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20 years of metal, and 10 critical picksJan 20 '02 (Updated Jan 26 '02) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line I can't wait to see what the next 20 years of metal looks like. If it's half as good as the last, then we're all in for a treat.
I've always been sort of an indecisive - If a highly critical - sort of person. Although my opinions are often love or hate, I have a hard time choosing between the things I love. So doing "Top 5's" and "Top 10's" have always been a bit difficult for me. The only thing that makes it easier is when the top lists are categorized - "Top 5 action movies" is much easier to come up with than "Top 5 movies of all time". So when it comes down to picking out the Top 10 Metal Albums of all time, it's somewhat difficult, but it could be worse. For the sake of simplicity, bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, etc, will be excluded - I categorize those bands as "Classic Rock/Metal". However, bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and AC/DC all existed in the 70's and beyond, yet don't quite fit the "classic rock" genre. As such, this Top 10 list will NOT be "the 10 best metal albums of all time." This list will be "the 10 best metal albums released between 1981 and 2001." 20 years of metal, 10 CDs selected. Finally, these are in no specific order. The Number 10 choice carries no more weight than the Number 1 choice - All the numbers are here for is to establish some order to the chaos. Number 10 "Master of Puppets" Metallica Metallica started out as a simple metal band, inspired by the British New Wave of Heavy Metal. By their second album though, they began to show Cliff Burton's musical training in the harmonies that began to infiltrate into their songs. When Master of Puppets was released, Cliff's influence on the band was at its stongest, showcasing "Harmony in Distortion" best in songs like 'Orion' and 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)'. Their sheer aggression and passion found their place in songs like 'Battery' and 'Damage, Inc'. And their fantastic lyrical sense, though present on the entire disc, is strongest on songs like title track 'Master of Puppets' and 'Disposable Heroes'. All and all, there's not a single song on this CD that I don't love. Number 9 "Youthanasia" Megadeth When Megadeth sprang from the departure of Dave Mustaine from Metallica, nobody expected much from them but possibly a clone of Metallica. However, Megadeth ended up surprising the metal world with a style that was in of itself unique, not to mention nothing at all like that of Metallica's. As Megadeth matured as a band, so did their songwriting ability, and after the release of the popular "Countdown to Extinction," the pressure was high to come out with something to top it. "Youthanasia" did just that - It was the pinnacle release of Megadeth. From the dark and brooding humor on 'Victory' to the emotional and beautiful 'A Tout Le Monde', the album is first rate, and a must for any metal-fiend's "Desert Island" collection. Number 8 "Ænima" TooL One of the few saving graces of modern rock radio is that they still recognize Tool as something worth playing along with the rest of the drivel that's released these days. How a band with amazing, inspired lyrics and totally original and creative musical and visual abilities gets airplay these days continues to shock me. Resent for "popular music" aside, Tool was another band that was thought to be just another cookie-cutter metal band when "Opiate" was released. With their follow-up album "Undertow," they showed the world that they weren't your average metal band. With their art/space-metal tendencies, they began to show signs they'd be the Metal world's Pink Floyd. Fans waited three and a half long years for the next release, and when Ænima arrived, we were treated to the best release yet. From the fervered lyrics of 'Eulogy' to the pulsing double-bass and commanding vocals on 'Ænema', this album gets top marks. It's the kind of album which isn't listened to - It's experienced. Number 7 "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." Incubus If there is one thing which can be said about Incubus, its that no two albums share the same vibe. They're constantly reinventing themselves; from their funky metal-infused sound on "Fungus Amongus" to the alternative-metal feel on "Morning View," there's a noticeable change that takes place from album to album. Of all the "versions" of Incubus that have come and gone, the powerful lyrics, harmonic thrash, and occasional break into funkiness that is their style on "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." is my favorite. Songs like 'A Certain Shade of Green', 'Nebula', 'Calgone', and 'Vitamin' show off some of Incubus's finest work. Number 6 "Bloody Kisses" Type O Negative If Tool was the modern metal world's Pink Floyd, Type O Negative is its Black Sabbath. Though frontman Peter Steele was practically the anti-Ozzy, his gigantic stature wielding an upright bass and singing in a a vocal range in the lowest of frequencies was the perfect complement to the dark (if not irony-laden) subject matter. "Bloody Kisses" showed that the band possessed more than just the dark sensibilities displayed best on 'Black No. 1' and 'Blood and Fire'. Their cover of Seals and Croft's 'Summer Breeze' is on my list of the best covers of all time, and shows a softer, if still not soft, side of the band. Number 5 "Metropolis Part II: Scenes from a Memory" Dream Theater If the Pulitzer Prize could be awarded for songwriting, Dream Theater would've captured one for practically every CD they've released. "Scenes from a Memory" (SFAM) is no exception, and if anything, is their greatest piece to date. Love, trust, betrayal, death, spirituality - All of it is addressed on this CD. From the opening clock ticks of 'Regression' to the ambiguous static at the closing of 'Finally Free', "SFAM" is an album which can be listened to over and over again and never get old. Each song is wonderful in its own right, and as a whole, its one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Number 4 "Images and Words" Dream Theater One Dream Theater CD is never enough, and for that reason I've decided to include their second studio release in my list. The reason is simple - This disc is amazing. The opening guitar plucks and pulsating drum beats which open "Pull Me Under" set the stage for the entire CD. There's not a bad song on this disc. Highlight tracks are 'Take the Time', 'Another Day', 'Metropolis Part I', and 'Learning to Live'. Number 3 "Nighttime Birds" The Gathering I know, you're probably thinking "The What?" Don't be ashamed if you haven't heard of this metal band out of Holland - Few have. But that doesn't mean that their CD doesn't deserve ranking in my Top 10 list. The Gathering is a showing of how incredible female-lead metal bands can be. Anneke van Giersbergen is everything a metal vixen should be - She infuses the songs with an emotion and passion which leaves the listener breathless. It's the perfect contrast with the metal chords in the background, and creates a unique sound that differentiates it from groups in the similar vein. Choice cuts on this disc include, but aren't limited to, 'Confusion', 'On Most Surfaces', and 'The Earth is My Witness'. Number 2 "The Real Thing" Faith No More Faith No More is infectious. As soon as that guitar riff starts up on 'From Out of Nowhere', you're caught in the album. Mike Patton's ability to cover a wide range of vocal styles without breaking a sweat gave the band a unique flavor unlike any other band during its time. "The Real Thing" was Patton's first album with the band, and after it, inter-band relations between some members began to erode and their later works suffered as a result. Regardless, with metal classics like 'Epic', 'The Real Thing', and a fantastic cover of Sabbath's 'War Pigs', "The Real Thing" is deserving of a spot on this list. Number 1 "Use Your Illusion II" Guns 'n Roses Guns 'n Roses mere existance was a defiance to the standard of metal in its time. They had hair. They had.....cajones. But unlike their hairy balled counterparts of the time, they had soul. This wasn't readily apparent on their first CD or the EP that followed it - But it showed in full on the "Use Your Illusion" albums. They were too close in tone and substance to be considered separate releases, yet at the same time, they weren't one work. They were, though, amazing works. Deciding between the two is a Solomonian decision, but I have to pick the second. 'Estranged' is perhaps one of the greatest rock songs ever written, and no one can deny the power of the message contained in 'Civil War'. The beautiful '14 years' conjours up memories (ones which I'm too young to even have) of Prohibition era bar tunes. And the statements made in 'Civil War' are very unquestionable. This is an album that is often overlooked, but it deserves acclaim, hence its inclusion on my top 10 list. Honorable Mentions 'My indecisive nature at its worst' "Awake", Dream Theater "A Pleasant Shade of Grey", Fates Warning "In a Reverie", Lacuna Coil "Defenders of the Faith", Judas Priest "G3 Live in Concert", Joe Satriana, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson "Lateralus", Tool "Reload", Metallica "I" and "II", Liquid Tension Experiment "Empire", Queensryche "Mer De Noms", A Perfect Circle "Cowboys from Hell", Pantera Closing Bull Well, hopefully this has been of some value. I know I've had fun in composing this list, whether or not you have as well is something you're gonna have to let me know. So please, pepper me with feedback, especially if its negative, because if its a critical thought regarding this review, it's probably already gone through my over critical mind.  |
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