Metal History

This was a hard exercise. The 80's, of course, is the biggest list as metal had exploded in the 80's. The 90's were pretty easy too. Had a harder time with the last ten years. I sort of lost track of the extreme stuff and never got into the black metal scene.

60s
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
Cream - Disraeli Gears
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

70's
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Motorhead - Overkill
Deep Purple - Machine Head
Sweet - Desolation Boulevard
Aerosmith - Rocks
Kiss - Alive
Thin Lizzy - Live & Dangerous
Ted Nugent - Double Live Gonzo
Judas Priest - Stained Class
Rainbow - Rising
Van Halen - s/t
Yesterday & Today - Struck Down
Scorpions - Taken By Force
UFO - Strangers in the Night

80's
Iron Maiden - s/t
Judas Priest - British Steel
Black Sabbath - Heaven & Hell
Saxon - Wheels of Steel
Cirith Ungol - Frost And Fire
Diamond Head - Lighting to the Nations
Def Leppard - On Through the Night
Raven - Rock Until You Drop
Twisted Sister - Under the Blade
Anvil - Metal on Metal
Accept - Restless & Wild
Dio - Holy Diver
Trouble - s/t (aka Psalm 9)
Ratt - s/t (EP)
Metal Church - s/t
Manowar - Hail to England
Queensryche - s/t (EP)
Metallica - Kill 'Em All
Megadeth - Peace Sells
Anthrax - Fistful of Metal
Slayer - Show No Mercy
Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love
Krokus - Headhunter
Voivod - Dimension Hatross
Stryper - Soldiers Under Command
Helstar - Remnants of War
Flotsam & Jetsam - Doomsday for the Deceiver
Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
Grave Digger - Heavy Metal Breakdown
Saint - Time's End
Dirty Looks-Cool from the Wire
Barren Cross - Atomic Arena
Overkill - Taking Over
Sanctuary - Refuge Denied
Toxik - World Circus
Realm - Endless War
Deliverance - s/t
S.O.D. - Speak English or Die
Vengeance Rising - Human Sacrifice
Kreator - Pleasure to Kill
Napalm Death - Scum

90's
Judas Priest - Jugulator
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Armored Saint - Symbol of Salvation
Dream Theater - Images and Words
King's X - Faith Hope Love
Believer - Sanity Obscure
Seventh Angel - Lament for the Weary
Deliverance - Weapons of our Warfare
Hammerfall - Glory to the Brave
Death - Individual Thought Patterns
Nevermore - The Politics of Ecstasy
Tourniquet - Psycho Surgery
Overkill - From the Underground & Below
Pantera - Cowboys from Hell
Fight - War of Words
Rage - Trapped
Grave Digger - Knights of the Cross
Stratovarius - Visions
Bolt Thrower - Warmaster
Mortification - Scrolls of the Megilloth
Carcass - Heartwork
Extol - Burial
Primal Fear - Jaws of Death
Testament - Low
Sepultura - Chaos A.D.
Bruce Dickinson - Accident of Birth

00's
U.D.O. - Holy
3 Inches of Blood - Advance and Vanquish
Place of Skulls - Nailed
Sodom - M16
Iced Earth - Dark Saga
Annihilator - Carnival Diabolos
Dream Evil - Evilized
Halford - Resurrection
Brainstorm - Soul Temptation
Symphorce - Twice Second
Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution
Arch Enemy - Doomsday Machine
Fireball Ministry - The Second Great Awakening
Sadus - Out For Blood
Ultimatum - Into the Pit (shameless plug!)
Hirax - New Age of Terror
Eldritch - Neighbourhell
Narnia - Enter the Gate
Coheed and Cambria - No World for Tomorrow
Sevendust - Seasons
Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage
Municipal Waste - The Art of Partying
Vektor - Black Future

That's some list ult.

I guess I forgot about the "keep it at about 20 albums" part. Ooops

Shoot, I couldn't list only 20 albums from the 80's that I think are essential listening. At that I left off bands like Savatage, Yngwie Malmsteen, Loudness, Riot, Y&T, etc.

EDIT: I can't believe I left off 'Blizzard of Ozz' off that list. Yikes!

ultmetal wrote:

I guess I forgot about the "keep it at about 20 albums" part. Ooops

Shoot, I couldn't list only 20 albums from the 80's that I think are essential listening. At that I left off bands like Savatage, Yngwie Malmsteen, Loudness, etc.

I don't think you could keep it down to 20 even if your life depended on it.

I went to 23 and I still left off alot of bands suchas Motorhead, Mountain, and I agree with SAHB, Iggy and the Stooges would have made my revived list.

Keeping the count down to twenty is an injustice. That said, I declare Ult's list Authoritative. He covered most of what I would have said, and a few things I would not have thought of.

I'll try this out..I will be avoiding listing favorites, and instead listing what I see as what moved and shaked the most, regardless of quality or even initial impact. But 20 is not possible, I will go to 30...see what you think.


King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King (not metal, but many a fan has taken influence from 21st Century Schizoid Man, which is pretty heavy, and wholly mind blowing)
Yes - Close to the Edge (the other genesis of progressive and technical metal..listen to the title track)
Led Zeppelin - II
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Deep Purple - Machine Head
Rush - 2112
Rainbow - Rising
Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East
Dio - Holy Diver
Ozzy - Blizzard of Ozz
Venom - Black Metal
Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
Metallica - Kill 'Em All
Queensrÿche - Rage For Order (this particular one selected because of the pioneering and influence that crossed over classic, industrial, and gothic metal sounds in a big bang of progressive metal under that famed QR banner)
Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
Stryper - To Hell With The Devil
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 2
Napalm Death - Scum
WatchTower - Control and Resistance
Bathory - The Return
Running Wild - Death or Glory
Godflesh - Streetcleaner
Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
Paradise Lost - Gothic
Cynic - Focus
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Suffocation - Pierced From Within
Neurosis - Through Silver In Blood
Rhapsody - Legendary Tales
Stratovarius - Visions

bwahhhhh, I forgot to add something to address the folk metal craze thing.

Very fine listings indeed. I think that I have enough to put that folder together and listen down through the annals of metal history in order of importance. Thanks for the lists in terms of importance rather than popularity. I am well aware of the classic rock albums listed and of course some are my favorites.

Orion Crystal Ice -- Close to the Edge blew me away the first time I listened to it. I can still remember the goosebumps and effect that album had on me the day I got it. Yes still can affect me that way.

Don't worry about the folk metal craze. I think Falkenbach fills that quite nicely unless you mean the black folk metal craze. That is still OK as well.

I would like to purchase a copy of your last demo. Heck I didn't even know you had another one out until I saw it No Life 'til Metal.

bgast1 wrote:

Very fine listings indeed. I think that I have enough to put that folder together and listen down through the annals of metal history

I agree, these lists are pretty concise- a good reference tool. Each list has a little different flavor but all are valid and well informed.

I completely missed Ult's list until just a second ago. Fantastic job Scott!! Your shamless plug is one of my favorite albums. I think you guys turned a corner with that one. Everything else that you guys put out is good, but that one, at least to me really stands out.

Now can someone give me a hint on how I can save this thread to refer to it any old time I want?

I can't tell you all how much I appreciate the responses to this thread. You all are the best!

Hey SAHB Healer, I didn't realize you were an old man like me? Although even at 58 I don't really feel all that old. I just don't things as fast as I did when I was in my 20's. My mind is still sharp, but not as sharp as it used to be. That being said though, I make better decisions now than when I was younger.

I can move this thread to R.I.P. and sticky it if you'd like bgast.

Also I expect these lists will be the basis for Ult's forthcoming book?

If pressed I would maybe swap 'Visions' with DT - 'Images and Words', although, that album still would not happen without the Yes, Rush, QR, and WT albums listed.

SAHB Healer wrote:

Also I expect these lists will be the basis for Ult's forthcoming book?

Good idea.

ultmetal wrote:

I can move this thread to R.I.P. and sticky it if you'd like bgast.

Good idea. What was your original thread about? I would like to read it, don't know how I missed it.

I would add Mountain and Grand Funk to the 60's part of Scott's list.

bigjtink wrote:

I would add Mountain and Grand Funk to the 60's part of Scott's list.

What albums?

ultmetal wrote:

I guess I forgot about the "keep it at about 20 albums" part. Ooops

Shoot, I couldn't list only 20 albums from the 80's that I think are essential listening. At that I left off bands like Savatage, Yngwie Malmsteen, Loudness, Riot, Y&T, etc.

EDIT: I can't believe I left off 'Blizzard of Ozz' off that list. Yikes!

Your list was brilliant and as I looked down it I kept wondering "Fire Down Under?" anywhere... glad you acknowledged it here....

Did I also not see Armored Saint anywhere on these lists?

Armored Saint - Raising Fear
Y&T - Earth Shaker
Racer X - Street Lethal
Vicious Rumors - Digital Dictator
Living Sacrifice - Reborn
Saxon - Lionheart
Rob Rock - Holy Hell
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
AC/DC - Back In Black


just to add some discs that hadn't been mentioned yet.... or if they had I missed 'em somehow... Most of what I would've included has already been included...

Definitely good calls on Armored Saint and Y&T.

mr.electric39 wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

I guess I forgot about the "keep it at about 20 albums" part. Ooops

Shoot, I couldn't list only 20 albums from the 80's that I think are essential listening. At that I left off bands like Savatage, Yngwie Malmsteen, Loudness, Riot, Y&T, etc.

EDIT: I can't believe I left off 'Blizzard of Ozz' off that list. Yikes!

Your list was brilliant and as I looked down it I kept wondering "Fire Down Under?" anywhere... glad you acknowledged it here....

Did I also not see Armored Saint anywhere on these lists?

Armored Saint - Raising Fear
Y&T - Earth Shaker
Racer X - Street Lethal
Vicious Rumors - Digital Dictator
Living Sacrifice - Reborn
Saxon - Lionheart
Rob Rock - Holy Hell
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
AC/DC - Back In Black


just to add some discs that hadn't been mentioned yet.... or if they had I missed 'em somehow... Most of what I would've included has already been included...

Actually, Armored Saint is on my list, though we chose a different album.