Metal

I personally recommend Amon Amarth's "Once Sent From The Golden Hall".

Johan Hegg delivers two styles of vocals and sometimes intertwines his screaming with growling, like in the third track, "Without Fear".

The album shares many characteristics with subsequent albums such as "The Avenger" and "The Crusher". However, in my opinion, this album simply has the best contrast between the almost happy riffs and the brutal vocals, while "The Avenger" has a darker tone, and "The Crusher", weaker recording quality.

"Once Sent From The Golden Hall" is also Amon Amarth's debut album, after three demos, one being released under the name of "Scum", and one EP.

BTBAM - Colors

Excellent use of motivic and thematic development within a technical progressive metal context. It's an album, not a collection of songs. That can be said about plenty of albums, but few so accurately as Colors.

Studio album - Iron Maiden: Piece Of Mind

For some reason an underappreciated album but it's got 2 or 3 stone cold classics on it and really only has one bad song on it (looking at you Quest For Fire).

Live album - Thin Lizzy Life:Live

Gets a lot of hate cos Phil Lynott did the production mix and he was clearly off his face when he did it but if you can get past that, the energy and musicianship is off the scale.

One of my favorite albums to come out in the last few years is Etemen Ænka by Dvne. The whole thing is great, but I'll give special mention to the riff at the end of the song Court of the Matriarch, which is so heavy it'll make you feel like you could stomp the earth in half.

Arch Enemy - Deceivers

Zeal and Ardor's self titled album is amazing. It seems to be an indictment of American Christo-Fascism. The album is his most cohesive in my opinion, and just flows perfectly from track to track.

I'm going to skip the obvious one just because master of puppets is almost a meme for metalheads as a favorite album of a favorite band

Also, out of the cellar is fucking great album. Ratt never got the respect they deserved, imo.

That being out of the way, ima throw up Kataklysm. Not my absolute favorite band, but they are pretty much my favorite death metal band. Who knew Canadians could be that brutal?

Honestly, their early albums are kinda generic, but they started shining after a vocalist change in 98ish (can't recall exactly when it was). I had kinda liked them before that, but in a background music way.

Last year they came out with Goliath. Possibly the best metal album of the year. I say it is, but I'm aware that tastes vary.

I think what drives me to loving the album that much is the sheer battering intensity of it. It's just wall to wall brutal riffs and punishing drums. The vocals are the best Iaconico has ever done (imo). My favorite track overall is bringer of vengeance. The lyrics are a bit cheesy at moments, but it has what may be the most perfect intro of death metal. Just fucking amazing. And the rest of the track keeps that level up.

I'm super picky about death metal. So it's rare that I find a band with multiple albums that "work" for me, and it's even rarer that I find a death metal album that I always want to listen to the whole album every time, and Goliath meets that. Being real, I think I've done that at least once a month since it came out. And I've listened to a handful of songs from it weekly at least.

Scorpions - Humanity: Hour 1

Listen

I know many nowadays do not consider the Scorpions to be metal. I disagree, but I'm using older standards. Metal didn't used to be as heavy, see some of the classic metal bands for examples (Black Sabbath, etc.). Whatever standard you use to measure, this album rocks.

I love this album because it is a very interesting departure from the norm for the Scorpions. This is a rock opera and has some really great tracks on it. I listen to most of my music in album format, that is, as an album from beginning to end in the order the band put it on the album. I think listening this way is even more important for this album because it tells a story as any good opera should do. I think the best track is the last: Humanity (note: this song is missing from the "Listen" link above). An awesome conclusion to a great opera and dramatic, in true operatic style. You're Lovin Me to Death is another great song. 321 rocks too.

This is a hidden gem among much bigger hit albums from a band with decades of experience. I wish they would do another rock opera.

I like King Buffalo's Acheron.

• ✅ Psychedelic / Stoner
• ✅ Greek Mythology Concept Album
• ✅ Long tracks