Metal Reviews

Whether it's Kreator's Endorama, Mid-era Cryptopsy, Time bomb by Demolition Hammer or an album tharts looked down up, there has to be at least some good songs on the album right? What are some albums that aren't so much a guilty pleasure, yet not as well understood as they ought to be?

Iced Earth-The Glorious Burden
Helloween-Chameleon
Judas Priest-Turbo,Ram It Down

A.M.G.O.D by ...And Oceans a little quirky yes but still decent, Strychnine by Aborted a little bit of core but a decent mix with melodeath and bdm. Of course Burzum's ambient material which is notoriously underrated

Here's a list of mainstream bands, as others are debatable anyway.

Kreator - Endorama (indeed. The only problem with this album is the name of the band on the jacket : it's just not a Kreator album.)

Metallica - Load (same thing. Ain't my bitch, The house jack built, Until it sleeps, King Nothing, Wasting my hate, Hero of the day, Thorn Within and Mama said are all very enjoyable songs To say the least. They just weren't expected from this band.)

Iron Maiden - The X-Factor (same. If you manage to stop wanting to hear Dickinson and listen to this album for what it has to offer, then you've got yourself not only a good album, but a great one. Please feel free to die, if you disagree.)

Judas Priest - Ram it down (the title track gives me massive hard-ons, every single time. A few other good songs on this one, too.)

Elvenking - Wyrd (Sue me. I love Jigsaw Puzzle especially.)

Burzum - Dauði Baldrs (Now, how is this a bad album ? )

Cradle of Filth - Vempire or Dark Fairytales in Phallustein (first extreme metal album I ever listened to, in 1997. Loved it. Had it on magnetic tape at the time, I overlistened it and thus destroyed it.)

Blind Guardian - Battalions of Fear (not a black sleep album at all, but an overlooked one, and it pisses me off.)

Megadeth - Cryptic Writings (haters gonna hate... FFF, The Disintegrators (stupidly enjoyable song), She-Wolf...)

Manowar - Gods of War (King of Kings, Sleipnir, Sons of Odin, The bonus track)

Anthrax's Sound Of White Noise is a great album, and Load is pretty good.

I have no complaints whatsoever if the songwriting is good. A great deal of bands know the fundamental of putting together a song, so going in another direction does not cause a songwriting issue. Some bands were very formulaic and barely had any clue why they had any appeal at all as songwriters. Those guys always have an inability to do anything outside their original scope and eventually will fade away or keep repeating themselves for an eternity. That and cowardice or having a reverse expectation (pandering) to the fanbase.

I like 'em all. Except for Megadeth's Risk. What a pile of shit. Threw the copy-protected and thus worthless promo disc directly in the trash after a brief listen on the CD player.

You know what, I heard SO MANY awful things on Risk that I actually never listened to a single second of it. I'm going on Youtube or something, right now. I have to know.

I love Cryptic Writings and Ram It Down.

Life Is Killing Me is generally not well-received but I love it.
Danzig's Blackacidevil is pretty damn good even though I recognize its shortcomings.
Emperor's Prometheus is really awesome for what it is.
I don't hate Sepultura's Nation and really enjoyed A-lex.
I also rock out to CF's Cold Lake at times.

I'm listening to this. It's not good, it's not even bad. It's beyond judgement. Ah. Dave.

Surely you mean Battalions of Fear?, and yeah that album is awesome but i dont consider it a black sheep.

Oh, fuck, yeah. Of course.

Edit : Edited, thanks !

Definitely. I'll never understand why people trash that album for not being black metal. These people already heard IX Equilibrium...so of course they know it wasn't going to be black metal!

I think it is tremendous, my second favorite Emperor full-length in fact, and actually regret they didn't stay around to release a couple more albums in that vein. I am always for well-composed progressive metal with vocals that don't drive me up a wall, whether it be Anubis Gate or this album.

I think Metallica's S&M is the best thing they've ever done.

For me it's a tie with that and Garage Inc.

Who'd have guessed?

St Anger (the DVD section) is not as bad as most people say.

Yes's Relayer and Going For the One. They aren't my favorites but they're definitely great.

Metallica - Load/Garage Inc new stuff

Iced Earth - Glorious Burden

Anthrax - Sound of White Noise/Volume 8: The Threat Is Real.


With regards to Megadeth Risk, totally agree that it is beyond shit. I owned it for 2 weeks and then sold it. Only Megadeth album I don't have.

Amorphis - Far From the Sun

This album got knocked around on its release because of its much more laid back and ambient approach, but there are some genuinely great tracks to be found, the best being the title track.

That is the one Deth album I can find nothing redeeming about. I dont hate it, cause I dont really hate anything that someone obviously put work and effort in, but it is by far his weakest effort. Still, if its a choice between that and St. Anger, then I am all on board for Risk.

Black Sabbath - Tyr. I know this has a bit of a cult following, but I think it's the best post-Mob Rules disc they have and I absolutely love it.

Entombed - Wolverine Blues. I'll take this Death 'n' Roll masterpiece over their straight death stuff any day of the week.