10. Sepultura - Chaos A.D. [1993]



Wow, a non 1980s album to start out the list!! This album is not a "throw in to break up the inevitable Maiden and Metallica dominance", this is a head smashing, ear splitting beast of an album. The Sepultura sound was something I had never heard before... a mix between Metallica and Slayer, with a tribal drum and the primitive growl of Max Cavelera. This entire album is completely different from anything else out there. The title track is a cacophony of tribal drums, pummeling bass, and just a growling chorus.

Tracklist:

1. "Refuse/Resist"
2. "Territory"
3. "Slave New World"
4. "Amen"
5. "Kaiowas"
6. "Propaganda"
7. "Biotech Is Godzilla"
8. "Nomad"
9. "We Who Are Not as Others"
10. "Manifest"
11. "The Hunt"
12. "Clenched Fist"

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9.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast [1981]



This is the album that started it all for Iron Maiden. It was not their first release, but their third. It was the first with the greatest singer in metal history, Bruce Dickinson. We all know the classics, "Run To The Hills" and "Number of the Beast". These songs are metal classics and suffer from serious overplay. Nonetheless, they are great songs and gave everyone an idea how great this band would be. The rest of the album is nowhere near as good as the three best Maiden albums (upcoming on the list).

Tracklist:

1. "Invaders"
2. "Children of the Damned"
3. "The Prisoner"
4. "22 Acacia Avenue"
5. "The Number of the Beast"
6. "Run to the Hills"
7. "Gangland"
8. "Total Eclipse"
9. "Hallowed Be Thy Name"

8.Metallica - ...And Justice For All [1988]



This album that started it all for me. It was my 13th birthday and my Aunt's boyfriend got it for me, and my life was changed forever. Never again would I listen to rap (and therefore avoided becoming a criminal which is the result of listening to such nigrescent "lyrics"). For that I will always be indebted to this album. Sure there was no bass at all, it seemed like they just turned off Newstead's amp. But it still rocks.

Tracklist:

1. "Blackened"
2. "...And Justice for All"
3. "Eye of the Beholder"
4. "One"
5. "The Shortest Straw"
6. "Harvester of Sorrow"
7. "The Frayed Ends of Sanity"
8. "To Live Is to Die" (
9. "Dyers Eve"

7. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son [1988]



Metal's first, and in my opinion, the greatest concept/progressive album ever!! As I mentioned in the last review Metallica released their prog album in 1989 and as great as Queensryche's "Operation Mindcrime" is, it really borders on not being metal, so I will count this as the greatest prog/concept album ever.

Tracklist:

1. "Moonchild" (
2. "Infinite Dreams"
3. "Can I Play with Madness"
4. "The Evil That Men Do" (
5. "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son"
6. "The Prophecy"
7. "The Clairvoyant"
8. "Only the Good Die Young"

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6. Metallica - Ride The Lightning [1984]



This album proved that Metallica was here for the long haul. It was the follow up to the thrash classic Kill Em All. While "Kill Em All" was a great album, but it had a air of immaturity, partially due to James's prepubescent voice. "Ride The Lightning" proved that not only could Metallica play fast, but they could also play well. This album foreshadowed their two epic-based albums, "Master Of Puppets" and "...And Justice For All".

Tracklist:

1 "Fight Fire with Fire"
2 "Ride the Lightning"
3 "For Whom the Bell Tolls"
4 "Fade to Black"
5 "Trapped Under Ice"
6 "Escape"
7 "Creeping Death"
8 "The Call of Ktulu"

5. Iron Maiden - Powerslave [1984]



Deciding between "Powerslave" and "Piece of Mind" was very difficult for me. But I went with "Piece of Mind" because it has "The Trooper", the greatest Maiden song ever written. That song is all that separates "Powerslave" from "Piece of Mind". In many ways this album is superior. The sound is better, and the lyrics are better, but the middle section is a bit weak.

Tracklist:

1. "Aces High"
2. "2 Minutes to Midnight"
3. "Losfer Words"
4. "Flash of the Blade"
5. "The Duellists"
6. "Back in the Village"
7. "Powerslave"
8. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

4. Black Sabbath - Paranoid [1971]



This may be the most influential album in metal history. I would say that it is. Is it as hard as Slayer? NO. Is it as melodic as Iron Maiden?? Hell, no. Is it as complex as Metallica? No way..but is it great?? **** yeah. In my Viking opinion, this album is overplayed so it sounds worn out. For God's sake it is 35 years old, so yeah it is dated a bit, but without this album we may not have had the pleasure of listening to Iron Maiden, Metallica or Slayer. That is the reason why I put this album here.

Tracklist:

1. "War Pigs"
2. "Paranoid"
3. "Planet Caravan"
4. "Iron Man"
5. "Electric Funeral"
6. "Hand of Doom"
7. "Rat Salad"
8. "Fairies Wear Boots"

3.Slayer - Reign Of Blood [1986]



Reign in Blood' was produced by the great Rick Rubin with a cleaner sound than Slayer's previous albums, 'Show No Mercy' and 'Hell Awaits'. This clean sound allowed the band to cram in so much more in a meaningful way. The true brilliance is how fast, aggressive and relentless the sound is without sacrificing any of the melody. Listen to just how unhinged Jeff Hanneman's guitar solo's are, wailing and writhing, yet still fitting into the song structure. Tom Araya's screamed vocals are all terrifyingly intelligible. The sound doesn't slam about aimlessly but surges in shifting directions, the oppression of Dave Lombardo's drums abates in perfect synchronization with Kerry King's vicious guitar playing tearing to the fore. This is well crafted music.

Tracklist:

1. "Angel of Death"
2. "Piece by Piece"
3. "Necrophobic"
4. "Altar of Sacrifice"
5. "Jesus Saves"
6. "Criminally Insane"
7. "Reborn"
8. "Epidemic"
9. "Postmortem"
10. "Raining Blood"

2. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind [1983]



If it were not the for the unbeatable #1 album, this would be the greatest album ever recorded. It is Iron Maiden's greatest recording. Some may say that "Number Of The Beast" was better but they are incorrect. While Number has the classics, "Run To The Hills" and "Number Of The Beast" the other songs are pretty average. The thing that differentiates "Piece Of Mind" and Iron Maiden from the other albums and bands are the brilliant bass lines of Steve Harris.

Tracklist:

1. "Where Eagles Dare"
2. "Revelations"
3. "Flight of Icarus"
4. "Die With Your Boots On"
5. "The Trooper"
6. "Still Life"
7. "Quest for Fire"
8. "Sun and Steel"
9. "To Tame a Land"

1. Metallica - Master of Puppets [1986]




Simply put, the definitive metal album ever. It will never be surpassed nor will anything ever compare to it. It was the apex of Metallica's career (although to many of you the Black Album was, to me the Black Album was the beginning of the end) 'Master' is a bit more consistent than the previous, and exhibits non-stop power, with the minor exception of the filler "The Thing That Should Not Be."


Tracklist:

1 "Battery"
2 "Master of Puppets"
3 "The Thing That Should Not Be"
4 "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"
5 "Disposable Heroes"
6 "Leper Messiah"
7 "Orion"
8 "Damage, Inc"

Thanks for this.

You're welcome!

thanks great stuff