isn’t very nice to look at, but is also, ultimately, a rather honest depiction of the circumstances.
Both the lyrics and the music aren’t really that different from many other Maiden albums, but on this album they complement each other perfectly and succeed in creating a dark and haunting atmosphere in a way that no other Maiden album has as of now succeeded. The music does become a little formulaic at certain points, with more than half of the songs following the structure of a calm beginning, then the song picking up, a few solos thrown in and a calm ending again – but Maiden manage to make this work in a way that this album is never boring, but an interesting listen at all times.
A special word has to, at this point, go out to The Legacy, which is one of my favourite Maiden songs of all time and features a stunning use of the acoustic guitar, as well as some of the best lyrics that I have ever heard on a Maiden album.
This album is easily the best post-reunion album and one that manages to dwarf most of Maiden’s catalogue, while standing as an equal next to the very best albums that this band has ever released.
Recommended tracks: These Colours Don’t Run, Brighter Than A Thousand Suns, The Pilgrim, For the Greater Good of God, The Legacy
25. Praying Mantis – Forever in Time (1998)
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7lu0nzz2XZI/TiiL3LOg74I/AAAAAAAAFOU/H5NrhurawcI/s1600/Front.jpg)
Like Iron Maiden, Praying Mantis are a band that can be classified as New Wave of British Heavy Metal, and even though they popped up around the same time like Iron Maiden and many other successful bands of this genre. They even had close ties to Iron Maiden, with Praying Mantis featuring many ex-members of Iron Maiden, like Dennis Stratton, Paul Di’Anno and Clive Burr, and yet the band never gained any global, or even any local notoriety – why?
The main reason for this is that even though Praying Mantis delivered a very successful album in 1981, whose lead single even gained quite some radio airplay back in the day, they were never able to follow up on this success, due to line-up difficulties, and their next album was only released in 1991, when no-one cared about the genre anymore, and the only place that Praying Mantis could build up any kind of fan base was Japan, which still has the biggest amount of Praying Mantis fans today.
Like many other Praying Mantis albums, Forever in Time features a new line-up in comparison to the previous album, with two new members debuting for the band on this album (Praying Mantis had never been really good at maintaining steady line-ups and there are only two albums in the history of the band that were released with the same line-up): drummer Bruce Bisland and vocalist Tony O’Hora. Guitarist Dennis Stratton, who had been a member of the band since 1990 and the two founders of the band, Tino (guitar) and Chris Troy (bass) complete the line-up for what would be one of the best melodic rock albums that have, in my humble opinion, ever been released.
Forever in Time is a departure from the band’s previous, very straight-forward and guitar-dominated melodic rock, with much more focus being on the keyboards (don’t ask me who played them – I don’t have the album here at school and information on the band is hard to find – according to Wikipedia, the band never had a keyboard player) than on previous released. Sure, the guitars are still present, but the keyboards take over nearly as much of the atmosphere as the guitars do.
The musicianship is top notch on this album, with every member of the band showing that they are no slouches, especially vocalist Tony O’Hora, who is a massive improvement over previous vocalist Gary Barden, whose voice had a very off-putting timbre to it. As typical in melodic rock, this album is full of catchy melodies and hooks, coupled with gorgeous melodies and great soloing, which isn’t the fastest that I have ever heard, but it always fits the song.
There is also the obligatory power ballad on this album, and while it is an awesome track, it is the weakest on the album, because it is a little too cheesy. The rest of the material, however, is melodic rock at its finest, and an album that every fan of the genre is certain to adore.
Recommended tracks: The Messiah, Blood of an Angel, Changes, Man Behind the Mask, The Day The Sun Turned Cold
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A Matter of Life and Death.. interesting. A very strong album and one of Maiden's best, but not one I would pick if I could only choose 2 of the band. As for Praying Mantis, I've heard you talk about it a lot, so I suppose I should check it out.
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Now we're talking, Scorp!
AMOLAD is a masterpiece as far as I am concerned.
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Always great to see love for A Matter of life and death, it truly is incredible. :metal
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AMOLAD is the best of the post 80s Maiden for me- great songs.
Not heard the Praying Mantis album. Will track it down.
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If the Praying Mantis album is half as cool as it's cover, it will be awesome.
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I prefer Brave New World, but I honestly always enjoyed AMOLAD.
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AMOLAD is an amazing and underrated album. Nice pick :tup
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If the Praying Mantis album is half as cool as it's cover, it will be awesome.
It is. Believe me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9BhLUzx1e4
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Now we're talking, Scorp!
AMOLAD is a masterpiece as far as I am concerned.
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Glad to see some Praying Mantis love around these parts...Forever in Time (the song) is my favorite Praying Mantis song, but they're a really rock solid band with a ton of great AOR tracks. Might dig this album out later and give it a spin.
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Some killer choices here. Just discovered PM's latest album so will check this one too. :tup
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AMOLAD is my least favourite Maiden album.
But it's still Maiden :tup.
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AMOLAD is my least favourite Maiden album.
But it's still Maiden :tup.
Its my favourite Maiden album! :p
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If the Praying Mantis album is half as cool as it's cover, it will be awesome.
It is. Believe me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9BhLUzx1e4
Hell yeah, Tony O Hora on vocals, sweet.
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24. Avantasia – The Scarecrow (2008)
(https://images.wikia.com/lyricwiki/images/3/36/Avantasia_-_The_Scarecrow.jpg)
When Avantasia debuted with The Metal Opera Pt. 1 in 2001 (closely followed by Pt. 2 only a year later), everyone knew that this band, or to be more precise, this project, would be a force to be reckoned with in the future of power metal. Headed by Avantasia’s Tobias Sammet, and featuring more guest musicians than most bands do in their career, The Metal Opera was a very well-executed concept album, telling the story about a young monk during the Middle Ages and the quests and perils that he faces. At the centre of this album, however, was the thing that Sammet’s main band Edguy seemed to be unable to at the moment – good songs.
Many people thought that such a one-two punch of albums would be impossible to follow up, but Tobias Sammet had no problems proving them wrong, because the next Avantasia album, released in 2008 and entitled The Scarecrow would blow everything that Sammet had ever done out of the water.
The Scarecrow is the first of three connected albums, entitled The Scarecrow Saga, though they do not follow such a strict concept like The Metal Opera did, but rather share similar conceptual ideas throughout, which is something that works very well for Avantasia, because it helps the songs avoid becoming cheesy to an extreme (this is power metal, so of course there’s going to be some cheese, but The Metal Opera was really close to what was bearable, so I was pleasantly surprised that Avantasia had decided to tone it down a bit on this album).
The song writing on this record is very good, featuring lots of different styles, be it traditional power metal (Twisted Mind, Shelter from the Rain, Another Angel Down), straight-out rockers (Carry Me Over, I Don’t Believe In Your Love), ballads (What A Kind Of Love, Cry Just A Little), grandiose epics (The Scarecrow) and even near pop songs (Lost in Space), and each style is brilliantly executed on this album, both in terms of song writing and performance of the band members.
Of course, it is impossible to review an Avantasia album without mentioning the guest vocalists, with many of them having established a name for themselves in the metal scene already, such as Michael Kiske, Jørn Lande or Alice Cooper. However, even though there are so many guest vocalists here, it never feels as though they are out of place or simply there for the sake of being there – they add something unique to the songs in every case, with Alice Cooper on The Toy Master probably being the best example for it: nobody would be able to deliver the grittiness of the song in the same way, which is why it loses a lot in live performances, sadly.
If you like power metal in any shape or form, chances are that you have already heard this album. If you haven’t, do it now.
Recommended tracks: The Scarecrow, Shelter from the Rain, Another Angel Down, The Toy Master
23. Devin Townsend – Ocean Machine: Biomech (1997)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DD2MY19HL._SL500_SS500_.jpg)
Ocean Machine: Biomech is the first glimpse that the world caught of Devin Townsend other than the side that he displayed in Strapping Young Lad, and what a side it was. Since Devin is a musician who’s diversity I have never seen another musician come close to or surpass, you can’t really talk about a typical Devin sound, but the one thing that most of his records have in common is that they feel huge, all around you – something that is most commonly referred to “wall of sound”. Ocean Machine offers the first glimpse of this, though I wouldn’t call it a wall of sound, I’d call it an ocean.
That’s also why the name of this record is so very fitting: listening to this album is like floating adrift in an ocean of music, the music is everywhere at once, completely enveloping, yet never feeling crushing or uncomfortable, like it does on Deconstruction, for example. Some people bitch about this albums production, but it suits the album perfectly, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
And yet, make no mistake, this is no happy album – this album has a dark feel throughout that is only heightened by the ocean of sound that it is, and it feels very dreary and overwhelming at points – even Life, which is a rather poppy track, has an ultimately dark feel to it.
This album features many of Devin’s best songs, with no song being any less than very good. It may not be instantly accessible for everyone, but then the majority of Devin’s albums are not, and it worked brilliantly for me as a starting point, after many other Devin albums had disappointed me. This album may not be for everyone, but when this album clicks, then it is an amazing experience.
Recommended tracks: Seventh Wave, Regulator, Funeral, Bastard, The Death of Music
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I think Scarecrow is the best collection of songs for Avantasia. The debut is my fav but as a whole, Scarecrow is probably the one you would direct people with who were interested in the band. I would have been happier though if Henjo did most of the solos, I'm not really a fan of Sascha's style.
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Really? I guess I'm total opposite, I really love Sascha's style on the solo, I think they are far more varied than Henjo's are, though he's not a bad guitarist by any means. I always preferred his playing in Gamma Ray to that in Avantasia, anyway.
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I think Scarecrow is the best collection of songs for Avantasia. The debut is my fav but as a whole, Scarecrow is probably the one you would direct people with who were interested in the band. I would have been happier though if Henjo did most of the solos, I'm not really a fan of Sascha's style.
I agree wholeheartedly with my Aussie friend. Love the first album but play Scarecrow more. Not sure why...
I'll give Devy one more try as I am loving the new one.
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Cheers bro. I would take the dbut over it, but really saying that you can't really knock the Scarecrow, amazing collection of songs.
Waiting on new Devy too.
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OCEAN FUCKING MACHINE :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal
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Well, what can I say sbout these two? Two amazing albums. The Scarecrow was in mine as well and Ocean Machine just missed the cut, because I sort of set the limit to 3 albums per artist. Great picks, both of them.
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Life, which is a rather poppy track, has an ultimately dark feel to it.
Wait, what?
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Any album that has Michael Kiske AND Alice Cooper on it is all win to me!
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Life, which is a rather poppy track, has an ultimately dark feel to it.
Wait, what?
I probably shouldn't write these things when I'm dead tired. I have no idea what I was even meaning to say there. :lol
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Life, which is a rather poppy track, has an ultimately dark feel to it.
Wait, what?
I probably shouldn't write these things when I'm dead tired. I have no idea what I was even meaning to say there. :lol
:lol That's like saying Epicloud is somber and depressing.
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Yeah, I wrote the whole thing yesterday evening, and only copy-pasted it today. Life is most assuredly not dark or anything.
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Just noticed this:
Glad to see some Praying Mantis love around these parts...Forever in Time (the song) is my favorite Praying Mantis song, but they're a really rock solid band with a ton of great AOR tracks. Might dig this album out later and give it a spin.
and I wanted to say that you are now officially one of my favourite guys around here. I always thought that I was the only one that was a fan of Praying Mantis. Out of curiousity, what is your favourite album of theirs?
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Ocean Machine :heart
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Any album that has Michael Kiske AND Alice Cooper on it is all win to me!
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Another update for today, before I hit the sack. :laugh:
22. Black Sabbath – Paranoid (1970)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rdOPjvwyHEU/T4F7pU9WUkI/AAAAAAAAA4A/Cs8EQ8zBWAA/s1600/black-sabbath-paranoid.jpg)
This album, released in 1970 is the oldest album on my list, and probably also the oldest album that I own. It is often cited as one of the defining album of heavy metal, and indeed, I can think of few other albums that have shaped the genre in such a way that Paranoid has. The album still shows the blues influences of Sabbath’s debut album, but it took the whole thing into a harder and more straightforward direction, best observed on the title track.
Every member of the band is pretty much on fire for this record, with Tony Iommi being the true star of the album however, with his guitar tone defining both the sound of this record and the sound of many other metal bands that were to follow up on this record. His often simple, yet never repetitive or boring riffs, coupled with memorable leads truly show his skill and that, coupled with his song writing prowess is what makes him, in my opinion, one of the fathers of metal as we know it, far more than Ozzy could ever be.
The song writing on this album is certainly the band at their peak, with the album being precisely to the point: this album may only be 42 minutes long, but there is not a second of these 42 minutes that I don’t enjoy. Especially the rather atmospheric and bluesy feel of Planet Caravan serves as a nice contrast to the other, more straightforward songs, and is executed masterfully –as are all the other songs, to that matter.
The production of this album is not the best when observed by today’s standards, but considering the fact that it was recorded more than forty years ago, the production is actually very good and honestly, a brilliant and perfectly crisp production wouldn’t work the same way as this album does as it is.
There isn’t really much more to say here, because everyone should have at least listened to this album once, and be it only for its massive influence on so many kinds of music, even if not everyone likes it.
Recommended tracks: War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan, Iron Man, Electric Funeral, Hand of Doom
21. Haken – Visions (2011)
(https://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2011-09/1316438406_haken_-_visions.jpg)
Haken are one of the more recent bands that entered the world of progressive metal, with their debut album being released only in 2010, but from their debut album on (I haven’t heard the demo, so I can’t comment on that), these six guys from Britain have shown that they are undoubtedly a band from which one can expect many great released in the future – their first album already showed them more adept in meshing different genres than many bands are at their peak.
Their follow-up album, Visions, was released only a year later, and yet one could clearly hear how much the band had evolved and matured in this time. While the debut album Aquarius, as awesome as it was, was still riddled with growing pains, mainly on the side of the vocalist Ross Jennings (his vocals sounded rather inconsistent at times, and his vocals melodies often left quite a little to desire), Visions has been a step into the right direction in all aspects and has indeed abolished the problems of the debut in most areas.
The song writing on this album really shows Haken’s talent best, with the album containing everything that you want from a progressive metal band, be it longer epics (Nocturnal Conspiracy, Visions), instrumentals (Premonition, Portals), shorter and more straightforward songs (The Mind’s Eye, Insomnia) or atmospheric pieces of beauty (Deathless), this album has it all, and more importantly, it has it all done correctly. While many progressive metal bands lose themselves in their technical prowess and fall into the trap of overplaying for the sake of it, Haken never make this mistake – they do show their chops, of course, but it never feels out of place.
If you are a fan of progressive metal or rock, then you should listen to this album, because it is pretty close to the epitome of what the genre is about, and it is definitely one of the finest released in this genre of the last decade.
Recommended tracks: Nocturnal Conspiracy, The Mind’s Eye, Shapeshifter, Deathless, Visions
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I love that Maiden disc. Never did warm to Praying Mantis all that much, despite trying.
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Paranoid is a good record. Visions on the other hand is beyond words. I think I ranked it even higher.
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Not a Sabbath fan whilst Ozzy was in the band, though I do like the classics. Much prefer Dio era Sabbath and Martin era too. I do love Ozzy's early albums though.
Visions is an excellent DT style album- enjoy it alot.
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Two phenomenal records :metal
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Visions on the other hand is beyond words. I think I ranked it even higher.
I know I did. Nice picks! :hat
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I should check out Visions. I was lukewarm on the debut. Can't argue with Paranoid, but I would take a number of other Ozzy era albums over it.
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Great pick with Paranoid!!
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Paranoid :tup But how come Fairies wear boots isn't one of your favorites? Thank God you didn't list Rat salad as well. ;D
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Paranoid :tup But how come Fairies wear boots isn't one of your favorites? Thank God you didn't list Rat salad as well. ;D
I'd probably agree with his favs songs. FWB is great but I always thought it was one of the weakest tracks, never understood the amount of praise it got to be honest.
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I should check out Visions. I was lukewarm on the debut. Can't argue with Paranoid, but I would take a number of other Ozzy era albums over it.
Visions is very similar. There's something about Haken that kind of....I don't know....I can't quite put my finger on it, but while I definitely enjoyed both albums and listened to them for a while when they were released, I never feel any urge to go back and listen to them now. And I don't think I could tell you the name of a single song from either album. I'm not saying it's bad music, but for some reason it just wasn't very memorable I guess (https://www.kirksnosehair.com/Portals/0/images/smilies/confused-smiley-013.gif)
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20. Judas Priest – Stained Class (1978)
(https://www.metalmusicarchives.com/images/covers/judas-priest-stained-class.jpg)
Deciding between this album and Sad Wings of Destiny was probably the hardest decision of this whole list, but in the end, Stained Class won out, if only for the fact that this album introduced me to Judas Priest – and what an album it is! The fourth album of the established metal band Judas Priest really had them firing all cylinders, and it shows everywhere on this record.
Opening up with what is the second best album opener that Priest have ever written (second only to The Hellion/Electric Eye), Exciter is a hint of what is to come on this album: it’s fast and heavy, yet melodic, with great and memorable riffs, jaw-dropping leads and some of the best vocals that Halford has ever recorded for Judas Priest.
Over the whole 43 minutes of this record, it doesn’t let up a bit, with the album containing no weak track and some of the best that Judas Priest have ever written, with the aforementioned Exciter, Stained Class and of course the beautiful Beyond the Realms of Death, which is my favourite Priest song and one of my favourite metal songs in general being a step above the rest of the material, which is all at least very good in its own right as well.
One thing that could be improved on this album is the production. For many albums from this time period, the production actually adds a certain atmosphere, but that is not really the case here, with the only exception being Beyond the Realms of Death, which works perfectly the way it is. The other tracks could do with some polishing, though it is a minor flaw at best and nothing that detracts from the enjoyment of the album in any way.
Recommended tracks: Exciter, Stained Class, Beyond the Realms of Death
19. Praying Mantis – Time Tells No Lies (1981)
(https://cd.flexnes.com/images/34407f.jpg)
Time Tells No Lies was Praying Mantis’ debut album, and it is their most popular to this day. Listening to this record, it isn’t hard to spot why: this album, even though it was the first album that the band recorded, was already a masterpiece, perfectly capturing the essence of melodic rock in this single album. Every track on this album is very good or better, with the lead single Cheated actually being one of the weaker songs on this album, which isn’t to say that the song is bad – it’s simply not as great as the others are.
The album opens with the already mentioned single Cheated, and while this already an absolutely gorgeous piece of melodic rock, there are even better songs to follow. Both All Day and All of the Night and Running for Tomorrow up the ante directly afterwards, with both songs showing Praying Mantis’ strengths very well. Rich City Kids, while good, is however the weakest track on the album and feels kind of underwhelming, especially when put onto a record with all the other awesome tracks on this album.
If the album was a great album from the beginning to Rich City Kids, then the last six tracks are what make this album truly brilliant and a masterpiece of melodic rock. From Lovers to the Grave to the album closer Thirty Pieces of Silver, one can find some of the best 29 minutes that melodic rock has to offer, with every aspect of the genre being present. From power ballads (Lovers to the Grave) over mid-tempo rockers (Beads of Ebony, Children of the Earth) to fast-paced songs that showcase the musical abilities of the members, this album has it all, and it is, in almost all cases done extremely well. Everyone who is interested in melodic rock should check this record out.
Recommended tracks: Lovers to the Grave, Panic in the Streets, Beads of Ebony, Thirty Pieces of Silver
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That's a quality Priest album. Not really into Praying Mantis
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Scorp, that is a great Priest album.
Tell me, who is the vocalist on the first Praying Mantis album? I never followed them.
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Scorp, that is a great Priest album.
Tell me, who is the vocalist on the first Praying Mantis album? I never followed them.
A dude named Tom Jackson. Never heard of him. :lol
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You are killing me Scorp. Never listened to Praying Mantis and I've only listened to Painkiller by JP.
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Stained Class is great but I agree about the production- the same as with all 70s Priest. They just didn't sound powerful enough. Starnge that the so-called live album sounds better than the studio stuff.
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Shit, your first update where I don't know either.
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Wrong Haken album, but cool to see them on here. Also awesome to see The Scarecrow.
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Beyond the Realms of Death is off the charts amazing.
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Two more albums! I'm not really happy with the write-ups for them, but I sat on them quite a while and I can't get them any better right now.
18. Savatage – Poets and Madmen (2001)
(https://cdn.7static.com/static/img/sleeveart/00/004/920/0000492084_500.jpg)
Poets and Madmen is Savatage’s last album and, in my humble opinion, it is also their best. Even though (or maybe even because) both Zachary Stevens and Criss Oliva, who had defined Savatage’s sound on prior albums are no longer a part of the band, , the sound of this album is very different than that of most other Savatage albums, with the album sounding far grittier and darker than previous efforts.
Poets and Madmen is also the first Savatage album since streets to feature solely Jon Oliva on the vocals, and it is probably his voice that is the key part of the atmosphere of the album. Even though Stevens is probably far more skilled than Oliva is, the latter’s voice has very honest and emotional delivery to it, which is what makes me prefer it to the vocals on every other Savatage album.
Both musicianship and song writing on this album are nothing short of stellar, with the album featuring most of my favourite Savatage songs and musical moments, like the main riff and the solo of Morphine Child, the insanity of Man in the Mirror, perfectly captured in the stark contrast between verses and chorus, and the astounding soloing on Commissar. There are some songs that I don’t care for as much as others, but even those are very good, both in terms of song writing and musicianship.
If earlier Savatage album are too glammy or too upbeat for your tastes, then look no further than Poets and Madmen. This album is gritty, dark and emotional in a way that no other Savatage album manages, and the results are nothing short of amazing.
Recommended tracks: Commissar, Morphine Child, Man in the Mirror, Back to a Reason
17. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rCSV9jzGsNU/TZVWCw4IHqI/AAAAAAAAACQ/-yFM2WSS41w/s1600/%252395+-+Pink+Floyd+-+Wish+You+Were+Here.jpg)
Pink Floyd’s ninth album shows, as many others would agree, the band and Waters at their musical and lyrical peak. The album contains only four songs, but all these four songs are masterpieces in their own right, with Shine On You Crazy Diamond and Wish You Were Here being some of the most emotional performances in the history of rock music.
The album follows a loose lyrical concept, dealing with the themes of absence, inspired by the former band mate Syd Barrett, but also the music industry and their machinations. These themes are brought to life by both the band’s musical and Water’s lyrical genius, creating an album that of such emotional, musical and lyrical strength that few album can match.
The two most well-known tracks on this album, Shine On You Crazy Diamond and Wish You Were Here are also my favourite off this album, but there is really not a bad track on the album. If you have by some coincidence not heard this absolute masterpiece of rock music, then do so right now.
Recommended tracks: Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Wish You Were Here, Have a Cigar
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Poets was on my list too, incredible album. Although;
both Zachary Stevens and Criss Oliva, who had defined Savatage’s sound on prior albums are no longer a part of the band, , the sound of this
Zak gave the band a more mainstream sound and opened them up to a wider audience, but IMO Jon is and defined the sound of Savatage. Zak just opened a new chapter.
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Poets was on my list too, incredible album. Although;
both Zachary Stevens and Criss Oliva, who had defined Savatage’s sound on prior albums are no longer a part of the band, , the sound of this
Zak gave the band a more mainstream sound and opened them up to a wider audience, but IMO Jon is and defined the sound of Savatage. Zak just opened a new chapter.
Yeah, maybe that was a bad wording. But he had shaped the sound of the band considerably, so my point still stands.
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That's fine, I understand what you are getting at.
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WYWH should be higher on the list. It's good that you have it there though :tup
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Savatage & Pink Floyd ... agree with the bands.. not really with the albums.... good song choice though... seeing Have a Cigar on the rec'd songs list makes me happy... Jon Oliva is ma man..
lovely write-ups :tup
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heh, that Savatage album was #39 on my list :metal
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I could never get into Savatage.
Love WYWH!
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I've liked or loved most Sava albums from Hall onwards but I was disappointed in P&M tbh. Not sure why and haven't listened to it in years. I bought the special edition too 'cos I expected to like it. Will dig it out and have another go.
Not a PF fan but this is their best album, along with Division Bell for me.
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Stained class and Wish you were here :tup
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Two great choices!
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16. die ärzte – 13 (1998)
(https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ZBTbdjgtL._SS500_.jpg)
As I already mentioned in my review of Geräusch, die ärzte are masters in meshing certain musical styles with each other and inject a sense of humour into them that is right up my alley, and there is no album where they were more successful with this than on 13. And while I praised Geräusch a lot already, there is a certain thing missing on it that you don’t even notice until you directly compare it with this album, and that is the perfect mesh of serious issues and humour, not only on the album, but in the songs themselves. Whereas on Geräusch you almost had the strict separation of serious and funny songs, the band manages to fill this album with songs that contain the best of both worlds.
Of course, there are still the odd completely serious song (Rebell) or those that completely consist of goofing off (Meine Freunde), but the majority of the songs succeed mainly because they successfully blend humour with content that actually bears thinking about, and they do so in a way that the humour doesn’t detract from, but rather adds to the song, like in Goldenes Handwerk, Nie Wieder Krieg, Nie Mehr Las Vegas, Männer sind Schweine or Grotesksong.
Even though this might seem like a contradiction to what I just said, the songs that I actually enjoy most individually are the more serious ones, like Rebell and Nie gesagt, but an album comprised solely of these songs wouldn’t work nearly as well as this album does, by providing the perfect balance between the two aspects of the musical identity of die ärzte.
Once again, the music itself is, at its base, rock, but with many influences thrown in here and there, be it jazz (Punk ist…), metal (Ignorama, Grau) and even some electronic elements (Männer sind Schweine). Still, compared to other albums, there is noticeably less musical diversity on this album, yet the album never feels boring (though that is largely because of the lyrics, so I suspect that someone who doesn’t understand German will get bored rather quickly).
13 really represents the musical peak of die ärzte, both lyrically and musically, a peak that they had been climbing up toward since their reunion in 1993, and one that they have, and will probably never reach again. One of the best German rock albums that I know.
Recommended tracks: Nie Wieder Krieg, Nie Mehr Las Vegas, Rebell, Der Graf, Nie gesagt, Grotesksong
15. Symphony X – The Damnation Game (1995)
(https://www.metal-archives.com/images/3/2/0/9/3209.jpg)
Both Symphony X’s first two and last two albums have been subject of heavy criticism, and even though I enjoy every album that the band has put out, I can understand where the critics are coming from when talking about the debut (bad production and a somewhat awkward-sounding singer), Paradise Lost and Iconoclast (too samey in sound throughout, as well a very one-dimensional Russell Allen). With The Damnation Game, however, the criticism leaves me honestly baffled, because this album is nothing less than one of the best albums that Symphony X have ever released.
The neoclassical influences of the band are very prevalent here, with The Damnation Game and Dressed to Kill being perfect examples of this, mainly through the use of the harpsichord for melodies, solos and unisons, which, coupled with the melodies used, gives the whole thing a rather baroque feel to it. However, even though many people find it annoying and cheesy, I have always, when done tastefully, enjoyed things like this a lot, so you’ll find no complaint from me here.
One thing in particular that stands out on this album, in comparison to other Symphony X albums, is the creativity and versatility of the bass guitar, courtesy of Thomas Miller, on this album in a way that only The Divine Wings of Tragedy can match (the production on the debut is too shoddy to be able to clearly say something about the basslines there). At many times (certainly more often than on other metal songs), Romeo and Pinella let Miller take the stage and impress us with his short and yet jaw-dropping bass leads, as can be heard on The Edge of Forever, for instance.
The rest of the musicians show that they are some of the best in their fields as well on this album, with especially Romeo’s and Pinella’s work as they trade off melodies and leads being nothing short of amazing. Especially Romeo’s guitar tone on this album is something to behold, clear and majestic as opposed to the almost synthesizer-like sound of recent records.
And lastly, we have Sir Russell Allen on the vocals, and this man is truly a beast. This album is his debut with Symphony X and he could not have made a better first impression. From his first appearance in the title track to the last moments of A Winter’s Dream, Allen’s performance on this album is flawless, showing him to be superior to previous singer Rod Tyler (who wasn’t a bad singer by all means himself) in all aspects.
This album probably isn’t the best place for a Symphony X novice to start – that honour goes to Twilight in Olympus or The Divine Wings of Tragedy – and just how great this album only revealed itself to me after many listens, but when it does click, it is definitely worth it.
Also, this album is proof that many of the best things of humanity come from 1995.
Recommended tracks: Dressed to Kill, The Edge of Forever, Whispers, Secrets, A Winter’s Dream
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This was the first Symphony X album I bought and what got me into the band. I was blown away then and still am. Just listened to it the other day.
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Just finally caught up. So far, I'm 50/50 on the list... those mentioned that I know are great (and a few made my top 50); the others, meh. But hey... that's tastes for ya.
I'm not sure I would put Damnation in my Top 10 for S-X albums (yes, I'm aware of how many albums they have released). Sorry, but it's right down there with their s/t as my least favorite.
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Interesting SM choice.
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SX have at least 4 better albums.
Still don't now Die Ärzte
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Another update, though this is only one album, because I'm really in a rush, but I wanted to post one more before I leave for the weekend. So this is it until Sunday night.
14. Metallica - …And Justice for All (1989)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EC2slLt2Fy8/Twr-vdTXH4I/AAAAAAAAB0A/Z5JTLdjwIE0/s1600/Metallica+-+And+Justice+For+All.jpg)
Often cited as the last of the classic Metallica albums, this albums encompasses everything that was good about Metallica in the 80’s. They were heavy, the songs actually had melodies, Lars could actually play an interesting drum fill and Kirk hadn’t discovered the wah-wah pedal as his new favourite toy yet.
This album contains some of the best songs that Metallica have ever written, and also some of the most progressive, like the title track or To Live Is To Die, a tribute to the late Cliff Burton. Every song on this album is highly enjoyable, even those that the band or the general public don’t really acknowledge (anymore), for instance Eye of the Beholder, which has an all-around awesome and groovy main riff, or …And Justice for All, which features some of the best lyrics and melodies of Metallica’s career, and also one of my favourite Kirk solos to ever be recorded.
The only negative aspect of this album is the production of the whole thing, with the whole thing sounding very dry and completely bass-less, which is a shame, because Newsted’s bass on the album is actually very cool, as can be heard on live versions of these songs. Adding to that, the production of the album makes it lack a certain punch, a certain aggressiveness that was present on earlier albums, even though the songs hadn’t really gotten any less heavy at all.
There’s really not much more for me to say, as everyone probably knows this album already, so I’ll just leave it at that.
Recommended tracks: Blackened, …And Justice for All, Harvester of Sorrow, The Frayed Ends of Sanity, To Live Is To Die
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Easily my favorite Metallica album. :tup
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To be honest I could never see why To Live Is To Die is so revered. I find to boring generally, all the way through. The rest is of the album is pretty good though, but definitely not my favourite Metallica record.
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Great metal album. It's a shame that the bass is so low
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It's not my favourite either, but it's up there. Probably 4th (after RtL, MoP, and TBA).
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My favorite Metallica album. :tup
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Dyers Eve!!!
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Dyers Eve!!!
Should have been among the recommended tracks. As should One.
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They should remix and remaster this album. The songs are great, but it sounds like a big gigantic bag of ass.
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Dyers Eve!!!
As should One.
indeed
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my second favorite Metallica album behind MoP
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I have a feeling that this album will be showing up on another list very soon. ;D
Dyers Eve!!!
:metal :metal
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They should remix and remaster this album. The songs are great, but it sounds like a big gigantic bag of ass.
Agreed.
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Another update! I had actually remembered what my next entry was supposed to be, so I could do it right now, from my family's computer, even though I don't have the list right here.
13. Iced Earth - Alive in Athens (1999)
(https://cdn.hmvdigital.com/static/img/sleeveart/00/006/952/0000695222_500.jpg)
Alive in Athens was my introduction to Iced Earth, back in a time when I would generally seek out bands through live albums, mainly because they were a certain kind of best-of selection already, but also because the first bands that I ever listened to were bands that I found far more impressive on live albums than on studio albums. In fact, many bands that I actually like now I dismissed back then, simply because their live performances weren't up to scratch, something that discouraged me from checking out their discography further.
Alive in Athens, luckily, didn't suffer this fate, and it remains one of my favourite live albums of all time. These three 3CDs, clocking in over three hours, are a testimony to the greatness of Iced Earth before their descent into mediocrity with The Glorious Burden and the following albums, and it offers an excellent cross-section of the band's history, with every album being represented, and in most of the cases, being represented extremely well. In fact, if I could change the setlist of this live album at will, there would probably be less than five changes that I would end up doing, something that I cannot honestly say for any other live album, maybe save for Made in Japan.
The performance on this album is incredible, with each member of the band being at the top of their game. Those that are the most noticeable are, of course, the guitar duo consisting of Jon Schaffer, who shines with his riffing and Larry Tarnowski, one of the most talented lead guitarists to ever play for Iced Earth - and of course, Matt Barlow. Barlow's voice on this live album shows him at his absolute prime, with him delivering both gruff, evil and clean, majestic vocals in a way that I have never heard on other live albums. Both Barlow's vocal presence and power and the atmosphere that his vocals give the music on this CD are something to behold. A Question of Heaven, my favourite Iced Earth song, is the song on which this is the most impressive, with both the intro and the second part of the song never failing to send shivers down my spine.
Critics often complain about how this album is overdubbed to the extreme, and that's probably true, but I don't really care in this instance, because the atmosphere of this album is so goddamn perfect, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Recommended tracks: Melancholy (Holy Martyr), A Question of Heaven, Angels Holocaust, Stormrider, When the Night Falls
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I used to start out with a band's live album too, and did so with Alive In Athens. It is really all you need from them. I call it the "Frampton Comes Alive" of heavy metal!
Great performances all the way around. Good call, Scorp. Great album!
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I like TAC's analogy
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i bought this album blind having never heard a note by them and it's all you say. Great album. Great band that lost it's way (but I love Dystopia- I know alot don't). Great package too.
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Dystopia is excellent.
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And another one! It's actually funny that I'm churning out updates faster when I'm away from my computer than when I'm actually there, but oh well. I doubt that anyone is complaining. :lol
12. Rammstein - Mutter (2001)
(https://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx147/AccattoneTrovatore/2000s%20music/02.jpg)
Released in 2001, Mutter represents Rammstein at their lyrical and musical peak, and while this album's follow-up Reise, Reise came very close, no album released by the band before or after this record has ever surpassed this album in terms of musical and lyrical quality, as well as in terms of cohesiveness.
Of course, no Rammstein album would be complete without a controversial aspect to it, but on this album, this is not the case with the songs itself. Whereas the first album had Heirate mich, which dealt with necrophilia and resulted in many people classifying Rammstein as a Nazi band, due to the repeated shouts of "Hei! Hei! Hei!" in the chorus, and Sehnsucht had Bück dich, which soon became infamous for the use of a dildo that sprayed a liquid similar to sperm over the first rows of the audience, the controversy of this album can be found in the cover: a picture of a dead fetus is sure to spark some controversy.
The song writing itself, however, shows that Rammstein have greatly matured while writing this album, and the lyrics on this album tackle many different issues of similar controversy than those of the first two albums (Ich will deals with mass manipulation and the title track is written from the viewpoint of a child conceived through genetic experiments, for instance), but the need for shocking and provoking is noticeably less present on this album, instead giving way for a more mature and metaphorical approach to the lyrical themes - something that clearly works in Rammsteins favour here.
Of course, even the best lyrics would be worthless if there weren't the music to back it up, but that is most clearly not the case here. In fact, the musical quality of this record is noticeably higher than that of any of its predecessors, with catchy riffs and melodies found all over the place. Sure, none of the musicians are all that technical players, but they don't need to be, because the simple riffs and rare solos on this record are always exactly what the songs need.
Again, if you are no fan of Rammstein (or even outright hate them, like many people I know do), then this is no album for you. But if you are either a fan of Rammstein and don't know this album yet, or are simply interested in the band and are looking for an introductory album, then look no further and listen to this album right now. It really encompasses everything that is good about this band in a 45-minute collection of eleven awesome songs.
Recommended tracks: Sonne, Ich will, Mutter, Spieluhr, Nebel
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Can't go wrong with Mutter, obviously. :tup
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I still have to listen to that one, I suppose.
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Dystopia is excellent.
Yessir.
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11. Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction (1992)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6tJHBv82MIM/TOnLxvjRX8I/AAAAAAAAAgQ/ogrS3LTWuBg/s1600/Countdown_To_Extinction.jpg)
After the release of Rust in Peace in 1990, the album that instantly made Dave Mustaine and his co-musicians a household name for any self-respecting fan of metal, expectations were high towards the new album, which would be Countdown to Extinction, two years later. And while it is general consensus that Countdown of Extinction isn’t quite as good as its predecessor, it is also general consensus that the album itself fucking slays. I’ll reserve my judgement on the first issue for the time being, but the second statement is one that I cannot but affirm in every possible way.
The moment that you hear the opening riff of Skin o’ My Teeth, you know that you’re in for a treat with this album, and the album doesn’t disappoint. Every song is masterfully crafted and executed by four musicians who show the full extent of their skill on this album, both as players and as writers. The biggest writing credit goes to Dave, of course, but all the other members give the album their own touch, especially Marty Friedman, one of my favourite guitarists of all time, who plays memorable and well-fitting solos on nearly every song of this record, with some of his very best guitar parts being on this record (the solos in Skin o’ My Teeth and Ashes in Your Mouth are two examples).
The song-writing on this album is very focused and to-the-point, with the longest song clocking in at just over six minutes, and yet the record feels complete and cohesive. And even though the songs rarely deviate from the well-known structure (into/verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/solo/chorus), they are nothing less for it – indeed, Megadeth manages to pull it off without one track sounding similar to another or being boring in any way.
The production on this album is much easier on the ears than that of Rust in Peace, with the whole record packing quite a punch, and every instrument being clearly audible. Sound-wise, this album is my absolute favourite Megadeth album, and one that I can strongly recommend to everyone, also as an introductory album to the band. Is it my favourite Megadeth album, though?
Wait and see.
Recommended tracks: Skin o’ My Teeth, Foreclosure of a Dream, Countdown to Extinction, Ashes in Your Mouth (my favourite Megadeth song of all time :metal :metal)
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I wasn't the biggest Megadeth fan, in fact I didn't go for the whole thrash thing. Even I love this album though.
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My favorite Megadeth album, I love it from start to finish and I would probably put it just as high. High speed dirt, though, is this album's Escape - it prevents it from being perfect.
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CTE has maybe three songs I enjoy.
But it's still Megadeth.
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10. Symphony X – The Odyssey (2002)
(https://www.metal-archives.com/images/7/9/0/1/7901.jpg)
Just like the previous pick, this album was released as the follow-up album to what many would consider to be the band’s best, in this case the concept album V: The New Mythology Suite, so expectations were quite high – and yet, they were met and even surpassed with The Odyssey, which is my favourite Symphony X album that the band have ever and will probably ever release.
The Odyssey marks a change in sound that the band would expand on with Paradise Lost and Iconoclast, with everything being a lot more guitar-oriented and grittier than on V. However, unlike with Paradise Lost and Iconoclast, the band still retained enough of their older, more proggier tendencies to make this album a great mix of both worlds instead of the whole affair sounding samey and ultimately rather boring like their two most recent albums have.
From the very beginning of Inferno (Unleash the Fire), you know that this album will be a beast, and it never disappoints throughout its whole 66 minutes. All members are firing all cylinders on this album, though special credit goes to guitar god Michael Romeo, who plays some of his best guitar parts on this album and who also wrote some of Symphony X’s best material for this album.
The highlight of this album is, of course, the epic title track The Odyssey, but they are many other superb tracks on this album that are often overshadowed by it – Accolade II, which blows the first one right out of the water and which features some of Allen’s most gorgeous and majestic vocals and vocal lines, or the longer and proggier Awakenings, which features a great chorus and an unusual song structure, comes to mind.
Now, it is impossible to talk about this album without talking about the title track, but I will try to keep it short on that front. Only this much: every ounce of praise for this track is completely deserved, with the Overture being the only part that could do with slight improvements. Also, so concluding five minutes of the track are some of the most goosebump-inducing music that I have ever heard, with everything that is good about Symphony X’s music coming together to create a climax to this song that is near impossible to top.
Recommended tracks: Inferno (Unleash the Fire), Accolade II, King of Terrors, Awakenings, The Odyssey
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Yeah, I knew which one it was :D I just lovelovelove Symphony X, and it's a fine album, although it could use with a little less orchestral drama. But that's blasphemy from my part, isn't it.
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Yeah, I knew which one it was :D I just lovelovelove Symphony X, and it's a fine album, although it could use with a little less orchestral drama. But that's blasphemy from my part, isn't it.
Nah, the orchestral parts are actually my least favourite on this album as well, but the rest is just so damn good.
Awakenings :heart
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You know how much I love you Scrop but I gotta passionately disagree with your comment about Accolade II blowing the original out of the water. The first one is imo a gem for the ages that is paced absolutely perfectly, exhibits an amazingly majestic amosphere, is stacked with riffs that not only sound good on their own but also contribute very well to the overall flow of the song, and Pinnella's keyboard section from 7:27-8:22 is easily one of SX's finest moments ever the way he layers 4 completely different melodies, makes them all work together in a seamless manner, and then MJR and Thomas Miller's parts come in to raise the total number of simultaneous unique melodies to six without any of them stepping on one another's toes so to speak is breathtaking.
Accolade II sounds pretty to my ears but seems to heavily center itself on riding the coattails of its predecessor and feels like it does everything in a way to try to shoehorn itself into a quasi continuity with the first one and really doesn't bring anything impressive to the table compred to A I.
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Nice.
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Definitely my fave S-X album. Good choice to crack your Top 10. The pinnacle of S-X's discography.
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Nah, V is still the king, but this is still a damn fine album and unfortunately the last good album they've made.
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09. Lou Reed and Metallica – Lulu (2009)
(https://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2011-10/1319795146_lou-reed-metallica-lulu-2011.jpg)
Now, I’m sure that I will lose whatever credibility I have gathered during my brief stay at DTF, and I was even debating whether I should omit this album because of that, but I can’t help but put if here, if I’m honest with myself. I really understand where many of the critics are coming from, but for me, this album connects to me in a way that no other Metallica album can quite achieve.
Perhaps it is because of the welcome change that Lou Reed’s vocals bring to the music, or the stylistic shift from metal to somewhat more akin to hard rock that this album encompasses, but I always felt that this album, despite its ridicule, has always felt like the much-needed breather in Metallica’s discography to me.
However, all of this wouldn’t be enough to make me rate this album this highly if the music itself weren’t up to scratch, but fortunately, it is. The stylistical shift on this album is very well done, far better than from The Black Album to Load, and it is something that I am very happy about, because Death Magnetic, which tried to resurrect the sound of the 80’s again, ultimately only succeeded in being a poor copy of what Metallica had achieved at their height, and I firmly believe that nothing good could have come from going further down that road.
Lulu, however, sees Metallica exploring new territory, like the very mellow Little Dog or the groovy epic Junior Dad. I would have loved to hear Metallica to expand on these experiments further, but given the negative reception that this album received, it is probably safe to say that their next release will try to resurrect the eighties again. Still, out of this experiment, the world got Lulu, and I will forever be thankful for that.
If you’ve written of this album because of the negative critics without listening to it, then I would definitely rectify that. This album really isn’t for everyone, but I honestly love this album, and I can imagine that there are quite a few people who might feel the same, upon giving this album a fair chance.
Recommended tracks: Brandenburg Gate, The View, Little Dog, Dragon, Junior Dad
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hate you??? I love you so damn much for Megadeth :2metal:
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Scorp,
To catch up:
Megadeth CTE.. I didn't know what to make of this when it came out. The sound was a little too "clean" for a Megadeth album, but it has aged pretty well. I javen't played it in a while but I will bust it out tonight.
Sym X... This band should be a slam dunk for me, but for whatever reason, I just cannot warm up to them. I just do not connect with Russ Allen even though the guy is great. My fave from them is probably Divine Wings
Lulu.. You lose no credibility here. It is YOUR list.. And a very respectable one at that!
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I never thought I'd see Lulu in a top 50
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I never thought I'd see Lulu in a top 10. Personally, I really like the album, although it took me a while to give it a fair chance and forget about the haters. The entire album made sense once I listened to Dragon more carefully. It's an extremely challenging listen but very rewarding if you dig the story.
And that Symphony X album is awesome. :tup
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What the hell.
Ah, well. It's your list. I was frowned upon for having One Hour By The Concrete Lake in my top 10, but I didn't like Lulu at all. I'm sorry.
The Odyssey is good though, but not top 10(0) worthy for me.
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I never bothered to listen to Lulu, but I respect you for publishing an opinion that you know people won't agree with.
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I never bothered to listen to Lulu, but I respect you for publishing an opinion that you know people won't agree with.
This. Mad props on going with your heart bro. :tup
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Alright, first things first: I apologize for the last update, which wasn't real. It was actually an experiment, to see how convincingly I could praise something that I don't care for, because I have a similar task in my English class at the moment. It was NOT meant to be demeaning to anyone who actually thinks this album is a good album, but I personally don't enjoy it a lot.
After RJ's and Mason's responses, I actually feel quite bad about this, because it seems like I don't want to voice an opinion that is unpopular, and because it could give off the impression that I actually don't support people who do precisely that. That is, I can assure you, neither is the case at all, and there will be another album to come soon that is regarded almost as much a black sheep as Lulu is.
Again, sorry if this offended anyone or anything.
Now, my real number 9:
09. Metallica – Master of Puppets (1986)
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mdDyWP--t2w/TGhW5AOFg0I/AAAAAAAAAEg/ZDQqi-5-T-k/s1600/master-of-puppets.jpg)
Often cited as one of, if not the greatest thrash metal album of all time, this album encompasses everything that was good about Metallica in the eighties, and sadly also everything that they abandoned with their later albums. This album is structurally very similar to Ride the Lightning, with the first track opening with acoustic guitars, before getting heavy, the second track being the title track, the fourth being a more mellow affair and the album containing a long instrumental near the end, but this album ups the ante presented by Ride the Lightning in all aspects, resulting in an album with not a single bad or boring moment.
Really, this album has it all: lightning fast riffs and soloing (Battery, Disposable Heroes, Damage, Inc.), darker and more trudging riffs (The Thing That Should Not Be), creative solos (Master of Puppets) and some of the best lyrics that Metallica has ever had to offer (Master of Puppets again, Disposable Heroes, Leper Messiah).
A very special song for me on this album is Orion, which is probably one of my favourite instrumentals ever (second only to Eve, I think), and most of this is due to Cliff Burton’s genius bass work. The bass is really all over the place here, and the way that Burton weaves bass melodies into the guitar work is nothing short of astounding. It was a tragedy that he died soon after this album was released, because I would have loved to see him contribute to future albums of the band, at least to …And Justice for All, but as it stands, I honestly cannot imagine a better swan song for him than Orion.
If you are a metal fan, then you know this album already, and you probably also know how awesome it is. Those that haven’t heard it, please turn in your metal fan card right now. You’ll get it back once you listened to Master of Puppets. :P
Recommended tracks: Battery, Master of Puppets, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Disposable Heroes, Orion, Damage, Inc.
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09. Lou Reed and Metallica – Lulu (2009)
(https://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2011-10/1319795146_lou-reed-metallica-lulu-2011.jpg)
Now, I’m sure that I will lose whatever credibility I have gathered during my brief stay at DTF, and I was even debating whether I should omit this album because of that, but I can’t help but put if here, if I’m honest with myself. I really understand where many of the critics are coming from, but for me, this album connects to me in a way that no other Metallica album can quite achieve.
Perhaps it is because of the welcome change that Lou Reed’s vocals bring to the music, or the stylistic shift from metal to somewhat more akin to hard rock that this album encompasses, but I always felt that this album, despite its ridicule, has always felt like the much-needed breather in Metallica’s discography to me.
However, all of this wouldn’t be enough to make me rate this album this highly if the music itself weren’t up to scratch, but fortunately, it is. The stylistical shift on this album is very well done, far better than from The Black Album to Load, and it is something that I am very happy about, because Death Magnetic, which tried to resurrect the sound of the 80’s again, ultimately only succeeded in being a poor copy of what Metallica had achieved at their height, and I firmly believe that nothing good could have come from going further down that road.
Lulu, however, sees Metallica exploring new territory, like the very mellow Little Dog or the groovy epic Junior Dad. I would have loved to hear Metallica to expand on these experiments further, but given the negative reception that this album received, it is probably safe to say that their next release will try to resurrect the eighties again. Still, out of this experiment, the world got Lulu, and I will forever be thankful for that.
If you’ve written of this album because of the negative critics without listening to it, then I would definitely rectify that. This album really isn’t for everyone, but I honestly love this album, and I can imagine that there are quite a few people who might feel the same, upon giving this album a fair chance.
Recommended tracks: Brandenburg Gate, The View, Little Dog, Dragon, Junior Dad
(https://cdn.styleforum.net/9/90/909263d6_2291482-not_sure_if_serious.jpeg)
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lol, WHY YOU HAVE TO REVEAL THE TROLL JUST SECONDS BEFORE OF MY POST!?!?!?!?!?
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Wow, seriously...?
Anyway, you were quite convincing, but that's just mean.
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Wow, seriously...?
Anyway, you were quite convincing, but that's just mean.
Yeah, I actually feel pretty bad for doing that right now. I should have thought it through beforehand.
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Wow, color me fooled :clap:
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Wow, seriously...?
Anyway, you were quite convincing, but that's just mean.
Yeah, I actually feel pretty bad for doing that right now. I should have thought it through beforehand.
That alright. No worries from me :)
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Nice Scorpion!
:hefdaddy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWB63Wiltxk
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Master Of Puppets is a great album, no doubt.
But what you did was just not right. ;D
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Now this is a great Metallica album, unlike the last one you posted :P
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Damn, and just for once I thought I'm not the only one liking Lulu. ;D
You can't go wrong with Master, though. :tup
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MoP and Odyssey are my favorites from Metallica and SX; so no complaints. I only heard that table song from LuLu so I wouldnt have been able to comment either way on that disc.
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Another update, last one for today, I promise.
08. Megadeth – Rust in Peace (1990)
(https://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/69487838/Rust+In+Peace+Remaster+Megadeth++Rust+in+peace.jpg)
And here is my favourite Megadeth album, and while I’m sure that this comes as no surprise to anyone, I can’t help it. Every ounce of praise that this album has received – which is a lot, as this record is considered to be one of the genre-defining albums of thrash metal, along with Master of Puppets and maybe Reign in Blood – is well-deserved, with every member of Megadeth being at their very best here.
The riffs on this album are out of this world, as is the soloing of both Dave and Marty – every song (except for Dawn Patrol) contains at least one memorable solo that has left me having to pick up my jaw from the floor when I first heard it. Dave Ellefson’s bass work on this album isn’t really as prominent as the guitars and drums are, but when you notice it or when he actually takes a lead role (Poison Was the Cure, Dawn Patrol), then it become apparent quickly that he is a great bass player in his own right and he undeniably shapes the songs in a very unique way.
The song writing on this record is able to match the amazing performances of every member on this album in every song, with this album containing quite some songs that are notably different than the standard metal song in structure, and almost always better because of it – Holy Wars or Five Magics come to mind. Lyrically, this album is also one of Megadeth’s finest moments, with Dave really diving into the political topics on this album, and managing to do so without sounding overtly preachy or anything, but rather delivering the whole thing in an angry and aggressive way that few other singers could ever duplicate.
Really, this is an album that you can’t go wrong with, and everyone who is a fan of metal in any way should have listened to this album at least once. No excuses.
Recommended tracks: Holy Wars… The Punishment Due, Hangar 18, Five Magics, Poison Was the Cure, Tornado of Souls (contains one of my favourite guitar solos of all time)
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Rust In Peace :metal
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Marty Friedman's solo album "Dragon Kiss" > megadeth imo.
(marty friedman was their guitar player).
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Really, this is an album that you can’t go wrong with, and everyone who is a fan of metal in any way should have listened to this album at least once. No excuses.
:guilty:
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Really, this is an album that you can’t go wrong with, and everyone who is a fan of metal in any way should have listened to this album at least once. No excuses.
:guilty:
The fuck Milena. I would have thought you'd known it.
Rust in Peace is fucking amazing, great pick. My first Megadeth album and still my favourite. Also the only one I have on CD :P .
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You're on a hell of a roll here, Scorp!!!
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Really, this is an album that you can’t go wrong with, and everyone who is a fan of metal in any way should have listened to this album at least once. No excuses.
:guilty:
:guilty:
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Really, this is an album that you can’t go wrong with, and everyone who is a fan of metal in any way should have listened to this album at least once. No excuses.
:guilty:
:guilty:
:alsoguilty:
I'll turn in my rocker chick card after the Monday Night Football game. :(
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The fuck Milena. I would have thought you'd known it.
I'm just not into thrash at all. I have probably heard all the songs separately; hearing it all in one sitting? Nah.
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Update time!
07. Trivium – Shogun (2008)
(https://www.cdstarts.de/images/wallpaper/Trivium_Shogun.jpg)
This is probably a pick that nobody had expected, and I haven’t met many people that actually like this band, but for those that don’t like Trivium, it’s your loss, because most of the band’s output is very solid, at least, with the bands fourth effort, Shogun, surpassing everything else that the band has ever made and being amazing album in its own right.
Shogun is, at heart, a metalcore album (though I despise this label, because pretty much every genre ending in –core sucks big time) that melds thrashy music and riffs with both clean and harsh vocals, pulled of masterfully by young guitarist and bandleader Matt Heafy, but this album is so much more than that. Shogun is also Trivium at their best lyrically, with the songs being rich with metaphorical and, dare I say, nearly poetic lyrics, and even though many songs aren’t really about day-to-day topics, this works for the band far better than the lyrical approach on their previous album.
This album also shows the band at their most progressive, featuring lots of unexpected breakdown and unusual structures all around, the most glaring example being the title track, but there are many other songs on this record that are far from your simple, run-of-the-mill metal song. The performance of all the members is top notch, with the guitar duo Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu standing out especially – both are very young players, but immensely talented, and they know how to shred like the best them (listen to Shogun’s solo section after the acoustic break if you doubt me on that).
This album is not for everyone, I suppose, but if you aren’t opposed to harsher vocals and a more modern metal sound, then you should check this out. This is an awesome introductory album to Trivium as well, and it was the album that got me into them.
Recommended tracks: Kirisute Gomen, Down From the Sky, Throes of Perdition, Of Prometheus and the Crucifix, Like Callisto to a Star in Heaven, Shogun
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Knew it was going to be Shogun from the thread title. :tup Prefer Ascendancy but Shogun is a close second, amazing album.
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MOP is my all time-favourite :metal :metal :metal :metal :metal.
Rust in Peace is also great indeed.
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Shogun is cool. In fact, I think it's the only Trivium I know well enough to comment about. I wouldn't rank it higher than Rust in Peace or Master of Puppets though.
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because pretty much every genre ending in –core sucks big time)
Truer words were never written! I tried Trivium last year in anticipation for them opening for DT. Music was good, but I *am* adverse to harsh vocals (with limited exceptions), and just couldn't get past that.
Never been a big Megadeath fan, and while I recognize the place and influence of MoP in metal history, I find it to be over-rated <runs to put flame retardant suit on>.
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I have The Crusade, and like it, but also not caring for RORORO, that is all I have from trivium.
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Pff, I just saw this thread. Following now. Also, your Lulu trolling was succesful! I believed you until I scrolled down :D
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Enjoying the end of this list, although I don't like Trivium -at all- but it's all good, you like what you like, right? :hat
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06. Judas Priest – Nostradamus (2008)
(https://www.cdstarts.de/images/wallpaper/JudasPriest_Nostradamus.jpg)
If there was ever any album that was considered to be Judas Priest’s black sheep (aside from the two albums released with Ripper Owens, who don’t really deserve to be labelled as such either), then that album was Nostradamus. Released as a follow-up to the largely successful and critically acclaimed reunion album Angel of Retribution, Nostradamus took the band into a musical direction that was vastly different and, as it turned out, was not something that the majority of the fans enjoyed. Initially, I was the same opinion, but during I holiday where this was the only album that I had with me, this record grew on me like no other album has done, and I can now safely say that this is my favourite Judas Priest album.
Nostradamus is a 2-CD concept album, telling the story of the seer of the same name in the Middle Ages, who predicted the end of the world and was ridiculed and persecuted for it, only for the world to see his predictions come true after all. Not really a very creative or innovative concept, granted, but it is executed almost flawlessly on this album, so I don’t really mind.
The album generally consists of longer songs (from five minutes upward), with a shorter, more stripped-down interludes (around two minutes) being thrown in between ever other song, usually referencing melodies and themes of previous or upcoming songs, which ties the whole album together, giving it a very cohesive feel. The “real” songs are, unlike Priest’s earlier efforts, more mid-tempo instead of blisteringly fast, though there is a fair share of fast stuff as well, but on the whole, this album is a little slower, yet now less heavy and monumental than any other Priest record. Indeed, the whole album has a very grandiose feel to it, which is often created by many layered keyboards underneath the guitar riffs and vocals, yet it never becomes bombastic in an obnoxious way, though it is often treading the line to it.
The songs one here are very creative in terms of song writing, with every aspect of Judas Priests sound being present: ballads, slower and groovier songs, blisteringly fast riffs and solos – there are even tentative experiments with doom metal (Death) and orchestral work (Exiled, Nostradamus) present on this record, though it mainly focuses on the styles that have been a part of Judas Priest’s catalogue for quite some time and simply expands on them. There is also, if I recall correctly, the only Judas Priest song with no drumming on this album (Lost Love, though there are a few shorter interludes that don’t contain drumming as well), which, while scraping hard on the border of what is acceptable in terms of cheesiness, is a much-welcomed breather of the heaviness of this album.
Really, all tracks on this album are awesome, but Pestilence and Plague deserves a special mention. It is one of my favourite Priest songs and it encompasses the whole band perfectly: aggressive, fast and memorable riff, great verse and chorus melodies by Halford, and an instrumental trade-off between the guitar gods Tipton and Downing that is to die for. The Italian chorus takes a while to get used to, but it really adds another dimension to the song and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
If you’ve written this album off due to negative critics, then I strongly urge you to reconsider and to give this album a chance. This is Priest at their strongest and most diverse, and I couldn’t have wished for a more worthy album to conclude the discography of this amazing band.
Recommended tracks: Revelations, Pestilence and Plague, Death, Lost Love, Exiled, Nostradamus, Future of Mankind
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Damn... another band that I just never took the time/effort to get in to. But double-damn... I'm like a moth to a flame when it comes to concept albums. I'll be checking this out.
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Not sure if this is another Lulu trolling :lol
This is a very uneven album for me. A few good tracks, but overall one of my very least favourites by them. I hope they go for another straight ahead metal album next time.
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An(other) album I don't know.
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I couldn't listen to Nostradamus all the time but I enjoy listening to it once in a while. Sometimes seems like a chore to get through. The prophecy is an awesome track. Like Zydar, I'm looking forward to a more straight up metal disc from priest next time around
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Not sure if this is another Lulu trolling :lol
:lol
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An(other) album I don't know.
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Made my way through disc 1. It had it's moments, but for the most part I'd have to say I was underwhelmed.
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Nostradamus really is uneven. The second disc is much more consistent, but I haven't listened all the way through the disc one in four years. Rust in peace, on the other hand, is pretty darn good. :metal
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Just to make it clear: this is no trolling, this is 100% serious.
Made my way through disc 1. It had it's moments, but for the most part I'd have to say I was underwhelmed.
Sadly, I'm not surprised. I've never quite met a person who likes this album as much as I do, and I can see why it would be a chore for some people, but I never had that problem, really, and I've always enjoyed it. :dunno:
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Also, a recap of the list so far:
50. Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
49. Led Zeppelin - IV
48. Scars on Broadway - Scars on Broadway
47. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
46. Angra - Rebirth
45. King Diamond - Abigail
44. Green Carnation - Light of Day, Day of Darkness
43. Stratovarius - Dreamspace
42. Machine Head - The Blackening
41. Sum 41 - Chuck
40. Rammstein - Reise, Reise
39. Deep Purple - Made in Japan
38. Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing
37. Luna Mortis - The Absence
36. Pink Floyd - Animals
35. die ärzte - Geräusch
34. Buckethead - Colma
33. Gamma Ray - Land of the Free II
32. Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1
31. Nick Cave - Murder Ballads
30. Placebo - Meds
29. Marillion - Clutching at Straws
28. Myrath - Desert Call
27. Stratovarius - Polaris
26. Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death
25. Praying Mantis - Forever in Time
24. Avantasia - The Scarecrow
23. Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine: Biomech
22. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
21. Haken - Visions
20. Judas Priest - Stained Class
19. Praying Mantis - Time Tells No Lies
18. Savatage - Poets and Madmen
17. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
16. die ärzte - 13
15. Symphony X - The Damnation Game
14. Metallica - ...And Justice for All
13. Iced Earth - Alive in Athens
12. Rammstein - Mutter
11. Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction
10. Symphony X - The Odyssey
09. Metallica - Master of Puppets
08. Megadeth - Rust in Peace
07. Trivium - Shogun
06. Judas Priest - Nostradamus
05. :huh:
04. :huh:
03. :huh:
02. :huh:
01. :huh:
Anyone who can guess the top spots wins a prize (FlyingBIZKIT doesn't count, I sent him my list by PM once).
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I would expect some Dream Theater at some point.
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Hoping for some Images & Words or SFAM. Or at least 6DOIT.
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Dream Theater, Rush, and maybe some more Rammstein.
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Just popping in to say the convincing Lulu troll was the best thing to happen to a top 50 thread in quite awhile, well done.
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Absolutely astonished to see that Judas Priest album even ON someone's top 50 list, never mind #6 :o
I literally gave my copy of it away, but hey, if you like it, you like it. :)
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05. Dream Theater – Images and Words (1992)
(https://fuckingsick.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/1992-images-and-words.jpg?w=700)
Coming in at the start of my Top 5, we have Dream Theater’s breakthrough album and what many still consider to be their best – and there is certainly nothing wrong with that sentiment, because this is an album that is awesome from start to finish. When Dream and Day Unite is a great album, I think, but still, this is the album with which Dream Theater were born, so to speak.
Every single musician, is on fire on this album: Myung’s basslines are creative and jaw-dropping when you actually seek them out, but they blend into the sound of the album perfectly, Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci play like men possessed, yet never getting lost in the songs, but instead contributing to them, and Moore and keys are always there, shaping the whole record and coming into the foreground at exactly the right time. However, this is nothing new, because all these elements were all present on the debut album, even though the band stepped up things quite a notch on this album.
What really sets this album apart from the debut (aside from the production, which is miles better than that of When Dream and Day Unite, and even the infamous triggered snare doesn’t bother me in the slightest), however, is the new guy behind the microphone. Charlie wasn’t a bad singer by any means, but what James LaBrie brings to this album is something on a whole new level – the was that he effortlessly, yes even gracefully nails the highs and lows as though it were no more difficult than talking normally, and the way that manages to bring the lyrics to life is something that Dominici never managed to do.
Of course, the best musicians of the world would be worthless if there the musical material weren’t up to scratch, but anyone who has heard this album will affirm that the album is anything but musically weak. Both lyrically and musically, this album features some of Dream Theater’s best, with especially Moore’s work standing out from the rest (he was always my favourite Dream Theater lyricist, and Surrounded and Wait for Sleep are some of his best work). The Myung-penned Learning to Live, while still awesome, is also massively overrated, and has nothing on Moore’s lyrics, in my opinion.
Really, I doubt that there is one person on this board that doesn’t know this album, but to those that don’t: this album isn’t one that clicks instantly, at least for me it didn’t, so if you’re feeling a little underwhelmed after the first listen, don’t give up and give it another chance – the end result is worth it in spades.
Recommended tracks: Pull Me Under, Take the Time, Surrounded, Metropolis, Wait for Sleep, Learning to Live
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Didn't see that coming.....
:vomitard:
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Great album.
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Images And Words :hefdaddy
My favourite DT album and a Top 10 album overall.
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The album that started it all for me.
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Fantastic album!
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I hear there's this bass solo, where he does this bass solo...
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Love Priest but Nostradamus is not a good album by anyone's standards. Played it through once and that was all I could manage. Still, if you love it it's yours.
I&W is pretty good ;D for an album with Firehouse's drums on it... lol
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Another DT album to come and another Maiden album.
I&W is a safe choice, but it's too low :P
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Fantastic album!
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Yeah, it topped my list. Let's see, what else is still to come. I like the 6 Degrees call. Maiden... maybe. Another Townshend? No Nightwish, Redemption or Ayreon on the list? Aquarius?
What about the home country - Vanden Plas? Don't think BtB or FR would show up, since you skipped out on their concert for a family vaca.
Any more guesses would probably just seem silly (ier).
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Yeah, it topped my list. Let's see, what else is still to come. I like the 6 Degrees call. Maiden... maybe. Another Townshend? No Nightwish, Redemption or Ayreon on the list? Aquarius?
What about the home country - Vanden Plas? Don't think BtB or FR would show up, since you skipped out on their concert for a family vaca.
Any more guesses would probably just seem silly (ier).
All great bands, sure, but even though there's a lot of stuff that I got from DTF on the list, the Top spots are stuff that I've known and loved for far longer, so it's not any of those. Though do keep your eyes open for the honourable mentions, you mind find something there.
Also, the next review is a bitch to write, but I'll have it up sometime soon, in the next three hours.
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04. System of a Down – Toxicity (2001)
(https://www.metalsucks.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/toxicity.jpg)
Alright, coming in at #4, we have one of the, if not the metal album that I have known the longest, even though to describe this is metal is while, true, also completely insufficient. For those of you that don’t know System of a Down, this is basically metal with plenty of weird shit thrown in, though even that doesn’t aptly describe the band’s sound, but that’s the best I can do at the moment.
Toxicity is the band’s second album, right after their self-titled debut, and it certainly upped things several notches. While the debut was already a great album and showed the world the amazing potential of the band, there were still a few duds here and there that kept the album from transcending good and becoming great or even fantastic.
This is not the case for Toxicity, which is a great album from start to finish. From the opener Prison Song on, you know that this album is going to be a) pretty much all over the place and b) fucking awesome. It’s a short album by modern standards (44 minutes), but every minute on this album is perfectly used and the songs never feel as though they should have been more fleshed-out or anything.
The performance on this album is great, with especially Serj’s and Daron’s vocal tradeoffs being noteworthy. The song writing is no less excellent, with every song being rich with metaphorical, even poetic lyrics that cover pretty much every topic from complete silliness (Bounce) to highly-interesting issues like police brutality, drug abuse and the meaning of life, and yet the songs never come across as pretentious.
There isn’t really a lot more to say about this album, mainly because the musical style of this record defies any classification that I know of. It’s a great album, though perhaps not for everyone, and only listening to it can really tell if you’ll like it or not.
Recommended tracks: Needles, Deer Dance, Chop Suey!, Forest, Science, Psycho, Aerials
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NICE! Toxicity is indeed a masterpiece. When I saw the new thread name 'v. WAKE UP!', I thought to myself: 'wait, couldn't that be...?' :)
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I don't dig on SoaD too much but I had a feeling that's who it was.
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I never managed to get into System of a down...
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SOAD is one of the 100000000000000 bands I want to get into. Don't know many songs yet, but sounds pretty cool.
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Love Toxcitity, really amazing album, great songs all the way through.
Interesting choice for Priest, both our top tens had obscure Priest albums, although Nostradamus is my least fav Priest record, yet it still has some really good moments.
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Fuck yes lover of obscure priest album! o/
Jugulator is pretty awesome, too.
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I tried SOAD. A guy I worked with burned me all of their albums. I will try Toxicity again. I actually think Serj is way too talented for them.
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I tried SOAD. A guy I worked with burned me all of their albums. I will try Toxicity again. I actually think Serj is way too talented for them.
Some of SOAD is incredible. But a full album is hard to listen to.
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Any album that has Jet Pilot on it is not a masterpiece.
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03. Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)
(https://www.backstage2.fr/oscommerce/images/Iron%20maiden%20seventh.jpg)
Even though it was already predicted in the thread that there will probably be another Maiden album in my Top 5, I doubt that anyone would have presumed it to be this album. While not quite at the level of the Blaze-era album or No Prayer and Fear of the Dark, this album has, from what I have observed, been on the receiving end of quite some criticism – that the whole concept is totally pretentious, or that the shift from the strictly guitar-dominated sounds of earlier album, which had already been started with Somewhere in Time, was a bad direction in general.
I’m sure that my placement of this album on my list is indicator enough of the fact that I respectfully disagree with these criticisms. This album is Iron Maiden at their best, and above all, at their most consistent – while the highs on quite a few other Maiden albums are higher (the title track and Rime of the Ancient Mariner on Powerslave, or Alexander the Great on Somewhere in Time), there is no other Maiden album that is quite as consistently enjoyable for me as Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is.
Yes, the concept won’t win any prizes, that’s true, but at the end of the day, it’s about the music here and that aspect of this album flawless. All eight songs are masterfully crafted and perfectly paced in the context of the album, which makes every listen of this album seem to fly by and leaves me wanting to hear the album again. Of course, every member of the band plays impeccably on this record, but that’s nothing new.
There’s not really much else to say, I guess for this album – I’m sure that everyone has heard (of) this album one way or another. I can certainly see many people rating many other albums higher, but for me, this is the creative pinnacle of Iron Maiden, and an album that they are unlikely to ever top.
Recommended tracks: Moonchild, Infinite Dreams, The Evil That Me Do, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Only the Good Die Young
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Not my favorite album, but nothing wrong with it at all - it's an excellent album. Good writeup.
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I hated Seventh Son when it was released, but grew to love it later.
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:heart Toxicity.
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Great Maiden album :metal
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Great Maiden album, almost made it to my top 10 as well. :tup
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Nice! It's actually my favorite maiden album as well. :tup
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SSOASS just never clicked with me. It's not the fault of the synth sounds- I quite liked that change. I never really loved the Maiden guitar sound and I found it muddy here. There are some good songs without doubt. I think the problem was I got it around the same time as Mindcrime and it suffers against that backdrop (but so does just about everything for me). I certainly struggled with the concept album bit- I never found it really.
I should like it more than I do. Having a listen now in fact and I'm enjoying it. Yeah, I think Mindcrime ruined it for me.
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Brilliant album!
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Wow, did this list take a massive downturn for me. One of my more disliked bands followed by one of Maiden's most overrated albums. Seventh Son is good, but it wouldn't be anywhere near a top 50 for me.
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Seventh Son is good, but it wouldn't be anywhere near a top 50 for me.
I agree with Nick here.
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Love seventh son, great pick
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7th Son is the only Maiden album I'm legitimately familiar with and I think it's excellent. Good call, Scroptimus Prime :metal
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Brilliant album!
Love seventh son, great pick
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4th mention of SSOASS and this is the highest ranking, next highest was 14th
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Man, I love Toxicity but Aerials has to be one of the most overrated songs ever. Totally kills the rest of the album, IMO.
*runs the fuck away*
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Can I play with madness??!!
I actually quite enjoy that song!
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:iagree:
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that's my favourite Maiden album!!! :metal
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Nice! It's actually my favorite maiden album as well. :tup
Mine too :tup
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We're getting closer...
02. Dream Theater – Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002)
(https://www.metalmusicarchives.com/images/covers/dream-theater-six-degrees-of-inner-turbulence-20110802143639.jpg)
For a long, long time, this album was my favourite album, and though there is probably no-one here that will agree with the album that just edged this album out, I think that everyone will probably concede that this album is fucking awesome, from start to finish.
This album is the creative peak of Dream Theater’s career, and it contains six tracks, where even the one that I enjoy the least is a musical and lyrical masterpiece (the title track – I actually prefer to listen to it in parts, though I certainly enjoy it when I listen to it as whole as well).
This album features every aspect of Dream Theater’s sound at its finest, be it full-out metal assaults à la The Glass Prison, the poppiness of Solitary Shell, the more melodic side as represented in Disappear and Goodnight Kiss or the progginess of the band, as exhibited in Blind Faith – this record has it all, and it has it all done well and in a balanced way so that the album never feels overloaded or anything.
Like with Images and Words, this is an album that everyone on this forum has heard at least once, so saying anything more about this album is probably rather redundant, because everyone already knows about everything that makes Dream Theater so great and a longer write-up of this album would probably end up being a list of all of those things anyway.
Recommended tracks: Blind Faith, The Great Debate, Disappear, The Test That Stumped Them All, Goodnight Kiss, Solitary Shell
Any guesses for #1?
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:tup Top 3 DT album. Great choice.
Inb4 St. Anger at N°1
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Man, I love Toxicity but Aerials has to be one of the most overrated songs ever. Totally kills the rest of the album, IMO.
*runs the fuck away*
I kind of agree. I didn't mind Aerials, but it is overrated and possibly my least fav on the album.
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^^ LOL. Can I just say I hated Glass Prison at first? couldn't get into that song AT ALL. Must have cost me about 20 listenings before it finally clicked. I also couldn't seem to get over some of the lyrics... (especially the ending). Great f'in album for the rest, though!
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Great choice, my 3rd favourite DT album :tup
As for your #1 I have no clue at all.
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Accept
Praying Mantis
Not really sure what could be number 1.
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Accept just missed the cut, and I already have two PM albums on the list.
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Another System of a Down album. I looked which one has Soldie Side on it so I'm going with Hypnotize.
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I didn't realize that Scorp was an Accept fan...
Can't argue with the love for 6 D's.
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Perhaps another Rammstein album, like Sehnsucht?
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Nah, Sehnsucht isn't that good. ;D
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Falling into Infinity???
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Nevermind?
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Omerta?
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Believe?
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To end the speculation, I will just post my final entry. Before I do so, I want to thank everyone who has followed my list, I had a lot of fun doing this list, even though the write-ups were sometimes a bitch. I hope my reviews for my album were actually informative and not too boring or too fanboyish - that's what I tried to do while writing them, anyway.
Here it is, my #1 album of all time:
01. System of a Down – Hypnotize (2005)
(https://fanoegerm.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/system-of-a-down-hypnotize.jpg)
And here we have my #1 album of all time, just as Elite called it, and I’m sure that there are few people, even among those that like System of a Down that would agree with this placement, but I can’t help it – not that I want to, anyway, because this album deserves nothing less.
In 2005, System of a Down released two albums, Hypnotize and Mezmerize, and while it seems to be almost general consensus that Mezmerize is the superior album, I never quite got where that was coming from. Sure, Mezmerize is a great album and if I didn’t limit myself to two album a band, then it would have shown up on this list as well, but there are a few tracks that I don’t really care all that much for.
Hypnotize, meanwhile, is absolutely flawless, with every track being a perfect 10/10, and some of them even surpassing that. Even the weaker tracks on this album are masterpieces that other bands could never even hope to touch, and the better tracks on this album are some of the best songs that I have ever heard, with Soldier Side being my favourite song of all time – everything on it, the lyrics, the melodies, the structure, and that goddamn powerful chorus are perfect.
Most of the flak that this album gets is probably for Lonely Day, which is, for System of a Down standards, a very conventional song, but apart from that there is really nothing wrong with it. The lyrics may seem a little cheesy, but they always seemed very honest and heartfelt to me, especially when I actually saw this song live. It also features an excellent guitar solo, which is a rarity for System.
Really, I could (like everyone else with their #1 album) go on for far longer than this, but I think that that’s all that needs to be said. This album is perfect in every sense, and while I doubt that too many people will agree with me, I would encourage everyone to try out this album at least once if they haven’t heard it yet.
Recommended tracks: Attack, Dreaming, Hypnotize, Stealing Society, U-Fig, Holy Mountains, Lonely Day, Soldier Side
There will be some honourable mentions to come in the next few days, consisting either of albums that just didn't make the cut, but are still worth mentioning, albums that mean a lot to me but didn't make the list because of my two-album-per-artist limit, or stuff that I have only known for too little of a time to be able to put it in this list, but that I feel that could, in the near future, easily make this list.
Again, thanks for following! :tup
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Damn, this album never clicked with me...
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Good list, but yeah, I just don't like SoaD at all. But thanks for the list, I enjoyed following. :)
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Good list, but yeah, I just don't like SoaD at all. But thanks for the list, I enjoyed following. :)
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Good list, but yeah, I just don't like SoaD at all. But thanks for the list, I enjoyed following. :)
Third'd'd
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I find it odd that a German with the handle "Scorpion" didn't have a single album by the Scorpions in his list.
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I find it odd that a German with the handle "Scorpion" didn't have a single album by the Scorpions in his list.
I expected someone to pick up on that, but honestly, I could never get into them at all, and my handle has nothing to do with it. In fact, I don't really know why I picked that name - I think it was because I needed a name and I was listening to Megadeth's The Scorpion while registering for DTF, and I though that scorpions where kinda badass anyway, with all the deadliness and stuff.
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I love Lonely Day and every other song on Hypnotize, but that's still a rather interesting choice for best album ever. Combined with Mezmerize, it would rank pretty highly on my list, but not quite up to that top 50 level.
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Scrop, there's no one like you.
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:lol
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Scrop, there's no one like you.
Hopefully he's still loving you.
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And rocking you like a hurricane.
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Bad puns running wild!
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Scorp, you give me all I need.
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Bad puns running wild!
:rollin
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Epic nr 1 man. Supergeil!
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Hypnotize was decent but not up to the level of Toxcitiy. Good list.
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Good list, but yeah, I just don't like SoaD at all. But thanks for the list, I enjoyed following. :)
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Just listened to Hypmotize and I enjoyed it. I just need to find a better means of listening to full albums I don't own since hearing it as one continuous track on a youtube full-album upload seems to take away the recognition factor of being able to immediately look at the media player and knowing what the song title is when you hear one of those "OOH!" moments. I'd give it a 7 as of now with a chance for growth once I can sift through my samey perception of it.
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Spotify, maybe?
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Word. Them n***as make you register or anything?
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I think the free Spotify account just requires you to have a FB account.
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Thanks.
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:tup
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Every SOAD album is awesome, no complaints. :metal
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Some honourable mentions to follow-up on the list. The write-ups aren't as lengthy as for the main list, but then again, these are only the HMs. They are in no particular order - they are simply ordered in the order in which I felt like writing the write-ups.
Soul Secret – Closer to Daylight (2011)
(https://elasdepicasmetal.com.ar/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Soul-Secret-Closer-To-Daylight-2011.jpg)
This is probably the album on this list that I have known for the shortest time (a week), and even though I would have scoffed at someone telling me that I would include an album that I’ve known for such a short time on my list, this album needs to be here. I’ve been spinning this album at least once a day during the last week and it just seems to get better and better. All the instrumentalists are awesome, the vocals are great, and the song writing manages to stay interesting throughout the whole album. I can’t quite see this entering my Top 10, but if it keeps its ascent, then Top 25 doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Recommended to anyone who enjoys good prog metal.
Recommended tracks: River’s Edge, Pillars of Sand, Behind the Curtain, Aftermath
Stratovarius – Elysium (2011)
(https://www.neuecds.music-newsletter.de/assets/images/Stratovarius_-_Elysium.jpg)
Stratovarius most recent offering is almost on par with Dreamspace and Polaris, and while some of the individual songs here are some of the best that the band has written, there are a few duds here that keep it from taking the top spot. It does, however, contain my favourite Stratovarius song (the title track), along with many other great tracks. If the bonus track Castaway were to replace Move the Mountain, then this might actually be in my Top 50, but as it is, it just barely missed the cut.
Recommended tracks: Darkest Hours, Infernal Maze, The Game Never Ends, Elysium, Castaway
Affector – Harmagedon (2012)
(https://i.imgur.com/hnALJ.png)
Another very recent album, this album was one that was recommended to me by DTF as well. It features some brilliant songwriting, with every song being very enjoyable. Especially the way that the band uses different guest keyboardists to give different songs discernibly different touches is something that I enjoy a lot. Both Sherinian and Rudess shine on this record in their unique ways, and the direct contrast is very nice. I’m not completely sold on Ted Leonard’s voice, but its slowly growing on me. This might make my list in a year or so.
Recommended tracks: Salvation, The Rapture, Harmagedon, New Jerusalem
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Elysium was such a surprise and a big step up from Polaris IMO. Soul Secret are great but I only have Flowing Portraits. The Affector album was good but the lyrics were too biblical for me.
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Elysium is great. :metal
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Huh, 3 albums to check out.
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Never got too deep into Strat. The other two at freaking amazing. For some reason, I don't have an issue with the religious aspect of Haragedon.
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Called it :biggrin:
And I'm surprised at the lack of Pain of Salvation in your list.
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Just wanted to drop in and say cool list. Lots of stuff i'm not really familiar with but a good bit that was on my list as well. Your addition of Buckethead's "Colma" finally persuaded me to give it a listen and while it didn't blow me away it was a very nice chill album that will fit well when that's what I'm looking for.
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Like wolfking, I only have the first Soul Secret album as well; and like j.b, the religiousness of Affector doesn't bother me even though I'm not religious.
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I'm not religious either, but I liked the songs and the music, but the blatant lyrics were just too much for me.
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Like wolfking, I only have the first Soul Secret album as well; and like j.b, the religiousness of Affector doesn't bother me even though I'm not religious.
Oh doc, get Closer to Daylight. It's chubby-inducing.
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Like wolfking, I only have the first Soul Secret album as well; and like j.b, the religiousness of Affector doesn't bother me even though I'm not religious.
Oh doc, get Closer to Daylight. It's chubby-inducing.
$3.98 for a new copy on amazon.com. That's worth it.
It's a good thing I'm single the way I drop money on music.
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Some more honourable mentions.
Beyond the Bridge – The Old Man and the Spirit (2011)
(https://reigninart.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Beyond-The-Bridge-The-Old-Man-And-The-Spirit.jpg)
This is a great album, and considering that this is the band’s debut album, I was even more awed by this album. It features everything that makes good prog metal and nothing of those things that make it bad. The lyrics are very good, the musicianship is stellar, yet no-where does it become self-indulgent, the melodies are gorgeous and the interplay between male and female vocals is nothing short of amazing. This album is a grower as well, and it will probably make my list in a year’s or so time, but as it is, I’ve simply not known it for a long time enough, and of this time, it took a long time for this album to truly click with me, instead of just thinking that this was a good album. Anyone who doesn’t know this album should check it out right now.
Recommended tracks: The Call, The Apparition, World of Wonders, Doorway to Salvation, All a Man Can Do
Riverside – Second Life Syndrome (2005)
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L4fytmzBi_0/TKjsCR-JTpI/AAAAAAAAAlM/LrTrDbMyqwM/s1600/Second+Life+Syndrome+-+Riverside.jpg)
This album is another grower, and I frankly wasn’t too impressed with this album the first time I heard it. I appreciated the musicianship, but the music did very little to me. But over time and repeated listens, I have slowly begun to appreciate how amazing this album is, with everything coming together. This album is still climbing in my ranking and it might make my Top 50 in the near future, or at least come very close to it. Great song writing, great playing and overall a very nice and atmospheric sound all wrapped up in a CD of very good prog metal that is easy to be underestimated.
Recommended tracks: Volte-face, Second Life Syndrome, Artificial Smile, Reality Dream III, Dance With the Shadows
Devin Townsend – Terria (2001)
(https://www.metal-archives.com/images/3/6/1/9/3619.jpg)
I’m not really that much a Devin Townsend fan as many of the people here, so it simply didn’t feel right to include two albums of his on my list, and Ocean Machine is slightly better than this album. But since my appreciation for the musical genius that is Devin Townsend continues to grow, this album is very likely to make future lists of mine. I have not yet listened to all of his albums, but this album is one of the best that he has ever released. Every song is a very interesting composition, even Olives, which many don’t seem to like all that much. It also contains some of his best tracks ever, though I find Earth Day to be a tad overrated, to be honest.
Recommended tracks: Deep Peace, Canada, The Fluke, Nobody’s Here, Tiny Tears
There's one more batch of HMs to come, but after that, I swear I'm done, don't worry. :lol
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Beyond the Bridge :hefdaddy
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All three of those are amazing, especially Terria.
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All three of those are amazing, especially Terria Old Man and the Spirit.
Fix'd for me. Can't say I'm much of a DT or Riverside fan.
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I have yet to get into Dev's stuff, but I love the first two albums way too much for words.
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SLS is absolutely incredible.
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I have yet to get into Dev's stuff, but I love the first two albums way too much for words.
Start with Ocean Machine or Ghost. Those are the albums that clicked for me first, after a very long period of not really liking Devy.
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I've tried several times to get into Devin Townsend's music, but I just don't get it.
That debut album from Beyond The Bridge is amazing. It's very sad that their guitarist/keyboard player Simon Oberender died unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago. :(
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Yeah, I read about his death in the BtB thread. :'( Very sad, though I am at the same time excited that they have decided to continue after his death. I hope their second album can match their debut.
Anyway, here's the last two honourable mentions. I want to thank everyone who followed again at this point, I really had fun with this list and I hope you did too. :)
The Human Abstract – Digital Veil (2011)
(https://www.nocleansinging.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Human-Abstract-Digital-Veil-e1299537563701.jpg)
This is another album that I’ve not known for very long, and while it has grown on my quite a bit, I doubt that it will quite make my Top 50, but it rests very comfortable just outside of it at the moment. Digital Veil, which is sadly the last album of this band, features some of the best blend of progressive metal and harsh vocals (yes, better than Opeth) that I know. The musicianship on this album is great, with the guitars standing out a fair bit. The song writing is pretty eclectic and over the place, which takes some getting used to, but when you fully grasp it, it never really feels as though there are any parts that are weird just for the sake of it. The only problem I have with this album is that it is far too short (36 minutes), but then again, I’d rather have it this way than a longer album with the rest of the space filled with stuff that sucks.
Recommended tracks: Elegiac, Faust, Antebellum, Patterns
die ärzte – Die Bestie in Menschengestalt (1993)
(https://i.imgur.com/4NfRY.jpg)
This album mainly missed the Top 50 due to my self-imposed two album restriction. There is a lot going on here, and it features some of the most experimental stuff that die ärzte have done – something which I have always admired, even more because this is the reunion album of the band. I mean, which band would have the balls to end their reunion album, which would probably make or break the bands future, with a track that using the full brass section of the orchestra and is reminiscent of Bavarian traditional songs? However, not this entire album is playing around – there are some very serious lyrics on this album, and sometimes even serious lyrics delivered in a humorous way, something that the band would perfect on later albums and there is plenty of the known sound of the band to be found on this record as well, musically. Really, die ärzte couldn’t have released a better debut album to their second era, and alone for that I will always treasure this album.
Also, yes, before you ask, I censored the cover of the album myself, it isn't meant to be that way. I quite enjoy being on DTF, thank you very much. :)
Recommended tracks: Schrei nach Liebe, Mach die Augen zu, Für uns, Kopfüber in die Hölle, Omaboy, Lieber Tee
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Big Human Abstract fan right here. Digital Veil is a great album.
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All three of those are amazing, especially Terria Old Man and the Spirit.
Fix'd for me. Can't say I'm much of a DT or Riverside fan.
Oh, but Old Man and the Spirit is fucking awesome as well, don't take that wrong :)
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I didn't.
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Hey Sco... you seem to have done a great job.. I took a peek only as for now but will read it through later on..
it's just SOAD sitting on top made me a lil surprised...
kudos to you getting us all (?) on Lulu post! :laugh:
Also nice to see some love for Soul Secret and The Human Abstract ... I see there are others who like them but I just didn't bump into anyone mentioning SS here before...
good job!
Thanks!
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Yeah, I knew that SoaD would be very controversial as a top spot, but they're my favourite band, actually, and no other band shaped my listening habits like SoaD did.
Also, Soul Secret and The Human Abstract are awesome. 'Nuff said.
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SOAD have a distinctive style... especially the vocals.. hit or miss...
I've figured you love 'em :)
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I absolutely love the Affector album. It's really killer. So many keyboard solos :hefdaddy