Death metal as a distinct genre dates back to about 1985 or so, and the sheer number of albums that have been released since is staggering. Aficionados of the genre will argue endlessly about which albums deserve to be placed on a list of the absolute best of the best that the genre has to offer. In an effort to avoid such arguments, the purpose of this list is to inform listeners new to the genre; that is, given the enormous number of albums released in the name of death metal, how does a fan new to the genre find where to begin?
1985 is probably the year where I should start calling it the best CDs instead of best albums as the compact disc exploded in popularity in 1985. It saw the first appearances Anthrax and Megadeth in the year end list, bands that would become mainstays. Celtic Frost also made the list for the second year in a row. Iron Maiden's Live After Death is an outstanding album, but only studio releases were considered for this list. Here are one writer's subjective opinion of the best metal albums of 1985.
1. Exodus - Bonded By Blood
2. Slayer - Hell Awaits
3. Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
4. Megadeth - Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good
1. Metallica - Master Of Puppets "Metallica - Master Of Puppets"Pricegrabber Metallica's third album is their best. It doesn't have the radio singles and MTV videos as some of their later releases, but is a musical tour de force. From the trademark thrash of "Battery" to the instrumental stylings of "Orion," it's a sound of a band on top of their game. The songs are diverse and the musicianship is simply incredible.
2. Slayer - Reign In Blood "Slayer - Reign In Blood"Pricegrabber This is one of the top 3 thrash metal albums and one of the top 10 metal albums ever. Many publications have named it the best metal album ever. This is speed metal at its finest, with compact songs jam packed with riffs and head banging intensity. The lyrics are also filled with dark and disturbing images. Slayer released several fantastic albums, and this is their masterpiece.
3. Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying "Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?"Pricegrabber Megadeth really hit their stride on this, their second album. It's a speed metal classic with great songs like "Wake Up Dead," "Devil's Island" and "Peace Sells." The band's songwriting improved quite a bit from their debut album and 20 years later it still holds up extremely well.
4. Anthrax - Among The Living "Anthrax - Among The Living"Pricegrabber Anthrax is a group I've come to appreciate more and more as the years go by, and Among The Living was their best album. The songs had a message and were catchy yet still very intense and aggressive. "Caught In A Mosh" is the highlight of this album, along with other great songs such as "Indians," "I Am The Law" and the title track. Anthrax have always been a band with a sense of humor that is also willing to address serious subjects, which is a great combination.
5. Exodus - Bonded By Blood "Exodus - Bonded By Blood"Pricegrabber Exodus' debut album was their commercial and critical pinnacle. Even though they've had a long and successful career, they never matched the success of thrash counterparts like Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax. This album, though, is spectacular. It's a thrash classic with music played at breakneck speed with a barrage of killer riffs and solos. And even though it's a whirlwind of intensity, the songs are still very catchy and memorable.
6. Kreator - Pleasure To Kill "Kreator - Pleasure To Kill"Pricegrabber The German thrash band's second album is one of their best. Everything about it was a huge improvement over their debut. It was more brutal and aggressive and had some unbelievable riffs. 1986 was the year of thrash, and this is an album that sometimes gets overlooked because of everything else that was released that year. But this album showed Kreator was a thrash and speed metal force to be reckoned with.
7. Testament - The Legacy "Testament - The Legacy"Pricegrabber Testament is a Bay Area thrash band whose debut album came a few years after groups like Metallica and Megadeth were already dominating the scene. They were well known to thrash fans, but never made that leap to popular success like some of their contemporaries. The Legacy followed the thrash metal blueprint, but Testament infused it with their own style and personality that made it unique.
8. Sepultura - Beneath The Remains "Sepultura - Beneath The Remains"Pricegrabber With their third album, the Brazilian band Sepultura made a quantum leap into the forefront of extreme metal. Beneath The Remains is when the band's songwriting really blossomed and their blistering thrash metal was both extremely intense and also really catchy. The album had brutal riffs, creative solos, skull pounding drums and paint peeling vocals from Max Cavalera. What's even more amazing is that most of the band members were only in their teens when this album was released.
9. S.O.D. - Speak English Or Die "S.O.D. - Speak English Or Die"Pricegrabber S.O.D., otherwise known as Stormtroopers Of Death, was a crossover thrash side project of Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian and drummer Charlie Benante along with former bassist Dan Lilker (then in Nuclear Assault) and vocalist Billy Milano. The album was recorded in just three days and caused controversy because their tongue in cheek lyrics were considered by some to be racist and sexist. Their music was a powerful mix of thrash and hardcore punk that was intense and raw.
10. Annihilator - Alice In Hell "Annihilator - Alice In Hell"Pricegrabber The Canadian thrash band Annihilator blasted upon the scene with a monstrous debut album. Jeff Waters and company tore through the album with raw power and energy along with excellent technical skill. Waters and Anthony Greenham really shined with their outstanding guitar work. Randy Rampage's raw and emotional vocals were a good fit as well. Annihilator has had dozens of lineup changes over the years, and their debut remains one of their best efforts.
In 1995, five young aspiring musicians gathered together in the Bronx, NY. They were drawn to each other for two reasons: a love of heavy music and the disillusionment created by urban adolescence. Nick (guitar), UV (drums), Nando (guitar), Phil (vocals) and Jayson (bass) became known the band as Irate and established themselves as one of New York City's most brutal metal bands.
Irate's first two releases, the EP "Burden of a Crumbling Society" and the full length "11:34" (recorded with current bassist Curtis Reis), quickly solidified them as a powerful metal act. The first chance for the band to prove their ability in a live setting came at Castle Heights in Queens, NY. The shows at this venue established a loyal fan base and garnered the attention of other promoters and bands on the scene. As a result, Irate has also played the stages of CBGB's, LimeLight, Lamour's, The Downtown, Albany's Valentines and many more. The band has had the pleasure of supporting national acts such as Deicide, Overkill, Napalm Death, Death Angel, Hatebreed, Candiria and Nuclear Assault.
In late 2001, Irate embarked on their first overseas tour, headlining shows in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya in Japan. A year later the band found themselves on the road again, this time on a five country tour of Europe with stops in Belgium, Holland, England, France and Germany. Spring of 2004 saw the band as part of a package tour of Puerto Rico supporting Sworn Enemy with Billy Club Sandwich and EGH.
For the summer of 2004 the band has hit the studio to record their sophomore full length album. Those that have heard the new material have described it as intensely heartfelt and reminiscent of the myriad of influences on the band. The album will hopefully be released before the close of 2005.
