EP's?

I tend to enjoy them. If I enjoy the band enough to get their albums, I'll usually hunt down their EP's as well.

I love eps for the same reason as ult.

Fav is ultimatum til the end

Forgot the Queensryche one, but again, I only got it in recent years. Plus it is highly considered an essential release to own.

It really depends on what the EP is intended for. They can be done well or just sub-standard leftovers.

Here are a few examples of EP's that I love and why.

Queensryche - EP
Ratt - EP
Both albums were released to showcase new material, both were rock solid due to the song choices.

Anthrax - Armed And Dangerous
The purpose of this album was to offer the fans a bridge to their new vocalist. Thus the choice to include new studio songs on side A and then on side B re-record a couple classic tracks live in the studio in versions that DESTROY their earlier studio incarnations. Gotta love that.

Riot - Live (Elektra 1983)
Iron Maiden - Maiden Japan
The Riot album was another of the "bridge" variety, but this time presenting some old and new tracks featuring new vocalist Rhett Forrester. The Maiden serves as a farewell to the Dianno era.

detuned wrote:

It really depends on what the EP is intended for. They can be done well or just sub-standard leftovers.

Here are a few examples of EP's that I love and why.

Queensryche - EP
Ratt - EP
Both albums were released to showcase new material, both were rock solid due to the song choices.

Anthrax - Armed And Dangerous
The purpose of this album was to offer the fans a bridge to their new vocalist. Thus the choice to include new studio songs on side A and then on side B re-record a couple classic tracks live in the studio in versions that DESTROY their earlier studio incarnations. Gotta love that.

Riot - Live (Elektra 1983)
Iron Maiden - Maiden Japan
The Riot album was another of the "bridge" variety, but this time presenting some old and new tracks featuring new vocalist Rhett Forrester. The Maiden serves as a farewell to the Dianno era.

Some good choices there.

I'll add to the list:
Nasty Savage - Abstract Reality (classic speed metal EP!)

Nuclear Assault - The Plague (classic thrash EP!)

Accu§er - Confusion Romance (an odds and sods EP featuring a few covers, a few live tracks and a couple of non-album originals.)

Testament - Return to the Apocalyptic City (not sure why, but of the various live albums Testament has released, this one is my favorite. Also features a couple of classic studio tracks)

Forbidden - Raw Evil: Live at the Dynamo (fast and furious live set. Have always enjoyed live EPs. They leave me wanting for more, which I find to be a good thing in a band.)

Nevermore - In Memory (some great non-album tracks)

Sanctuary - Into the Mirror Live/Black Reflections (classic live set!)

Kreator - Out of the Dark...Into the Light (features a Raven cover! Gotta love that. The live tracks are outstanding as well. One of my favorite and most played Kreator albums)

Raven - Mad (announced the return of the Raven sound after the pathetic attempt at commercialism that was The Pack is Back. Features one of the greatest Raven songs ever, Speed of the Reflex)

Raven - Heads Up (features a handful of excellent live tracks and four Raven studio tracks that are exclusive to this EP.)

ICED EARTH - THE MELANCHOLY E.P. (one of my favorites, combining the bands best power ballads, and some awesome cover songs)

Most of Hammerfalls EP's are gread, but they might be more singles, perhaps? Still, some great non-album tracks, and cover versions on most of them.

Ozzy Osbourne - Just Say Ozzy (cool little live EP with great Sabbath renditions)

A few of the EP's I enjoy:

Sarcasm - In-Sect (a self-released EP of solid thrash that was probably done in hopes of landing the band a record deal.)

Sacred Reich - Surf Nicaragua (some great non-album stuff here, even reaches back to their earliest demos for a track (Draining You Of Life)).

Vio-lence - Torture Tactics (one track that was pulled from an album for being too "graphic" (go figure) and some musically excellent / lyrically challenged songs thrown in)

Grinder - The 1st EP (a holdover for the fans until they released a new album. Some solid tunage to be had).

Caustic - Caustic (the bands first release. Full of Slayer-esque thrash, though usually a lot more varied than early Slayer ever was).

That's all I can think of at the moment.

i have never bought any as it would take money away from the already small cd fund

Slayer's Haunting the Chapel is a classic IMO.

Leatherface wrote:

Slayer's Haunting the Chapel is a classic IMO.

You know, that actually might have been one of the first EP's I bought.

Another great EP:

Celtic Frost - Emperors Return

I always buy them if i like the band very much. UDO made some cool ones, DORO of course, GRAVE DIGGER too and many cool bands in the 80s like OBSESSION, OVERKILL, RAPID TEARS, RAZOR etc....

Forgot a couple

REVEREND - s/t (our intro to David Wayne's new project after Metal Church and what a great project it was. This EP might have been their best release)

REVEREND - A Gathering of Demons (David Wayne's attempt to revive Reverend with all new members. Excellent full throttle metal release with all four songs exclusive to this CD. Has the song "Legion", which is the exact same song as Metal Church's "Fake Healer" with different lyrics and vocal medleys. Apparently this was the original lyrics to the song before Wayne was dismissed from Metal Church)

UNITED - Beast Dominates '92 (want an original of this one. Do own a CDR thanks to Sideshow. Excellent Japanese thrash metal EP)

ULTIMATUM - 'til the End! (Bill Roxx already listed this one, but I really like this EP as well, so I've added it to my list. Four demo tracks, one Testament cover and a live song.)

Megadeth-Cryptic Sounds. Man what a good E.P. of instrumental versions of 5 songs from Cryptic Writings.

Tesla-A Piece Of Time. A pretty decent E.P. It has new renditions of The Way It Is and What You Give, a non-acoustic version of Signs, and 4 covers. It just sucks that it's an iTunes exclusive.

i do have the Metallica - $5,95 garage days re-revisited ep on vinyl which i enjoy listening to every now and then. i would never part with it i think

favorite as of the moment is nevermore's in memory ep

I enjoy ep's. There are lots of great ep's out. Alot of my favorites you guys have already mentioned. Another favorite of mine is Heretic's Torture Knows No Boundary.

nevermore wrote:

I enjoy ep's. There are lots of great ep's out. Alot of my favorites you guys have already mentioned. Another favorite of mine is Heretic's Torture Knows No Boundary.

Ohhhh! Good one.

some of my favorite EPs:

Edguy - Superheroes
Grave Digger - Symphony of Death and Yesterday
Extol - Paralysis
Firewind - Falling to Pieces
Agent Steel - Mad Locust Rising
Freedom Call - Taragon
Impellitteri - Fuel for the Fire
Luca Turilli - Ancient Forest of Elves
Masterplan - Enlighten Me
Pride of Lions - The Sound of Home

Extol-Mesmerized is a good one for the unreleased stuff like "Prodigal Son" but the remixed versions of the Burial songs I've never been able to listen to them all the way through.

akeldama wrote:

Extol-Mesmerized is a good one for the unreleased stuff like "Prodigal Son" but the remixed versions of the Burial songs I've never been able to listen to them all the way through.

Good choice, I had forgotten about that one. Extol's "Paralysis" with it's cover of Believer is another good one as well.

Attack of the Killer B's was pretty good. "Milk" kills me every time.

I've been enjoying Early Man's Beware the Circling Fin EP lately.

thrasher73 wrote:

I've been enjoying Early Man's Beware the Circling Fin EP lately.

I'm still waiting on my copy of this to arrive due to the trouble with the manufacturing of the vinyl. But supposedly the manufacturing problems have been corrected and this will get shipped out next week.

only if i reeeeeeeeeeeeeally like the band

thrasher73 wrote:

I've been enjoying Early Man's Beware the Circling Fin EP lately.

I want that bad...