UGH! This is impossible. I need to set some rules.
Criteria:
1. How many good songs are on the album, and can I listen to the album all the way through without skipping a song (or only skipping one or two).
2. Time frame is relative in my choices. I still listen to Slayer - Riegn in Blood but not like I did when I was in highschool.
3. What is the special meaning of the album. Music carries memories, and meaning, IMO. So, some of these have a special meaning to me.
The List:
1. Pantera - Far Beyond Driven - Best Metal/Heavy Music Album I have ever heard. Sorry, best album I have every heard in any genre. The band was at the top of its game, and I still listen to this album all the time. I saw them tour for this album five times, and they were the best shows I have ever been to. Just awesome, awesome songs that are BRUTALLY HEAVY. Perfection in my mind.
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2. All Else Failed - This Never Happened - Once Pantera broke up there was a void. I went down to Philly to see Burnt by the Sun & Poison the Well at the Killtime (a hollowed out row house). This short, buff guy comes out for this band, and the band and the entire place literally ERUPTS! The band was amazing, the songs were amazing, and the show was the closest to the energy of a Pantera show I had been to. This is the second full album they released. Heavy, and well written. I can listen to this album any time, any place. One great song after another. I will say it again, it is a shame they broke up and never got to the big time.
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3. Clutch - Blast Tyrant Southern, groove, rock at its finest. Clutch started out in the early 1990 as a hardcore band, and slowly turned into groove/rock/70's/hippie type sound. The sound was achieved, and perfected on this album. From start to finish this album rips. If you are driving and listening to this album you WILL get a speeding ticket.
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4. Clutch - Robot Hive/Exodus A continuation of the Clutch sound but is the last album that Fallon (vocalist) continues to use his "layered symbolic lyrics". What is refreshing about Clutch is that the lyrics are not your usual "I wanna hump you", or "I hate everything" or "Me vs. You" lyrics. They are crazy! Full of symbolism, and references crazy mythology, and legends to the point where you wonder if it is pure jibberish. But it is not, it has a meaning. Once again the album is great start to finish.
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5. The Dillinger Escape Plan w/ Mike Patton - Irony is a Dead Scene - Take the most gifted, and wide ranged vocalist, and stick him in as the front man to an experimental/proggressive/heavy metal band, and BAM! One of the best metal albums I have ever heard. Where most extreme metal bands have a vocalists that adds little to nothing, Patton enchances the extreme sound that Dillinger can produce. The only problem is that it is only 4 songs.
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6. System of a Down - Self Titled - So I go see Slayer at the Sting Ray in Old Bridge, NJ. The opening act is 4 Armienians and they are just RIPPING the stage to bits. But it is a Slayer show, and Slayer fans care about Slayer. So, they (SOAD) heard Slayer chanted for most the show. Back to System of the Down. I was blown away by their sound. Very very heavy, power chord based metal, with this maniac singer who just poured anger and energy out into the crowd. After the show was over they just walked out to the bar and sat down amongst the crowd. I went over and talked to them. Said "Man, that sounded awesome who are you guys." They handed me there pre-release album (blue colored) and we eneded up shooting the bull for about an hour or so till Slayer came on. Two years later I would get tasered if I were to get that close and personal with System of a Down because they EXPLODED in popularity. Very cool guys, very nice people. Unfortunately, they never ever came close to writing an album that was as good as their first. I listened to that album every single day for about two years. Great album, great songs.
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7. Metallica - Black Album - Music. Until I was about 13 I didn't give two poops about it. I didn't know about music. I knew the crap that was on the radio at the time, I listened to a little rap because that is all I knew about. Then someone pulled me aside, and said listen to this....... Thus a metal head was born. Maybe not the best album in the world, but I can't leave out the album that started it all. I remember that by the end I could not read the text on the cassette tape when I finally got it on CD. This album expanded my entire world.
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8. Slayer - Reign in Blood HA! Okay so Metallica - Black Album opened the door to the metal word for me. Then these guys showed me that it can be heavier, faster, CRAZIER, and extreme. Plus these guys showed me how to play it on a guitar. At one point I new how to play every song on this album (minus some solos). The album itself is great from begining to end. I still listen to it. It just rips.
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9. Down - NOLA There is no real story behind this album. It is just good music. Good lyrics, a nice blend between southern metal, and southern rock. Good stuff from beginning to end.
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10. Snot - Get Some - A strang mix of hardcore, punk, funk, and metal. They were hit and miss live but this album is great. The band broke up after the lead singer died.
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Honarable Mention:
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power
All Else Failed - Archetype
Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding
Norma Jean - Redeemer
Sublime - Stand by your Van
Carcass - Heartwork
Entombed - Wolverine Blues
Sepultura - Choas A.D.
Deftones - Around the Fur
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Primus - Pork Soda
