Top 10 Metal Albums

Metal? It's a genre not easily defined, especially over the past thirty years.

The metal music genre ranges from the early '70s (think Black Sabbath / Judas Priest) to modern day "screamo metal". There's various subgenres within this spectrum - most of which I simply do not enjoy. "Screamo metal" is what gives metal a bad connotation to most everyday music listeners.

I happen to like a very specific window of metal from the late '80s to early '90s. Much of this is considered thrash metal, which incorporates driving and forceful rhythm guitar at screaming high tempos paired with intense guitar solos. As a guitarist, it's simply badass to listen to because so much of the music revolves around a mastery of the instrument.

Honorable Mention: Houdini - The Melvins (1993)

10. Undertow - Tool (1993)

I was always skeptical of Tool at first, and I must admit much of their later stuff I just simply can't get into. But I must give them credit - their big hit "Sober" roped me in and soon I found myself admiring the dreary aesthetic of Undertow. Many times I hear myself mistaking Maynard James Keenan with Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam especially on the verse of “Bottom”, which features a spoken word interlude by Henry Rollins. Keenan really has a unique but prolific voice which suits the album nicely. I believe the biggest sleeper song on this is actually the opener - "Intolerance". I used to skip this song when it would come on, but I wasn't giving it a fair shot. The lyrics of "Intolerance" come through Keenan's background - particularly while serving in the Army at West Point.

West Point's Cadet Honor Code:

"A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."

There's a heavy 4 minute intro on “Flood” which could seem monotonous to some but I wouldn't have it any other way. Flood still is one of my favorite Tool songs when I look back. However, I can probably do without the last song ("Disgustipated") if I had to do some trimming. Overall some of Tool's later catalog (10,000 Days, Fear Inoculum) is too "prog metalish" for me, but I am definitely able to latch on with Undertow.

9. Cowboys from Hell - Pantera (1990)

I always joked that if I were in the MLB, the first twenty seconds of "Cowboys from Hell" would serve fittingly as my walk-up song. Yet when I think of the spectrum of metal music that I personally enjoy, Pantera is generally my breaking point (a band more "in your face" than any other band you can probably name). There's a fine line between what I find sonically interesting and just too damn heavy in metal music. While there's a few songs on here that aren't my type, there's a lot I enjoy such as "Psycho Holiday" and "Cemetery Gates" - which has a truly powerful conviction. Other songs like "Clash with Reality" hit hard and show off the prowess of Dimebag Darrell. There's no reason Cowboys from Hell couldn't be higher on this list, it's just simply too heavy for my liking at times.

8. Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? - Megadeth (1986)

Megadeth finally made a micro breakthrough with Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?; the release helped them to gain notoriety in the underground metal scene. Yet many of the tracks don't feel as crisp and produced as they could be. Certain guitar parts fail to stand out in the blazing tempos, and the bass / drums can often get lost in the hazy mix. Regardless there's some great progressive songwriting in "Wake Up Dead" displaying Mustaine's inner conflict on a domestic level. Chris Poland also had some really fine moments here, and it's a shame his talent couldn't keep up with his substance abuse (maybe the two intertwined?). His fills and solos on "Peace Sells", "Devil's Island", and "Good Mourning / Black Friday" do not go unnoticed. If I had to gripe, the Willie Dixon cover of "I Ain't Superstitious" could have been a little more creative than the generic blues / metal format the band stuck with. But overall Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? brought Megadeth out of the darkness while also exploring some politically and socially conscious lyrics.

7. Ride the Lightning - Metallica (1984)

"Fight Fire with Fire" starts off Ride the Lightning with a soft neo-classical tone, but the song switches polar opposite gears very quickly. It's eventually followed by "Ride the Lightning" which has some nice color in the bridge of the guitar solo by newly acquianted member Kirk Hammett. While Hammett often has shortcomings, his solo on "Fade to Black" goes down as one of the most influential guitar solos of all time. "Fade to Black" is really such a great song that I'm gonna mention it again here while I have your attention. There's still many parts of Ride the Lightning that don't feel as clean, but "Creeping Death" goes down as a thrash metal classic and "The Call of Ktulu" is a great instrumental which has Dave Mustaine's last stamp on a Metallica record before he was kicked out.

6. Countdown to Extinction - Megadeth (1992)

Dave Mustaine didn't plan on slowing down nearly two years after the release of Rust in Peace. He was still out to prove something, as a strong vengeance to be on top was within (he wasn't done yet). The anti establishment lyrics found on Countdown to Extinction contain a darker tone dealing with the perils of the developing capitalist society in America. "Skin O' My Teeth" starts the album off right featuring snarling vocals coupled with Nick Menza's thunderous drum power. Other songs like "Architecture of Aggression" and "Foreclosure of a Dream" assist in defining the message of the album - as Countdown to Extinction solidified that Megadeth was a force to be reckoned with.

5. Toxicity - System of a Down (2001)

4. The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden (1983)

Credit must be given where due: Iron Maiden was one of the bona fide pioneers of the early '80s metal scene. Without Iron Maiden, the late '80s / early '90s metal explosion would look drastically different. While The Number of the Beast might not be as heavy as some of the other albums on this list, the dueling/unison guitars create memorable harmonizing lead lines (that end up staying stuck in your head hours later). Bruce Dickinson's high ranging vocals with outstanding vibrato lay out nicely on "Children of the Damned" and "Run to the Hills". Melodic chord progressions in "The Prisoner" and the iconic "Hallowed Be Thy Name" help to complete a giant step forward from the 1981 release of Killers.

3. Lateralus - Tool (2001)

For the longest time I was so skeptical of Tool, mainly based on first impressions. But something told me to keep digging into Lateralus. "The Grudge" kicks off the festivities with one of the heaviest hitting songs known to man - but it initially gave me some mixed feelings. The first four minutes? "Ehh, it was alright". But the last four? "Damn, that shit blew my mind".

This example kind of set the tone for my Lateralus listening experience - very juxtaposed. Yet I kept at it and explored as much as I could process. Eventually I began to grasp the pristine beauty coupled with immense power in songs like "Schism". But what was even more impressive was the exhilarative set of emotions conveyed on tracks like "Lateralus" and "Parabola". These two are such a sonic trip - and it's where I really began to admire Danny Carey on drums (even more than I already did). His fills and grooves are nothing short of immaculate. Every time I hear his masterful touch on songs such as "The Patient", all I can think is: "perfect". "The Patient" goes under the radar to most, but it is actually my favorite song in all of Tool's catalog.

To top it off, Lateralus closes with a great trifecta of song writing in "Disposition", "Reflection", and "Triad". "Reflection" by far is the most memorable. Overall, Lateralus is such a comprehensive effort given from four equally talented musicians (such a statement is rare). Coming in at a length of 79 minutes, perhaps this would be the album to engrain into the Voyager Golden Record (to send to the aliens).

2. Master of Puppets - Metallica (1986)

Every single song on Master of Puppets delivers with unmatched aggression and force. This really brought Metallica to the forefront as one of the greatest metal bands in history. James Hetfield's vocals have a young but polished touch which complement his outstanding rhythm guitar - especially on tracks like "Leper Messiah". Likewise, "Disposable Heroes" is what I consider the single greatest Metallica song - charged with fiery anti-war lyrics and percussive thrashing for over eight minutes. I actually consider it to also be the best metal song of all time. Let that sink in.

One of the heaviest pure thrash songs comes out in "Damage, Inc", while the tamer side of the band can be found during moments of "Orion". Master of Puppets was a true shining achievement in the '80s thrash scene; yet the death of Cliff Burton just months after the release of this record would deal a striking blow to the group. Unfortunately Metallica would never achieve anything remotely close to this again.

1. Rust in Peace - Megadeth (1990)

Ever since Dave Mustaine was kicked out of Metallica, it felt like he was out to prove something. Between Metallica and Megadeth, there was a strong inherent commitment to end the talk about who was the top metal band of the time. Rust in Peace was delivered as the culmination of this rivalry; the third track "Take No Prisoners" sets the tone and puts the conversation to rest on the best metal album in history. To me, this is the holy grail of thrash metal. I remember first hearing the opening riff to "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" years ago and having to rewind it because of its intensity - to confirm what I had just heard (as my ears couldn't comprehend it).

There's just something about the way that Nick Menza's drums were recorded on Rust in Peace - they feel so crisp and opportune. Moreover, Marty Friedman's debut appearance on a Megadeth record helped to display his prowess through guitar solos that guitarists still to this day are trying to recreate (see "Lucretia" and "Tornado of Souls"). His exotic lead scale choices blend Western music with Eastern influences in a blazing fury of aggressive arpeggios. Everything about Rust in Peace feels intelligent and masterfully crafted - featuring switching time signatures ("Five Magics") and tempos ("Rust in Peace... Polaris") in a clever way that doesn't distract from the music.

P.S. While we're at it I'm just gonna plow ahead and declare that the last minute of "Five Magics" goes down as one of the most exciting musical moments in the history of guitar oriented music - so go check it out!