Metal Reviews

What albums/releases do you guys think are deserving of this rating and why?

None, there's no such thing as a perfect album.

What he said.

Agree with both above, but if you want me to tell you some nearly flawless albums then here we go:

Megadeth-Rust in Peace
Iron Maiden-Powerslave
Emperor-In the Nightside Eclipse
Deicide-Deicide

Y'know, some damn good shit there.

Pussies!

I'll go for two albums that really feel perfect to me.

Converge-Jane Doe: This album could be used as the definition for extreme music.. It starts of kicking you in the face harder than any other album ever could, or will, barring the creation of some new audio technology. But rather then getting old after that they start to mix it up, with "Shed" being some sort of ridiculous climax. Then the 12 minute long title track makes the perfect outro so that when it ends I just get this feeling like a listened to something totally complete and awesome.

The Mars Volta-Frances The Mute: This one just because not only are the songs awesome, but the ambience between the tracks (or during, in the case of Cassandra Gemini) let's the music fall into your subconcious, then just starts building up until a new song appears. A lot of people hate the ambience, but I think it makes the album really unique and suits it perfectly. Also I love how the accoustic start/end of the album is right next to the loudest and most abrasive parts of the album.

Close runner ups are Tool-Lateralus, The Postman Syndrome-Terraforming and Devin Townsend-Terria. Lateralus climaxes with the title track, but then the next 3 songs are just too long of an ending to the album, even if they are good. Terria has the same problem where the three songs after The Fluke are good, but by that point it just feels like the best parts of the album have already gone by and I'm just waiting for it to end. Terraforming just has some issues with sound quality, and a few of the vocal lines sound pretty cheesy.

edit: I just realized I forgot Neurosis-The Eye of Every storm.... */wrist*

Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. This is Maiden at their peak in terms of creativity IMO. The songs are complex, which I like a lot, but never get boring, not for one second. Every riff is a classic gem.

AC/DC - Back In Black - P-E-R-F-E-C-T hard-rock album. What can you say about an album that has Hells Bells, Back In Black, Shake a Leg, Shoot To Thrill, You Shook Me All Night Long ... ALL songs are a perfect example of feel-good hard rock.

Megadeth - Rust In Peace - The BEST fckin thrash metal album. This album has the best solos you can find in a thrash (hell, maybe in ANY metal) album. All hail mr. Marty Friedman for solos like Tornado Of Souls or Hangar 18. Also, Rust In Peace (Polaris) is the song that makes me wanna the most !!

Children Of Bodom - Hatebreeder - I once stated that this was perhaps the best album ever instrumentally, because of the wonderful guitar-keyboard work thoughout all the songs. I still maintain that statement and thank you people for recommending some other great instrumental stuff (like Warmen and Wintersun), but Hatebreeder is still the best for me.

These are the only 4 albums I would rate as perfect. There are a lot of albums I would rate 99, but that's another story.

Deathspell Omega -- Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice

Best Black Metal album ever. This album is proof that Black Metal can progress without losing it's "essence."

Dream Theater -- Images And Words

I can't think of much to say except that it's perfect. :\

Godspeed You! Black Emperor -- lift yr. skinny fists like antennas to heaven

The most apocalyptic and horribly beautiful album I've ever heard.

Sure there is:

Def Leppard - Hysteria

I actually find no flaw in the latest Solitude Aeturnus album. The thing is a fucking masterpiece!

None.

A couple Maiden albums, a couple Blind Guardian albums, Angra's Temple of Shadows, maybe some Helloween, Megadeth, or X Japan come close. I have a lot that sit in the mid to high 90's, but no 100's.

There are lots than approach perfect, but as for actually being perfect? Hmm...

A few personal faves that approach perfection for me:

Genesis - Selling England By The Pound
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Enslaved - Below The Lights
Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding
Cryptopsy - None So Vile
Refused - Shape Of Punk To Come
Mithras - Forever Advancing Legions
Melvins - A Senile Animal
Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Teatime
Napalm Death - Fear, Emptiness, Despair
Judas Priest - Painkiller (noone mentioned this?)
Opeth - Still Life

Perfection is a nearly unachievable state. It's hard for me to come up with anything I'd give that score to. If I were to do so, it might be Iron Maiden's Seventh Son because there are no weak points that stand out to me. I would come close with a couple of Blind Guardian albums as well, but there isn't any album that I haven't gotten tired of at least one song on, so I wonder if this demonstrates a problem with that song or just that my tastes don't quite match up with it.

Damn, I would be a tough reviewer

Still, there are many albums I would label classics, but being a great classic, and earning a perfect score are two different things to me.

I have very broad categories for music which is why I never score stuff anyway.

There is a certain level where music just becomes awesome, and anything that reaches that "awesome" status cannot be ranked above or below anything else that has also reached it. Loads of stuff makes this level, but it usually applies to individual songs- and sometimes even just parts of songs rather than full albums.

Sodom - Agent Orange.

Burzum - Burzum/Aske, Det Som Engang Var, Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, Filosofem. Burzum is the pinnacle of black metal.

Number of the Beast. Its all killer, no filler

All Taake, Leviathan and Sapthuran, because you can listen to them over and over and never get bored of them.

Edit: Nachtmystiums "Instinct:Decay" is prolly up there too, for being progressive yet not losing the spirit of bm and for be eternally listenable

Judas Prtiest-Painkiller

Consistently awesome but nowhere near perfect-in places Priest almost sound like a parody band.

Iron Maiden-Number of the Beast-Some of the songs elevate to a spectacular level but then again Invaders and Gangland are merely OK songs.

Sodom-Agent Orange-Pfff; no way near perfect-absolutely awesome but even if every song on it was near perfect then Exhibition Bout is weaker than the rest.

i don't have a 100/100 album, a perfect album, because it's like an album that i'd listen to from start to finish without ever wanting to skip something, but unfortunately even my favourite albums have a few duds.

Man, I know exactly what you mean.

Weird... I generally take albums as a whole and its very rare that I'll pick out high points/songs and low points/songs.

god noodles, Frances the mute is horrible! De-loused in the comatorium owns it by a longshot.

You mean to say you'll hardly ever say 'I really like song x' or 'I'm not too keen on song y' When discussing an album!? Pull the other one mate, you're trying too hard.