My Top-10 Heavy Metal Albums Of All Time

I did a top-10 list of my personal favorite thrash metal albums ever, with one album per band representing their style and musical peak, to my ears. I thought that I'd do the same, but with my top-10 heavy metal albums. The same rule applies for this list - one album per band, their finest moment in my opinion, will represent the band as a whole.

#10: Warlock - Burning The Witches (1984)

The best metal ever made with a female singer. At least that is my ears' opinion. Back when I discovered this at 14, I couldn't stop listening to it. It's some raw German heavy/speed metal with Doro Pesch. While I can admit that her vocal performance here, her as well as the band's debut, is not the best of her career, the album as a whole is. This is satanic-themed heavy metal, totally '84-like metal cliché, but nothing but great and headbang-addictive. The riffing here is especially great.

#9: Madison - Diamond Mistress (1984)

A pretty unknown old band from Sweden sounding like some Priest wanna-be's. This was the first band of singer Göran Edman who would later become known for his work with guitarists John Norum and Yngwie Malmsteen's solo work respectively. This is some great, high-energy heavy metal somewhere in between 80's Priest and Maiden's '81-'82 era. This is one of those true "forgotten" heavy metal gems out there. Hunt this one down!

#8: Steelwing - Zone Of Alienation (2012)

A fun surprise! It was my dear love who introduced me into these guys back before we actually got together. I listened non-stop to this album after that. It's some great, young heavy/speed metal primarily influenced by Judas Priest, but also Iron Maiden and the others, of course (which band is not?). It sounds true to the genres origin, sounding like a product of the 80's that could've as well been released back in the day. It's got some great fucking tunes on it, I promise you!

#7: Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time (1986)

My very favorite Maiden album. This is where they started to explore wider areas and got more interesting, while maintaining their usual quality heavy metal sound. Everybody shines on this album, especially Adrian Smith and Nicko McBrain. Smith is my favorite songwriter in Maiden, and this is pretty much "his" album, so it's just amazing to my ears. "Stranger In A Strange Land" is one my personal, as well as my dad's, favorite Maiden tracks ever. That solo is the greatest thing ever in a Maiden song!

#6: Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath (1984)

Evil and like it was forged in hell itself. This album has got a neat fucking guitar tone that just shreds you into pieces. The best album ever featuring King Diamond at the mic stand. This album is nothing but a sinister heavy metal, or first wave black metal if you prefer, masterpiece that every headbanger must have in his/her collection. You don't break the oath!

#5: Enforcer - Death By Fire (2013)

This might come as a surprise to many, places so high and all, but when a band like Enforcer puts out records, they fucking do it right and truthfully - even more so than most of the bands that actually were around back in the day. Along with Watain, I probably have to say that Enforcer is my favorite young/modern heavy metal band. They play the best speed metal I've ever fucking heard, and their albums even sound like they were released back in '83. This album is fucking killer, which is why I changed my Iron Maiden - Live After Death backpatch to Enforcer's "Total Metal" backpatch! Oh, and I won tickets to a show with Enforcer and Skull Fist earlier this year. That was fucking intense!

#4: Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith (1984)

It was either this one or "Screaming For Vengeance", which has got a better production, but this one's got the slightly better songs. Classics like "The Sentinel", "Freewheel Burning", "Jawbreaker", and my personal favorite "Rock Hard, Ride Free", never lose my attention or energy. I think this album, maybe apart from it's shitty drum-sound, stands the test of time the best out of all Priest records.

#3: Accept - Balls To The Wall (1983)

There's one word that describes this album as a whole: Perfection. It's heavy, both musically and production/sound-wise. Sweet riffs and vocal melodies. The drums are loud and heavy, the best put on record since Kiss' "Creatures Of The Night" album. It's a pure classic from the start till the end. I have listened to this album countless times since I was a fat, short-haired fucking twelve year old wanker. It never gets old!

#2: Dio - The Last In Line (1984)

This is probably the hardest choice. I love Dio's solo work, and I mean like almost every album. Obviously the best era of his I believe was 1983-1994, with all records released in between there being simply great! But I have to choose one, so I chose this one. It's got great tunes on it, apart from maybe "Mystery" which I'm not too fond of, too poppy even for Dio's standards. Vivian Campbell was also the greatest guitarist Dio ever had, and he fucking nails every single note on this album. I'm also weak for the album's closer, "Egypt (The Chains Are On)". Amazing album.

#1: Ozzy Osbourne - No Rest For The Wicked (1988)

Ozzy Osbourne - the Godfather of heavy metal. MY Godfather of heavy metal. He was the one who made me love (heavy) metal music, my ticket into this world of amazing music. My idol. I have been going back and forth for years whether this one or "Diary Of A Madman" is my favorite album of his, but at the moment this one feels like the one. It's a pretty dark and heavy album coming from him, and the debut of Zakk Wylde. I for one actually dig Zakk and he's fucking great on this album. There are almost only songs that I love on this one - "Breakin' All The Rules", "Miracle Man", "Fire In The Sky", "Crazy Babies", and "Bloodbath In Paradise", and the others. It's full of great and thick riffing, sweet soloing and some of the Ozzman's greatest vocal melodies ever! I'll love this album to death!

Review: Sign Of The Jackal - Mark Of The Beast (2013)

Starting out in Italy back in 2008, Sign Of The Jackal have released a few underground releases, with a small cult following I imagine. Now, in 2013, they've released their debut album which includes most of the songs that were featured on their debut EP, entitled "The Beyond" from 2011. To me, that EP was excellent so my expectations for their debut album was high. As a result after giving it a couple of spins, I can only say that I'm very satisfied!

What you'll find here is high-quality old school style female-fronted heavy metal sounding like something released in the early to mid 80's. If you think of Doro Pesch's and Warlock's debut "Burning The Witches", as well as Hellion's albums, you get what it's about pretty much. Comparing it to newer traditional heavy metal bands musically, I would really say that this album reminds me of my fellow countrymen Enforcer, and that really ain't a bad thing!

 

The album starts with a classic 80's style intro called "Voodoo" which gives me Mercyful Fate vibes, just before they kick in with speed metal opener "Heavy Metal Possession", which sounds a lot like Enforcer to me. The band marches on with a few excellent gems before going into "Night Of The Undead", which is the track that catched my attention from this band and their old EP. It's without a doubt a given classic and fan-favorite. "Paganini Horror" is kind of a half-ballad instrumental. It's calm but still rocking, but also very dark and haunting with much focus on the driving bass and very melodic guitars. The band continue with some heavy and speed metal songs respectively before kicking into "The Beyond", the slowest track on the album and in the same vein as Crimson Glory's "Queen Of The Masquerade" and Killer Dwarfs' "Heavy Mental Breakdown". The band then round up and finish with a cover of Fastway's "Trick Or Treat", the title song for the movie with the same name.

All in all, I found this album very interesting, fun and musically great. The production really screams 1983 and gives the music total justice. I was also impressed, but maybe not very surprised anyway, that they managed to take their great EP, and make like a new EP and put 'em both together, making this excellent debut album. It doesn't lose quality anywhere from start to end, it's just an ever going quality heavy metal journey with cool riffs, solos, choruses and melodies. Musically it really does sound like an Enforcer album with female vocals, which is the best thing about this album! Of course, Sign Of The Jackal has their own touches to everything, making "Mark Of The Beast" sounding like a unique new traditional metal album.

I strongly recommend this album for fans of old school and...let's say "retro" metal. It sounds a lot like newer bands like Enforcer, Steelwing, Skull Fist, Cauldron, Axxion, White Wizzard, etc. This is for the fans of real and true heavy metal, make sure to give it a try!

Final rating: 9/11 (not the date, but it goes to 11 just like Spinal Tap's amplifiers, because it's THAT metal.)

"Mark Of The Beast" is released through High Roller Records, available at http://www.hrrecords.de