Top 20 Metal Albums of All Time (Numbers 10–1)
Out of every genre of music, you’d struggle to find one with as many diverse sub-genres as metal. With hundreds of excellent metal albums out there — some of which are yet to be heard by metal fans worldwide — narrowing down the twenty essential albums for any metal fan is a massive undertaking that’s bound to disappoint numerous people.
That said, I thought I owed it to the metal community to compile what I thought were the twenty best metal albums of all time. These are albums that have helped shape me into the person I am today, ones that I still listen to frequently, ones that have gotten me through some of the hardships that I’ve faced in life.
Now, a couple of caveats. I’ll be listing twenty albums as I feel that ten wouldn’t do the genre justice, though this has been split into two articles due to the massive length. A link to the previous article will be included below if you’re interested in my picks for 20–11.
This list will cover what I consider to be the ten most essential metal albums of all time. Not the ten most revolutionary albums, but the ten albums that will stand the test of time (assuming they haven’t already done so).
To be as objective as possible, I’ll be including a few albums that aren’t my personal taste, yet I recognize to be excellent works of music. Finally, each band will only get one album choice so that other bands get a chance to shine. If you disagree with any of my choices, feel free to state your own!
Let’s continue where we left off last time.
10. Iced Earth — Horror Show (2001)
Every album that Iced Earth releases is a massive undertaking that needs to be commended. Between the unique concept albums, intricate songwriting, and tight musicianship from each member of the band, every record illustrates how this American power/thrash metal band was able to rise from the metal underground.
While many albums easily could have made the list, Horror Show is the best for many reasons: the drums are the best ever on an Iced Earth record, the rhythm riffs are incredibly catchy and original, Barlow’s vocal range is out of this world, and the guitar solos — never a selling point for Iced Earth before — are utterly enjoyable and melodic.
If you’ve never listened to this album before, you owe it to yourself to check out tracks like “Wolf”, “Damien” (a progressive metal treat), “Ghost of Freedom”, and my personal favourite — “Dragon’s Child”.
9. Judas Priest — Stained Class (1978)
There’s no doubt in my mind that Judas Priest has composed one of the best metal albums of all time. Yet as great as Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith are, Priest’s best album is Stained Class by far.
Featuring writing from all of the band members, Priest accomplishes what Iron Maiden never could: an album with incredibly diverse lyrics, haunting vocal melodies, and lengthy, complex guitar solos.
Much more dark and sinister than Priest’s later albums, Stained Class is not just a revolutionary album, but a wonderful record that has stood the test of time and will continue to do so thanks to songs like “Better by You, Better Than Me”, “Beyond the Realms of Death”, and “Heroes End”.
8. Symphony X — Twilight in Olympus (1998)
This is a band that took me some time to really start enjoying. Russel Allen’s gritty vocals were more thrash-like than I was accustomed to during my high school years. That said, the band slowly started to grow on me to the point that I now think that they’re the second greatest progressive metal band of all time.
Before Symphony X embraced more of their progressive roots, they were an interesting hybrid of progressive and neoclassical metal. Michael Romeo is both a phenomenal rhythm and lead guitarist, which might be best illustrated by Twilight in Olympus’ opening track, “Smoke and Mirrors”. Russel Allen’s vocals gloriously switch from clean to gritty like the sudden eruption of a volcano.
Michael Pinnella writes amazing keyboard solos which frequently switch back to Romeo’s shredding guitar ones. Finally, Thomas Walling and Thomas Miller each provide a perfectly timed rhythm section for the rest of the band to play/sing over. Overall, the album is almost a masterpiece, hindered only by its cheap production values. Thankfully, a remastered version fixes this.
7. Megadeth — Rust in Peace (1990)
Megadeth have released some excellent albums over the years, but none have ever managed to surpass Rust in Peace. Written and recorded at the pinnacle of the band’s career, the album features several hits such as “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”, “Tornado of Souls”, and “Hangar 18”.
“Tornado of Souls” actually features the greatest guitar solo of all time, in my opinion. Marty Friedman’s guitar playing is at its best on this album, Dave Mustaine’s riffs feature catchy (and speedy) hooks, and the immaculate rhythms provided by David Ellefson and Nick Menza are out of this world.
The only issues with the album — or Megadeth in general — is Dave Mustaine’s less than stellar vocal work and repetitive guitar solos. Thankfully, the vocals will grow on you eventually.
6. Blind Guardian — Imaginations from the Other Side (1995)
By far the most original band I’ve ever heard, Blind Guardian is frequently listed as one of the greatest power metal bands of all time for a reason. From their early albums rooted in speed and thrash metal, to their modern folk, symphonic, and power metal sound, the band’s had excellent hits throughout their entire career.
Imaginations from the Other Side is an album that mixes the best elements of both eras of the band’s career. André Olbrich brings an excellent guitar tone to the band thanks to a healthy amount of wah and melodic, yet fast, solos. The rhythm guitars and percussion perfectly supplement each track without overwhelming them.
Hansi Kürsch’s massive range is all the more impressive when you hear the frequent changes from clean to gritty vocals. This is also the last album Kürsch plays bass on, marking a change in style for future albums. If you still need convincing, try listening to “Mordred’s Song”, “And the Story Ends”, “Bright Eyes”, and “A Past and Future Secret”.
5. Alice in Chains — Dirt (1992)
Don’t be fooled: Alice in Chains may have been a major leader of the grunge era of hard rock in the ‘90s, but they were also an alternative/heavy metal band, and no album represents this better than the 1992 release, Dirt. Featuring tracks like “Angry Chair”, “Would”, “Them Bones”, and the best song of all, “Rooster”, Dirt is a heavy metal masterpiece.
A new guitar tone with a tasteful amount of distortion was mixed for the album to create a heavier sound. Jerry Cantrell dominates the guitar with simple riffs and sustained solos. And while his backup vocals are also great, it’s Layne Staley’s haunting vocal style that illustrates the dark nature of the lyrics perfectly.
4. Dream Theater — Images and Words (1992)
A band with virtuoso talent on every instrument, there’s a reason Dream Theater managed to break through the metal underground into mainstream success back in the ’90s. Every single element in their music is integral to their sound, and each member brings something fresh to the table. Images and Words, their second album, is a progressive metal masterpiece.
With every album, the band is able to bring a fresh sound to the mix. Some of the world’s best musicians contribute to each song, between the extraordinary keyboard and guitar solos, as well as the appreciable bass and drum combo carefully navigating each change in time signature, there’s very little to dislike here. Listen to “Pull me Under”, “Waiting for Sleep”, and “Under a Glass Moon” if you’re still uncertain about this choice.
3. Black Sabbath — Heaven and Hell (1980)
Often credited as the band where heavy metal originated from, there is no question in my mind that Black Sabbath are one of the most revolutionary metal bands of all time. The question is, could any of their records stand the test of time as one of the best metal albums?
Thanks to Heaven and Hell, the answer is a resounding yes.
The introduction of Ronnie James Dio and his raw talent on vocals was just what the band needed. A decade of album production had allowed the band to harness their technical prowess on each instrument. With precise drum timing, catchy bass lines, and lovely guitar riffs, songs like “Heaven and Hell” and “Neon Knights” won’t be forgotten any time soon.
2. Demons & Wizards — Touched by the Crimson King (2005)
Born as a passion project by Iced Earth’s rhythm guitarist and Blind Guardian’s lead singer, Demons & Wizards brought something new to the table for power/progressive metal fans. Featuring the talent of numerous guest musicians, Touched by the Crimson King is an album that I would consider required listening for any metal fan.
The album is a tribute to great works such as The Lord of the Rings, The Wizard of Oz, The Dark Tower, and Moby Dick. Kürsch’s vocals here are incredible on each song, demonstrating his immense range and powerful grit perfectly. Schaffer’s skills on guitar are also to be commended with the abundance of bone-crunching riffs and acoustic melodies.
While “Beneath These Waves” is arguably the best song on the album thanks to the magnificent vocal work and beautiful guitar solo, there are also fantastic hits like “Crimson King”, “Seize the Day”, “Dorian”, and “Wicked Witch” to enjoy on this album.
1. Metallica — Master of Puppets (1986)
This is it. Without a doubt in my mind, Master of Puppets is the greatest metal album ever written. Period. An album in which every track is a joy to listen to, it improves upon the excellent Ride the Lightning in every single way: well-written lyrics that cover a wide range of personal and political topics, more melodic and complex guitar solos, heavy riffs that blend speed with technical precision, wicked bass lines, and improved drumming.
The album features awesome hits like “Battery”, “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” “Orion”, and perhaps the greatest metal song ever written, “Master of Puppets”. If you still haven’t listened to the album for whatever reason, you’re cheating yourself out of an incredible headbanging experience. It is a masterpiece in every single way.
Conclusion
So there you have it. The greatest metal albums of all time distilled into a meaningless list filled with my own subjectivity. That said, I tried to be as objective as possible when choosing many of these albums.
If you missed the other ten albums in this top twenty list, take a look at some of my other picks here: https://kylewiseman221.medium.com/top-20-metal-albums-of-all-time-numbers-20-11-4e984b1a2c4e
And why not check out my list of the top fifteen heavy metal songs of all time? https://blog.usejournal.com/top-15-heavy-metal-songs-of-all-time-f06a3bb820fc
If you disagree with any of my choices, feel free to reply with your own picks. For now, keep metal alive, my fellow warriors!
