Top 20 Metal Albums of All Time (Numbers 20–11)
I’ve been a fan of metal as a genre of music for about twenty years now.
Between the early heavy metal bands including Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, to the modern experimental metal by bands like Dream Theater and Symphony X, I’ve been enthralled with the genre and eager to find more music to consume.
Out of the hundreds of metal albums I’ve listened to over the years, a handful stand out, timeless masterpieces that always get my head banging and my blood boiling (in a good way). All of your anger towards the injustices of the world around you comes out in a safe environment without harm to yourself, others, or even inanimate objects.
Any music fan can understand the feeling — there are albums that you return to over and over no matter how often you listen to them. What better way to honour these albums than to attempt to place them on a largely subjective, meaningless list?
Now, a couple of caveats. I’ll be listing twenty albums as I feel that ten wouldn’t do the genre justice, though this will be split into two articles due to the massive length. A link to the next article will be included below as soon as it’s finished.
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 get started.
20. Lamb of God — Resolution (2012)
Groove metal, thrash metal, death metal and metalcore. Lamb of God’s Resolution can be considered all of these genres, demonstrating the range and scope of the band’s material. However, the best song on the album is “The Undertow”.
While not a band I would regularly listen to, Lamb of God needs to be commended for their incredible rhythm guitarists, unique metalcore/death metal hybrid vocal style, great lyrics, and tightness of their rhythm section. The fact that their guitar solos place a focus on melody rather than speed is just the icing on the cake. It’s for these reasons that this album makes the list.
19. At Vance — Dragonchaser (2001)
A band that interestingly mixes neoclassical metal with power and speed metal, At Vance have been on my radar for over a decade. The guitarist is immaculate, his rhythms packing a massive punch and his virtuosic leads unleashing brilliantly pointed speed that only someone with music theory knowledge can master.
While there are many excellent tracks on this album, two stand out: “Ages of Glory” and the titular “Dragonchaser”. Unlike most power metal bands, At Vance places less emphasis on the keyboard sections to further provide a thoroughly enjoyable metal sound like no other.
18. Annihilator — Alice In Hell (1989)
Talk about an excellent debut album! A Canadian technical thrash metal band, Annihilator wrote a brilliant album that never gained the traction that it deserved. Jeff Waters is a phenomenal guitarist that mixes melodic sensibility with the brutal riffs expected from bands like Megadeth and Metallica.
While Randy’s vocals aren’t for everyone, the beautiful acoustic melodies of “Crystal Ann”, and the dichotomy between that and the progressive riffs in “Alison Hell”, brings forth an image of a tortured mind slipping further and further into madness. The lyrics only further compliment this theme.
17. Tarot — Crows Fly Back (2006)
Tarot’s one of those metal bands with a completely unique sound that stands out from most generic power metal, and Crows Fly Back is the best album they’ve ever created. Mixing more elements of traditional heavy metal into their music, and finally featuring a more prominent role for Tommi Salmela, (Tarot’s second lead singer), the album is a masterpiece.
Bone-crunching heavy metal riffs mix with wicked bass lines and beautiful vocal harmonies to create an album that’s a joy to listen to the whole way through. “Ashes to the Stars”, “Traitor”, and “Tides” all illustrate this best.
16. Yngwie Malmsteen— Odyssey (1988)
When I was younger, I couldn’t stand Yngwie Malmsteen. His guitar solos were incredibly long, overly complex, and just not that interesting to listen to for four minutes straight. This is all true to a certain extent. What I failed to realize at the time was that not all of Malmsteen’s albums were like this.
Enter Odyssey.
There’s a reason this album is one of the greatest metal albums ever written. Malmsteen’s famous neoclassical shredding style is here, of course. Also included, thankfully, are some memorable heavy metal riffs and excellent guitar tones. The true highlight of the album, however, is Joe Lynn Turner’s vocals and amazing lyrics. Check out “Rising Force” and “Crystal Ball” if you haven’t already; you won’t regret it.
15. Masterplan — Aeronautics (2005)
A great album can arguably only sound as good as its lead singer does. Thankfully for Masterplan, lead singer Jørn Lande is one of the best vocalists in metal. Period.
Combining the vocal styles of hard blues rock singer, David Coverdale (Whitesnake), and heavy metal idol, Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath), Lande illustrates that the genre is in good hands.
While any album featuring Lande could make this list, it’s Aeronautics that ultimately dominates with metal anthems like “I’m Not Afraid”, “Wounds”, “Back for my Life”, and the best one of all… “Headbanger’s Ballroom”. Featuring a catchy intro riff, excellent use of Lande’s range, and tight playing all around, the song is a masterpiece… just like the rest of the album.
14. Testament — The Ritual (1992)
An underrated thrash metal classic, The Ritual was essentially Testament’s answer to Metallica’s first mainstream album, the Black album (Metallica). Instead of attempting to copy their success, however, Testament dug into the roots of thrash and made a hybrid album — incredibly heavy, yet with lighter and more melodic vocals.
The experiment was a success. While a bit slower than their previous albums, the guitar tones were just as heavy as ever. This was also lead guitarist Alex Skolnick’s final album for over a decade, allowing Testament to start the ‘90s with a bang. Tracks like “Electric Crown” and “So Many Lies” demonstrate this best.
What really sells this album is the growth in writing. The lyrics and harmonies by singer Chuck Billy have somehow improved immensely, the tasteful drums by Louie Clemente keep you immersed, and the melodic licks and guitar solos by Skolnick complement the rhythm like a smooth butter complements toast.
13. Sonata Arctica — Reckoning Night (2004)
When most people think of a single power metal band that defines the genre, it’s usually Sonata Arctica. There’s a reason for that. For more than two decades, the band released several ambitious records that helped dictate the future of power metal, particularly with the emphasis on keyboards. Now, keyboards are synonymous with most power metal.
While Sonata Arctica have had several amazing albums over the years, Reckoning Night is the best at pushing the melodic vocals and guitar skills to the forefront. Tony Kakko’s a spectacular singer, delivering a unique mix of clean and “high vocal fry” vocals between each track.
The band also features a keytarist, turning the keyboard into a badass instrument. Check out “Don’t Say a Word” and “Ain’t Your Fairy Tale” for some reassurance for why Sonata Arctica deserves to be on this list.
12. Trans-Siberian Orchestra — Christmas Eve and Other Stories (1996)
Possibly the most unique band on this list, Trans-Siberian Orchestra combines finger-style instrumentals, orchestrated arrangements, and elements of symphonic metal into unexpected, yet beautiful, albums. That said, out of every album they’ve released, their debut one seems to stand out the most.
With amazingly diverse tracks like “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24”, “A Star to Follow”, and “A Mad Russian’s Christmas”, Christmas Eve and Other Stories is a timeless masterpiece that should appeal to not just fans of metal or classical music, but also to fans of Christmas music in general.
11. Helloween — The Dark Ride (2000)
As one of the pioneers of early ’80s power metal, Helloween have crafted numerous albums that have helped shape the genre into what it is today. While an argument can be made for the earlier albums featuring Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen, Helloween’s best album is what’s considered the most controversial one — The Dark Ride.
Andi Deris is an incredible singer, and he really shines on this album. The album’s signature song, “The Dark Ride”, is an eight minute anthem that mixes progressive metal elements and a fantastic guitar solo into its complex sound.
With other excellent tracks like “If I Could Fly”, “All Over the Nations”, and “The Departed (Sun is Going Down)”, there’s a reason The Dark Ride should be required listening for any metal fan.
Conclusion
So there you have it. The first ten metal albums in the list of the top twenty metal albums of all time. But which ones will actually hold the top ten album spots? Find out here! https://kylewiseman221.medium.com/top-20-metal-albums-of-all-time-numbers-10-1-ada4274619db
Also, 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
For now, keep metal alive, my fellow warriors!
