GMD Poll: Top Ten Albums of 1987

[HamburgerBoy]

Damn straight. Objectively excellent riffs. INRI is still pretty good though and obviously very influential, and Into the Pandemonium has some cool ideas mixed in with some of the shit.

 

[Talos of Atmora]

Damn straight. Objectively excellent riffs.

It may end up booting Mekong Delta off of my list as well since I think The Music of Erich Zann was a substantial improvement despite some standout tracks on the self-titled.

 

[rms]

What are your criteria for objective greatness? fwiw I have totally different opinions on all four of those albums, which range from love to hate.

not a musical theorist like Baroque and I don't spend nearly as much time defining and placing music as you so this would be a waste of time for you, but it's heavily subjective, which would seem obvious. Creative, effective, coherent use of all instruments etc. Infernal Majesty sounds great until the vokills come in, for me. maybe more listens and that will change, who knows

 

[HamburgerBoy]

The first two Mekong Deltas are about neck-and-neck for me. The first one is more batshit (KILL THE ENEMYYYYYYYYYYYYY) and I prefer the uglier production, but the second one might have better individual riffs. The Principle of Doubt is the best of the classic stuff though, will rank highly when 1989 comes around.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

not a musical theorist like Baroque and I don't spend nearly as much time defining and placing music as you so this would be a waste of time for you, but it's heavily subjective, which would seem obvious. Creative, effective, coherent use of all instruments etc. Infernal Majesty sounds great until the vokills come in, for me. maybe more listens and that will change, who knows

OK I didn't realize your objective metric was subjective, my bad.

I can sorta agree that Infernal Majesty's vocals are a bit cartoonish relative to the music.

 

[Krow]

Are you familiar with Into the Abyss, Krow? I consider it legendary level stuff. Way ahead of its time.

And yeah, Mystification is worth investing more time with. One of their best. But I’m also not sure if it’ll make my top 10 when it’s such an amazing year.

I tend to limit my choices to albums I own, and I don’t have Into the Abyss. It’s great for sure.

 

[RadicalThrasher]

@HamburgerBoy , no Protected from Reality on your list? Thought I remember you really liking that album?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

@HamburgerBoy , no Protected from Reality on your list? Thought I remember you really liking that album?

I do really like it but it doesn't beat those 15, not sure if it would even make it into the top 20. Has a couple weaker songs.

 

[Talos of Atmora]

1. Destruction - Release from Agony
2. Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King
3. Voivod - Killing Technology
4. Target - Mission Executed
5. Candlemass - Nightfall
6. King Diamond - Abigail
7. Holy Terror - Terror and Submission
8. Artillery - Terror Squad
9. Infernäl Mäjesty - None Shall Defy
10. Nasty Savage - Indulgence

I still have some more stuff to revisit and change up but this is what it's looking like for now.

 

[Bloopy]

1. Candlemass - Nightfall
2. The Accüsed - More Fun Than an Open Casket Funeral
3. Death Angel - The Ultra-Violence
4. Grim Reaper - Rock You to Hell
5. Suicidal Tendencies - Join the Army
6. Exodus - Pleasures of the Flesh
7. Heathen - Breaking the Silence
8. Melvins - Gluey Porch Treatments
9. High Tension - Masters of Madness
10. Lizzy Borden - Visual Lies

 

[zabu of nΩd]

Tough year. No "perfect" album imo - it's close between my top 4, with something uniquely great about each one.

1. Black Sabbath - The Eternal Idol ("The Shining" is one of my favorite post-Ozzy songs, and the main reason this gets #1. Epic, well-written album overall.)
2. Celtic Frost - Into the Pandemonium (One of the avant-gardest of all avant-garde metal albums; super uneven and flawed, but there's just nothing else that sounds like it.)
3. Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King (Jon's probably my favorite vocalist in this whole lot aside from Lemmy. Also love the diverse songwriting, production quality, and overall theatrical vibe.)
   
4. Death Angel - The Ultra-Violence (To me these guys always had a personality that set them above most other thrash. Tons of good riffs here on top of that, and a great balance of rawness and cleanness.)
   
5. Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark ("Enter the Eternal Fire" is one of my favorite Bathory songs. The rest of the album's decent but never amazed me.)
6. Anthrax - Among the Living (I prefer earlier Anthrax. There might be something more "mature" about this one, but it also sounds tired.)
7. Liege Lord - Burn to My Touch (I'm new to this group. They have a great Priest-ish quality, but sound kind of samey after a while.)
8. Motorhead - Rock 'n' Roll (Feels lame to list a Motorhead album that sounds identical to at least 5 others, but it's still fuckin' Motorhead.)
   
9. Destruction - Release from Agony
10. Death - Scream Bloody Gore

 

[Vegard Pompey]

No one's voted for my #1 pick for this year yet

 

[Vilden]

I was sure you would pick Dark Quarterer?

 

[Vegard Pompey]

Just about any other year I would have.

 

[Phylactery]

I thought the same as Vilden. Now I’m interested to know! Perhaps it’s something I haven’t heard.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

It's Flames of Hell, duh.

 

[Phylactery]

Ah yeah! Forgot it’s an 87 release!

 

[no country for old wainds]

oh i forgot too, i was assuming gehenna.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

Gehenna will definitely be making my list, not that high up though. I've cooled on it a little since I first discovered it, but I was pretty obsessed with it for a while. Last.fm says I've scrobbled the full album 16 times, and the track "El hombre de platino" 46 times.

 

[Phylactery]

I’ve actually never heard that Gehenna. Listened to that track you mentioned and it seemed pretty cool on first listen.

Flames of Hell is pretty great, but ahead of your beloved Dark Quarterer?!

I’ve got most of my top 10 sorted. I just need to do some relistening to come up with an order. Definitely the best year we’ve done since 1998.