In the world of metal, few things are as iconic as the albums that define the genre. From groundbreaking releases that broke boundaries to newer works that continue to inspire musicians, this–completely personal and totally biased–ultimate list puts together 8 metal albums that any listener of the genre should know. Nowadays, in a world where playlists are created every second with hundreds of songs that can be played on demand, albums aren't really listened to entirely anymore. These 8 albums are entire experiences that range from 36 minutes to roughly an hour, where every track contributes to the vibe. When creating this list, I tried to follow certain criteria in order to be just a little less biased. Instead of picking Pantera's and Death's whole discography, I only choose one album per band, while also trying to choose different sub-genres within metal's complex–and often nebulous–umbrella of genres. But hey, everything goes back to personal preference. Especially within this setting, many people have different opinions on a lot of things: is Deftones metal? Probably. Is TOOL metal? Eh, maybe. Is Soundgarden metal? Uhh, that's a whole other topic to discuss. One might choose a fully instrumental album to be the greatest metal album ever written, while another might choose an album with the most high-pitched screams or death growls ever seen in humanity. What I'm trying to say is, no matter the topic of discussion, we will have to learn how to agree to disagree. By all means, do not take my words too seriously here. I'm just a music enthusiast, with no serious/professional education in this area. In this article, I'll just give my two cents, wishing I had reviewed 100 albums instead of 8, but you know, time constraints and etc. Bonus points for cool album covers!
The Sound of Perseverance (1998)
Surprisingly enough, the band who fathered death metal is named… Death. Iconic name, right? A name so simple, yet with many different meanings and interpretations, definitely made other metal bands frustrated about not being the ones that owned it. Thankfully, their music is as iconic as their name. One decade after mastering their craft through six albums, their seventh and final album became the pinnacle of their sound, blending a more progressive style into their already established aggressive foundation. Chuck Shuldiner’s (the band’s frontman) creativity and musicianship in this record introduced innovation and technicality into a genre that was perceived as dead during the late 90’s/early 00’s. Now, I get that many won’t be a fan of the aggressive and higher-pitched vocals, but his genius in songwriting is undeniable. Many songs have shifting dynamics, which means it leans on less conventional methods of song structure. With haunting and emotive instrumentals (similar to its album artwork), The Sound of Perseverance is for fans of progressive and death metal alike.
Standout tracks: Flesh and the Power It Holds, Voice of the Soul, Bite the Pain
Master of Puppets (1986)
"Hey man, just found out about this cool underground band… I think it's called Metallica or something," said no one ever. Metallica is probably the most known metal band in the world, and this album contributes a large portion to the band's success. Most commonly bundled into the "four true Metallica albums", it comprises 8 songs with at least 5 minutes each of pure thrash metal with a little taste of classical music, surprisingly. Every song has a purpose in this album, and every single one of them is able to execute their objective both instrumentally and lyrically with precision. With the help of Cliff Burton's (bass) genius, Metallica was able to infuse a touch of classical influence in "Orion" and "Master of Puppets", allowing the band to experiment with melodic sections. As one of the most influential albums of all time, it enlightened other bands to explore the genre further than just fast and heavy riffs, while criticizing dark themes about addiction, war, and greed. After living my entire life listening to the songs in this album, I sometimes wish I could hear it again for the first time, since my first time hearing these songs was probably when I was a literal baby. If you'd like to listen to fast and intense riffs and lyrics, while also hearing a legendary bass guitar solo (that's right), Metallica's Master of Puppets is the album for you.
Standout tracks: Battery, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Damage Inc.
Rust in Peace (1990)
Megadeth has a long history with Metallica, since Dave Mustaine (Lead singer from Megadeth) was once in Metallica, before they had recorded any official albums. Since Mustaine had left Metallica, he built his own band, utilizing many riffs he had written during his time in Metallica in Megadeth's own songs. Seven years later and three albums since the creation of the band, Megadeth was able to craft one of its highest points in the band's history, partially due to the band lineup's technical prowess on the guitar and drums. Although sometimes it's possible to hear some similarities between certain riffs in Megadeth's and Metallica's songs, Megadeth was able to find its signature sound with complex and progressive solos, always emphasizing technical excellence. Mustaine's band is well known for its recurring political commentary themes in their songs, and it can be clearly seen through the band's album covers as well. Additionally, the production in this album is incredibly crisp and clear, which creates a pleasant listening experience for all thrash metal lovers. Unfortunately, many don't enjoy Megadeth's songs due to Mustaine's snarky singing, but I believe that it fits the band perfectly and has no impact on my experience, and shouldn't affect other's experiences significantly either. Overall, Rust in Peace is a perfect blend of guitar technicality with high-energy riffs that earns a place in every thrash metal listener's head.
Standout tracks: Holy Wars…The Punishment Due, Hangar 18, Tornado Of Souls
Angel Dust (1992)
Nostalgia much? Faith No More's 4th album in their discography was THE Faith No More album when I was little (I wasn't alive in 1992, the only songs I knew from them was from this album). Re-listening to it now brought back many fun memories. Now, regarding its theme, the album criticizes modern society by using irony and dark humor, with their eclectic and experimental musical style, as it clearly can be seen merely with the irony in the album title. This album blends many different musical styles, like metal, hip hop, funk (not to be confused with brazilian funk) and even jazz. The album’s production feels chaotic, but at the same time, cohesive. Songs become the most fun for me when they follow unpredictable paths, and this album does it masterfully. Some may find that the way that this album approaches themes is vulgar, some might just find it weird, in a good way.
Standout tracks: Everything's Ruined, A Small Victory, Easy
Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
Speaking of vulgarity, Pantera’s second “official” studio album (this band was actually glam metal before the 90's), Vulgar Display of Power sums this word up perfectly. It's composed of songs that you expect to hear from someone who is completely aggressive and frustrated with their personal and societal struggles. I honestly could've put any Pantera album in this list, but this one marked their definitive transition to groove metal. Their signature production style and aggressive tone of the guitar was really solidified here, where the brothers, Dimebag Darrell (guitarist) and Vinnie Paul (drummer), also helped solidify the new "groove metal" subgenre sound during the grunge era. Just like in any Pantera album, Dimebag understood the assignment every time when creating more melodic or chaotic solos and riffs, always being able to blend blues-inspired phrases and pinch harmonics into his guitar shredding, creating the perfect tone for this album: frustrated aggression.
Standout tracks: Regular People (Conceit), By Demons Be Driven, Hollow
Mezmerize (2005)
System of a Down really seems like it has its own alternative genre. It has such a distinct sound within this and many other albums that it is better to not worry about classifying it under a genre. Within this album, the band is able to blend in beautiful melodies into incredibly enticing heavy riffs that make you headbang uncontrollably. This band may seem vulgar to some, but all vulgarity is used in their political and societal commentary that is constantly present in their songs. This album is part of a double album, as their other album, Hypnotize, was released later in the same year. Having the same issue with Pantera about not being able to choose one specific album, I chose the one that I had the most consistent and pleasant listening experience throughout the whole album. Seriously, "Question!" has one of the best choruses I've ever heard. I also chose this album because it is the one that most surprised me, and as I've already told you, I like surprises when listening to music. Honestly, would you ever expect that a metal song would ever turn into a polka?
Standout tracks: B.Y.O.B., Radio/Video, Sad Statue
Holy Diver (1983)
This is traditional heavy metal. Dio’s debut album, Holy Diver, is the perfect example of how simple compositions can turn into great songs if there is enough emotion, atmosphere, and groove. The emotion comes from Ronnie James Dio’s signature operatic-like vocal delivery, as seen in his previous passages on legendary bands like Rainbow and Black Sabbath. The atmosphere is created with cryptic and fantastic themes, like dangerous quests of salvation and betrayal from “Holy Diver”. These mythic journeys that are told in this record don't seem to have depth in face value, but it can be connected to some philosophical topics, since many epic quests in literature have themes about facing trials and challenges. This album is not as fast-paced compared to the others on this list, but definitely became extremely inspirational for metal bands from future eras.
Standout tracks: Holy Diver, Don't Talk To Strangers, Rainbow In The Dark
Chaos A.D. (1993)
Inspired by other bands during and before the 90’s, Sepultura created a blend of many different rock and metal genres in order to address themes about war, aggression, and brutality. Their 5th studio album, Chaos A.D., was a mark for a departure of their speedy and thrash sound to more groove-oriented attitudes. As they were active during the same time as Pantera, they broadened the appeal to new metal subgenres like groove metal and nu metal. This album, along with their other records released in the 90’s represented their peak of creativity, with their willingness to experiment with Brazilian percussion instruments and the hardcore punk genre. One thing I never understood was their album artwork. Probably I just need to think harder.
Standout tracks: Refuse/Resist, Territory, Propaganda
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