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1001 Metal Albums You Should Hear Before You Die [Metal Forum Edition] Updated 29th March 20


The Batlord

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I post on a general music forum and we have a thread like this, and I figured this would be the perfect place to start a metal album thread to educate everyone from metal n00bs to the Truest of the True. Rules are simple: post an album with at least a short description of it, or just something you want to say. Any album is up for grabs. Doesn't matter if it's obscure or well-known. This list will be potentially 1001 entries long, so there's plenty of space for Iron Maiden's entire discography. The format of each post doesn't have to be totally the same, but it will help if there's at least some uniformity. At the very least you need to include the artist and album name, pic of the cover, year of release, and number the entry in descending order from the previous entry. A Youtube vid or two would also be nice. Also, you can post multiple albums at a time--there's no need to wait for other people to post before you post again--but keep them in separate posts. One post with five albums in it just looks ugly. I'll also be using the OP as a link directory for all the entries to make it easier to navigate.

 

26. Sadus - Swallowed In Black (1990)
27. Autopsy - Mental Funeral (1991)
28. Evoken - Embrace The Emptiness (1998)
29. Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter (1999)
30. Sacramentum - Far Away From The Sun (1996)
31. Incantation - Onward To Golgotha (1992)
32. Bathory - Hammerheart (1990)
33. Edge Of Sanity - Crimson (1996)
34. Death - The Sound Of Perseverance (1998)
35. Ulver - Bergtatt (1995)
36. Alkonost - Путь непройденный (2006)
37. Cradle Of Filth - Beauty and the Beast (1998)
38. Bell Witch - Four Phantoms (2015)
39. Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2001)
40. Bethlehem - Dark Metal (1994)
41. Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath (1984)
42. Labÿrinth - Return To Heaven Denied (1998)
43. Watchtower - Control & Resistance (1989)
44. At The Gates - Slaughter of the Soul (1995)
45. Monstrosity - Imperial Doom (1992)
46. Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny (1976)
47. Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk  (1997)

 

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1. Metallica - Kill 'Em All (1983)

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Let's start off simple. I love all Metallica's eighties materiel, but Kill 'Em All is the one I keep coming back to for some reason. It's certainly not their most accomplished, or their most consistent--although I still like pretty much everything on it--but it's got a youthful energy and raw power that are everything that early eighties metal should be. I see this as just as much a trad metal album as a thrash album--the point at which the torch was passed. The hardcore influences blend perfectly with those ten-ton Diamond Head riffs in a way that keeps me hitting the replay button as soon as the album is over. And "Seek and Destroy" is one of the high points of Western civilization.

 

 

 

 

 

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2. High On Fire - Death Is this Communion (2007)

A seamless grab bag of stoner, doom, thrash, and Motorhead, guitarist Matt Pike somehow manages to capture the beating heart heavy metal itself into one brilliant album. Riffs for days, esoteric lyrics, and production with enough distortion and fuzz to make Electric Wizard proud, make this a masterpiece that can't really be compared to much of anything out there.

 

 

 

 

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3. Lykathea Alfame - Elvenefris (2000) 7208.jpg?3903 Elvenefris is... well, it's a lot of things. It may well be the most impressive death metal offering of all time, and one of the most unique and interesting takes on metal in general. It's also one of the most tragic cases ever of a "1 and done" from a band, leaving us this lone testament, this monolith of inspiration and awe, never to be heard from again. They did exist earlier in similar form as Appaling Spawn, but the name change to Lykathea Aflame was meant to signal a change in direction, which they definitely did, away from anything else that had ever been done before. This is a death metal album which covers many different sides of the death metal spectrum, progressive death metal, technical death metal, brutal death metal, melodic death metal, and part of how it excels is not just the mastery of these pieces, but how seamlessly they are worked into the sonic fabric of their sound, so much so that it leaves the listener wondering why they have not always been combined this way. Everything here is dialed up to 11, the brutality, the technical prowess, the emotion, the atmosphere, it's all here in a way that grabs hold and doesn't let go. There are many textures and layers to this album, and despite its long length (especially for a death metal album), there is never a feeling of tedium or redundancy, only a desire to hear more. This is absolute mastery, and defines being an album that every metal fan should hear before they die, as even if you don't like it (for whatever idiotic reason that may be), its uniqueness and skill simply can't be denied.

 

 

 

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4. Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors (2002) 1128.jpg?3436 This album is truly one of the most unique I've ever heard. Arcturus was really the original black metal supergroup, although by the time of this record, these guys had left black metal far beyond. One of the only "sci-fi" metal albums that doesn't sound horribly cheesy to me, Arcturus nails a very distinct feeling here and it definitely had a huge impact on me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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5. Terrorizer - World Downfall (1989)

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I like my extreme metal ugly, noisy, and shitty-sounding, and Terrorizer's debut is one of the highwater marks of all that I love about early extreme metal. This album is just a hatefuck of primitive grindcore filth that pretty much consists of blast beats, lightning fast guitar you can hardly even make out, and production that sounds like it cost the same as a '76 Ford Pinto. But what sets this band apart for me from Napalm Death or Carcass are those fucking riffs. I don't know if I've ever heard of an extreme metal band you could dance to, but there's certainly something about Terrorizer at times that just makes me want to get down and boogie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I disagree about the production' date=' especially when you consider what other early grindcore sounded like. Morrisound is pretty clear, and that album inspired everyone to go there because they like the sound. My second favorite grind album though, killer stuff.[/quote'] Compared to Reek of Putrefaction? Sure. But compared to albums only a few years later, that production is scuzzy as all fuck.
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6. Gorguts - Obscura (1998) Not only was this album technically groundbreaking when it was released, it's just as relevant today due to the number of newer bands that it's inspired. But even if it hadn't had a "legacy", it would still be just as energetic and vital. Luc Lemay's unique take on melody, his odd rhythmic sense, and his use of dissonance and textural techniques like pick tapping and scraping within riffs defined fresh territory for death metal. This may be my favorite vocal performance of his, as well, and the dry yet organic production suits the music perfectly. It gave me a headache the first time I heard it. This is one of my favorite death metal albums.

 

 

 

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What a great thread. (Genuinely - I am not being sarcastic for once). I will add to this tomorrow' date=' as soon as I figure exactly [i']how to post pictures on here - any help would be appreciated!
The idea is good for me too, because a lot of bands that I would want to put in my genre recommendations threads don't fit well one way or another, so they get skipped. Some of those are among my favorite albums, this will give them a place to shine.
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7. Mayhem "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" (1994)

Mayhem_demysteriisdomsathanas.jpg

Simply put, a milestone album for Black Metal. Up there with "Under A Funeral Moon" for it's atmosphere and raw energy "De Mysteriis..." defines what BM is as a sound and as a movement. It is the album that strikes you with it's cold, nefarious and ritualistic sounds. The thin guitar sound is perfect, but the contrast with the absolute fury of the drums blends for a perfect combination of dark and climatic BM with the listener being tormented from start to finish by Attila with his creepy whispers, howling screams and inhuman shrieks. Songs? Take your pick - the eerieness of "Funeral Fog", the raging fury of "Buried By Time And Dust", or the ritual and demonic aura of the title track to close the album, you have such a choice of standout tracks it should be noted how well the whole selection sits as an actual album and not just a collection of songs! There is a real sense of the bands character and personalities being stamped on the record. It's more than 8 tracks laid consistently in a wonderful murky darkness that envelopes you - it's a one off album and therefore truly worthy of a place in the 1001 list and any metal fans music collection.

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8. Swans - Filth (1982) This isn't a "metal" album. Swans emerged from the post-punk/No Wave scene in early 80s NYC, but while comparisons have been made to contemporaries like Sonic Youth and The Birthday Party, early Swans - including this debut album and follow-up recordings like Cop and Body To Body, Job To Job - is in a class by itself. Their music had a direct influence on industrial metal (especially via Godflesh) and early grindcore (Napalm Death, among others), while conceptually influencing bands from other areas of extreme metal. A listen through Filth will show you why - crushing, atonal grooves built on heavy-handed drumming, pulsing bass lines, and sharp, noisy guitar textures provide a backdrop for M. Gira's animalistic and nearly incomprehensible yelling, and a glance through his lyrics reveals a stark portrait of modern alienation and hopeless rage that it's all too easy to identify with. In its way, this is one of the most brutal recordings I've ever heard - Gira himself described it aptly as "hammer music" in a recent interview. I listen to it frequently. Even if you don't end up liking it, you should hear it, as a piece of the history of early extreme metal. Here's the first track:

 

 

 

Edited by RelentlessOblivion
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9. In the Woods... - Heart of the Ages w8439s.jpg In 1995, In The Woods... released Heart of the Ages upon the world. By integrating melodic and progressive elements this debut album showcased a rather unique take on the Scandinavian black metal scene. Heart of the Ages is a record on which the musicians have strived to create sweeping atmospheres while drawing influences from across a broad musical spectrum and without losing the integrity of black metal, they succeeded.

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10. Hammerfall - Legacy of Kings (1998)

HammerFall_-_Legacy_of_kings.jpg

I loves me some cheese metal, and Hammerfall are top notch Gouda. They never reinvented any wheels, seeking to celebrate all those trad and power metal bands that inspired them rather than truly break new ground, but it's the passion for metal that they wear on their sleeves that makes me love this band. If you really listen to their lyrics, they're almost all very thinly veiled calls to arms to metalheads to "fight" for metal. I can't take this band seriously, but at the same time the emotion they put into their music reminds me of when I was a teenager just discovering metal, and the wonder I felt each day at the musical world I was just beginning to immerse myself in. I feel no shame in admitting that I legitimately tear up on a regular basis listening to this band. Love them or hate them, Hammerfall are still more metal than you will ever be. P.S. The first fifteen seconds of "Heeding the Call" has been my ring tone for the past few years, and I have no intention of changing it anytime soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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really digging this thread. props to the OP

11. Vehemence - God Was Created (2002)

When I was first dipping my fingers into death metal in high school I had already grown to adore everything from the brutality of Deicide to the more melodic tendencies of Opeth, but this album was something that simply didnt sound like anything else. What sets them apart is their fearless use of highly emotive guitar riffs and passages not terribly unlike ones you would find in many screamo/metalcore releases, albeit done with a level of precision and ferocity that keeps you from even considering these elements as part of Vehemence's overall identity. Written as a loose concept album chronicling a hopeless stalker lamenting over and eventually killing the object of his obsession in a god-following woman, the entire album carries a dark and brooding sense of self-loathing while periodically heightening itself with violent but colorful outbursts via the unique riff choices and drumming that breaks no ground but is executed far too well to not stick in your mind. Just nevermind the last track, that shit sucks, dont know why it's even there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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really digging this thread. props to the OP 11. Vehemence - God Was Created (2002) [ATTACH=CONFIG]1804[/ATTACH] When I was first dipping my fingers into death metal in high school I had already grown to adore everything from the brutality of Deicide to the more melodic tendencies of Opeth, but this album was something that simply didnt sound like anything else. What sets them apart is their fearless use of highly emotive guitar riffs and passages not terribly unlike ones you would find in many screamo/metalcore releases, albeit done with a level of precision and ferocity that keeps you from even considering these elements as part of Vehemence's overall identity. Written as a loose concept album chronicling a hopeless stalker lamenting over and eventually killing the object of his obsession in a god-following woman, the entire album carries a dark and brooding sense of self-loathing while periodically heightening itself with violent but colorful outbursts via the unique riff choices and drumming that breaks no ground but is executed far too well to not stick in your mind. Just nevermind the last track, that shit sucks, dont know why it's even there. 4IgwrVgfiq4 ULFjFKiTJXM
Good call, this post has just reminded me to finally listen to this album. Let's get to it...
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