Scorpion's Top 50 Albums v. Honourable Mentions, I AM THE LAAAAAAAAAAST!

[wolfking]

Interesting SM choice.

[Elite]

SX have at least 4 better albums.

Still don't now Die Ärzte

[Scorpion]

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)



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

[jingle.boy]

Easily my favorite Metallica album. 

[Elite]

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.

[Nekov]

Great metal album. It's a shame that the bass is so low

[Zydar]

It's not my favourite either, but it's up there. Probably 4th (after RtL, MoP, and TBA).

[Mladen]

My favorite Metallica album. 

[Big Hath]

Dyers Eve!!!

[Elite]

Dyers Eve!!!

Should have been among the recommended tracks. As should One.

[kirksnosehair]

They should remix and remaster this album.  The songs are great, but it sounds like a big gigantic bag of ass.

[Big Hath]

Dyers Eve!!!

As should One.

indeed

[jjrock88]

my second favorite Metallica album behind MoP

[TAC]

I have a feeling that this album will be showing up on another list very soon.

Dyers Eve!!!

[DebraKadabra]

They should remix and remaster this album.  The songs are great, but it sounds like a big gigantic bag of ass.

Agreed.

[Scorpion]

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)



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

[TAC]

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!

[jjrock88]

I like TAC's analogy

[Lowdz]

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.

[TAC]

Dystopia is excellent.

[Scorpion]

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.

12. Rammstein - Mutter (2001)



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

[Mladen]

Can't go wrong with Mutter, obviously. 

[Elite]

I still have to listen to that one, I suppose.

[MoraWintersoul]

Dystopia is excellent.

Yessir.

[Scorpion]

11. Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction (1992)



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 )

[Lowdz]

I wasn't the biggest Megadeth fan, in fact I didn't go for the whole thrash thing. Even I love this album though.

[Mladen]

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. 

[Ruba]

CTE has maybe three songs I enjoy.

But it's still Megadeth.

[Scorpion]

10. Symphony X – The Odyssey (2002)



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

[MoraWintersoul]

Yeah, I knew which one it was 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.

[Scorpion]

Yeah, I knew which one it was 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

[black_biff_stadler]

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.

[wolfking]

Nice.

[jingle.boy]

Definitely my fave S-X album.  Good choice to crack your Top 10.  The pinnacle of S-X's discography.

[Dr. DTVT]

Nah, V is still the king, but this is still a damn fine album and unfortunately the last good album they've made.