Greetings, Glancers! Sigh. I know. You’re sick of all these music posts. I can’t help myself. I know they don’t make for the most interesting read, but I’m just not that interesting a person. I’ve spent swathes of my life trying to make myself look and seem as boring as possible but still the boatloads of supermodels keep dropping onto my shore and begging for me to squirt cream all over them. Sun cream, you dirty b’st’rd.
As I’ve mentioned plenty of times, when I listen to any of the Nightman Listens To albums I don’t take notes, or save a draft to update later with witty witticisms or funny… funnyisms… I simply listen and type at the same time, my fingers tap tapping whatever the first thing to come into my head happens to be. I’m putting the minimum effort into this stuff as possible. But I’ll try to make them more interesting. More funnyisms, more pics of cats, more… I don’t know what’s popular these days… racism? If you thought I jumped the shark with my quest to listen to every album released in 1966 I wanted to dive in to what I knew best:
Yep, heavy metal, the dirtiest two words in any music dictionary – even dirtier than ‘Idol’, ‘Factor’, or ‘lopsided sweat-flap’. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while because:
- I have always been a metal fan, since my 80s childhood
- I have no qualms both defending and ridiculing the genre, given that I have listened to so much of the stuff over the years I am qualified to do so
- There are large portions of metal I have either avoided or missed or just not heard, and I’m willing to give anything a chance – no point in yapping if you haven’t actually heard the stuff
- It gives me an excuse to listen to those albums I always meant to but never got around to
I was faffing around my laptop the other day and found one of my many ‘things to buy’ spreadsheets. In it was a list of books, so I was skimming down them to remind myself how drunk I was when I was writing it, and to see if I had actually read any of them yet. Near the bottom were three books by Martin Popoff – A Collectors Guide To Metal, Top 500 Metal Songs, and Top 500 Metal Albums. Who was this Popoff guy, and what the hell was he ‘Popping Off’ about? A quick Google revealed all, and plenty of people had helpfully transposed his choices into a nice list form without me having to go and buy the book. Maybe I still will, if it appears in one of those Bargain Book Shops, like Bargain Bookshops (though I think that has been bought over). A quick look down the Top Twenty assured me that I’d already heard most, if not all of them, so maybe this would not be such a difficult and time-consuming undertaking – maybe now was the accepted day of my (writing this post) Salvation?
So yeah, I’m going to listen to them all and comment on them. The usual rules apply – if I’ve heard it, I won’t cover it. If I’ve heard it but don’t really remember it, I will. If I think it’s going to come up in one of my existing series, I’ll probably leave it for that series. I’ll probably ridicule the album covers, because lets be frank they range from spectacular to ‘no, Mummy, why must I look at this horror’. I’m going to give a loose score to each with the criteria below:
1: Deserves to be on list/is good
2: Maybe deserves to be on list/I don’t care either way
3: Doesn’t deserve to be on list/is shite.
I’ll clarify the above in each review – some albums (I’m looking at you Hair Metal) will be shite, but will be mega-selling and probably influenced a tonne of imitators, so from a cultural standpoint probably deserve to be on the list. For example. Below, I’m going to list all 500 albums, and highlight the ones I’ve heard already – red means I won’t review, blue means I haven’t heard in ages, standard black means I haven’t heard. If there’s a link, it’s a link to some sort of review of the album.
If there are any metal fans out there, feel free to join in and share your favourites and your thoughts on the list. I believe Popoff pulled his information from a variety of other sources – I don’t believe the list is his personal choices. Also, it’s not a recent book, so many of the biggest releases of the last ten years are not here. Don’t go hunting him down if you don’t agree. Or me, because I’m bigger than you.
In almost every list of Best Metal Albums ever, you can almost always guess the Top Five, if not the Top Ten. It’s always the same albums, with the order slightly different. Check out the bottom of the post where I give some notes on the little discrepancies you may notice if you take the time to look through the list. Here we go:
- Metallica: Master Of Puppets: 1
- Iron Maiden: The Number Of The Beast: 1
- Slayer: Reign In Blood: 1
- Metallica: Ride The Lightning: 1
- AC/DC: Back In Black: 1
- Black Sabbath: Paranoid: 1
- Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime: 2
- Iron Maiden: Piece Of Mind: 1
- Van Halen: Van Halen:
- Guns ‘n’ Roses: Appetite For Destruction: 1
- Megadeth: Rust In Peace: 1
- Judas Priest: Screaming For Vengeance
- Iron Maiden: Powerslave: 1
- Black Sabbath: Black Sabbath: 1
- Ozzy: Blizzard Of Ozz:
- Black Sabbath: Heaven And Hell
- Dio: Holy Diver: 1
- Metallica: Kill Em All: 1
- Metallica: And Justice For All: 1
- Pantera: Vulgar Display Of Power: 1
- Judas Priest: British Steel
- Motley Crue: Shout At The Devil
- AC/DC: Highway To Hell
- Deep Purple: Machine Head
- Black Sabbath: Master Of Reality
- Judas Priest: Painkiller
- Metallica: Metallica: 1
- Slayer: Seasons In The Abyss: 1
- Ozzy: Diary Of A Madman
- Led Zeppelin IV: 1
- Megadeth: Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?: 1
- Iron Maiden: Killers: 3
- Black Sabbath: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
- Judas Priest: Sad Wings Of Destiny
- Mercyful Fate: Don’t Break The Oath
- Helloween: Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II: 1
- Accept: Restless And Wild
- Deep Purple: Deep Purple In Rock
- Rainbow: Rising
- Black Sabbath: Sabotage
- KISS: Alive!
- Judas Priest: Live In Japan
- Motorhead: Ace Of Spades: 1
- Slayer: South Of Heaven: 1
- Black Sabbath: Mob Rules
- Black Sabbath: Vol 4
- Dream Theater: Images And Words
- Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti: 1
- Anthrax: Among The Living
- Venom: Black Metal
- Judas Priest: Stained Class
- Alice In Chains: Dirt: 1
- Megadeth: Countdown To Extinction: 2
- King Diamond: Abigail
- Def Leppard: Pyromania: 3
- Iron Maiden: Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son: 1
- Slayer: Hell Awaits: 2
- Accept: Balls To The Wall
- Led Zeppelin 2: 1
- Pantera: Cowboys From Hell: 1
- Bruce Dickinson: The Chemical Wedding:
- Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith
- Iron Maiden: Iron Maiden: 3
- Kiss: Destroyer
- Metal Church: Metal Church
- Carcass: Heartwork
- Sepultura: Arise
- Twisted Sister: Still Hungry
- Mercyful Fate: Melissa
- Iron Maiden: Somewhere In Time: 1
- Aerosmith: Rocks
- Bruce Dickinson: Accident Of Birth
- Dio: The Last In Line
- Pantera: Far Beyond Driven: 1
- Rush: Moving Pictures
- Riot: Fire Down Under
- Exodus: Bonded By Blood: 1
- Scorpions: Blackout
- Judas Priest: Killing Machine
- Led Zep 1: 1
- Fear Factory: Demanufacture
- Aerosmith: Toys In The Attic: 1
- Black Sabbath: Born Again
- Rainbow: Long Live Rock And Roll
- WASP: WASP
- Nevermore: Dead Heart In A Dead World
- Iron Maiden: Live After Death: 1
- Deep Purple: Made In Japan
- Helloween: Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 1: 1
- Motley Crue: Too Fast For Love
- UFO: Strangers In The Night
- Queensryche: Empire
- Deep Purple: Burn
- Sepultura: Chaos AD
- Faith No More: The Real Thing: 1
- AC/DC: Powerage
- Savatage: Hall Of The Mountain King
- Blind Guardian: Nightfall In Middle Earth: 2
- Rush: 2112
- SOD: Speak English Or Die
- Yngwie Malmsteen: Rising Force
- Montrose: Montrose
- Soundgarden: Badmotorfinger: 2
- Anthrax: Sound Of White Noise
- Celtic Frost: Morbid Tales
- Emperor: Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk
- Celtic Frost: To Mega Therion: 1
- Queensryche: Rage For Order
- Alice Cooper: Billion Dollar Babies: 1
- Possessed: Seven Churches
- King Diamond: Them
- At The Gates: Slaughter Of The Soul
- Skid Row: Slave To The Grind
- Nirvana: Nevermind: 1
- Scorpions: Love At First Sting
- Whitesnake: Whitesnake
- AC/DC: Let There Be Rock
- Ratt: Out Of The Cellar
- Celtic Frost: Into The Pandemonium
- Morbid Angel: Altars of Madness
- Kiss: Kiss
- Thin Lizzy: Jailbreak
- Anthrax: Spreading The Disease
- Van Halen: Van Halen 2
- Annihilator: Alice In Hell: 1
- Motorhead: Overkill
- Slayer: Show No Mercy: 3
- Tool: Aenima
- Iron Maiden: Brave New Blood: 1
- Motorhead: No Sleep Til Hammersmith: 1
- Manowar; Kings Of Metal
- Testament: The New Prder
- Quiet Riot: Metal Health
- Led Zep 3: 1
- Rush: Hemispheres
- Amorphis: Tales From The Thousand Lakes
- Rage Against The Machine: Rage Against The Machine :1
- Deep Purple: Perfect Strangers
- Testament: The Gathering
- Scorpions: Lovedrive
- Angel Witch: Angel Witch
- Helloween: Walls Of Jericho
- Machinehead: Burn My Eyes
- Ozzy: No More Tears
- Nevermore: Dreaming Neon Black
- Led Zep: Houses Of The Holy: 2
- Testament: Practice What You Preach
- Ozzy/Randy: Tribute
- Pantera: The Great Southern Trendkill
- AC/DC: High Voltage
- Van Halen: 1984
- Type O Negative: October Rust
- Emperor: In The Nightside Eclipse
- Def Leppard: Hysteria: 2
- Strapping Young Lad: City
- Death: Human
- KISS: Creatures Of The Night
- Van Halen: Fair Warning
- Helloween: Better Than Raw
- Dream Theater: Metropolis Pt 2
- Judas Priest: Sin After Sin
- Slipknot: Slipknot: 3
- Blind Guardian: Imaginations From The Other Side: 1
- Uriah Heep: Demons And Wizards
- Bon Jovi: Slippery When Wet: 1
- Type O Negative: Bloody Kisses
- Iced Earth: Something Wicked This Way Comes
- Tool: Undertow
- Candlemass: Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
- Sepultura: Roots: 1
- Halford: Resurrection
- Skid Row: Skid Row:
- Pearl Jam: Ten: 1
- Accept: Metal Heart
- Danzig: Danzig
- Alice In Chains: Facelift: 1
- Queen: A Night At The Opera: 2
- Fates Warning: Awaken The Guardian
- Korn: Korn
- Badlands: Badlands
- Faith No More: Angel Dust
- Saxon: Strong Arm Of The Law
- Soundgarden: Superunknown: 1
- Testament: The Legacy
- Death: Scream Bloody Gore
- Dokken: Tooth And Nail
- Gamma Ray: Land Of The Free
- Death: Symbolic
- Alice Cooper: Love It To Death: 1
- Mayhem: De mysteriis dom Sathanas
- Corrosion Of Conformity: Deliverance
- Queensryche: The Warning
- Rush: A Farewell To Kings
- Blue Oyster Cult: Agents Of Fortune
- White Zombie: La Sexorcisto
- Therion: Theli
- Thin Lizzy: Thunder And Lightning
- Motorhead: No Remorse: 3
- Uriah Heep: Look At Yourself
- Death: Leprosy
- Megadeth: So Far So Good So What: 2
- Overkill: The Years Of Decay
- Down: NOLA
- Testament Low
- Carcass: Necroticism
- Crimson Glory: Transcendence
- Manowar: The Triumph Of Steel
- Tesla: Mechanical Resonance
- Blue Oyster Cult: Secret Treaties
- White Zombie: Astro Creep
- In Flames: Clayman
- Ozzy: Bark At The Moon
- Saxon: Power & The Glory
- Bathory: Under The Sign Of The Black Mark
- Def Leppard: High ‘n’ Dry
- Kreator: Pleasure To Kill
- Dissection: Storm Of The Light’s Bane
- Stratovarious: Visions
- Thin Lizzy: Live And Dangerous
- Opeth: Still Life: 1
- Morbid Angel: Blessed Are The Sick
- Sepultura: Beneath The Remains
- Voivod: Nothingface
- Black Sabbath: Dehumanizer
- Guns N Roses: Use Your Illusion 2: 1
- Manowar: Hail To England
- Savatage: Streets A Rock Opera
- Death: Individual Thought Patterns
- Dokken: Under Lock And Key
- Fear Factory: Obsolete
- Dream Theater: Awake
- Paradise Lost: Gothic
- Black Sabbath: We Sold Our Soul For Rock And Roll
- In Flames: The Jester Race
- Motley Crue: Dr Feelgood
- Savatage: Gutter Ballet
- Iron Maiden: Fear Of The Dark: 3
- Alice Cooper: Welcome To My Nightmare: 1
- Entombed: Wolverine Blues
- Slayer: Divine Intervention: 2
- Whitesnake: Slide It In
- Megadeth: Youthanasia: 3
- KISS: Dressed To Kill
- Opeth: Blackwater Park: 1
- Rising Force: Marching Out
- Dimmu Borgir: Spiritual Black Dimensions
- Armoured Saint: Symbol Of Salvation
- Cradle Of Filth: Cruelty And The Beast
- Krokus: Headhunter
- Manowar: Into Glory Ride
- AC/DC: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
- Angra: Angels Cry
- Iced Earth: Horror Show
- Jag Panzer: Ample Destruction
- Van Halen: Women And Children First
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced? 1
- Motorhead: Another Perfect Day
- Deicide: Deicide
- Morbid Angel: Covenant
- Candlemass: Nightfall
- Dark Angel: Darkness Descends
- Trouble: Manic Frustration
- Destruction: Infernal Overkill
- Iced Earth: The Dark Saga
- Saxon: Denim And Leather
- Entombed: 666
- Savatage: Edge Of Thorns
- KISS: Alive II
- Trouble: Trouble
- AC/DC: For Those About To Rock
- Cradle Of Filth: Dusk And Her Embrace
- Queen: Queen
- Saxon: Wheels Of Steel
- King Diamond Conspiracy
- Dimmu Borgir: Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
- Dimmu Borgir: Entrone Darkness Triumphant
- Cradle Of Filth: Midian
- Ted Nugent: Cat Scratch Fever
- Danzig: Danzig II
- Judas Priest: Point Of Entry
- Samael: Ceremony Of Opposites
- Diamond Head: Lightning To The Nations
- Anthrax: Persistence Of Time
- Cannibal Corpse: The Bleeding
- Hammerfall: Glory To The Brave
- Michael Schenker Group: Assault Attack
- Ozzy: No Rest For The Wicked
- Entombed: Left Hand Path
- The Cult: Electric
- Savatage: Sirens
- Voivod: Dimension Hatross
- KISS: Hotter Than Hell
- Malmsteen: Trilogy
- Deep Purple: Purpendicular
- Manowar: Battle Hymns
- Slayer: God Hates Us All: 2
- Paradise Lost: Icon
- UFO: Lights Out
- Van Halen: 5150
- In Flames: Whoracle
- Alice Cooper: Killer: 1
- Entombed: Clandestine
- Overkill: Taking Over
- Megadeth: Killing Is My Business And Business Is Good: 2
- In Flames: Colony
- Pantera: Reinventing The Steel
- Overkill: Horrorscope
- Venom: Welcome To Hell
- Ministry: Psalm 69
- Moonspell: Wolfheart
- Motorhead: Orgasmatron
- Savatage: Power Of The Night
- Fastway: Fastway
- The Gathering: Nighttime Birds: 2
- The Gathering: Mandylion: 1
- Judas Priest: Turbo
- Hammerfall: Legacy Of Kings
- Kyuss: Blues For The Red Sun
- Thin Lizzy: Johnny The Fox
- Dark Tranquility: The Gallery
- Twisted Sister: Under The Blade
- Judas Priest: Jugulator
- Queen: Sheer Heart Attack
- King’s X: Gretchen Goes To Nebraska
- Amorphis: Elegy
- Godsmack: Godsmack
- Scorpions: Taken By Force
- Death Angel: Act 3
- Fight: War Of Words
- Rhapsody: Symphony Of Enchanted Lands
- Destruction: Eternal Devastation
- Paradise Lost: Draconian Times
- Armoured Saint: Delirious Nomad
- Boston: Boston
- Corrosion Of Conformity: Wiseblood
- Testament: Souls Of Black
- Tygers Of Pan Tang: Spellbound
- Metal Church: The Dark
- WASP: The Crimson Idol
- Dokken: Back For The Attack
- Kreator: Extreme Agression
- Suffocation: Effigy Of The Forgotten
- Anthrax: Fistful Of Metal
- Black Sabbath: Technical Ecstasy
- Extreme: II Pornograffitti
- Kyuss: Kyuss
- Metal Church: Blessing In Disguise
- Motorhead: Iron Fist
- Scorpions: Animal Magnetism
- Exodus: Fabulous Disaster
- My Dying Bride: Turn Loose The Swans: 1
- Dio: Dream Evil
- Nine Inch Nails: Pretty Hate Machine
- WASP: The Headless Children
- Nevermore: The Politics Of Ecstasy
- UFO: Obsession
- King’s X: Dogman
- KISS: Revenge
- WASP: The Last Command
- Bathory: Blood Fire Death
- Black Label Society: Stronger Than Death
- Meshuggah: Destroy Erase Improve
- Rush: Rush
- System Of A Down: Toxicity: 1
- Voivod: Killing Technology
- The Cult: Sonic Temple
- Opeth: My Arms Your Hearse: 2
- Raven: All For One
- Aerosmith: Get Your Wings
- Death Angel: The Ultra Violence: 2
- Trouble: Psalm 9: 1
- Queen: News Of The World
- Twisted Sister: You Can’t Stop Rock And Roll
- Prong: Cleansing
- Emperor: IX Equilibrium
- Korn: Follow The Leader
- Ratt: Invasion Of Your Privacy
- Vai: Sex And Religion
- Manowar: Fighting The World
- KISS: Love Gun
- Neurosis: Through Silver In Blood
- Rhapsody: Legendary Tales
- Cinderella: Night Songs
- Sentenced: Down
- Anvil: Metal On Metal
- Carcass: Symphonies Of Sickness
- Budgie: Budgie
- Alice Cooper: School’s Out: 2
- King Diamond: Voodoo
- Nine Inch Nails: The Fragile
- Queen: Queen II
- Scorpions: Virgin Killer
- Tiamat: Wild Honey
- KISS: Rock And Roll Over
- Motorhead: Motorhead
- Rhapsody: Dawn Of Victory
- Grim Reaper: See You In Hell
- Savatage: The Wake Of Magellan
- Saigon Kick: The Lizard
- Edge Of Sanity: Crimson
- Rainbow: On Stage
- My Dying Bride: The Angel And The Dark River
- Opeth: Morningrise: 2
- Cream: Disraeli Gears
- Sex Pistols: Nevermind The Bollocks: 1
- Warlock: Triumph And Agony
- Death: The Sound Of Perseverance
- Judas Priest: Live
- Nightwish: Oceanborn: 1
- Primal Fear: Jaws Of Death
- Cinderella: Long Cold Winter
- Motorhead: Bomber
- UFO: Force It
- GnR: Use Your Illusion 1: 1
- Tesla: The Great Radio Controversy
- Children Of Bodom: Hatebreeder
- Exciter: Violence And Force
- Stratovarious: Episode
- Faster Pussycat: Faster Pussycat
- Kreator: Coma Of Souls
- Life Of Agony: River Runs Red
- Monster Magnet: Powertrip
- Tool: Lateralus: 1
- Angra: Holy Land
- Motley Crue: Theatre Of Pain
- Fates Warning: No Exit
- Metallica: S&M: 3
- Suicidal Tendencies: How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today
- Black Sabbath: Headless Cross
- Nirvana: In Utero: 1
- AC/DC: The Razor’s Edge
- Carcass: Swansong
- Flotsam And Jetsam: Doomsday For The Deceiver
- Vanderberg: Vandenberg
- Aerosmith: Pump: 1
- Nazareth: Hair Of The Dog
- Sanctuary: Into The Mirror Black
- Voivod: War And Pain
- Rush: Fly By Night
- Cathedral: The Carnival Bizarre
- Deep Purple: Fireball
- Poison: Look What The Cat Dragged In
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Axis Bold As Love: 2
- King Diamond: The Eye
- Coroner: Mental Vortex
- Stone Temple Pilots: Core: 2
- Symphony X: The Divine Wings Of Tragedy
- AC/DC: If You Want Blood
- Aerosmith: Get A Grip: 2
- Black Sabbath: Live Evil
- Blue Oyster Cult: Fire Of Unknown Origin
- Ace Frehley: Ace Frehley
- Riot: Thundersteel
- Dio: Strange Highways;
- Uriah Heep: Sweet Freedom
- Helmet: Meantime
- KISS: Lick It Up
- Ted Nugent: Free For All
- Autopsy: Severed Survival
- Mercyful Fate: 9
- Scorpions: Tokyo Tapes
- Avantasia: The Metal Opera
- Def Leppard: On Through The Night
- Europe: The Final Countdown
- Rush: Permanent Waves
- Disturbed: The Sickness
- Dream Theater: When Dream And Day Unite
- Armoured Saint: March Of The Saint
- Motorhead: 1916
- Witchfinder General: Death Penalty
- The Dillinger Escape Plan: Calculating Infinity
- Exciter: Heavy Metal Maniac
- Jethro Tull: Aqualung
- The Who: Live At Leeds: 1
- Blue Oyster Cult: Blue Oyster Cult
- Fates Warning: Parallels
- Van Halen: Balance
- Kick Axe: Vices
- Steve Vai: Passion And Warfare
- Witchery: Restless And Dead
- Bad Brains: I Against I
- Accept: Russian Roulette
- Marilyn Manson: Mechanical Animals
- Budgie: Bandolier
- Love/Hate: Blackout In The Red Room
- Sweet: Desolation Boulevard
- Rainbow: Down To Earth
- Nine Inch Nails: The Downward Spiral
- Ted Nugent: Double Live Gonzo
- Amorphis: Tuonela
- Metal Church: The Human Factor
- Rush: Signals
- Nightwish: Wishmaster: 2
- Raven: Wiped Out
- Cheap Trick: Cheap Trick
- Nirvana: Bleach: 2
- Riot: Narita
- Holocaust: The Nightcomers
- Savage: Loose And Lethal
- Y&T: Black And Tiger
First, some basic clarifications; I’m going by memory here, and like most things built in The UK, my memory is faulty. Some of the albums I’ve highlighted in blue (meaning I’ve heard bits of it) maybe should be red (meaning I’ve heard it all and don’t need to again) but I just can’t remember, and some should be black (meaning I haven’t heard it at all) and that I may be mixing one album up with the next. I know I’ve heard some Overkill and Kreator and Savatage albums, I just can’t remember which songs are on which album off the top of my head. Next, for the majority of those albums left in black, I’ve probably heard one song from each. For the vast majority, I’ll have heard multiple songs by the artist, but won’t know which album they’re from – basically, just because it’s black doesn’t mean I know nothing about it. There are however, quite a few albums I’ve never heard of and likely haven’t heard songs from – Dissection’s Storm Of The Light’s Bane for example.
Now for the slightly more detailed annotations – I’ll go into even more detail when I come to actually listening and reviewing each – this post is stupidly long already, even by my gargantuan standards. Operation Mindcrime is an album I would have heard a lot when I was much younger – I liked parts of it. I’m aware it’s heralded by many critics so if it’s your cup of tea then by all means give it a 1. Because it’s been so long, I’m listening to it again to see what I remember and if my score changes. The same goes for most of the Ozzy Sabbath albums – by name and virtue alone they deserve to be on the list, but I’ve always had a hit and miss relationship with the band – their first album I’ve given a 1 because it has a few great songs and was basically the first true metal album. I’m going to listen to it again because when it comes to Sabbath I tend to take the 2-3 songs I like from each album and ignore the rest.
Holy Diver and Vulgar Display Of Power again I listened to a lot when I was a kid, and not much since. Those I loved at the time and I’m aware of their significance, but I want to listen again to see how I feel about them now. Same applies to Peace Sells, Ace Of Spades, and Pyromania. And Cowboys From Hell. The two Dickinson albums I’m already going to listen to as part of my Maiden series. Bonded By Blood and Toys In The Attic – again time has past and I want to re-evaluate. The two Keeper Of The Seven Keys albums again are from my youth – it’s reached the point now where I don’t really remember the difference between them, except that I recall liking Part 2 more. The Real Thing is a case of not remembering which songs are on it versus Faith No More’s other albums. Same with the next two Celtic Frost albums, though I know To Mega Therion is a favourite of many people I know/used to hang around with.
No Sleep Till Hammersmith and Rage’s first album I’ve heard most of, not all, but know they are called classics. Def Leppard’s stuff in general I’ve never liked, beyond when I was about 8 and singing their hits, but I’ll give it all another go. Slipknot’s debut I haven’t heard all of, but I’ve not liked what I’ve heard and they just seemed like another cookie cutter Nu Metal band for angry little boys. Again, I’ll give it a go. Sepultura’s stuff I listened to a lot as a kid, but not sure where the songs fall and I don’t remember listening to a full album – maybe Roots. I’m not going to go through the rest of the list – if anything looks weird, it’s probably a similar reason to something in the above two paragraphs.
For any naysayers, and anyone who’s still reading but doesn’t know much about Metal – remember, this isn’t my list, or my choices. There are quite a few bands here who are completely over represented and there are a lot of albums I wouldn’t dream of including. I’m sure you’re the same. I wouldn’t have so many live albums and absolutely no greatest hits. For the uninitiated, Metal fans love nothing more than bitching and moaning about what is and isn’t Metal, where it started, what’s good, what’s not etc. I won’t get into that much here, other than to say Metal is at its simplest a sub genre or extension of Rock. Sometimes it’s louder, sometimes it’s faster, sometimes the subject matter and delivery is darker and more vicious. To me, Metal has also always been about attitude, sometimes moreso than music. To me, The Holy Bible by The Manic Street Preachers is one of the greatest Metal albums of all time – most Metal fans wouldn’t call it Metal, but it is much darker, and angrier, and honest than most Metal albums. To me, Eminem is more Metal than most of what came out of the US in the 80s – his technical ability and brutality far outweighing the pop with guitars and faux attitude of Sunset Strip’s posers. In other words, Metal is a very broad umbrella and everyone has their own take on it.
The list covers bands such as Led Zep and Queen – purists might object because they have never been ‘Metal’, but were instead building some of the foundations of what would become Metal. It contains a lot of grunge (not so much punk) which your traditional Metal fan won’t like, mainly because grunge took one look at the painted celebrities of 80s Metal and recognised them for what they were – ABBA with guitar solos. Grunge bands brought Metal out of the stadiums and back into the bedrooms and cellars where kids rightfully pissed off at the world could channel their own anguish and rage. Of course it ended up back in the stadiums. There’s an awful lot of, for lack of a better term ‘cheesy shite’ – Manowar, Saxton, KISS, Dokken, Scorpions and the like, but those acts ranged from cult to massive so you can’t really ignore them. You have your early and big hitter Death and Black metal bands – two genres I could never take very seriously, but there’s a more distinct lack of female fronted bands and later sub-genres from folk to epic to viking and whatever other crap there is now. There should be something for everyone.
So if you are new to Metal or an expert looking to dip their toes into a few unknown territories, why not join me on this epic quest? For anyone new to Metal, I’d recommend you go listen to the ones I’ve highlighted in red first if you haven’t already – those are among the most popular and best the genre has to offer, and have less of the extreme edges you probably think of when someones mentions the type of music. Even better, go back to the earlier roots and heavier rock albums of the 70s – Led Zep, The Who, Alice Cooper, The Sex Pistols, Pink Floyd – each of those and more had their own distinct influence on Metal but are a more gentle introduction. They’ll get you into the groove, the attitude, the style of playing, and will ease you in rather than getting your face ripped off by the opening twelve seconds of Angel Of Death. I can’t say when I’ll start this quest – at time of writing it’s 3rd July 2019 and I haven’t even posted my 1966 balls yet. I’ll get to it some day, hopefully starting by the end of this year (Nightman – Feb 2020 – Ha!). So yeah, listen along, chime in with your comments, and let me know what you think.
The Spac Hole 