Top Everything Metal Thread

[antares]

A few days ago I was discussing the best Metal albums of all time with a friend. Here's what we came up with:

Top 10 Metal albums of all time:

Control Denied - The Fragile Art Of Existence (99)
Death - Symbolic (95)
Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory (99)
Megadeth - Rust In Peace (90)
Metallica - Ride The Lightning (84)
Slayer - South Of Heaven (88)
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime (88)
Iced Earth - Night Of The Stormrider (92)
Evergrey - In Search Of Truth (01)
Body Count - Body Count (92)

Albums that deserve to be in the Top 10 but didn't make it:

Death - Human (91)
Death - The Sound Of Perseverance (98)
Iron Maiden - Brave New World (00)
Suicidal Tendencies - Siucidal Tendencies (83)
Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind (89)
Danzig - II: Lucifuge (90)
Mastodon - Leviathan (04)
Cro-Mags - Alpha Omega (92)

Top 10 singers:

Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
Matt Barlow (Iced Earth)
Tom S. Englund (Evergrey)
Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)
Sabina Classen (Holy Moses)
Sabine Weniger (Deadlock)
Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
Glenn Danzig
Warrel Dane (Nevermore)
Ronnie James Dio

Bands that would sound so much better if they had another singer:

Blind Guardian (Hansi Kürsch)
Machinae Supremacy (Robert Stjärnström)
Dream Theater (James LaBrie)

Best Guitar player ever: Chuck Schuldiner
Best Bass player ever: Steve DiGiorgio (Death, Control Denied, Iced Earth, Testament)
Best Drummer ever: Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
Best song writer / composer: Chuck Schuldiner

Top 10 bands:

Death
Megadeth
Dream Theater
Iron Maiden
Evergrey
Slayer
Metallica
Iced Earth
Danzig
Manowar


Now discuss or post your own lists

[Dragoforce]

Blind Guardian (Hansi Kürsch)

I would agree with the way he sounds today, but he was an awesome singer in the mid-90s.

Best Guitar player ever: Chuck Schuldiner

I know he's not held in very high regard, but what about Yngwie?

[kengou]

I like James Labrie's singing for the most part. Aside from when he occasionally goes into incomprehensibly high-pitched wailing, he's really really skilled.

[antares]

Blind Guardian (Hansi Kürsch)

I would agree with the way he sounds today, but he was an awesome singer in the mid-90s.

Right, back then when he was singing and playing bass guitar he sounded much better. Now he tries so hard to sound like he had a good voice (which he doesn't have) and that makes his singing so much worse.

I like James Labrie's singing for the most part. Aside from when he occasionally goes into incomprehensibly high-pitched wailing, he's really really skilled.

I agree he is good on the studio recordings but his live performances are very poor imo. Dream Theater is still one of my all time favourite bands but I think they could even be better with another singer.

[sjewkestheloon]

Personal favourites:

Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
Napalm Death - Scum
Metallica - Kill 'Em All
Carcass - Necroticism
Entombed - To Ride, Shoot Straight, And Speak The Truth
Neurosis - Through Silver In Blood
OM - Conference Of The Birds
Boris - Smile

[Opethian]

My top 10: (I'm still stuck in the mid 90s tho)

Carcass-Heartwork
Opeth-Morningrise
Arch Enemy-Stigmata
Amorphis-Elegy
Death-Human
In Flames-The Jester Race
Dark Tranquillity-The Gallery/The Mind's I (torn between these two)
Bathory-Under the Sign of the Black Mark
Celtic Frost-Morbid Tales
Liquid Tension Experiment

I'd say top bass player would be Sean Malone, Top guitarist: Mike Amott, top drummer: Gene Hoglan!, Top keyboards: Jordan Rudess

[Dragoforce]

Favorite metal personality
Kai Hansen

So, i'm gay. I like power metal and Kai Hansen is mr power metal more than anyone. Seeing Helloween and Gamma Ray live in Stockholm a few years ago is still my favorite concert ever.

@Opethian
Lots of scandivian love there. I've been revisting a lot of old Bathory records lately. Sad thing that Quorthons life was cut short, the two Nordland records are probably my favorites from his discography. Have you checked out Vintersorg btw? Another one-man death/black metal band that sounds a lot like Bathory.

Any Fintroll fans out there? I find them to be the only melodic black metal band I can stand.

[Opethian]

Hell yea Finntroll! Jaktens Tid was amazing! There are just too many great bands from Finland to name!

RIP Quorthon. I didnt not care much for his Octagon album (Very much like his solos albums) But he was one legendary musician!

Vintersorg-Till Fjalls is pretty legendary. I have not heard anything else by them though.

[kengou]

I agree he is good on the studio recordings but his live performances are very poor imo. Dream Theater is still one of my all time favourite bands but I think they could even be better with another singer.

Can't argue about the live recordings. I can't even LISTEN to Pull me Under on Live at Budokan, it sounds like Labrie is going through puberty.

[Wenchang]

Top 10 favorite Metal albums of all time:

Bathory - Twilight of the Gods
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Black Sabbath - The Eternal Idol
Black Sabbath - Headless Cross
Bathory - Blood on Ice
Bathory - Hammerheart
Death - Symbolic
Virgin Steele - Invictus
Dark Angel - Darkness Descends
Amorphis - Tales from the Thousand Lakes

Top 10 vocalists:

Eric Adams
King Diamond
Tony Martin
Ian Gillian
Messiah Marcolin
Don Doty
Quorthon
Michael Kiske
Rob Halford
David Defeis

Top 10 bands:

Bathory
Judas Priest
Emperor
Manowar
Graveland
Virgin Steele
Black Sabbath
Megadeth
Death
King Diamond

[Rob]

My top 10: (I'm still stuck in the mid 90s tho)

80s & 90s for me. I really don't care about the best wailing he-banshee or whosit on instrument, but albums:

Incantation - Onward to Golgotha (1992)
Suffocation - Pierced From Within (1995)
Morbid Angel - Blessed Are the Sick (1991)
Slayer - Decade of Aggression (1991) -- AKA all of the good Slayer albums at once
Coroner - Mental Vortex (1991)
Immolation - Close to a World Below (2000) -- pretty much any album between Dawn of Possession and this one
Gorguts - Obscura (1998)
Metallica - Ride the Lightning (1984) -- Kill 'Em All is a contender
Pentagram (Chile) - Pentagram (2000) -- compiles a few demos from '87 and some live tracks
Cirith Ungol - King of the Dead (1984)

[Matsunaga]

South Of Heaven? Reign In Blood is by far the best Slayer album. Here's a quick top ten:

1. Slayer - Reign in Blood
2. Judas Priest - Painkiller
3. Death - Symbolic
4. Cannibal Corpse - The Wretched Spawn
5. Anthrax - Among The Living
6. Metallica - Ride The Lightning
7. Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
8. Amon Amarth - With Odin By Our Side
9. Immortal - Pure Holocaust
10. Unleashed - Midvinterblot

[Matsunaga]

Any Fintroll fans out there? I find them to be the only melodic black metal band I can stand.

Check out Tyr and Wintersun

[apple arcade]

all i know is my favorite metal album of 2010 is of mice & men

[Rob]

South Of Heaven? Reign In Blood is by far the best Slayer album.

Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits and South of Heaven are all awesome for slightly different reasons.

[alastair jack]

Here's some random ones from different genres I think are greats.

Virgin Black: Requiem - Mezzo Forte, and Requiem - Fortissimo
Deathspell Omega: Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum
Esoteric: Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum
Sunn O))): Black One, and Monoliths & Dimensions
Finntroll: Ur Jordens Djup
Runemagick: The Supreme Force Of Eternity
Gorgoroth: Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
Ahab: The Call of the Wretched Sea
Demilich - Nespithe
Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain

[Opethian]

Here's some random ones from different genres I think are greats.

Esoteric: Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum

Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain

Yes Esoteric and Agalloch are pretty legendary. For fans of Shape of Despair, Rapture, Novembre, and early Katatonia.

[Klatrymadon]

Demilich - Nespithe

Good man! One my all-time favourites. My other nine would probably look something like this:

Bal-Sagoth - The Power Cosmic (I'd fill up the next five slots with Sagoth albums, natch, but I'll try to play properly!)
Sigh - Hail Horror Hail
Primordial - Spirit The Earth Aflame
Discordance Axis - The Inalienable Dreamless
Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark
Aura Noir - The Merciless
Slough Feg - Traveller
Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
Dead Congregation - Graves Of The Archangels
Angel Corpse - Hammer of Gods


Actually, I haven't a bloody clue what my favourites are. There's ten albums to listen to, anyway, if you want.

[Herr Schatten]

Favorite metal personality
Kai Hansen

Fun fact: Kai Hansen is the landlord of the rehearsal room where me and my band used to practice. Getting utility bills from one of your old heros is truly a surreal experience.

[Dragoforce]

Hey, this thread rekindled my love for metal! I've had Mörk gryning (Mork gryning for you english speaking people) blasting away all day.

Any Fintroll fans out there? I find them to be the only melodic black metal band I can stand.

Check out Tyr and Wintersun

Tyr is not really my cup of tea (too weak) but Wintersun is awesome.

Bal-Sagoth - The Power Cosmic

Wonderful album, I'd call Battle magic my favorite Bal-Sagoth album though.

Favorite metal personality
Kai Hansen

Fun fact: Kai Hansen is the landlord of the rehearsal room where me and my band used to practice. Getting utility bills from one of your old heros is truly a surreal experience.

Awesome! Did you ever meet him in person?

[Klatrymadon]

Wonderful album, I'd call Battle magic my favorite Bal-Sagoth album though.

Good call! Aye, I worship all of them, but I usually say TPC's my favourite when people ask. I've mostly been listening to Battle Magic and the first album lately, though.

Wish they weren't such a bunch of insufferably lazy bastards. Haven't seen them live in years.

[Matsunaga]

Tyr is not really my cup of tea (too weak) but Wintersun is awesome.

Tyr sounds amazingly heavy live, if you get a chance I would highly recommend seeing them.

[alastair jack]

Here's some random ones from different genres I think are greats.

Esoteric: Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum

Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain

Yes Esoteric and Agalloch are pretty legendary. For fans of Shape of Despair, Rapture, Novembre, and early Katatonia.

Damn, Shape of Despair is amazing - thanks for reminding me of them again!

[Herr Schatten]

Favorite metal personality
Kai Hansen

Fun fact: Kai Hansen is the landlord of the rehearsal room where me and my band used to practice. Getting utility bills from one of your old heros is truly a surreal experience.

Awesome! Did you ever meet him in person?

Yes, a couple of times, albeit only briefly. He's actually a really nice and friendly person.



My list for the original topic (alphabetical order):

Blind Guardian - Tales from the twilight world
Gamma Ray - Land of the free
Helloween - Keeper of the seven keys part II
Iron Maiden - Somewhere in time
Judas Priest - Painkiller
Kreator - Renewal
Paradise Lost - Icon
Rage - Trapped!
Sentenced - Down
Tiamat - Wildhoney


Runners-up:

Dark Tranquillity - Damage done
Bruce Dickinson - Accident of birth
Edguy - Vain glory opera
Farmer Boys - Till the cows come home
Killers - Murder one
Lake of Tears - Headstones
Manowar - Kings of Metal
Metallica - ...And justice for all
Soilwork - Natural born chaos
Testament - Practice what you preach

EDIT: I'd have loved to sneak Grip Inc. somewhere in there, but I couldn't decide on one outstanding album from them.

Coroner - Mental Vortex

Yes! Coroner were great. I prefer Grin and No More Colour to Mental Vortex, though. The guitarist also influenced the sound of Kreator in a really interesting way while he was playing in that band.

[CMoon]

Where the hell is Gorgoroth in this thread?

...and what about Napalm Death's Fear, emptiness, despair?

[Acid King]

Not a very diverse list but my top ten is something like...

Nightstick - Ultimatum
Electric Wizard - Come My Fanatics
Pentagram - Relentless
Eyehategod - In the Name of Suffering
Corrosion of Conformity - Technocracy
Trouble - The Skull
Sleep - Dopesmoker
Terrorizer - World Downfall
The Kill - Hate Sessions
Buzzov*en - To A Frown

Followed by...

St. Vitus - V
Grief - Miserably Ever After
Incantation - Upon the Throne of Apocalypse
Khanate - Things Viral
Commit Suicide - Human Larvae
Goatsblood - s/t
Fistula - For a Better Tomorrow
Candlemass - Epicus...
Meatjack - Trust
Ocean Chief - Oden Sessions

[gct]

I love power and cheese, and haven't been listening to metal for long so I only have a slight knowledge of post-1995 stuff. For relatively modern metals though I must add Roy Khan and Russell Allen as great singers. Khan is simply precise as a laser and filled with soul even when live, and Allen is amazingly versatile, I bet he could sing any style of music and do it well.

I don't have enough knowledge to list 10 from different bands, but here are my personal top albums:

Symphony X - V (though IMO every album is a masterpiece and favourite)
Kamelot - Karma
Manigance - Ange ou Démon
Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side
Heavenly - Dust to Dust

[Sobek]

Top graffiti:

[andsuchisdeath]

Cynic - Focus
Death - Individual thought patterns
Death - Human
Gorguts - Obscura
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence.
Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
Cryptopsy - None So Vile

My top seven....

I certainly don't believe these are the most important, nor the best.

[ratlhead]

Paradise Lost - Icon
My Dying Bride - The Light at the End of the World
Anathema - Pentecost III
Katatonia - Brave Murder Day
Theatre of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear
Tiamat - Astral Sleep
Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
Agalloch - The Mantle
Saturnus - Paradise Belongs to You
The Gathering - Always...