THE TEN GREATEST ALBUMS

This article is the "The Ten Greatest Albums". I am sure that there will be disagreement amongst my readers, and I will take no offense. I know that some of you will say, "Why are all the albums on here metal recordings?" Well, because metal is the only form of music worth discussing. If you like "urban" music...you DO NOT belong on my site, and frankly I am surprised you can read. If you are a big country fan. that is respectable enough, but ultimately country is for "simple folk". I respect the culture of country music fans, but let's face it, you just aren't operating on my level. If you like "Top 40" music...I hate you! Stop reading now, or your measly brain will self-destruct.

Finally, for the intelligent metal enthusiasts out there we will be having a discussion on the Forum about this very subject. I will take a stand on these and defend my position, but ultimately it is all about personal preference. Of course, if you think an album by Korn or Slipknot belongs on the list...you are idiot and should kill yourself immediately. Well here goes...I will interject comments within the bodies of the list. Pay attention to my Viking knowledge, it will serve you well.

I will be giving the albums a grade on a sliding scale of battle-axes. Of course since these are all great albums they will get positive ratings, hence many battle-axes. Enjoy....

#10 Chaos A.D. Sepultura 1993
Rating: 9 Battle-Axes (for sheer volume and anger)

Notable Songs
Chaos A.D.
Biotech Is Godzilla
Refuse/Resist

Wow, a non 1980s album to start out the list!! This album is not a "throw in to break up the inevitable Maiden and Metallica dominance", this is a head smashing, ear splitting beast of an album. The Sepultura sound was something I had never heard before... a mix between Metallica and Slayer, with a tribal drum and the primitive growl of Max Cavelera. This entire album is completely different from anything else out there. The title track is a cacophony of tribal drums, pummeling bass, and just a growling chorus.

No band has ever sounded so pissed at the world and being that they came from Brazil, I don't necessarily blame them. Much of the album is devoted to anti-government and pro-tribal, environmental messages. While I tend to be anti both of those things, their message resonates with me. Brazil is a cluster fuck, and if I were there I would be pretty pissed at the shithead farmers that are destroying the rain forest to raise cows and other agricultural products. Biotech is Godzilla is a speedy, catchy tune that berates the biotechnology industry for their raping of the Amazonian Rain Forest. This album is a must have for thrash/speed metal fans...it will come as close to blowing your head off as music can. I love it!!

Shatner's Comments:
Keep in mind, this is Arthur's list. I'm only here to comment and occasionally rip on his choices. Of course, my instinct for self-preservation will prevent me from being too harsh. So here it goes.

Ah. I distinctly remember the first time I put this album in my CD player. I literally was afraid the world was coming to an end as the first few lines of Refuse/Resist hit my ears. "Chaos AD" is easily Sepultura's greatest album. The list of bands that actually surpass Sepultura's aggression and musicianship is very short. It's easy to see how "Chaos AD" could end up on this list.

#9 Number of the Beast Iron Maiden 1981
Rating: 8 Battle-Axes

This is the album that started it all for Iron Maiden. It was not their first release, but their third. It was the first with the greatest singer in metal history, Bruce Dickinson. We all know the classics, "Run To The Hills" and "Number of the Beast". These songs are metal classics and suffer from serious overplay. Nonetheless, they are great songs and gave everyone an idea how great this band would be. The rest of the album is nowhere near as good as the three best Maiden albums (upcoming on the list).

"Invaders" is a relatively simple song, but it all about Viking Invaders so it is automatically an Arthur's Hall favorite. in fact if I was one of those assholes who attached audio to my site, it would be that song. Like I said, this is not one of my favorite Maiden albums at all. In fact, I like Brave New World more. But because of its influence and groundbreaking sound, it deserves recognition. I believe that this album, early Judas Priest and Motorhead created the sound that Metallica and Slayer took and ran with. Just remember... 6-6-6 THE NUMBER OF THE BEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAST!! Yes!!

Shatner's Comments:
Number of the Beast is a great album, but I'm not sure I'd include this one on my list. But then again, I'm not a 290lb Viking warrior, so what do I know?

#8 ..And Justice For All Metallica 1989
Rating: 8.5 Battle-Axes

This album that started it all for me. It was my 13th birthday and my Aunt's boyfriend got it for me, and my life was changed forever. Never again would I listen to rap (and therefore avoided becoming a criminal which is the result of listening to such nigrescent "lyrics"). For that I will always be indebted to this album. Sure there was no bass at all, it seemed like they just turned off Newstead's amp. But it still rocks.

This album is a love-hate thing for Metallica fans. In some ways, it is more plodding than anything they had done before, but on the other hand it was by far the most complex metal recording in history. This album is the definition of progressive metal. This album is the inspiration for bands like Dream Theater and Queensryche. No album prior or since has ever sounded like this album and in terms of sheer musical skill it may be the best album ever.

It seems like the late 80s were a turning point for metal...Maiden's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son was similar in a lot of ways. a complete departure from an already successful approach to music. Metallica's "One" was the subject of Metallica first ever music video and while the video and song are unbelievably great, I think that this success led them to go MTV with the Black Album and thus ending their career as metal gods.

An epic recording of 65 minutes for 9 songs, almost every song approaches the seven to nine minute mark and have complex riff structures that change constantly. Many believe that Metallica took it too far with this album and they may be right, but it kicks ass nonetheless.

Shatner's Comments:
I completely agree with Arthur's placement of this album on the list. To me, it is the first step down in Metallica's great career. Much of the album is slow, more plodding, and perhaps too complex for its own good. With a few notable exceptions ("One" and "Dyer's Eve") this album just doesn't live up to the magic of Metallica's previous two releases. So put me down with the other metal heads that think Metallica took it too far with this release. Still, the album is a classic. I just miss Cliff.

#7 Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Iron Maiden 1988
Rating: 8.5Battle-Axes

Metal's first, and in my opinion, the greatest concept/progressive album ever!! As I mentioned in the last review Metallica released their prog album in 1989 and as great as Queensryche's "Operation Mindcrime" is, it really borders on not being metal, so I will count this as the greatest prog/concept album ever.

The concept is that a seventh son of a seventh son is born. He is the chosen Prophet and the entire album is about the battle for his soul between the forces of good and evil. I know it seems weird, but Maiden manages to pull it off. My favorite song is "The Evil That Men Do"... I just have to bang my head around to Harris' grinding away on his bass. The bass in this song may be his best (aside from Where Eagles Dare, the quintessential bass song ever).

The more I listen to Maiden the more I realize that Harris is the key to it all. "Can I Play With Madness" is annoying but other than that the entire album just flows together. an incredible masterpiece. It took real balls for a band like Maiden who was clearly the #1 metal act in the world to do an album like this. It featured a ton of synthesizer sounds which added a new element... I think Maiden along with Rush are the only bands who ever used synth correctly. other than that I wish the synth had never been invented.

It is my Viking opinion that this is the most underrated of Maiden's albums and is quickly becoming one of of my absolute favorites (the same could be said for Brave New World). Go buy it and give it a few listens (you will not be familiar with the songs so it takes a bit longer to get into) but once you get it, you will love it.

Shatner's Comments:
Even though I probably wouldn't put this album on my top ten, I can't deny the album's greatness. As far as concept albums go. and I hate to sound too new metal. I think I might actually prefer Mastodon's "Leviathan". I want to add a song to Arthur's list of notable songs though. I think "Infinite Dreams" is probably the best song on this album, and one of Iron Maiden's best.

#6 Ride The Lightning Metallica 1984
Rating: 9 Battle-Axes

This album proved that Metallica was here for the long haul. It was the follow up to the thrash classic Kill Em All. While "Kill Em All" was a great album, but it had a air of immaturity, partially due to James's prepubescent voice. "Ride The Lightning" proved that not only could Metallica play fast, but they could also play well. This album foreshadowed their two epic-based albums, "Master Of Puppets" and "...And Justice For All".

This album featured a lot of speedy riffs but more importantly, it had melody, something that "Kill Em All" almost completely lacked. This was the first time that we really heard Cliff Burton play bass in "Call of Ktulu"...a great instrumental, and once again a prelude to the slightly better "Orion" from Master. I will say that Metallica was never the same after Cliff died...never again did they use all the instruments in such a melodic and yet powerful way.

This was the debut of the epic song that made Metallica famous (or infamous depending on how you feel about 10 minute songs with 20 riff changes). The reason why I believe that Metallica is slightly overrated is they only had about 6 years of greatness. From "Kill Em All" in 1983 to ".And Justice For All" in 1989. After that, they went Hollywood and became an MTV band, pussies! Nevertheless, "Ride The Lightning" was the first of the three essential Metallica albums and gave the world a glimpse of the greatness (albeit, short-lived) that was to come.

Shatner's Comments:
I do love this album so. It contains some of Metallica's, and metals all time greatest songs. Honestly, I think Arthur is being a bitch putting it at number six. "Creeping Death" is one of the greatest metal songs ever recorded, and "Call of Ktulu" is up there as well as far as I'm concerned. I would also like to add that there are times in my life where I have preferred this album to "Master of Puppets". "Ride the Lightning" is one of my five favorite albums of all time, from any genre.

#5 Powerslave Iron Maiden 1984
Rating: 9.5 Battle-Axes

Notable Songs
Aces High
Two Minutes to Midnight
Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Deciding between "Powerslave" and "Piece of Mind" was very difficult for me. But I went with "Piece of Mind" because it has "The Trooper", the greatest Maiden song ever written. That song is all that separates "Powerslave" from "Piece of Mind". In many ways this album is superior. The sound is better, and the lyrics are better, but the middle section is a bit weak, so I had to knock it down a half of a battle-axe.

"Aces High" is the opening track and it just kicks this album off with a bang. I love "Aces High". a song about the air battles in WWII with the Brits on one side and the mighty Nazis on the other. The video from Aces High is a must have. It features Winston Churchill's famous speech at the apex of WWII, the video segways from Churchill saying "We will fight on whatever the cost may be" into Hitler delivering one of his inspiring and brutal speeches. Sheer Genius!!

It is important to remember what metal was in 1984..Slayer had just released "Reign In Blood", Metallica was working on "Ride The Lightning", and Priest had just released "Defenders of the Faith". This album blew all of those away in terms of complexity, sound quality, and the lyrical quality is tenfold better than anything at the time, or since for that matter.

"Powerslave" has it all. Great lyrics, all revolving around themes of struggles of sorts; from Aces High's and Back In The Village's war-time pilots, to 2 Minutes To Midnight's almost-holocaust, to Flash Of The Blade's and The Duelists's swordsmanship, to Powerslave's and Rime's struggle for survival. All of this makes Powerslave a quasi concept album (maybe more like a theme album).

Behind all of this lies amazing music. The unbridled speed metal of "Aces High" and "Back In The Village" (a true lost gem here), the majesty of "The Duelists", and the epicness of "Powerslave" and "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner". Great instrumental breaks, great solos (Adrian's solo in Rime is his defining moment as a soloist), and Bruce's voice is spot on. This album just clicks. Everything is cohesive and tight. The lyrics are amazing, as said before.

As with all Maiden albums, the bass and drums kick ass. I would say that the cohesiveness of Steve Harris's bass and Nicko McBrain's drumming is what makes Iron Maiden so great, but Dickinson's monstrous voice does not hurt. The production is crystal clear. There is nothing else you could ever hope for. There's no need for a track-by-track analysis. You have the speed metal numbers "Aces High", "Flash Of The Blade", and "Back In The Village", the mid-paced rockers "2 Minutes To Midnight", "Losfer Words", and "The Duellists", and the epics "Powerslave" and "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner". A truly great album one of the four "classic era" Maiden albums, a must own.

Shatner's Comments:
I want to talk for a second about the title track "Powerslave". The song is written from the first person perspective of a Egyptian Pharoah who has been treated as a God his entire life, yet lies dying. What could possibly be more metal than that!? Not much. This is my second favorite Iron Maiden album as well, and it narrowly misses out to "Piece of Mind". This album starts out great, but to me the final two tracks are the true gems. "Powerslave" has one of the sweetest Maiden riffs ever, and a great subject matter, while "The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" is epic perfection. If you don't own this album, grow a pair and buy it!

#4 Paranoid Black Sabbath 1971
Rating: 8 Battle-Axes

Notable Songs
War Pigs
Paranoid
Iron Man

This may be the most influential album in metal history. I would say that it is. Is it as hard as Slayer? NO. Is it as melodic as Iron Maiden?? Hell, no. Is it as complex as Metallica? No way..but is it great?? Fuck yeah. In my Viking opinion, this album is overplayed so it sounds worn out. For God's sake it is 35 years old, so yeah it is dated a bit, but without this album we may not have had the pleasure of listening to Iron Maiden, Metallica or Slayer. That is the reason why I put this album here.

I do not particularly like Black Sabbath, I find their music to be plodding and repetitive but for sheer influence it deserves to be listed. Everyone knows the classic songs, and they are great...the rest of the album is nowhere near as good but retains the originality of Ozzy's whiny singing and Iommi's sheer genius on the guitar. I have always said that Ozzy deserves no credit for Black Sabbath. Iommi is the brain behind the operation. Without Iommi, we would not be discussing Black Sabbath at all.

This album built the foundation that all of metal was built on, and therefore is worth owning. But if you are fan of "The Big Three" (Maiden, Metallica, Slayer) it is hard to listen to due to lack of depth of sound and general lack of complexity or speed. I do not own this one because I have already heard all the Sabbath that I will ever need on the radio. As the years go by this album will lose the credibility it once had, and in the long term I believe that the fathers of metal will always be the Big Three.

Shatner's Comments:
Tony Iomi cut off most of the fingers on his left hand in an industrial accident. He down-tuned his guitar, and almost single handedly invented heavy metal. To this day, you can tell an Iomi riff. Iomi's work is simple, memorable, and nearly perfect for what it is. No matter what the Sharron Osborne promotion machine tells you, it is Tony who is the true godfather of heavy metal. Just don't forget Geezer Butler's fantastic contributions on bass as well.

It is hard to pick a Sabbath album for this list though. "Paranoid" is of course their second album and their greatest commercial success, but 1969's "Black Sabbath" was their first, and it is super evil. "Paranoid" is better than "Black Sabbath", but then again "Master of Reality" and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" are probably both as good as "Paranoid". My favorite Sabbath album is "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", but I agree with Arthur's choice of "Paranoid" on this list.

#3 Reign in Blood Slayer 1986
Rating: 10 Battle-Axes (9 for being a great album and 1 bonus one for being THE MOST PISSED OFF ALBUM IN HISTORY!!)

Notable Songs
Raining Blood
Jesus Saves
Angel Of Death

Reign in Blood' was produced by the great Rick Rubin with a cleaner sound than Slayer's previous albums, 'Show No Mercy' and 'Hell Awaits'. This clean sound allowed the band to cram in so much more in a meaningful way. The true brilliance is how fast, aggressive and relentless the sound is without sacrificing any of the melody. Listen to just how unhinged Jeff Hanneman's guitar solo's are, wailing and writhing, yet still fitting into the song structure. Tom Araya's screamed vocals are all terrifyingly intelligible. The sound doesn't slam about aimlessly but surges in shifting directions, the oppression of Dave Lombardo's drums abates in perfect synchronization with Kerry King's vicious guitar playing tearing to the fore. This is well crafted music.

The speed and sheer evil fury Slayer managed to pour into this album would be worth nothing if they lacked the musicality to pull it off. There were faster bands, more aggressive bands and even bands with heavier, chunkier riffs (Metallica) but in 1986 only Slayer had managed to meld all of these traits into the inspiring and intimidating wall of sound present on 'Reign in Blood'. All of this, with a musical sophistication that cannot be overstated.

If it were merely a shock-rock album then it wouldn't still be flying off the shelves where so many subsequent holders "the world's heaviest album' honor have been forgotten. It is Slayer's 'Reign in Blood' that is remembered as opening eyes to just what heavy music really could sound like. With this album Slayer awoke the world to extreme metal and thrash overall. If you don't have a Slayer album, stop reading and go buy Reign in Blood now!!

Shatner's Comments:
I once read an interview with Lars Ulrich in which he was asked what he thought was the greatest thrash metal album of all time. Lars answered, "Reign in Blood". So there you have it. The man who actually recorded the greatest thrash metal album says that "Reign in Blood" is the greatest thrash metal album. As confusing as that may be, it does give Slayer some heavy metal street cred, doesn't it? This album is shocking, fast, and incredibly brutal. Every heavy metal fan should own some Slayer, and this is a good place to start.

#2 Piece of Mind Iron Maiden 1983
Rating: 10 Battle-Axes

Notable Songs
The Trooper
Flight of Icarus
Where Eagles Dare

If it were not the for the unbeatable #1 album, this would be the greatest album ever recorded. It is Iron Maiden's greatest recording. Some may say that "Number Of The Beast" was better but they are incorrect. While Number has the classics, "Run To The Hills" and "Number Of The Beast" the other songs are pretty average. The thing that differentiates "Piece Of Mind" and Iron Maiden from the other albums and bands are the brilliant bass lines of Steve Harris.

"The Trooper" is, to me, the greatest Iron Maiden song...it is all about the British battles with Russia in the Crimean War. It was inspired by the poem by Lord Tennyson on the same subject. Another must hear on this album is "Where Eagles Dare"...I have heard two different notable bassists say that they learned to play bass listening to this song. Steve Harris is not only the greatest metal songwriter ever but he is the best bassist in history and he is the reason why Iron Maiden is the greatest metal band in history. As with all Iron Maiden album, there are some fillers but unlike some other Iron Maiden albums they are difficult to distinguish (Revelations and Sun and Steel). A must own for all intelligent music fans!

Shatner's Comments:
I'll admit. I'm a total Metallica whore. I probably would have picked "Ride the Lightning" as the second greatest metal album of all time. But I would have picked "Piece of Mind" for number three dammit! So I am 98% in agreement with Arthur here. Oh, and I also think "Revelations" kicks fucking ass.

Disagreements aside, the songwriting on this album is out of control. My favorite song is "Flight of the Icarus". First, it just fucking rocks! Second, it's inspired by Greek myth, and I am a major Greek history nerd. Arthur can have his Vikings, I'll take my Greek hoplites any day of the week. Third, I have this pet peeve towards the rock cliché that references "flying on wings of eagles" in any form. This song is great, because it uses the cliché, and yet it's not cheesy, because Icarus actually had wings took them for a spin. For some reason this is funny to me, and always brings a smile to my face. Take that Paul McCarney! Iron Maiden rules!

#1 Master Of Puppets Metallica 1986
Rating: 10 Battle-Axes

Notable Songs
Master Of Puppets
Orion
Damage, Inc.

Simply put, the definitive metal album ever. It will never be surpassed nor will anything ever compare to it. It was the apex of Metallica's career (although to many of you the Black Album was, to me the Black Album was the beginning of the end) 'Master' is a bit more consistent than the previous, and exhibits non-stop power, with the minor exception of the filler "The Thing That Should Not Be."

Virtually every other track is a classic. case closed. The album grabs you by the throat with the brutal speed of "Battery," a song that could have been on either "Kill Em All" or "Ride the Lightning". It is much like "Fight Fire With Fire" and "Whiplash." Next up is the greatest song ever recorded, "Master of Puppets". No song is even close. As a matter of fact, without the song "Master Of Puppets" this album would have a hard time making the Top 10. The crushing riffs and off-time beats leave an indelible impression, and Hetfield is at his best - he sounds menacing, angry, brutal, and melodic, often in the same line. The dark, crunching chant at the 5:20 mark leads into an absolutely blistering solo before the main theme brings it home after eight and a half minutes of brilliance.

The anticipation builds on "Sanitarium," with the payoff coming in the second half: pounding thrashy bass and screaming solos. "Disposable Heroes" is a non-stop speed metal feast, with trademark angry vocals and some of the finest guitar work to be found anywhere. "Leper Messiah" is a bit of a filler but still a hard, heavy song. Next is, Orion, the greatest metal instrumental ever recorded, and the ultra-fast and heavy brutality of "Damage, Inc." an absolute beast of a thrash song, one of their best speed songs ever. You must own this album!!

Shatner's Comments:
If you don't have this album, you are fucking banned from Arthur's Hall until you get a copy. Seriously, if I ever become President, I will start a new entitlement program, a "Great Society" to make sure that every American child gets a copy of "Master of Puppets" and "Appetite for Destruction", no matter how poor they may be, or what color their skin is. "Blasting Dammage Inc." and "My Michelle" at full volume should be part of the American experience for everyone. I agree with Arthur on virtually everything here, including the fact that "The Thing That Should Not Be" is the only real weak spot on an otherwise perfect album. Master is the greatest album ever!

-Arthur@arthurshall.com