Metal is a music genre with a long and extensive history. As long as I have been alive, I have been listening to metal. Started with Metallica, and recently I have started branching out through the genres. In this article, I will list my top 10 metal albums of all time. 

10. Wisconsin Death Trip– Static-X

Starting off, we have Wisconsin Death Trip by Static-X. Static-X is an amazing band for people who are into Industrial Metal and Nu Metal. In my opinion, Static-X does an amazing job blending those two genres, to create a sound reminiscent of Ministry. Wisconsin Death Trip is Static-X at its most primal state, and it is amazing. Wayne Static’s growls are very similar to Korn’s Jonathan Davis but with his own little twist. My favorite song off of the album would have to be “Push It”. The groove is really solid and very easy to get into. 

9. Ashes of the Wake– Lamb of God

Lamb of God is easily in my top 10 bands of all time. They took the genre of groove metal and ran away with it, making their own distinct sound. Ashes of the Wake, in my opinion, is the best Lamb of God album. Ashes of the Wake was Lamb of God’s  first album that was really produced. Their older albums had a harsher, more homemade sound. Whereas Ashes of the Wake sounded like it was really produced and professionally mixed. My favorite song off of the album has to be “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For”.

8. Holy Wars– Thy Art is Murder

I never really considered myself a fan of Deathcore until I listened to Thy Art is Murder. Holy Wars is definitely their best album. As someone who really isn’t too fond of death metal, I found it an easy introduction to the genre. The songs are easy to listen to, and very groovy. My favorite song from the album is most certainly “Coffin Dragger”. I don’t really care about the lyrics, but the rhythm section in this song is sublime. The drums are the best part of the band. Lee Stanton outdoes himself every. single. song. 

7. Herzeleid– Rammstein

I love industrial metal. I always have, and I always will. Herzeleid is Rammsteins most industrial album. They did an amazing job mixing the repetitive rhythms of Industrial Metal, and the catchy synthesizer riffs of German Techno. This album sounds like it is a mixture of Ministry and Kraftwerk. Nearly every single song of this album is perfect, but if I had to choose one it would be “Wolt Ihr Das Bett in Flammen Sehen”. The song’s riffs are catchy, and Lindemann’s vocals are punchy and very catchy. 

6. Untouchables– Korn 

While I am not a huge fan of Korn, I can’t deny that they are good. Not all of their albums are good. A few of them I had to turn off because they were so bad. However, Untouchables is a downright amazing album. Their song “Here to Stay” is an instant classic. The guitar riff is catchy, and delightful to listen to. In my Spotify Wrapped this year, “Here to Stay” was my second most played song. 

5. Iowa-Slipknot

It is no secret that I am a big Slipknot fan. If you ask my friends what kind of music I listen to, they will probably say Slipknot. Slipknot’s self-titled album was a great introduction of the band to the American mainstream. Iowa takes everything good about the first album and cranks it up to 11. The anger of Iowa is palpable. You can feel the hate in every syllable, and the first time you hear it, you can never experience it like that again. My favorite song from the album would have to be “Iowa”. While it is Slipknot’s longest song, it is most definitely one of their best. It is a slow, angsty build-up of pressure, until it finally explodes, and decrescendos. One of my favorite songs of all time. 

4. Master of Puppets– Metallica

Master of Puppets is the quintessential Metallica album. When people think of Metallica they picture the song “Master of Puppets” and the iconic album cover. This was also their last album with the legendary bassist Cliff Burton. There isn’t much more for me to say about this album other than it is Metallica at its best. Every song is a classic, and “Orion” is a heart-breaking send-off for Burton. Tragically, Burton passed away only a few months after the release of the album. My favorite song off of the album is “Orion”.

3. Slipknot- Slipknot

Slipknot is arguably the most influential Slipknot album. The iconic cover and the iconic sound are immediately recognizable to fans of the band, and music enjoyers alike. The raw sound of Slipknot really shines through here. They were never able to truly sound like this again. Even though I regard Iowa as the superior album, Slipknot is undeniably more influential. My favorite song off of the album is  “Diluted”.

2. Vulgar Display of Power– Pantera

Pantera is a band that has recently come into the spotlight for not-so-great reasons. While numerous members of the band are downright awful people, it is undeniable that the music they make (or at least the first three albums) is amazing. Vulgar Display of Power is one of the best albums I have ever heard. It is also one of their most famous. Their punchy, syncopated rhythms are pure ear candy. My favorite song off of the album is “Walk”, hands down. 

1. Black Sabbath– Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath is widely regarded as the first metal band. Black Sabbath is one of the most iconic and influential albums ever made. Black Sabbath is responsible for the creation of many genres. Ranging from traditional metal to stoner/doom metal. Ozzy Osbourne’s singing is immediately recognizable by all. There truly is no band like Black Sabbath. Some bands sound like them, but they will never be them. My favorite song from the album is “Black Sabbath”(thats a lot of Black Sabbaths).

And that concludes my top 10 Metal albums of all time. See you in the next article!