20 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums
By Joe Lavigne
Heavy metal developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom, and many regard Black Sabbath as its true creator, before it became more accessible during the 1970s. Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence, and Motörhead introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed.
Beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s, bands in the new wave of British heavy metal such as Iron Maiden and Def Leppard followed in a similar vein. Before the end of the decade, heavy metal fans became known as "metalheads" or "headbangers". And the genre still exists in its varying forms today.
So, to celebrate 50 years of heavy metal music, we've put together a list of the 20 greatest ever heavy metal albums...
20. Anthrax, 'Among the Living'
Anthrax shoved their way into thrash's 'big four' with 1987's platinum breakthrough 'Among the Living,' a dense, and fresh take on the thrash metal genre, which perhaps the other big three hadn't quite touched on. Even during a decade when thrash metal was on fire, 'Among the Living' still managed to hold its own, and be respected as one of the very best.
19. Judas Priest, 'Screaming for Vengeance'
Judas Priest were at the peak of their powers by the time 1982's 'Screaming for Vengeance' came out. Almost 10 years into their recording career, and taking America by storm, both in the charts and on the road, this album added whole new injection of metal brilliance to their catalog. Songs like "Electric Eye" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" remain pillars of the band's impressive discography.
18. System of a Down, 'Toxicity'
After years of bloody, sweat and tears, System of a Down finally had the commercial breakthrough they'd been looking for, with 'Toxicity.' This colossal album of modern metal goodness quickly became an overnight smash hit when millions of fans flocked to record stores to grab a copy. The album's highlights include "Chop Suey!," "Aerials," "ATWA" and the title track.
17. Motorhead, 'Ace of Spades'
Hard rock to some, heavy metal to others. It really doesn't matter, because Motorhead were so badass, they could be whatever they wanted to be. Without Motorhead there would be no speed or thrash metal, and in 'Ace of Spades,' Lemmy Kilmister's crusty band of outlaws arguably delivered their definitive career statement. The title track alone has gone down as one of the most iconic heavy metal songs ever.
16. Pantera, 'Vulgar Display of Power'
Pantera's smash hit 'Vulgar Display of Power' showed the way forward for scores of beleaguered metal merchants. Its brain crushing offerings like "Mouth for War," "Walk" and "F**king Hostile" whipped fans into a frenzy, and set the tone for what we would soon follow.
15. Megadeth, 'Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?'
'Peace Sells…But Who's Buying?' is the favourite album among most diehard Megadeth fans, and Dave Mustaine has often said it was the band at their very peak. To many, this album was one that would exact musical revenge on former bandmates Metallica, and set the band on a new found path of their own. A thrash metal tour de force, it blended impeccable technique with wanton savagery fuelled by inspired songwriting.
14. Judas Priest, 'Sad Wings of Destiny'
Judas Priest truly came into their own as one of heavy metal's finest, with the release of 1976's 'Sad Wings of Destiny.' A monument to heavy metal's dark majesty, 'Sad Wings' focused Priest's vision on stunning cuts ranging from the elaborate "Victim of Changes" to the short and deadly "The Ripper." This album is still regarded by most Priest fans as the best of the bunch.
13. Slipknot, 'Slipknot'
Slipknot smashed their way onto the nu-metal scene with perhaps the biggest statement ever, with their self-titled debut album. Once fans got past the masks, they found a band that emerged during the peak years of nu-metal with a crushing debut disc. This album made the band the most significant heavy metal outfit for over two decades.
12. Iron Maiden, 'Iron Maiden'
Iron Maiden's self-titled debut is still regarded by many fans as one of the band's very best pieces of work, and although some of bassist Steve Harris' grander songwriting ambitions were slightly compromised by lacklustre production, fans were perfectly happy with the "punky rawness" of future classics "Running Free," "Prowler" and "Iron Maiden." This was a clean, simple Maiden, at the most raw and ready.
11. Black Sabbath, 'Master of Reality'
'Master of Reality' simultaneously launched the stoner metal subset and added to Black Sabbath's winning string with their third heavy metal classic in the span of some 15 months. Even decades later, dreary dirges of doom like "After Forever," "Children of the Grave" and "Into the Void" still stand among Sabbath's heaviest creations.
10. Sepultura, 'Beneath the Remains'
No band did more to promote heavy metal's global expansion, beyond the long-established North American-European stranglehold, than Brazil's Sepultura. 1989's 'Beneath the Remains' was the album that put Latin American metal on the map, and it wasn't about to go away. The mix of thrash and death metal on this record took the metal world by storm, and has stood the test of time, among many other fine releases, as their signature release.
9. Queensryche, 'Operation: Mindcrime'
Arguably the greatest concept album in heavy metal history, 'Operation Mindcrime' finally catapulted Queensryche to stardom after years of incredible but unfulfilled commercial promise. This album was a real door-opener, setting a path of what could be possible with the heavy metal genre.
8. Opeth, 'Blackwater Park'
With a steady momentum, huge ambition, and a growing confidence, Swedish death metal proggies Opeth reached peak form on 2001's breathtaking 'Blackwater Park,' whose title reflected the group's '70s art-rock influences, supported by consistently intricate, wildly imaginative nine-to-ten-minute epics, each one more awe-inspiring than the last.
7. Slayer, 'Reign in Blood'
The dark, crushing masterpiece that is 'Reign in Blood,' is what catapulted Slayer to the heights of thrash metal. With its controversial themes, inspired songwriting, and breathless riffs, many would argue that 'Reign' is the ultimate thrash album, when all is said and done. It's the complete package.
6. Megadeth, 'Rust in Peace'
Hugely popular, and described by many metalheads as a masterpiece, 'Rust in Peace' put order into Megadeth's notoriously chaotic career with a technical tour de force quite unlike the combustible, exciting, but often inconsistent efforts before it. In the equally talented Marty Friedman, Dave Mustaine found his perfect twin guitar foil, and the resulting performances were pure magic. This album is thrash brilliance from start to finish.
5. Black Sabbath, 'Black Sabbath'
It all began with Black Sabbath's self-titled debut album, and without it, it's hard to imagine how the whole hard rock genre would have evolved after the likes of Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. Recorded in a single day with next-to-no overdubs, 'Black Sabbath' is the real deal: a nasty, gnarly, doom-laden beast bursting with spontaneous misanthropy that outsiders everywhere related to immediately. It could also be argued that it is the most significant album on this list.
4. Metallica, 'Ride the Lightning'
Some thought Metallica had already peaked by 'Ride the Lightning,' which kept the pedal to the metal with newly minted thrashers like "Fight Fire with Fire" and "Creeping Death," while slowing things down for the benefit of regular metal fans on the colossal "For Whom the Bells Toll" and suicide ballad "Fade to Black."
3. Metallica, 'Master of Puppets'
Most of us thought Metallica had already peaked by 'Ride the Lightning,' such was its quality and significance in the world of thrash metal, but, then came 'Master of Puppets.' 'MoP' is the most widely acclaimed album in the band's thrash discography, and has justifiably gone down as the thrash gods' magnum opus, and, by extension, one of heavy metal's ultimate albums.
2. Black Sabbath, 'Paranoid'
Black Sabbath's template-setting debut was epic, but the band proved it was no fluke with the chart topping follow-up album, 'Paranoid.' With leviathan doom anthems for the ages like "War Pigs," "Iron Man" and "Hand of Doom," plus the title track's efficient bludgeoning serving as a welcome change-of-pace hit, this was the album that set new heights and shot Black Sabbath into the metal stratosphere.
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