Jump to content

Top 10 Albums of Any Given Genre or Concept


Requiem

Recommended Posts

Choose a genre, any genre, and provide a list of your top ten albums for it. Exciting right? 

EDIT: To make this even more exciting, I've added the idea of the 'Concept' to the thread title. So rather than just being a list of Top 10s for Genre (black metal, death metal etc), it includes other more unconventional lists, such as my Top 10 History Metal and Top 10 Ozzy Involved Albums. This adds a degree of freedom and (hopefully) fun to the thread.

I'll start: 

Requiem's Top 10 Albums in Black Metal

10. Satyricon - 'Nemesis Divina'

The first four songs are all works of genius. Obviously 'Mother North' ain't bad...

9. Emperor - 'Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk'

Majestic and next level symphonic. This takes me to a different world, like probably no other album. Amazing drumming from Trym. 

8. Darkthrone - 'Transilivanian Hunger'

Cold, emotional, great melodies in there. Great cover. Great end to the trilogy. Great. 

7. Drudkh - 'Autumn Aurora'

Love the textures of this album. Very haunting. Eastern European forests and all that. 

6. Mayhem - 'Live in Leipzig'

Threw a live album in here because Dead needs to be represented. There's magic in this show. 

5. Burzum - 'Filosofem'

All old Burzum is great of course, but this one has 'Dunkelheit' which just elevates the whole thing. It's genius. 

4. Emperor - 'In the Nightside Eclipse'

A freak of a band. How does a group of musicians get this type of atmosphere? It's beyond me. 

3. Mayhem - 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas'

The dream of Euronymous finally realised. Classic album of course. Riffs. Atmosphere. 

2. Dissection - 'Storm of the Light's Bane'

One of metal's great achievements, this is melodic, dark, 'evil', and haunting. A freakish writer of riffs was old Jonny N. 

1. Satyricon - 'The Shadowthrone'

One of my all time favourite albums and the greatest black metal album every produced. Riffs, atmospherics, grim voices, acoustics, forests. It's all here. 

 

I was conscious of being too biased towards second wave Norwegian bands, but they are just so damn good. This was also a lot harder than I thought it would be. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, MacabreEternal said:

I could probably do this at some point, surprised to see "Autumn Aurora" in there ahead of "Blood In Our Wells" but each to their own.

'Blood...' took a lot longer to get into and even now it doesn't resonate with me like 'AA' does. 'AA' is amazing. 

I thought this thread could be cool because people could list their favourites in all sorts of genres. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, MacabreEternal said:

I am only going to list albums I actually own, not just ones I have heard (like I normally do).  Will add something at some point just laid up in bed with a virus caught from these humans and too tired to think! Cool thread though.

Hope you feel better soon. I've got a cold but it hasn't sent me to my bed just yet. Steer clear of those humans. 

All of my lists in the 'Top 10 of Any Given Year' thread and this one are owned in physical copy by Requiem exclusively. Trying to 'own' a digital copy is like trying to own the wind in the trees, or the love of an unrequited inamorata. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Requiem said:

Trying to 'own' a digital copy is like trying to own the wind in the trees, or the love of an unrequited inamorata. 

I really dislike this dogma. I see people saying stuff like this a lot. It's cool if we have the money and space to collect bits of plastic and paper (and I like physical formats for many of the reasons mentioned in other threads, don't get me wrong), but the music is just as real regardless of what medium it's stored in, and statements like this always strike me as snobby. I'd call my digital stuff at least as secure as my CD collection - it's backed up on two computers, one with a redundant storage array, and most of it is on a massive memory card in my phone as well.

Still working on a list or two to add here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

I really dislike this dogma. I see people saying stuff like this a lot. It's cool if we have the money and space to collect bits of plastic and paper (and I like physical formats for many of the reasons mentioned in other threads, don't get me wrong), but the music is just as real regardless of what medium it's stored in, and statements like this always strike me as snobby. I'd call my digital stuff at least as secure as my CD collection - it's backed up on two computers, one with a redundant storage array, and most of it is on a massive memory card in my phone as well.

Still working on a list or two to add here.

Yeah, I was just being poetic. I don't mind how people store and listen to their music. It takes all sorts to make a world. 

I'm looking forward to your lists, especially death and doom if they ever materialise. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MacabreEternal's Top Ten BM Albums

I started from a list of 14 but will include the "honorable mentions" at the end.  I normally don't like doing this as my tastes do change (I do have some human traits) frequently and although I always recognise a quality release it's place in any "Top" list will change.  Anyways, Disclaimer aside:

10. Slidhr "Deluge" 2013

One the most recent discoveries I made was Slidhr, I owned their 2006 demo for a while but only got round to "Deluge" last year.  It is an intense BM opus that delivers on all levels with it's raw energy and ritualistic feel.  Highly recommended, I think BAN enjoyed these on the last CD Swap I did with him.

9. Cirith Gorgor "Onwards To The Spectral Defile" 1999

If there's an album anywhere in metaldom that is as criminally underrated as "Onwards To The Spectral Defile" then a grave injustice has occurred that must be avenged forthwith!  A recommendation from a forumite from elsewhere to the MF waters, this has remained a firm favourite for years.

8. Drudkh "Blood In Our Wells" 2006

The pinnacle of the "hot 3" from Drudkh for me that started with "Autumn Aurora", carried through "The Swan Road" and culminated perfectly in this slab of tempered BM aggression and atmosphere.

7. Darkthrone "A Blaze In The Northern Sky"  1992

The first Darkthrone album I ever owned is probably why this gets the edge over "Transilvanian Hunger" and/or "Panzerfaust" which are my other main go to Darkthrone releases.

6. Immortal "Pure Holocaust" 1993

Everybody talks about "At The Heart Of Winter" as being Immortal at their best but I still prefer the harsh coldness delivered with scathing fury that was "Pure Holocaust" over any of the other releases.

5. Sacramentum "Far Away From The Sun" 1996

Released a year after "Storm Of The Lights Bane" but no less a quality release in terms of great use of atmosphere and melody, I also got to it before Dissection hence why it is in here instead of them.  There's real sense of energy in this release that lifts me each time I listen to it.

4. Emperor "In The Nightside Eclipse" 1994

Hard not to place this top three at least but that's testimony to the quality I afford the releases that follow I suppose.  As I said elsewhere on here, I never feel like I get to know this record and each listen leaves me with a different recollection of the experience like it is constantly teaching me as I listen each time.

3. Burzum "Filosofem" 1996

Burzum feature only once in my list and although I enjoy both "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" and "Det Som Engang Var" in equal measure I simply find "Filosofem" more memorable after each listen.  Bits of it stay in my head for days after listening.

2. Ulver "Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr I 5 Capitler" 1995

No mention for "Nattens.." in my list (in fact it didn't even make my original 14) but this record is a fixed point in time, majestic and dark throughout and never dull or showy.  Some things are just mean't to be great, "Bergtatt..." is one of them.

1. Mayhem "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" 1994

Almost seems inevitable now when I look back on this list that "De Mysteriis..." was going to come out tops on the competition. If ever aliens land and ask for the true essence of BM, I would put this on for them.  The authenticity of the sound, direction and intent of the record is unquestionable in my opinion.

Close but no cigar:

Satyricon "Dark Medieval Times" - I just haven't had enough time with it to be honest, I can see the great bits but don't feel I have the full picture yet to include it on this list.

Bathory s/t - I enjoy it, I play it regularly but I just don't feel it has any place in this list.  That is all.

Behexen "Rituale Satanum" - I play this regularly but I can't but an album in this list just because I think it is really, really evil sounding so it was cut.

Blut Aus Nord "The Work Which Transforms God" - not a traditional piece of BM but then again BAN aren't really a traditional BM band (certainly not as their career has progressed), but one which I do play the most out of all the BAN releases that I own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, I find it extremely difficult to narrow this down, and I'm not even going to attempt ranking these albums.

My top ten death metal albums ever in the whole world  (please bear in mind that this might have gone a bit differently on another day):

Suffocation - Pierced From Within - A crushing tour-de-force of technical brutality from one of DM's defining bands.

Opeth - Morningrise - I struggled over whether to include this, since the music strays far from "death metal" as it's generally accepted, but it was my introduction to the progressive side of DM and remains not only a favorite, but hugely influential on my personal taste and songwriting style. Unparalleled atmosphere and unforgettable melodies. My life would be different if I'd never heard this album.

Grave - You'll Never See - This album exemplifies the mix of heavy DM groove and loose, punky aggression that I associate with early Swedish DM. Abrasive, catchy, and headbangable in the extreme.

Amorphis - The Karelian Isthmus - Dark and creepy melodies, doom-laden rhythm guitars, deep yet haggard gutturals, and simple yet engaging songwriting, this is another album that I consider an archetype of sorts, combining most of what made the Finnish DM scene unique into a moody and angry yet totally enjoyable package. However...

Demilich - Nespithe - ...this album takes the cake for "Finnish and unique". I've heard emulations, but nothing else hits home like this combination of bizarre note choices, frantically lurching grooves, and vocals that sound like an alien frog drowning in a cavernous toilet. It shouldn't work, but it does, and the songs have eaten holes in my brain.

Gorguts - Obscura - Speaking of holes in my brain, the first time I heard this album, it literally gave me a headache. It took me quite a while to come to terms with this - guitars forced to vomit nearly incomprehensible noises they were never intended to produce, incredibly busy and choppy drumming anchoring equally busy and choppy song structures, fragments of melody beaten and left to die by the side of the road, shot through with descents into moody gloom. Trying to make sense of the chaotic and almost random songwriting forces me towards a bird's-eye view of the music, cerebral yet oddly meditative. One of the progenitors of the dissonant trend that's been sweeping over DM the past few years.

Death - Individual Thought Patterns - Difficult to choose, as any of their last four albums could probably make a case for being here. ITP was the first Death album that really "clicked" for me, and it's got phenomenal musicianship from an incredibly skilled lineup that blends their earlier aggression with the progressive tendencies and sweeping melodic leads that would characterize their last two albums. Another example of a band that made some odd songwriting choices, that could have easily gone wrong in less talented hands, but resulted in something unique and complex, yet clear and memorable. The sound on this album isn't the best, yet somehow that doesn't matter in the slightest.

Obituary - Cause Of Death - Doomy, hard-hitting grooves, angular and angry riffs, and wailing James Murphy leads with chops and feel for days, overlain with John Tardy's inimitable ghoulish roar. The lead guitars sing in my head whenever I think of this album; death metal would be a different genre without it.

Cryptopsy - None So Vile - For fuck's sake, this album is a beast. Lord Worm's incomprehensible blurting, Flo's jackhammer drumming, and truly evil-sounding guitar parts helped put Montreal's DM scene on the map. Sections of this album manage to encapsulate pure rage in sonic form. I should not listen to this while driving!

Atheist - Unquestionable Presence - Thrashy, jazzy, proggy, and weird, this album weaves different feelings together into a memorable and dynamic whole, deftly articulating between chill, contemplative, angry, and epic without losing focus or momentum. Similar to Death in more ways than one, this is another classic of Florida prog-death, with expressive vocals, phenomenal musicianship (that fucking bass!), and a high "shouldn't-work-but-it-does" factor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never heard Grave (true story me) and yet to get to "Individual Thought Patterns".  "Cause Of Death" and "Pierced From Within" would be on my list.  As much as I love "Unquestionable Presence" it probably would only get an honourable mention but that I think reflects our varied tastes in DM nicely.

Hoping to get my DM list together tomorrow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, MacabreEternal said:

Never heard Grave (true story me) and yet to get to "Individual Thought Patterns".  "Cause Of Death" and "Pierced From Within" would be on my list.  As much as I love "Unquestionable Presence" it probably would only get an honourable mention but that I think reflects our varied tastes in DM nicely.

Hoping to get my DM list together tomorrow.

I highly recommend the first two Grave albums, they're what I put on first when I want no-bullshit Swedish death metal. Atheist and Death are almost too similar for me to want them both here, and it bothers me that I couldn't fit Deicide's "Legion", but in the end I figured I had to go for what I listen to most these days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MacabreEternal's Top Ten BM Albums

I started from a list of 14 but will include the "honorable mentions" at the end.  I normally don't like doing this as my tastes do change (I do have some human traits) frequently and although I always recognise a quality release it's place in any "Top" list will change.  Anyways, Disclaimer aside:

10. Slidhr "Deluge" 2013

One the most recent discoveries I made was Slidhr, I owned their 2006 demo for a while but only got round to "Deluge" last year.  It is an intense BM opus that delivers on all levels with it's raw energy and ritualistic feel.  Highly recommended, I think BAN enjoyed these on the last CD Swap I did with him.

9. Cirith Gorgor "Onwards To The Spectral Defile" 1999

If there's an album anywhere in metaldom that is as criminally underrated as "Onwards To The Spectral Defile" then a grave injustice has occurred that must be avenged forthwith!  A recommendation from a forumite from elsewhere to the MF waters, this has remained a firm favourite for years.

8. Drudkh "Blood In Our Wells" 2006

The pinnacle of the "hot 3" from Drudkh for me that started with "Autumn Aurora", carried through "The Swan Road" and culminated perfectly in this slab of tempered BM aggression and atmosphere.

7. Darkthrone "A Blaze In The Northern Sky"  1992

The first Darkthrone album I ever owned is probably why this gets the edge over "Transilvanian Hunger" and/or "Panzerfaust" which are my other main go to Darkthrone releases.

6. Immortal "Pure Holocaust" 1993

Everybody talks about "At The Heart Of Winter" as being Immortal at their best but I still prefer the harsh coldness delivered with scathing fury that was "Pure Holocaust" over any of the other releases.

5. Sacramentum "Far Away From The Sun" 1996

Released a year after "Storm Of The Lights Bane" but no less a quality release in terms of great use of atmosphere and melody, I also got to it before Dissection hence why it is in here instead of them.  There's real sense of energy in this release that lifts me each time I listen to it.

4. Emperor "In The Nightside Eclipse" 1994

Hard not to place this top three at least but that's testimony to the quality I afford the releases that follow I suppose.  As I said elsewhere on here, I never feel like I get to know this record and each listen leaves me with a different recollection of the experience like it is constantly teaching me as I listen each time.

3. Burzum "Filosofem" 1996

Burzum feature only once in my list and although I enjoy both "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" and "Det Som Engang Var" in equal measure I simply find "Filosofem" more memorable after each listen.  Bits of it stay in my head for days after listening.

2. Ulver "Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr I 5 Capitler" 1995

No mention for "Nattens.." in my list (in fact it didn't even make my original 14) but this record is a fixed point in time, majestic and dark throughout and never dull or showy.  Some things are just mean't to be great, "Bergtatt..." is one of them.

1. Mayhem "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" 1994

Almost seems inevitable now when I look back on this list that "De Mysteriis..." was going to come out tops on the competition. If ever aliens land and ask for the true essence of BM, I would put this on for them.  The authenticity of the sound, direction and intent of the record is unquestionable in my opinion.

Close but no cigar:

Satyricon "Dark Medieval Times" - I just haven't had enough time with it to be honest, I can see the great bits but don't feel I have the full picture yet to include it on this list.

Bathory s/t - I enjoy it, I play it regularly but I just don't feel it has any place in this list.  That is all.

Behexen "Rituale Satanum" - I play this regularly but I can't but an album in this list just because I think it is really, really evil sounding so it was cut.

Blut Aus Nord "The Work Which Transforms God" - not a traditional piece of BM but then again BAN aren't really a traditional BM band (certainly not as their career has progressed), but one which I do play the most out of all the BAN releases that I own.

 

Cool list. Cirith Gorgor & Slidhr are two I need to explore.

Choose a genre, any genre, and provide a list of your top ten albums for it. Exciting right? 

I'll start: 

Requiem's Top 10 Albums in Black Metal

10. Emperor - 'Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk'

Majestic and next level symphonic. This takes me to a different world, like probably no other album. Amazing drumming from Trym. 

9. Darkthrone - 'Transilivanian Hunger'

Cold, emotional, great melodies in there. Great cover. Great end to the trilogy. Great. 

8. Drudkh - 'Autumn Aurora'

Love the textures of this album. Very haunting. Eastern European forests and all that. 

7. Satyricon - 'Nemesis Divina'

The first four songs are all works of genius. Obviously 'Mother North' ain't bad...

6. Mayhem - 'Live in Leipzig'

Threw a live album in here because Dead needs to be represented. There's magic in this show. 

5. Burzum - 'Filosofem'

All old Burzum is great of course, but this one has 'Dunkelheit' which just elevates the whole thing. It's genius. 

4. Emperor - 'In the Nightside Eclipse'

A freak of a band. How does a group of musicians get this type of atmosphere? It's beyond me. 

3. Mayhem - 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas'

The dream of Euronymous finally realised. Classic album of course. Riffs. Atmosphere. 

2. Dissection - 'Storm of the Light's Bane'

One of metal's great achievements, this is melodic, dark, 'evil', and haunting. A freakish writer of riffs was old Jonny N. 

1. Satyricon - 'The Shadowthrone'

One of my all time favourite albums and the greatest black metal album every produced. Riffs, atmospherics, grim voices, acoustics, forests. It's all here. 

 

I was conscious of being too biased towards second wave Norwegian bands, but they are just so damn good. This was also a lot harder than I thought it would be. 

 

Also a very cool list. I much prefer 'Storm of the Light's Bane" as opposed to 'The Somberlain". Incredible album.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MacabreEternal's Top Ten Death Metal Albums

10. Autopsy "Mental Funeral" 1991

"Clumsy Death Metal", that's what a friend describes most of Autopsy's output as being and based on "Mental Funeral" this is a perfect description in my book.  At the end of the day DM is supposed to be ugly and unforgiving and this hits that stereotype on the head for me.

9. Master s/t 1990

Sticking with the "ugly" theme we have Master's self titled album full of murky (almost squally at times) DM which appeals right to the darkest corners of my earholes!

8. Hooded Menace "Never Cross The Dead" 2010

Yep, a bit of doom/death at number eight as the Finnish maestros drop their best effort, heaving sludge filled doom riffs with a fine tempering of old-school death metal thrown in for good measure.  This album can stay in my head for days after just one listen.

7. Ulcerate "Vermis" 2013

Technical DM makes an entry at last.  With "Vermis" Ulcerate opened my ears up to the real concept of combining the heaviness of DM with some real precision engineering.  I find this album both sprawling and modern at the same time without losing any of it's edge.

6. Asphyx "Last One On Earth" 1992 

It's all about the riffs baby!  Fuck me does this record have riffs, both infectious and crushing at the same time.

5. Gorguts "Colored Sands" 2013

A notch up in terms of structure from "Vermis" which was released in the same year making 2013 a superb year for DM.  There's a definite edge in terms of majesty of the performance on this record, with Lemay's songwriting skills almost flawless on here.

4. Deicide s/t 1990

I battled between "Legion" and this to be honest as I love both and there are days where I enjoy the follow up to the debut more but I think overall in terms of impact the debut has the edge for me.

3. Morbid Angel "Blessed Are The Sick" 1991

Less of a battle this time between the debut and this.  This has more of an evil majesty to it and a structure to the songs and track order that compliments it perfectly.

2. Suffocation "Pierced From Within" 1995

I can't think of a better example of the perfect mix of brutality and technical ability than this record.  I didn't always get along with this either, preferring "Effigy..." for many years.  But slowly I came to love the more calculated assault of "Pierced..." over the debut.

1. Obituary "Cause Of Death"  1990

Every aspect of my being screamed "put `Slowly We Rot` in the top slot!", as that record was the first DM vinyl record I ever bought and holds a massive place in my metal education from a nostalgia point of view at least.  However the step up from the debut to "Cause Of Death" just cannot be denied or underestimated.  It simply is one the best DM records ever written in my opinion and quality overcomes nostalgia in this instance.

Close but no cigar:

Pestilence "Consuming Impulse", Death "Leprosy", Immolation "Here In After", Incantation "Onward To Golgotha", Portal "Vexovoid"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm going out of my comfort zone here by doing a death metal list. I'm not going to include my melodeath favourites as they'll appear in a list soon enough and everyone knows they're for wimps and poser anyway. No, for this list I'm going with proper death metal (hopefully). It's not a genre I'm huge on, but 25 years in metal you accumulate a few classics over the years. So without further ado, I present to you...

 

Requiem's Top 10 Death Metal Albums

10. Sentenced - 'North From Here'

Part of me loves this because it's Sentenced, part of me admires the complex riffs and arrangements, part of me thinks this is a terrible mess and thank the gods they came good later on...

9. Nile - 'Black Seeds of Vengeance'

I love the Egyptian theme and it makes the music so much fun to listen to. Impressive vocals, impressive musicianship. Brilliant stuff. 

8. Morbid Angel - 'Domination'

If I was a true death metal fan I'd have 'Altars of Madness' here, right? Well, I'm not, and songs like 'Dominate' and 'Where the Slime Live' are amazeballs. 

7. Death - 'Symbolic'

Pretty melodic, but this still counts. I love Chuck's vocals and the production here is cool. Some superb tracks here. 

6. Dismember - 'Like an Everflowing Stream'

I love the Swedish death metal sound, and this album pretty much sums it up. Not as hooky as I would like, but there is plenty to love about this album. 

5. Nile - 'In their Darkened Shrines'

Some great Egyptian epics here and some nice traditional instrument moments that give this great flavour. I love Nile's lyrics too. I'm a big lyrics fan. 

4. Morbid Angel - 'Covenant'

Great riffs, great guitar tone. Great cover. Just a really good album that I still put on every now and then. 

3. Amorphis - 'The Karelian Isthmus'

Amorphis are one of my favourite all time bands, and while in my opinion they go on to much higher levels of greatness this album is very listenable and awesome. Dinky as shit lyrics though. 

2. Dismember - Massive Killing Capacity

I know the band have sort of disowned the apparent weakness of this album, but I love this. I think it's the first death metal album I ever bought, back when it came out in 1995. So catchy. It's death metal pop without being melodeath. Fun fact: I know every word of every song due to getting this in the days when you would sit on your bed in the 90s and read the lyrics over and over again. 

1. Carcass - 'Surgical Steel'

I'm calling this death metal and I'm calling it an out and out classic. Goddamn what an album. Everything about it rules. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 23/04/2017 at 6:16 AM, FatherAlabaster said:


 

and vocals that sound like an alien frog drowning in a cavernous toilet. 

You didn't think I was going to overlook this classic little call, did you?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Requiem said:

1. Carcass - 'Surgical Steel'

I'm calling this death metal and I'm calling it an out and out classic. Goddamn what an album. Everything about it rules. 

 

Never expected this to be fair.  I flirted with dropping "Necroticism..." in my list for those fucking catchy as herpes riffs alone but wouldn't have put "Surgical Steel" in this ball park.  Each to their own though and no entry in this thread is wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

--- Top Ten / Black Metal ---

 

- Ildjarn - Det frysende nordariket

  Harsh, raw and abstract.

- Mysticum - Lost Masters of the Universe

  Although In the Streams of Inferno is great, this compilation has a better presentation of the same songs from earlier demos and other releases, plus other tracks that are unmissable ("Black Magic Mushrooms").

- Dodheimsgard - Kronet til Konge

  Aldrahn on guitars/vocals and Fenriz notably on bass.

- Immortal - Pure Holocaust

  Immortal's high-water mark.

- Zyklon-B - Blood Must Be Shed

  Kind of a "supergroup" line-up (Aldrahn, Samoth, Ihsahn, and Frost). Just under 11 minutes long, but some of the best black metal ever recorded.

- Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

   It stands alone for what it is, enough said.

- Emperor - Emperor/Wrath of the Tyrant

   Classic early Emperor.

- Niden Div. 187 - Impergium/Towards Judgement

   Both Niden releases on this compilation. The music here paints a portrait of war and death with a sound that encircles the listener within its realm.

- Tartaros - The Grand Psychotic Castle

  This EP is goddamn strange and ballsy.

- Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky

   Of all Darkthrone's albums, this one resonates with me the most.

Runners up: Marduk - Those of the Unlight, Necromantia - Crossing the Fiery Path, Arcturus - Constellation, Sort Vokter - Folkloric Necro Metal

Note: there's no particular order to this list, and I chose albums that I've liked for a long time and often come back to instead of what I've been listening to lately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, MacabreEternal said:

Never expected this to be fair.  I flirted with dropping "Necroticism..." in my list for those fucking catchy as herpes riffs alone but wouldn't have put "Surgical Steel" in this ball park.  Each to their own though and no entry in this thread is wrong.

I'm afraid you have to take my death metal list with a few shakes of salt, as I've never been a real fan of "life-affirming death metal". Hence my confidence and knowledge of albums doesn't run much past the mainstream. Death metal has never been my bag and to be honest its popularity never quite made sense to me. It's cool though.

That Carcass album is killer but I can see how people a bit more in the know might raise an eyebrow or two. I recognise it would be a bit like as if Emperor put out a new decent album and someone put it above 'Anthems' and 'Nightside'. 

On 23/04/2017 at 8:30 AM, True Belief said:

 

Also a very cool list. I much prefer 'Storm of the Light's Bane" as opposed to 'The Somberlain". Incredible album.

I've made a mistake though - I've put 'Nemesis Divina' much too high. I'm going to edit the post as it's bothering me...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Top 10 BM albums in no order:

Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

MayheM - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse

Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon

Thorns - Grymyrk

Ulver - Nattens Madrigal (Much better than the mediocre Bergtatt!)

Dissection - Storm of the Lights Bane

Von - Satanic Blood Angel

Bathory - Bathory

Immortal - Pure Holocaust

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Requiem's Top 10 Live Albums (includes DVD releases that also contain audio CDs)

Nobody is pretending 'live' is a genre, but I wanted to make a list about these albums that are often left out of metal discussions. 

10. Moonspell - 'Lusitanian Metal'

A fantastic release from around the time of 'The Antidote'. Great production and live show. The track 'In and Above Men' is a stormer. This is just when they're becoming more 'metal' again and the excitement is palpable. 

9. Katatonia - 'Sanctitude'

Their semi/acoustic live album is much more effective than their rock material when it comes to the stage. This has some great interpretations of their songs. A really intimate show. 

8. Emperor - 'Live Inferno'

The reunion. This has a special magic to it with a perfect setlist and a good production. I just think they work better on album, but this is brilliant. 

7. Mayhem - 'Mediolanum Capta Est'

Between 1990 and 2001 Mayhem were almost untouchable live. This Maniac/Blasphemer edition of the band put out one of my all time favourite live albums here. It sounds phenomenal and gosh they had the fires burning. There's another live Mayhem album making an appearance later in the list, but I have full respect for this version of the band. 

6. Iron Maiden - 'Live After Death'

The classic live album, I recently re-bought this. The whole 1980s big metal/rock tour vibe combined with an unadulterated setlist from their good albums makes this hard to beat. 

5. Dissection - 'Live Legacy'

The official reunion release, I also have the 'Frozen in Wacken' bootleg of this show that contains the faulty sound of 'Night's Blood', a track expunged from this official release. 

4. Amorphis - 'Forging the Land of the Thousand Lakes'

A huge release of the some of the best music ever written. The production is brilliant and Tomi Joutsen roars and croons his way through the best of. 

3. Black Sabbath - 'Reunion' 

I love this album that captures the 1998 reunion. The production is phat and heavy with a great guitar sound. It also contains Bill Ward playing up a storm on drums, making this extra special. 

2. Sentenced - 'Buried Alive'

The final show, a huge beast of about 26 tracks this is amazing and melancholy at the same time knowing that this would be the end. There's magic here for sure. 

1. Mayhem - 'Live in Leipzig'

Speaking of magic. Dead, Euronymous, Necrobutcher and Hellhammer create a monument in East Germany in 1990. "When it's cold, and when it's dark, the freezing moon can obsess you." 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Requiem's Top 10 Melodeath Albums

 

10. Dark Tranquillity - 'Fiction'

A very listenable album of easy on the ears tracks. It has the great 'Focus Shift' and 'Terminus'. 

9. Insomnium - 'Winter's Gate'

This could be higher but I still don't know it well enough yet. This is a real masterpiece. One long song, but doesn't feel like it. 

8. Amon Amarth - 'Twilight of the Thunder God'

The best Amon Amarth, I almost wouldn't call them melodeath but they really are. Great atmosphere here. 

7. Children of Bodom - 'I Worship Chaos'

Such a cool heavy production, I really love this album. I think it's really underrated too. Alexi downtuned the guitars and it all sounds so heavy and incredible. It has one of my all time favourite productions.

6. In Flames - 'Whoracle'

From the golden era of In Flames. Classics like 'Episode 666' and 'Jotun' are timeless. 

5. Dark Tranquillity - 'The Gallery'

Otherworldly atmosphere here, this is a very special album. I couldn't believe 'Punish My Heaven' when this came out in 1995. 'Lethe' has long been a party staple. 

4. Children of Bodom - 'Follow the Reaper'

Guitar and keyboard wizardry. Bubblegum metal. 

3. At the Gates - 'Slaughter of the Soul'

The emotion in Thomas's voice is just amazing. Songs like 'Blinded by Fear' and 'Cold' are near perfection. 

2. Insomnium - 'Above the Weeping World'

Massive doses of emotion here. 'The Killjoy' and 'Mortal Share' give me shivers. 

1. In Flames - 'The Jester Race'

A worthy number one. The use of acoustic guitars here is brilliant, and this album fascinated me back in the day. Songs like 'Artifacts of the Black Rain', 'Dead Eternity' and the instrumental 'Jester's Dance' are just so good. My digipak also contains the 'Acoustic Medley' which is delicious for the ears. A great era and a great album. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Requiem's Top 10 Hard Rock/Hair Metal Albums

I'd love to see the @Skull_Kollektor and my boy @True Belief do this list. 

10. Cinderella - 'Long Cold Winter'

Melodic, catchy and a little bit bluesy, I still contend that this band would have been a lot bigger if they didn't have such a terrible name. This whole album is solid. 

9. Guns n Roses - 'Use Your Illusion II'

I used to love this a lot more as a kid. I still love it now and it's way better than 'Use Your Illusion I'. This has some great songs on it. I'm one of those people who wish Gunners had have just taken the best songs from each album and made one good release. Here's the track list for it: 1. Civil War 2. You Could Be Mine 3. Live and Let Die 4. Pretty Tied Up 5. Bad Obsession 6. Knockin' on Heaven's Door 7. Estranged 8. Get in the Ring 9. Locomotive 10. Don't Cry 11. November Rain. Done. That would have been a masterpiece. 

8. Skid Row - Skid Row

The debut is brilliant. '18 and Life', 'Youth Gone Wild', 'I Remember You', etc. Amazing voice Sebastian Bach, just amazing. 

7. Motley Crue - 'Shout at the Devil'

What an album this is. Lots of classic tracks. By the way, I'm still Too Young to Fall in Love...

6. Warrant - 'Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich'

Jani Lane writing songs a bit more glam than the 'Cherry Pie' album which doesn't have such a fun factor as this one. 

5. Whitesnake - '1987'

Amazing production, amazing Coverdale vocals, amazing Sykes guitar work. Just a fantastic album. 

4. Skid Row - 'Slave to the Grind'

The supreme Skid Row album. 'Monkey Business' is one of the most underrated songs of all time. 

3. Def Leppard - 'Hysteria'

The Mutt Lange production masterpiece. 

2. Motley Crue - 'Dr Feelgood'

The Bob Rock production masterpiece. This is one of my all time favourite albums and I keep one copy in my house and one in my car at all times.

1. Guns n Roses - 'Appetite for Destruction'

You just can't go past this. What an album. What an attitude. What an era. Axl, Slash, Izzy, Duff and Steven. That's the true band. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.

  • Join Metal Forum

    joinus-home.jpg

  • Our picks

    • Whichever tier of thrash metal you consigned Sacred Reich back in the 80's/90's they still had their moments.  "Ignorance" & "Surf Nicaragura" did a great job of establishing the band, whereas "The American Way" just got a little to comfortable and accessible (the title track grates nowadays) for my ears.  A couple more records better left forgotten about and then nothing for twenty three years.  2019 alone has now seen three releases from Phil Rind and co.  A live EP, a split EP with Iron Reagan and now a full length.

      Notable addition to the ranks for the current throng of releases is former Machine Head sticksman, Dave McClean.  Love or hate Machine Head, McClean is a more than capable drummer and his presence here is felt from the off with the opening and title track kicking things off with some real gusto.  'Divide & Conquer' and 'Salvation' muddle along nicely, never quite reaching any quality that would make my balls tingle but comfortable enough.  The looming build to 'Manifest Reality' delivers a real punch when the song starts proper.  Frenzied riffs and drums with shots of lead work to hold the interest.


      There's a problem already though (I know, I am such a fucking mood hoover).  I don't like Phil's vocals.  I never had if I am being honest.  The aggression to them seems a little forced even when they are at their best on tracks like 'Manifest Reality'.  When he tries to sing it just feels weak though ('Salvation') and tracks lose real punch.  Give him a riffy number such as 'Killing Machine' and he is fine with the Reich engine (probably a poor choice of phrase) up in sixth gear.  For every thrashy riff there's a fair share of rock edged, local bar act rhythm aplenty too.

      Let's not poo-poo proceedings though, because overall I actually enjoy "Awakening".  It is stacked full of catchy riffs that are sticky on the old ears.  Whilst not as raw as perhaps the - brilliant - artwork suggests with its black and white, tattoo flash sheet style design it is enjoyable enough.  Yes, 'Death Valley' & 'Something to Believe' have no place here, saved only by Arnett and Radziwill's lead work but 'Revolution' is a fucking 80's thrash heyday throwback to the extent that if you turn the TV on during it you might catch a new episode of Cheers!

      3/5
      • Reputation Points

      • 10 replies
    • I
      • Reputation Points

      • 2 replies
    • https://www.metalforum.com/blogs/entry/52-vltimas-something-wicked-marches-in/
      • Reputation Points

      • 3 replies

    • https://www.metalforum.com/blogs/entry/48-candlemass-the-door-to-doom/
      • Reputation Points

      • 2 replies
    • Full length number 19 from overkill certainly makes a splash in the energy stakes, I mean there's some modern thrash bands that are a good two decades younger than Overkill who can only hope to achieve the levels of spunk that New Jersey's finest produce here.  That in itself is an achievement, for a band of Overkill's stature and reputation to be able to still sound relevant four decades into their career is no mean feat.  Even in the albums weaker moments it never gets redundant and the energy levels remain high.  There's a real sense of a band in a state of some renewed vigour, helped in no small part by the addition of Jason Bittner on drums.  The former Flotsam & Jetsam skinsman is nothing short of superb throughout "The Wings of War" and seems to have squeezed a little extra out of the rest of his peers.

      The album kicks of with a great build to opening track "Last Man Standing" and for the first 4 tracks of the album the Overkill crew stomp, bash and groove their way to a solid level of consistency.  The lead work is of particular note and Blitz sounds as sneery and scathing as ever.  The album is well produced and mixed too with all parts of the thrash machine audible as the five piece hammer away at your skull with the usual blend of chugging riffs and infectious anthems.  


      There are weak moments as mentioned but they are more a victim of how good the strong tracks are.  In it's own right "Distortion" is a solid enough - if not slightly varied a journey from the last offering - but it just doesn't stand up well against a "Bat Shit Crazy" or a "Head of a Pin".  As the album draws to a close you get the increasing impression that the last few tracks are rescued really by some great solos and stomping skin work which is a shame because trimming of a couple of tracks may have made this less obvious. 

      4/5
      • Reputation Points

      • 4 replies
×
×
  • Create New...