My Top 100 Albums Of All Time!
Because we're coming to the end of a year, I thought I'd construct a personal top albums list from my mostly rock/metal (and mostly awful) taste in music so far; starting at #100 going right down to #1 in descending order. Expect very odd and possibly offensive choices along with a brief summary/justification of the album. It took me about a month of coming back and adding more to it and reshuffling to get the list in my most accurate order. Remember the list is subjective but criticism and agreement is welcome. Hope anyone enjoys. |
| 100 |  | Vixen
Rev It Up
The very first album at 100 is Vixen's Rev It Up. Vixen was basically a slightly cheesier, female version of Bon Jovi and this is one of the greatest collections of ridiculously enjoyable power ballads ever. |
| 99 |  | Leeway
Desperate Measures
NYHC-thrash infused metal with occasional hip-hop and urban influences thrown in. Some HC fans allegedly took offence to Sutton's cleaner, processed vocals that didn't quite fit in with the scene, but it's simply what sets Leeway apart from their contemporaries and, in hindsight is how their sound is not confined to their early-90s time. Also, Novello's solos are so good they almost transcend the genre. |
| 98 |  | Quicksand
Manic Compression
Quicksand's intention is to bludgeon listeners with punchy yet somewhat muted riffs that inadvertently makes them even heavier (especially when blasting through some good speakers). Still, the band aren't all about outright aggression as they moderate their angst via Shreifels' relatively tempered vocal delivery and carefully chosen quiet moments. Manic Compression sums them up perfectly, then. |
| 97 |  | Bon Jovi
New Jersey
You can't beat a bit of '80s brand of hard rock every now and again, and Bon Jovi's follow-up to mega-smash, Slippery When Wet, is likely their most solid outing in that regard. Keep the Faith, which followed this record with a slight change in sound, almost made the cut, but NJ beats it for pure enjoyment. |
| 96 |  | Carnivore
Retaliation
One of the angriest albums ever. Crossover pioneers Carnivore only released two albums during their relatively short period of activity, but both are outright bangers and touchstones of their respective genre. Faster, heavier and with a more refined production, Retaliation is easily their finest release and vocalist/songwriter/6'8" monolith Peter Steele provides us with early hints of his wry, PC-obliterating wordplay, bare emotions and unique musical creativity he would later fully realise with Type O Negative. |
| 95 |  | Nine Inch Nails
The Fragile
After 5 years of doing remixes, producing albums, contributing to soundtracks (check out Lost Highway) and doing more remixes, Reznor delivered this whopping 23 track double album in 1999 chock full of some of his greatest work. I prefer the left side, but the right still contains some great material, most notably the instrumentals. |
| 94 |  | EyeHateGod
Take As Needed For Pain
Slit-throat vocals combined with a huge influence from Sabbath in the guitar department. 'Blank' has some of the biggest riffs ever put down. Sickeningly heavy. |
| 93 |  | The Offspring
Ixnay On The Hombre
This is simply an album that is enjoyable, very catchy and reminds me of my youth. Regarded as a slight failure after Smash but it is more diverse and 'I Choose' is their best single that never became a favourite. |
| 92 |  | Cannibal Corpse
Gore Obsessed
For me, it was tight between this and The Wretched Spawn for the best 'Corpsegrinder' Cannibal album, but this edged it due to an array of fantastic groove riffs and an album cover that looks like zombies playing basketball. Check the slithering riff on 'Compelled To Lacerate!' |
| 91 |  | Solitude Aeturnus
Through The Darkest Hour
Thunderous epic doom metal from the early 90's. A prime example where you wonder how the band weren't astronomically more popular than they were. |
| 90 |  | For Love Not Lisa
Merge
One of the great bands I discovered through The Crow soundtrack. A mix of grunge and hard rock to form a melodic and hopeful sounding album. Another band that mysteriously were not more popular than they possibly should have been. |
| 89 |  | Dax Riggs
We Sing Of Only Blood Or Love
A very cool gothic blues album from one of the most underappreciated vocalists of recent times. Expect a lot of Dax Riggs' involvements on this list. |
| 88 |  | Jeff Buckley
Grace
Perhaps the first album so far that I could call a classic without being met with bemusement. Sublime guitar work throughout and Buckley's voice permeates through souls. |
| 87 |  | The Locust
Plague Soundscapes
How have I gone from 'Grace' to this? Very brief song lengths, spasm inducing instrument playing - imagine Agoraphobic Nosebleed on mountains of crack. Utterly demented. |
| 86 |  | Audioslave
Revelations
Certainly the most straightforward of Audioslave's releases and that's really why I like the most, just a nice solid hard rock album all the way through. Not that the others weren't good enough. |
| 85 |  | Grief
Torso
A filthy, tortured, slow as fuck exercise in creating downright ugly music. Grief's sound combines the wading-through-tar pace of Swans or Khanate with grisly vocals and gives the outcome a sludgy, doom makeover. This penultimate album from Grief destroys face. |
| 84 |  | The Cure
Disintegration
The Cure's attempt to stray away from their poppy, oddball sensibilities paid off greatly with this gloomy yet often lush sounding epic. |
| 83 |  | Deconstruction
Deconstruction
I was tempted to put a Jane's Addiction album on the list (probably Strays, oh no) but this is what I have always preferred, a little known side project featuring Dave Navarro and Eric Avery. Pure rock experimentalisation and something of a cult classic. |
| 82 | | Tool
Aenima
For some people it's usually a coin flip between Lateralus and this for Tool's finest album and my coin has always landed in Aenima's favour. Dark, technically astute, trippy and a huge advancement from their previous material. |
| 81 |  | Suffocation
Effigy of the Forgotten
The monstrous slam riff during 'Liege of Inveracity' would have earned this placing by itself, but elsewhere Effigy of the Forgotten is still a solid and compellingly nasty slice of brutal death metal. Play this loudly and your neighbours may just throw bricks through your windows to hear it better... |
| 80 |  | Dax Riggs
Say Goodnight To The World
Dax's second solo effort and his second appearance on my list. Here he displays a sure evolvement of his bluesy sound by adding lengthier songs oppose to short burst tracks and the 'Heartbreak Hotel' cover embodies this. |
| 79 |  | Exhorder
The Law
Absolutely savage. Exhorder are often compared to Pantera for their southern-tinged brand of groove metal and because they emerged at roughly the same sound. Though Pantera undeniably had the better songwriting chops in all the right departments, Exhorder frequently relied purely on outright brutality. Listen to the furious intro of 'I Am the Cross' or the chugging, face-meltingly heavy outro of '(Cadence of) The Dirge', and you should get the picture. |
| 78 |  | Therapy?
Suicide Pact - You First
Therapy? at their most twisted, one of their most accomplished albums too and Cairns' vocals often sound completely insane. Also, 2012's 'A Brief Crack Of Light' was the bands best album since this 1999 effort. |
| 77 |  | Black Sabbath
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
I once read that the band don't consider this a 'rock' album. It certainly is unusually more experimental but the tracks 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath', 'Sabbra Cadabbra', and 'Killing Yourself To Live' are definitive texts rock/metal. |
| 76 |  | Kyuss
Welcome To Sky Valley
One day I will drive a Cadillac through the Nevada desert to this album while the sun sets behind me. Without hating on QOTSA, I don't think Josh Homme has topped this with anything he's been involved with since. |
| 75 |  | Green Day
Warning
Another album from my youth! I remember this album getting slightly dumped on by some critics for the bands more folky approach. Yeah, it is a slight change but it just proved they could still pull out catchy numbers from other given styles. Green Day were unstoppable, even before American Idiot. |
| 74 |  | Melvins
The Maggot
When selecting my choices for this list I had nominated about eight Melvins albums but narrowed them down to just this one. This is the band at their absolute heaviest and the songs seemingly flow together as if it was one track (no I haven't got this confused with Lysol). |
| 73 |  | Black Flag
My War
Some regard this album as an unbalanced mess due the last three songs all clocking in at over 6 minutes, and which are slow, Sabbath style semi-drone pieces. Side A is good enough but the last three aforementioned songs make this a step more interesting than other Black Flag and proved influential in the sludge and doom genre. |
| 72 |  | Finch
Say Hello To Sunshine
In hindsight, this is the album that effectively killed Finch; a huge contrast from the sound of What It Is To Burn which won them tonnes of fans wanting more. This is gritty and mature material and the band stuck to what they wanted to achieve which is always a plus for me. |
| 71 |  | Agents Of Oblivion
Agents Of Oblivion
Out of the remnants of Acid Bath, Dax Riggs (again) and Mike Sanchez with the help of others formed an interesting little project which retained Acid Bath's dark tone but sacrificed the heaviness for bluesy and slower melodies in a genre I like to call 'swamp rock'. Those keen on this band should look out for their B-side 'The Skeletal Circus Derails'. |
| 70 |  | Manic Street Preachers
Journal For Plague Lovers
14 years after his mysterious disappearance, the Manics decided to write music for Richey Edwards' unused words and they did them great justice. Though not as dark as The Holy Bible, this album offers a striking resemblance to the caustic sound and tone which bled from that release. |
| 69 |  | Electric Wizard
Electric Wizard
Sometimes called tame when compared to their future releases. This is true, but Electric Wizard's debut is still one menacing sounding doom fest. The title track is one of their greatest and the cosmic 'Mountains Of Mars' is the soundtrack of a stoners trip. |
| 68 |  | A Day To Remember
Homesick
Possibly a guilty pleasure but Homesick is simply an example of pop-punk metal done perfectly. Littered with thumping breakdowns and every track is as catchy as hell. |
| 67 |  | Fear Factory
Demanufacture
For pure down-tuned guitar savagery, Demanufacture is hard to top and in that regard Dino is severely underrated. Elsewhere, Burton C. Bell's, oscillating vocals that flit between glass-gargling growls and angelic, almost ethereal cleans were ahead of their time. The anthemic nihilism on display in classics such as 'Self Bias Resistor' and 'Replica' still hits as hard as ever, but the elegiac finale, 'A Therapy for Pain', remains one of metal's finest album closers. All songs, however, contribute towards a the album's wider concept of a brutal world run by machines. |
| 66 |  | Helmet
Aftertaste
It's hard to imagine the contemporary metal scene being as it is without bands such as Helmet. Their last output before their initial and acrimonious split is a slice of suitably angry, hardcore crunch and where Hamilton's voice got the gravelly edge. On a personal note I'm part of the group who like all of Helmet's work, even albums post-Aftertaste. |
| 65 |  | Pantera
Vulgar Display Of Power
A definite classic of its genre and even though the greater songs are stacked towards one end of the album, it is still a force to be reckoned with all way through. |
| 64 |  | L7
Bricks Are Heavy
If Vixen were the female version of Bon Jovi then L7 is the female version of Nirvana or Alice In Chains. Short, angsty tunes with that distinct early 90's feel. This album includes the favourite 'Pretend We're Dead'. |
| 63 |  | David Bowie
Outside
Bowie's best 90's album and personally (and semi-apologetically) my favourite. It contains some fairly distracting interludes but the interesting neo-noir style generates a sort of dystopian atmosphere that is unique to Outside. A bizarre release, even for Bowie. |
| 62 |  | Godflesh
Songs Of Love And Hate
Probably the most accessible Godflesh album. A bigger than usual influence from hip-hop beats is easily noticed here but the bile filled vocal delivery and the thick, abrasive guitar sound still stamps this as Godflesh. |
| 61 |  | Queen
Innuendo
I really like the albums Queen made towards the end of their career. This and The Miracle are both excellent but this edges it because it contains the epic 'Innuendo'. Not many bands bow out with an album as good as this. |
| 60 |  | Nirvana
Nevermind
Some say it's overrated, some say it's the greatest album of all time. I'm personally not a huge fan of Nirvana but this is a top album and very importantly the other tracks stand well up against the revered singles it holds. |
| 59 |  | Prong
Beg To Differ
Imagine a cross between Metallica and Pantera circa Cowboys From Hell and you'll have a good idea of how this album sounds. It's a shame Prong veneered off into an overly industrial styled sound because Beg To Differ is solid and everything that followed is great but not quite up to par. |
| 58 |  | Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Donning one of the most tragic images ever captured on the cover, this is one of the most iconic albums of the 1990's. An incendiary mix of lyrical protests, guitar effects madness and crushing funk metal. This is a classic album that barely needs an introduction. A riff clinic. |
| 57 |  | Godflesh
Streetcleaner
Godflesh's second inclusion on the list and this (their debut) took the monolithic sound of their 1988 EP to crushing new depths of industrial hell. Two (sometimes three) men and a drum machine creating the sounds of absolute oblivion. |
| 56 |  | Ramesses
Take The Curse
Ex members of Electric Wizard created this ghastly sounding piece of black metal mixed with the crushingly slow tempos of their previous band. Personally, I think this album is better than Electric Wizard's last three albums combined. |
| 55 |  | Killing Joke
Pandemonium
Killing Joke intensified their new-wave and post-punk roots into a colossal barrage of rocking noise. The sprinklings of cultural influences and percussion give this album a sort of other worldly feel. Not your average industrial metal album from one of the most understatedly influential bands of the last thirty years. |
| 54 |  | Down
NOLA
A fantastic side-project supergroup including members of Pantera, EyeHateGod and Crowbar. This is a consistent and riffy album and also one of the greatest to come out of the whole stoner/sludge metal scene. |
| 53 |  | Suede
Dog Man Star
Bombastic, melancholic, operatic, cinematic and pompous. With an album like this, how could Suede be labelled as just 'britpop'? |
| 52 |  | Cannibal Ox
The Cold Vein
I came across this underground hip-hop act on T.H.U.G. and the spacey, ethereal atmospheres juxtaposed with the creative lyrics has stayed with me since. 'The F-Word' is one of the greatest hip-hop songs on the 00's. |
| 51 |  | Electric Wizard
Dopethrone
This most definitely is a contender for the heaviest album in the universe, in fact, it probably is heavier than the universe itself. In what is widely considered their magnum opus, Electric Wizard managed to create such an uncompromising wall of sound that few others have replicated. |
| 50 |  | Butthole Surfers
Pioughd
This is widely considered as one of the Butthole Surfers dud albums but I fucking love it. Possibly scratch a few 'Lonesome Bulldog' revisits and just be taken away by GARY SHANDLING! 'Barking Dogs' sounds like some sort of post-apocalyptic war zone perceived through the eyes of a meth addict yet also features some strangely cool guitar work. |
| 49 |  | Reuben
In Nothing We Trust
The last album before Reuben's split. Some of the songs on here have a distinctively progressive metal feel such as the epic 'Suffocation Of The Soul' and I would have loved to see what these guys did next. |
| 48 |  | Torche
Torche
Imagine a band like Foo Fighters playing thick, sludgy and sometimes rampantly fast metal; I think it would sound quite similar like Torche (check 'Rockit'). Some of the heaviest riffing and bomb-like chords of recent years but undeniably catchy with a somewhat poppy sensibility. |
| 47 |  | Alice In Chains
Alice In Chains
Guitarist Jerry Cantrell took over for a large amount of the lead vocals on this record, mainly due to the tragic deterioration of Layne Staley. Nonetheless, this is excellent grunge/metal that still packs a massive emotional punch. |
| 46 |  | Red Hot Chili Peppers
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
This funky sleaze-fest contains so many staples for the alternative rock scene in the 90's and it's probably Frusciante's best work with the band too. One of the coolest albums ever. |
| 45 |  | The Smashing Pumpkins
Siamese Dream
Though not as epic as 'Mellon Collie...' it certainly is more consistent in my opinion. Even if you can't stand Billy Corgan's thinly whined vocals, his masterful guitar solos will more likely win you over. Another early 90's classic. |
| 44 | | Stone Temple Pilots
No.4
A return to a heavier sound for the Pilots which was reminiscent of their earlier days. However No.4 does retain the quirky 60's influenced sounds in songs such as 'Sour Girl' and 'Atlanta' making it a great mix of their strengths. |
| 43 |  | Nine Inch Nails
With Teeth
With Teeth, Nine Inch Nails' most straightforward metal release, could be criticized for being creatively inferior when compared to some of the other works but it also proved that Trent Reznor could just put out a simpler album full of streamlined industrial fury if he was inclined. |
| 42 |  | Metallica
Metallica
I understand that their earlier thrash orientated releases are classics but 'The Black Album' is as metal as metal gets. It also helps that 'Sad But True' features one of the greatest lead riffs ever and the production on the album is flawless. |
| 41 |  | Cannibal Corpse
The Bleeding
Some would say this is the last album worth bothering with by Cannibal Corpse, I completely disagree with that but 'The Bleeding' is my favourite and is almost unanimously considered their best. A huge emphasis on slower, groove orientated riffs and a deeper, thicker production than ever before or after, but the ever present blast beats and sickening lyrics make this typical Cannibal Corpse. |
| 40 |  | Manic Street Preachers
Everything Must Go
After an absolutely tragic chapter during the bands career; the Manics produced this hopeful, optimistic and less abrasive album which probably took everybody by surprise. However, with the lyrics left over by Richey Edwards and melancholic tones which fill the album, the sadness still creeps through. |
| 39 |  | Ministry
Psalm 69
Amidst the fame Ministry gained at Lollapalooza, they dropped Psalm 69 - the audio equivalent of napalm. I think the album itself is patchy but the strength of the singles, 'Scare Crow' and the title track make it a firm favourite. |
| 38 |  | Silverchair
Diorama
It annoys me that Silverchair have gone on 'indefinite hiatus', this and Young Modern displayed a huge development in their ever maturing sound and god knows what they would have done next. Diorama edges it with a balance of sweeping epics, and crunching anthems all delivered with a big sense of escapism. |
| 37 |  | Black Sabbath
Never Say Die!
This will be viewed as an awful choice to put on a top 100 albums list by about 98% of the entire world but it isn't a joke. I love 'Never Say Die' partly because it was the album that got me into Sabbath and also because most of the songs kick ass! The tracks could have been put in a different order if it was possible (the last two songs don't feature Ozzy!) but 'Johnny Blade' is one of Sabbath's coolest songs, well I think it's cool anyway... |
| 36 |  | Godflesh
Us And Them
In 1999, Godflesh gave us an album which contained the sounds of the future. Not a glossy, shiny future; but a dystopian, industrial, acid rain drenched future with little hope. It could have been an absolute failure combining drum 'n' bass with crushing post-metal but it sounds phenomenal yet just as bleak as they could ever possibly go. This, to me, is still years ahead of its time and 'The Internal' is one of their greatest songs. |
| 35 |  | Foo Fighters
One By One
My favourite release from the Foos. Dave Grohl says this is their worst and I have no idea why, every song is just as catchy as the last and 'Halo' desperately needed to be a single! Top stuff from one of today's most popular bands. |
| 34 | | Black Sabbath
Volume 4
I probably had people worried suggesting that 'Never Say Die!' may have been my favourite Sabbath album but no, Vol.4 edges it for being flawless all the way through and for proving to me that Paranoid isn't the be all and end all of Sabbath. Though people should be thankful I didn't include Born Again on the list purely for 'Zero The Hero' which may actually be my favourite Sabbath song. |
| 33 |  | Machines Of Loving Grace
Gilt
Another band I discovered on the fantastic soundtrack to 'The Crow' that have sadly disappeared since. Their previous efforts are more electronic orientated but Gilt is heavily guitar laden. It basically sounds like a less cheesy and leaner 'Pretty Hate Machine'. |
| 32 |  | Life of Agony
River Runs Red
NYHC meets '90s grunge in an concept album of suicidal despondency. Caputo's vocals seem a little underdeveloped at this state, but his somewhat unique delivery perfectly suits Joey Z's massive riffs and apocalyptic tone. A touchstone of 1990s alt-metal. |
| 31 |  | Nine Inch Nails
The Downward Spiral
Just about unanimously regarded as Nine Inch Nails' best release and one of the greatest concept albums of all time. Trent Reznor takes sonic texturing to the limit in this ominously disturbing and thematic industrial collage with significant soft moments to break up the grinding layers of noise. |
| 30 |  | Deftones
Saturday Night Wrist
Deftones are a band that are always getting better with age, (I had to talk myself out of including Koi No Yakan on this list!) Saturday Night Wrist contains a fantastic offering of singles but tracks like the thunderous 'Beware', the pleasant 'Xerces', the unpleasant 'Pink Cellphone' and the soaring 'Combat' certify this as one of my favourite Deftones releases. |
| 29 |  | Suede
Suede
Suede are a band whose songs often have the power to get me right in the gut, the mixture of Anderson's powerful, bowie-esque voice and the ethereal music is an exceptional combination. This is greatly demonstrated with the slower songs like 'Sleeping Pills' or 'Pantomime Horse' which feature on this brilliant debut. |
| 28 |  | Rage Against The Machine
Evil Empire
It may sometimes lack the initial punch of its predecessor and perhaps seem a little stripped down but tracks like 'Down Rodeo', 'Revolver', 'Tire Me', 'Snake Charmer', 'Without A Face', 'Bulls On Parade', 'Wind Below'.... INFACT, they're all excellent! A solid, furious and rifftastic follow-up. |
| 27 |  | Therapy?
Infernal Love
Following their break into the mainstream, Therapy? could have followed that trend and simply repeated their past success. Instead they quickly released a moody, depression-laden collection of songs with only a few hints to easy past accessibility with songs like 'Loose' and 'Misery'. And that's why I love Therapy?, they simply don't give a shit about fitting in and they make themselves impossible to categorize by having each album sounding completely different. Infernal Love was where this was first established. |
| 26 |  | Manic Street Preachers
Generation Terrorists
This debut has enough anthemic hits crammed with intellectually charged lyrics and glam metal inspired riffs to justify itself on my list. But just when you think the album has ran out of steam, the Manics unleash one of the most electrifying album closers ever. |
| 25 |  | Deftones
Diamond Eyes
During a period when no new material surfaced due to bassist Chi Cheng going into a coma, Deftones shelved a completed album and instead gave us Diamond Eyes! This album showed us that the band were still willing to fire on all cylinders despite the unfortunate situation of their bassist and deliver another top album. Heavy shit. |
| 24 |  | Type O Negative
Bloody Kisses
This was Type O Negative's transformation from a dirgey thrash metal band (that was very similar to Peter Steele's previous band, Carnivore) into a fully fledged gothic metal outfit. It's over the top, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-breaking and has a deserved cult classic status. Black No.1 could possibly be most definitive goth song of all time, but it most certainly is the most hilarious for its ironic jabs at how seriously that particular culture takes itself. |
| 23 |  | Pantera
The Great Southern Trendkill
Just when fans thought Pantera had delivered the heaviest album of their career with Far Beyond Driven, the band just went rawer, faster and uglier! It's often overlooked, but I think it's their most devastating best. 'Floods' is their understated masterpiece! (Check out my full review of this if you're interested). |
| 22 |  | Butthole Surfers
Locust Abortion Technician
How can something be so insanely deranged yet be cohesive and addictive? Some songs are hilarious but for the most part, this is horrifying stuff! '22 Going On 23' features some pretty bleak subject matter but also some guitar work that is utterly sublime. This album is a freak of nature. |
| 21 |  | Ministry
Dark Side Of The Spoon
Sometimes dismissed as a self-parodying low point of the bands career but this is truly a gem in Ministry's heterogeneous discography. Fusing crumbling, greasy soundscapes with saxophones, sinister synths and other esoteric sounds, Dark Side Of The Spoon is criminally overlooked. |
| 20 |  | Godflesh
Selfless
A bellowing slab of Godflesh's usual dense and crushing mass of noise. Arguably the bands most straight up metal album but even that would be a hard-to-digest description for the more traditional metal-head. Seriously heavy. (Check out my full review of this if you're interested). |
| 19 |  | Stone Temple Pilots
Purple
Stone Temple Pilot's second album which differs greatly from their grunge/metal debut. Here the band take on board bluesy and psychedelic vibes to make their most influential release and put a gap between them and the whole grunge movement which would widen with further releases. 'Big Empty' is one of the finest songs from that generation and is also one of STP's very best. |
| 18 |  | Acid Bath
When The Kite String Pops
A band which had its career cut short under tragic circumstances but left a big mark on the sludge and doom scene of the 90's. This band takes many different styles of metal and rock and just puts it in a blender! This causes many shifts in tempo and heaviness, even in one song, which are often about drugs or death but Dax Riggs' lyrics (oh yeah, he was in Acid Bath too) are anything but inane and paint vivid and disturbing pictures in the mind. (Check my full review for more). |
| 17 |  | Godflesh
Hymns
In my opinion this (their last) is Godflesh's finest album; it quite literally takes all of their styles from previous albums and combines them into a sort of Godflesh colossus. What bands like Electric Wizard have in heaviness, Godflesh have in truckloads and likewise they don't sacrifice back breaking tones which in turn accentuate the pulverizing riffs. |
| 16 |  | Faith No More
King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime
Sometimes regarded as the dark horse in Faith No More's back catalogue due to the bizarre and constant switch between genres (possibly attributed to Trey Spruance of Mr Bungle filling in on guitar and being released the same year as Bungle's most nutty album, Disco Volante). Here we've got Faith No More trying gospel, post-punk, jazz, heavy metal, country and succeeding on all accounts with their usual flair and we also get to hear the entire spectrum of Patton's vocals from solemnly crooning to choking on his own phlegm. |
| 15 |  | Type O Negative
October Rust
Every form of thrash and speed metal had been stripped from Type O's signature sound by this 1996 release and it has been replaced with chugging heaviness and sweeping, lush textures from start to finish. The overall style is still as gloomy and as dark as ever but the overly passionate lyrics work as a worthy contrast to the more mournful ones. The guitar tone on October Rust is incredible too. |
| 14 |  | Green Day
Insomniac
No dwelling on emotions or yearning here, just pure pessimism delivered through Armstrong's snot-nosed vocals. Insomniac is one of Green Day's most overlooked releases but from start to finish (a mere 32 minutes) it is a frantic blast of punk rock fury, only slowing things down to really take a close look at the misery with 'Brain Stew'. Check the protracted intro to 'Panic Song' for one of the most pulsating build ups to a song ever. |
| 13 |  | Motley Crue
Motley Crue
Motley Crue was and always will be fronted by Vince Neil and known for producing 80's glam metal, this album isn't Motley Crue. This album is a straight up heavy metal belter that has since been criminally underrated, overlooked and discarded. By adding the gruff new vocalist plus an extra guitar in John Corabi, the Crue were allowed to explore darker, heavier styles and subject matter. Check out the stomping outro to 'Uncle Jack' or the blistering riff to 'Smoke The Sky'. The only problem with this album is the title because it ain't really Motley Crue. |
| 12 |  | Manic Street Preachers
The Holy Bible
Given the knowledge that Richey Edwards wrote the majority of the lyrics, it's easy to read the words as prophetic regarding the events that followed. The Manics tackle the darkest subject matter imaginable from anorexia to the holocaust in a lo-fi post-rock style to create one of the most tragic albums in history. Caustic, hopeless, grim, but ultimately very compelling. |
| 11 |  | Alice In Chains
Dirt
One of the greatest album to come out of the whole Seattle grunge scene in my opinion, yet it transcends that genre with a more metal orientated sound that delivers heavy, rhythm driven riffs and melancholic solos from Jerry Cantrell. This album is another dark and tragic affair. 'Rooster' is a legendary song. |
| 10 |  | Life of Agony
Ugly
Torrential metal riffing combined with a grunge/alternative metal style. Their first album River Runs Red is as equally impressive and thrashier but Ugly was the album that has cemented Life Of Agony among my favourites, and 'Seasons' is one of my all-time favourite songs. Moody and emotional stuff. |
| 9 |  | Helmet
Betty
Helmet's catchy, punchy, staccato sound turned explosive on their third full length release. Songs like 'Milquetoast', 'Tic', 'Wilma's Rainbow' and 'Street Crab' posess an almost tangible thump to them but the whole album is full of lean, heavy groove with the occasional tendency for the experimental. A lot better than Meantime in my opinion. |
| 8 |  | Therapy?
Troublegum
Few will argue that this isn't Therapy?'s finest release; it's packed full of racy, pessimistic venting with a Nirvana meets Metallica sound combined with their snare heavy approach. The best album of the 90's British alternative metal scene. Flawless. |
| 7 |  | Soundgarden
Superunknown
An epic, 70-minute-plus opus that showcases Soundgarden intricately balancing psychedelic melodies with their established Sabbath-style riffs. I can't think of many other albums that span this length yet are flawless all the way through. |
| 6 |  | Ozzy Osbourne
No More Tears
Ozzy Osbourne's second album with his (at the time) newly discovered axe-master Zakk Wylde and his supposed last album too, although retirement clearly didn't last. Released back in 1991, I don't think any subsequent Ozzy album has matched this classic and even though his albums released prior to this are usually taking the plaudits, No More Tears will always be my favourite. Wydle's trademark pitch harmonics dominate almost every track and the album features some stomping anthems such as 'Hellraiser' and the symphonic title track. |
| 5 |  | Type O Negative
World Coming Down
Some listeners didn't take kindly to Type O's more morbid than ever album which has always been my favourite release of theirs. Whilst Bloody Kisses and October Rust represented slightly more accessible sensibilities, this 1999 effort is pure doom and is the heaviest and densest album the band had produced. World Coming Down saw the band (especially Steele) confront sensitive matters with brutal honesty, especially with 'White Slavery' and the magnificent title track. An epic album. (Check my full review) |
| 4 |  | Acid Bath
Paegan Terrorism Tactics
In my opinion this is the greatest sludge metal album to ever be released. Acid Bath's combination of slow and blisteringly fast songs with creepy and often trippy sounds is faultless. Dax Riggs's was on his finest lyrical and vocal form here and the rest of the band tightened their instrument playing to gothic, sludgy, stoner perfection; especially Sammy Duet who pulls out some memorable and monstrous riffage. |
| 3 |  | Manic Street Preachers
Gold Against The Soul
You may have noticed that I have a tendency to appreciate the more underrated albums and this is another which I love. The Manic's themselves refer to Gold Against The Soul as 'a typical unfocused second album' which I can somewhat understand but it is still a fantastic album which for me it displays James Dean Bradfield's greatest vocals and also gave clues to the dark direction the band went with the lyrics. Criminally underrated. Look out for the excellent B-side 'Patrick Bateman' too. |
| 2 |  | Living Colour
Time's Up
Brilliant album from Living Colour which is often eclipsed by Vivid. This album encompasses a much more diverse style than Vivid but is still dominated by the melodic and soulful hard rock that they were so good at making. All members of the band were very accomplished at what they did and Time's Up is the album which let's this distinction show most. 'Pride' is one of the most underappreciated hard rock songs of the 90's. This has been in my top five for a very long time now. |
| 1 |  | Ministry
Filth Pig
Absolutely hated upon release, because it was not at all like previous Ministry, it was a hell of a lot slower. Through the dragging riffs, rumbling doom and sludge is an absolute masterpiece. The menacing title track, the complete industrial rock reworking of 'Lay Lady Lay' and the psychedelic doom masterpiece, 'The Fall' are all simply incredible. A damn shame that it is still so overlooked but it gets my number one spot as it introduced me to REALLY heavy music and I have apparently accumulated nearly 4,000 plays from it on last.fm (haha). |
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