Absolutely Essential Metal Albums

[S<issors]

The thread title pretty much says it all. This isn't a thread for promoting your favorite albums, or for a bunch of really good albums... this a thread for posting ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL metal albums, the kind that define, epitomize, or radically change the genre.

An example of what I mean: I wouldn't consider someone's opinion on progressive rock valid if they hadn't listened to Pink Floyd's Animals.

Please don't post some obscure release by a tech death band you discovered yesterday in an effort to gain some sort of cred. Coversely, don't feel constrained to just the really obvious choices; pop out some unusual ones and then explain yourself.

This can go for any genre of metal- maybe not every metal fan needs to have listened to Bathory, but you could certainly argue that every black metal fan or every Viking metal fan should.

I'm curious to see whether or not we agree on the choices people post.

 

[ohiogrinder]

Autopsy - Mental Funeral. listen to this album was akin to sinking in Louisana Swamp on a summer night, but in a good way

Dismember - Like An Everflowing Stream. changed my opinion of Swedish death metal. up till then I was only acquanted with Gothenburg stuff.

Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness. Pete Sandoval's drumming really took this over the top for me.

Sepultura - Beneath The Remains. my formal introduction to all things heavy.

Disembowelment - Transcendance Into The Peripheral. the ultimate doom metal album? I think so. covers everything from death/doom to death metal to funeral doom.

Incantation - Onward To Golgotha. similar to Disembowelment but in a more death metal frame of mind rather than a doom one.

Napalm Death - Scum. not the best grindcore album ever but extreme for its time.

Repulsion - Horrified. the ultimate grindcore album. yep.

Terrorizer - World Downfall. may be hampered by the sterile Morrisound production but a good grind album nonetheless.

 

[Methanium]

Metallica - Master Of Puppets

 

[Metal73]

Reign in Blood-Slayer

 

[Jean-Pierre]

Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny, Stained Class, Sin After Sin: The importance of these three albums to Metal can NEVER be understated. Everything you hear on your favourite Metal record can be heard on these 3 70's albums in more-than-primitive form.

Angel Witch - s/t: Speed this up and you get Metallica and everything they influenced.

Satan - Court in the Act: Ditto - although this came out in 1984, most of it was written, played and recorded by 82.

Raven - Rock Until You Drop: Ditto again, but in a different way - the completely frenzied riffing and over the top attitude basically WAS Thrash, just before punk influence came entirely into play.

Aragorn - Black Ice single (Can be found on a recent compilation release) - This song WAS Hellhammer. But it predated them. Important as all hell, because Tom G Warrior, due to his less-than-proficient guitar playing would turn any resulting bastardization of this songs main riff into a hellhammer riff.

Venom - Welcome To Hell, Black Metal: It's heavy, filthy, ugly and evil. These guys took motorhead and played it out of tune, with tremoundously loud and dirty production and satanic lyrics. They were the baddest of the bad - EVERY Metal band wanted to be them in one way or another.

Hellhammer - Satanic Rites/Apocalyptic Raids: Knowing how to play their instruments with about as much prowess as Venom, these guys were the architects of some of the most disgusting music ever created. An undisputed influence on everything Death Metal, Thrash Metal and Black Metal.

Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales, To Mega Therion and Into the Pandemonium: The same men accomplished what they did with Hellhammer and more: To Mega Therion brought forth a sort of confidence and pomp that didn't exist before in the realm of "evil" Metal. The unexpected post-punk new wave influence on the follow-up record went on to influence even MORE acts, as it was a revolutionary combination.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

Black Sabbath- First six
Judas Priest- everything from 76-84
Iron Maiden- all 80's albums
Mercful Fate- all 80's albums
King Diamond- all 80's albums
Metallica- all 80's albums
Slayer- first 5 albums
Ozzy- first two
Dio- first two
Burzum- first four
Morbid Angel- first three
Emperor- first two
etc. etc. etc.

 

[FuryOfTheStorm]

ShadowsFall - War Within

 

[skeptik]

I had plans to make a list entitled "100 Metal Albums You NEED To Listen To (And Why)" outlining the 100 most important albums (loosely) outlining the genre's evolution into all of its most worthwhile forms (thereby making it highly subjective). I was going to make another list called "100 Metal Albums You SHOULD Listen To (And Why)" outlining some of the best releases that didn't necessarily break any new ground but absolutely crush anyway (again, highly subjective). I'm a very, very lazy person, however, and as of now, it's been a little over a month since I've been sitting on this idea, though I did create a preliminary list of bands that amounted to about 170 I believe. Would anybody actually be interested in taking a gander at such a long list/essay from my perspective, or would I just be wasting my time if I ever decide to do this?

 

[Thoth-Amon]

I had plans to make a list entitled "100 Metal Albums You NEED To Listen To (And Why)" outlining the 100 most important albums (loosely) outlining the genre's evolution into all of its most worthwhile forms (thereby making it highly subjective). I was going to make another list called "100 Metal Albums You SHOULD Listen To (And Why)" outlining some of the best releases that didn't necessarily break any new ground but absolutely crush anyway (again, highly subjective). I'm a very, very lazy person, however, and as of now, it's been a little over a month since I've been sitting on this idea, though I did create a preliminary list of bands that amounted to about 170 I believe. Would anybody actually be interested in taking a gander at such a long list/essay from my perspective, or would I just be wasting my time if I ever decide to do this?

That would be hella cool... then you can send me the music to go along with it!
In all honesty though that would be excellent.

 

[Dazed and Brutal]

Yea, I'm 100&#37; sure I'd read through it...

 

[Hell Mike]

Aragorn - Black Ice single (Can be found on a recent compilation release) - This song WAS Hellhammer. But it predated them. Important as all hell, because Tom G Warrior, due to his less-than-proficient guitar playing would turn any resulting bastardization of this songs main riff into a hellhammer riff.

I'd like to hear this, could you please hook me up?

Necuratul: Do post, and be ready to provide samples.

 

[S<issors]

Yeah Nec, if you did that AND provided samples (a track off each would be really fucking cool) you would be the man.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

Yeah Nec, if you did that AND provided samples (a track off each would be really fucking cool) you would be the man.

I don't care about samples... just the lists would be great.

 

[skeptik]

I guess I should get started on that then...I have no idea when I would be done, probably July considering how lazy I am.

 

[Thoth-Amon]

I guess I should get started on that then...I have no idea when I would be done, probably July considering how lazy I am.

 

[Sabin Frost]

Just a few to start with, these are influenced largely by my music tastes.

Imaginary Sonicscape - Sigh
Spheres - Pestilence
Focus - Cynic
Still Life - Opeth
Morningrise - Opeth
Master of Puppets - Metallica
Ride the Lightning - Metallica
Rust in Peace - Megadeth
Reign in Blood - Slayer
Seasons in the Abyss - Slayer
Amoung the Living - Anthrax
Never, Neverland - Annihilator
Bloody Kisses - Type O Negative
The first six Black Sabbath albums
Earlier My Dying Bride
Celtic Frost - Pandemonium
Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales

 

[lordcatfish]

Would anybody actually be interested in taking a gander at such a long list/essay from my perspective, or would I just be wasting my time if I ever decide to do this?

Like a few others I'd be interested in seeing this list.

Anyway, a few contributions to the thread. Some have been posted before.

Kreator - Pleasure to Kill, Coma of Souls
Immortal - Pure Holocaust
Sepultutra - Beneath the Remains, Arise
Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast, Powerslave, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Metallica - Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets
Black Sabbath - First six

 

[Seditious]

Ensiferum - Ensiferum
Kyprian's Circle - Noitatulen Vartija
Mithotyn - Gathered Around the Oaken Table
Pagan Reign - Drevnije Voiny
Pagan Reign - Tverd
Pagan Reign - Ydeli Biloy Veri
Wyrd - The Ghost Album
Amon Amarth - Versus The World (+ Bonus CD)
Amorphis - Tales From the Thousand Lakes
Dark Tranquillity - Damage Done
Hypocrisy - Abducted
Hypocrisy - Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy - Virus
In Flames - Lunar Strain
Insomnium - Since The Day It All Came Down
Cryptic Wintermoon - A Coming Storm
Graveworm - Scourge Of Malice
Carpathian Forest - Were Going To Hell For This
Horna - Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaa
Nargaroth - Black Metal Ist Krieg
Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract
Samael - Blood Ritual
Samael - Ceremony of Opposites (Reissue inc. Rebellion EP)
Ulver - Bergtatt
Ulver - The Madrigal Of Night
Xasthur - Suicide In Dark Serenity
Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh
Carcass - Heartwork
Vader - Litany
Vader - Reign Forever World
Vehemence - God Was Created
Charon - The Dying Daylights
Sentenced - Crimson
Sentenced - The Cold White Light
HammerFall - Chapter V - Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken

 

[Jean-Pierre]

Ensiferum - Ensiferum
Kyprian's Circle - Noitatulen Vartija
Mithotyn - Gathered Around the Oaken Table
Pagan Reign - Drevnije Voiny
Pagan Reign - Tverd
Pagan Reign - Ydeli Biloy Veri
Wyrd - The Ghost Album
Amon Amarth - Versus The World (+ Bonus CD)
Amorphis - Tales From the Thousand Lakes
Dark Tranquillity - Damage Done
Hypocrisy - Abducted
Hypocrisy - Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy - Virus
In Flames - Lunar Strain
Insomnium - Since The Day It All Came Down
Cryptic Wintermoon - A Coming Storm
Graveworm - Scourge Of Malice
Carpathian Forest - Were Going To Hell For This
Horna - Envaatnags Eflos Solf Esgantaa
Nargaroth - Black Metal Ist Krieg
Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract
Samael - Blood Ritual
Samael - Ceremony of Opposites (Reissue inc. Rebellion EP)
Ulver - Bergtatt
Ulver - The Madrigal Of Night
Xasthur - Suicide In Dark Serenity
Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh
Carcass - Heartwork
Vader - Litany
Vader - Reign Forever World
Vehemence - God Was Created
Charon - The Dying Daylights
Sentenced - Crimson
Sentenced - The Cold White Light
HammerFall - Chapter V - Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken

Care to tell us why? I'm especially curious about pretty much half of your list.

 

[Metal73]

S.O.D.-Speak English or Die