Average Rating: 3.48 Rating Variance: 0.57 Objectivity Score: 77% (Well Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicBathory Blood Fire DeathBeastie Boys Paul's BoutiqueBlack Sabbath ParanoidYou thought their debut was good? Paranoid sets the bar for monolithic sophomore records to come, and opener "War Pigs" is a landmark for the group AND the genre as a whole. Spiraling tempo changes, dark political themes, epic guitar work, and one of the prince of darkness's best recorded performances ever. It was a defining template for countless acts to follow if never truly duplicate since. "Electric Funeral" and "Iron Man" break the limitations of a once conceived artless genre and are prime examples of diversity and rebuilding established formulas through their memorable song structures and riffs, especially the former. Ozzy finds his signature style here, and the rest is heavy metal's first true work of art and an album whose historical significance remains as strong as it was back then.Black Sabbath Master of RealityBlack Sabbath alter their formula, and they prove to the world they are the masters of reality with their triumphant third album. Just about as good as Paranoid without copying and pasting from it, MOR finds the band downtuning their instruments, driving their songs with riff-heavy structures, and bringing forth a more "optimistic" tone in their lyrics. Riff monsters like "Sweet Leaf," "Children of The Grave," and the album's closing highlight "Into The Void" have unprecedented influence on the heavy metal style that we've grown to love today and remain unequaled in their domain. Ozzy further refines his vocals to fit the uplifting yet dark themes presented here, and upon cutting their psychedelic roots for good (so it seemed), they have crafted another masterpiece and not only confirmed the artistry of heavy metal but also its validity as its own style of music.Candlemass NightfallCandlemass Epicus Doomicus MetallicusCoroner Mental VortexCoroner proved to the world what a tour de force they were in the realm of innovative metal, and with No More Colour, they put themselves at the front of the pack with their technical riffing and progressive songwriting, but with Mental Cortex, they create a truly out of this world experience. Opener "Divine Step" already feels different than most of No More Colour with its audio clip from The Re-Animator movie, paving way for a down-tuned, technical riff, and the song unfolds into atmospheric territory. The midsection is beautifully calm and atmospheric then the chaotic riffs come back again and unfold a gorgeous solo, and the song shifts tempo yet again. It's a magnificent song and displays their perfection of progressive thrash metal. "Son of Lilith" is a true gem with its massive riff and genre highlight guitar solo. It may actually one of the best guitar solos in the history of metal. The other tunes are all just as brilliant in their ability to create atmosphere underlying the dramatic song structures and intense, technical riffing. The Beatles cover of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is an incredible transformation of a classic tune as they effectively make it their own (perhaps their best recorded cover song to date) and effectively closes the record on an eerie note. The introspective lyrics, legendary guitarwork, and perfection of atmosphere and technicality make Mental Cortex not just Coroner's true masterwork but also arguably the genre's greatest hidden gem and one of the most engrossing extreme records of all time.Cryptopsy None So VileDark Angel Darkness DescendsOf the three infamous members of the 'unholy trio' of 1986, Dark Angel's sophomore effort is the fastest of the bunch and is a prime influence on the extreme metal genres in terms of atmosphere, tempo shifts, bottom heavy production, and blazing speed. "The Burning of Sodom" (my favorite tune here) alone was the fastest song of its time, running at a tempo of 280bpm. The remake of "Merciless Death" turns a terrific song into a career highlight, and "Death Is Certain (Life Is Not)," "Perish In Flames," the title track, and the masterfully eerie "Black Prophecies" are gleaming gems of the genre. Hyperactive thrash metal doesn't get much better than this. A landmark in thrash metal.Death Individual Thought PatternsDeath SymbolicHuman was Death's appropriately inhumane take on all things extreme metal, blending breakneck speed with almost unparalleled technicality and songcraft. Arguably the most ambitious band of its genre, Death hits their accessibility peak with Symbolic notable for its powerfully introspective lyrics, signature vocals, and mind-bending guitarwork. Mr. Death (a.k.a, Chuck Schludiner, rest in peace) may be the most accomplished extreme metal frontman ever, and his compositions captured his larger-than-life vision. The opening title track opens with a super memorable intro riff and continuously builds with various tempos, deep lyrical themes, and magnificent solos. "Zero Tolerance" continues the trend with its own character and a truly glorious guitar solo, and "Empty Words" may be one of their best tunes ever and truly relentless and epic in delivery. "Crystal Mountain" is almost euphoric, blending soft played parts with riff heaviness and a dramatic solo section with perfection, and "Perennial Quest" ends the album on a high note, taking us on a musical "quest" in the process. The pinnacle of Death and maybe death metal, Symbolic brings perfect production, first-class musicians (Gene Hoglan especially), deep themes and lyrics, and Schuldiner's incredible vision to a not-so-symbolic milestone for heavy metal in general. Without a doubt one of the greatest records ever made.Demolition Hammer Epidemic of ViolenceDemolition brought down the Hammer with their aggressive yet melodic debut, and they up the ante for an even more venomous album in Epidemic of Violence. "Skull Fracturing Nightmare" is an even more impressive opener than their previous effort's ".44 Caliber Brain Surgery;" the drums have a far more impactful yet clear sound, the song's 260bpm pace makes for vicious riffs and vocals, and the more organic separation of the instruments in the production values makes for a more fulfilling attack overall. They even slow down for devastating grooves such as the one found on "Carnivorous Obsession," and they continue to impress with their ability to craft melodic yet technical soloing to contrast the rather downtuned, bottom-heavy pummeling of everything else. "Aborticide" may be among the best thrash/death closers ever, a [barely] five minute roller coaster of hypnotic tempo changes, demonic vocals, wild guitar work, and the machine gun tour de force drumming of Vinny Daze, and it's pure class from start to finish. This violent epidemic of cut-rate thrash is an orgy of destruction and a metalhead's wet dream.Dismember Like an Ever Flowing StreamEmperor In the Nightside EclipseExodus Another Lesson in ViolenceExodus Bonded by BloodExodus have an impressive catalog to boot compared to their brethren, but Bonded By Blood is where their bloody reign began. Opening title track lays down magnificent riffs and memorable lyrics delivered in a harsh manner (courtesy of the banshee screamer Paul Baloff), and its hook will reel you right in. The album gets even better from there with the following "Exodus" featuring a more sophisticated song structure and savage lyrics about violence and murder for fucksake, "And Then There Were None" is an album highlight that builds up appropriately with its apocalyptic themes and tone, and "A Lesson in Violence" set their blueprint for fast, violent riff fests that is brilliantly quotable and accessible. "Metal Command" is a fun ode to NWOBHM, "Piranha" is a technical, frantic display of vicious riffs and tempo changes and the best song about killer fish ever recorded, "No Love" is atmospheric and sinister with a badass solo section, "Deliver us To Evil" is the seven minute magnum opus crammed with tempo changes and a devilish vibe, and "Strike of The Beast" is an epic closer and the album's most chaotic tune. The gritty production values, street themes and 'feel,' and manic vocal performance display the dark side of Exodus that has never been duplicated by the group since. Uplifted by top-tier guitarwork, excellent songwriting, and chaotic performances, Bonded By Blood is the band's crowning achievement, the best thrash metal debut album, and one of the most influential, definitive metal albums of all time.Gorguts ObscuraThere's the norm, there's the different and unique, and then there's Gorguts' Obscura. A drastic shift from their standard death metal affair in Considered Dead and the techical death metal direction of The Erosion of Sanity, Obscura practically invents avant-garde death metal. Opener title track is a toss up of pop squealing guitar riffs, schizophrenic solos, tortured vocals, and chaotic blast beats, and despite these many strange factors, it's a brilliant track, but it does not set up the album as a whole. "Clouded" is a nine minute masterpiece in exercising doom metal and a menacing atmosphere, and from a lyrical standpoint, the song is very dark. "Sweet Silence" opens up with an impressive, dense bassline and is then accompanied by stop-and-go riffs and blast beats gallore. "Faceless Ones" may be a primary example of the weird sounds the guitars make on this album, and "Earthly Love" reminds me of Covenant-era Morbid Angel with its drum-driven rhythms and tempo, but it's also crammed with very eerie accoustic passages and sounds. No one song is the same, and the album is blooming with variety and further complimented by a beautiful production job (everything sounds dense and heavy as fuck yet full of clarity). The technicality and complexity displayed here is truly alien even in death metal, and while it may be difficult to swallow at first, but what lies underneath is one of the most compelling musical experiences ever recorded.Immolation Close to a World BelowJudas Priest Sad Wings of DestinyThe first [but thankfully not last] masterpiece by the band, Sad Wings is one of their few albums to effectively create atmosphere. It carries a fairly dark tone, especially lyrically, and it's their first true nose dive into heavy metal without sounding like a Depp Purple clone. "Victim of Changes" is a landmark in early heavy metal with its iconic riffs, memorable shrieks and vocal lines, and a moody midsection. Rob Halford has room to display his theatrics as a frontman, and he makes himself out to be a quintessential icon in the genre, spawning many imitators and clones. "The Ripper," "Island of Domination," "Deceiver," and the monstrous "Tyrant" are jam packed with metallic riffs while "Prelude," "Etipath," and "Dreamer" effective set the mood. The result is an utter masterpiece and one of the genre's greatest masterworks.Judas Priest Stained ClassJP hit their peak on Stained Class, and they cut lose of all their 60's hard rock influences and instead pushed the envelope for heavy metal as a definitive genre. "Exciter" is an early and excellent look at the emerging speed metal and thrash metal genres and displays the talents of jazzy drummer Les Binks. It also features some of their darkest material and best lyrics to date, and Rob Halford's vocals are in top form with his best shrieks (check "Savage" and "Beyond The Realms of Death"). "White Heat Red Hot" and "Savage" feature underlying grooves to anchor their dense riffs, "Better by You Better Than me" is an impressive cover that outshines the original in every aspect, the title track is a riff monster with a progressive song structure, "Saints in Hells" is atmospheric not unlike Black Sabbath, "Beyond The Realms of Death" is perhaps their best song and a powerful half-ballad that would be the blueprint for heavy metal ballads, and "Heroes End" closes the album on a morbid note but encompasses excellent riffs and song structure. Stained Class is a historically significant masterpiece that is their best album, belongs in the top five heavy metal albums of all time, and may be one of the best guitar albums ever created. Judas Priest PainkillerJudas Priest embrace the subgenres they influenced (speed metal and thrash metal), and Painkiller is born. Opening title track is a whirlwind of badass riffs, Rob Halford's most skin grazing vocal performance to date, incredible branch-off solos, and tasty double bass drumming from Scott Travis (especially the opening and closing drum solos), the t/t introduces us to the heavy metal we've always wanted to hear from Judas Priest, and the album never lets up. "Hell Patrol" and "All Guns Blazing" are vocally driven riff fests, and "Leather Rebel" is one of the band's best ventures into thrash metal territory with stellar drumming and riffs. "Metal Meltdown" could fit snugly on any frantic thrash metal record with its vicious riffs, technical solos, and non-stop double bass rolls. "Nightcrawler" is a moody number with a creepy midsection, "Between The Hammer And The Anvil" is effective with its buildups, and "A Touch of Evil" is a career highlight with tasteful atmosphere and a beautiful guitar solo. "One Shot of Glory" is the best JP closer ever and is one of their greatest songs of all time with its frantic pace, super catchy yet metallic riffs, and commanding vocals. Stuffed with career highlights, healthy doses of thrash metal/speed metal, and a highlight vocal performance, Painkiller is the band's most metallic album to date, their third and [unfortunately] final magnum opus, and is a primary influence on 90's metal. Just as good as Sad Wings and Stained Class, Painkiller is a true heavy metal classic.King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson KingKing Crimson RedKreator Pleasure to KillAh...the year of 1986, home to the first peak in the thrash metal movement. Master of Puppets and Reign In Blood often take all the credit, but look no further than Kreator (during this time) and their greatest testament to all things extreme: Pleasure To Kill. Their debut was promising, but they truly step things up this time, the result is a milestone in the development of death metal and more extreme territory in thrash. The chaos prominent here is out of control yet tightly focused, and the production allows you to hear every frantic whack at the snare drum and every grazing note of the guitar work, and the music is shockingly memorable given its supersonic speed (often hitting 260bpm which was unheard of back then). A pillar of thrash metal/death metal, rarely has chaos and melody intertwined as expertly as PTK, and rarely has it ever been seen since.Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IVMegadeth Rust in PeaceThe crowning jewel for technical thrash metal, Rust In Peace blurs the line between accessible and technical thrash, and the result is a truly stellar album that stands on the same pedestal with the genre's very greatest works. Whether or not it's the very best thrash record is up for debate to this day, but there's no denying the amibiton, blood, sweat, and tears put into this release. "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" is a highly accomplished song and deserves all the praise it gets for its atmospheric midsection, frantic pace, technical riffing, and powerful soloing and drumming while "Hangar 18" is a noteworthy guitar solo battle that builds and builds. "Poison Was the Cure" may be too short to feel as well developed as everything else, but it's still a nifty tune and emphasizes the fact that there's no filler to be found here (no, "Dawn patrol" isn't filler either so fuck you). "Lucretia" and "Tornado of Souls" show their sense of perfection for soloing and off-kilter riffing, "Five Magics" has unusual structuring and has effective build up, and "Rust In Peace...Polaris" steamrolls like a train of riffs and frantic drumming, but even more noteworthy of that notion is "Take No Prisoners." It never follows the same tempo or structure, and every single transition is delivered to onslaught like perfection. Debatable as the best thrash record for sure, but it defines the genre unlike anything else.Meshuggah Destroy Erase ImproveMetal Church Blessing in DisguiseThe mighty David Wayne left, but then Metal Church received a net gain in the form of Mike Howe. Perhaps among the best metal vocalists out there, his vocals are commanding and powerful and are the highlight of any album he's on, especially this one. Arguably my favorite MC album, Blessing In Disguise is home to band classics "Badlands," "Fake Healer," and "Anthem of The Estranged" and is filled with impressive variety. "Of Unsound Mind," "It's a Secret," and "Cannot Tell You a Lie" bash you with a merciless onslaught of riffs while "Rest In Pieces" and "the Spell Can't Be Broken" effectively build atmosphere and tension, and "The Powers That Be" closes the album on an enlightening mood. Undoubtedly a genre classic.Metal Church Metal ChurchFrom the very beginning, Metal Church walk a tightrope in which they stumble into different styles of metal without ever losing their footing (well, a couple times throughout their extensive history) and bearing no true definition to their sound. Heaps of thrash, a stack of power metal, healthy doses of traditional metal and hard rock grooves, and everything in between, all of which tastefully incorporated into their sound. While their eponymous debut shares more in common with thrash and NWOBHM than most of their material afterward, they round out their diverse formula into a classic thrash record with the menacing build up of "Beyond The Black" to the frantic riffing of "Battalions." The title track features one of their most distinctive riffs ever while the likes of "Hitman" and "(My Favorite) Nightmare" have a fun, sarcastic vibe to their hooks and pacing. Metal Church's first masterpiece luckily isn't their only one as this proved to be an early pinnacle to an ambitious, musically accomplished career.Metallica Ride the LightningJust when you thought Kill Em' All was outstanding, then comes Ride The Lightning. They slow down the tempos a bit, but they up the ante with an utter masterpiece in metal as a whole. "fade To Black" is the first thrash metal ballad and to this day the best one, emotional yet an instrumental onslaught with larger than life riffs and a flawless solo. "Creeping Death" and the title track have some of the greatest, most memorable riffs in all of metal, underrated songs "Trapped Under Ice" and "Escape" stand tall above most music regardless, "Fight Fire With Fire" is a double bass shredfest, and "The Call of Ktulu" is a gorgeous instrumental that closes the album on a high note. "For the Whom the Bell Tolls" may be the best song they ever wrote as it builds on a slow, groovy tempo with a morbid vibe, bell chimes, dense riffs, unforgettable bass work, and is perhaps their greatest [and a rare] testament to perfectly crafted thrash metal without having to rely on fast tempos or riffs to get its point across. Ride the Lightning was the revolutionary milestone of turning thrash into a fine art in music and while perhaps not the very greatest work, it is the most important album in the genre.Morbid Angel Altars of MadnessDeath may be the godfathers of Death Metal, but Morbid Angel took the genre down a much more sinister path. Vocalist David Vincent has a deeper growl than Chuck Schuldiner (Death), and the blast beats are prominent here (Courtesy of drummer Peter Sandoval who learned double bass with little formal lessons in a relatively short amount of time), both of which setting new standards for the genre. The distorted guitarwork, screeching solos, and occult themes create a dark vibe throughout the album, not just setting standards for Death Metal but also for Grindcore and modern day extreme metal. Gloomy, chaotic, and a genre definer, Altars of Madness may be the most extreme record ever put out prior to the dawn of the 90's, and countless bands are still following in its footsteps if not equaling its bone-chilling innovation.Morbid Saint Spectrum of DeathA monumental achievement in the realm of thrash AND death metal, Spectrum of Death was one of the earliest albums to blur the line between said respective genres, and unlike some of the more calculated efforts of both genres, the riffs, tempos, and breakdowns are organic and have a terrific flow and variety. This is backed up by dirty yet gritty, bottom-heavy production, outstanding, evil vocals and terrific guitar work (every song has memorable riffs and solos). "Assasin" is the true highlight here, constantly changing tempo and leaving behind some really terrific solos, riffs, and appropriately violent lyrics. One of the genre's greatest hidden gems by any stretch.Neurosis Through Silver in BloodOnslaught The ForceOpeth Blackwater ParkPink Floyd The Dark Side of the MoonPink Floyd Wish You Were HereOn a personal level, Wish You Were Here is perhaps the most relatable and emotionally involving record Pink Floyd ever made. "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" never fails to ease my nerves and guide me to my happy place. It's a whimsical experience uplifted by it's quiet build-up, choir-like chorus, and out-of-this-world guitarwork courtesy of Dave Gilmour. "Welcome to The Machine" is lyrically heavy and morbid, driven by eerie synthesizers and troubled vocals. It's a rare beast even for Pink Floyd. "Have a Cigar" is a rocky number with a biting sarcasm regarding the music industry and its underlying hypocrisy utilizing tasteful synthesizers to drive its groovy guitarwork. The title track is a simple yet beautiful ballad in ode to long lost member Syd Barrett, and the second half of "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" closes the album on a magical note, leaving behind heavy emotions. Dark, emotional, and atmospheric, Wish You Were Here is a beautifully crafted masterpiece and stands as my favorite album of all time.Pink Floyd AnimalsA drastic shift from the melancholy of Wish You Were Here, Animals is a harsh exhibition of political slandering, and it's perhaps Pink Floyd's darkest work. "Pigs on The Wing" parts one and two opens and close the album respectively with a deceptively calm acoustic outfit. "Dogs" is a masterpiece for the band, painting nasty, greed-infused pictures of the 'dogs' (businessmen) and dog-whistle politics of the upper class. "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" is a sarcastic, cynical look at the 'pigs' of the upper class: the gluttonous proletariat. "Sheep" is an optimistic look at blue-collared citizens with atmospheric and powerful lyrics. Although this album alienates the average musicgoer with its adventurous but off-kilter style, those who look for deep, meaningful music with ageless messages and blanketing atmosphere will be wholly satisfied with Pink Floyd's most powerful, dark political statement of an album and one of the best records of all time.Queensryche Operation: MindcrimeThis may be the closest to an epic journey ever ventured in the heavy metal genre, and it's a captivating, engrossing exhibition into the journey of a man revolting against our politically corrupt society only to be a puppet, lose everything, and be confound to a mental hospital. It's a grim tale expertly told through the band's powerful knack for songwriting and atmosphere. Geoff Tate delivers a powerfully melodic, passionate performance throughout with such versatility it would make Bruce Dickinson proud. The drumming and basswork are great and hold the bottom end well, but the guitarwork stands out even more with it's catchy, effective riffing and spiraling guitar solos. The album is best experienced as a whole for how enticing the story is, but several songs can be picked out for individual listening such as "Speak" with its standout chorus, the title track for its grooviness and sinister vibe, and "Suite Sister Mary" for its choir passages and grim lyrics. Defining progressive rock for years to come, Operation: Mindcrime is a cornerstone of all things metal and may be the most captivating concept record out there. Realm Endless WarDuring the 80's, the band most ahead of the game were the least known. Realm suffered such a fate in the thrash genre, and they truly were in a league of their own. Endless War rips the album open with the riff-heavy title track which doesn't just riff hard but with pure class and technical precision. The wailing vocals and prominent rhythm section make for an appropriately spiraling introduction to the album, and it never lets up. "The Root of Evil" is a dramatic, progressive tune and a highlight, and "This House is Burning" is the fastest tune here while the Beatles cover of "Eleanor Rigby" may be one of the best song covers ever recorded, transforming the song while sounding familiar at the same time. The production is great for an 80's album, the rhythm section is impressive and audible, and the vocals are powerful yet melodic and chaotic, but the real highlight goes to the guitarwork and songwriting. a proto-tech thrash masterpiece and a criminally overlooked gem of the genre.Realm SuicietyEndless War is a battle of technical riffing and progressive songcraft, and Suiciety saw the band already ahead-of-their-time band upping the technicality to almost death metal like song structures and time signatures/tempo changes without being death metal. The immaculate production values full of sounds, added textures, immense sounding drums, and prominent bass help emphasize the excellent music displayed here. "Cain Rose Up" and "Fragile Earth" suck you right in with their layered vocal tracks, added sound effects, and technical, precise playing and are highly addicting tracks. "Energetic Discontent" takes the progressive nature of this album with the more straightforward, riff heavy tendencies of Endless War for a unique yet accessible treat and gang shouts added for great measure. "Final Solution" continues the accessibility of both albums for a faster-paced tune with powerful vocals, and the album highlight "The Brainchild" returns back to their mostly proggy exhbitions starting with calm acoustic then transitioning to explosice riffs and zig zag song structures. Album closing t/t may be the best song here, truly molding a mesmerizing progressive thrash song with its dramatic lyrics and pace. As good as Endless War is, I like Suiciety a little better due to being a huge step forward for the group (at the time) prior to their unfortunate demise. It's a shame because they produced two game changing masterpieces.Slayer Reign in BloodAh 1986...thrash metal's first pinnacle year and a truly unforgettable one at that. Master of Puppets brought the genre to a worldwide audience, Peace Sells is just as good if not a bit better, Pleasure to Kill and Darkness Descends pushed the envelope on speed and aggression, and then there's Reign in Blood. The controversial artwork alone will give goosebumps to the unexpected listener, and the opener "Angel of Death" rips into the most vicious riffing on the album and is a notorious double bass ripper depicting the nazi experimentation of Auschwitz. Truly frightening back then, and the feeling still lingers to this day. The rest of the album up to the dynamic and iconic "Raining Blood" is the world's most consistent album-length song yet full of intricate riffs and tempo changes uplifted by awesome production and passionate delivery. Reign In Blood and its influence on all things extreme and evil remains unprecedented to this day and is one of the genre's greatest pinnacle works.Solitude Aeturnus Beyond the Crimson HorizonSuffocation Effigy of the ForgottenSuffocation Pierced from WithinThe Who Quadrophenia4.5 superbAccept Restless and WildAcid Bath When the Kite String PopsAcid Bath Paegan Terrorism TacticsAerosmith RocksRocks shows the band going into some of their darkest and most grower-like material to date, but it's an outstanding album for that reason. The riffs have a sharper edge than ever, often diving into heavy metal territory, and the lyrical content is more diverse this time around. "Lick And a Promise" and "Rats in The Cellar" are packed with driving riffs and showcase Tyler's raspy vocal delivery. "Back in The Saddle" and "Last Child" open the record with thicker grooves and a surprising punch compared to their preceeding material, and "Last Child" in particular is an outstanding tune with its unusual studio mixing, pounding bass, shrieking vocals, and slicing riff. "Nobody's Fault" is a the best tune here and a true career highlight. Shrouded in atmosphere, intense vocals, disturbing lyrics concerning earthquakes, pounding drums, and the heaviest riffs and basslines of their career, the song is notable for being an influence on heavy metal. "Home Tonight" is an effective ballad and closer for the album. Toys in The Attic may be their creative peak, but Rocks is their most jamming release to date, is every bit as good as its predecessor, and showed an edgier side of the group that I wish there was more of.Agalloch The MantleAgalloch Ashes Against the GrainAlice in Chains DirtAlice in Chains Jar of FliesAlice in Chains The Essential Alice in ChainsAlice in Chains Jar of Flies/SapAnacrusis Manic ImpressionsAnacrusis Screams and WhispersAngelcorpse Hammer of GodsHammen of The Gods m/r Annihilator Alice in HellThe Canadians, from an accessible and commercial point of view, led the pack of the technical thrash metal wave, and one of the gems of the era was The Jeff Waters Band debut. Opener "Crystal Ann" is a soothing acoustic track that deceitfully opens into the spiraling title track which is rampant with tempo changes, buzzsaw guitar riffs, and a menacing atmosphere of the titular character's fears and insanity taking its toll. The grim, riff-driven aura continues on in the form of technically accomplished hard hitters "Burns Like a Buzzsaw Blade," "Wicked Mystic," and the ferocious closer "Human Insecticide" and through tunes with calmer sections like "Schizos (Are Never Alone)" and "Word Salad." Waters interest in writing about schizophrenia and the human mind may not have been fully realized through memorable yet unimpressive lyrics, the the topic matters are anchored by the flawless instrumentation and song structures. Having already perfected their formula, Annihilator created both a career highlight and a genre highlight in Alice in Hell. A genre classic.Annihilator Never, NeverlandAlice in Hell is one hell of an album of its own, but Annihilator up the ante on their magnum opus Never Neverland. Without trimming their sheer knack for technical instrumentation, the band incorporates more melody through the powerful vocal performance, soloing, and harmonic passages while diving into lyrical topics ranging from schizophrenia to macaroni and cheese to global warming/toxic fumes, and the production is even more spot-on than ever. Opener "The Fun Palace" has one of the genre's best opening guitar passages as it escalates in melody and pitch with their then-signature guitar tone (distorted yet punchy). "Kraf Dinner" is a silly track with serious riffing and song structure, the title track has a storytelling style with its tempo changes and lyrics, and tracks "Phantasmagoria" and closer "I am in Command" challenge their previous riff fests from Alice in Hell but being pumped with extra adrenaline for good measure. Nearly flawless from a technical and musical point of view with excellent production, Never Neverland is a near flawless masterpiece of the genre that defied genre conventions and set new ones of which they sadly never achieved after this one...Anthrax Spreading the DiseaseAnthrax's sophomore effort may be missing the charismatic Neil Turbin, but Joey Belladonna makes his own statement to standout, and the result is the band's first truly excellent album. The better production values make audible of the refined guitar work, and drummer Charlie Benante makes his first big impression on why he was one of the genre's early highlights, throwing in bombastic bass drum beats and fills when necessary. Newcomer bassist Frank Bello has audible, memorable bass fills and tones, and everyone overall puts their best foot forward. the result is a compilation of excellent songs. A genre classicAnthrax Among the LivingMy favorite Anthrax album is usually determined by my mood or particular craving, but Among The Living is undoubtedly their defining moment. If the opening doomy title track doesn't get you hooked, their anthem "Caught In A Mosh" surely will. They walk a tightrope between dark lyrics and comical themes without ever over-indulging in either side. The often copied guitar tone (backed up by thick bass lines) deserves recognition, carrying more bottom-heaviness than many of their contemporaries. Joey is more commanding and aggressive this time around, and Charlie Benante really cuts lose on his drums here. The songs are fun, catchy, sometimes dark, well developed, and the album definitely kicks ass. Best AnthraxAnthrax Persistence of TimeAnthrax changes things up a bit, fulling embracing the dark themes that were once just hinted on previous outtings, and they slow down the music often in favor of grim chugfests. The result is actually better than you think. "Gridlock" and "Discharge" are speedy riffests that can be favorably compared to their ATL material while the title trackfinds a sweetspot in midtempo and thrashy riffing. "Keep It In The Family" and "Blood" are the prime suspects in overstretched material (which is perhaps the biggest flaw here), but their riffs and lyrics are excellent. They would release dark material after this album, but this is the most consistent among them, and it has enough in common with their older material to make for a comfortable transition and a career highlight.Ariana Grande Dangerous WomanWith glamorous production, addictive tunes, and Ariana's signature vocal flare, Dangerous Woman finally allows Ariana to stand above her peers who sound rather forced and calculated in comparison (Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, etc.). The first half is the superior half as the pretty "Moonlight" and sassy title track are a two-punch knockout that make Grande's statement apparent: sexualized lyrics with an underbelly of female empowerment. As the album progresses with synth driven club tunes like "Into You," "Greedy," and "Be Alright," she makes her statement convincing and truly dives into the role she has assigned herself. "Everyday" and "Let Me Love You" are disappointing by comparison as they lack the finesse of the other tunes here, but the album closes on a good note with "Thinking of You," and if you get the Target Exclusive version, it has excellent bonus tunes like "Focus" and especially "Step on Up." A luscious, deeply satisfying pop record.Ariana Grande The BestAriana Grande Thank U, NextThank You Ari...Next! Artillery By InheritanceAspid ExtravasationLying deep within the pool of thrash metal masterpieces is Aspid's Extravasation with two versions: the original 48 minute version with a slower tempo but more organic pitch and production and the 43 remaster with increased tempo and higher pitch. Both are nice depending on the mood, but the original version wins for sure. The album itself is a masterful display of technical yet sophisticated, memorable riffs, flawless guitar solos, and a great knack for song structure. "The State of Coma" is a technical thrash masterpiece stuffed like a turkey with tempo changes and memorable breaks. You can't understand the lyrics, which are mostly Russian, but the vocals are raspy in great taste and compliment the aggressive music. In the vein of Onslaught, the songs themselves are long, but these guys are far more technical and progressive in approach, and the result is an exciting late genre masterpiece and an overlooked classic.At the Gates Slaughter of the SoulAtheist Piece of TimeAtheist Unquestionable PresenceAutopsy Mental FuneralAutopsy Severed SurvivalBathory Under the Sign of the Black MarkBathory HammerheartBeastie Boys Licensed to IllBehemoth DemigodBernard Herrmann PsychoBlack Sabbath Black SabbathHeavy metal's first true album is a tough act to follow, having already brought genre classics and guitar wizardry in appropriately breathtaking fashion. The title track's doomy vibe must've been frightening back in 1970, and it's still effective with bringing goosebumps and shivers down your spine. The rest of the album delivers, with songs like "The Wizard" and "N.I.B" going down in history as definitive jewels of the genre. Frontman Ozzy Osbourne did not yet perfect his singing, but he doesn't detract much from what is an early classic of heavy metal.Black Sabbath Sabbath Bloody SabbathOzzy raises the pitch of his voice, Tony reawakens his inspiration from 18th century castles and dungeons, the band adds progressive rock into the mix, and what do you get? Sabbath's next gamechanging album. The t/t with its savage riffs and memorable vocal lines is a stone cold classic backed up by the band's reestablished doomy vibes from Master of Reality, and the likes of "Sabbra Cadabra," "Looking For Today," and "Spiral Architect" pave the way for their last great album with Ozzy as frontman with their familiar feel yet different elements from the band's trademark sound. Ambitious, adventurous, and exciting, SBS is a bloody great album and an early heavy metal masterpiece.Black Sabbath Heaven and HellTwo stinkers for albums and no Ozzy Osbourne, was Black Sabbath doomed? Enter Ronnie James Dio. Fantastical lyrical themes and a commanding, melodic voice seemed unfit for the band, but Heaven And Hell is a triumph for the band and introduced us to another admirable side of Black Sabbath. "Neon Nights" set the course of the album with its driving riffs and captivating vocals and melodies (for the first time in their career, the vocals drive the song instead of follow along). It also shows us Tony's newfound admiration for lead solos, especially the ones found of the title track and "Lonely is The Word." Every song is terrific, but the title track is the best tune here. Baring no resemblance to earlier Sabbath works, the bassline, buildup, atmospheric guitarwork, and Ronny's powerful vocals are a magical experience to behold, maybe even their best song ever. Emotional, powerful in delivery, and energetic, Heaven And Hell is the band's best album without Ozzy, the best album featuring Ronnie James Dio (yes Holy Diver included), one of the best metal albums of all time, and an all out masterpiece for Black Sabbath.Blood Incantation StarspawnBloodbath Nightmares Made FleshBolt Thrower Those Once LoyalBoston BostonBotch We Are the RomansBrutality Screams of AnguishBurzum Hvis Lyset Tar OssBurzum FilosofemCarcass Necroticism: Descanting the InsalubriousCarcass HeartworkCeltic Frost To Mega TherionHellhammer's apocalyptic vision comes to full form on Celtic Frost's legendary debut. The first track "Innocence and Wrath" brings you in immediately to the dreadful, frightening atmosphere you are about to embrace, and the rest follows through to pound you in with its satanic themes, intense musical performances, and perpetual sense of dread and evil. This is the blueprint for all sinister, extreme metal to look back on. A metal classic for all ages.Celtic Frost Morbid TalesCeltic Frost Morbid Tales/Emperor's ReturnChildren of Bodom HatebreederChildren of Bodom Follow the ReaperCoheed and Cambria From Fear Through the Eyes of MadnessConverge Jane DoeConvulse World Without GodCoroner No More ColorCoroner have set out to create the most technical thrash records in the genre, and they reach their first pinnacle with the 10,000 riffed No More Colour. "Die By My Hand" may be their best opener and among the greatest metal openers ever created with its shredfest breaks and verses, unstoppable solos, and an off-kilter time signature that almost feels "off," like a thrilling roller coaster ride with twists and turns. "No Need To Be Human" is a train ride that never stops moving with a progressive feel despite the short run time. "Read My Scars" may be the most vicious song on the album with riffs that pierce the skin with a venomous edge and a sinister vibe. "D.O.A." has unusually high pitched riffing which makes it all the more interesting., and then there's "Last Entertainment," the album's progressive number that paves the way for their second classic Mental Cortex. That album would explore further into the progressive side of thrash and even some avante garde, but this is Coroner's finest display of riff-driven songs that would make Black Sabbath proud and make Megadeth jealous. A crowning jewel for metal, and it achieves all of this in under 34 minutes.Coroner Punishment for DecadenceImproved production, further technicality in their riffcraft, and an overall increase in aggression makes Punishment For Decadence a big step forward for the band, and it shows right from the first track "Absorbed" which changes tempo almost suddenly at times and is an onslaught for vicious riffs and solos. "Masked Jackal" is just as impressive with its buildup riffs and intense atmosphere. The "Purple Haze" cover is well done as well featuring an old school heavy metal vibe. The band's first masterpiece, but it only gets better from here.Cynic FocusCynic Traced in AirCypress Hill Black SundayDarkthrone A Blaze in the Northern SkyDarkthrone Under a Funeral MoonDarkthrone Transilvanian HungerDeath LeprosyJust a year before Morbid Angel's Altar of Madness, Death's Leprosy took a considerably large step towards solidifying death metal as a genuine genre and thrash metal's successor. opener title track is especially doomy and is an early example of death metal turning to darker territory, and "Pull The Plug" is dynamic in its tempo changes and shift in velocity, providing an early blueprint for the thristy for technicality in the genre. "Primitive Ways" and "Choke On It" close the end on a blackly humorous yet morbid note, resulting in Deaths best pre-Human albums.Death HumanDeath The Sound of PerseveranceDeath Angel The Ultra-ViolenceThis is one of the genre's greatest exercises on the importance on bigger-than-life riffs, and it's nearly flawless in that department. That's not to say it's a one-trick pony; it's got terrific production (loud, bombastic but not too filthy), great drumming and basswork, and a unique vocal performance, and it also displays their early tendencies of adding surprising elements to their tunes compared to their brethren. Still the band's greatest accomplishment.Death Angel Act IIIDeathrow Deception IgnoredDeathspell Omega ParacletusDeathspell Omega Fas - Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem AeternumDeep Purple Machine HeadDeep Purple Deep Purple In RockDemigod Slumber of Sullen EyesDemilich NespitheDemolition Hammer Necrology: A Complete AnthologyDepressive Age First DepressionDepressive Age Lying in WaitDestruction Eternal DevastationDestruction show how they are set on a destructive course with their impressive follow-up to their black metal tinged debut, removing all but the thrash and upping the ante in the latter. The production values this time around, while thin, are cleaner, and the guitar tone is even more razor sharp than before. Their vocalist/bassist Marcel Shirmer ups his game this time around, adding more shrieks and grit into his unique vocal delivery, and the riffs and solos have a more melodic but still technical, fierce delivery. Less raw but even better than their debut, Eternal Devestation is among the greatest gems of 1986 and of the genre as a whole.Destruction Release from AgonyHow can you make Destruction's winning formula even better than it already is? Add lively production values, a second guitarist, and a more technical direction in the songwriting. Anyone can choose between their first three records as their favorite, but they undoubtedly are at their creative peak here. The wonderful production job creates a thicker sound thanks to the highly audible bass and having a second guitarist, and the songs are as good as ever ("Sign of Fear," "Survive To Die," and the title track come to mind). Release From Agony is further proof on why they were one of the greatest thrash acts of the 80's.Devastation IdolatryDevastation had a bumpy start, but they eventually unfolded as a devastating force to be reckoned with their magnum opus Idolatry. Album opener "Deliver The Suffering" opens with an atmospheric sounding passage with an eerie piano line and creepy sound effects then explodes into a magnificent riff that fades into glorious tempo changes and kickass solos. They truly embrace death metal with their high speed thrash here, and the music follows a very progressive style. The result is an unrelenting force blanketed with VERY dense production, muddy yet thick as fuck, particularly the guitar tone and the drums. The vocals are much improved this time around, angry yet sinister in delivery, and the album presents 'real' dark themes compared to their earlier releases prominently found of "Souls of Sacrifice" with its dense riffing, eerie guitar solos, and dark vibe. The atmospheric touches and sounds here and there add to the constant sense of menace found here. Devastation took some hard lessons in the art of vile thrash with nice doses of death metal and prog. metal to keep things interesting, and you get one of the best prog. thrash and death thrash records ever recorded.Dio Holy DiverDisillusion Back to Times of SplendorDismember Indecent & ObsceneDissection The SomberlainDissection Storm of the Light's BaneDream Theater Images and WordsDream Theater AwakeDream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a MemoryEdge of Sanity Purgatory AfterglowEdge of Sanity CrimsonEminem The Marshall Mathers LPEmperor Anthems to the Welkin at DuskEnnio Morricone The ThingEnsiferum EnsiferumEntombed Left Hand PathEntombed ClandestineEntombed Wolverine BluesEquilibrium SagasExhorder Slaughter in the VaticanExhorder may not have had the greatest success in attaining a 'true' identity, but it's not really their fault. The style here is actually theirs, groovy thrash with some elements of death metal in the drumming and pummeling riffs, but Pantera ran off with the groovy thrash concept and even had their own vocalist which shamefully sounds too much like Kyle Thomas, the frontman here. Sure Pantera turned out to be pretty good, but Slaughter In The Vatican is far more brutal, gut-wrenching, 'anal' if you will, and overall more satisfying than pretty much anything Pantera put out before and after their Cowboys From Hell. The underlying grooves here are tasteful and add onto the downtuned guitar riffs which make up for the rather competent but unimpressive soloing. "Death In Vein," "Desecrator," and "Legions of Death" are choice cuts, and while this album is lacking in variety outside of its groove outfit, it's a very pleasing album for those who like their thrash more abrasive and groovy than usual.Exumer Possessed by FireFaith No More The Real ThingThis is where Faith no More became the juggernauts we know today. This truly is the real thing, and it's miles ahead of their previous works in refinement and ambition. "From Out of Nowhere" is riff driven with awesome keyboard work in the background. "Epic" was their shot at fame and is an 'epic' song that represents the album as a whole: weird but funky and metallic. "Falling To Pieces" ups the riffing a bit, and "Surprise! You're Dead!" is their take on funky thrash metal with fantastic riffs, a nasty edge that would define their works after this album, and a frantic pace, and it is a personal favorite of mine. "Zombie Eaters" and the title track is where the album gets even stranger yet captivating, and it continues all the way to their impressive cover on Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" and the lounge music "Edge of The World." Patton would become more versatile as a vocalist, and their music would get even stranger, but The Real Thing is a kickass collection of first-class instrumentation, cut-rate tunes, and welcomed if surprising experimentation that would prove very influential through the 90's.Faith No More Angel DustThere's the unusual, there's experimental, and then there's Angel Dust. The band truly cuts lose here, and Mike Patton fleshes out his role as an enthralling storyteller. "Land of Sunshine" features the well-produced and performed instrumentation that has now become their trademark, but it also spirals through different voices and conflicting lyrical passages, and Mike Patton flexes his vocal muscles even more than The Real Thing. "Caffeine" and "Smaller And Smaller" more vicious in delivery, and "Midlife Crisis" sounds like what their We Care a Lot days were trying to pull off but couldn't."RV" is sarcastic and deceptively soothing in delivery, and "Malpractice" is a disturbing slab of death metal with tortured vocals, gritty guitarwork, and an eerie vibe and is a rare achievement even for them, and the near avante garde of the album momentum never lets up. Angel Dust is the band's best album, their greatest artistic achievement, and is one of the most intriguing, complex records of all time.Fear Factory DemanufactureFlotsam and Jetsam Flotsam and JetsamCompared to other releases of 2016, Flotsam And Jetsam's self-titled effort feels like new life has been injected into the band yet feels so familiar at the same time. Much of the credit goes to their golden era guitarist Michael Gilbert who brings back the energy and F&J guitarwork that has been desperately lacking for so many years. Recruiting their No Place For Disgrace bassist Michael Spencer was a smart move too, returning to their more bottom-heavy bass sound in their music once again. Both Mike's presences are fully felt on tunes like the riff-driven "Time To Go" and especially "Monkey Wrench," both of which are late career highlights for the group. Recruiting Jason Bittner of Shadows Fall injected extra fuel to their well aged formula, and puts on an impressive show without stealing the limelight from everyone else. A.K's vocal have aged considerably, but he sounds great here and has a nice lower register. Groovy numbers "Taser" and especially "Smoking Gun" add tasteful variety to the mix, and the latter is also a late career highlight to much surprise given its lack of thrash. "Forbidden Territories" and "Seventh Seal" are the most old fashioned tunes here and masterfully display a long lost feat in their music: branch-off solos. F&J's s/t is perhaps the biggest surprise in metal for 2016, is already one of the band's best albums, and is a terrific display of everything they've done, learned, and perfected throughout the years.Flotsam and Jetsam No Place for DisgraceThe production values won't rub you the right way at first, but you'll eventually get used to them as they often help propel the masterful tunes here. Doomsday already perfected their riffcraft, but they've raise the bar here, and the result is monstrous songs such as "N.E. Terror," "Dreams of Death," and the title track. The atmospheric touches and more serious tone add a surprising sense of depth to the music too, and that shows on the biting "Hard on You." Among the best thrash records out there and the band's crowning achievement.Flotsam and Jetsam Doomsday for the DeceiverDoomsday For The Deceiver may not be the band's very greatest album, which followed right after this one, but this is their pinnacle to concise, vicious riffing and my god are these riffs good. "Hammerhead" leads into memorable basslines by Jason Newstead and then come the riffs and every other kickass component of the song. "Iron Tears" brings more riffs to the table, and they're even better than the first. "Desecrator" has the album's best riffs and most frantic tempo and is home to some of their greatest solos ever recorded. A true highlight for the group. After this infamous three-song riff trio and the short but excellent riff-y "Fade To Black," the music gets longer and more progressive in nature showing their knack for diverse songwriting. A.K's vocals are already in top form, the basswork is a genre highlight, the drumming is frantic, and of course, the spiraling guitarwork alone is enough to stack this album up with some of the best output in the genre. A true classic.Forbidden Forbidden EvilA cult classic of the genre, Forbidden Evil is a no gimmicks debut with cutting edge production and top notch musicianship. "Chalice of Blood" takes no time to open with a single wack at the snare drum and present a riff-heavy, double bass driven tune with impressive song structure, badass vocals, and wildly melodic guitar solos. "Off The Edge" continues this trend and shows more room for drumming Paul Bostaph to blend some of his groovy beats and frantic fills. In fact, some of his most impressive drumming was with Forbidden. "Through Eyes of Glass," their "t/t," and closer "Follow Me" pave the way towards their more technical follow up, but their eponymous debut is their best work and is a prime example of a thrash record encompassing progressive elements, technical musicianship, aggressive yet melodic vocals, spot on production values, an excellent batch of songs with no filler, and most of all, accessibility. You also can't deny how badass Russ Anderson sounds here and what a talented guitarist Glen Alvelais is.Forbidden Twisted into FormForbidden's debut is a stunning album and one of the best thrash debuts out there, and they up the ante with their more progressive bound Twisted Into Form. Lead guitarist Tim Calvert proves just as good as previous guitarist Glen Alvelais with a moodier style of playing. In fact, in addition to being more progressive in style, TIF is a darker album, and vocalist Russ Anderson further proves himself as the definitive vocalist of Forbidden. the production values, like its predecessor, are also a genre highlight, clear as day yet full of clarity and not without a sharp edge to it. Opener "Parting of The Ways" and "Infinite" opens with an eerie acoustic passage then explodes into an album highlight with adventurous progression and guitar wizardry. I like their debut a little better, but Twisted Into Form is an outstanding prog. thrash album and their creative peak.Genesis Archive #1 (1967-1975)Genesis The Lamb Lies Down on BroadwayGenesis Selling England by the PoundGenesis FoxtrotGojira From Mars to SiriusGojira The Way of All FleshGorguts The Erosion of SanityGorguts Colored SandsGZA Liquid SwordsHeathen Victims of DeceptionThe late 80's/early 90's saw the genre shift into more progressive and technical exhibitions, and a handful of bands led the pack. Heathen was one of those behemoths, and they perfected a brand of accessible tech/prog thrash metal in their magnum opus Victims of Deception. They venture into political themes not unlike most bands of the time, and while the subject matter isn't original, they handle it well with surprisingly thoughtful lyrics. "Hynotized" is not just a riff monster, but it also handles religious fraud with a realistic outlook (fools give money to the church/to earn their place with god/in our eyes it's contradiction/and religious fraud) and a biting message to choose your own path. "Opiate of The Masses" is a palm muters wet dream with its progressive bound, super memorable riffs and clever lyrics and one liners on tyranny and leaders. David White ups the aggression in his vocals and makes for a more powerful performance than on their debut, the production is gorgeous and heavy as balls, and the songwriting is flawless in execution and sound. While most songs reach past seven minutes, they do not give out and are constantly engaging. Victims of Deception will not deceive you as it is a pinnacle for the genre and a considerable influence on progressive/technical music that came after it. A true classic.Helstar A Distant ThunderHelstar NosferatuHoly Terror Mind WarsHorrendous IdolHorrendous AnaretaHoward Shore The Fellowship of the RingHoward Shore The Return of the KingHoward Shore The Two TowersImmolation Here in AfterImmortal Pure HolocaustImmortal At the Heart of WinterIn Flames The Jester RaceIncantation Onward to GolgothaIncantation Mortal Throne of NazareneIncantation Diabolical ConquestInfester To the Depths... In DegradationIntruder Live to DieI need to review this album asap. Outstanding album with powerful, melodic vocals, killer guitar work, and a tight rhythm section combined with impressive, thrashy production. Intruder A Higher Form of KillingNot as exciting or fistpumping as Live to Die, but it does up the thrash and brings great production and kickass tunes to the table. Great album for sure.Intruder Escape from PainJimmy Hamilton reminds me a lot of a fusion between Mike Howe from Metal Church and Klaus Meine from Scorpions: both melodic and powerful in vocal delivery. He's the best part of Intruder, and everybody else is top notch too, especially the guitar work. "Escape From Pain" is a masterpiece for the band, the cover is nice, and the re-records of three of the best songs from Live to Die are killer. A super enjoyable EP from a highly underrated band.Iron Maiden Iron MaidenIron Maiden's eponymous is the dawn of a band soon to take the metal world by storm with out of this world guitar harmonics, genre classics, and Bruce Dickinson being Bruce Dickinson, but there's no Bruce to be found here. Instead, we get Paul Dianno whose voice compliments the more punk side of the spectrum here. "Running Free," "Prowler," "Strange World," and "Phantom of The Opera" are cream of the crop, and the raw production values emphasize the grittiness of the music compared to succeeding records. Despite lacking resemblance to their Dickinson output, their debut is without a doubt on their best records and a side of Maiden I wish I could have more of at times.Iron Maiden The Number of the BeastThe dickheaded yet competent vocalist Paul Dianno was fired, and they recruited the best decision in their career: Bruce Dickinson. A true netgain for the group, his commanding, operatic vocal style is distinctive and definitive, spawning many copycats and imitators in the process. Opener "Invaders" sets the standard for most of their album openers to come and is still one of their best to date. The production and basslines are notably better than before, making for a denser brand of heavy metal in the process. They also venture into more atmospheric territory through numbers like "Children of The Damned" and the legendary "Hallowed be Thy Name" which is often cited as their most accomplished song ever recorded. The t/t is successful at being moody and riff-heavy at the same time, and "Run To The Hills" opens in an almost funky fashion before shifting to galloping riffs and catchy vocal hooks, especially the chorus. "Total Eclipse" should've been the true ending track of the record and is appropriately glorious through vivid imagery and progressive guitarwork. Whether this is their best album is debatable, but The Number of The Beast is their most influential and important album and defined a successful formula for decades to come.Iron Maiden PowerslavePerhaps the best album by the band and their biggest personal accomplishment, Powerslave is packed with their best material to date. "Aces High" has one hell of an intro, melodic and effectively escalates then shifts to one of their most memorable songs to date and probably their best album opener. "Minutes to Midnight" doesn't let up with a more groovy pace. "Flash of The Blade" is criminally underrated and has one of the best riffs they've ever penned and an effective singalong chorus. The title track is effectively moody and a career highlight, and "Rise of The Ancient Mariner" is one of the band's most ambitious recordings ever put out and an awesome album closer. There's slight inconsistency in the middle, but Powerslave is a genre highlight by any stretch.Iron Maiden Live After DeathJay-Z Reasonable DoubtJerry Goldsmith The OmenJerry Goldsmith AlienJohn Williams Schindler's ListJohn Williams Star Wars, Episode IV: A New HopeJohn Williams Close Encounters of the Third KindJohn Williams Raiders of the Lost ArkJohn Williams Jurassic ParkJohn Williams Jurassic Park: The Lost WorldJohn Williams Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes BackJohn Williams JawsJudas Priest Sin After SinBy Sin After Sin, JP strips most of their Deep Purple roots and aim for more metallic round. While not quite the masterpiece that Sad Wings is, the album is an excellent followup not lacking terrific songs. "Starbreaker" and "Sinner" are packed with heavy, melodic riffs and catchy choruses. "Raw Deal" is an overlooked gem about gay strip clubs, "Call For The Priest" is a speed metal fest, and the ballads are probably their only good ones to date, but the real highlight is closer "Dissident Aggressor." A late grammy winner, it was once deemed the heaviest song of all time and is home to riffs and frantic double bass rolls that make Iron Maiden proud...and a bit jealous. Sin After Sin lacks any actual filler and is one of their best albums to date.Kalmah SwamplordKalmah They Will ReturnKalmah SwampsongKing Diamond AbigailKreator Terrible CertaintyKreator's certainty isn't terrible by any stretch on their second masterpiece which sees the group tightening their formula with just enough of the sheer intensity of Pleasure To Kill to keep you on the edge of your seat. The vocals are improved, and the riffs are more technical-bound here.Kreator Extreme AggressionThe moment that opening title track riff rips through the speakers, you know you're in for something good. Arguably their best opener, it paves the way for one hell of a ride that never stumbles or falters. It's not as extremely aggressive as PTK, but 220bpm average is backed by thick, bottomheavy production, some of their best riffs, breakdowns and solos ever, and Mile's vocals which have never sounded better since. "Betrayer," "Love us or Hate us," the title track and just about anything else here is a standout and is arguably their best album and one of the genre's defining moments.Kreator Coma of SoulsKreator's last classic also finds the group sounding their most comfortable, polishing up the gritty formula established on Extreme Aggression without losing its hard hitting edge. The result is some of the catchiest thrash you'll ever hear. Kreator Flag of HateLed Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IILed Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IIILed Zeppelin Houses of the HolyLed Zeppelin Physical GraffitiLed Zeppelin Best Of, Vol. 1: Early DaysLiege Lord Master ControlLiving Sacrifice RebornMalevolent Creation RetributionMalevolent Creation The Ten CommandmentsMastodon RemissionMastodon LeviathanMastodon Blood MountainMegadeth Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!The latecomer of the big four, directly spawned by a vengeful motive from frontman Dave Mustaine, Megadeth show their knack for vicious yet flashy riffing early on with their raw, intense debut (probably the rawest of the big four). From a technical standpoint, they already established far greater strength than Metallica, but they haven't bested them in the songwriting department here. The sheer memorability and almost sing-along quality of Kill Em' All isn't quite here, but this album almost makes up for it with its far superior instrumental section. Once the instrumentation opens up "Loved To Deth," you know they are far more advanced from Metallica's simplistic approach. The result is an onslaught of utter devastation. Dense bass work, technical, heavy riffs, and highly impressive drumming and soloing. The title track is just as impressive with its tempo changes and memorable lyrics about an assassin. "The Skull Beneath The Skin" and the original, uncensored "These Boots" follow suit, and "Mechanix" closes off on a high note. The other songs in between are a bit hit-or-miss with some aspects, but they do the trick and aren't cringeworthy by any means. An excellent debut and beginning to one of the genre's most respected acts.Megadeth Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?Megadeth's first pinnacle may be their most vicious album to date. Hell, it's one of the most vicious albums you'll likely ever hear even considering the existence of more extreme metal. Sure, it's heavy as balls for thrash, but the black humor, sarcastic commentary isn't subtle by any stretch, an they pack a serious bite. "Wake Up Dead" and the title track are perhaps the most quoted tracks here, and it's not difficult to tell why with their raging riffs, drumming, and bass work (truly exceptional for thrash metal), but it doesn't stop there. "The Conjuring" and "Devil's Island" tackle morbid themes, and it shows through their sense of atmosphere, a rare feat for Megadeth even after this album. Stuffed with band classics and an ambitious take on dark themes, Peace Sells possibly Rust In Peace at times and is a true genre highlight.Megadeth So Far, So Good... So What!Also known as the threshold for "In My Darkest Hour" (one of the band's best and well known songs, The group's third outting is more than just that. So Far So Good wreaks of underrated material and is criminally overlooked at times. "Mary Jane" feels like a compilation of different songs into one with its shifting pace, and it's effective and memorable in delivery, "Hook In Mouth" has a bold "hook" if you will and some terrific riffs, they nailed the "Anarchy In The U.K." in a way only they could pull off, "Liar" is a darkly humorous track, and "Into The Lungs of Hell" is a well-played opening instrumental which paves way into the album's crowning achievement: "Set The World Afire." Cataclysmic, atmospheric, and all around powerfully performed, this song hits every right note with its powerful riffs, tempo changes, tense vibe, and flawless solos and is one of the greatest thrash songs ever written. The other material is quite enjoyable and helps make this record almost as good as the records it's sandwiched by. Sits around a 4 and a 4.5 for me easily.Megadeth Countdown to ExtinctionNot quite a stepdown from Rust In Peace and more like an appropriate transition from said album. They could never make another Rust In Peace (fuck Endgame for that idea), but they accepted the reality of it and just went for making a more accessible rocking album instead. However, they did the smart thing and not let go of all that defined them beforehand. The album is stuffed with charismatic riffs ("Phsychotron and "Symphony of Destruction"), better singing, convincing political commentary ("Captive Honour"), and memorable band classics. A transition without being a sellout and an excellent album by any stretch.Megadeth Greatest Hits: Back to the StartMekong Delta The Music of Erich ZannMekong Delta Dances of Death (and other Walking Shadows)Merciless The AwakeningMerciless didn't just blur the line between the line of thrash metal and death metal; they helped pave the way for death metal to take over and are credited as an influence on future black metal bands. The Awakening is their most vicious output to date, and even without blast beats, the music is played at ungodly speeds (usually floating around 300bpm and 320bpm). The guiat tone and riffs are venomous, and the vocals are truly vile in nature with a black metal style. A classic in both thrash and death metal, rarely has music sounded as vicious as this.Mercyful Fate MelissaMercyful Fate Don't Break the OathMeshuggah ChaosphereMeshuggah Catch ThirtythreeMeshuggah IMeshuggah NoneMetal Church Hanging in the BalanceThe lost sheep of MC's first six albums, Hanging In The Balance leans further away from their thrashier origins in favor of more variable material, and the result is an outstanding album with adventurous lyrical themes. "Down To The River," "Conductor," and "No Friend of Mine" are built on catchy riffs, memorable choruses, and not-so-metal accents like Spanish guitar and acoustics, and drummer Kirk Arrington lays down tastefully funky yet prominent beats. "Gods of a Second Chance" and "Hypnotized" are slower but effectively create atmosphere, and "End of The Age," "Waiting For a Savior," and "Lovers And Madmen" shows them trying new things...and succeeding. The album's highlight is "Little Boy" with its thrashy riffs, eerie midsection, thematic lyrics, and outstanding solos, and Mike Howe is in top form on this album, perhaps his best recorded vocal performance to date. Criminally overlooked, HITB may not be everyone's favorite MC album, but it's their most accomplished one.Metal Church The Human FactorOn The Human Factor, MC channel their inner hard rock groove with the thrash that defined their previous three masterpieces, mostly in the vein of its predecessor Blessing in Disguise, and Mike Howe makes bigger and more politically oriented songwriting contributions this time around. The result is a bit heavy-handed but still excellent. "Date With Poverty" and the title track succeed in their newfound knack for hard rockier tunes and are earworm material while "Flee From Reality" and "The Fight Song" are built from thrash riffs and big choruses. Perhaps the best of all is "In Mourning," the album's magnum opus and their greatest achievement with Mike Howe (maybe even their whole catalog). Blending their grooves with impressive riffs, vicious lyrics, and one of Mike Howe's best vocal performances, the song is a masterpiece and is enough to make this excellent album worth listening to. "Betrayed" and "Agent Green" are a bit trite, but there's something for everyone here and is another excellent offering by the reliable Metal Church.Metal Church The DarkThe guitarwork on their debut already blew most of their brethren out of the water, but they step it up even further on The Dark. Many of these tunes are riff-driven, perhaps the closest to pure thrash they've ever gotten while anchoring power metal and traditional metal in the mix. The commanding, unique vocals of David Wayne are even grittier here, letting off some off-kilter screams and impressive singing. "Ton of Bricks," "Start The Fire," the title track, and "Watch The Children Pray" are some of their best and well known songs and make for an instant classic and another masterpiece in their impressive discography.Metallica Master of PuppetsWhile not as good or as whimsical as Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets marks the first (and arguably biggest commercial/critical) peak for thrash metal as a whole, and what it lacks in innovation, it compensates for being well produced (this record sounds fucking huge), well played, and refined. "Disposable Heroes," "Leper Messiah," "Damage Inc.," and "Battery" are packed with catastrophic riffs, all backed up by Cliff's impressive and deep-sounding basswork, a rare feat for the genre. Jame's vocals are more commanding this time around as well, and many of these tunes have went down in thrash history as among the best works of the genre. MoP is a genre highlight and is the genre's biggest example of refinement to a well established formula.Metallica Kill 'Em AllThere's a reason why Metallica kickstarted thrash metal; Kill Em' All is Metallica in their thrashiest, dirtiest form, and the material wreaks of gritty riffs, standout basswork, and charismatic solos. "Jump In the Fire," "Hit The Lights," "Seek And Destroy," and "The Four Horsemen" among others are early genre classics that still convince to this day with the passion that pours out from their melodies. Uncompromising, full of character, and full of rockin' jams, Kill Em' All is one of the genre's very best records. Metallica Master of Puppets (Deluxe Box Set)Metallica ...And Justice for All (Deluxe Box Set)Metallica Kill 'Em All (Deluxe Box Set)Metallica Ride the Lightning (Deluxe Box Set)Michael Jackson ThrillerMobb Deep The InfamousMoonsorrow KivenkantajaMoonsorrow VerisäkeetMoonsorrow Viides luku - HävitettyMorbid Angel Blessed Are the SickFor better or worse, Morbid Angel never made the same album twice, showing the world how they were one of the true innovators of extreme metal as their style took music to unorthodox speeds and time signatures and broke through boundaries. Altars of Madness was a foreshadow for the demise of thrash metal, and Blessed Are The Sick shoehorned a gaping hole for more extreme metal to grow. That may be because it strips down its thrash roots in favor of downtuning, more prominent blast beats, grittier growls, and variation of time signatures. The bottomheavy production and further emphasis on "death" makes Blessed Are The Sick an early yet well aged representation of extreme metal that came after it, and it remains a stone cold classic to this day, holding onto the strengths of their classic debut while paving the way for more standards of the genre. This is where Death Metal truly became its own and overthrew the previous underground go-to genre Thrash Metal.Morbid Angel CovenantMorbid Angel once again reinvent the wheel, and with third album Covenant, they find a comfortable position on high speed riffs with dynamic time signatures and tempos. David's vocals are even deeper and more gut-wrenching before, the lyrical content is as apparent as the notable album cover, and this may be the greatest recorded showcase to Peter Sandoval's drumming chops ever recorded. His blast beats are not only more intelligently crafted, but they often drive the songs on their own, and the production makes his kit feel very powerful. Faster and darker than its predecessors, Covenant is a landmark for the genre and one of the best extreme metal albums ever made, kicking thrash metal square in the teeth and hitting the final nail in the coffin for said genre.Morbid Saint ThrashaholicMr. Bungle CaliforniaMy Dying Bride Turn Loose the SwansNas IllmaticNecrophagist EpitaphNecrophagist Onset of PutrefactionNecrophobic The Nocturnal SilenceNeurosis Souls at ZeroNeurosis The Eye of Every StormObituary Cause of DeathObliteration Black Death HorizonObliveon From This Day ForwardProgressive thrash with a hint of death(y) vocals and spacy themes makes for one of the genre's most enticing listening experiences. The bass-heavy, echoed production is perfect.Onslaught Sounds of ViolenceOpeth Still LifeOpeth DamnationOpeth Ghost ReveriesOutKast AqueminiOverkill The Years of DecayOverkill HorrorscopeOzzy Osbourne TributePan.Thy.Monium Dawn of DreamsPan.Thy.Monium Khaooohs And Kon-Fus-IonParadox HeresyPearl Jam TenPestilence Consuming ImpulsePink Floyd MeddlePink Floyd The WallPossessed Seven ChurchesFirst off Possessed isn't a pure death metal band. Theyre tried and true thrash metal with death-tinged vocals (yes there is a difference although you yourself wouldn't know it). and that makes sense they're your favorite since the only genre you're somewhat knowledgeable in (being generous here) is thrash.Protector A Shedding of SkinRadiohead OK ComputerRadiohead Kid ARage Against the Machine Rage Against the MachineRazor Evil InvadersAs far as riff-fests go, this is among the genre's greatest gems. The riffs and guitar tone are so powerful and memorable, and if "Nowhere Fast" doesn't convince you, then nothing will. The fast tempos, street themes, chaotic vocals, and appropriately dirty production give a convincing vibe to the album, and is easily one of the second wave's best efforts.Razor Violent Restitution"The Marshal Arts" probably holds the most brutal riffs of 1988 alone, and the entire album is a collection of some of the leanest thrash you'll ever hear. There's enough variety to keep things from becoming monotonous, and every main riff here is crushing and memorable. Also their best vocals and production values too. Riff on my friends! Razor Shotgun JusticeI need to review this ASAP. Excellent example of pure thrash at its finest.Realm Final SolutionTwice as long as Perceptive Incentive and sporting far better production and developed songwriting, this demo is long enough to be a debut album and is the origins of Suiciety's "Final Solution."Ripping Corpse Dreaming With the DeadPerhaps the closest that thrash has ever gotten to death metal with one of both genre's most sinister guitar tones and vocalists. The constant tempo changes complex riffs/drum patterns keep you on the edge of your seat throughout its appropriately short running time. A classic in both genres.Rotting Christ Triarchy of The Lost LoversRush 2112Rush A Farewell to KingsRush HemispheresRush Permanent WavesRush Moving PicturesSabbat (UK) DreamweaverSacramentum Far Away from the SunSadist Above the LightSadist TribeSadus IllusionsSadus Swallowed in BlackSadus A Vision of MiserySarcofago The Laws of ScourgeScorpions LovedriveScorpions In TranceScorpions BlackoutSepultura SchizophreniaMoving from black(ish) metal to death(ish) metal was a smart choice for the group, adding extra brutality to their already unparalleled heaviness, and the better production values make Schizophrenia a superior record to their debut. The songwriting is more focused, the riffs are more developed, and there's a plethora of great tunes to be found. "From The Past Comes The Storms" is stuffed with great riffs and drumming, "To The Wall" is even catchier with excellent riffs and song structure, and "Escape to The Void" is an album highlight with its dramatic intro and progressive structure and exciting riffs. While not the best Sepultura album, it's perhaps their heaviest and grittiest work to date and an early gateway to death metal.Sepultura Beneath the RemainsVery few albums can bare the death metal and thrash metal label at the same time and pull it off with such ease, but Beneath The Remains is one of the earliest and greatest examples of this scenario. Stuffed with high speed, breakneck riffing, aggressive vocals, powerful drumming, and a knack for catchy choruses, Sepultura's magnum opus took heavy and accessible to new levels for thrash and death metal as a whole. "Slaves of Pain," the title track, "Mass Hypnosis," and the vicious "Primitive Future" are album and genre highlights and are crammed with sophisticated riffs and various tempos and structures. Sepultura created a new craft here, and Beneath The Remains is their greatest work and one of the greatest albums of death and thrash metal.Sepultura AriseAmong the deathiest thrash bands out there, Sepultura were bloodthirsty from the very beginning. They may have shifted from their black metal days, but the incorporation of death into their thrash made them stand out all the more, and while Arise isn't as immediately accessible as Beneath The Remains, and the drum production is an acquired taste, it's another great album in their catalog which features a hint of their next work Chaos A.D. with less emphasis on speed and more on groove. "Desperate Cry," the title track, and the nasty "Orgasmatron" are standout tracks, and the vocals are as great as ever.Sinister Cross the StyxSinister Diabolical SummoningSlayer Show No MercySlayer set out to be the most extreme metal to set foot on the face of the Earth, and it's not hard to believe they were at one point. Show No Mercy may not be as merciless as succeeding efforts, but in raw, vicious delivery, they hit their stride early on here. "The Antichrist," "Die By The Sword," and "Black Magic" are early thrash classics that are propelled by the traits that made Slayer a 'delight' to listen to with their fast tempos/tempo changes, intense riffs, and malevolent atmosphere (this is evil sounding shit here). Some of the material here is a bit generic for its time, but it nonetheless is a convincing, humble beginning to the underlying force of meaner, grittier metal to come.Slayer Hell AwaitsSlayer's Show No Mercy has a vibe of evil, but Hell Awaits is the embodiment of evil thrash metal at its core. It's truly sinister sounding music, and it's backed by raw yet strong production and performances. Seriously, listen to the opening title track; opening with a backwards satanic chant that progressively builds in volume with eerie guitar sounds that imitate torturous screams, it then shifts into heavy chords and powerful drumming (Dave Lombardo really steps up on this album) and builds up until it turns into a 220bpm onslaught of utter horror. The rest of the album follows suit (this is home to their longest songs to date), and every song never falls short of standing out in their own right to deliver us to evil. Despite being overshadowed by Reign In Blood, this is Slayer in its evilest form and perhaps the most cruel sounding thrash metal ever recorded.Slayer Seasons in the AbyssSouth of Heaven was an excellent album, but it was a bit tame to a fault considering the sheer energy and viciousness of their preceding records. Seasons In The Abyss fixes that problem, and what you get is a album that perfects their knack for raging numbers ("War Ensemble," "Hallowed Point"), midtempo moody numbers ("Dead Skin Mask" and the title track), chuggers ("Expendable Youth" and "Skeletons of Society"), and even some tracks that mix it up a bit ("Blood Red," "Temptation," and the wonderful "Spirit In Black"). All of this results in a collection of genre classics and perfection of their formulas. Undoubtedly one of their best efforts and possibly better than Reign In Blood on some days.Slayer Haunting the ChapelSlayer Decade of AggressionSnoop Dogg DoggystyleSodom Agent OrangeVaried yet constantly pummeling you under its weight, Agent Orange is expertly played, beautifully produced, and crafted to near perfection. One of the genre's most varied and greatest highlights.Sodom M-16Code Red was great and all, but who actually thought they would make another masterpiece on level with Persecution Mania and Agent Orange? Then there's M-16. The riffs are not only vicious, but the songs stand out from each other, resulting in their most varied effort since Agent Orange, and this is all encompassing a risky, dark theme: The Vietnam War. Arguably the best thrash album from the 2000's, M-16 is so good that it ranks with the some of the greatest gems of the 80's.Solitude Aeturnus Into the Depths of SorrowSolitude Aeturnus Through the Darkest HourSolstice (USA-FL) SolsticeRipping Corpse, Demolition Hammer, Sepultura, and friends came close to making the definitive tightrope walker of the death and thrash metal realms, and then there's Solstice's self-titled album. Filled to the brim with death metal drumming (from constant triplet patterns to blast beats), vocals that are too vicious to be considered just thrash barks, and violent, razor sharp riffs and thrashy tempos, this may perhaps be the quintessential album that displays the defining traits of thrash and death metal on full display, and it handles these ambitions with ease. "Transmorgified," "Plasticized," and "Aberration" are the most violent, death metal like songs here with their various riff changes and plentiful blast beats, and "Eternal Walking" and "Netherworld" showcase atmosphere and brutal riffs and drumming without coming off stale or monotonous. Easily comparable to both genre's best works, Solstice is a shockingly unknown yet brilliant album that gives thrash and death metal a good name.Solstice (USA-FL) Pray for the SentencingStevie Wonder Songs in the Key of LifeStrapping Young Lad CitySuffocation Human WasteTerrorizer World DownfallTestament The New OrderTheir debut may be their most aggressive work, but this is where Testament find their stride with atmospheric, technical thrash metal. It's beautiful, it's haunting, it's heavy and melodic, it's a wet dream.Testament The LegacyThe Dillinger Escape Plan Calculating InfinityThe Dillinger Escape Plan Irony Is a Dead SceneThe Dillinger Escape Plan Miss MachineThe Notorious B.I.G. Ready to DieThe Who TommyThe Who Who's NextTourniquet Psycho SurgeryTourniquet Pathogenic Ocular DissonanceToxik World CircusToxik's Think This is often referred to, but let's not underestimate their dynamic debut. "Heart Attack" has a killer opener that displays the guitar wizardry of John Christian and what a six-stringed mastermind he is. The drums have a bottom heavy feel to them, and the bass is audible and thick in the mix. Then there's lunatic Mike Sanders with his banshee wails and killer falsetto. This man rips compared to the more controlled falsetto of Charles Sabin (next album), and the riffs and song structures are relentless yet well crafted in delivery. "Heart Attack," "Social Overload," the title track, and "Victims" are vicious genre highlights, and World Circus is a mighty fine debut that surpasses Think This in passionate playing and an all out sense of fun. A kickass record that is melodic and accessible but also heavy and relentless to keep it from sounding cheesy and easily among the genre's best debuts.Ulver Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitlerVader De ProfundisVader LitanyVan Halen Van HalenVan Halen 1984Ved Buens Ende Written In WatersVektor Black FutureVektor Terminal ReduxVicious Rumors Digital DictatorVio-Lence Eternal NightmareVio-Lence Oppressing the MassesVoivod Killing TechnologyVoivod Dimension HatrössVoivod NothingfaceWatchtower Energetic DisassemblyWatchtower Control and ResistanceWehrmacht Shark AttackWindir ArntorWindir 1184Windir LikferdWintersun WintersunWu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)4.0 excellent2Pac Me Against the WorldAccept Balls to the WallAcheron Those Who Have RisenAcheron Anti-God, Anti-ChristAdramelech PsychostasiaAerosmith Get Your WingsAerosmith got their wings with their impressive sophomore effort. They start to set themselves apart from their idol Led Zeppelin by adding their own American flare to their tunes, and they get down to boogie at times. "Same Old Song And Dance" is a groovin' tune with quotably lyrics, great guitarwork, newfound personality in Tyler's vocals, and a saxophone solo. It's a delightful way to start the album. "Lord of The Thighs" continues the groovy feel of the music with comical lyrics, and "Train Kept a Rollin" is perhaps their best cover song yet. The rest of the material sounds like they've made a lot of progress consolidating their signature sound, and the result is a great album in their catalog.Aerosmith Toys in the AtticPacked with the band's best known material, Toys in The Attic is the groups' definitive achievement in the realm of hard rock and where they started to truly stand out on their own from Led Zeppelin. In fact, Led Zeppelin started running out of steam around this time after their ambitious Physical Graffiti, and Toys in The Attic picks up after that. The opening title track wastes no time in attacking the listener with a distinctive, hard rockin' riff. "Walk This Way" is drenched in crossover potential with groovin' riffs and lyrics and is one of their most successful hits. "Round And Round" stands out with its harmonizing and highlight riffs and drum tone and is a career highlight. "Big Ten InchRecord" is a fun, faithful cover song, and "Sweet Emotion" is the best tune here with its psychedelic-like choruses and career highlight stop-and-go riffing which has a more metal edge than anything they've done up to this point. "You See me Crying" may showcase their [unfortunate lack of] keenness for ballads but is a fitting closer nonetheless. Hard rock would've never been the same without this timeless classic.Aerosmith PumpAfter a big slump in their career and a good but not great comeback record in Permanent Vacation, we get Pump. When "Young Lust" opens up, a few things come to mind: the production is beautifully mixed with badass drum tones, pounding bass, and a nice soundscape. It's a fun song too with a cheery tone and aggressive drumming. "F.I.N.E" has more driving riffs and continues the playful tone. "Love in The Elevator" is a famous hit of theirs and has funny lyrics and an epic guitar solo section. "Jamie's Got a Gun" is the grammy awarding achievement here with dark lyrics and jammed with atmosphere and tension. The song would fit in with their dark Rocks album for its morbid lyrics alone. "The Other Side" is a personal favorite with its layered soundscape and awesome vocals and basslines. "Medicine Man" is one of the more serious sounding tunes with terrific drumming and basswork and a scream that will make Rob Halford proud if a bit jealous. "What it Takes" is one of the band's better ballad closers and showcases Tyler's ageless vocals and crooning capabilities to a T. Lacking filler, beautifully produced, and stuffed with catchy tunes, Pump is one of the band's best efforts and a sadly overlooked gem in their catalog sandwiched by mediocre albums.rAfflicted Prodigal SunAgalloch Pale FolkloreAlice Cooper Love It To DeathAlice Cooper KillerAlice Cooper Billion Dollar BabiesAlice Cooper Welcome To My NightmareAlice in Chains FaceliftAlice in Chains SapAlice in Chains We Die YoungAnacrusis Suffering HourAnacrusis ReasonAnal Cunt It Just Gets WorseAngel Witch Angel WitchAngelcorpse ExterminateAnnihilator King of the KillSet The World on Fire was a solid transitional album that paved the way for the even more musically diverse King of The Kill. The technical thrash metal is almost absent here aside from the t/t and some riffing here and there, but the album focuses more on traditional heavy metal, groove, and acoustics, and despite this huge shift in style from their previous albums, it works well. Opener "The Box" is a slow crawling chugger that has a sinister feel and is an album highlight, the t/t reminds us of their thrashy ways with its frantic riffing and catchy chorus, "Hell is a War" is a slow paced, dark tune with heavy riffing and a sudden shift in speed, and "Annihilator" is a groovy tune with a killer riff and solo section. "Speed," "Second to None," and "Fiasco" are more reminiscent of traditional heavy metal with healthy grooves to boot, and "21" is a fun tune full of sex metaphors. "In The Blood" is a solid ballad for their standards, "Catch The Wind" is a nifty instrumental with mellow acoustics, and "Bad Child" is an appropriate if trite album closer. The diversity works and makes for the band's best effort after their first two masterpieces.Annihilator Waking the FuryEmphasizing the distortion and returning to more riff-bound material, Waking The Fury opens well with "Ultra Motion" which lives up to its name as a high speed adrenaline fest. The next several tunes do not slow down and continuously pump adrenaline, and "The Ritual" is their best drug-themed groover yet with an appropriately fuzzy feel and vibe and a badass midsection. The album floats a bit into nu-metal [tastefully] on "Prime Time Killing" but picks back up into thrashier territory and ends on the fast paced "Cold Blooded." The production values stand out from their other material and is actually very good, and the adds to the album's character. Maybe not their very best post-Neverland release, but it's definitely their most consistent and their last great album.Anthrax Fistful of MetalNeil Turbin was the best thing to come from Anthrax even if Joey is a highlight on their masterpieces STD and ATL. Turbin's banshee screams and gruff midrange often stole the show here, which, however, isn't hard to tell why since the solid guitarwork is often buried in the bottom-heavy [to a fault] production. There's a few throwaways, but the likes of "Metal Thrashing Mad," "Subjugator," "Panic," and "Anthrax" are fine examples of why we love old school so much. A solid album that sits around a 3.5 and a 4.Anthrax Sound of White Noise"Potters Field" was a smart choice for an opener for this new era of Anthrax, taking the darkness of PoT a step further into more "down to earth" themes. The song is pure schizophrenia in song form, dipping into different styles of metal, vocal layering, disjointed yet neat drum fills, and loaded with sounds of white noise. It's brilliant, and John Bush sounds terrific in this song and on the whole album. In fact, despite his different style from Joey Belladonna, his melodic yet gruff style is spot on, and he brings a bit of Armored Saint's sound with him here (the more traditional metal sound compared to thrash). "Burst" and "Invisible" harken back to their thrashier riffcraft while carrying memorable hooks, and the likes of "Room For One More" and especially "Only" are tasteful midpaced rockers. "Black Lodge" is the album's lone genre crossover (grunge styled ballad), and it's pretty awesome, and "This Is Not An Exit" is a doomy closer that accelerates in speed, leading up to building tension, a perfectly schizoid guitar solo, a wicked scream, then closes with white noise. The production values add a good amount of character to the tunes here, making it stand out compared to other works in their catalog while emphasizing a bottom heavy sound to anchor the newfound distortion. A couple tunes don't stand out as much as others, but everything is fairly well crafted here, and there's plenty of catchy hooks, riffs, and vocal lines to place it among their best works and is their best effort with John Bush.Anthrax Worship MusicJoey's back, and so is the band's inspiration. We've Come For You All was good but not the proper solution to their problems, but Worship Music restores much of their former glory with a modern yet traditional thrash record. The album is lacking fast paced material outside of the first three tracks, but the album is loaded with gems. Rob Caggiano stands out this time around, laying down technical yet melodic solos and meaty riffs, Joey's lower register has aged like wine, and the rhythm section pounds and pummels with passion. The material here is varied from chuggers ("The Giant" and "The Devil You Know") to thrashers ("Fight Em' Til You Can't" and "Earth On Hell") to slow-tempoed monoliths ("In The End" and "The Constant"). Full of late career highlights ("In The End" may be the crowned jewel here) and youthful energy, Worship Music is not just one of their best albums but one of the best thrash records of recent times. Well done Anthrax.Anthrax For All KingsYou gotta applaud them for having a badass album cover like that. For All Kings sound like a faithful successor with more thrash added to the mix. It's not quite as fresh or exciting as Worship Music, but the likes of "Zero Tolerance," "Suzerain, "All of Them Thieves," and "You Gotta Believe" further channel their youthful energy and make for a satisfying entry in their catalog.Anvil Metal on MetalAnvil Forged in FireAriana Grande My EverythingAriana Grande SweetenerArmored Saint March of the SaintArmored Saint Raising FearArmored Saint Symbol of SalvationArtillery Fear of TomorrowArtillery Terror SquadAsphyx The RackAsphyx Last One on EarthAssorted Heap MindwavesAssuck AnticapitalAssuck Misery IndexAtrocity TodessehnsuchtAtrocity HallucinationsAtrophy Socialized HateAtrophy Violent by NatureAutopsy Tourniquets, Hacksaws and GravesBathory BathoryBlack metal's first true album isn't exactly a triumph given its very poor sound quality and average musicianship, but goddamn is it sinister in atmosphere, and the vocals and low production values would define the genre. Historically important and a good listen.Bathory The Return of the Darkness and EvilBetter production values, vicious riffs and vocals, and unprecedented atmosphere makes The Return of The Darkness And Evil a triumph for the genre and perhaps the darkest album ever made. Not their best work, but it's an evolutionary milestone.Bathory Twilight of the GodsBeastie Boys Check Your HeadBeastie Boys Ill CommunicationBehemoth EvangelionBehemoth The SatanistBeliever Sanity ObscureBeliever DimensionsBelladonna BelladonnaBenediction Transcend the RubiconBlack Sabbath SabotageSabbath's last great album with Ozzy isn't low on ammo or a willingness to try new things even if it lacks the element of surprise of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. However, "Hole in The Sky" is a terrific opener as Ozzy further raises his pitch with surprisingly commanding delivery, anchoring the fun riffing underneath him. Then the song ends with a cut, throwing us off guard, and slithering into an accoustic passage before paving way for the album's magnum opus (only two tracks in mind you): "Symptom of The Universe." This track is well known for a reason. An early display of speed metal, the song's unsettling main riffs, schizophrenic drum fills, and frantic pace was unheard of back then, and then we get another unexpected surprise: The chaos fades four minutes in, and we are brought beautiful accoustics and bongo playing that closes the song and leaves you speechless. "Symptom" is one of the greatest heavy metal compositions ever made and unfortunately overshadows the other output here although "Megalomania" hits a lot of the same home runs, and "The Writ" is a solid swansong for the band's golden era.Black Sabbath Mob RulesYes Mob Rules is better than Vol. 4. There I said it. That being said however, it's almost as good as Heaven And Hell in most aspects, retains most of that album's highlight qualities, sports some excellent tunes, and sports heavier production values, but the freshness of H&H is sadly missing. "Turn Up The Night" is a fine opener if in the vein of "Neon Nights" in structure and familiarity, and some of these tunes are a bit similar to H&H's tracklist to a slight fault. That being said, "The Sign of The Southern Cross" is another masterwork for the band, enveloped by the doom that defined Sabbath's earlier works while Ronnie James Dio's vocals pour out with a sense of passion that most singers could dream of having. Despite lacking the charisma of H&H, Mob Rules is an excellent followup not lacking in the elements that made the preceeding album so great, and it stands out in their catalog as one of their finest.Black Sabbath The Eternal Idol[Ray Gillen version]. If you found either mild disappointment or enjoyment from The Eternal Idol with Tony Martin, stop what you're doing and listen to the 'raw' version with original album singer Ray Gillen. Mr. Gillen's vocal performance is powerful, passionate, and memorable in every respect and brings a lot of life to these tunes. The songs themselves, although not sparing with cheesy lyrics, are plentiful with enjoyable riffs and solos. The lack of polish on the Ray Gillen sounds more 'fitting' as well, less reliant on the polish and gleam that undermines most 80's music. "Ancient Warrior," "Hard Life To Love," and "Born To Lose" aren't lacking great riffs and memorable vocal lines, and "The Shining" and the doomy t/t play out like Ozzy-era Sabbath while retaining their own sense of character. Overall an underrated and highly overlooked album in their catalog that may be sandwiched by some of their most mediocre works ever but is nevertheless worth a look. Tony Martin version: 3.5/5 (at most). Ray Gillen version: 4/5 (at most).Black Sabbath DehumanizerTony Martin was a competant vocalist in his own right, but his contributions couldn't hold back the band's downward creative downward spiral. However, Ronnie James Dio and the other members of Sabbath's classic lineup minus Ozzy Osbourne return to record Dehumanizer, the band's best effort since Mob Rules. Combining the doom of early Sabbath and the pummeling energy of Dio-era Sabbath was a great choice, and the result is a pleasant intertwine of the best traits of the band. Opener "Computer God" is a dark look at what society has become today and is not tame with its aggressive delivery, especially from Dio whose vocals sound as good as ever and angrier than before. "After All (The Dead)" is even more doomy and angry, and "Buried Alive" closes the album on a morbid note and perhaps their most sinister sounding song to feature Ronnie James Dio. Like Mob Rules, it's not as instantly quotable as H&H or as fresh, but it's jammed with excellent tunes (some of their best since the Ozzy days) and may be their angriest album to date.Black Sabbath Greatest Hits 1970–1978Black Sabbath We Sold Our Soul for Rock 'n' RollBlack Witchery Inferno of Sacred DestructionA serious step up from previous releases. Absolutely kicks ass. m/Blaze Bayley Silicon Messiah (as Blaze)Bloodbath Resurrection Through CarnageBloodbath Breeding DeathBloodbath Unblessing the PurityBolt Thrower Realm of ChaosBolt Thrower War MasterBolt Thrower The IVth CrusadeBolt Thrower ...For VictoryBotch American NervosoBrutal Truth Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme ResponsesBurzum BurzumBurzum Det Som Engang VarCancer To the Gory EndCancer Death Shall RiseCandlemass Ancient DreamsCandlemass Tales of CreationCandlemass Death Magic DoomCandlemass Chapter VIAlbum is quite different from previous records, but it's actually rock solid with excellent vocals and top notch guitar work. Probably their best album after the Messiah era.Cannibal Corpse The BleedingCarcass Symphonies of SicknessCarcass Surgical SteelCarly Rae Jepsen Emotion: Side BCarly Rae Jepsen Tug of WarCarly Rae Jepsen EmotionCarnage Dark RecollectionsCarnivore RetaliationCattle Decapitation Monolith of InhumanityCattle Decapitation The Anthropocene ExtinctionCeltic Frost Into the PandemoniumCeltic Frost MonotheistCeltic Frost Emperor's ReturnChildren of Bodom Are You Dead Yet?Coheed and Cambria Year of the Black RainbowCoheed and Cambria No World for TomorrowCoheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3Coheed and Cambria The Second Stage Turbine BladeControl Denied The Fragile Art of ExistenceConverge You Fail MeCoroner R.I.P.Don't let attractive intro fool you. Afterwards, you get sucked into Coroner's first impressive album which spirals in and out of dynamic tempos and riff structures, and for a first effort, it's quite ambitious and well played. "Reborn Through Hate" never stops riffing with intensity and features busy drum work and their signature growling vocals. "Nosferatu" is an incredible instrumental displaying a highlight in their genre-defining guitarwork. They don't quite achieve the larger-than-life ambition of their future works here, but it's a pretty awesome start for one of the genre's greatest innovators.Coroner GrinCoroner ceased to never make the same album EVER, and their progression made every following record better than the last from the primitive yet well developed aggression of R.I.P to the sophistication of Punishment For Decadence to the mayhemic technicality of No More Colour to the unprecedented progressive nature of Mental Cortex, and now you have the even stranger Grin. "Dream Path" opens with eerie, industril sounds and tribal like drums then it leads way into "The Lethargic Age" which is far groovier than previous works. It's a strange shift from the already different Mental Cortex, but it's a natural progression, and the result is the closest 'groove' was ever perfected in metal (fuck Pantera). It's atmospheric, creepy, yet headbangable, and the production is marvelous: mechanical yet clear and unique. "Internal Conflicts" is a riff fest not unlike anything from their previous works fill with avante garde like sound effects and distortion. "Grin (Nails Hurt)" and "Serpent Moves" aren't heavy on lyrics but instead are uplifted by riffs (the former) and atmosphere and eerie vibes (the latter which also features an incredible guitar solo). Floating into industrial, groove, progressive, avante garde, and some thrash all at the same time, Grin is their most diverse and seemingly atmosphere driven work and one of the strangest yet most compelling records out there.Cripple Bastards Misantropo a senso unicoCrumbsuckers Beast on My BackCryptic Slaughter ConvictedCryptopsy Blasphemy Made FleshCypress Hill Cypress HillD.R.I. Dealing with It!Dark Angel Leave ScarsAnother album in the vein of Darkness Descends would not do for it was too great to duplicate, so Dark Angel decides to dive into their more varied tendencies on their follow-up Leave Scars. Surely the album left some marks, but they weren't quite the scars that hurt so good. "The Death of Innocence" kicks right into high gear, and the drum fills varied and impressive from the get-go, and the guitars have a malicious tone not unlike their previous effort, but then something goes wrong; newcomer vocalist Ron Rinehart's vocals kick in, and right off the bat, he lacks the charm of Don Doty, and his vocals are too loud to overlook. This plagues the album as a whole, and while he's not terrible, actually sounding decent sometimes, this wouldn't be such a problem if his vocals were either not at the front of the mix or if they were just better. "The Death of Innocence" is a good opener despite that hiccup, but the riffs also don't stick out like their previous effort. "Never To Rise Again" is a step up, even in the vocal department, and the variety throughout is overall impressive, most notably the drumming and soloing. Although a considerable stepdown from their magnum opus, it's a worthy enough addition to your collection.Dark Angel Time Does Not HealDark Angel get darker and more technical and ambitious on their fourth album Time Does Not Heal, and from the opening title track alone, the changes are front and center. Gene Hoglan has truly molded into one of metal's best drummers and shows incredible precision and skill with his playing, and the progressive nature of the song is exciting, but once again, when their vocalist kicks in, it almost lets the album down. Thankfully, everything going on behind him is good enough to almost overlook his better tuned but still unimpressive vocals. The album is a bit long, and Ron's vocals are marginally better from Leave Scars, but from an artistic standpoint, this is a noteworthy album and one that will heal any wounds from its flaws in time.Darkthrone Soulside JourneyDarkthrone PanzerfaustDeath Scream Bloody GoreDeath metal's first true album is one hell of a beast, borderline unrefined yet technically impressive at the same time. Perhaps the group's greatest testament to bloodthirsty extreme metal, and while they've come to make greater records, none are as vicious as this one. "Evildead" and "Infernal Death," and "Zombie Ritual" is home to some of the most intense death metal ever recorded.Death Spiritual HealingChick Schuldiner had an ambitious mindset displayed by his dynamic works with Death, and he takes the genre into different territory with Spiritual Healing. Touching on political and societal issues while also touching on the human psyche may not necessarily be new for metal, but he writes with considerable depth, and it displays here. The increased technicality also paves the way for their true masterpieces, and while often overshadowed by the complex nature of Human and the pounding aggression of its predecessors, Spiritual Healing is one of the band's most important albums.Death Angel Frolic Through the ParkDeath Angel The Art of DyingDeath Angel Killing SeasonDeath Angel Relentless RetributionDeathrow Life BeyondDeathrow Raging SteelDeathspell Omega Si Monvmentvm Reqvires CircvmspiceDeathspell Omega The Furnaces of PalingenesiaDeathspell Omega The Synarchy of Molten BonesDeathwish At the Edge of DamnationRiffs aplenty and they're fucking catchy and awesome. The vocals are great too. Great album.Deathwish Demon PreacherAtmospheric thrash with kickass riffs. A criminally overlooked gem.Decapitated Winds of CreationDecrepit (USA-OH) AcrimoniumDeep Purple FireballDef Leppard PyromaniaDef Leppard HysteriaDeicide DeicideDeliverance Weapons Of Our WarfareDemilich Regurgitation of BloodDemilich The Four Instructive Tales... of DecompositionDemilich The EchoDemilich ...Somewhere Inside the Bowels of Endlessness...Demolition Hammer Tortured ExistenceThe opening song ".44 Caliber Brain Surgery" will shoot you down like the titled weapon with its violent riffs, pummeling drums, and almost sudden change in tempo, and the rest of the album follows in similar yet equally satisfying pursuit. The solos are shockingly melodic for the genre (part thrash, part death), and Steve Reynolds may have one of the best voices in death or thrash period. Not unlike other vocalists of similar musical scope, he shouts and growls, but his voice stands out because they're precise and well pitched, and the gang shouts are icing to the cake. The low budget production is an acquired taste (the vocals and solos really shine though), and the material itself is only partially varied, but Tortured Existence is an all-out assault of brutal thrash/death metal that will satisfy fans of either style.Demolition Hammer Skull Fracturing Nightmare [Demo]Demolition Hammer Necrology (Demo)Depressive Age Symbols for the Blue TimesDepressive Age Electric ScumDespair Decay of HumanityDestruction Infernal OverkillAmong the most acquired tastes in the genre, Destruction certainly stand out for a number of reasons already established: unique, razor-sharp guitar tones, frantic soloing and riffing, black metal flared vocals, memorable choruses (not the genre's forte), and variable production values. Infernal Overkill may sport polarizing production values but it's home to some of their best songs, riffs, breakdowns, and solos ever. They would later perfect their riffcraft, but this is home to a rawness never recaptured since.Destruction Cracked BrainCracked Brain is a reliable if underwhelming follow-up to their trilogy of classic records. "Time Must End," "Rippin You Off Blind," and the title track packed great riffs, choruses, and breakdowns, but the lack of charisma in the vocals and the lack of brutality compared to Release From Agony makes for a good record that is unfortunately lacking in bite.Destruction Sentence of DeathDestruction Mad ButcherDevastation Signs of LifeDevastation takes a considerable step forward on their sophomore album Signs of Life which appropriate shows signs of life for the group. The tempos are much faster this time around, the production is better, the riffs are much better, and they lean towards the darker side of thrash this time around. "Eye For an Eye" is a great example of them leaning towards early death metal tendencies while delivering more exciting music. The vocals still suck, but they're tolerable this time around, and the guitarwork is epic to say the least. It's not quite the mix of prog./thrash/death that they do the next album around, but it's a very solid release in the genre. Sits around a 3.5 and a 4.Dio The Last in LineDisincarnate Dreams of the Carrion KindDismember The God That Never WasDismember PiecesDissection Into Infinite ObscurityDissection Where Dead Angels LieDr. Dre The ChronicDying Fetus Reign SupremeDying Fetus Destroy the OppositionEdge of Sanity The Spectral SorrowsEdge of Sanity Crimson IIEminem The Slim Shady LPEminem The Eminem ShowEmperor ReverenceEmperor As the Shadows RiseEmperor EmperorEmperor Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire...Ensiferum IronEnsiferum Victory SongsEquilibrium Turis FratyrExciter Heavy Metal ManiacExodus Pleasures of the FleshBonded By Blood is a stone cold classic that was difficult to follow-up to, and on Pleasures of The Flesh, they up the technicality, and they are not in short supply of venomous riffs and songs, but the malice of BBB is only found in spades here, and the album is hampered by dated production and uninteresting vocals. That being said, the songs are damn good, and their riffcraft is as strong as ever. "Parasite," "Choose Your Weapon," and the title track are career highlights in the guitarwork department and show their maturing progress as a group with tempo changes and "progressive" tendencies. The soloing is technical as usual, and tunes like "Braindead" and "Seeds of Hate" encompass the different styles presented here with maximum effort. A slight stepdown from Bonded By Blood but a solid step forward for the group towards their next masterpiece. A great album in their catalog.Exodus Fabulous DisasterPleasures of The Flesh brought forth mighty riffing and drumming, but Fabulous Disaster is where they sounded like a consolidated group and sound like they had a lot of fun making this album. "The Last Act of Defiance" takes a bit long to start up, but the frantic pace, shouted gang vocals, and raspy vocal delivery of Steve Souza make for an enjoyable tune that sets the tone for the album. The production is a huge step up from previous efforts and has aged well, Steve comes to gritty form in his performance here, Tom Hunting never lets up with his accomplished drumming, and the guitarwork is the highlight as usual. "Toxic Waltz" is a thrash mosh pit anthem with quotable lyrics and terrific solos, "Overdose" is a fun cover/album closer, "Cajun Hell" is stylish and structured in delivery, and the title track, "Verbal Razors," and "Like Father Like Son" are album highlights with their sinister delivery and high-class riffing. Infectious, catchy, and crammed with the accessible traits of the genre that we've come to love, Fabulous Disaster is fabulous without being disastrous and one of the best 80's thrash records.Exodus Tempo of the DamnedForce of Habit was good, but fans began to miss their thrash. Enter Tempo of The Damned, with all its venom and vigor. The distorted yet vicious guitar tone makes the well crafted riffs their most convincing output since Fabulous Disaster just by the feat alone, and Steve Souza commands full attention with his most confident vocal performance to date, sounding more vicious than ever without sounding strained or out of tune. "War is My Sheppard," "Scar Spangled Banner," and "Blacklist" alone are stone cold classics full of memorable one-liners and a dark sense of humor, something they had trouble perfecting prior to this release and [unfortunately] after this release. Tom Hunting also drives the rhythms with his powerful, finessed chops, and the crystal clear production helps bring his drum kit to life. Although it's a bit front-heavy, Tempo is one of the band's best efforts and a leading record in the thrash revival movement.Exodus Shovel Headed Kill MachineExodus's best album with Rob Dukes as frontman shows some changes for the band; Tom Hunting's presence is missing, the grooves are different, and the approach to their songwriting is heading into more progressive territory of which newcomer guitarist Lee Altus from Heathen may be partly responsible for. This change of direction misses about as much as it hits at times, but there are many positive traits on display; the band down tune their guitars even heavier, resulting in their most dense riffing to date (the grooves sound very 'fat' and thick here), Rob's vocals here are mostly inoffensive, and there's monstrous tunes here (".44 Magnum Opus," the title track, "Raze," "Going Going Gone," and "Deathamphetamine" perfectly mix their groove and vicious thrashing). Paul's drumming is powerful, the production is clean yet even more bottom heavy than ever, and the thrash is more prominent and consistent than Tempo of The Damned (if the album isn't quite as good). A couple tunes here aren't as memorable as others here, but this is the band's last consistent output before their gradual slide in quality.Exodus Lessons in ViolenceExtol BurialExumer Rising from the SeaExumer Fire and DamnationExumer The Raging TidesDoesn't break new ground in neither the genre nor the band's sound, but they are comfortable playing their strengths which are fully displayed here: fresh, sharp riffs, frantic soloing, great vocals, and a 'tight' sound. Probably better than Death Angel/Overkill/Kreator/Megadeth/Anthrax's new albums.Faith No More King for a Day... Fool for a LifetimeFaith No More couldn't get any weirder than Angel Dust without confusing or alienating people so they dial back the strangeness a lot here. That being said, despite being more straightforward, it feels like a faithful followup to The Real Thing and is almost as good as that album. Despiting losing guitar wizard Jim Martin, Trey Spruance proved a capable replacement with crunchy riffs and fairly diverse playing if not as unique or fresh as Martin's. Patton unleashes his most melodic, refined vocal performance to date, and he sounds incredible here. "Take This Bottle" and "Evidence" are laid back tunes that bring out the best of Patton's smooth, sexy crooning, and "Get Out" and "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies" back up his more energetic performances with solid drumming and riffs. "Cuckoo For Caca" is their ode to anything like "Surprise! You're Dead!" but features their wildest vocals to date. "Just a Man" and "Star A.D." also bring out the best in their almost swing-like vibes and Patton's chaotic yet melodic, charming vocals. Despite being more 'safe' than Angel Dust and having a couple tunes that don't stand out, King For a Day is an excellent album from the group and has a plethora of enjoyable material as usual.Falkenbach ...Magni Blandinn Ok Megintiri...Falkenbach Ok Nefna Tysvar TyFear Factory ObsoleteFlotsam and Jetsam The ColdFlotsam and Jetsam DriftCertainly their most diverse album and some of their best vocals to date.Flotsam and Jetsam When the Storm Comes DownWhen The Storm Comes Down incorporates more groove into their lively thrash formula without falling flat, and while lacking the sheer majesty of No Place For Disgrace or the vicious riffing of Doomsday For The Deceiver, there's a plethora of killer guitarwork, basswork, impressive drumming, and K.A's signature vocals to be found here. "The Master Sleeps" is a great opener and displays the much more professional production job compared to the wonderful No Place For Disgrace. The drums are heavy in the mix and are pleasant in tone, the bass lines are thick, the guitar riffs and tone are sharper and have more clarity. the album sound great just from that alone, and there's great tunes here. "Burned Device" is atmospheric, "Deviation" is a short, to-the-point riff fest with memorable lyrics, "October Thorns" is moody and bass-heavy, and "Suffer The Masses" is the most noteworthy tune here with its massive riff, groovy drumming, and huge chorus. An underrated yet excellent album from the band and one of the best displays of groove and thrash.Flotsam and Jetsam The End of ChaosAlbum is as solid as you would expect coming off the surprise value of their s/t comeback album. It continues on from where that album left off but jams out even harder, representing a more workman like approach to the songwriting while engaging you with catchy choruses and hooks. The drumming in particular is a huge highlight, and Erik continues to impress with his melodic delivery.Forbidden Omega WaveAfter a failed direction into groove metal, Forbidden reform and harken back to their technical thrash metal direction. It shows right from "Forsaken At The Gates" which also features the highly impressive chops of drummer Mark Hernandez who lays down bass heavy beats and double bass rolls throughout. The riffing and drumming is significantly faster than usual which is a welcomed element here, and Russ Anderson is his usual self with a lower register but still sounding great. They throw in some of their groove here too, and it sounds a lot better than Green and Distortion. "Overthrow" is the primary example here with its impressive drumming and groovy pace. The production is spot on as usual too (these guys really know how to produce a wonderful sounding record for sure). While many thrash veterans rehash their sound with their comeback albums, Forbidden adds more elements to the mix and makes for one of the best comeback albums of the genre. Genesis Platinum CollectionGenesis Turn It On Again: The HitsGenesis Wind & WutheringGenesis A Trick of the TailGenesis Nursery CrymeGodflesh StreetcleanerGojira L'Enfant SauvageGojira MagmaGorement The Ending QuestGorgoroth PentagramGorgoroth AntichristGorgoroth Under the Sign of HellGorguts Considered DeadGorguts From Wisdom to Hatedaayum nigga, this album ***in slams. any nigga who thought obscura was their best, well, it's one of their best, but this album right here is a ***ing masterpiece. think of a slightly more accessible obscura and boom, you got this mean son of a bitch coming at you like an avalanche of brutality and torture. idk why but this album just clicks with me out of all of them the most, and it ***s hard man. rthere's no denying luc is a brilliant vocalist and *** this is easily one of his best performances. production is clearer but it has a very ominous atmosphere which really, is ***ing intense. the musicianship isn't as chatoic and *** like on obscura, but any nigga who pisses on this album - wtf is rong with an album being more "musical." Y'know" Don't get me wrong, this album isn't like a summer breeze, but the instruments have more flow and progression than their other albums do. it's just a ***ing kickass album son. i highly recommend it.Grave Into the GraveGrim Reaper Rock You To HellHate Awakening the LiarHeathen Breaking the Silence"Death By Hanging" firmly grips you and reels you in for an exercise of guitar wizardry with a magnificent opening, terrific riffs, and imaginative solos. Breaking The Silence isn't a pinnacle for the band or the genre, but the technical, precise riffing from soon-to-be master shredder Lee Atlus perfectly compliments the genre highlight guitar soloing which are wildly melodic and complex at the same time. Vocalist David White channels his inner Bruce Dickinson, making for a solid, melodic vocal performance, and while the rhythm section isn't special, it's serviceable. Compared to other debuts of the time, BTS sets itself apart with its already established sophistication in its songwriting, no filler, and solid production values. "Death By Hanging," "Golbins Blade," and "Pray For Death" are band classics, and Breaking The Silence is a definitive thrash metal debut that paves the way for their magnum opus.Heathen The Evolution of ChaosHeathen created a criminally overlooked cornerstone in progressive/technical metal, and they disappear off the grid. Enter The Evolution of Chaos almost two decades later. Opener "Intro" than "Dying Season" reminds us of their perfection for punishing introductions. A frantic look on the fatalities and outlook of war, Heathen once again show how well they handle heavy-handed subjects and present no restrain on their guitar-heavy compositions. An excellent song indeed. "Control By Chaos," from this point forward, brings back their interest in longer compositions, and amid the flashy riffing and wild drumming, vocalist David White sounds like a grittier Bruce Dickinson, and the result is better than you think as he spits out memorable lyrics. "No Stone Unturned" is their longest composition yet at over 11 minutes, and it has the footstomping vibe of Pantera's "Walk" while grinding with a progressive outfit. The rest of the material plays out in typical yet exciting Heathen fashion. The album may lack the freshness of Victims of Deception, and the production is unfortunately brickwalled and bearable at best, The Evolution of Chaos is a leading example of veterans reminding us who are the best of the best despite the huge wave of competent newcomers.Hellhammer Satanic RitesAn early pinnacle in what would define black metal and death metal, Hellhammer's vision of sinister music comes to life here in what would set the template for their successor Celtic Frost.Hellhammer Demon EntrailsHeretic Breaking PointHoly Moses Finished with the DogsHoly Moses Terminal TerrorHorrendous EcdysisHoward Shore The Fly (1986)Howard Shore The Silence of the LambsHoward Shore The Hobbit - An Unexpected JourneyHypocrisy AbductedHypocrisy The Final ChapterHypocrisy HypocrisyIce Cube AmeriKKKa's Most WantedIce Cube Death CertificateImmolation Dawn of PossessionImmolation Failures for GodsImmolation Unholy CultImmolation Majesty and DecayImmolation ProvidenceImmortal Sons of Northern DarknessIn Flames WhoracleIn Flames ColonyIn Flames ClaymanInfected Dark CenturyA mostly unknown thrash group with a brilliant (single) album. Check for it here:rhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8P7pLuIVH4Infernal Majesty None Shall DefyInfester Darkness UnveiledIntruder Psycho SavantAside from their vocalist Jimmy Hamilton, it's almost hard to see this was the same band who made the fearsome Live to Die. A Higher Form of Killing was a great follow-up, but this is a further stepdown from their debut. It's not all bad though; There's some genuinely cool riffs and solos here, the drumming is solid, and Jimmy's vocals are top notch as usual. May bump my rating in the future with repeated listens.Iron Maiden KillersProduction values and style wise, Killers bares a similar style to the albums that came after it, and it fits snug with some of their best output to date. "The Ides of March" is a nifty intro that shows their musical shift from the get-go, and "Wrathchild" retains some of the grooviness of their debut while emphasizing the heavier emphasis on guitar antics in their songs and their knack for big choruses. The title track is a crowning achievement for their early work and may rank among their best songs ever. "Murders in The Rue Morgue" and "Purgatory" blend their punk attitude with guitar harmonies to excellent effect, and "Drifter" is a fitting swansong and transition from one stage of their career to another, closing another fine record from the legendary heavy metal tour de force.Iron Maiden Piece of MindPiece of Mind may be more of a continuation of the successful formula established on its predecessor, but it's not lacking career highlights by any stretch. Opener "Where Eagles Dare" opens with an impressive drum roll and leads into an impressive opener full of chugging riffs and memorable vocal lines. "Revelations" is not unlike "Total Eclipse" in song structure in a good way, and "Flight of Icarus" is a personal favorite of mine, driven by a prominent bassline and a commanding vocal performance, ending with wild guitar solos and a powerful scream. "Die With Your Boots on" and fan favorite "The Trooper" aren't lacking in catchy riffs and clever song structure and choruses. While a bit front loaded, Piece of Mind will give you peace of mind as another great album by the group which is almost as fun, if not as fresh, as Number of The Beast.Iron Maiden Somewhere in TimeDespite lacking some of the bite from previous releases, Somewhere in Time is a well produced, futuristic styled album with terrific tunes. "Alexander The Great," the title track, the riff-heavy "Sea of Madness," and "The Loneliness of The Long Distance Runner" are choice cuts, and Bruce's vocals are as great as ever even without songwriting contributions this time around. Another great effort from the band.Iron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh SonAmbitious, moody, and featureing Bruce Dickinson's best vocal performance to date, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son sounds both conceptual and routine for the group, displaying an experimental side to them (the magnificent t/t and "Moonchild") and their reliable, by-the-numbers output ("Can I Play With Madness" and "The Evil That Men do") while Dickinson reaches his peak as the definitive heavy metal frontman. An excellent, adventurous, and exciting album from one of heavy metal's godfathers.Jag Panzer Ample DestructionJag Panzer The Fourth JudgementJag Panzer Age of MasteryJames Horner AliensJay-Z The BlueprintJay-Z The Black AlbumJerry Goldsmith The MummyJohn Williams Jaws IIJohn Williams Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the JediJohn Williams Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomJohn Williams E.T.: The Extra TerrestrialJohn Williams Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeJohn Williams Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom MenaceJohn Williams A.I.: Artificial IntelligenceJohn Williams The War of the WorldsJohn Williams Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the SithJohn Williams Saving Private RyanJudas Priest Killing MachineThe NWOBHM was emerging, and Killing Machine was a transitional album for the group and the movement itself. "Deliver The Goods" has a bluesy, hard rock style which blankets much of the material here, and they pull it off pretty well in spades. "Rock Forever" continues the trend with a playful rhythm and a familiar vocal performance. Both t/t's ("Hell Bent For Leather" and "Killing Machine") employ some funk with metallic riffs and creative drumming. "Burnin' Up" is a personal favorite with its thick grooves and funk drumming, and "Running Wild" and "Evil Fantasies" are vocally driven with the former bearing the most resemblance to their more metallic offerings. The ballads are trite, and "Take on The World" is a flop of a song, but Killing Machine displays well crafted deviations from their older material. It's a stepdown from their magnum opus Stained Class, but there's some outstanding material here and is a solid album from the metal legends.Judas Priest British SteelOne of the albums that kickstarted the NWOBHM movement, British Steel brought fourth the group's commercial breakthrough and their first platinum certified album. Call it their sellout point, but there's actually more metal here than Killing Machine. "Breaking The Law" is a brief but catchy slice of simply done metal with catchy lyrics and guitarwork. "Rapid Fire" is a double bass driven number with driving riffs, aggressive vocals, and blistering solos. "Metal Gods" is groovier with a moody feel and may be the best song here. "Grinder" has simple but catchy riffs with memorable lyrics. "United" is constructed in the vein of "Take on The World," but this guilty pleasure is better crafted than that failed abortion of a tune. "Living After Midnight" and "You Don't Have to be Old to be Wise" pave the way for their more hard rocky grooves on the followup Point of Entry, and while they don't particularly stand out, they're playful and catchy in style. "The Rage" is a slowburner, and "Steeler" closes the album on a more metallic note with its riffy structure. Lacking any real filler, more metallic than Killing Machine, and spewing with catchy tunes, British Steel may lack Rob's signature screams, but it's one of the group's better albums and arguably their best commercial album.Judas Priest Screaming for VengeanceOnce "The Hellion" starts going, you know you're in for something good, then comes "Electric Eye." A roller coaster of awesome riffs, memorable lyrics, and excellent musicianship, it's a return to form for their more metallic offerings and is an outstanding tune. "Riding on The Wind" has a badass intro and features great riffs and the return of Rob Halford's screeching style. "Bloodstone" has one of the band's best riffs ever, and t/t is a speed metal romp. "You've Got Another Thing Comin" is the band's biggest hit and is a cheesy but nifty tune screaming catchiness. "Devil's Child" is a hard rocky tune and a solid closer. The 'balladlike' material feels out of place here, but the material on JP's best selling album is strong and makes for a great album. One of JP's best.Judas Priest FirepowerKalmah The Black WaltzKalmah 12 GaugeKalmah Seventh SwamphonyKanye West Late RegistrationKanye West The College DropoutKendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d cityKendrick Lamar To Pimp a ButterflyKing Diamond ''Them''King Diamond ConspiracyKing Diamond Fatal PortraitKing Diamond The EyeKreator Endless PainKreator's raw, black/death tinged thrash debut is more sophisticated than most thrash debuts and is stuffed with badass shredding and aggressive vocals galore. An excellent start to one of the genre's greatest acts.Kreator Iron DestinyLamb of God New American GospelLamb of God As the Palaces BurnLamb of God Ashes of the WakeLamb of God WrathLed Zeppelin Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin PresenceLed Zeppelin Best Of, Vol. 2: Latter DaysLiving Sacrifice Living SacrificeMadonna Like a PrayerManilla Road MystificationMarc Streitenfeld PrometheusMaroon 5 Songs About JaneMassacre From BeyondMaster MasterMastodon Crack the SkyeMastodon The HunterMastodon Emperor of SandMayhem De Mysteriis Dom SathanasMeat Loaf Bat Out of HellMegadeth YouthanasiaYouthanasia is quite different from anything they've released before of afterwards yet it's their last excellent album. Just from the sound and song structures, it's a faithful sequel to Metallica's self-titled album with its arena rock style yet is too heavy to just be hard rock at times. This is where they hit their stride for non-flashy music with strong songwriting (even Rust In Peace didn't have the knack for this). The music is simple yet effective and often times powerful and emotional. There's a healthy dose of terrific riffs and solos throughout (the first four tracks and "The Killing Road" truly come to mind here), and all the songs are well crafted for the most part. There's no noticeable dip in quality, and it holds well up to the impressive closer "Victory." Youthanasia truly is a victory for the band and doesn't fall far behind Peace Sells and Rust In Peace as one of their best efforts and sits comfortably around a 4 and a 4.5 without a doubt.Mekong Delta Mekong DeltaMekong Delta The Principle of DoubtMekong Delta KaleidoscopeMekong Delta Visions FugitivesMekong Delta In a Mirror DarklyMerciless The Treasures WithinMerciless UnboundMeshuggah Contradictions CollapseMeshuggah NothingMeshuggah obZenMeshuggah KolossMeshuggah The Violent Sleep Of ReasonMetal Church XIGeneration Nothing was not a good swansong for the group, and thankfully, they did not break up. Instead, they rehired the potent Mike Howe, and with his return came the return of their inspiration. their eleventh album XI (what an original title eh?) may be their 'safest' sounding work with Mike Howe, encompassing the traits of the last three Howe records rather than differentiating from them, but it mostly attains the qualities that made those records stand out in their catalog. The result is their most exciting musical output in years which is lacking in filler but not in great tunes. "Needle And Suture," "No Tomorrow," and "Killing Your Time" is familiar territory of the highest degree, "Reset" and "Suffer Fools" open and close the album on a high note respectively, and "It Waits" and "Shadow" are played in the vein of their successfully diverse, atmospheric material from Hanging In the Balance, and as usual, Mike Howe is the album highlight. I'd love to see the boys further experiment on their next endeavor with Mike Howe, but XI does not disappoint, and I'm glad for Mike to be back, the best frontman of the Metal Church.Metal Church A Light in the DarkAs soon as the opening t/t rips through the speakers, we are in for a classic MC song for sure, and the album never lets up steam while offering a well played, faithful cover of "Watch The Children Pray" in tribute to previous frontman David Wayne (R.I.P). Ronny's vocals are more aggressive, and the unpolished, bottom heavy production is the return to their heavier musical tendencies. "Beyond All Reason," the t/t, "Temples of The Sea," and especially "Disappear" are excellent tunes with terrific riffs and soaring vocal melodies. "Mirror of Lies," "Pill For The Kill," and "Blinded By Life" lay down strong riffs and bring out the best in Ronny's powerful voice and make for his best recorded performance to date and MC's best album with Mr. Munroe.Metal Church Damned If You DoThis album's a bit "By The Numbers," and the production is overly compressed and loud, but you can count on MC to crank out reliably good material ever. "By The Numbers" is a neat tune with a great hook and fun riff, and Mike Howe is the highlight of this album. They also go harder on this album then on XI. Overall great effort if hampered by not-so-great production.Metallica MetallicaMetallica do the unexpected and completely strip down their prog./technical thrash tendencies in favor of simply structured heavy metal on their mega hit self-titled album which is the best selling record since 1991, and the result is more enjoyable than one would expect. They embrace their simple but memorable song structures and catchy riffs through dense delivery, terrific soloing, and standout choruses. This leads to songs like "Sad But True," "Enter Sandman," "Through The Never," and "the Struggle Within" standing out in their extensive catalog. did I mention how beautifully produced this album is? Also, Jason Newstead's basswork, while rhythmic in approach, sounds excellent here. Their last excellent album before nosediving into mediocrity.Metallica ...And Justice for AllMetallica were undoubtedly the leading act of the metal world during the 80's, and they progress forward with their most technical/progressive work to date. While the production sounds dry and is lacking in bass (putting it nicely), they display much musical maturity through their songcraft and lyrical content. While some of these tunes may go on longer than they should, the album is packed with genre highlights, most notably the ones where they rip you open with vicious riffs and surprisingly effective drumming ("Dyer's Eye," "The Shortest Straw," and "Blackened"). "One" features an explosive second half, and "Harvester of Sorrow" and the title track are effective in their build ups. Mature and well crafted, ...And Justice For All is yet another significant milestone that cemented thrash metal as capable of being its own genre.Metallica S&MMetallica Creeping DeathMobb Deep Hell on EarthMonstrosity Imperial DoomMonstrosity MilleniumMoonsorrow Jumalten aikaMoonsorrow Voimasta ja kunniastaMoonspell WolfheartMoonspell IrreligiousMorbid Angel DominationMorbid Angel Abominations of DesolationMorbid Angel Formulas Fatal to the FleshMorbid Angel Thy Kingdom ComeMorbid Saint Destruction SystemMorbid Saint Destruction System (Demo)Morbid Saint Lock Up Your Children (Demo)Mortification Scrolls of the MegillothMortification Post Momentary AfflictionMotorhead OverkillMotorhead Ace of SpadesMr. Bungle Mr. BungleMr. Bungle Disco VolanteMutilator Into the StrangeN.W.A. Straight Outta ComptonNapalm Death From Enslavement to ObliterationNapalm Death ScumNas It Was WrittenNecrodeath Fragments of InsanityNecrophobic DarksideNeurosis Enemy of the SunNeurosis Times of GraceNeurosis A Sun That Never SetsNevermore The Politics of EcstasyNevermore Dreaming Neon BlackNevermore Dead Heart In A Dead WorldNevermore This Godless EndeavorNihilist Nihilist 1987-1989Nine Inch Nails The Downward SpiralNine Inch Nails The FragileNocturnus The KeyNuclear Assault Handle With CareObituary Slowly We RotObituary The End CompleteObliteration Perpetual DecayObliteration NekropsalmsObliteration Cenotaph ObscureObliveon NemesisOnslaught VICutting out further experimentation in favor of a more old schooled approach with injected speed, VI is a monster headbanger and among the finer modern thrash metal albums because of it. "VI, VI, Fucking VI," "Chaos is King," and "Enemy of my Enemy" are super fun, catchy headbangers bolstered by solid production and kickass guitar work. Onslaught Killing PeaceOnslaught In Search of SanityOnslaught cuts lose the grittiness that defined The Force and aim for a more accessible sound in the footsteps of Metallica. Newcomer Steve Grimmett unleashes his inner NWOBHM and belts out a powerful, melodic vocal performance that brings the hooks of these tunes to greater heights than before. The differentiation from their previous works are obvious from the start with the title track with catchy riffing and infectious vocal hooks, but "Lightning War" and "Power Play" are the thrashiest tunes here with the former bearing an exceptional chorus and vocal performance and the latter throwing in some hardcore elements. "Blood Upon The Ice" and "Shellshock" display Metallica-esque riffs with melodic vocals effectively, and the "Let There Be Rock" cover, despite a faster tempo, is quite spot-on and may be as good as the original. "Welcome to Dying" has nice guitar solos and an exceptional vocal performance but really would've benefitted from trimming which is the album's biggest problem: length. At nearly an hour an only seven true songs, some of the riffs and instrumental sections go on longer than they should without being backed up by substantial variety. That being said, it's an enjoyable album that sits comfortably between a 3.5 and a 4.Onslaught Power from HellOnslaught The Shadow of DeathOnslaught Hatred Towards the SystemOpeth My Arms, Your HearseOpeth MorningriseOpeth DeliveranceOpeth WatershedOpeth Still Day Beneath The SunOpprobrium Serpent TemptationOpprobrium Beyond The UnknownOutKast SouthernplayalisticadillacmuzikOutKast ATLiensOutKast StankoniaOverkill Feel the FireOverkill Taking OverOverthrow Within SufferingOzzy Osbourne Blizzard of OzzOzzy Osbourne Diary of a MadmanPan.Thy.Monium KhaooohsPantera Power MetalPantera Cowboys from HellPantera strip their glam-y roots and break into grittier territory with a then-new kind of sound on their magnum opus and their first TRUE debut: groove metal. From the opening title track's signature riff alone, it's an addictive kind of sound that other metal of the times were aiming for but failed to reach. It sadly turned out to be a very saturated genre that led to worse things to come, but Pantera pulled it off well. "Heresy" and "Shattered" dip into thrash metal with impressive breakdowns, and "The Sleep" and "Cemetary Gates" aim for more haunting vibes with their groovier, ballad-like structures. "Psycho Holiday" and the t/t come to mind for full pledged groove, and it sounds awesome here. Frontman Phil Anselmo is a competent vocalist switching from high pitched wails to gruff singing, drummer Vinnie Paul lays down solid beats, bassist Rex Brown plays well with a nice tone, but the highlight goes to guitarist Dimebag Darrel (Diamond Darrel at the time, R.I.P.). His chunky guitar tone and unique solos possess a sense of charisma never achieved by any of their imitators, and these ingredients make for their best work and arguably the best (and only awesome) "groove" metal album.Pantera Vulgar Display of PowerPantera ups the groove and angry, tough guy vocals ten notches on Vulgar Display of Power, and the result is the most influential metal album since 1992. It put Pantera on the mainstream map and the genre as a whole, and it single handedly led to many imitators and the birth of similar genres. Its influence cannot be ignored, and there's a handful of metal gems here. "Mouth For War" and "A New Level" bring mainstream level to new heights of heaviness and accessibility, appealing to anyone attracted to gritty yet catchy music. "Walk" is the definitive groove metal anthem that, while not the best song here, is undoubtedly catchy and home to one of Dimebag's best solos. "Fucking Hostile" and "Rise" are thrashier numbers in the vein of their cowboys From Hell material, and "Hollow" is another well crafted half-ballad by the group with effective guitarwork. While Cowboys is my favorite Pantera record, Vulgar is the definitive metal album of the 90's and an excellent one at that.Pantera Official Live: 101 ProofParadox Product of ImaginationPearl Jam Vs.Pearl Jam VitalogyPestilence Malleus MaleficarumPestilence Testimony of the AncientsPhil Collins ...But SeriouslyFavorably comparable to No Jacket Required and his exhibitions with Genesis at the time, ...But Seriously shows signs of maturity for Phil Collins in his lyrical themes (if not the lyrics themselves) and his return to rockier sounding music in both the usage of instruments (the guitarwork is a more often a driving force in this music) and in the more raw production sound of his drum kit. This is also home to some of his greatest work, Genesis or not, with songs like the long yet effectively paced "Colours," The uptempoed and optimistic "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven," and "All Of My Life" which convincingly displays his vulnerability as a person. The politically-driven material can come off a bit preachy, but it's nice to see him exploring outside of his comfort zone. Beautifully produced and well performed and written, ...But Seriously ties with No Jacket Required as his best solo work.Phil Collins TarzanPhil's performance on this soundtrack adds a sense of depth to the already exciting pacing and dramatic score, and the result is among his greatest works.Phil Collins HitsThe best of Phil's career lies here, and this collection of some of his greatest songs is a testament to his character as an entertainer, songwriter, musician, and a potent influence on the 80's.Phil Collins No Jacket Required"The third time's a charm" surely applies with Phil Collin's solo career with his third album No Jacket Required which became a social phenomenon that brought forth his first two charp-topping songs (four top ten singles overall), three grammy wins, and over twenty five million records sold. Here, he finds a nice blend of his poppy/R&B songwriting tendencies, his chops behind the drum kit, and careful consideration of himself and his lyrical themes, and the result is a collection of well crafted songs that can hit any demanding listener's sweet tooth whether it be uptempo numbers ("Only You Know And I Know" and "I Don't Wanna Know"), mid-paced drum heavy tracks ("Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore" and "Inside Out"), poppier hits ("Don't Lose My Number" and "Sussudio") and simple yet atmospheric pieces ("Long Long Way To Go" and "Take Me Home"). No other record he's done defines him and his ambitions as much as this one.Phil Collins Serious Hits… Live!Phil Collins Finally... The First Farewell TourPig Destroyer Prowler in the YardPig Destroyer TerrifyerPig Destroyer Phantom LimbPink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of DawnPossessed Beyond the GatesFirst off Possessed isn't a pure death metal band. Theyre tried and true thrash metal with death-tinged vocals (yes there is a difference although you yourself wouldn't know it). and that makes sense they're your favorite since the only genre you're somewhat knowledgeable in (being generous here) is thrash.Possessed The Eyes of HorrorFirst off Possessed isn't a pure death metal band. Theyre tried and true thrash metal with death-tinged vocals (yes there is a difference although you yourself wouldn't know it). and that makes sense they're your favorite since the only genre you're somewhat knowledgeable in (being generous here) is thrash.Possessed Death MetalFirst off Possessed isn't a pure death metal band. Theyre tried and true thrash metal with death-tinged vocals (yes there is a difference although you yourself wouldn't know it). and that makes sense they're your favorite since the only genre you're somewhat knowledgeable in (being generous here) is thrash.Possessed Demo 1993First off Possessed isn't a pure death metal band. Theyre tried and true thrash metal with death-tinged vocals (yes there is a difference although you yourself wouldn't know it). and that makes sense they're your favorite since the only genre you're somewhat knowledgeable in (being generous here) is thrash.Powermad Absolute PowerProtector The HeritagePungent Stench Club Mondo Bizarre - Members OnlyQueensryche Rage for OrderRadiohead The BendsRadiohead In RainbowsRage Against the Machine Evil EmpireRage Against the Machine The Battle of Los AngelesRazor Executioner's SongRazor may borrow heavily from British wave heavy metal, but they take the best elements of said wave, fuse it with the muscle and speed of american-bred thrash metal, and put out an impressive, fun debut. It's raw and unrefined, but the songs, riffs, vocals, and [surprisingly] the bass work stand out. One of the better thrash debuts and a fine beginning for an impressive band.Razor Malicious IntentThe guitar work is unfortunately buried under the thin production at times, but there's enough solid material and banshee screams to compensate even if it lacks the charisma of their debut or the trashing impact of Evil Invaders.Realm Demo (1992)Only two songs, one of which being a great King Crimson cover, and an awesome song called "Cast The First Stone." This was the band's last output before disbanding.Repugnant Epitome of DarknessRepulsion HorrifiedRevenant Prophecies of a Dying WorldReverend ReverendReverend World Won't Miss YouReverend Play GodRipping Corpse Ripping Corpse '92Rotting Christ Kata Ton Demona EaftouRotting Christ Thy Mighty ContractRotting Christ Non ServiamRotting Christ A Dead PoemRotting Christ TheogoniaRottrevore IniquitousRun-D.M.C. Raising HellRush SignalsRush Grace Under PressureRush Clockwork AngelsSabbat (UK) History of a Time to ComeSacred Reich IgnoranceSacrifice Forward to TerminationSacrifice Soldiers Of MisfortuneSadistic Intent ResurrectionSadistic Intent Ancient Black Earth EPSamael Ceremony Of OppositesSamael PassageSarcofago I.N.R.I.Savatage Gutter BalletSavatage Hall of the Mountain KingScorpions Love At First StingScorpions Taken by ForceSecrecy Art In MotionSepultura Morbid VisionsBefore becoming influential leaders of 80's/90's metal, they were once a black metal(ish) band screaming and shouting about satanic stuff. On Morbid Visions, you'll witness flimsy production, untuned guitars, and death like growls anchoring the unfinished feel of the record, but it's actually better than you would think. Opener title track is super fast with blazing riffs and has an admirable charm to its thin sound. The songs are equipped with full choruses unlike most extreme metal of the time, and the material is catchy, enjoyable, and surprisingly underrated despite its juvenile form.Sepultura Bestial DevastationSepultura Chaos A.D.Seventh Angel The TormentSeventh Angel Lament for the WearySinister HateSlayer South of HeavenSlayer slows things down a bit here, and that's not a bad thing by any means. Though less heavy than Reign In Blood and not as evil as Hell Awaits, South of Heaven is an impressive follow up that's faithful to both records with classic tracks (the title track, "Mandatory Suicide," "Live Undead," and "Read Between The Lies"), addicting vocals, and a fine display of powerful riffs and songwriting. Moody and vicious, South of Heaven is a standout album in their catalog.Slayer Divine InterventionSlayer nosedive into the mid 90's with the criminally underrated Divine Intevention and is perhaps their last excellent album in what followed a very hit-and-miss career. "Killing Fields" shreds and grooves a bit differently than previous works but is also very familiar at the same time while "Sex Murder Art" and "Dittohead" are brief and to the point thrashers, and the rest of the music resembles thrash with some underlying grooves. This results in some excellent material free of filler ("Serenity In Muder," the title track, and "213" are atmospheric and really good), and newcomer Paul Bostaph destroys his kit with the most frantic drumming ever featured on a Slayer record. The production takes some getting used to, but it's actually very fitting, and this is perhaps their swansong to consistently excellent material before descending into mediocrity.Slayer Christ IllusionChrist Illusion is the sound of the band cutting loose of the bland, uninspired grooves from previous outtings and returning to the more venomous thrash that defined them almost two decades prior. "Flesh Storm" and "Supremist" open and close the album respectively on a high note with its high velocity riffs and charismatic drumming from the returning Dave Lombardo (his mark is felt here). They trimmed the filler tenfold here, the vocals are better and clearer, and the true return to their thrash is welcomed. They still keep some groove in, but it blends in perfectly and enhances the songs rather than encompass them. "Jihad" and "Skeleton Christ" hold true to the previous statement, and "Cult" is a late career highlight. Among the best thrash records of recent times.Slayer Live UndeadSlipknot Vol. 3: The Subliminal VersesSlipknot We Are Not Your KindReminds me a lot more of their first two albums than any of its predecessors. Should be better than Gray Chapter at least.Sodom Persecution ManiaStraight-forward but full of raging speed, riffs, and aggression, Persecution Mania is a step forward for one of Germany's most iconic thrash acts and is their first masterpiece.Sodom Tapping the VeinSodom's heaviest album and their best testament to death metal/thrash metal, Tapping The Vein is packed with vicious riffs, aggressive vocals, fast tempos, and just about anything you love from both genres. One of their best efforts.Sodom Code RedTheir true return to form which blends their newfound favoritism for death metal mixed with their thrash formula. The result is a fine album with solid tunes and puts the group back on track.Sodom In the Sign of EvilThis would make for the more appropriate debut album compared to the poorly produced yet charming Obsessed By Cruelty due to its better production, driving guitar work, and sinister vocal performance. Sodom Expurse of SodomySolitude Aeturnus AloneSolstice (USA-FL) PraySolstice (USA-FL) To DustSoundgarden SuperunknownStevie Wonder Talking BookStevie Wonder InnervisionsStevie Wonder Fulfillingness' First FinaleStevie Wonder Hotter Than JulyStone StoneStone No Anaesthesia!Stone Temple Pilots PurpleStormtroopers of Death Speak English or DieStrapping Young Lad Heavy as a Really Heavy ThingStrapping Young Lad AlienSuffocation Breeding the SpawnSuffocation Despise the SunSuffocation ReincrematedSuicidal Tendencies How Will I Laugh Tomorrow If I Can't Even Smile Today?Suicidal Tendencies Lights...Camera...RevolutionSword MetalizedTankard Zombie AttackTankard Chemical InvasionTankard The Morning AfterTarget (BE) Master Project GenesisTestament Practice What You PreachTestament The RitualTestament LowTestament The GatheringTestament Brotherhood of the SnakeThe Beach Boys Pet SoundsThe Dillinger Escape Plan Ire WorksThe Notorious B.I.G. Life After DeathThe Organization The OrganizationThe Who The Who Sell OutThy Art Is Murder Infinite DeathTool ÆnimaTool LateralusTorture Storm AlertTourniquet Stop the BleedingTourniquet Microscopic View of a Telescopic RealmToxik Think ThisA tech/prog. thrash metal masterpiece, Toxik up the ante in musical progression from their wonderful debut and make one of the genre's most lyrically and musically complex records. Vocalist Charles Sabin may lack the sheer energy of Mike Sanders, but his more controlled yet impressive singing and falsetto fits better with the tighter songcraft here. Opening title track is a tech. thrash masterpiece stuffed with intricate riffs, various tempo changes, buildup solos, and an eerie anti-commercialism vibe that other bands of the time didn't quite perfect that they nail here (the synthesizers are tastefully done and add to the cold vibe of the album). "Greed," "Shotgun Logic," and especially "Sponaneous" embrace their trend-following political themes far better than their brethren at the time as well while displaying kickass riffs, memorable vocal lines, and almost unorthodox song structures. "Spontaneous" may be the album's highlight here with a well-placed advertisement sample, the best riffs on the album, and a career highlight vocal performance from Charles Sabin. "There Stood The Fence" is a terrific thrash ballad that follows the footsteps of Metallica's "Fade To Black." The production and a second guitarist are the icing to the cake and allow the ambitious vision of mastermind John Christian to come to life, and the result is a masterwork of technical/progressive thrash metal and perhaps a notable influence on prog. metal.Ulver Shadows of the SunUlver The Assassination of Julius CaesarUlver Nattens MadrigalUlver Perdition CityUlver KveldssangerUnleashed Where No Life DwellsUnleashed Shadows in the DeepVader The Ultimate IncantationVader Black to the BlindVader Welcome to the Morbid ReichVan Halen Van Halen IIVan Halen Women and Children FirstVan Halen Fair WarningVan Halen 5150Vektor Outer IsolationVendetta Go and Live... Stay and DieVendetta Brain DamageVengeance Rising Human SacrificeVicious Rumors Welcome to the BallVicious Rumors Vicious RumorsVicious Rumors Soldiers Of The NightVicious Rumors Word Of MouthViolent Force Malevolent Assault of TomorrowVital Remains Forever UndergroundVital Remains DechristianizeW.A.S.P. W.A.S.P.W.A.S.P. The Crimson IdolWatchtower Concepts of Math: Book OneWayne Metal ChurchWehrmacht BiermachtWindir SoknardalrWrathchild America 3-DWu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang ForeverXentrix For Whose Advantage?Xentrix Shattered Existence3.5 great2Pac All Eyez on MeAcheron Hail VictoryAcheron Lex TalionisAcheron Rites of the Black MassAdramelech Pure Blood DoomAdramelech Spring of RecoveryAerosmith AerosmithAerosmith doesn't have every ingredient in their arsenal to set themselves apart as the most faithful band to Led Zeppein to ever set foot on the Earth, but they deliver promise from the start. "Make it" opens the album on a hard rockin' note with some notable lyrics and catchy riffs. "Dream on" is one of the band's most famous hits for a reason: Tyler's passionate vocals, powerful lyrics, and effective buildup, it's a hard rock classic. The cover songs here are pretty good too, almost able to make it seem like their own material. The material is a bit samey, and Tyler's vocals haven't fully fleshed out yet, but their eponymous debut is a solid debut that led to greater things.Aerosmith Permanent VacationNot quite the comeback Aerosmith fans wanted, but it was close in most aspects. The singles "Angel," "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," and "Rag Doll" aren't very standout in their career, but they're more fun than most of Get a Grip. "Heart's Done Time" is a solid by-the-numbers opener for the group, "Hangman Jury" has an experimental sound that pays off with its harmonica sections and laid back vocals, and "St. John" is my favorite song on the album with its devilish groove, dark tone, and driving drum beats and guitar work. A solid release from the group and a welcome diversion from their gloomy days.Agalloch Marrow of the SpiritAgent Steel Skeptics Apocalypse Agent Steel Unstoppable ForceAlice Cooper School's OutAlice in Chains Alice in ChainsAlice in Chains Black Gives Way to BlueAnal Cunt I Like It When You DieAnal Cunt Picnic of LoveAnal Cunt Defenders of the Hate Angelcorpse The InexorableAngelMaker DissentientAngelMaker AngelMakerAnnihilator Set the World on FireDeciding not to repeat their larger-than-life brand of technical thrash metal, they tone it down and diversify their music. Although a stepdown from their masterworks, Set The World on Fire is one of their more redeemable albums, especially when compared to their post 90's material. Opener t/t is driven by grooves and macho riffs with an accomplished vocal performance and outro to boot, "No Zone" is a speed metal romp with some great riffs and soloing. Speaking of that, the soloing is particularly impressive here, being technical yet melodic as usual, and this may be their best sounding record to date with excellent production values and quite bottom heavy and bassy. "Don't Bother Me" and "Brain Dance" feature great riffs and a charming silliness, and "Knight Jumps Queen" may be a tad repetitive but has addictive instrumentation and clever lyrics. Overall a solid, satisfying album if not comparable to their more technical affair.Annihilator Carnival DiablosTalk about an explosive opener! "Denied" takes no time to rip into a frantic whirlwind depicting the end of the world, and the modern production values and distortion, gruff yet melodic vocals, and raging riffs make for a fantastic album intro. Carnival Diablos as a whole dives back into the King of The Kill tendencies with experimentation but holds firmly onto the tech-savvy thrash that was injected into Criteria For a Black Widow. "The Perfect Virus" is distorted groove metal with a thrashing solo section and crammed with white noise, the t/t is melodic and almost enchanting in its carnival like feel, "Shallow Grave" is mostly an ode to AC/DC but is mostly fun and listenable, and "The Rush" is an improved version of "Loving The Sinner" and "Speed." "Insomniac" has a ballad like feel with stop-and-go riffs to great effect, and the best tunes here (other than "Denied") are the last two songs: "Epic of War" feels like a thrashy Iron Maiden tune, and "Hunter Killer" mixes brutal groove riffs with a thrashy song structure and a fun hidden track "Chicken And Corn." There's a couple stinkers here, but this is one of their best post-Neverland albums.Anthrax State of EuphoriaThe generic approach to the songwriting, in addition to placing the guitars lower in the mix (why did they do that?), makes for an unfortunate stepdown compared to their previous works, but Joey is on his a-game in the vocal department, and there's enough catchy material here (the album starts and ends on a good note) to compensate.Anthrax We've Come for You AllWe've Come For You All was a step in the direction for the band, stripping their nu-metal tendencies for a more traditional metal outing with good if restrained helpings of thrash. Recruiting a full time guitarist was a necessary decision, and while Rob Caggiano isn't an outstanding musician, he lays down some nifty solos and reliable if generic riffs. Charlie Benante and Frank Bello once again rule a solid rhythm section, and Charlie Benante throws in more bass drum beats than the two previous efforts combined. "What Doesn't Die" and "Black Dahlia" are embedded in thrash, "Nobody Knows Anything" dips around groovy yet thrashy riffs and schizophrenic drumming, "Superhero" wouldn't feel out of place on SOWN, and "Taking The Music Back" and "Cadillac Rock Box" are midpaced rocking numbers. There's a good heap of enjoyable material here if none are career highlight worthy, but the filler and surprisingly bland production weigh the album down at times. Nevertheless, it's passable entertainment.Anthrax I'm the ManAnthrax Armed and DangerousAnthrax PenikufesinAnthrax The Greater of Two EvilsAnthrax Attack of the Killer B'sAnthrax Return of the Killer A'sAnthrax Summer 2003Apocalypse ApocalypseAriana Grande Yours TrulyAriana Grande Christmas and ChillAriana Grande Love Me HarderArmored Saint Delirious NomadArmored Saint Win Hands DownArtillery When Death ComesArtillery Penalty by PerceptionAsphyx AsphyxAsphyxia [BEL] Exit: RealityAt the Gates The Red in the Sky Is OursAt the Gates With Fear I Kiss the Burning DarknessAt the Gates Terminal Spirit DiseaseAtheist ElementsAtheist JupiterAutopsy Acts of the UnspeakableAutopsy Macabre EternalAutopsy The Headless RitualAvenged Sevenfold City of EvilWhen "Beast And The Harlot," you know you're in for a treat, and you wouldn't be wrong. Throwing in a dose of thrash metal, hard rock, and more traditional metal while stripping their 'core' sound, City of Evil is the band's most earnest and fun album to date. Synyster Gates showcases some nifty riffs and sprawling guitar solos in the vein of Iron Maiden, and he pulls it off far better this time around. The Rev really drives these songs and is full of creative drum fills and impressive double bass beats. M. Shadows's tolerable screams from WTF are gone in favor of a Real Thing-era Patton like delivery, but he does a decent enough job. Johnny Christ throws in nice bass fills and lines throughout, and the production is ideal for the direction they took. "Bat Country," "Beast And The Harlot," "The Wicked End," "Burn it Down," and the album highlight "Sidewinder" are career highlights and make for an album that isn't flawless and has some meh moments but is mostly engaging, fun, reminiscent of their godfathers without ripping off, and is their best record by a considerable margin.Avenged Sevenfold Avenged SevenfoldWhile not usually viewed as their worst album, A7X's self-titled release is their most polarizing release and is probably well earned by its experimental vibe and uneven tone. However, they make this experiment work, and I'm on the favorable opinion. "Critical Acclaim" wreaks of Pantera-ism and 80's extreme metal politics, but they handle it with stride in a groovy, metallic, heavy-handed tune. "Almost Easy" is a hard rocker with some impressive drumming and guitar soloing, "Scream" is a morbid groover with a danceable beat, and they dip into country at times ("Dear God" and "Gungslinger" which is an album highlight). They throw in piano, choirs, and auto-tuning ("Lost," and "Unbound (The Wild Side)," and "A Little Piece of Heaven" is a fun story-driven tune composed by The Rev. Despite this mish-mash premise, the band play as well as ever, M. Shadow's lays down his best vocal performance with the group to date, and the songs actually work. Second best A7X and better than WTF (there I said it).Bathory OctagonBathory Blood on IceBathory Nordland IBeastie Boys Hello NastyBehemoth Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)Behemoth SatanicaBehemoth Thelema.6Behemoth Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond)Behemoth The ApostasyBehemoth I Loved You at Your DarkestBeherit Drawing Down the MoonBeliever Extraction From MortalityBelzebubs Pantheon of the Nightside GodsBenediction The Grand LevellerBlack Sabbath Vol. 4Black Sabbath's hectic schedule was bound to have an effect on them, and they did slip a bit with the unimaginatively titled yet chronologically correct Vol. 4. "Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener" starts on the right foot despite disappointingly retreating back to some of their psychedelic roots, and "Supernaut" is an early headbang inducer for sure, but this is the first Sabbath record to feature filler. "Changes" is an attempt at a ballad, and I say attempt because Ozzy's vocals, while improving with each album, aren't strong enough to drive songs on their own, and the repetitive piano loop and whiny lyrics make for an irritating and boring track. "FX" may be an experiment, but it's also a failure. Despite its flaws and the fact it's overshadowed by every other classic Sabbath record, it merits enough positives to make an enjoyable experience even if it lacks the ambition and scope of the previous three records before it.Black Sabbath 1318 years after the abomination in Forbidden, Black Sabbath have 3/4 of their original lineup including the missing link Ozzy Osbourne who makes his first performance on a Black Sabbath album in almost 35 years. 13 is a gathering of former glories, but they make it surprisingly fresh in the 21st Century and show the world they're still the masters of sinister heavy metal. Although hampered by overly loud production and overlong stretches, the performances are in top form here, and Tony Iommi continues to hit all the right notes with his seismic riffs and Geezer's grinding basslines. Dio did phenomenal in driving the band into melodic territory, and Martin held the group's consitency together save the downward spiral in Forbidden, but Ozzy was their definitive frontman, and while it's a shame this was their last album, it's a fitting swansong encompassing their old school style with a self-awareness of what them metal gods in the first place.Blasphemy Fallen Angel of DoomBlaze Bayley Promise and TerrorBlaze Bayley Blood & Belief (as Blaze)Blaze Bayley The Man Who Would Not DieBlaze Bayley Tenth Dimension (as Blaze)Blind Witness Nightmare on Providence StreetBloodbath The Fathomless MasteryBloodbath Grand Morbid FuneralBloodbath The Arrow of Satan Is DrawnBody Count Body CountBolt Thrower In Battle There Is No Law!Bolt Thrower MercenaryBroken Hope Repulsive ConceptionBroken Hope LoathingBrutal Truth Need to ControlBuckethead Enter the ChickenCandlemass CandlemassCandlemass King of the Grey IslandsCandlemass Psalms For The DeadCandlemass The Door To DoomCandlemass Lucifer RisingCannibal Corpse Tomb of the MutilatedCannibal Corpse BloodthirstCannibal Corpse KillCannibal Corpse TortureCannibal Corpse A Skeletal DomainCarly Rae Jepsen KissCarly Rae Jepsen DedicatedCarnage The Day Man LostCarnage Infestation of EvilCarnage Live EPCarnivore CarnivoreCarriage VisionsCattle Decapitation The Harvest FloorChildren of Bodom Something WildChildren of Bodom Hate Crew DeathrollChildren of Bodom HexedChildren of Bodom Halo of BloodChildren of Bodom Trashed, Lost & StrungoutChrist Denied ...Got What He DeservedThe drum programming is unfortunately apparent, but everything else is pretty solid. m/Christina Aguilera Back to BasicsCoheed and Cambria The Afterman: AscensionCoheed and Cambria The Afterman: DescensionCoheed and Cambria Vaxis I: The Unheavenly CreaturesConverge Petitioning the Empty SkyConverge When Forever Comes CrashingConverge Axe to FallConverge All We Love We Leave BehindConverge The Dusk in UsConvulse Resuscitation of EvilnessCorpus Rottus Rituals of SilenceCrionic DifferentCripple Bastards Your Lies in CheckCripple Bastards Desperately InsensitiveCripple Bastards Variante alla morteCripple Bastards Nero in metastasiCrumbsuckers Life of DreamsCryptic Slaughter Money TalksCryptopsy Whisper SupremacyCyclone Brutal DestructionCyclone Inferior to NoneCyclone Temple I Hate Therefore I AmCypress Hill Cypress Hill III: Temples of BoomD.R.I. Dirty RottenD.R.I. CrossoverD.R.I. 4 of a KindD.R.I. Thrash ZoneDark Angel We Have ArrivedIt's average yet enjoyable thrash affair with decent replay value and a good sense of nostalgia. The prominent rhythm section sound and maniacal vocals are an early staple to their formula. The title track and "Merciless Death" are early band classics.Darkthrone Total DeathDarkthrone Circle the WagonsDarkthrone The Underground ResistanceDarkthrone Arctic ThunderDeamon Descend DethroneDeath MutilationDeath Reign of TerrorDeath Death By MetalDeath Angel The Evil DivideDeath Angel The Dream Calls for BloodDeath Angel HumanicideDeath Angel Kill as OneDeathchain Deadmeat DisciplesDeathchain Deathrash AssaultDeathrow Riders of DoomDeathspell Omega Inquisitors of SatanDecapitated NihilityDecrepit Tired Of Licking Blood From A SpoonDeep Purple Deep PurpleDef Leppard High 'N' DryDefiance (USA-CA) Product of SocietyDeicide LegionDeliverance DeliveranceDemigod Unholy DomainDestruction The AntichristMore of the same from their return to form but every bit as lively and aggressive in approach, and the more aggressive vocal approach of Schmier is the highlight here aside from the tight guitar work and marvelous production job.Destruction All Hell Breaks LooseSchmier is back, sounding better than ever, and so is the band's drive for flesh and blood. They don't reinvent the wheel here, but they instead stay true to the elements that defined them the decade prior: razor sharp, frantic guitar riffs and solos, schizophrenic vocals, and a pounding rhythm section now in a sleeker package. A strong effort that is also an impressive return to form.Destruction Inventor of EvilThe band's heaviest and fastest effort comes with extra grit this time around, and the result is an album that will pound you into submission. That being said, it's tried-and-true Destruction which means it doesn't reach the heights of their first three records but is arguably the best one that came after it.Destruction Bestial Invasion of HellDestruction Thrash AnthemsDevourment Butcher The WeakDevourment Molesting the DecapitatedDio Dream EvilDio Sacred HeartDir En Grey VulgarDismember DismemberDismember Where Ironcrosses GrowDismember Massive Killing CapacityDismember Death MetalDismember Last BlasphemiesDismember MisanthropicDissection The Grief ProphecyDissection The Somberlain (Demo)Dr. Dre 2001Dream Theater Train of ThoughtDream Theater Six Degrees of Inner TurbulenceDream Theater Distance Over TimeDying Fetus Wrong One to Fuck WithDying Fetus Descend into DepravityDying Fetus Killing on AdrenalineEdge of Sanity UnorthodoxEdge of Sanity Until Eternity EndsEdge of Sanity Kur-Nu-Gi-AElliot Goldenthal Alien 3Elliot Goldenthal Pet SemataryEminem InfiniteEminem The Marshall Mathers LP 2Emperor IX EquilibriumEnsiferum From AfarEntombed CrawlEntombed HollowmanEntombed Black JujuEpidemic (Metal) DecameronEquilibrium ErdentempelExciter Violence and ForceExhorder The LawExodus Impact Is ImminentRazor-sharp guitar tone and good riffs can't cover up the often dull songwriting and poor vocals, marking a stepdown from their previous solid output. There's a couple enjoyable tunes here, especially "Only Death Decides" which is a groovy, raging monster of a track with badass riffs, and the title track is a good way to kick off the album with its frantic pace and memorable if stupid concept. "Thrash Under Pressure" is a decent closer, "Objection Overruled" is a solid midpoint on the album with its midpaced riffing, memorable lyrics, and steamrolling double bass drumming, and the longer tracks sport good ideas even if "Within The Walls of Chaos" is the only one to consistently execute them. Overall, the album has an unfortunately track-skipping trait but is uplifted by good ideas and some solid tunes.Exodus Force of HabitA considerable step up from the ambitious yet tired III, Exodus strip down their thrash considerably and slip on their groove. The result is more enjoyable than you think; Exodus's guitar work is a template to how the ideal groove metal sound should be, and this is backed up by a smart knack for catchy riffs even if they're sometimes played for too long. The solos are pitch perfect here too, in fact, their best solos ever recorded, balancing melody with technicality. "Thorn in My Side" is a great mid-tempo opener which sets the tone for the rest of the album (the lyrical content and song names are based on metaphors), and the likes of "Fuel For The Fire," "Count Your Blessings," and "Feeding Time At The Zoo" are fully realized thrash tunes with melodic tendencies which sound great and show us how they still have thrash left in them [up to this point]. The covers don't work, and the album could've been trimmed down by 15 minutes or so, but it's a good album and perhaps better than most of their post-Tempo output.Exodus The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit AFrom this point forward, Exodus's material stretches far longer than it should, and the riffs often drag despite the "progressive" nature of the material. This album isn't fully plagued by that statement, but it often creeps into the songwriting which takes away some of the enjoyment from songs such as the riff monsters "Funeral Hymm" and "Iconclasm" which are great songs with spot-on riffs and vocals but could be trimmed. "Children of a Worthless God" is a failed attempt at a prog. metal, resulting in an overlong, repetitive song with stale riffs, and while "Bedlam 123" is pretty solid, faster paced thrash, it takes a long time to build up. With these problems in mind, the album is well produced with the drums sounding fuller on this release, and the likes of "Riot Act" and "As It Was As It Soon Shall Be" sound like better versions of previous output. Rob Duke's vocals are his best with the group to date, and his roars and screams are surprisingly convincing. The title track, despite being the longest track they ever made, is the album's crowning achievement, managing to sound apocalyptic while full of tempo changes and sharp riffs. Had this been trimmed down and had more creative input been put into the duller moments of the album, we'd be looking at a very solid 4 star record.Exodus War Is My ShepherdExumer Hostile DefianceStill kickin' strong! May seem like just another continuation in their "comfort zone" since Fire And Damnation, but they get brownie points for consistency, solid performances, neat production, and headbangin' tunes. Exumer deliver the goods as usual. m/Faith No More Album of the YearAlbum of The Year is an ironic title because it's probably their worst Patton-led album up to this point and is a stepdown from King For a Day. That being said, there's enjoyable traits here. The guitarwork is reliable as usual, The rhytm section takes a back seat at time here but they play well and keep the bottom-end steady, the more laidback vibe here is welcome from the frenetic energy of previous works, and Patton's vocals are in top form as usual. "Collision" is a hardhitting opener that works pretty well, and "Stripsearch" is a tasty slice of deceptively relaxing music led by Patton's hypnotic vocals. "Last Cup of Sorrow" continues the trend, and "Naked in Front of The Computer" is a funny throwaway track with the riffiest song structure on the album yet barely makes the 2 minute mark. "She Loves me Not" is driven by Patton's smooth vocals not unlike "Evidence," and "Pristina" closes the record on a good note. A solid record for the band if a bit underwhelming in spades.Faith No More Sol InvictusThe return of Faith no More was a surprise to many considering how they changed the music landscape along with Kurt Cobain and friends and seemingly disappeared off the face of the Earth save the charismatic Mike Patton. But alas, they're back, and Sol Invictus is a welcomed return of the juggernauts. It may bear more resemblance to King For a Day and Album of The Year instead of the Real Thing or Angel Dust, but that's not a bad thign by any means. The title track opens the album differently than previous works with building drum rolls and calm vocals. It's different but is a good first impression. "Superhero" is the standout tune here with its rockin' verses, impressive buildup, and epic scope most closely resembling their older material but standing out on its own. The guitarwork also stands out for its catchy riffs and terrific guitar solo. The production values are great as usual with a more rock-sounding production than Album of The Year. "Seperation Anxiety" is a beefy chugger, "Cone of Shame" is moody, and "Motherfucker" is a complete deviation from anything they were doing up to that point but a good tune as well. "From The Dead" reminds me of the better material of AOTY and closes the album on a good note. Sol Invictus takes more time to sink in compared to other output by the band, but "Superhero" alone should entice you to this impressive reform of the legends of alternative metal.Falkenbach ...En Their Medh Riki Fara...Falkenbach Heralding - The FirebladeFall Out Boy Save Rock and RollFear Factory Soul of a New MachineFleshless Sensual Death ImmitationFlotsam and Jetsam CuatroF&J change their course and begin writing more alternative styled metal. It's backed up by beautiful production, perhaps their best sounding record ever, and their frontman pens down many lyrical metaphors in a more gruff fashion than before. While lacking a career highlight, the music is genuinely enjoyable, and they show promising signs for their drastically different direction on this release.Flotsam and Jetsam My GodBrings back some of their once thrash tendencies and blends it in with their alternative/groove foundation with yet another excellent performance from Eric.Fragments of Unbecoming Skywards: A Sylphe's AscensionGenesis We Can't Dance"Fading Lights" closes the curtain in appropriate fashion for the Collins-era Genesis and what I believe is a solid effort in their catalog. Surely, they've moved very far from their prog roots even before this point, but this album shows their edge for pop-flared rock tunes such as "No Son of Mine" and "Driving The Last Spike," and tunes like "Dreaming While You Sleep" and "Fading Lights" show us how their talent for crafting long songs never went away. Phil's vocals were also spot-on for the time, perhaps some of his best throughout his lengthy career, and the production values have aged well, carrying off a fairly vibrant sound with nice textures to the unique drum sound and keyboard work. Sure, several of these tunes don't work well ("Since I Lost You," "Tell Me Why," and "Never a Time" in particular), but it still makes for a good swansong to 'Genesis.'Genesis Invisible TouchIt might be because it was my first Genesis record growing up, but Invisible Touch often hits the right spot throughout its duration. Its polished, 80's production values and poppy underbelly are a drastic departure from what was already a shift in style for the group, but it actually works most of the time. "Tonight Tonight Tonight" and "Domino" continue their trend of showing us how they never fully shifted from their prog roots despite their questionable 'progressive' nature while "Land of Confusion" and "Anything She Does" are driven by their huge choruses and upbeat tempo. The title track is their boldest statement in pure pop, and the result is an effectively catchy song. The ballads aren't good, further showing how ballads were never their forte, but as a pop record, the album excels.Genesis GenesisRather than being a 'jack of all trades' effort, their self-titled album sees them shifting from prog-tinged rock to poppier music, and the result is better than the average rating suggests. Both homes by the sea, "Mama," and "Just a Job to Do" are the choice cuts here.Genesis AbacabGenesis DukeGenesis ...And Then There Were Three...Genesis TrespassGojira Terra IncognitaGojira The LinkGorgoroth Ad Majorem Sathanas GloriamGrave You'll Never See...Grave Infestation Infesticide (demo)Green Day American IdiotGreen Day DookieGrim Reaper Fear No EvilGrim Reaper See You In HellGrinder Dead EndHalestorm HalestormHalestorm The Strange Case Of...Halford ResurrectionHalford's Resurrection features many tunes and ideas not dissimilar to his work on Judas Priest, and thankfully, there's a solid helping of nifty tunes to please (the title track, "Made In Hell," "Hell's Last Survivor," and "Cyberworld" come to mind). Rob's vocals are top notch, the riffs are solos are strong if not amazing, and the production is clean yet heavy enough to satisfy, but there's also an unfortunate chunk of filler that keeps this from being great. A solid if unimportant album.Havok ConformicideHavok fully cash in on the political direction of the genre.....from over 2 decades ago. It's an outdated premise that could've been appreciable if they didn't just spit out directionless lyrics that don't get specific in its topic matter. The production is squeaky clean almost to a fault if it weren't for the nice sounding bass and drums that overpower the guitars at times. That wouldn't be a problem if the acquired taste vocals weren't so loud or if the guitarwork was memorable outside of some impressive solos and occasionally cool riff or two. The final product means well, but it's mostly boring and overly clean and lacking any real venom.Havok Time Is Up"Prepare For Attack" starts up with some stop-and-go tempo with the snare drum and guitar riff and builds up into a headbangable song, and while still lacking in originality, makes for a more promising record than their mild-mannered debut, and it delivers in spades, utilizing the best of older thrash metal before them with a more technical spin while throwing in some hardcore (particularly the vocal department). "Fatal Intervention" has some of the best riffs and a memorable chorus, "Covering Fire" is jam packed with finesse drumming of newcomer Pete Webber and shows the world why he's a leading man in the metal drummer world. "Scumbag In Disguise" is perhaps the most old school tune here, and it may be the best one with its highlight chorus and headbanging pace, and "No Amnesty" is third wave thrash worship of the best kind. "The Cleric" is too generic for enjoyment, but the album is lacking in filler, there's a fair amount of variety in each tune, and may be the band's best album and the best album of the revival wave of thrash which might not be saying a lot with the 3.5 rating.Hell Within Asylum Of The Human PredatorHellhammer Triumph Of DeathTriumph of Death is where Hellhammer become a defining force in making atmospheric yet extreme as fuck metal which would inspire legions of others to duplicate. It's more enjoyable than its predecessor as well. Sits somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4.Hellhammer Apocalyptic RaidsHelstar VampiroHelstar This Wicked NestHelstar Remnants of WarHelstar The King of HellHexx Under the SpellHexx Morbid RealityHobbs' Angel of Death Hobbs' Angel of DeathHolocausto Campo de ExterminioHolocausto Blocked MindsHoly Moses Queen Of SiamHoly Moses The New Machine of LiechtensteinHoly Terror Terror and SubmissionHorrendous The ChillsHoward Shore The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug SoundtrackHoward Shore The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five ArmiesHypocrisy The Fourth DimensionIce Cube The PredatorImmolation AtonementImmolation Hope and Horror Immortal Diabolical Fullmoon MysticismImmortal Battles in the NorthImprecation Damnatio ad BestiasImprecation Satanae Tenebris InfinitaIn Dread Response HeavenshoreIncantation The Infernal StormIncantation Vanquish in VengeanceIncantation Dirges of ElysiumIndestroy IndestroyIndestructible Noise Command The VisitorIron Maiden The X FactorBruce left for a reason, and he sounded tired of being Iron Maiden's frontman anyway. Enter Blaze Bayley with a melodic yet lower registered voice, and while he's not the commanding leader Bruce was, he fits like a glove with the morbid material here. "Sign of The Cross" proves to be one of the band's most epic openings and is a highlight in their career with its quite, atmospheric passages, progressive nature, Blaze's vocal performance, and frantic verses. "Lord of The Flies" and "Man on The Edge" are great tunes as well and are uplifted by the fittingly gruff vocals of Bayley. The production values are very nice here with the rhythm section receiving a boost in fullness and clarity. "The Edge of Darkness" is a terrific song, and "Fortunes of War" is fittingly morbid. The familiar musicianship and darker themes are a welcome change from the identity crisis of the previous two records, but the album's length and presence of filler knock this album down to just marginally better than its predecessors. Still a solid album by the group.Jay-Z In My Lifetime, Vol. 1Jay-Z Vol. 2: Hard Knock LifeJed Kurzel Alien CovenantJerry Goldsmith GremlinsJohn Frizzell Alien RessurectionJohn Williams Star Wars: The Force AwakensJohn Williams Star Wars: The Last JediJohn Williams Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the ClonesJudas Priest Rocka RollaLacking the defining heavy metal scope of their future output, Rocka Rolla is a nonetheless enjoyable effort by the band. "One For The Road," the title track, and "Run of The Mill" are the best tracks here and pave the way for the more metallic emphasis of their first masterpiece Sad Wings of Destiny.Judas Priest Defenders of the FaithAny album with "The Sentinel" on it ought to be good, and Defenders of The Faith certainly is. The boys were on a streak with platinum records, and Defenders features some of their best 80's material. "Freewheel Burning" and "Jawbreaker" are an impressive pair of opening tunes with a driving edge to them and outstanding vocals. "Rock Hard Ride Free" is a lost anthem and an excellent one at that. "The Sentinel" is the crowned jewel of the record and is one of their best songs to date. "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" and "Night Comes Down" help redeem the album's [unfortunate] weaker half which closes with a wimper. It's a shame because the first half is very strong, but this may be the band's most inconsistent 'good' album. The dated 80's hollow sound doesn't do the record favors either despite the guitars sounding nice. Still, "The Sentinel" and "Rock Hard Ride Free" are notable band classics and make for a mostly solid album.Judas Priest Ram It DownRam it Down finds the group restoring a lot of the metal that was seemingly lost on Turbo, and they add even more speed metal than ever to the mix. Opening title track is a headbanging tune with a great chorus and impressive guitarwork. "Heavy Metal" is drenched in terrific guitar solos and some badass riffing and is a cheesy but awesome tune. "Love Zone" is also quite cheesy but the riffing, chorus, and vocals are a delight. "Come And Get it" and the marvelous "Hard as Iron" continue the guitar heavy trend with the latter being the closest to thrash metal they've reached up to that point. "Blood Red Skies" is a bit long but is a solid epic, and the "Johnny B. Goode" cover is a well done cover. Like Defenders of The Faith, the second half of the album is inconsistent, and the production (especially the drums) has a dated feel, but Ram it Down is a step up from Turbo with its more metallic tunes and some great tunes and paves the way for the band's third pinnacle (and their most metallic album to date).Jungle Rot Slaughter the WeakJungle Rot Dead and BuriedJustin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSoundsKalmah For the RevolutionKalmah PaloKanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyKanye West GraduationKendrick Lamar Section.80King Diamond The Puppet MasterKing Diamond The Spider's LullabyeKing Diamond The GraveyardKing Diamond VoodooKing Diamond Abigail II: The RevengeKreator Cause for ConflictCause For Conflict sees Kreator moving back to harder edged material from the polarizing Renewal, but they still show their inability to put "soul" and character into the bland material here.Kreator Violent RevolutionViolent Revolution is a return to form for Kreator, channeling the traits that defined their style back in the 80's while playing it in a modern, sleek package. Considering how their formula was a driving force in 80's metal, that factor alone makes this among the better comebacks of recent times, and Miles returns to his throatier yet screeched vocal style with a nice touch of grit added to it. They don't break new ground here, but they once again sound comfortable in their own skin.Kreator Enemy of GodFavoring melody over grit (but not too much more) compared to Violent Revolution, Enemy of God sounds like the follow-up to Coma of Souls that should've existed before their 90's slump. That makes it often alike to said album to a fault, but the music sounds fresh and varied enough (if not always various) to set itself apart as one of their better records.Kreator Hordes of ChaosHordes of Chaos is what truly confirmed Kreator's modern day direction: melodic thrash metal. The sheer speed and intelligently crafted melodic harmonies allow them to teach the newcomer thrashers how it's done. It's also much shorter from the angry yet overlong Enemy of God so it's lean and lacking in filler. Possibly the best post-90's Kreator and sees them once again firing on all cylinders with their blistering trade-off solos.Kreator Phantom AntichristKreator push onward while firmly holding onto their roots. Surely they know their glory days are past them, but at least they still know how to make reliably catchy, melodic, and aggressively branded thrash metal.Kreator Gods of ViolenceThe polished production of Gods of Violence cannot mask their signs of gradual aging, but the music itself is reliable enough to catch your ear for a while. Kreator Civilization CollapseLamb of God VII: Sturm und DrangLamb of God ResolutionLamb of God SacramentLamb of God Pure American MetalLed Zeppelin In Through the Out DoorLionsheart LionsheartA fun little discovery on Youtube. Steve Grimmet definitely brought me here and is always the best part of any album he's on, with this being a good example.Living Sacrifice InhabitLL Cool J Mama Said Knock You OutLoudblast DisincarnateMachine Head Burn My EyesMadonna True BlueMadonna Like a VirginMadonna MadonnaMalevolent Creation StillbornManilla Road Crystal LogicManilla Road Open the GatesManilla Road The DelugeMariah Carey DaydreamMariah Carey ButterflyMaroon 5 It Won't Be Soon Before LongMaroon 5 Hands All OverMaster On the Seventh Day God Created.... MasterMaster Unreleased 1985 AlbumMastodon Once More 'Round the SunMeg Myers SorryMegace Human errorsMegadeth Cryptic WritingsMegadeth RiskMekong Delta Pictures at an ExhibitionMekong Delta Lurking FearMekong Delta Wanderer on the Edge of TimeMercy (SWE) WitchburnerMeshuggah Nothing (Re-Release)Meshuggah Psykisk TestbildMeshuggah SelfcagedMeshuggah The True Human DesignMetal Church This Present WastelandOn This Present Wasteland, the band does not present any major changes to their formula, but the album carries a relaxed vibe compared to the calculation of their previous albums, showing us that they are in a comfortable position with Ronny Munroe at the helm. Speaking of Munroe, he channels his inner Bruce Dickinson more here while belting out lyrics in his signature lower register, making for yet another impressive vocal performance. The material is consistent, and "in The Company of Sorrow" is a great opener, but the album is unfortunately lacking in 'outstanding' highlights, making it just a slight letdown from A Light In The Dark but still a good album.Metal Church The Weight of the WorldMasterpeace was not quite the masterpiece we expected, and with David Wayne's passing and Mike Howe's retiring from music, who would've thought they would continue on? Well they found a competent frontman in Ronny Munroe who sounds like a slightly more gruff Steve Grimmet (Grim Reaper/Onslaught). He puts on an outstanding vocal performance and differs himself enough from MC's previous frontmen to stand out and is the highlight here. The material is stronger and more consistent here if a bit frontloaded (the first half of the album is undoubtedly stronger). "Leave Them Behind" is a terrific opener with its commanding vocals and instantly ripping riffs and tempo changes, the t/t is more midtempo but is elevated by its vicious riffs and strong vocals, and "Madman's Overture" is the album highlight here. there's a few stinkers here, but Weight of The World closes on a good note with "Blood Money" and comfortably sits around a 3.5 and a 4.Metal Church Live in JapanMetal Church LiveMetal Church Classic LiveMetallica Death MagneticMetallica Hardwired...To Self-DestructMetallica Garage Inc.Metallica No Life 'til LeatherMichael Jackson Off the WallMichael Jackson BadMonstrosity In Dark PurityMonstrosity The Passage of ExistenceMoonsorrow Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassaMoonsorrow Suden uniMoonspell Sin/PecadoMorbid December MoonMorbid Angel Gateways to AnnihilationMorbid Angel Kingdoms DisdainedMorbid Angel Laibach RemixesMorbid Angel Scream Forth BlasphemiesMortification MortificationMotorhead InfernoMotorhead BastardsMotorhead Another Perfect DayMotorhead Iron FistMotorhead BomberMudvayne L.D. 50Mutilator Immortal ForceNailbomb Point BlankNapalm Cruel TranquilityNapalm Death Fear, Emptiness, DespairNapalm Death Utopia BanishedNapalm Death Harmony CorruptionNasty Savage Penetration PointNecrodeath Into the MacabreNecrophagia Season of the DeadNeil Turbin Threatcon DeltaNevermore Enemies Of RealityNihilist DrownedNihilist Only Shreds RemainNihilist Premature AutopsyNine Inch Nails Pretty Hate MachineNo Return Contamination RisesNo Return Psychological TormentNocturnus ThresholdsNuclear Assault Game OverNuclear Assault SurviveOpeth OrchidOpeth Pale CommunionOpeth HeritageOutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love BelowOverkill Under the InfluenceOverkill I Hear BlackOverkill Killbox 13Overkill IronboundOverkill !!!Fuck You!!!Ozzy Osbourne No More TearsPantera Far Beyond DrivenPantera got even groovier and even heavier than before, and they reached their peek of commercial success with the most extreme album to reach number one on the billboard hot 200 charts and their third consecutive platinum certified release. A big surprise in the music industry, it proved that harsh sounding material can be just as successful as light and accessible pop music. Aside from commercial success and its legacy on 90's metal, the music here is also quite good if a stepdown from its predecessors. "Strength Beyond Strength" is a half punkish speedy number and half eerie midsection groove, "Becoming" is a chunky groover with a nifty drumline, "5 Minutes Alone" is perfected venomous groove with a brutal outro section, and "I'm Broken" is full pledged groove with a unique riff and a terrific solo (perhaps the best song here and features surprisingly morbid lyrics). "Slaughtered" is a thrashier number, and "Throes of Rejection" features one of their best riffs ever. There's an unfortunate amount of "ambitious" tunes that just don't work ("Hard Lines And Sunken Cheeks" and "Good Friends And a Bottle of Pills" come to mind), but FBD and its further deviance from their early days mostly works, and there are genre classics here as usual.Pantera WalkParadox Riot SquadParadox Collision CourseParadox ElectrifyParadox Tales of the WeirdPatriarcha Yersinia PestisPessimist (DE) Call To WarAlbum thrashes ahrd with solid, not-too-flashy production and great gang shouts and vocals. Pretty rad stuff! m/Pestilence SpheresPhil Collins Brother Bear: Original SoundtrackA solid soundtrack to a rather underrated, enjoyable Disney film.Phil Collins 12''ersPink Floyd A Saucerful of SecretsPink Floyd Atom Heart MotherPink Floyd The Final CutPossessed Ashes From HellFirst off Possessed isn't a pure death metal band. Theyre tried and true thrash metal with death-tinged vocals (yes there is a difference although you yourself wouldn't know it). and that makes sense they're your favorite since the only genre you're somewhat knowledgeable in (being generous here) is thrash.Possessed Revelations of Oblivion"First off Possessed isn't a pure death metal band. Theyre tried and true thrash metal with death-tinged vocals (yes there is a difference although you yourself wouldn't know it). and that makes sense they're your favorite since the only genre you're somewhat knowledgeable in (being generous here) is thrash." -Woody 2018Protector GolemProtector Urm the MadPsychostick We Couldn't Think of a TitlePsychostick SandwichPungent Stench Been Caught ButteringQueensryche The WarningRadiohead AmnesiacRadiohead Hail to the ThiefRadiohead The King of LimbsRadiohead A Moon Shaped PoolRage Against the Machine RenegadesRazor Custom KillingIt's a hit and miss ride for the band, but the change of pace is welcoming at times, the guitar tone, solos, and riffs are reliable, the bass and drum work is audible and solid. It's a good album in their catalog.Razor Open HostilityHands down: "Sucker For Punishment" is one of their best songs to date. The riffs are badass, and the venomous vocal performance and audible bass add to the brutality. This statement also applies to the album as well. It doesn't have as many highlights as Shotgun Justice, and the drums (while programmed well) lack an organic feel to them, but the album is backed by a dense production and is full of heavy, exciting riffs.Razor Armed and DangerousRealm Perceptive IncentiveA promising debut prior to the arrival of new vocalist Marc Antoni. Doug Walker has a Rob Halford like voice on this self-released demo.Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex MagikRotting Christ AealoRotting Christ Sleep of the AngelsRotting Christ KhronosRotting Christ GenesisRotting Christ Sanctus DiavolosRun-D.M.C. Run DMCRun-D.M.C. King Of RockRush Fly by NightSacramentum The Coming of ChaosSacred Reich The American WaySacrifice Torment In FireSadistic Intent Impending DoomSamael Blood RitualScorpions Fly to the RainbowScorpions Crazy WorldScorpions Animal MagnetismScorpions Virgin KillerSecrecy Raging RomanceSepultura RootsSex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex PistolsSix Feet Under HauntedSlipknot SlipknotSlipknot IowaSodom PartisanSodom Obsessed by CrueltySodom Better Off DeadBetter Off Dead is a step down from their magnum opus Agent Orange, but it does thrash out to reasonable degree with good soloing and great vocals.Sodom In War and PiecesAngelripper is the heart and soul of this band. even their 'bad' albums are often uplifted by his unchanging but gritty and fresh vocals and driving bass work. He makes no exceptions here as well in what is their most melodic album in quite some time. There's a nice underlying groove to these tunes too, making it one of their better releases. Sits somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4.Solitude Aeturnus DownfallSolitude Aeturnus AdagioSoundgarden BadmotorfingerStone Emotional PlaygroundStone ColoursStone Temple Pilots CoreStone Temple Pilots Tiny Music... Songs From the Vatican Gift ShopStrapping Young Lad Strapping Young LadStrapping Young Lad The New BlackSuffocation SuffocationSuffocation Pinnacle of BedlamSuicidal Tendencies Suicidal TendenciesSuicidal Tendencies The Art of RebellionTankard The Meaning of LifeTankard Beast of BourbonTarget (BE) Mission ExecutedTenacious D Tenacious DTenacious D The Pick of DestinyTestament Souls of BlackTestament The Formation of DamnationTestament Dark Roots of EarthThe Offspring SmashThe Organization Savor the FlavorThe Secret Agnus DeiThe Who A Quick OneThe Who My GenerationTool UndertowToxik III WorksTurbo Kawaleria SzatanaUlver Themes From William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and HellUlver Messe I.X-VI.XUlver Blood InsideUnleashed Across the Open SeaUnleashed MidvinterblotVader RevelationsVader Impressions In BloodVader Tibi et IgniVan Halen Diver DownVanhelgd Relics of Sulphur SalvationVenom Welcome to HellVenom Black MetalVio-Lence Torture TacticsVital Remains Let Us PrayVital Remains Into Cold DarknessVital Remains Dawn of the ApocalypseVital Remains Icons of EvilVoivod Angel RatVoivod The Outer LimitsVulcano Bloody VengeanceVulcano AnthropophagyVulcano Who Are the True?Vulcano RatraceW.A.S.P. The Headless ChildrenWhiplash Power and PainWintersun Time IWolftooth WolftoothWrathchild America Climbin' the WallsXentrix Bury The PainZnowhite Act Of God3.0 good311 311311 Transistor50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin'AC/DC High VoltageAC/DC Let There Be RockAC/DC Highway To HellAdramelech Terror of Thousand FacesAdramelech SevenAdramelech The FallAerosmith Draw the LineAerosmith Get a GripThe majority of Aerosmith's output is full of their signature flare whether or not the music delivers, and that statement can be applied here. Get a Grip has the experimental edge of Permanent Vacation, but while there's some worthwhile tunes here, it lacks the invigorated sound of Pump. "Eat The Rich" is a terrific opener, with a sleezy groove and wise-cracking lyrics and signature guitarwork. The t/t is another fun tune with an interesting solo section, "Fever" has a driving rhythm like "Young Lust" but isn't very interesting, "Livin' on The Edge" was a successful single that took a crack at social issues but is bland in delivery, and the other singles are decent if not amazing. The production values are first class, the experimentation is welcomed, and the album starts off pretty well, but Get a Grip is a stepdown from Pump that led to a slippery slope of mediocrity that they never recovered from.Agalloch The Serpent and the SphereAlice in Chains The Devil Put Dinosaurs HereAlkoholizer Drunk or Dead ...Anal Cunt Everyone Should Be KilledAnal Cunt Top 40 HitsAnal Cunt 40 More Reasons To Hate UsAngelcorpse Of Lucifer and LightningAnnihilator For the DementedAnnihilator Criteria for a Black WidowLook past that awful album cover and the mediocre albu mthat came before it, and you'll uncover a [mostly] return to form for The Jeff Waters Band with most of the Alice in Hell lineup to boot. It succeeds in bringing back their technical thrash metal with their traditional metal, and the production is wonderfully bottom heavy and bassy, making for music with bite. "Bloodbath" and "Back to The Palace" would comfortably fit on their first two records, and "Nothing Left" may be one of their fastest tunes to date. "Loving The Sinner" wold fit on Set The World on Fire and King of The Kill, and "Double Dare" and "Sonic Homicide" are other tunes in the vein of their classic material. A great return to form and a solid release in their post-Neverland canon.Annihilator Schizo DeluxeAnnihilator Refresh The DemonAnnihilator look back to thrashier territory, and the great production, more rocky tempos and song structures, and catchiness factor are all excellent ingredients on paper. Refresh The Demon offers those things in spades. The album kicks off well with the fast paced t/t with its fun, catchy riffing and fading sections, "Syn. Kill 1" rages with a "Set The World on Fire" tempo, and "The Pastor of Disaster" follows a tempo like "Knight Jumps Queen" and "21" but offers memorable riffing of its own. "Ultraparanoia" carries thrashy riffs with a sleezy underbelly groove, and "Innocent Eyes" is the lone ballad here and a fitting closer to an album that primarily consists of riff-driven songs. While there's great tunes here, and there's a plethora of catchy riffs throughout, many of the songs don't carry their own weight well or do much to distinguish themselves from traditional heavy metal bands of the golden age or the band's previous material. A solid album overall if a disappointing one.Anthrax Volume 8: The Threat Is RealAnthrax's most experimental record is definitely not their best either. The album wears a straightforward nu-metal outfit on songs like "Crush" and "Catharsis," but it also noodles around on tracks like "Piss And Vinegar" and "A Toast To The Extras." The small contributions from Dimebag Darrell, with his interesting solos and meaty guitar tone, aren't enough to carry the uninspired material here. It had the potential to be quite good, but I guess the threat to their songwriting was much more real than they anticipated. Anthrax AnthemsAnthrax Inside OutAnthrax Madhouse: The Very Best of AnthraxAnvil Hard 'n' HeavyAriana Grande Christmas KissesAriana Grande Side to Side (Remixes)Arkham 13 Born To Bring DeathArkham 13 The WrathArkham 13 Blood FiendArmored Saint RevelationArtillery B.A.C.K.Artillery My BloodArtillery The Face Of FearAssorted Heap The Experience of HorrorAvenged Sevenfold Sounding the Seventh TrumpetCertainly a raw upbringing for one of the mainstream's most popular 'metal' acts, Sounding The Seventh Trumpet has its moments, but it's a so-so album to a band whose career didn't get much better anyway. "Turn The Other Way" has some great riffs, but the constant change of structure means the riffs often pass on by without feeling 'finished' or 'refined' which are traits lacking throughout this release. M. Shadows may be a versatile vocalist, but he's been my least favorite part of the group aside from misguided experimentation. The Rev wacks at his drums passionately but hasn't quite developed his chops as a song-driver yet. Aside from "To End The Rapture" which is the best tune here and [thankfully] the first, uplifted by an impressive guitar solo and better production, the songs are choppy and not played with professionalism making this a rather middling release by a middling band, but the anger and heavy riffs may entice some.Avenged Sevenfold NightmareThe Rev's swansong with the band (with Mike Portnoy playing his drumlines), Nightmare is more focused than their wild self-titled album, but it's perhaps even more uneven. The album starts off with its rockers which aren't the best tunes here (the t/t, "Buried Alive," "Welcome to The Family," and "Danger Line" are passable but aren't very impressive), but a few rockers work. "Natural Born Killer" is a mostly thrash tune with impressive riffs and drum lines, and "God Hates us" mixes some of their metalcore roots (yes the screams too which are decent here) with dense, Pantera riffs for one of their most vicious tunes ever. The second half is better with longer compositions that dip into ballads ("Fiction" and "Victim") and acoustics ("Tonight The World Dies"), and they actually show their knack for this stuff on this release especially on closer "Save Me." The band's longest song to date, it's atmospheric, stuffed with impressive drum lines and guitar passages, and is a career highlight and a terrific closer. Although uneven and bogged down by generic downtuned rockers, Nightmare is an acceptable album in their catalog and showed their knack for the style we least expected them to perfect: ballads and non-rockers.Avenged Sevenfold The StageAfter the almost career ending misfire in Hail To The King, A7X clean up their act and head back to more advneturous songwriting. While not perfect, The Stage is a step in the right direction and may be their most progressive bound record to date. Drummer Brooks Wackerman is a welcome fit for the group, and while he isn't the composer powerhouse The Rev was, he plays his drums well and more finesse than anything on HTTK with nifty fills and impressive double bass rhythms. Synyster Gates brings forth impressive solos and solid riffs in spades, and the lyrics and themes mostly compensate for a tired out vocal performance which isn't unbearable but shows wear and tear more than before. "God Damn" is a thrashy number with a fun hook and precise drumming and riffs, the opening t/t is a proggy track following the footsteps of Dream Theatre, "Paradigm" and "Sunny Disposition" are driven by their lyrics and hooks, "Creating God" follows suit with a rockier tempo, and "Exist" is the band's longest composition ever made and one that spirals in and out of tempo changes and sound effects and is a career highlight and excellent closer. If they stick this route, A7X may bring greater works to come, but The Stage is one of their finer records to date and an overall enjoyable, engaging album.Avril Lavigne Let GoAvril Lavigne Under My SkinBathory Nordland IIBehemoth GromBehemoth Pandemonic IncantationsBeherit Electric Doom SynthesisBeherit EngramBenediction Subconscious TerrorBenediction Killing MusicBeyonce B'DayBeyonce 4Beyonce BeyonceBeyonce LemonadeBlack Sabbath Seventh StarBlack Sabbath Headless CrossRay Gillen was the better singer for The Eternal Idol, but Tony Martin was a competent vocalist, and he has more room to breathe on the follow up Headless Cross. In fact, he channels his inner power metal, and he puts on a solid show in the process if a bit exaggerated at times. Drummer Cozy Powell's presence here doesn't hurt either, throwing in some technically impressive drum fills and appropriately tight grooves. Not flashy but played well. There's nothing particularly amazing here, and the album lacks true highlights like "Hard Life To Love" or "Ancient Warrior," but it's a pleasant late Sabbath release anchored by impressive vocals.Black Sabbath TyrTony Martin may lack the charisma of Ronnie James Dio or the sinister vibe of Ozzy Osbourne, but he's a fearsome wailer and can belt out high-pitched notes with the best of them. He definitely validates that statement on the opener "Anno Mundi." The tune is pretty nifty and even dramatic in buildup, but it's Tony's vocals that take it a step higher, and "The Lawmaker" is a fun, fast(er) paced song with a catchy chorus. The album doesn't really break new ground from its predecessors, but it's almost as good as The Eternal Idol and is a slight step forward from the slightly disappointing Headless Cross.Black Sabbath Cross PurposesGeezer Butler staying after Dehumanizer was a net gain for this middling yet enjoyable album by the metal legends. "I Witness" opens the album on a fairly badass note with great riffs, addicting basslines, and Tony's impressive vocal delivery. The production are spot-on here too. "Cross Thorns" would fit snugly in their Dio-era with its Dio-like delivery and rocky meets doomy sound. "Psychophobia" follows an off time signature with an enjoyable riff, "Virtual Death" harkens back to classic Sabbath with its doomy sound, vocalizations, and pace. The rest of the material is mostly uplifted by Iommi's signature guitarwork and gorgeous lead solos, but it's a solid release in their catalog. Sits between a 3 and a 3.5.Black Witchery Desecration Of The Holy KingdomBlack Witchery Upheaval of Satanic MightBlasphemy Gods of WarBolt Thrower Honour - Valour - PrideBonded by Blood Feed the BeastBoston Don't Look BackBroken Hope Swamped in GoreBroken Hope The Bowels of RepugnanceBrutal Truth Sounds of the Animal KingdomCandlemass Death Thy LoverCandlemass House Of DoomCandlemass Don't Fear The ReaperCannibal Corpse Eaten Back to LifeCannibal Corpse Butchered at BirthCannibal Corpse Gallery of SuicideCannibal Corpse The Wretched SpawnCannibal Corpse Evisceration PlagueCannibal Corpse Red Before BlackCannibal Corpse VileCarcass Reek of PutrefactionCarcass SwansongCarly Rae Jepsen CuriosityCattle Decapitation Karma.Bloody.KarmaCattle Decapitation HumanureChild's Play Rat RaceA decent band to check out. Not my cup of tea genre wise, but the album and band is ight for what it is. My friend's father was the bassist for these guys; just a fun fact.Child's Play Long WayChildren of Bodom I Worship ChaosChildren of Bodom Hellhounds On My TrailChrist Denied Cancer EradicationChristina Aguilera StrippedCoheed and Cambria The Color Before The SunConverge No HeroesConvulse Inner EvilCripple Bastards La fine cresce da dentroCryptopsy Once Was NotDarkthrone GoatlordDarkthrone Ravishing GrimnessDarkthrone Hate ThemDarkthrone Sardonic WrathDarkthrone The Cult Is AliveDeath Back from the DeadDeath Infernal DeathDeath Angel Heavy Metal InsanityDeathspell Omega Infernal BattlesDeep Purple Shades of Deep PurpleDeep Purple The Book of TaliesynDef Leppard On Through the NightDefiance (USA-CA) Void Terra FirmaDeicide Once Upon the CrossDemi Lovato Don't ForgetDemi Lovato Tell Me You Love MeDemigod Let Chaos PrevailDemolition Hammer Time BombDesecrator (AUS) To The GallowsDestiny's Child The Writings on the WallDestruction D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.Sits with Metal Discharge as a reliable, inoffensive headbanger, but that's about as far as it goes for there are better options out there.Destruction Day of ReckoningDestruction takes their speed to hyperactive levels here thanks to their insistence on staying true to their roots and the netgain in the form of drummer Vaaver who can cause earthquakes with his double bass rhythms. Schmier continues to take age by the throat with his powerful vocals, and the guitar work still packs a hell of a punch even to this day. Devastation Violent TerminationViolent Termination is a tough album to rate because it shows early signs of the band's ambitious progression and cut rate guitarwork, but it's letdown by it's NWOBHM influences, borrowing from other bands, and a lazy vocal performances. The solos and riffs are enough to get it by most of the time though and shows the bands reliance on them if nothing else excites.Devouring Humanity Devouring HumanityDevourment Conceived in SewageDevourment Unleash the CarnivoreDir En Grey The Marrow of a BoneDismember Hate CampaignDismember DismemberedDismember Complete DemosDissection ReinkaosDragonlord RaptureDream Theater Falling into InfinityDream Theater OctavariumDream Theater Black Clouds and Silver LiningsDream Theater A Dramatic Turn of EventsDying Fetus War of AttritionDying Fetus Stop at NothingDying Fetus Purification Through ViolenceEdge of Sanity Nothing But Death RemainsEdge of Sanity InfernalEdge of Sanity Dead but Dreaming (demo)Edge of Sanity Immortal Rehearsals (demo)Edge of Sanity The Dead (demo)Edge of Sanity Euthanasia (demo)Ensiferum One Man ArmyEntombed Serpent Saints: The Ten AmendmentsEntombed Morning StarEntombed UprisingEntombed DCLXVI: To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the TruthEntombed But Life Goes OnEntombed Stranger AeonsEntombed When in SodomEquilibrium RekreaturEvanescence FallenExodus Let There Be BloodAnother Lesson In Violence is far better, and I wish some of these songs weren't slower in tempo, but Rob's vocals are pretty decent here.Exodus Exhibit B: The Human ConditionOverlong and bloated, Exodus's riffing and songcraft began to sound tired here. While "The Ballad of Leonard And Charles" and "Beyond The Pale" kick off the album pretty well and are fully realized in their song length without running out of steam, tunes like "Hammer And Life" and "Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)" are dull and unmemorable. The shorter numbers are actually the worst material here which is surprising since Exodus haven't perfected their take on prog. metal even before this album, and the longer songs are actually the spotlights here (the first two tracks, "The Sun is My Destroyer" is also solid, "Downfall," and "March of The Sycophants" come to mind). Rob Dukes Exodus had serious potential often held back by overlong songs and stretched out ideas which is the biggest strength and the biggest weakness here.Exodus Blood In, Blood OutExodus harken back to their Fabulous Disaster/Tempo songwriting tendencies, and Steve Souza is back for another solid if not great vocal performance, and he lets off more screams and shrieks than ever for better or worse. Several songs like "Wrapped in The Arms of Rage" and "Collateral Damage" showcase their ability to write effective riffs even if they don't feel fresh, and numbers like the title track and "Food For the Worms" are album highlights. The production values are even better than ever, and Tom Hunting lays down more double bass/tom tom heavy oriented beats than previous outings. The album is also notably shorter than previous work if still in need of trimming down. The music here is as reliable as ever if only marginally better than the second Exhibit.Exodus 1982 DemoExodus Die by His HandFaith No More Introduce YourselfThe production and songs have a little more refinement here, and the instrumentation is proving to be pretty top notch, but despite an improved vocal performance with actual singing, it's barely the step forward they needed. "Faster Disco" is mostly enjoyable and displays more prominent guitarwork from Jim Martin, "Chinese Arithmetic" paves the way for The Real Thing, and the remake of their "We Care Alot" is even better than before. An acceptable release that opened up the world to The Real Thing.Fall Out Boy Take This to Your GraveFall Out Boy Infinity on HighFleshless GrindgodFleshless Abhorrence of CadavericFleshless Nice to Eat YouFlotsam and Jetsam Once in a DeathtimeFlotsam and Jetsam Live In PhoenixFlotsam and Jetsam No Place for Disgrace - 2014Flotsam and Jetsam Ugly NoiseFlotsam and Jetsam HighHarkens back to some of their thrashier moments, and there's a good amount of solid material here if the vocals are a bit low in the mix (but still great as usual).Flotsam and Jetsam Dreams of DeathThe vocals are great as usual, and there's some lingering atmosphere to a lot of these tracks. The production is pretty good, and there's some great tunes here. Foo Fighters Foo FightersFoo Fighters The Colour and the ShapeFoo Fighters Wasting LightForbidden DistortionRuss Anderson gives it his all with a passionate vocal performance, aggressive yet melodic and moody, and the album is increasingly darker than Twisted Into Form, but they strip their prog. thrash in favor of a more groove oriented sound, and the final product is lacking in exciting riffs or sprawling guitar antics. It's disappointing considering how great Tim Calvert is as a shredder, but at least he lays down impressive guitar solos. However, the album is poorly made, in fact it's reasonably well crafted given its merits, the production is reliably good, there's flashes of brilliance here, and Russ Anderson doesn't disappoint. An acceptable release but a serious stepdown from their previous masterpieces.Gorgoroth DestroyerGorgoroth Twilight of the IdolsGorgoroth Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem TrahuntGrave SoullessGrave As Rapture ComesGrave Burial GroundGrave Endless Procession of SoulsGrave Out of Respect for the DeadGreen Day InsomniacGreen Day NimrodGrim Reaper Walking in the ShadowsNicely produced and appropriately old-school in fashion, Grim Reaper's comeback album is a recommendable listen for easy-going British-fueled metal with just enough bite to stay out of lightweight territory. Steve's vocals have considerably aged, but he still sounds pretty good at times. A decent album.Grinder Dawn for the LivingGruesome Savage LandGZA Beneath the SurfaceGZA Legend of the Liquid SwordGZA Pro ToolsHalestorm ViciousHate Cain’s WayHatriot Heroes of OriginHatriot Dawn of the New CenturianHavok BurnHavok is your slightly above-average thrash metal revival act full of talent and skill if they never quite show it in full force. They write decent riffs (if unoriginal), their rhythm section was in top force even before Pete ruled the kit, and they make some nifty tunes ("The Root of Evil" has a nifty intro then quickly picks up tempo and is accented with impressive drumming), but despite these things going for them, Burn is lacking the flare of their godfathers mostly due to their lack of fresh ideas. It's mildly enjoyable music, and certainly better than some of their brethren, but their sophomore album would be a more ideal step up.Havok Unnatural SelectionHavok turn to political themes and further clean up their production values. the production is nice, and there's some nifty tunes, but they never dive into their themes and lyrics as they should, resulting in a tease of an album. The title track and "It is True" are still solid tunes from the band, and the rhythm section is one of the genre's best.Hellhammer Death FiendIt's more historically significant than good, but it's an early display of what we enjoy about the extreme metal subgenres, and they've already nailed that sinister guitar tone from the start.Helstar Glory of ChaosHeretic A Time of CrisisHeretic A Game You Cannot WinHexx No EscapeHolocausto NegativesHoly Moses World ChaosHypocrisy PenetraliaHypocrisy Osculum ObscenumImmolation Harnessing RuinImmolation Shadows in the LightImmolation Kingdom of ConspiracyImmortal Damned In BlackIn Flames Lunar StrainIncantation BlasphemyIncantation Decimate ChristendomIncantation Primordial DominationIncantation Profane NexusIncubus (USA-CA) Make YourselfIncubus (USA-CA) Morning ViewIndestructible Noise Command RazorbackIndestructible Noise Command Heaven Sent... HellboundIron Maiden No Prayer for the DyingIron Maiden's first bad album? Well it was expected, but it's not downright bad. In fact, there's some decent tunes here. "Tailgunner" is a fun opener with one of the better vocal performances here, melodic yet more gruff than usual. There's a notable amount of Aerosmith and AC/DC influence on this album which makes for an interesting deviation from their previous works. "Holy Smoke" is the biggest example of this stylistic change, and they retain some of their old style in spades. "Mother Russia" is a good closer and probably the best song here. Despite some nifty tunes and decent production, Bruce's change of vocal style (borderline grating at times), less 'spark', and an disappointing amount of filler make for an average hard rock album but a disappointing IM release.Iron Maiden Fear of the DarkNot quite as hard rock oriented as No Prayer nor as thrilling as their older works, Fear of The Dark is a middling release that sees the band trying to employ more of their signature formula back into the music, but not many of these tunes standout. Bruce's vocals are still hit-or-miss most notably by the could've been great "Be Quick or be Dead," but the closing t/t is a pleasant surprise and an excellent song by the group. Marginally better than NPFTD.Iron Maiden Brave New WorldBruce is back, and when "The Wicker Man" opens with an "Invaders" like riff and tempo, you know the band has returned back to their legendary trademarks. The production values are pleasent, and the song is an effective return to form for the group. The X Factor tendencies are still here, given away by the album's length, but they're more tastefully reduced to passages rather than dragging songs out. "Ghost of The Navigator" is a fine example which starts off quiet but builds into riffier, more epic material. Bruce's vocals are in top form, and the band don't disappoint with their knack for choruses perhaps even more than ever on this album. "Blood Brothers" is a beautiful tune that sounds mature and adventurous in tone, uplifted by a wonderful vocal performance, and "The Nomad" brings dramatic riffing and song structure to the table. Brave New World combines shorter tunes with longer songs of more epic scope to craft an album worthy of being stacked with some of their best material and may be the last excellent album of their career.Iron Maiden Dance of DeathIron Maiden A Matter of Life and DeathIron Maiden The Book of SoulsJay-Z Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. CarterJudas Priest Point of EntryOn Point of Entry, JP strips most of their heavy metal in favor of commercial hard rock and blues, and the result is an inoffensive but disappointing followup to the far superior British Steel. "Heading Out to The Highway," "Solar Angels," and "Desert Plains" are reasonably well put-together tunes that deserve some extra spins, but tunes like "You Say Yes" and "Hot Rockin" are performed in the vein of Van Halen and Aerosmith to a fault. Rob Halford doesn't sound like he's giving it his all, and there's too much "meh" material to make this a recommendation, but there's a few worthwhile tunes and decent production to make it [possibly] worth a shot.Judas Priest JugulatorRob Halford left, and newcomer Tim "The Ripper" Owens, famous for leading a JP cover band and was a big fan of the group, became the new frontman. Sporting an impressive falsetto and melodic yet gruff vocals, he wound up being the best component here and sings in reverance of Rob Halford if a bit similarly. Add on the deeper dive into thrash and groove territory, solid production values, and dark themes, and you've got what could be the recipe for a great album. Unfortunately, Jugulator is a serious stepdown from the monstrous Painkiller, but it's not a bad album for the most part. Opener t/t and "Blood Stained" aren't standout, but they have meaty riffs, blistering solos, and Tim's pleasantly aggressive vocals. "Dead Meat" is much better with a memorable bridge and chorus and better riffs. "Burn in Hell" is a great tune with catchy vocal lines and solos, and "Bullet Train" is a high speed burner that lives up to its name. "Cathedral Spires" is the longest song here and a very good closer that ranks with the band's best closers due to its buildup, epic chorus, and dramatic structure. Despite being let down by laughable lyrics, unoriginal guitarwork, and bland material, there's a handful of tunes that work well, and Tim "The Ripper" helps make this album listenable. The 98' version of "Rapid Fire" is pretty nice too.Judas Priest Angel of RetributionRob Halford is back, and despite having aged, he sounds great and anchors the reliable if unexciting album Angel of Retribution. "Judas Rising" is a return to familiarity with a terrific intro that builds into a nice tune. "Deal With The Devil" is better, having an old school JP vibe and flashy guitarwork. "Revolution" has nice riffs and a great vocal performance, and "Worth Fighting For" has an AC/DC vibe but also sounds pretty good. "Demonizer" cut fit in with the Owens-era but sounds twice as inspired with catchy riffs and an aggressive vocal performance. "Wheels of Fire" could fit in with the Killing Machine days, and "Hellrider" has a modern flare that would define the sound of Redeemer of souls a decade later. "Angel" has nice vocals but is another trite JP ballad, and while "Lochness" is ambitious, it doesn't entertain throughout and isn't one of their better closers. Despite playing it safe to a fault, Angel brings Retribution to the fallen heavy metal legends and is a fine return to form.Judas Priest Redeemer of SoulsRedeemer of Souls is amostly middle-of-the-ground album by the once legendary JP, but it's not a disappointment like Nostradamus was. "Dragonaut" is cheesy enough to serve with wine, but it's a fun tune. The t/t continues the trend but with more riffs, "Halls of Valhalla" is a better tune than either one, "March of The Damned" has the catchiest riffs and "feel" and may be the best tune here, and "Beginning of The End" isn't trite like previous JP ballads and actually feels like a swansong for the group. There's nothing offensive here, and the music for the most part is pretty solid, but this doesn't bring much redemption for the fading legends.Justin Timberlake JustifiedJustin Timberlake The 20/20 ExperienceKanye West YeezusKendrick Lamar DAMN.Kesha RainbowKing Diamond Give Me Your Soul...PleaseKing Diamond House of GodKISS DestroyerKorn KornKreator Blitzkrieg (as Tormentor)Kreator End of the World (as Tormentor)Kreator Out of the Dark... Into the LightLamb of God The DukeLed Zeppelin CodaLiege Lord Burn to My TouchLiege Lord Freedom's RiseLinkin Park Minutes to MidnightLinkin Park A Thousand SunsLionsheart Pride in TactLionsheart AbyssLive Throwing CopperLiving Sacrifice NonexistentLL Cool J RadioLL Cool J Bigger and DefferMachine Head Through the Ashes of EmpiresManilla Road InvasionManilla Road MetalMariah Carey Mariah CareyMariah Carey The Emancipation of MimiMarilyn Manson Antichrist SuperstarMatchbox Twenty More Than You Think You AreMatchbox Twenty Yourself or Someone Like YouMatchbox Twenty Mad SeasonMegadeth The World Needs a HeroMegadeth The System Has FailedMegadeth United AbominationsMegadeth EndgameMegadeth DystopiaMercy (SWE) MercyMercy (SWE) King DoomMercy (SWE) Victory MarchMercy (SWE) UndergroundMeshuggah Ejaculation Of SalvationMeshuggah Pitch BlackMetal Church MasterpeaceWith David Wayne returning to the band, you would think this album would be pretty awesome right? Well, it isn't quite that. The album is a letdown for anyone who was a fan of the more ambitious, experimental nature of the Mike Howe era as it sounds more like a late sequel to The Dark. That's not entirely a bad thing though for their s/t and The Dark were amazing records, but the biggest letdown here is David Wayne. He abandons his soaring vocals in favor of a rhythmic, Ozzy Osbourne style which makes the cheesy lyrics stick out like a sore thumb at times (the chorus of "Falldown" and the whole "Sleeps With Thunder" are the prime suspects). Not all is bad though for he often sounds pretty good, and the instrumentation is in full strength here. "Faster Than Life," "Lb. of Cure," "All Your Sorrows," and "Falldown" (minus the chorus) are thrashier numbers that are sure to satisfy MC longtimers, the "Toys In The Attic" cover is fun, and "They Signed In Blood" is the highlight here, especially with the vocals (which are actually the best part). Had the filler been cut out and the vocals stay more faithful to their first two records, we'd have a better album for sure, but it's an acceptable enough release in their extensive catalog.Mobb Deep Murda MuzikMonstrosity Spiritual ApocalypseMorbid Angel HereticMorbid Angel Bleed for DevilMotley Crue Motley CrueVince Neil was gone, John Corabi added a second guitar to the mix and a grittier yet melodic vocal performance, and Bob Rock makes a really terrific production job here (the drums are huge and full, the bass is thick, and there's nice textures throughout). "Power To The Music" and "Smoke in The Sky" make for a rockier yet metallic side for the group, and the latter is the heaviest song they've made with its chunky riffs and grinding basslines. "Welcome to The Numb," "Uncle Jack," and "Hammered" are nice tunes, and "Driftaway" is a great closer with a soulful vocal performance. Lacking filler and surprisingly lively, Motley Crue's self-titled album is their best album and their closest to a great record.Motley Crue Dr. FeelgoodDespite Bob Rock placing his hands all over the production job here which really brings out the bottom heavy rockery that was lacking from their glamier releases, and also introducing more of their best work, it's only about as good as Shout At The Devil which isn't a terrific album either. The interlude "T.N.T (Terror N' Tinseltown)" opens explosively then fades into the band's biggest hit the title track. It's notably bassier than previous works and features memorable riffs, soloing, and chorus. It's a great song, and "Rattlesnake Shake" features an addictive riff, bassline, chorus, and piano lines towards the end and is a surprisingly effective glam rocker despite the sex-driven lyrics. "Kickstart my Heart" is a restrained but mostly catchy song, "Time For a Change" is a thoughtful closer if not featuring the surprise value of their previous ballad closer "You're All I Need," and most of these tunes feature decent guitarwork and decent vocals throughout. However, the by-the-numbers quantity is bigger than usual, and "Without You" is a bland ballad in the vein of "Home Sweet Home." A decent swansong for the band's "golden era" (very sarcastic with that statement).Motorhead 1916Motorhead Rock 'N' RollMotorhead OrgasmatronMotorhead MotörheadMount Athos Across the Rift of DoubtI like how the classification is fairly "vague;" it's pretty diverse from am musical standpoint. The low-fi production is charming enough. Not bad Ambrosian! Keep up the good work, and I see more good work from you in the future. m/Municipal Waste Hazardous MutationMunicipal Waste Waste 'Em AllMunicipal Waste The Art of PartyingN.W.A. Niggaz4LifeNasty Savage Nasty SavageNasty Savage IndulgenceNevermore NevermoreNevermore The Obsidian ConspiracyNirvana In UteroNuclear Assault Something WickedObituary World DemiseObituary Frozen in TimeObituary ObituaryOpeth SorceressOpeth Book of Opeth EPOpeth The Throat Of WinterOpeth BurdenOpeth Apostle in TriumphOverkill The Grinding WheelOverkill From the Underground and BelowOverkill W.F.O.Overkill The Electric AgeOverkill White Devil ArmoryOverkill The Wings Of WarOverkill OverkillOverkill Power In BlackOzzy Osbourne Bark at the MoonOzzy Osbourne The Ultimate SinOzzy Osbourne No Rest for the WickedPantera The Great Southern TrendkillPantera's fourth consecutive platinum certified album may be their most "tense" album to date. It's obvious that tension was building up in the group, and from a musical and lyrical standpoint, you can almost "feel" the tension. The opening title track opens right away with a harsh scream and a nasty sounding guitar tone with lyrics attacking the music industry and fakes. "War Nerve" continues the "trend killing," and "Drag The Waters" tackles drugs and street life. Lyrically, it's heavier than previous releases, and the iconic "Floods" describes the end of the world through flooding (probably a foreshadow of our fate considering the global warming issue), and it features a career defining guitar solo (It's hauntingly beautiful). "The Underground in America" ends the record on a dark note. They're aren't highlights here that stack up to their previous classics like "Cemetary Gates" or "I'm Broken," and Dimebag's riffing power is more in the background than usual, but the album's themes and feel make it worth listening to. Sits around a 3 and a 3.5 but is a grower.Paradox PangeaParamore Brand New EyesParamore Riot!Paramore All We Know Is FallingPhil Collins Going BackThe album itself is a good idea which displays much of the R&B influence that persisted throughout Collins' career, and the covers themselves aren't offensive. In fact, several of these covers are quite good ("Heatwave" and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" stand out) and nicely display Phil's well-aged singing chops. The old fashioned production job also adds some life and character into the sound. Personally, I'm not a fan of albums that are entirely made of covers, but this is certainly better than Phil's previous couple of studio albums.Phil Collins Both SidesPhil Collins must be proud of this album: entirely funded, produced, recorded, and performed by himself. Out of all his discography, this is his 'baby.' It's also very long and downbeat compared to his previous works (it's his longest solo album to date). The darker, more melancholy tone is often very effective such as the first three songs and the closer "Please Come Out Tonight," but it also makes a lot of these lifeless songs drag at a snails pace. The result is a mixed bag that isn't as offensive as Hello I Must Be Going but also isn't as immediately effective and demanding as No Jacket Required.Phil Collins Face ValueFace Value is an early showing of Collins' knack for R&B flared songwriting while adding his signature vocals and drumming style to the mix, and it works in spades. "In The Air Tonight" and "I Missed Again" are too contradicting choice cuts that bring out the best of the album while "This Must Be Love" and "If Leaving Me Is Easy" show him comfortably embracing this new direction from his band Genesis.Pink M!ssundaztoodPink I'm Not DeadPink Floyd UmmagummaPink Floyd The Division BellPink Floyd The Endless RiverPink Floyd Obscured by CloudsPossessed Demo 1991First off Possessed isn't a pure death metal band. Theyre tried and true thrash metal with death-tinged vocals (yes there is a difference although you yourself wouldn't know it). and that makes sense they're your favorite since the only genre you're somewhat knowledgeable in (being generous here) is thrash.Pungent Stench For God Your Soul...For Me Your FleshRed Hot Chili Peppers Mother's MilkRed Hot Chili Peppers CalifornicationRed Hot Chili Peppers By the WayRotting Christ The HereticsRotting Christ RitualsRush RushRush Caress of SteelSacramentum Thy Black DestinySacred Reich IndependentSacred Reich HealSadistic Intent Conflict WithinSadistic Intent A Calm Before the StormSadistic Intent Morbid FaithSadus Out for BloodThose bass lines are so addictive they overshadowing anything else here although the vocals are a close second.Sadus Elements of AngerSamael Worship HimSavatage SirensScorpions Lonesome CrowScorpions Sting in the TailScorpions Humanity: Hour IScorpions Savage AmusementShadows Fall Threads of LifeShadows Fall RetributionShadows Fall The War WithinShadows Fall The Art of BalanceShadows Fall Fire From the SkyShadows Fall Of One BloodShinedown Leave a WhisperSinister Aggressive MeasuresSinister The Silent HowlingSinister The Carnage EndingSinister The Post-Apocalyptic ServantSinister SyncretismSix Feet Under Maximum ViolenceSix Feet Under WarpathSixx:A.M. Heroin Diaries SoundtrackSlayer God Hates Us AllGod Hates Us All achieves what Diabolus In Musica tried to do: effectively blend groove/nu-metal with thrash, and this time, the thrash is more prevalent. "Disciple," "Threshold," New Faith," "Exile," and "Payback" all effectively display their grooves under thrashy riffs and tempos and show the band in top form for the time. Unfortunately, there's still too much filler and length here to keep it from ranking with their better releases. Sits around a 3 and a 3.5.Slayer World Painted BloodIt's definitely a sequel to Christ Illusion, but it's unfortunately quite inferior. It doesn't feel as fresh as that album did, the drums are way too loud, and it feels a bit recycled to a fault, but despite that, it's got some great tunes here ("Snuff," "Hate Worldwide," and the title track are the best here). A bit average for their standards, but it's an acceptable release.Slipknot All Hope Is GoneSnoop Dogg Tha DoggfatherSodom SodomAn enjoyable headbanger from an impressive band, but it is a step down from M-16. Still has some great tunes though.Sodom Decision DayTo those who expect more of the same from the group, this will be enjoyable, and it also sports one of Angelripper's best performances and great production. To those expecting anything different, you'll be disappointed.Sodom Masquerade in BloodProduced decently and is deliciously heavy but once again, despite being an improvement over Get What You Deserve, it's lacking in heart and memorability.Sodom 'Til Death Do Us UniteNot a full return to form, but it's starts off pretty well with its first three songs before it drags.Staind TormentedStaind DysfunctionStaind Break The CycleStaind StaindStone Temple Pilots No. 4Suffocation Souls to DenySuffocation Blood OathSuicidal Tendencies Join the ArmySystem of a Down System of a DownSystem of a Down ToxicityTankard B-DayTankard The Beauty and the BeerTankard ThirstTankard R.I.B.Tankard One Foot In The GraveTaylor Swift 1989Tenet SovereignTestament DemonicThe Offspring AmericanaThe Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite SadnessThe Smashing Pumpkins Siamese DreamTool 10,000 DaysTool OpiateTool 72826Ulver Wars of the RosesUnleashed Sworn AllegianceUnleashed Hammer BattalionUnleashed OdalheimUnleashed Dawn of the NineUnleashed The Hunt For White ChristUsher ConfessionsVader The BeastVader NecropolisVader The EmpireVan Halen A Different Kind of TruthVanquishor Shadows of ExileVenom At War with SatanVio-Lence Nothing to GainViolator Chemical AssaultVoivod War and PainVoivod RRRÖÖÖAAARRRW.A.S.P. Dying for the WorldW.A.S.P. DominatorWarbeast Krush the EnemyWarbeast DestroyWarbeast Enter The ArenaWarbringer War Without EndThe production is spot-on, the style is reminiscent of old school thrash, and it's played with loads of energy, but it's derivative and lacking in originality. "Total War" is a nifty tune for sure, but the band doesn't stand out as a relentless, creative force, instead opting for a safe sound that isn't very demanding.Warbringer Waking into NightmaresThe band gets more technical, the production is spot on, and the fun is more present than ever, but it's only marginally better than their inoffensive but original debut. The songs never carry the same structure which while progressive to a fault, also means riffs fly by without leaving much of an impression. A good album but why do bands just revive the glory days without adding anything new or exciting?Warbringer Worlds Torn AsunderWarbringer's best album is mostly good because it embraces the old-school elements more viciously than its predecessors which mostly compensates for its lack of originality. It also features their best production values yet, ridding of the almost mechanical sound of the preceeding album but with more clarity than their debut. The drumming and riffwork in particular are very intense and surprisingly catchy, the vocals are reminiscent of Death Angel as usual, and the basswork is audible and grinding. The songcraft is better developed and cohesive this time around too. One of the better revival albums of the genre for sure.Warbringer IV: Empires CollapseNothing new, nothing groundbreaking, but nothing particularly bad, IV: Empires Collapse is more melodic than previous efforts and is a fun listen but doesn't standout by any means.Warbringer Woe to the VanquishedRoutine Warbringer which isn't a bad thing, and if you have been following this band by now, you know what to expect by now, but there's enough decent riffs, shouts and snarls in the vein of Death Angel, and impressive rhythmic playing to hold your attention.Wu-Tang Clan The W2.5 average50 Cent The MassacreAC/DC Back In BlackAC/DC Dirty Deeds Done Dirt CheapAC/DC PowerageAC/DC The Razors EdgeAdramelech Grip of DarknessAdramelech Human Extermination (demo)Aerosmith Night in the RutsAerosmith Done With MirrorsAerosmith Nine LivesAfflicted Dawn of GloryAnal Cunt 110 Song CDAnal Cunt Fuckin' AAnnihilator FeastAnnihilator AnnihilatorAnnihilator RemainsEven more of a stepdown than the decent Refresh The Demon, Remains is the sound of the only 'remaining' band member Jeff Waters struggling to balance the mechanical feel of this album with fresh sounding material. "Reaction" is the thrashiest song they've done since their first two albums and maybe the highlight tune here, and "Dead Wrong" pulls of its mechanical grooviness pretty well. The rest is bland but bearable industrial metal. The low point of their 90's affair but not a terrible album.Annihilator Suicide SocietyAnnihilator All for YouAnthrax Stomp 442What happened? Sound of White Noise was actually quite good, and then they follow it up in mediocre fashion. "Random Acts of Senseless Violence" is a fun tune, but there's barely anything noteworthy here. Even John Bush sounds uninspired here even if he's hardly the worst factor here. The lifeless songwriting weighs down some potentially fun riffs, and the result is Anthrax's first bad album.Armored Saint La RazaArtillery LegionsAudioslave AudioslaveAutopsy ShitfunAvenged Sevenfold Waking the FallenWaking The Fallen is the sound of a band consolidating their identity, and with the recruitment of Synyster Gates, a rather talented guitarist who may be the best band member, they guitarwork has improved greatly, and the songs have real structure compared to most of their debut. The Rev makes a better impression as a formidable drummer, and M. Shadows, while not my cup of tea, sounds more confident in his delivery. With all these great traits, however, the music itself is still....meh. The songs are reasonably well put together but lack the sheer replayability of more reliable metal bands of the beforetime. "Unholy Confessions" has a confident riff and vocal delivery, but the guitar sound rips off Pantera and don't mold well with their Maiden-esque harmonies. The scream to singing ratio is still off even if the screaming is better this time around. Barely a 3/5, WTF isn't particularly offensive, has a group of talented musicians, and has some better moments than their debut along with more refinement, but it's just acceptable at best. Thankfully they get a little better from here.Avenged Sevenfold Hail to the KingA7X harken back to their godfathers and change their direction once again, but this time, it doesn't work. COE is their best album and a welcome departure from their average merits in metalcore, their self-titled was fun experimentation, and Nightmare's best moments were not their most metallic, but Hail to The King is drenched in coverbanditis. "Shephard of Fire" is a step-by-step faithful brother to "Enter Sandman," the t/t is an AC/DC song, "Doing Time" sounds like a poor man's Guns N' Roses and they're pretty shit as it is, "Crimson Day" is "Nothing Else Matters," "Heretic" is "Symphony of Destruction," and "This Means War" is "Sad But True" with a cliched Nickelback song title. They don't really put their own selves into the music either which makes matters worse, and the average drumming is a stepdown from the talented The Rev. That being said, there's a few enjoyable moments. "Planets" and "Coming Home" are fun tunes with great riffs and some exciting buildup, "Requiem" is fairly tense, and "Acid Rain" is a decent transition from the chaos of "Planets" and a fitting closer for the album. A disappointing misfire coming from a mostly enjoyable streak of records.Avril Lavigne The Best Damn ThingAvril Lavigne Goodbye LullabyBackstreet Boys MillenniumBackstreet Boys Backstreet's BackBathory RequiemBathory Destroyer of WorldsBeherit H418ov21.CBenediction The Dreams You DreadBenediction Grind BastardBeyonce Dangerously in LoveBeyonce I Am... Sasha FierceBlaze Bayley The King Of MetalBon Jovi New JerseyBoston Third StageBreaking Benjamin SaturateBreaking Benjamin We Are Not AloneBreaking Benjamin PhobiaBritney Spears In the ZoneBritney Spears BritneyBritney Spears Oops!...I Did It AgainBritney Spears ...Baby One More TimeCandlemass Dactylis GlomerataCandlemass From the 13th SunCandlemass WizCannibal Corpse Gore ObsessedCattle Decapitation To Serve ManCeltic Frost Vanity/NemesisChild's Play Ruff HouseChristina Aguilera Christina AguileraChristina Aguilera BionicChristina Aguilera LotusConvulse ReflectionsConvulse Evil PrevailsConvulse Cycle of RevengeCryptic Slaughter Stream of ConsciousnessCryptic Slaughter Speak Your PeaceCryptopsy And Then You'll BegDarkthrone PlaguewielderDarkthrone F.O.A.D.Darkthrone Dark Thrones and Black FlagsDef Leppard AdrenalizeDemi Lovato Here We Go AgainDemi Lovato UnbrokenDemi Lovato DemiDemi Lovato ConfidentDemigod Shadow MechanicsDestiny's Child Destiny’s ChildDestiny's Child SurvivorDestruction Metal DischargeA middling effort in their catalog but inoffensive in delivery, it doesn't have career highlights, but it's fairly reliable as an average headbanger.Destruction Spiritual GenocideThe drums and vocals sound amazing here as usual with a more prominent presence in the mix, but the bass and guitar work fall a bit flat in volume at times. Sits on the lower tier of their passable material.Destruction Under AttackThe 2000's have shown how Destruction have become more brutal than their German brethren, but at the same time, they've failed to reach the soaring heights of their classic material, and anyone expecting different this time around will be disappointed. In fact, if their didn't already show a shattering of their consistency, it's more obvious here which is unfortunate. The music itself is reliable if generic and losing its fresh sound which was already inconsistent since Metal Discharge.Dismember Casket GardenDissection Maha KaliDisturbed The SicknessDisturbed BelieveDisturbed IndestructibleDream Theater When Dream and Day UniteDream Theater Systematic ChaosDream Theater Dream TheaterDream Theater The AstonishingEminem EncoreEminem RelapseEminem RecoveryEmperor Call from the GraveEnsiferum Unsung HeroesEntombed InfernoEntombed WreckageEquilibrium ArmageddonEvanescence The Open DoorEvanescence EvanescenceExodus Objection OverruledFaith No More We Care a LotThe distinctive rhythm section and guitar wizard Jim Martin are present here, but this is merely an introduction to greater things than a good album. Chuck Mosley and his monotonous vocals are merely backing vocal fodder at best and lets down the unimpressive material here. Opener title track is slow and repetitive at best despite featuring early signs of Jim Martin's tasty licks. "The Jungle" is riffier but less impressive overall, and nothing else entices. A mediocre, bumpy ride.Fall Out Boy From Under the Cork TreeFall Out Boy Folie a DeuxFive Finger Death Punch The Way Of The FistFive Finger Death Punch War Is The AnswerFlotsam and Jetsam Unnatural SelectionFlyleaf FlyleafFlyleaf Memento MoriFlyleaf New HorizonsFlyleaf Between the StarsFoo Fighters There Is Nothing Left to LoseFoo Fighters One by OneFoo Fighters In Your HonorFoo Fighters Echoes, Silence, Patience & GraceForbidden GreenGreen is without a doubt their moodiest, darkest sounding record yet, but with their thrash long gone, they've fully cashed into the groove metal scene. The music unfortunately lacks excitement not unlike the marginally better Distortion, and the music mostly drags at a cumbersome pace. Not downright terrible but a serious letdown.Genesis From Genesis to RevelationGodsmack GodsmackGodsmack AwakeGodsmack FacelessGorgoroth Incipit SatanGorgoroth Instinctus BestialisGrave Back From The GraveGrave Dominion VIIIGreen Day 21st Century BreakdownGuns N' Roses Appetite for DestructionHalestorm Into the Wild LifeHate Daemon Qui Fecit TerramHate Lord Is AvengerHelstar Burning StarHelstar Multiples of BlackImmortal Blizzard BeastsIncubus (USA-CA) Fungus AmongusIncubus (USA-CA) S.C.I.E.N.C.E.Iron Maiden Virtual XIVirtual XI may be the band's first 'bad' album since even NPFTD has some worthwhile material. Yes "The Clansmen" is a terrific tune, but the album is a stepdown from the good but not great The X Factor. Blaze Bayley tries to make "Lightning Strikes Twice" a decent tune, but it's unexciting at best, and "The Angel And The Gambler" is lazy songwriting through ridiculous repetition (the chorus is repeated 28 times). Despite being shorter than The X Factor, this album is far more repetitive and bland, but it did pave the way for Bruce's much needed return to the band.Iron Maiden The Final FrontierJay-Z The Dynasty: Roc La FamiliaJay-Z The Blueprint²: The Gift & the CurseJessie J R.O.S.E.Jessie J Sweet TalkerJessie J AliveJessie J Who You AreJudas Priest TurboPoint of Entry was a disappointing album, but this is the band's first 'dud.' "Turbo Lover" opens the album on a decent note but is lacking the ferocity of previous album openers. "Locked in" is catchy but is drenched in overdone synthesizers and lacks the appropriate metallic edge to compliment the solid vocal performance. Rob is as good as ever but he is letdown by a mostly dated album with bland material and awful lyrics. "Rock You All Around The World" isn't half bad, and "Out in The Cold" is pretty decent too. Letdown by bad production, bland material, and a lack of energy and inspiration despite its commercial success, Turbo never quite shifts into turbo when it's needed most.Judas Priest NostradamusWhat the hell happened? Another dud from the metal legends, Nostradamus is ambitious and wants to be an incredible epic but falls short. Despite ideal production values and Rob's signature vocals, there's not enough exciting songs to overcome the mile long list of passages and incomplete songs which are rather bland. "Prophecy" is mildly entertaining, the t/t has aggressive riffs and an operative vocal performance, "Future of Mankind" is a better closer than "Lochness" (maybe the best tune here), "Death" justifies its runtime with a dramatic structure, and "Persecution" has a good soundscape, but even these are mainly second rate JP. A disappointing album. Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience - 2 of 2Kanye West 808s and HeartbreakKanye West The Life of PabloKaty Perry One of the BoysKreator RenewalWhere could Kreator go after their last great album Coma of Souls? Sadly, on a downward slope. Stripping down their thrash in favor of keeping up with the times did not make for a good album, and the clumsy production and performances do not add any positive traits. It's not terrible per say, but it's tolerable at best and lacking a career highlight.Lady Gaga Born This WayLady Gaga The FameLinkin Park Hybrid TheoryLinkin Park MeteoraLinkin Park The Hunting PartyLionsheart Under FireMachine Head The More Things Change...Machine Head The BlackeningMachine Head Unto the LocustMachine Head Bloodstone and DiamondsMassacre Back from BeyondMeg Myers Take Me To The DiscoMegadeth Th1rt3enMerciless MercilessMercy (SWE) Black MagicMetal Church Generation NothingMC makes their first dud in the form of Generation Nothing which does 'nothing' to appeal to the new 'generations.' It's energetic, and there's flashes of goodness here, but the material is mostly uninspired and recycled, dependent on cashing in on their successful experiments without improving upon them. Ronny Munroe is the biggest disappointment outside of the tired songwriting, ditching his gruff lower register and impressive highs in favor of bad David Wayne worship that sounds very strained. The stupid lyrics and unconvincing vocals don't do any favors either which hamper potentially decent songs like "Bulletproof," "jump the Gun," and "Noises In The Wall." The albums best tracks are actually the last two "Close To The Bone" and "The Media Horse." While recycled, they're played well and are pretty enjoyable (the latter having the best vocals on the album), and the likes of "Dead City" and the t/t are pretty decent tunes if unoriginal. Generation Nothing isn't a horrible album, but there's not enough of the band's defining elements to compare it to their best works.Metallica St. AngerMetallica ReloadMetallica LoadMobb Deep Juvenile HellMonstrosity Rise to PowerMorbid Angel Complete Acid TerrorMotley Crue Too Fast for LoveMotley Crue was loud, Motley Crue is fun, and they sung about motorcycles, drugs, and sex! They were full of competent musicians that are decent at their respective talent/instrument if not outstanding. Their debut Too Fast For Love was promising and full of energy, but their writing chops were generic at best, and while Mick Mars pumps out some decent riffs and solos, Vince Neil's vocals, while melodic, sound painfully whiny and tears down the potential of some of these tunes (the t/t and "Take Me To The Top"). An inoffensive but unimpressive start to a career that sadly never got much better.Motley Crue Girls, Girls, Girls"Wild Side" is one of the band's best songs, and it appropriately opens up the not-so-bad-yet-not-so-good Girls Times Three. The aggressive vocals, violent lyrics, great production job, and Mick Mar's impressive riffing mark the return of their Shout At The Devil days, and follow up t/t is textbook glam metal done right uplifted by catchy lyrics, a catchy riff, and an exceptional guitar solo towards the end. "Dancing on Glass" follows a darker tone like "Wild Side" with some decent vocal lines, but it's a stepdown from the previous two tracks. "Bad Boy Boogie" is bluesy and features solid guitarwork as usual, but the lyrics and hook are stupid. "Nona" is an out of place interlude that isn't bad on its own, but the album doesn't emphasize atmosphere enough to justify its presence here. The other tunes are mostly generic by-the-numbers glam metal with competent guitarwork but are mostly unimpressive overall, but "You're All I Need" is a shockingly grim ballad from a lyrically standpoint (depicting a cheating girlfriend's death) and is one of their best tunes and one of the [very very] few good ballads of the genre. Had it not been for the three highlights, this would be just marginally better than Theatre of Pain (to the ears), but it's decent lightweight metal affair.Motley Crue Shout at the DevilShout At The Devil is much improved over its predecessor and may be the band's most acceptable output, but it's still not that great of an album. "God Bless The Children of The Beast" and "In The Beginning" are nifty pieces to induce atmosphere, but very few of these tunes even possess atmosphere to begin with. Vince Neil's vocals, while better than before, are still painfully whiny at times and tolerable at best, and the rhythm section Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx are "stock" and unipressive. The album is also almost entirely midpaced which hampers the sometimes aggressive music (the t/t is the biggest victim here). However, they are redeeming qualities; Mick Mars was the most talented member of the band, and he pumped out reliable, catchy riffs and especially impressive soloing in spades here ("Red Hot," the well done Beatles cover "Helter Skelter," and "Bastard," the best song here). Had they not cashed into the glam metal scene, this would be a far better record, but it's good enough at times.Motley Crue Saints of Los AngelesMotorhead SacrificeMotorhead March Or DieMotorhead On ParoleNickelback The StateNickelback Silver Side UpNickelback The Long RoadNickelback Here and NowNine Inch Nails With TeethNirvana NevermindNirvana BleachNocturnus Ethereal TombNSYNC No Strings AttachedNuclear Assault Third World GenocideNuclear Assault Out of OrderObituary Back from the DeadObituary Xecutioner's ReturnObituary Darkest DayObituary Inked in BloodOneRepublic Dreaming Out LoudOneRepublic Waking UpOutKast IdlewildOverkill BloodlettingOverkill NecroshineOverkill The Killing KindOverkill ImmortalisOverkill ReliXIVOzzy Osbourne OzzmosisOzzy Osbourne Down to EarthOzzy Osbourne ScreamP.O.D. SatellitePantera Reinventing the SteelPantera lightens up a bit, putting some of their tension aside to make 'lighter' music in Reinventing The Steel which doesn't necessarily reinvent the wheel so to speak, but it does put some of their riff power back into their music which was a bit lacking on their darker preceding album. "Goddamn Electric" features some of their most memorable riffs to date and cool references to other bands, "Revolution is my Name" may be the best tune here with its interesting noises and riffs, "Uplift" has a headbangable groove to it, and two-punch closer "It Makes Them Disappear" and "I'll Cast a Shadow" show a blend of their signature riffing with the experimentation of Trendkill. It's not my favorite album from the group, but it closes their career on a decent note excluding the tragic death of Dimebag Darrel.Paramore ParamorePhil Collins Dance Into the LightPhil Collins' succeeding album to his dark, melancholy, self-created Both Sides is also primarily created and written by him, but this time, it takes on a positive, bright tone to the music. The opening title track alone is not only the album's best song but is also an immediate departure from his previous work from the positive lyrics to the enlightening vibe. Sadly, everything this album has to offer is placed upfront, resulting in an album that is still too long and uninspired for its own good even with its polished production values and crossover tendencies. There's a couple good tunes here (namely "Just Another Story" and "Wear My Hat"), but it wasn't enough to stop the momentum of Phil's gradual downward slope in both relevance, artistry, and mainstream success.Phil Collins Hello, I Must Be Going!"Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Way" and "I Don't Care Anymore" are the choice cuts on this album, but outside of favorable production values and Phil's ever-so charismatic voice and drumming chops, this is a step down from Face Value.Pig Destroyer Explosions in Ward 6Pink Try ThisPink FunhousePink The Truth About LovePink Floyd A Momentary Lapse of ReasonPink Floyd MorePoison Look What The Cat Dragged InPoison Open Up and Say... Ahh!Poison Flesh & BloodPungent Stench Dirty Rhymes And Psychotronic BeatsQueensryche Operation: Mindcrime IIRadiohead Pablo HoneyRazor DecibelsSure, it's heavy and all, but something is missing...The riffs don't feel fresh, the vocals are a bit too raspy at times, and there's a lack of fluid transitions between songs; it's monotonous. The tempos aren't a serious issue if lacking in something as lightning fast as "United By Hatred" or as grooving as "Out of The Game." It's hardly offensive by any stretch, but the album is shockingly bland. A rather poor last outing for the group.Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium ArcadiumRihanna Talk That TalkRihanna LoudRihanna Rated RRihanna Good Girl Gone BadRihanna A Girl Like MeRihanna Music of the SunSavatage Power of the NightScorpions Return to ForeverScorpions UnbreakableScorpions Face the HeatSean Paul Dutty RockSean Paul The TrinitySeether DisclaimerSelena Gomez RevivalShadows Fall Somber Eyes to the SkyShaggy BoombasticShaggy Hot ShotSinister AfterburnerSinister Legacy of AshesSixx:A.M. This Is Gonna HurtSlayer Undisputed AttitudeSlayer Diabolus in MusicaWhat happened? This album starts off really good, but then it plummets in quality. It's not horrible by any means, but it's awfully bland after the first three tracks. "Bitter Peace" displays their newfound nu-metal tendencies while turning into a dense shredfest, "Death's Head" sports thick grooves and effective guitarwork, and "Stain of Mind" may be the greatest groove metal/nu-metal track ever penned with its dense grooves and effective build-up and atmosphere. After these awesome tracks, the memorability factor is gone. You'll probably really dig it if you're into previously mentioned genres, but otherwise, this is Slayer's first hit-and-miss record but is fortunately front-loaded for easy stoppability.Slipknot .5: The Gray ChapterSodom The Final Sign of EvilA middling effort, The Final Sign of Evil may pack some atmosphere but is lacking great tunes and suffers from iffy production. Still can't deny the badass bass tones though.Sodom Epitome of TortureStandard thrash affair that isn't offensive but also doesn't set itself apart within their discography or the genre itself.Sodom Get What You DeserveHad the production been better, and they actually put heart into this release, it wouldn't sound like a half-assed sequel to their enjoyable Tapping The Vein.Staind 14 Shades of GreyStaind Chapter VStone Temple Pilots Shangri-La-Dee-DaStone Temple Pilots Stone Temple Pilots (2010)Suffocation …Of the Dark LightTankard Stone Cold SoberTankard Two FacedTankard The TankardTankard Kings of BeerTankard Vol(l)ume 14Tankard A Girl Called CervezaThe Offspring Rise and Fall, Rage and GraceToxik Breaking ClassWhat the hell Toxik? I can accept the fact that Charlie's vocals have aged, but he has almost no range on here. The songs don't really stand out either.Twisted Sister Stay HungryUnleashed VictoryUnleashed Hell's UnleashedUnleashed As Yggdrasil TremblesVan Halen OU812Van Halen For Unlawful Carnal KnowledgeVan Halen BalanceVenom PossessedVenom Prime EvilVenom Temples of IceVenom ResurrectionVenom The Waste LandsVenom Cast in StoneVenom From the Very DepthsVenom Storm The GatesW.A.S.P. The Last CommandW.A.S.P. Inside the Electric CircusW.A.S.P. Still Not Black EnoughW.A.S.P. Unholy TerrorW.A.S.P. The Neon God: Part 1 - The RiseW.A.S.P. BabylonW.A.S.P. GolgothaWintersun The Forest Seasons2.0 poorAC/DC For Those About To Rock We Salute YouAC/DC Black IceAC/DC Rock or BustAdele 21Aerosmith Rock in a Hard PlaceAerosmith Just Push PlayAerosmith Honkin' on BoboAerosmith Music from Another DimensionAnnihilator MetalBenediction Organised ChaosBlack Sabbath Never Say Die!Never Say Die is marginally better than Technical Ecstacy in most respects, and the title track is an acceptable opener compared to "Back Street Kids," but the group sound out of their prime here, and the result is not an album lacking in ideas but very tired sounding execution. Tony Iommi is the only driving force here, and he just drags at times, and Bill Ward sounds more cumbersome than usual (he doesn't do any signature drum fills here). Barely audible bass and Ozzy's ever-so-lacking vocal performance also contributed to their demise as the classic lineup, but thankfully things got promising after this album, if only for a little while.Black Sabbath Technical EcstasyBlack Sabbath's follow up to Sabotage is an ecstacy in the worst kind of way. Lacking any creativity or passion, Technical Ecstacy is a device whose true maker isn't the doomy metal godfathers we love but rather by the trends of its time without ever pulling them off. Neither truly blues rock nor hard rock nor even the prog. rock they were getting their feet wet in. It's definitely mechanical in design, but it's a cold machine. Even Born Again was better.Black Sabbath Born AgainLosing Ozzy AND Dio as frontmen was a huge blow for the band, and that unfortunate turn of events sounds evident here. Despite recruiting the accomplished Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillen, his presence isn't enough to cover up the uninspired songwriting and sloppy execution. "Trashed" is appropriately trashy in sound which isn't a good thing, "Disturbing The Priest" tries to sound atmospheric but is ruined by its chaotic vocals, "Zero The Hero" has a slight Ozzy-era vibe to it but is mostly unimpressive, and the rest of the material either recycles old ideas or cashes in on the trends of the time. It's not an unbearable disaster, however, for Tony Iommi's guitar work, if unexciting, and Ian Gillen both try to make the best of the lack of inspiration found here, and you'll find some decent riffs, solos, and shrieks in spades.Bon Jovi Slippery When WetCandlemass WitchcraftCandlemass Tales of Creation (Demo)Candlemass Sjunger Sigge FürstCeltic Frost Cold LakeChildren of Bodom BlooddrunkChildren of Bodom Relentless Reckless ForeverConverge Halo in a HaystackCryptopsy The Unspoken KingDaughtry DaughtryDisturbed Ten Thousand FistsDisturbed AsylumEdge of Sanity CrypticEnsiferum Two PathsFive Finger Death Punch American CapitalistGenesis Calling All StationsGrave Hating LifeGrave Fiendish RegressionGrinder Nothing Is SacredGuns N' Roses Use Your Illusion IGuns N' Roses Use Your Illusion IIGZA Words From the GeniusHolocausto Tozago as DeismnoJag Panzer Dissident AllianceKaty Perry Teenage DreamKaty Perry PrismKesha WarriorKreator EndoramaKreator OutcastLimp Bizkit Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored WaterLimp Bizkit Significant OtherLimp Bizkit Three Dollar Bill Y'allLinkin Park Living ThingsLinkin Park One More LightMachine Head The Burning RedMaroon 5 OverexposedMegadeth Super ColliderMiley Cyrus Miley Cyrus and Her Dead PetzMiley Cyrus BangerzMiley Cyrus The Time of Our LivesMiley Cyrus Younger NowMotley Crue Generation SwineMotley Crue New TattooNas I Am...Nickelback CurbOzzy Osbourne Black RainPantera Metal MagicPantera Projects in the JunglePantera I Am the NightPhil Collins TestifyAge has been kind to his singing chops, but is hasn't been kind to his ability to write consistently engaging material, and this is the low point of his career. "Can't Stop Loving You," "Come With Me," and the progressive title track (the best cut here) try to redeem the replay value of this release, but it is underwhelmed by bland production, lazy songwriting, and lifeless songs.Pink Can't Take Me HomeRihanna UnapologeticSarcofago HateScorpions Pure InstinctSelena Gomez Stars DanceSlayer RepentlessPolished and drenched in loudness war, Repentless may have sparks of energy, but it's recycled, lacking in creativity or a good highlight, and it's tolerable at best as a whole.Staind The Illusion of ProgressStone Temple Pilots Stone Temple Pilots (2018)Tankard Disco DestroyerTaylor Swift ReputationThe Offspring Days Go ByThree Days Grace Three Days GraceThree Days Grace One-XUnleashed WarriorVan Halen Van Halen IIIVenom Calm Before the StormVenom Metal BlackVenom HellVenom Fallen AngelsW.A.S.P. Kill, Fuck, DieW.A.S.P. The Neon God: Part 2 - The Demise1.5 very poorCheryl Cole 3 WordsDestruction The Least Successful Human CannonballThis is not Destruction; this is a Pantera/Machine Head clone. At least Cracked Brain made sure the guitarwork drove the songs when their other elements were a bit lacking at times.Disturbed ImmortalizedEntombed Same DifferenceFall Out Boy American Beauty/American PsychoGuns N' Roses Chinese DemocracyGuns N' Roses The Spaghetti Incident?Judas Priest DemolitionTurbo was the bottom of the barrel for Halford era JP, but Demolition is the bottom of the barrel for JP period. Jugulator sported enough solid tunes to overcome its plentiful flaws, but Demolition is a disaster. "Machine Man" is a promising start for the album with unoriginal but solid riffing, a headbangable pace, decent solos, and Tim's signature aggressive vocals, but the lyrics are just as stupid as before. "One on One" is pretty decent too with good vocals and solos, but the momentum stops there. "Hell is Home" tries to be memorable but is riddled with groove metal cliches, and "Jekyll And Hyde" wants to be atmospheric and aggressive but fails. The rest of the material is half-assed at best. The closest to a failed abortion JP ever created.Katy Perry WitnessKesha AnimalLimp Bizkit Gold CobraLou Reed and Metallica LuluMachine Head SuperchargerMassacre PromiseMiley Cyrus Can't Be TamedMiley Cyrus BreakoutMotley Crue Theatre of PainMotley Crue's sophomore effort Shout at The Devil had an ideal production job and reliable guitarwork to overcome its mild mannered pacing and unimpressive rhythm section, but instead of growing more metallic yet catchy, they cash in to the ways of the infamous glam metal scene. The genre had everything going for it, catchy riffs, choruses, and song tempos and all, but everything fell flat. The same happened with Motley Crue. "City Boy Blues" proudly displays its polished production, oversimplified instrumentation, whiny vocals, and terrible lyrics from the get go, and it doesn't get better from there. "Smokin' In The Boys Room" isn't the worst cover out there, but "Louder Than Hell" and its catchy riffs are diminished by unfit vocals and god awful lyrics yet again. "Keep Your Eye on The Money" is atrociously bland and repetitive, and "Home Sweet Home" may attract the ears of glam metal fans, but it's choppy and generic at best. Every 80's cliche drenches the rest of the material, and even Mick Mars can't save this abortion worthy release. Very disappointing.Nickelback All the Right ReasonsNickelback Dark HorseOzzy Osbourne Under CoverSavatage Fight for the RockSaving Abel Saving AbelW.A.S.P. Helldorado1.0 awfulBlack Sabbath Forbidden...What the hell happened? Black Sabbath bring a consistent if mostly unexciting string of releases since The Eternal Idol, and then there's Forbidden, a record that sets a far lower bar than Technical Ecstacy or Born Again. Opener "Illusion of Power" is a trainwreck: Martin's vocals sound uninspired, the production is poorly balanced, the rap verse is tacky, and the guitarwork is lazy. It really doesn't get better from here. "Get a Grip" has an ok riff but is recycled, and Martin sounds out of it on this whole release. "Can't Get Close Enough" is cumbersome, and "Shaking Off The Chains" is a failed abortion with awful vocal delivery. Forbidden is an album you're feel "Guilty as Hell" for liking or get "Sick And Tired" of upon first listen. One of heavy metal's biggest failures. They really sunk low here, but at least it didn't close their career with their newest output 13 18 years later.Cheryl Cole Messy Little RaindropsCynic Kindly Bent to Free UsDisturbed EvolutionHello Kitty Suicide Club ^_^Limp Bizkit Results May VaryMachine Head CatharsisMeghan Trainor TitleMeghan Trainor Thank YouMorbid Angel Illud Divinum InsanusSarcofago The WorstScorpions Eye II Eye
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