Best metal album of all time?

[SweetZombieJesus]

Poll question: Best metal album of all time?

My prediction: Paranoid wins in a landslide

[dawg]

1. Def Leppard - Hysteria

Yeah, I know. Go ahead and flame away - I deserve it.

[SweetZombieJesus]

13. Hey, they're better than Crue

That's about all I can say nice about them, however.

Hey, what has nine arms and sucks?

[BurtWorm]

2. Knife in My Head

The Bloodsuckers

not really. I made it up.

[AntiCoup2K4]

3. AC/DC are not, and never were Heavy Metal

In fact the Bon Scott era material has more in common with punk than metal by far. I think it was the Hell and Satan references that got them tagged as "metal". :evilgrin:

[JackSwift]

4. Any Led Zepplin album

but for me IV

As for your choices, they are whack.

[searchingforlight]

5. I ABSOLUTELY agree.

[dawg]

7. I prefer II over IV ...

but that's just me!

[JackSwift]

15. Exactly

they are that personal. I prefer IV because of all the Lord of the Rings imagry.

[DBoon]

33. Yes

II is more metal-like

[0rganism]

27. Calling Led Zeppelin "heavy metal" is whack

Zeppelin II was their best moment, IMHO.

[Chomskyite]

31. I dont hear all of Zep as metal

There're individual songs on I, II, III and IV that sound might metallic. But for me for some reason Physical Grafitti comes off as the most metal of any of their albums. So I'd put it up as perhaps the best metal album.

But you could also include some Cream, some Who, a couple Beatles songs here and there.

Mighty tough to get a handle on the genre.

[Squeech]

35. Zeppelin was a metal precursor

I take a hard line about it. Heavy metal is the music of alienated white kids, and only achieved its evolutionary goal when the blues roots were stripped out of it. LZ got the power requirements right, and the fantasy aspect, but they still had too much blues in 'em to count as genuine metal in my book.

Ditto Deep Purple. "Highway Star" and "Immigrant Song" qualify as metal, but most of the other songs on those records don't.

N.B. This is an opinion. It's worth what you paid for it. (Less, if you've just donated.)

[AntiCoup2K4]

41. For all the "metal" credit Zeppelin and Purple seem to get historically...

... the fact remains that the first Zeppelin album, with the exception of "Communication Breakdown" was a collection of blues and acoustic folky songs. Great music, without question, but metal? hardly.

Around this same time, Deep Purple had one hit single that featured more organ than guitar (Hush) and another (Kentucky Woman) that was written by Neil Diamond! Again, there was nothing wrong with the music, but not "metal" by any stretch of the imagination.

Black Sabbath, on the other hand, had distorted guitars, depressing lyrics and references to you know who :evilgrin: from the very beginning.

It was Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill who set the model for Heavy Metal. That's why "Paranoid" gets my vote.

[0rganism]

51. Yup, I wouldn't call either of them metal

Using my arbitrary-yet-amazingly-accurate scoring system (50 points required to be heavy metal)

Led Zeppelin scorecard
Points added for
Ridiculously Fast and/or Crunchy Music (up to 20 cheetoh points): 10
Lengthy Instrumental Solos (up to 15 rhoads points): 15
Studded Wrist Bracers, Excessive Leather, S&M Gear (up to 15 halford points): 3
Lyrics About Hellish Things (wars, murder, etc.) (up to 10 apocalypse points): 1
Willingness to Perform "Rock Ballads" (up to 10 coitus points): 8
Invocations of Satan or Pagan Gods (up to 10 halloweeny points): 4
Outrageous Theatrics (up to 10 simmons points): 5
Mosh Pits (up to 5 slam points): 0
Big Hair (up to 5 hairspray points): 1
Porn Star Spouses (up to 5 pamela points): 0
Exclusively Adolescent Male Appeal (up to 5 hairypalms points): 0
Bizarre Band Deaths And Mutilations (up to 5 bonham points): 5
Subtotal #1: 52

Points deducted for
Cleverly Mixed Genre Pastiche (up to 15 pomo points): 3
Backup Orchestras (up to 15 yanni points): 1
Backup Dancers Onstage (up to 10 madonna points): 0
Excessively Friendly Attitude (up to 10 newkids points): 0
Say No To Drugs Theme (up to 10 nancy points): 0
More Than One Lead Singer (up to 10 starship points): 0
Subtotal #2: 4

Deduct Subtotal #2 from Subtotal #1
Final Score: 48
Not metal. Close, but not metal. More like a refinable ore.

Deep Purple
Points added for
Ridiculously Fast and/or Crunchy Music (up to 20 cheetoh points): 8
Lengthy Instrumental Solos (up to 15 rhoads points): 15
Studded Wrist Bracers, Excessive Leather, S&M Gear (up to 15 halford points): 5
Lyrics About Hellish Things (wars, murder, etc.) (up to 10 apocalypse points): 1
Willingness to Perform "Rock Ballads" (up to 10 coitus points): 6
Invocations of Satan or Pagan Gods (up to 10 halloweeny points): 2
Outrageous Theatrics (up to 10 simmons points): 1
Mosh Pits (up to 5 slam points): 0
Big Hair (up to 5 hairspray points): 2
Porn Star Spouses (up to 5 pamela points): 0
Exclusively Adolescent Male Appeal (up to 5 hairypalms points): 0
Bizarre Band Deaths And Mutilations (up to 5 bonham points): 0
Subtotal #1: 38

Points deducted for
Cleverly Mixed Genre Pastiche (up to 15 pomo points): 3
Backup Orchestras (up to 15 yanni points): 2
Backup Dancers Onstage (up to 10 madonna points): 0
Excessively Friendly Attitude (up to 10 newkids points): 0
Say No To Drugs Theme (up to 10 nancy points): 0
More Than One Lead Singer (up to 10 starship points): 0
Subtotal #2: 5

Deduct Subtotal #2 from Subtotal #1
Final Score: 33
Not Even Close. Insufficient crunchiness. However, Deep Purple was part of a breeding ground for more metallic musicians.

[arwalden]

6. All My Albums Are Vinyl... I Don't Have Any Metal Albums

Sorry.

-- Allen

[Cocoa]

8. anything by Jethro Tull

:-)

[RetroLounge]

12. hee hee

nice...

[0rganism]

29. is not heavy metal

Tull is pure prog, dammit! It doesn't matter if they're heavy prog, heavy metal is its own thang.

[Squeech]

37. Aqualung is metal

Everything about it, from that opening smoldering guitar riff to the overall deity bashing. I firmly believe that that's why the Grammy committee gave Jethro Tull the award over Metallica: not because whatever Tull came out with that year was so good (it wasn't), but because without Aqualung, we'd never have *had* a Metallica.

[0rganism]

44. Tull is prog rock, not unlike the King Crimson and ELP of the time

Aqualung is very heavy prog rock, but it is NOT heavy metal IMHO. Using the scoring guide from my earlier post,

Jethro Tull, Aqualung Era (1970-1975)
Points added for
Ridiculously Fast and/or Crunchy Music (up to 20 cheetoh points): 12
Lengthy Instrumental Solos (up to 15 rhoads points): 15 (Ian Anderson is the Richie Blackmore of the flute!)
Studded Wrist Bracers, Excessive Leather, S&M Gear (up to 15 halford points): a generous 5
Lyrics About Hellish Things (wars, murder, etc.) (up to 10 apocalypse points): 5 (but they're high-quality points)
Willingness to Perform "Rock Ballads" (up to 10 coitus points): 6
Invocations of Satan or Pagan Gods (up to 10 halloweeny points): 2
Outrageous Theatrics (up to 10 simmons points): 2
Mosh Pits (up to 5 slam points): 0
Big Hair (up to 5 hairspray points): 1 (big, but unkempt)
Porn Star Spouses (up to 5 pamela points): 0
Exclusively Adolescent Male Appeal (up to 5 hairypalms points): 0
Bizarre Band Deaths And Mutilations (up to 5 bonham points): 0
Subtotal #1: 48

Points deducted for
Cleverly Mixed Genre Pastiche (up to 15 pomo points): 3 for over-the-top Celtification
Backup Orchestras (up to 15 yanni points): 5 (one for each album with an orchestra from 1970-1975)
Backup Dancers Onstage (up to 10 madonna points): 0
Excessively Friendly Attitude (up to 10 newkids points): 0
Say No To Drugs Theme (up to 10 nancy points): 0
More Than One Lead Singer (up to 10 starship points): 0
Subtotal #2: 8

Deduct Subtotal #2 from Subtotal #1
Final Score: 40

Close to the breaking point (50), but no metal cigar.

[opiate69]

61. Just a few nit-picky comments. :)

Aqualung is very heavy prog rock, but it is NOT heavy metal IMHO. Using the scoring guide from my earlier post,

Jethro Tull, Aqualung Era (1970-1975)
Points added for
Ridiculously Fast and/or Crunchy Music (up to 20 cheetoh points): 12
Lengthy Instrumental Solos (up to 15 rhoads points): 15 (Ian Anderson is the Richie Blackmore of the flute!)
Studded Wrist Bracers, Excessive Leather, S&M Gear (up to 15 halford points): a generous 5
Lyrics About Hellish Things (wars, murder, etc.) (up to 10 apocalypse points): 5 (but they're high-quality points)
Willingness to Perform "Rock Ballads" (up to 10 coitus points): 6
Invocations of Satan or Pagan Gods (up to 10 halloweeny points): 2Huh? Ian Anderson went thru a HUGE pagan phase...
Outrageous Theatrics (up to 10 simmons points): 2 Nothing like Alice Cooper, but Ian was always considered pretty a outrageous frontman..
Mosh Pits (up to 5 slam points): 0
Big Hair (up to 5 hairspray points): 1 (big, but unkempt)
Porn Star Spouses (up to 5 pamela points): 0
Exclusively Adolescent Male Appeal (up to 5 hairypalms points): 0How many female Tull fans do you know??
Bizarre Band Deaths And Mutilations (up to 5 bonham points): 0
Subtotal #1: 48

Points deducted for
Cleverly Mixed Genre Pastiche (up to 15 pomo points): 3 for over-the-top Celtification
Backup Orchestras (up to 15 yanni points): 5 (one for each album with an orchestra from 1970-1975)
Backup Dancers Onstage (up to 10 madonna points): 0
Excessively Friendly Attitude (up to 10 newkids points): 0
Say No To Drugs Theme (up to 10 nancy points): 0
More Than One Lead Singer (up to 10 starship points): 0
Subtotal #2: 8

[0rganism]

73. nit-picking the nit-picks...

Now don't get me wrong, it's a subjective scoring system, I just want to somehow quantify the approach to heavy metal. But I have my reasons for scoring Tull 1970-1975 this way.

>> Invocations of Satan or Pagan Gods (up to 10 halloweeny points): 2
> Huh? Ian Anderson went thru a HUGE pagan phase...

Now this is one I puzzled over, but remember we're talking mostly about the albums BEFORE "Songs From The Wood", which is when I see Anderson's pagan influence starting to have a strong influence on the music. So if you're talking about the band overall, I'd agree they would get more Pagan points, but they'd lose some crunch points and the total would be about the same.

>> Outrageous Theatrics (up to 10 simmons points): 2
> Nothing like Alice Cooper, but Ian was always considered a pretty outrageous frontman...

Keep in mind, though, that I'm comparing him to exactly the Alice Coopers of the world in awarding these points. You have to save the 10s for bands like KISS and GWAR, where every one of the members is dressed up in a ridiculous space alien costume, maybe they have sex onstage, or do some really sick crazy freak show antics. Nothing I've seen Ian Anderson do even comes close to Ozzy's stage show, and I'd probably give Ozzy a 7. Judas Priest rates a 5. There are some standards here, and pirouetting around with a flute in front of a big stylized "A" doesn't cut the muster.

>> Exclusively Adolescent Male Appeal (up to 5 hairypalms points): 0
> How many female Tull fans do you know??

My wife is into Tull, one of my girlfriends in college not only liked Tull but also Fairport Convention, and that's just counting from those I've boinked. There was a student lounge at one of the colleges I attended where "SFTW" was the singlemost popular album on the stereo. Tull can set a very sexy mood, if you pick the right stuff.

[opiate69]

75. Ya got me...

"Now this is one I puzzled over, but remember we're talking mostly about the albums BEFORE "Songs From The Wood", which is when I see Anderson's pagan influence starting to have a strong influence on the music. So if you're talking about the band overall, I'd agree they would get more Pagan points, but they'd lose some crunch points and the total would be about the same."
Good point... I didn't notice the 1970-75.. my bad.


"Nothing I've seen Ian Anderson do even comes close to Ozzy's stage show, and I'd probably give Ozzy a 7. Judas Priest rates a 5. There are some standards here, and pirouetting around with a flute in front of a big stylized "A" doesn't cut the muster."
Again, point conceded... damn.


"My wife is into Tull, one of my girlfriends in college not only liked Tull but also Fairport Convention, and that's just counting from those I've boinked. There was a student lounge at one of the colleges I attended where "SFTW" was the singlemost popular album on the stereo. Tull can set a very sexy mood, if you pick the right stuff."
See, I always knew I was born about 10 years too late... I can't find anybody, male or female, who tolerates Tull, let alone loves them as I do.... Interesting side-note... my ex-stepmother's sister turned me on to them, so I do know one woman who loves them...As long as I have your ear, what is your favorite Tull disc? I think mine would be Stormwatch, but Heavy Horses comes a close second.

[Character Assassin]

60. You get the "Aqualung Massively Out of Proportion Overattribution Award"

....because without Aqualung, we'd never have *had* a Metallica.

Man, I've seen some unjustified credit and skewed evaluations in music before, but this just might take the cake.

[AntiCoup2K4]

59. The closest Jethro Tull ever came to metal (aside from the Grammy fiasco)

...was when Tony Iommi filled in for their guitarist at the Rolling Stones Rock n Roll Circus show, which was taped for BBC TV but never aired. It was released on VHS a few years back, but sadly, no DVD yet :evilfrown:

[TheBigGuy]

62. What? Tull was metal? When?

I can hear some metallic tones on This Was and Stand Up and Aqualung...but Tull had this folky vibe going all along, too.....

[carpetbagger]

66. When metal was ill-defined.

Looking back, probably only Black Sabbath, and maybe AC/DC, were big metal bands from the early 70's. But it was probably only in the early 1980's that a coherent picture of what metal was came into being.

The term in the early 70's applied to just about any band that played guitar riffs/chords with a "heavy" sound (think the opening riffs of Aqualung, Smoke on the Water, or Heartbreaker).

[0rganism]

74. You're forgetting KISS, though

No one band shaped the future of heavy metal more than KISS. They took it from obscurity into a very popular sort of rock music, and between AC/DC and Black Sabbath, they pretty much spanned the extremes of the genre during the '70s: they each embody one of the pseudo-satanic, the fantastically glamorous, and the maybe-violent tough-guy theatre archetypes from which heavy metal draws its three defining characteristics for the next two decades.

[carpetbagger]

77. Not forgetting KISS at all.

KISS was the missing link between Sabbath-era metal and the period where there was a well-defined group of bands that could be looked at and collectiely called heavy metal. I didn't mention them because my recollection was that they came after the "proto-metal" bands either faded or were no longer recognizable as proto-metal, but I also don't remember looking at them at the time and thinking of them as the first metal band. At least, not until the other bands came on the scene and looked a whole lot like them.

So I'm not sure where KISS plays in terms of defining what bands were and weren't "metal" from the 70s. Certainly, they went a few steps in the direction the thing was to take, but all that was going on at the time, maybe except for BOC and a few other bands, sounded like disco.

[FlashHarry]

9. 'Paranoid.' Definitely.

That album is huge. I love the fact that, in many cases, the bass, guitar, vocal and even the drums follow exactly the same line--almost like Gregorian chant. Plus, Bill Ward's drums sound as if they're right in your living room.

I will, however, nominate it for silliest album cover of all-time....

[AnnabelLee]

10. I actually prefer

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath to Paranoid, but that's just me, I guess.:shrug:

[DBoon]

34. My preference

Black Sabbath IV

[opiate69]

58. Vol. 4 was good...but...

Sabotage was the seminal Sabbath album for me...

[ButterflyBlood]

11. metal blech

n/t

[RetroLounge]

14. Priest had many better albums

I just bought Sad Wings of Destiny again...

Victim of Changes still give chills...

[Mistress Quickly]

18. Sad Wings of Destiny

I got the album (yes, vinyl) at a garage sale for a quarter.

Master of Puppets - Metallica is another good one.

[section321]

21. Master of Puppets was great...

Probably ties with Ride the Lightning as their best, IMHO...

[GOPisEvil]

16. As for my Judas Priest, I prefer...

...British Steel, Point of Entry, or Screaming for Vengeance to Hell Bent for Leather. But since Priest is my all-time favorite Metal band, I'll vote for them.

[Coffee Coyote]

49. do you have those new remasters?

I got the newly remastered "Screaming" recently.... mmmmmmm

[rppper]

68. the best priest album was....

...without a doubt "unleashed in the east". compare victim of changes on the sad wing album to the live version.....oooooohhhhhh the chills....

trouble is priest started sucking wind after defenders of the faith. turbo had some good songs, but they had lost their edge.

there is a rumor that rob halford has re-joined them and they will be touring with their 1990 line up (halford, downing, tipton, hill and drummer scott travis). the 01' movie "rock star" was based on judas priest and tribute band singer tim "ripper" owens, who recorded 3 albums with judas priest after halford left in 91'.

[Jesus Christ]

79. It's no rumor! The real Judas Priest is back!

As of July 11th 2003, it's official.

(yes the Messiah bangeth His head now and then. As if the long hair should not be a clue :D)

[Rooktoven]

17. I voted Deep Purple based on the choices given

but Led Zep, Purple and Tull are a bit beyond Heavy metal.

(And King Crimson's Red is as heavy as _any_ listed...)

[JackSwift]

20. The choices were what I was complaining about

but Zep invented metal. Nobody has even come close to matching the majesty of their sound.

[section321]

19. Prefer Iron Maiden - PIECE OF MIND

Some really great songs on that one....

Flight of Icarus
To Tame a Land
Die With You Boots On
Where Eagles Dare
Revelations
The Trooper


..... Aaaahhh, metal memories

[roughsatori]

22. I just voted for Megadeth

But I have to call my brother now, he was just visiting and reveling in his Heavy Metal CD collection.

[arcane1]

23. hmmm, tough call

I don't think I could choose an all-time best even if I got to decide which albums to choose from!

While none of the above necessarily qualify, I chose Megadeth as the best of the examples provided

[Droopy]

24. I voted for Metallica, but...

I think there are better Metallica albums than "Kill 'Em All". Namely "Master of Puppets", "Ride the Lightening" and "....And Justice for All".

[tarkus]

38. I agree.

I am not a huge "Kill 'Em All" fan, but I do like Seek and Destroy, No Remorse, and The Four Horsemen.

[catpower2000]

25. Out of the choices given, Metallica is the obvious choice...

Yes, Sabbath CREATED the genre, but Metallica were innovative in such an amazing way that they deserve the vote.

Cat

[proud patriot]

26. Megadeath Definately

but "Killing is my Business" is a better disk ..

Metallica comes in second with "kill em All"

Maiden is third ,,,They Rock

Anthrax comes in fourth for me ...Great live show :evilgrin:

To the posters posting requests that are simply hard rock
like Def Lepard hahahahahahahahahahahahahhahaha !

[section321]

28. "Killing is my business.." was a great album.

Is it still available? I looked for it at the Wherehouse and all they had was the later stuff.

Where can I get a copy?

[proud patriot]

53. Can you believe it I have a copy :-)

I'll see if I can locate it for you . Skull beneath the skin
kicks the four horsemans ass ....Same song Mustane and
Hetfield both wrote it both Tallica and Megadeth prouduced it
under different titles .

[section321]

54. I thought that was "Mechanix"...

The Megadeth version of "The Four Horseman."

The title song is awesome.

[proud patriot]

55. Combat Records is the label for the disk

Haven't had any luck finding it for you though Sorry :-(

You are right ...Duh ! about Mechanix :dunce:

[section321]

71. There's several copies on Ebay....

now we'll see if I get around to actually buying it.

Thanks!

[Skip Intro]

80. Megadeth is the s**t

Don't forget "symphony of destruction" - fits in nicely with the age of the waron, yes?

[RememberJohn]

30. VAN HALEN I

One of the most influential guitar albums to that point.

[AntiCoup2K4]

45. Still a great album to this day, as are the 5 that came after it.

Well, aside from the synthesizer crap on 1984 anyway.... the only blemish on 6 otherwise perfect (if not painfully short) albums. Bands like Van Halen just don't exist anymore :evilfrown:

[rppper]

69. they have never been the same.......

david lee roth was a huge part of that band...moreso than the van halen brothers will ever give him credit for being. they became non existant to me after 1984.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

32. I voted for Back in Black, but

Bon Scott was better - I would have voted for Powerage :)

[BurtWorm]

36. Best Metal Albums suggested by thread titles in DU Lounge

It seems to me the best metal album would have to be by a band no one has ever heard of. Since I'm not much of a metal guy, I'll just make up a bunch of metal albums and bands using the raw material of DU Lounge thread titles:

Son of God, "Ask Me Anything"

Siamese, "Applehead"

Boston Evil, "DUer Fest"

Masturbate, "7 Times a Week"

Deception, "Dollar"

Madonna Gap, "Jean Hawking"

Jean Madonna, "Hawking Gap"

Crypto, "Zoologist"

Fuck All, "Silly Ass"

Snake, "Plaid"

[Cleve Steamer]

39. Siamese, "Applehead"

That actually sounds like it could be an obscure New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) band/album. Nice work!

[proud patriot]

67. Yes it does

LOL

[jpgray]

40. Motorhead not being on this list is a capital offense. Ace of Spades!!

I'll come back when everyone realizes how right I am. I also consider a lot of Stooges' early stuff metal--proto-punk my ass.

[Kat45]

57. YEA, LEMMY!

But I don't consider them metal, and neither do they. They're just rock'n'roll to the max: loudest, fastest. Love that band!

[SweetZombieJesus]

76. I thought of that afterwards. Too late now

If it makes you feel any better, I'm doing the dance of shame right now for forgetting Lemmy and crew.

[0rganism]

42. Heavy metal is an attitude, dammit!

It's more than whether the music is heavy, there's a biker-tough mentality that needs to be present, and a bit of unmitigated ego is required as well. Open references to Satan and Aleister Crowley are also helpful, but not sufficient. Any kind of openly ridiculous backstory regarding the musicians is bonus points. Let's observe some major players in the genre:

* Black Sabbath is a heavy metal archetype, much moreso than Deep Purple, although personnel crossover later becomes important.

* KISS is the Americanized retake on Black Sabbath -- note the "alien" theme superceding Satanism, now perfected by GWAR

* Judas Priest and Iron Maiden are the natural development of the British metal sound, pulling in themes of sexual deviance, violent psychosis, and apocalyptics, as well as adopting some of the technical aspects of progressive rock.

* Van Halen and AC/DC represent a blurring the line between hard rock and heavy metal, paving the way for the unfortunate subgenre known as "glam metal" or sometimes "heavy mullet" typified by Def Leppard, Ratt, Twisted Sister, and the like.

* Metallica and Megadeth are a popular outgrowth of the burgeoning LA speed metal sound, where punk, industrial, prog rock and heavy metal are coming together to make some very interesting hybrids. Some would say the two big bands took the genre as far as it can go, as new bands that would describe themselves as heavy metal are fewer and farther between.

Here's kind of an ad-hoc scoring system for heavy metal traits.

Points added for
Ridiculously Fast and/or Crunchy Music (up to 20 cheetoh points): __
Lengthy Instrumental Solos (up to 15 rhoads points): __
Studded Wrist Bracers, Excessive Leather, S&M Gear (up to 15 halford points): __
Lyrics About Hellish Things (wars, murder, etc.) (up to 10 apocalypse points): __
Willingness to Perform "Rock Ballads" (up to 10 coitus points): __
Invocations of Satan or Pagan Gods (up to 10 halloweeny points): __
Outrageous Theatrics (up to 10 simmons points): __
Mosh Pits (up to 5 slam points): __
Big Hair (up to 5 hairspray points): __
Porn Star Spouses (up to 5 pamela points): __
Exclusively Adolescent Male Appeal (up to 5 hairypalms points): __
Bizarre Band Deaths And Mutilations (up to 5 bonham points): __
Subtotal #1: __

Points deducted for
Cleverly Mixed Genre Pastiche (up to 15 pomo points): __
Backup Orchestras (up to 15 yanni points): __
Backup Dancers Onstage (up to 10 madonna points): __
Excessively Friendly Attitude (up to 10 newkids points): __
Say No To Drugs Theme (up to 10 nancy points): __
More Than One Lead Singer (up to 10 starship points): __
Subtotal #2: __

Deduct Subtotal #2 from Subtotal #1
Final Score: __

Any "true" heavy metal band should have no problem breaking 50 on this admittedly subjective scale.

[Cleve Steamer]

43. Representin' for the death metal and black metal crowd

As far as mainstream choices go, "Paranoid" and "Reign in Blood" are hard to beat.

Allow me to suggest some essential discs from the domains of death metal, black metal, and related genres:

Burzum, "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss"
Cradle of Filth, "The Principle of Evil Made Flesh"
Dark Tranquillity, "The Mind's Eye"
Dismember, "Indecent and Obscene"
Dissection, "The Somberlain"
Entombed, "Clandestine"
Grave, "Soulless"
Impaled Nazarene, "Ugra Karma"
Isengard, "Hostmorke"
Kataklysm, "Sorcery"
Paradise Lost, "Gothic"
Samael, "Blood Ritual"
Samael, "Ceremony of Opposites"
Septic Flesh, "Esoptron"
Ulver, "Nattens Madrigal"

(I'm sure I'm forgetting lots of albums. Aaargh.)

[Coffee Coyote]

48. How about Immolation?

Or Malevelont Creation? Thanks for acknowledging Samael, though!

My favorite Entombed is "Wolverine Blues", just for "Out Of Hand".

[Skip Intro]

82. Testament, Overkill

"Practice What You Preach" and "Years of Decay" respectively. Though those are probably tame compared to the bands you list.

A friend of mine from back in the day forced me to listen to a lot of "Rigormortis" (sp?), tho I can't name a single cd or song by them.

[Coffee Coyote]

46. Morbid Angel's 2nd effort...

"Blessed Are The Sick". Though "Paranoid" is the classic of classics, and Slayer's "Reign In Blood" IS worthy of my vote for what you listed.

[Samuraimad]

47. Justice For All?!?!

Totally the best, and a great political statement.

[CanuckAmok]

50. I voted "Slayer", but...

I'm changing my vote to "Paranoid". Why? Because a release of 32 measley minutes can't be considered an "album".

I vote for "Reign in Blood" as the best overpriced metal EP of all time.

[Coffee Coyote]

52. no one band created metal

Sabbath were pioneers, yes, but the origins of metal are rooted in several predecessor bands.

First, the term was coined by William Burroughs in his novel "Naked Lunch", so there must be some subjectivity in what constitutes a musical subgenre when the term is derived from literature. . Second, if heavy blues-derived rhythms, distorted guitars, and thundering 4/4 percussion is the general sound of early metal, then credit must be given Hendrix, The Beatles ("Yer Blues" or "Helter-Skelter"), Cream, or psychedlic one-offs like Iron Butterfly as deserving of being metal pioneers. Hell, I could make a case that Howlin' Wolf was metal, but I am less concerned with labels than I am with just the friggin' music. :-)

[Kat45]

56. And in the group of earlier bands, how about Blue Cheer?

At the time, they were the loudest band there was. I loved their version of "Summertime Blues"; I think I even have the 45. That's my favorite version of that song.

[TheBigGuy]

63. "I am IRON MAN...(cue riff) da da d-d-da.".yeah.Paranoid.

Deffo a metal album (Iron Man was the hit, but i liked the title cut). But I think Machine Head gets it too.....Smoke on the Water was a classic metal tune....

[bocadem]

64. GWAR - This Toilet Earth

or America Must Be Destroyed

[TheBigGuy]

65. How about Robin Trower, "Frankenstein", & "Hocus Pocus" ...

Brige of Sighs was metal, and Edgar Winters "Frankenstein" and "Hocus Pocus" by Focus where classic metal cuts.

[Kat45]

70. I loved Bridge of Sighs.

I forgot about that. Went to see Robin Trower back then. Our seats were too close to the PA and our ears were ringing for the rest of the night. I wonder whatever happened to him; I haven't heard him mentioned for ages.

[sujan]

72. Metallica - Master of Puppets

I hate their music and their politics right now, but man they rocked in that album.

[Skip Intro]

78. Wow, tough tough choices

Before I clicked on the thread I was thinking, Priest (tho I'd argue Defeders of the Faith), Maiden (tho I'd say Piece of Mind), Sabbath (yeah, Paraniod), Metallica (yeah, Kill Em All), and Megadeth (yeah, Peace Sells).

I voted for Peace Sells, probably because I had that running through my head today from outta nowhere...Megadeth is definitely one of the most underrated metal bands of all time, and during the time Peace was out, I was without a doubt a worshipper of the metal messiah mustaine.

But I love 'em all, great list dude. ( tho I might have included Testament's "Practice What You Preach")

Looks like Peace Sells might come in near the top...

[Pert_UK]

81. Does The Cult's Sonic Temple count as metal these days?

I'm not saying it's better than all the other suggestions, but nobody mentioned The Cult and they kicked ass.

P.

[phishhead]

83. When did AC/DC become metal?

But everything else seems to belong.

To me, its a tie between "Paranoid" and the Metallica album you should've put on there, "...And Justice for all"


OTOH, "Reign in Blood" is a great fucking album. So maybe it deserves my vote?

Nah, "Paranoid" gets the vote. :)