30 Incredible Metal Albums That Turn 30 Years Old In 2016
6. Kreator – Pleasure To Kill
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This precociously vicious shitstorm instantly struck a chord with thrashers worldwide and in 1986 Kreator found themselves leading the way in the teutonic scene.
Unhinged to the point of incarceration, Pleasure To Kill‘s track-list borders on a greatest hits selection with the wall of noise maelstrom of “Ripping Corpse”, the unforgettable “Pleasure To Kill”, the death metal influencing “Riot Of Violence” and the epic and surprisingly complex “The Pestilence” all meriting classic status.
Kreator altered the German thrash landscape with Pleasure To Kill and frankly, mayhem of this calibre never again sounded so good!
5. Candlemass – Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
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While all else were speeding up, Candemass were slowing things down, channeling Sabbath and adding their own love of tortured melancholy to create a doom metal masterpiece and an 80’s classic.
One of those precious albums where each and every track demands to be savoured, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus practically defined the doom metal genre in just 6 tracks. Mournful, overwhelmingly bleak and utterly immersive, the pure pain of human existence seeps from every vocal utterance and lumbering riff.
Universally heavy without sacrificing melody, the darkened heart musings of “Solitude” and the achingly beautiful “Crystal Ball” suffocate the soul; masterpieces of unparalleled emotional power.
Epic doom metal indeed!
4. Megadeth – Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?
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In terms of musicianship and compositional skill, Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?, represented a monumental leap forward from the previous years Killing Is My Business… album. This time around, Dave Mustaine assembled a posse of musicians who could match his knack for melody and dead-shot metal marksmanship and the results were uniformly stunning.
The first four tracks on this album remain untouchable (tracks 5-8 ain’t bad either). “Wake up Dead” kicked off proceedings with enough riffs and tempo changes to pad out an entire album, while “The Conjuring” was a devilishly diabolical ode to the power of black magic. However, it was on track 3 where Megadeth stamped down their mark on the thrash scene. ”Peace Sells” was the colossal hit that slapped the mainstream round the face with its badass bass line, heavy yet accessible approach and sneering, snarling lyrics spat out by Mustaine using his inimitable delivery. In stark contrast, “Devil’s Island” was a state of the art thrash showcase of predatory power and scintillating speed.
30 years on and Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? remains a thrash metal milestone and a highpoint in Megadeth’s incredible career!
Awaken the Guardian? Rage for Order?
No room for ’em! Still quality though 🙂 \m/
Apart from my favorite uberclassics, most of which are in the list:
Whiplash – Power and Pain
Fates Warning – Awaken the Guardian (fave FW)
Queensryche – Rage for Order
these three should have been in the list!
Hallows Eve – Death and Insanity (D-I-E!)
Sentinel Beast – Depth of Death (CORPSE!)
Omen (Teeth of the Hyyydraaaa), Sacrifice, Helstar, Stormwitch (their best too)…
Power And Pain was 1985 I believe but fair play on the others Vic \m/
That list makes me feel old…..
…..we are old 😉
Fates Warning’s “Awaken the Guardian” should most definitely be included. Personally, I would say top 5 even.
A popular choice and one we are going to regret omitting!
Great list, but I’d have put Sodom’s “Obsessed By Cruelty” in there, at least in the lower reaches.
A primitive black-thrash cult classic but not sure what we would have left out to include it!
Fates Warning – “Awaken the Guardian??”
Sorry
Still I was only 6 at the time, I’ve been introduced to trash/hardcore/crossover/métal by my dad’s friends with Attitude Adjustment Américan Paranoïa at the âge of 10. It all began there followed by Crumbsuckers,Cro-mags, Slayer, Metallica, Sepultura etc. Thank you for this awesome list and to mention Sword and Voïvod
Thanks Dave….glad to see some love for Sword!
You deservedly left off Judas Priest – Turbo lol. I would have added Sodom – Obsessed by Cruelty, Samhain – November Coming Fire(kind of a crossover album), Ozzy – Ultimate Sin(a lot better that Bark at the Moon, and No Rest for the Wicked, and Cryptic Slaughter – Convicted.
Yep, no Turbo here….not Priest’s finest hour by any means! Ironically, all but Samhain’s November Coming Fire were on the original short list but fell victim to the cull.
I’ll add to the Awaken the Guardian mention and add Satan’s Host-Metal From Hell and Manilla Road-The Deluge.
Damn that Awaken The Guardian! That’s going to haunt us! Nice shout with Manilla Road, a great album. Satan’s Host, completely forgot about them…..gonna dig that one out \m/
legitimized metal as an art form on a mainstream level. Remember that 1986 was the era of bloated hair bands, and here came this total blast of energy and aggression — a pure thrash album in every sense. But aside from its power,
….but aside from it’s power….what? Don’t leave us hanging man!
Savage Grace – Master Of Disguise, Ratt – Dancing Undercover, Deathrow – Riders Of Doom, Assassin – The Upcoming Terror to name a few.
Can’t argue with those, just no room for ’em though! Thanks for reading and commenting \m/
where is Queensrijche’s rage for order???
At number 31
It’s Doomsday FOR The Deceiver
Thank you for pointing out that minor error in the text….now corrected.
Nuclear assault’s hang the pope sounds like grindcore because of how fast the vocals are AND its a full speed song