My top 25 metal albums (for now anyway)

01. BLACK SABBATH - (self-titled)
I think everything that needs to be said has been said a million times over on this one. But I'll add my 2 cents anyway. I think every Black Sabbath album with OZZY (including the under-rated "Technical Ecstasy") is a fucking classic, but this is the one that turned the cross upside down and gave the world a first taste of truly heavy evil sludge. Tony Iommi's solo on "Warning" blows me away every time. In my opinion, bassist Geezer Butler never stood out better than he did on this one.

02. BATHORY - BATHORY
Every Black Metal band that followed owes a debt to Mr. Thomas Fosberg, otherwise known as Quorthon, otherwise known as Bathory. I remember cranking this in my room late at night with the lights off when my parents were away, and it scared the shit out of me. Still does. Totally shitty production, but that's the quality I love about it. I've still never heard anything as mutant as Quorthon's vocals on this one right up to "Blood Fire Death". Pure evil bliss...

03. FATES WARNING - AWAKEN THE GUARDIAN
This was arguably Fates Warning's peak. Some claim that to be the following album, "No Exit" with new vocalist Ray Alder. Many people consider John Arch, the original singer, to be some kind of God. Although I don't quite think he's a God, he was a pretty awesome vocalist. After "No Exit", the band just got progressively worse. Many people compare John Arch to be a second-rate Bruce Dickinson. I think Bruce Dickinson is a second-rate John Arch. Enough about the singing, let's get to the music. I think most people will agree that this is the album that really got the whole prog-metal ball rolling. Even Dream Theater admits to that. The music was essentially prog, but the heaviest damned prog rock album to date.

04. ATHEIST - UNQUESTIONABLE PRESENCE
If "Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian" opened up the doors for prog metal, this is the album that shattered it. Unbelievable energy, sick time changes, awesome hooks, retardedly difficult stuff to play. I'm glad this has been re-issued finally so that maybe some of the new school of metalheads can appreciate it.

05. CARCASS - NECROTICISM: DESCANTING THE INSALUBRIOUS
This was the 1st Carcass album I ever heard, I remember the day I got it in the mail from Metal Disc (along with "Atheist - Unquestionable Presence) and put it in my CD player. What oozed out of the speakers was one of the heaviest, yet catchiest grind I'd ever heard. This was the band that inspired "The Death Belch" for me. This was the first time I'd ever heard a death metal band using two vocalists, Steer doing the low belchy stuff, and Jeff Walker doing the higher harsh growls. Anyway, I love their 1st and 2nd albums too, especially the "Symphonies of Sickness" which is almost equal with this album.

06. NAPALM DEATH - FROM ENSLAVEMENT TO OBLITERATION
"Scum" was awesome, but this was definitely a step up. The first time I heard this album I laughed at how retarded and extreme it all was, but after repeated listens I really got into the complexity and sheer brutality of it. There's not too many albums that can top this one in regards to sheer intensity and destruction. Every home needs a copy of this for special occasions.

07. SABBAT - DREAMWEAVER
One of the most sadly overlooked metal albums by one of the most sadly overlooked bands ever. I think this is THE BEST metal act to come out of the UK, period. It's a shame that this has never been re-issued , considering all the crap that IS being re-issued (and re-issued again...) that doesn't need to be. How many fucking times has the Motley Crue catalogue been re-issued? Answer: Too many. I'm not pissing on MC, just one example, I actually like the Crue's first 3 albums. Anyway, I digress. This is like taking "LORD OF THE RINGS" and making it into a metal musical. That's the best way I can describe it. Extremely tight songwriting and arrangements, awesome rapid-fire vocals from Martin Walkyier (who's now in another band called SKYCLAD) great sound, great concept (based on the book "The Way of Wryd" by Brian Bates) quite simply a perfect thrash album. Grab it if you can find it.

08. CATHEDRAL - FOREST OF EQUILIBRIUM
This is a somewhat sadly unforgotten gem from post-Napalm Death vocalist, Lee Dorian, which is one of the best examples of doom I've ever heard. A truly depressing and surreal experience. Crank this one up late at night after you've drank about 10 beers. You'll be crying, rethinking and reflecting on your life and you'll have no idea why.

09. MERCYFUL FATE - MELISSA
Let's just start by saying the KING is GOD!!! He still gets so much flack and disrespect, it's sickening. He pioneered a uniquely new brand of prog/concept/black metal or whatever you wanna call it. I guarantee there's no one else on earth who possess his unique style and talent. This was the first "official" album by Mercyful Fate and I think it's still their best, "Don't Break the Oath being a very close second. These are the only two Fate albums you really need. LONG LIVE THE KING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10. POSSESSED - BEYOND THE GATES
This is their second album and I think it's quite a step above their first album, "7 Churches", which is widely regarded as their best. The crappy "tin can" production of Carl Kanedy gives everything a very interesting texture. The guitars have that buzzsaw/lawnmower quality that I love. Maybe I should just take the time to explain that yes, indeed, many metal albums from the 80's were badly produced, but it's that quality which I like about it. That's why I don't like much of the new metal, because it sounds too polished. Maybe I should take some of these new metal albums and dub them onto cheap cassettes, then dub them again from the cheap cassette onto another cheap cassette, repeat this process 5 or 6 more times, then put it on CD, maybe it might have that quality I'm missing.

11. SLAYER - SHOW NO MERCY
Everyone's going to hate me for not saying my favorite Slayer album is "Reign in Blood" or "Hell Awaits". Reason, I don't know. I love every Slayer album right up until "Divine Intervention". I think around that time, I was starting to become pretty distraught with the whole scene, with all this "nu-metal" "rape rock" and "grunge metal" "or "whatever gay fucking label you want to put on it" kind of shit. Plus all these fake rich-boy bands who looked all punk, but their music was nothing more than corporate PEPSI rock. Anyway, hats off to Slayer for not selling out all these years like another band whose name starts with "M" and ends with "A". Megabigga? Moneyka? I can't remember ..... I just remember the drummer's name.... Wasn't it "Liars"? Oh, I remember, now.... Anyway, I guess the reason why this one's my favorite is because it's the first Slayer album I ever heard. I bought this, Megadeth "Killing is my business", "Venom - Possessed" and "Sodom - Obsessed by Cruelty" the same day.

12. CELTIC FROST - MORBID TALES
An absolute classic that should be in every metal collection. Even on this, their first album, it was clear they were trying to do something unique. Avant-garde excursions like "Danse Macabre" sandwiched between thrash classics like "Return to the Eve" and "Nocturnal Fear" work very effectively. They made a few more great albums after this one, then some no-so-great albums before breaking up, but this one still remains the heaviest of them all and my personal favorite. One of the best albums covers too.

13. VENOM - POSSESSED
A lot of thrash fans will think I'm crazy to favor this Venom album over the other classics like "Black Metal" and "Welcome to Hell". Those are both wicked good albums, but I keep coming back to this one. The guitar sound on this one is absolutely sky-splitting. I think are some of the best Venom songs ever, period. How can you not like "Satanachist", "Flytrap", "Powerdrive" "Possessed" and "Burn this place to the ground?" I admit, some of the tracks on the last half of the album are not as strong, but the first 6 or 7 tracks are all gems. I grow fucking tentacles when I listen to this.

14. IRON MAIDEN -KILLERS
Aaaaaa yes, Killers! It's interesting to wonder what the band may have been like if they'd kept Paul D'ianno on vocals. Bruce was a fine replacement, but those first 2 Maiden albums are still my faves. Paul D'ianno had much more of a dirty nasally voice that fit the sound of the music very well. Bruce was awesome on the first few Maiden albums right up until 7th son, after that, I don't know what the fuck happened, they just quickly went down the toilet. I remember listening to Killers about 4 or 5 times a day when I bought it. It was like my daily bread.

15. MEGADETH - KILLING IS MY BUSINESS
After I saw Dave Mustaine's whining scene in that band that starts with "M"'s movie "Some kind of Lars Ulrich", I was hesitant to put this album in the list, but hey, I loved this album more than any of my Fagtallica albums. This had a truly fucked up jazz sensibility to it, which made it clear that Mustaine wasn't just trying to copy Fagtallica. I love the opening shriek on "Last Rites/Loved to Deth", fucking funny and chilling at the same time. I haven't heard the re-mastered re-mixed version of this with the fucking stupid cover re-design, and I think I don't want to.

16. DISMEMBER - LIKE AN EVER FLOWING STREAM
These swedish cats (along with many other bands, like "Grave" always got blamed for sounding too much like "Entombed" and I don't know exactly who came first, nor do I really fucking care, all I know is that both those bands were better than Entombed. Entombed put out 2 great albums, then started to promptly suck after that. Dismember never pussied out. This one, and the folow-up "Indecent and Obscene" are brutal classics.

17. DESTRUCTION - ETERNAL DEVASTATION
I remember seeing their live show in Vancouver about 7 years ago and they kicked ass. Kreator played that night too and they kicked an equal amount of ass. Anyway, Destruction have never really progressed much, but they still keep putting out pretty consistentlty good albums, although I haven't heard the last few. Anyway, if you only pick up one Destruction CD, this should be it. Tinny production aside, this is an unrelenting fucking tank that you'd better steer clear of motherfucker. Goddamnit, why does German Metal rule so much?

18. KING DIAMOND - ABIGAIL
I already mentioned the lack of respect for the King in my Mercyful Fate review, so I won't repeat myself. Anyway, fuck RUSH' "2112" or "Hemispheres", or YES' "Tales for Topographic Oceans". When the KING came along, there was no bullshit or mental masturbation in his concepts. Just a fucking evil grandma in a wheelchair drinking bloody tea and a corrupt Doctor trying to possess people. The only thing that still puzzles me is the "18 is actually 9" thing, the implications are there, but the certainty is not.

19. BRUTAL TRUTH - EXTREME CONDITIONS...
I'm just gonna say"YYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!
The fastest and heaviest slab of concrete punishment you'll ever hear in your life. It just doesn't get any heavier than this. "Sounds of the Animal Kingdom" is a very close second to this and "Need to Control" is a close 3rd to that.

20. DEICIDE - LEGION
Anyone who has the balls to burn an inverted cross into his forehead and name his kid "Damien" is pretty "metal" in my book. Deicide took the satanic imagery and lyricism to a new extreme on this this and their debut self-titled album. These guys really DO hate Jesus! This is one tight album with great songs, great hooks, and pretty decent production by the competent but over-rated Scott Burns.

21. VOIVOD - DIMENSION HATROSS
Space tech concept metal from CANADA!!! These guys took it to a new level. Every album of theirs showed a definite progression from the previous. Even on their first album "War and Pain", you could hear the blueprint of what was to come. To me, "Dimension Hatross" is still a completely original album that is impossible to imitate. Fuck Bryan Adams, this is one of the most important acts to come out of Canada.

22. S.O.D. - SPEAK ENGLISH OR DIE!
This was better than anything Anthrax ever churned out. I originally ordered this from a mail order company in the States called Metal Disc, which was one of my only sources for finding stuff like this, living in a hick town like Bath, NB, where the most extreme thing you could find at a record store was Def Leppard's new album. Anyway, it was seized at the U.S. border and I got a letter stating that it had to be reviewed by proper authorities to determine whether its' contents were fit to enter Canada. Anyway, I figured, fuck, they'll probably just destroy it and that'll be it. About 8 months later, to my surprise, I received it in the mail, the jewel case all broken to shit, and the booklet a little crumpled, but the CD itself didn't have any major scratches, so I was pretty happy. I had previously ordered a Dayglo Abortions cassette titled "Feed Us A Fetus" with a painting of Ronald Reagan and Nancy getting ready to chow down on a fetus, but I didn't encounter any problems with it. Go figure. Just depends on what day it is at the border and who's working there.

23. SODOM - IN THE SIGN OF EVIL
How can you argue with an album cover of an evil fucking warrior with a veil over his head carrying a huge sword ready to cut you in HALF!!!!!??????. I've had nightmares about this cover. The music is complete mud, you can't really distinguish what instrument is what, but it works for me. This album has some of the coolest lyrics ever, most notably in "Blasphemer".......

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Black metal is the game I play
'cause no one show me the right way
I am a bloody Antichrist, only believe in bad
Spit at the church, Evil I get

Blasphemer. . . .
Rites of death, Return to Hell
I am Satan's child, attack you with Spell

I turn the cross upside down
and read Satanic Bible with fucking grown
my life begins at midnight twelve
masturbate to kill myself

Blasphemer. . . .

I love to drink my own blood
my sin is my life in a war with god
I talk to the demons night tonight
make love and black masses in a dark shadow light

Blasphemer. . . .

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Need I say more? Go pick up a copy now.

24. MALEVOLENT CREATION - RETRIBUTION
I don't think this album ever got quite the attention it so richly deserves. A near masterpiece in my humble opinion. Great riffs, great songs, tight musicianship, a killer from start to finish. Scott Burns produced it so it's got that signature SB sound that he provided so well. Scott Burns is good and he provides a nice heavy polished sound, but at the same time, it's a little too polished. I think Scott Burns is a little over-rated and I don't know why so many bands use him, because he produces the same results

25. CANNIBAL CORPSE - TOMB OF THE MUTILATED
One of the greatest and sickest albums of all time and one of the sickest album covers ever too. A painting of a woman's corpse getting eaten out by a man in a tomb. I have a T-shirt of this and I wear it proudly. I think personally this was Cannibal Corpse' peak and a considerable improvement from their second "Butchered at Birth." Scott Burns provided that "Scott Burns" sound that half the bay-area bands were using at this point. But it worked very well for them on this album.

Anyway, send me your "TOP" lists...