The Rush Forum's Top 100 Metal Albums

[The Cat 3]

72. Motley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood

 

Just a fun party album.

 

It is no wonder this band survived the hair metal demise of the late 80s / early 90s.

 

This album never gets old to these ears.

 

And it is more metal than "2112". :)

Edited April 2, 2016 by ReGorLaTroy

[Union 5-3992]

I thought you'd be finished by now.

It may get an extension!

[Stormtron]

1. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Union 5-3992)

2. Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast (BowlCity)

3. Mastodon - Blood Mountain (Segue Myles

4. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (ReGorLaTroy)

5. Def Leppard - Pyromania (BowlCity)

6. Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group (ReRushed)

7. Megadeth - Rust In Peace (J2112YYZ)

8. Quiet Riot - Metal Health --- Metal riffness (custom55)

9. Metallica - Ride The Lightning (BowlCity)

10. Lacuna Coil- Comalies (Segye Myles)

11. Judas Priest - Painkiller (djflex)

12. Opeth - Blackwater Park (Union 5-3992)

13. Ratt - Out of the Cellar (ReGorLaTroy)

14. Dream Theater-Scenes From A Memory (bluefox4000)

15. Dio - Holy Diver (J2112YYZ)

16. MetallicA - Master of Puppets (grep)

17. Nightwish- Endless Forms Most Beautiful ( Segue )

18. Scorpions - Lovedrive ( Lucas )

19. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (Entre)

20. Ayreon - The Human Equation (Day of Light)

21. Tool - Lateralus (Geddy's Soul Patch)

22- Isis - Pantoptican (djflex)

23. Judas Priest - Unleashed In The East (laughedatbytime)

24. Devin Townsend - Terria (Union 5-3992)

25. Neurosis- Through Silver In Blood ( Segue )

26. Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings (J2112YYZ)

27. Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down ( PolarizeMe)

28. Iron Maiden - Killers ( Lucas )

29. Rush - 2112 (Bigbobby10)

30 Manowar - Battle Hymns (laughedatbytime)

31. Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera (Day Of Light )

32. Ace Of Spades - Motorhead (ReGorLaTroy )

33 Rush- A Farewell To Kings ( Segue )

34. Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse (Union 5-3992)

35. Voivod - Killing Technology ( Lucas )

36. Ghost - Meliora ( x1yyz )

37. A Pleasant Shade of Grey - Fates Warning (Digital Dad)

38. Deep Purple - Fireball (ReRushed)

39. Diamond Head - White Album (Turbine Freight)

40. Megadeth- So Far, So Good...So What

41. Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?

42. Metallica- ...And Justice For All

43. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (laughedatbytime)

44 black sabbath - master of reality ( djflex)

45. Tool - 10,000 Days (catherine)

46.Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz (ReGorLaTroy)

47. Kiss-Destroyer (Fordgalaxy)

48. Rush - Hemispheres (bluefox4000)

49. Isis - Oceanic (PolarizeMe)

50. Slayer - Reign In Blood (Union 5-3992)

51. Budgie - Power Supply (Turbine Freight)

52. HIM - Love Metal (Segue Miles)

53. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (Rick N. Backer)

54. Queensryche - operation mindcrime (djflex)

55. Loudness - Thunder in the East(Lucas)

56. Opeth - Orchid (catherine)

57. KMFDM - WWIII ( Day Of Light )

58. Rush - Caress Of Steel ( Segue )

59. Judas Priest- Stained Class ( Blue J )

60. Pantera - Reinventing the Steel ( custom55 )

61. Saxon - Strong Arm Of The Law(HA&S)

62. Alice Cooper - Brutal Planet (RGLT)

63. Riot - Narita (Turbine Freight)

64. Baroness - The Blue Record (Union 5-3992)

65. Paradise Lost- Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us ( Segue )

66. Anthrax - Persistence Of Time ( J2112YYZ )

67. Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force ( Lucas )

68. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine (Day of Light)

69. AC/DC -Highway to Hell (laughedatbytime)

70. Mastodon- Crack the Skye (DD)

71. Mastodon- Leviathan (Segue Myles)

72. Motley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood (ReGorLaTroy)

 

73. Riot - Fire Down Under (Stormtron)

 

Because any album that kicks off with a song titled Swords and Tequila deserves a spot on the list.

[Lorraine]

33 Rush- A Farewell To Kings ( Segue )

 

Xanadu is heavy metal?

 

Who knew.

[Blue J]

72. Motley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood

 

Just a fun party album.

 

I bought this when it was new...perfect for the 16-year old kid that I was, just starting to come out of a really dark period. I loved it. I just cranked it up and rocked out!

[Lucas]

33 Rush- A Farewell To Kings ( Segue )

 

Xanadu is heavy metal?

 

Who knew.

 

I did

 

When I was 12 and saw the boys play it live, looking around at all the thugs in denim jackets, with the smoky air thick with a smell I wasn't really familiar with, it sure seemed metal to me

 

And did I mention LOUD ???

 

:)

[J2112YYZ]

33 Rush- A Farewell To Kings ( Segue )

 

Xanadu is heavy metal?

 

Who knew.

 

Cygnus X-1 has some metal elements but not Xanadu.

 

It was said in the opening post that hard rock can be included. So, 70s Rush does count for this. I'm not even thinking about Rush with this list though.

[Lucas]

1. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Union 5-3992)

2. Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast (BowlCity)

3. Mastodon - Blood Mountain (Segue Myles

4. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (ReGorLaTroy)

5. Def Leppard - Pyromania (BowlCity)

6. Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group (ReRushed)

7. Megadeth - Rust In Peace (J2112YYZ)

8. Quiet Riot - Metal Health --- Metal riffness (custom55)

9. Metallica - Ride The Lightning (BowlCity)

10. Lacuna Coil- Comalies (Segye Myles)

11. Judas Priest - Painkiller (djflex)

12. Opeth - Blackwater Park (Union 5-3992)

13. Ratt - Out of the Cellar (ReGorLaTroy)

14. Dream Theater-Scenes From A Memory (bluefox4000)

15. Dio - Holy Diver (J2112YYZ)

16. MetallicA - Master of Puppets (grep)

17. Nightwish- Endless Forms Most Beautiful ( Segue )

18. Scorpions - Lovedrive ( Lucas )

19. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (Entre)

20. Ayreon - The Human Equation (Day of Light)

21. Tool - Lateralus (Geddy's Soul Patch)

22- Isis - Pantoptican (djflex)

23. Judas Priest - Unleashed In The East (laughedatbytime)

24. Devin Townsend - Terria (Union 5-3992)

25. Neurosis- Through Silver In Blood ( Segue )

26. Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings (J2112YYZ)

27. Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down ( PolarizeMe)

28. Iron Maiden - Killers ( Lucas )

29. Rush - 2112 (Bigbobby10)

30 Manowar - Battle Hymns (laughedatbytime)

31. Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera (Day Of Light )

32. Ace Of Spades - Motorhead (ReGorLaTroy )

33 Rush- A Farewell To Kings ( Segue )

34. Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse (Union 5-3992)

35. Voivod - Killing Technology ( Lucas )

36. Ghost - Meliora ( x1yyz )

37. A Pleasant Shade of Grey - Fates Warning (Digital Dad)

38. Deep Purple - Fireball (ReRushed)

39. Diamond Head - White Album (Turbine Freight)

40. Megadeth- So Far, So Good...So What

41. Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?

42. Metallica- ...And Justice For All

43. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (laughedatbytime)

44 black sabbath - master of reality ( djflex)

45. Tool - 10,000 Days (catherine)

46.Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz (ReGorLaTroy)

47. Kiss-Destroyer (Fordgalaxy)

48. Rush - Hemispheres (bluefox4000)

49. Isis - Oceanic (PolarizeMe)

50. Slayer - Reign In Blood (Union 5-3992)

51. Budgie - Power Supply (Turbine Freight)

52. HIM - Love Metal (Segue Miles)

53. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (Rick N. Backer)

54. Queensryche - operation mindcrime (djflex)

55. Loudness - Thunder in the East(Lucas)

56. Opeth - Orchid (catherine)

57. KMFDM - WWIII ( Day Of Light )

58. Rush - Caress Of Steel ( Segue )

59. Judas Priest- Stained Class ( Blue J )

60. Pantera - Reinventing the Steel ( custom55 )

61. Saxon - Strong Arm Of The Law(HA&S)

62. Alice Cooper - Brutal Planet (RGLT)

63. Riot - Narita (Turbine Freight)

64. Baroness - The Blue Record (Union 5-3992)

65. Paradise Lost- Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us ( Segue )

66. Anthrax - Persistence Of Time ( J2112YYZ )

67. Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force ( Lucas )

68. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine (Day of Light)

69. AC/DC -Highway to Hell (laughedatbytime)

70. Mastodon- Crack the Skye (DD)

71. Mastodon- Leviathan (Segue Myles)

72. Motley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood (ReGorLaTroy)

73. Riot - Fire Down Under (Stormtron)

 

 

74. Accept - Restless And Wild ( Lucas )

 

Fast As A Shark was a turning point for me, and probably many others too .. Udo is a very unique figure in the history of metal, and Accept nailed it on Restless And Wild, capturing a vibe that was so magnetic back then .. It still does

[Union 5-3992]

75. Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction

 

This is an album where he just threw stuff at the wall to see what stuck. He claims to have jammed 73 song ideas into this behemoth. It's a really big mix of his extreme metal stuff from SYL with little bits of his softer style thrown in here and there. It's also a concept album about a man's descent into hell with lots of goofy quotes. A bit like if Frank Zappa wrote a heavy metal album

Edited April 2, 2016 by Union 5-3992

[custom55]

76. Fear Factory - Obsolete

 

Saw these guys a few times in NYC and OzzFests. They were most populate during the introduction of NU METAL but I don't think they fall into that category.

 

[djflex]

77- fear factory - demanufacture (djflex)

 

 

Another addition that I consider somewhat groundbreakining. This release bridged the gap between industrial and metal imo. Full of power this album makes another must listen metal album to the list

Edited April 3, 2016 by djflex

[djflex]

Omg simo fear factory posts

[J2112YYZ]

Demanufacture and Obsolete are great albums. Saw them open for Megadeth in 1995 just as they were starting to get big. Too bad what happened to Fear Factory in recent years. Last time they played here ticket sales were so bad that they made it a free show. Edited April 3, 2016 by J2112YYZ

[Lucas]

[Eel Yddeg]

Def Leppard isn't metal.

Rush isn't metal. Out of the 4 albums listed, the only songs i'd consider metal are 2112 Grand Finale and Cygnus X-1. Every other song is hard rock at best.

KISS isn't metal

AC/DC isn't metal.

Soon enough we'll be putting Days of Future Passed on this list.

[Segue Myles]

78. Lacuna Coil- Karmacode

 

My all time favourite album, I waited for today as it is 3rd April 2016, ten years to the day since its first release.

 

Marvellous, this is metal at its most commercial, and also in some ways also this bands most experimental phase. Middle eastern vocal textures, anthemic choruses, cryptic lyrics (are they about the literal, are they about the spiritual, who knows?), excellent synths work and some brooding numbers that hark back to their gothic roots combine to make one of the finest moments in female fronted metal. Cristina Scabbia soars on this release, but her male counterpart, Andrea Ferro, also hit a new high on this release.

 

Last but not least, they did an excellent cover of Depeche Mode's classic single Enjoy The Silence. Only you would be hard pressed to hear any traces if the original. They made it their own, and it even came with DM's approval.

 

Many metal magazines ranked this towards the higher end of the end of year best of lists in 2006, and considering that year saw great music from the likes of Mastodon, Iron Maiden, Slayer and others, that is good company for them to have found themselves in!

 

Many will hate on them but I do not care. Lacuna Coil sound like no one else and this is one of several masterpieces from the Italian stallions.

[Day of Light]

1. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Union 5-3992)

2. Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast (BowlCity)

3. Mastodon - Blood Mountain (Segue Myles

4. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (ReGorLaTroy)

5. Def Leppard - Pyromania (BowlCity)

6. Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group (ReRushed)

7. Megadeth - Rust In Peace (J2112YYZ)

8. Quiet Riot - Metal Health --- Metal riffness (custom55)

9. Metallica - Ride The Lightning (BowlCity)

10. Lacuna Coil- Comalies (Segye Myles)

11. Judas Priest - Painkiller (djflex)

12. Opeth - Blackwater Park (Union 5-3992)

13. Ratt - Out of the Cellar (ReGorLaTroy)

14. Dream Theater-Scenes From A Memory (bluefox4000)

15. Dio - Holy Diver (J2112YYZ)

16. MetallicA - Master of Puppets (grep)

17. Nightwish- Endless Forms Most Beautiful ( Segue )

18. Scorpions - Lovedrive ( Lucas )

19. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (Entre)

20. Ayreon - The Human Equation (Day of Light)

21. Tool - Lateralus (Geddy's Soul Patch)

22- Isis - Pantoptican (djflex)

23. Judas Priest - Unleashed In The East (laughedatbytime)

24. Devin Townsend - Terria (Union 5-3992)

25. Neurosis- Through Silver In Blood ( Segue )

26. Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings (J2112YYZ)

27. Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down ( PolarizeMe)

28. Iron Maiden - Killers ( Lucas )

29. Rush - 2112 (Bigbobby10)

30 Manowar - Battle Hymns (laughedatbytime)

31. Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera (Day Of Light )

32. Ace Of Spades - Motorhead (ReGorLaTroy )

33 Rush- A Farewell To Kings ( Segue )

34. Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse (Union 5-3992)

35. Voivod - Killing Technology ( Lucas )

36. Ghost - Meliora ( x1yyz )

37. A Pleasant Shade of Grey - Fates Warning (Digital Dad)

38. Deep Purple - Fireball (ReRushed)

39. Diamond Head - White Album (Turbine Freight)

40. Megadeth- So Far, So Good...So What

41. Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?

42. Metallica- ...And Justice For All

43. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (laughedatbytime)

44 black sabbath - master of reality ( djflex)

45. Tool - 10,000 Days (catherine)

46.Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz (ReGorLaTroy)

47. Kiss-Destroyer (Fordgalaxy)

48. Rush - Hemispheres (bluefox4000)

49. Isis - Oceanic (PolarizeMe)

50. Slayer - Reign In Blood (Union 5-3992)

51. Budgie - Power Supply (Turbine Freight)

52. HIM - Love Metal (Segue Miles)

53. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (Rick N. Backer)

54. Queensryche - operation mindcrime (djflex)

55. Loudness - Thunder in the East(Lucas)

56. Opeth - Orchid (catherine)

57. KMFDM - WWIII ( Day Of Light )

58. Rush - Caress Of Steel ( Segue )

59. Judas Priest- Stained Class ( Blue J )

60. Pantera - Reinventing the Steel ( custom55 )

61. Saxon - Strong Arm Of The Law(HA&S)

62. Alice Cooper - Brutal Planet (RGLT)

63. Riot - Narita (Turbine Freight)

64. Baroness - The Blue Record (Union 5-3992)

65. Paradise Lost- Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us ( Segue )

66. Anthrax - Persistence Of Time ( J2112YYZ )

67. Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force ( Lucas )

68. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine (Day of Light)

69. AC/DC -Highway to Hell (laughedatbytime)

70. Mastodon- Crack the Skye (DD)

71. Mastodon- Leviathan (Segue Myles)

72. Motley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood (ReGorLaTroy)

73. Riot - Fire Down Under (Stormtron)

74. Accept - Restless And Wild ( Lucas )

75. Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction (Union)

76. Fear Factory - Obsolete (custom55)

77. Fear Factory -Demanufacture (djflex)

78. Lacuna Coil- Karmacode (Segue Myles)

79. Dream Theater - Images And Words (Day of Light)

 

This album is a personal DT favorite of mine, and very iconic. The opening riffs of Pull Me Under sound magical. Every song on this album is like a little journey. Very noble-sounding, young prog metal, back when Kevin Moore was around and the boys therefore had the capacity to write melodies.

[laughedatbytime]

80 AC/DC Powerage

 

For Eel Yddge or whatever his name is?

[Blue J]

80 AC/DC Powerage

 

For Eel Yddge or whatever his name is?

 

I'm not a huge AC/DC fan, but that is a great record.

[J2112YYZ]

Def Leppard isn't metal.

Rush isn't metal. Out of the 4 albums listed, the only songs i'd consider metal are 2112 Grand Finale and Cygnus X-1. Every other song is hard rock at best.

KISS isn't metal

AC/DC isn't metal.

Soon enough we'll be putting Days of Future Passed on this list.

 

Yes, we know that. But the OP said we can include hard rock as well which means these bands qualify. Plus, all those bands are influential to the genre even though they're not metal.

[PolarizeMe]

1. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (Union 5-3992)

2. Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast (BowlCity)

3. Mastodon - Blood Mountain (Segue Myles

4. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (ReGorLaTroy)

5. Def Leppard - Pyromania (BowlCity)

6. Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group (ReRushed)

7. Megadeth - Rust In Peace (J2112YYZ)

8. Quiet Riot - Metal Health --- Metal riffness (custom55)

9. Metallica - Ride The Lightning (BowlCity)

10. Lacuna Coil- Comalies (Segye Myles)

11. Judas Priest - Painkiller (djflex)

12. Opeth - Blackwater Park (Union 5-3992)

13. Ratt - Out of the Cellar (ReGorLaTroy)

14. Dream Theater-Scenes From A Memory (bluefox4000)

15. Dio - Holy Diver (J2112YYZ)

16. MetallicA - Master of Puppets (grep)

17. Nightwish- Endless Forms Most Beautiful ( Segue )

18. Scorpions - Lovedrive ( Lucas )

19. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (Entre)

20. Ayreon - The Human Equation (Day of Light)

21. Tool - Lateralus (Geddy's Soul Patch)

22- Isis - Pantoptican (djflex)

23. Judas Priest - Unleashed In The East (laughedatbytime)

24. Devin Townsend - Terria (Union 5-3992)

25. Neurosis- Through Silver In Blood ( Segue )

26. Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings (J2112YYZ)

27. Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down ( PolarizeMe)

28. Iron Maiden - Killers ( Lucas )

29. Rush - 2112 (Bigbobby10)

30 Manowar - Battle Hymns (laughedatbytime)

31. Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera (Day Of Light )

32. Ace Of Spades - Motorhead (ReGorLaTroy )

33 Rush- A Farewell To Kings ( Segue )

34. Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse (Union 5-3992)

35. Voivod - Killing Technology ( Lucas )

36. Ghost - Meliora ( x1yyz )

37. A Pleasant Shade of Grey - Fates Warning (Digital Dad)

38. Deep Purple - Fireball (ReRushed)

39. Diamond Head - White Album (Turbine Freight)

40. Megadeth- So Far, So Good...So What

41. Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?

42. Metallica- ...And Justice For All

43. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (laughedatbytime)

44 black sabbath - master of reality ( djflex)

45. Tool - 10,000 Days (catherine)

46.Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz (ReGorLaTroy)

47. Kiss-Destroyer (Fordgalaxy)

48. Rush - Hemispheres (bluefox4000)

49. Isis - Oceanic (PolarizeMe)

50. Slayer - Reign In Blood (Union 5-3992)

51. Budgie - Power Supply (Turbine Freight)

52. HIM - Love Metal (Segue Miles)

53. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell (Rick N. Backer)

54. Queensryche - operation mindcrime (djflex)

55. Loudness - Thunder in the East(Lucas)

56. Opeth - Orchid (catherine)

57. KMFDM - WWIII ( Day Of Light )

58. Rush - Caress Of Steel ( Segue )

59. Judas Priest- Stained Class ( Blue J )

60. Pantera - Reinventing the Steel ( custom55 )

61. Saxon - Strong Arm Of The Law(HA&S)

62. Alice Cooper - Brutal Planet (RGLT)

63. Riot - Narita (Turbine Freight)

64. Baroness - The Blue Record (Union 5-3992)

65. Paradise Lost- Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us ( Segue )

66. Anthrax - Persistence Of Time ( J2112YYZ )

67. Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force ( Lucas )

68. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine (Day of Light)

69. AC/DC -Highway to Hell (laughedatbytime)

70. Mastodon- Crack the Skye (DD)

71. Mastodon- Leviathan (Segue Myles)

72. Motley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood (ReGorLaTroy)

73. Riot - Fire Down Under (Stormtron)

74. Accept - Restless And Wild ( Lucas )

75. Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction (Union)

76. Fear Factory - Obsolete (custom55)

77. Fear Factory -Demanufacture (djflex)

78. Lacuna Coil- Karmacode (Segue Myles)

79. Dream Theater - Images And Words (Day of Light)

80. AC/DC - Powerage (laughedatbytime)

 

81. Godflesh - Streetcleaner

 

They may not be the most well known or the most well loved (as far as recognition goes) industrial metal band, but Justin Broadrick is industrial metal's most underrated "legend". No disrespect to Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, and KMFDM, but for better or for worse, I don't think Korn, Fear Factory and bands like them would have happened the way they did without Justin Broadrick, Godflesh and this album in particular. Although they grew and experimented with every subsequent album prior to their initial 2002 disbandment, their full length debut remains the most resonant and influential album of theirs and IMO one of if not the best underground industrial metal album of all time. Just the stuff Godflesh does on this album was totally "new" and "out there" for its time such as using drum machines for drums, hip hop influenced beats/patterns mixed with extreme metal power chord riffage/etc.

Edited April 3, 2016 by PolarizeMe

[The Cat 3]

82. Stryper - To Hell With the Devil

 

This was a "big" album for me when it came out.

 

I've always loved this band.

[Rick N. Backer]

83. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules (Rick N. Backer)

 

I'm on an iPad, so if someone can help me out I'd appreciate it. This needs to be on the list and if I wait until I'm on a desktop it might get snubbed. Sure, it's basically Heaven and Hell again. But why mess with something that's not broken?

[grep]

84. Merciful Fate - Don't Break The Oath. (grep)

 

(back in the day, often played back to back with To Hell With The Devil).

Edited April 3, 2016 by grep

[Lucas]

80 AC/DC Powerage

 

For Eel Yddge or whatever his name is?

 

Love this

 

Sin City was the forst AC/DC song that I ever heard ... Like Rush, I first saw AC/DC on late late night TV ( Midnight Special ) .. I was blown away