Five perfect heavy metal albums

[ElectricWiz]

Just the usual list nonsense. For my money, the below titles are all perfect in every way. Not a thing I'd change about any of them, and moreover these are pretty much, in my view, the best 5 metal albums of all time. A few different eras and styles, but each fantastic in their own way from start to finish. It's all about personal taste, of course....


1. Metallica - Master of Puppets (perhaps no one will every top it.)
2. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
3. Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor (yup, I think it's that good)
4. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
5. Opeth - Blackwater Park (not thrilled with everything they've done since, but this is the one for me...)


It's a testament to the resurgance in metal, I think, that so many years on I could add two relatively new albums to my list. Metal survives....

 

[SoundMaster]

1) Heaven and Hell - Sabbath
I've always considered this to be THE metal album to end all metal albums. It's got everything: great riffs, great lyics, incredible foreboding atmosphere, etc. Simply a masterpiece.

2) Iron Maiden - Beast
3) Judas Priest - Stained Class
4) My Dying Bride - Turn Loose the Swans
5) Metallica - Master of Puppets

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Let's see. Five perfect albums. I could easily list more, but here's the first five that popped into my head.

1. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (first one I thought of when I saw the thread title. Like Soundmaster, I consider this the quintessential metal album of all time.)

2. Ozzy - Diary of a Madman (greatest collection of riffs and solos ever compiled IMO)

3. Savatage - Poets and Madmen (I could also include Streets but PaM still gets spun more in my hallowed halls)

4. Wuthering Heights - Far From the Madding Crowd (I never get tired of this album, it's absolutely perfect for my tastes)

5. Orphaned Land - Mabool (From out of nowhere [well, technically from Isreal] this band released an absolute masterpiece of metal complete with middle eastern melodies sprinkled throughout. Also probably the ONLY album I'd list as perfect that contains any death metal vocals.)

 

[ElectricWiz]

Yeah, Heaven and Hell is definately waaay up on my list. Also, kudos for the Diary of a Madman choice. I actually thought of that a bit, but put Sabbath Bloody Sabbath instead. Still, Diary is definately one of the perect albums. Good from start to finish. S.A.T.O. and the title track are probably my two faves on it.

 

[Hatebreeder]

For me:

DEATH - THE SOUND OF PERSEVERANCE (technical death metal at its best. One of the few DM bands to never lose its focus and originality, and they only got better as time progressed)

BLIND GUARDIAN - SOMEWHERE FAR BEYOND (the production is top-notch for a 1992 album and the entire band is at their best instrumentally. Nothing sounds too forced and there is no filler as far as I can tell)

CHILDREN OF BODOM - FOLLOW THE REAPER (I never thought a post-2000 album would ever make this list, but this album displays some of the best keyboard melodies and memorable guitar solos I've ever heard)

JUDAS PRIEST - PAINKILLER (JP's best work in my opinion, full of wonderful riffs/solos and great drumming, as well as the best vocal performance by Rob Halford I've heard)

IRON MAIDEN - THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST (had trouble deciding b/t this and "Piece of Mind", but I like production on NOTB imore and the songs are much more memorable. "The Prisoner" is my all-time favorite IM song)

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Yeah, Heaven and Hell is definately waaay up on my list. Also, kudos for the Diary of a Madman choice. I actually thought of that a bit, but put Sabbath Bloody Sabbath instead. Still, Diary is definately one of the perect albums. Good from start to finish. S.A.T.O. and the title track are probably my two faves on it.

I listend to S.A.T.O. twice, just last night! I was listening to last year's Icarus Witch album and when their cover version of S.A.T.O. finished, I just had to hear the original...which meant, of course, spinning the entire Diary album! I can only imagine what Randy would have done after that, if he hadn't been killed in that plane crash.

 

[CRUSADER747]

Helloween - Helloween

Dragonforce - Sonic Firestorm

Judas Priest - Painkiller

Motorhead - Overnight Sensation

Iron Maiden - Powerslave

 

[Hatebreeder]

Dragonforce - Sonic Firestorm

Excellent choice. Definitely one of the 21st century's better metal bands.

 

[CRUSADER747]

Excellent choice. Definitely one of the 21st century's better metal bands.

 

[Alex78]

For me:

DEATH - THE SOUND OF PERSEVERANCE (technical death metal at its best. One of the few DM bands to never lose its focus and originality, and they only got better as time progressed)

awesome album! I can't really get into other Death albums but this one's different.

my choices:

Opeth - Blackwater Park: their best moment, but I'm a fan anyways
Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine: most atmospheric, epic album ever
Psychotic Waltz - A Social Grace: weirdness, overwhelming diversity
Fates Warning - Awaken The Guardian: one of the first prog metal albums, and totally unique
Neurosis - Times Of Grace: one of the most intense albums IMO, depressing though

 

[Hatebreeder]

awesome album! I can't really get into other Death albums but this one's different.

Indeed. In the other ones, Chuck's voice always sounds like it's missing something and the overall musicianship seemed like it was lacking in some way. But their final album was the greatest.

 

[Zero Dude]

Iron Maiden: Seventh Son of A Seventh Son

Testament: The Gathering

Paths of Possesion: Promises In Blood

Ultimatum: Puppet of Destruction

Demolition Hammer: Tortured Existence

 

[Wyvern]

Perfect? Hmmmm

Black Sabbath - "Heaven And Hell"
Judas Priest - "Defenders Of The Faith"
Iron Maiden - "Piece Of Mind"
Thin Lizzy - "Chinatown"
Motorhead - "Bastards"
Saxon - "Crusader"
Deep Purple - "Perfect Strangers"
Coroner - "Mental Vortex"
Helloween - "Keeper Of The Seven Keys (part 1)"
Rush - "2112"

etc.

 

[#1_Droogie]

Iron Maiden: Seventh Son of A Seventh Son

Testament: The Gathering

Paths of Possesion: Promises In Blood

Ultimatum: Puppet of Destruction

Demolition Hammer: Tortured Existence

Please tell me that's the FSM himself in your avatar.

 

[Death Animal]

EYh
I´m pit drunk now but one and only metal album is
Iron Maiden-Live After Death

 

[carnut]

*Queensryche - Queensryche EP (ok , you guys gotta know by now I love this one, even just bought the original Japanese vinyl of this one !!)
*Ayreon - The Human Equation (timeless good album)
*Angel Witch - Angel Witch (prime of the NWOBHM)
*Maiden - Killers (no comment)
*Znöwhite - All Hail to Thee (some crossover Thrash I really like)
*Alcatrazz - Disturbing the Peace (Vai area Alcatrazz rulez !!)
*Savage Grace - The Dominatress EP (some of the best US Metal stuff !!)
*Warlord - Canons of Destruction (Epic Metal at it's best!)
*Agent Steel - Sceptics Apocalypse (Masters of Metal, Agents of Steeeeeeel !)
*Loudness - The Birthday Eve (Jap masterpiece)
*SymphonyX - V
*Dream Theater - Images and Words (2 modern masterpieces)
* Ermmmm, did you say 5? got 50 or so in my head

NP : JOP - Maniacal Renderings

 

[kittybeast]

Scorpions- Blackout- animal magnetism, Lovedrive & Love at first sting
Dio- Holy Diver
Zeppelin I, II, IV, houses of the holy

 

[Thoth-Amon]

Metallica- Master of Puppets
Slayer- Reign in Blood
Mercyful Fate- Melissa, Don't Break the Oath
Cannibal Corpse- The Bleeding

 

[Walter_Langkowski]

Anacrusis- "Screams & Whispers"
Black Sabbath- "Heaven & Hell"
Iron Maiden- "Somewhere In Time"
Metallica- "Master Of Puppets"
Solitude Aeturnus- "Through The Darkest Hour"

 

[tsorl]

Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (Their finest)
Crimson Glory - Transcendence (Just magical)
Savatage - The Wake Of Magellan (TSO already mentioned Poets so here's another latter-day Savatage masterpiece)
Ark - Burn The Sun (Technical prog metal with songs that are actually good? Believe it)
Kamelot - The Black Halo (The best band currently active, hands down, I have enormous expectations for the future)