Most Underrated Rock Albums

[Acujer]

What are some epic rock albums that seemed to go below the radar?

I can think of one. Even though Dust in the Wind was a huge hit, Kansas: Point of No Return is an absolute masterpiece that is very underrated. Musically its tight and sophisticated. Its a concept album about reincarnation and following a souls journey through many lifetimes. Sometimes he's a god, a king, a poor person, a businessman. Sometimes he contemplates what the point of life? At least, thats what I think its about. A very deep epic album that should be listened to in its entirety from beginning to end.

What are some underrated albums on your list?

 

[Metallicat180]

Annihilator - Set The World On Fire

Alot of Annhilator fans don't like this album and I know Jeff Waters himself doesn't like it too much. It's my favourite album of theirs by far, every song on it is awesome in my opinion.

 

[Timewarrior2001]

Lawnmower Deth - oooohhh Crikey its lawnmower deth


Underated British metal band who knew how to have fun.

 

[A7]

This is a no-brainer...

Phantom Blue. The debut album showed that the band had more talent than Vixen and proved that girls can put majority of the male hair metal bands to shame.

 

[Metallicat180]

Gotta agree with that one Jeremy. All their albums are underrated.

A few more that I thought of...

Metallica - Load
Megadeth - Risk (both of those would have been acceptable records by any other bands)
ASAP - Silver & Gold
Psycho Motel - State Of Mind and Welcome To The World
Machine Head - The Burning Red and Supercharger
Def Leppard - X
Bon Jovi - Bounce
Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds
Loaded - Dark Days

 

[Puckfiend]

 

[A7]

Here are some other underrated albums worth mentioning:

Van Halen - Fair Warning - It was the darkest and heaviest-sounding album in Van Halen's history. Unfortunately, it was the poorest-selling of the classic lineup.

KISS - Creatures of the Night - As a means to recover from the disastrous Music from the Elder, KISS went back to their metal roots and recorded their loudest album yet. The late Eric Carr made this album shine with his bombastic drumming. Unfortunately, Ace Frehley wanted nothing to do with the production of the album, and at the same time, the album failed to rekindle KISS's fire. IMO, this was KISS's best album next to Destroyer.

Def Leppard - On Through the Night - Many fans don't like this album because they're used to Def Leppard's current sound, which was developed between High 'N' Dry and Pyromania. Even music fans in England hated it at first because they thought the band was selling out to the American crowd. But when you listen to it, you'll notice shades of Deep Purple on many of the songs.

Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla - Long before Priest became one of the most influential metal bands in history, their debut album was simple hard rock. Unfortunately, shoddy production resulted in tape hiss all over the album (don't know if newer CD remasters have corrected this, but Priest warns you not to buy them, anyway). And despite appearing on BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test, Priest didn't do well with this album.

Loudness - Disillusion - Thunder in the East (1985) may have brought the Japanese band on U.S. soil, but it was their 1984 album that rules. Akira Takasaki is a Guitar God

 

[Acujer]

WOW! I haven't heard of a lot of these bands or albums. I got to check them out.

The first Journey album. Now that is underrated. A fusion masterpiece.

 

[Puckfiend]

Van Halen - Fair Warning - It was the darkest and heaviest-sounding album in Van Halen's history. Unfortunately, it was the poorest-selling of the classic lineup.

My favorite VH album, so I wouldn't call it underrated.

And Rocka Rolla has some good stuff on it..doesn't deserve the rap it gets.

 

[Maiden Afganistan]

Deep Purple, Nice one, Pucky! That was a great tour as well!
Here's some of mine

MSG _ Don't remember the name of the record but had Graham Bonnet from Rainbow on vocals GREAT STUFF!

Black Sabbath - Born Again. Rude album cover, rude songs, and great singing by DP's Ian!

Aerosmith - Shit, another one I can't remember the title of! The album without Joe Perry and Brad Whitford on guitars! GREAT songs! GOT IT! Rock in a Hard Place!

Can't think right now, no sleep and stuck in Kuwait!

 

[Timewarrior2001]

Gotta agree with that one Jeremy. All their albums are underrated.

A few more that I thought of...

Metallica - Load
Megadeth - Risk (both of those would have been acceptable records by any other bands)
ASAP - Silver & Gold
Psycho Motel - State Of Mind and Welcome To The World
Machine Head - The Burning Red and Supercharger
Def Leppard - X
Bon Jovi - Bounce
Izzy Stradlin & The Ju Ju Hounds
Loaded - Dark Days

Hmmm I know this is personal oppinion and all that but Load and Risk were piss poor offerings by bands that could do MUCH MUCH better.

Also Izzy and the Ju ju hounds, didnt he make 2 albums??? oh well on the first one the only song I could listen too was pressure drop.

Bon-jovi's bounce....another run of the mill album by a band that are seemingly going through the motions and are well past their sell by date. Shame really.

I got one.

The black Crowes - Shake your money maker
Any Album by 'The levellers' although if they became too popular they wouldnt be the same.
Senser - Stacked up
Saigon Kick - lizard

 

[Maiden Afganistan]

Loudness - Disillusion! Yeah, Jeremy! GREAT album! Akira is a God! His solo on the live album is unreal!! Good call!

 

[Metallicat180]

Hmmm I know this is personal oppinion and all that but Load and Risk were piss poor offerings by bands that could do MUCH MUCH better.

Also Izzy and the Ju ju hounds, didnt he make 2 albums??? oh well on the first one the only song I could listen too was pressure drop.

Bon-jovi's bounce....another run of the mill album by a band that are seemingly going through the motions and are well past their sell by date. Shame really.

I got one.

The black Crowes - Shake your money maker
Any Album by 'The levellers' although if they became too popular they wouldnt be the same.
Senser - Stacked up
Saigon Kick - lizard

Remember these are my opinions and I feel they were great albums that people didn't give a proper chance to. People didn't like them because they weren't metal and other people wouldn't give them a chance cos they were scared off by the names Metallica and Megadeth. I prefer those two albums to some of their more popular offerings.

Izzy has a ton of albums but only one under that name and that's the only one I really like.

And I absolutely love Bounce - there are great songs on that album and I listen to it alot.

 

[Timewarrior2001]

Remember these are my opinions and I feel they were great albums that people didn't give a proper chance to. People didn't like them because they weren't metal and other people wouldn't give them a chance cos they were scared off by the names Metallica and Megadeth. I prefer those two albums to some of their more popular offerings.

Izzy has a ton of albums but only one under that name and that's the only one I really like.

And I absolutely love Bounce - there are great songs on that album and I listen to it alot.

Uh I thought I acknowledged it was a matter of personal oppinion?

I just added what I thought of some Albums that caused a lot of discussion.

Mind you never listened to Megadeth after peace sells Never listened to metallica after the black album and Bon jovi well I think it was New Jersey the last album I felt was worth listening to. I do hear them cos the Mrs has every bloody album, every tour shirt etc etc, but since New jersey nothing stands out in my oppinion.

Izzy I have respect for, but I dont think he does his music to be mainstream.

 

[Metallicat180]

Uh I thought I acknowledged it was a matter of personal oppinion?

I just added what I thought of some Albums that caused a lot of discussion.

Mind you never listened to Megadeth after peace sells Never listened to metallica after the black album and Bon jovi well I think it was New Jersey the last album I felt was worth listening to. I do hear them cos the Mrs has every bloody album, every tour shirt etc etc, but since New jersey nothing stands out in my oppinion.

Izzy I have respect for, but I dont think he does his music to be mainstream.

Yeah, I just noticed that now - sorry!

I tend to really like the most unpopular albums for some reason. I guess I'm easy pleased!

 

[Acujer]

Ok you guys, some of these aren't underated. Such as Black Crowes Shake Your Money Maker was an enormous hit. This is abotu albums that are not acknowledged. Didn't Fair Warning top the charts?

"Bon Jovi - Bounce" uh, no! Sorry Jenna, but Bon Jovi? Thats some real bad medicine those Jersey dorks.

I really don't like Deep Purple. I never got it. I see how they fit in to rock history with Blackmore, but just find their music dull as fuck.

I never heard Phantom Blue. Are they really good?

I never heard of Annhilator or ASAP. Which ones should I check out?

By the way, have you guys heard the 2 albums I mentioned, Journey and Point of No Return?

 

[Metallicat180]

Bon Jovi isn't for everyone, but I really like them and they put on a great show.

Phantom Blue are very, very good. Featuring our very own Nikki McBurrain on drums!

Annihilator are highly underrated, My favourite album is Set The World On Fire but like I said, alot of fans don't like that one. Maybe Alice In Hell or Never, Neverland.

ASAP are Adrian's band when he left Maiden. He sings on it as well - he's got a voice similar to Bruce Springsteen I think. If you like Reach Out then I think you'd love this album. Nothing like Maiden tho.

Nope, I've never heard of them - or most of the albums mentioned in this thread.

 

[Acujer]

Oh woah Phantom Blue is Linda's old band. I'll check out that debut album.
I didn't realize Adrian Smith sings on that band. Sounds weird but I'll check it out. Annhilator I'll check out.

If you hear the first Journey album the later stuff seems kind of like a joke. Its like old Genesis with Peter Gabriel compared to Phil Collins genesis We Can't Dance.

 

[HobbesDawg]

Lawnmower Deth - oooohhh Crikey its lawnmower deth


Underated British metal band who knew how to have fun.

I wish wish wish wish I knew where my copy of that went! GREAT album.

 

[HobbesDawg]

WASP: Crimson Idol - an album I still believe to be one of the greatest rock albums ever recorded.
BOC: ETL - a penultimate live album if any existed.