Landmark albums that every self-respecting fan of metal should own

[JayKeeley]

Christmas doesn't have to be boring!! (I think we did this before but it's time for an update.)

Pick a genre and list 5 albums that everyone absolutely must own (from ANY timeframe). These aren't necessarily personal favorites for sentimental reasons or guilty pleasures, these are the milestones, the revolutionaries....

Albums don't have to fit the genre neatly, so your lists can also include 'precursor' albums that may have helped establish the style. Likewise, the lists can also include later releases that pushed the envelope.

Examples:

POWER:
Helloween - Seven Keys pt 2
Gamma Ray - Land of the Free
Angra - Temple of Shadows
etc

BLACK:
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Emperor - Nightside Eclipse
Deathspell Omega - Si Monvmentvm
etc

VIKING:
Bathory - Hammerheart
Enslaved - Vikingligr
Moonsorrow - Verisakeet
etc

PAGAN/FOLK (what to listen to when lost in the forest):
Ulver - Bergtatt
Agalloch - Pale Folklore
Empyrium - Songs of Moors
etc

Carry on.

Later we can create polls and have an RC vote.

 

[General Zod]

PROG METAL:
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
Dream Theater - Images and Words
Fates Warning - Pleasant Shade of Gray
Savatage - Edge of Thorns
Zero Hour - Towers of Avarice

Zod

 

[KILL TULLY]

PROG METAL:
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
Dream Theater - Images and Words
Fates Warning - Pleasant Shade of Gray
Savatage - Edge of Thorns
Zero Hour - Towers of Avarice

Zod

"I hate doom metal and all bands influenced by it." - Zod.

 

[Claws of Perdition]

what because graveland isnt essential

 

[Captain Beard]

Ramma Gay essential? Jesus.

 

[dorian gray]

What constitutes a "landmark" album? I'm no expert but seems like there would be maybe three total landmark albums. We're not talking rocket science here - it's metal, hardly a well-spring of creativity.

 

[JayKeeley]

Ramma Gay essential? Jesus.

In the genre of power metal? I would have thought so, otherwise if you're implying that Kai Hansen is already covered through his work with Helloween then I suppose I can see what you're saying. Either way, Hansen absolutely must be recognized for certain.

 

[JayKeeley]

man, a lot of these essential albums suck

Ramma Gay essential? Jesus.

What constitutes a "landmark" album? I'm no expert but seems like there would be maybe three total landmark albums. We're not talking rocket science here - it's metal, hardly a well-spring of creativity.

Hmm, maybe you missed the point of the thread. I listed examples, you're supposed to list what you think constitutes a milestone release.

 

[skeptik]

Heavy/Doom/Power/Speed/Thrash/Black/Death:

First six Black Sabbath albums
Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
Judas Priest - Stained Class
Iron Maiden - Killers
Diamond Head - Lightning To The Nations
Blitzkrieg - A Time Of Changes
Venom - Black Metal
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath
Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales
Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raids
Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction
Sabbat (UK) - History Of A Time To Come
Onslaught - The Force
Heathen - Breaking The Silence
Artillery - Terror Squad
Holy Terror - Mind Wars
Holy Terror - Terror And Submission
Bathory - 2nd through 5th
Tormentor - Anno Domini
Burzum - first four
Mayhem - DMDS
Samael - Blood Ritual
Tiamat - Sumerian Cry
Tiamat - The Astral Sleep
Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
a fuckton more

 

[J.]

what because graveland isnt essential

Actually, Thousand Swords is fairly essential. While not my favorite from them, it played a major role in bringing folk black metal to the ears of many, along with Bergtatt, both of which arrived in 1995.

Not to mention the nationalist views it helped bring about, along with United Aryan Evil the same year.

Totally original. It remains essential.

 

[cthulufhtagn]

blakk:
de mysteriis dom satanas
filosofem
anthems to the welkin at dusk
bergtatt
transilvanian hunger

deth:
altars of madness
necroticism
the jester race
wolverine blues
individual thought patterns

grindcore:
SCUM

thrash:
hell awaits
reign in blood
south of heaven
seasons in the abyss

 

[Orfanos]

US Power

Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
Riot - Thundersteel
Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction

 

[Demilich]

^ I'd add Manilla Road - Crystal Logic to that list if you'd call it "power"

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

meh, I prefer Heavenly and Lost Horizon over Gamma Ray and Helloween anyday

 

[skeptik]

US Power

Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
Riot - Thundersteel
Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction

^ I'd add Manilla Road - Crystal Logic to that list if you'd call it "power"

Fucking right.

 

[Dark One]

Dream Theater - Images and Words

Whoa, didn't know you were a fan? I thought Labrie sounded worse to you than 10,000 cats singing multiple choruses to Stratovarius songs at the same time.

 

[Reign in Acai]

While we're on the subject let me add, Dream Theater - Awake.

 

[Dark One]

Q4T ^

Probably my fav as well.

 

[MadeInNewJersey]

Christmas doesn't have to be boring!! (I think we did this before but it's time for an update.)

Pick a genre and list 5 albums that everyone absolutely must own (from ANY timeframe). These aren't necessarily personal favorites for sentimental reasons or guilty pleasures, these are the milestones, the revolutionaries....

Albums don't have to fit the genre neatly, so your lists can also include 'precursor' albums that may have helped establish the style. Likewise, the lists can also include later releases that pushed the envelope.

Examples:

POWER:
Helloween - Seven Keys pt 2
Gamma Ray - Land of the Free
Angra - Temple of Shadows
etc

BLACK:
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Emperor - Nightside Eclipse
Deathspell Omega - Si Monvmentvm
etc

VIKING:
Bathory - Hammerheart
Enslaved - Vikingligr
Moonsorrow - Verisakeet
etc

PAGAN/FOLK (what to listen to when lost in the forest):
Ulver - Bergtatt
Agalloch - Pale Folklore
Empyrium - Songs of Moors
etc

Carry on.

Later we can create polls and have an RC vote.

Luckily I have every one of those (except Empyrium = boooooooorrrrring)

 

[General Zod]

Whoa, didn't know you were a fan? I thought Labrie sounded worse to you than 10,000 cats singing multiple choruses to Stratovarius songs at the same time.

I'm not a fan, though I dig this disc. More to the point, how can a DT disc not be listed as essential to Prog?

Zod