Top 25 Metal Albums

They don't necessarily have to be your fave by that particular band or artist, but ones you feel influenced the genre or made an important impact. Three (3) nominations each, please. It's fine if there multiple noms and you don't have to explain if you don't want to.

1980 - JP "British Steel"
1982 - Accept - "Restless and Wild"
1986- Metallica - "Master of Puppets"

I nominated these three because they are not only great offerings but each was a seminal album in the burgeoning days of a new genre.

Quiet Riot 1983...Metal Health (The first metal album ever to go to #1 on the charts)

Motley Crue 1981..S/T debut (The album that launched Motley Crue and started the whole glam craze of the 80's)

Guns N Roses 1987...Appetite For Destruction (The album that really Got this band rollin and put some grit back in The Metal Scene)

Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast, 1982.

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell, 1980.

Queensryche - EP/The Warning, 1983/84.

Without getting into the birth of extreme metal (Celtic Frost, Death, Possessed, early Sepultura, Bathory, etc.), I think these albums are very very important in regards to further honing the early metal sound into what it would become.
Acrobatic, powerful vocals; melodic but not without musical muscle. But most of all, it's empowering music. Stuff that just gets the blood pumping but that also possesses the instrumental prowess to keep the mind entertained with the songcraft and structure.

brokentulsa wrote:

Quiet Riot 1983...Metal Health (The first metal album ever to go to #1 on the charts)

Motley Crue 1981..S/T debut (The album that launched Motley Crue and started the whole glam craze of the 80's)

Guns N Roses 1987...Appetite For Destruction (The album that really Got this band rollin and put some grit back in The Metal Scene)

3 very good choices, bro. In my humble opine.

Wurthless wrote:

Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast, 1982.

Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell, 1980.

Queensryche - EP/The Warning, 1983/84.

Without getting into the birth of extreme metal (Celtic Frost, Death, Possessed, early Sepultura, Bathory, etc.), I think these albums are very very important in regards to further honing the early metal sound into what it would become.
Acrobatic, powerful vocals; melodic but not without musical muscle. But most of all, it's empowering music. Stuff that just gets the blood pumping but that also possesses the instrumental prowess to keep the mind entertained with the songcraft and structure.

3 more good ones and I like the inclusion of some early 'Ryche. I didn't think anyone would go there, but you did.

Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King

Those are also my all-time top three favourite bands.

Somewhere In Time - Iron Maiden
Peace Sells, But Who's Buying - Megadeth
Holy Diver - Dio

Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

Voivod - Killing Technology

Possessed - Seven Churches

Three incredibly influential albums that maybe won't get a mention if I don't.

Scorpions - Rock You Like Hurricane - that took everyone by storm
( no pun attended )
Accept - Balls To Wall - the voice, the sound, the heaviness.
Ozzy Blizzard of Oz - the entire high school was abuzz that year -
I think it was cause all these kids were sibblings to Black Sabbath older past grads.

Lari wrote:

Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King

Those are also my all-time top three favourite bands.

Awesome!

Boris2008 wrote:

Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

Voivod - Killing Technology

Possessed - Seven Churches

Three incredibly influential albums that maybe won't get a mention if I don't.

Props to you for doing so, Boris.

Glower wrote:

Scorpions - Rock You Like Hurricane - that took everyone by storm
( no pun attended )
Accept - Balls To Wall - the voice, the sound, the heaviness.
Ozzy Blizzard of Oz - the entire high school was abuzz that year -
I think it was cause all these kids were sibblings to Black Sabbath older past grads.

I was going back and forth between "Balls to the Wall" and "Restless and Wild" b/c "Balls" was the break through for them, but "Restless" I felt was a more influential album.

Some really good choices. I'd say Ozzy's first two, Van Halen -fair warning, Ratt and Dokken's first two.

Metallica-Ride the Lightning
Iron Maiden-Piece of Mind
AC/DC- Back in Black

Oh, sheez, I really don't think I can do this properly. But I'll give it a shot...

VH - Women and Children First
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance
Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast

Slayer, Show no Mercy
Mercyful Fate, Don't Break the Oath
Venom, Welcome to Hell

I was going to say Dokken's " Tooth and Nail " -
There was just a certain sound about it -
a sweet voice matched up against fast dark guitar -
" Don't close your Eyes " is a fine example !
The Bon Jovi band played a strong part in all the beginning excitement too -
he had a honey voiced type thing - but keyboards - and a love silliness -
Malmsteen. Wow. He was a genuine ground breaker for sure.

Wrecked Neck wrote:

Slayer, Show no Mercy
Mercyful Fate, Don't Break the Oath
Venom, Welcome to Hell

See, I already feel guilty for not including Slayer. This just cannot work.

Riot...Fire Down Under (1981)

Piece of Mind ~ Iron Maiden (1983)

STORMWITCH - Stronger Than Heaven
KING DIAMOND - Abigail
RUNNING WILD - Port Royal

If I had to second other people's nominations, I'd pick

Dio - Holy Diver
Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
Queensryche - The Warning

... ahead of the rest.

Such a hard thing to do and after mulling it over for a bit I decided on:

Ozzy-Blizzard Of Ozz
Black Sabbath-Heaven & Hell
Def Leppard-High & Dry

I thought Sammy Hagar hasd something new, at that time.
He was heavier than Nugent etc -
Motorhead just kinda sneaked in unnoticed- with everyone
Def Lep - High and Dry - that release , man, what sound / mood!
Queensryche - everyone talked about them - they were hot rising -
Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith - was a huge deal - what a tour -
Quiet Riot - Metal Health - such a great great release at the time.
Kids may have chatted Randy's ex band - but QR nailed the times.

corplhicks wrote:

Wrecked Neck wrote:

Slayer, Show no Mercy
Mercyful Fate, Don't Break the Oath
Venom, Welcome to Hell

See, I already feel guilty for not including Slayer. This just cannot work.

lol I almost put them down for all three picks, but figured I'd mix it up a bit.