Here’s another shot at the best album exercise. Same deal as always. Highlight the text to see my choices.
- Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind (Maybe it’s because this was the first Maiden album I had, but I’ve always felt like this one was the standard to which all their other albums should be compared.)
- Def Leppard – Pyromania (Yeah, it’s commercial and Mutt Lange helped write a lot of it, but the end product is pretty stellar and it doesn’t quite lose it’s edge like the overly slick Hysteria.)
- Megadeth – Rust in Peace (Megadeth is really kind of a second-rate band, but this album is very fast and precise. Unfortunately for Megadeth, they waited until the end of the speedmetal road to release their best work.)
- Kiss – Destroyer (I waver a little between this one and the less slick Dressed to Kill or the first album, but Destroyer always wins in the end, especially with some of the album tracks.)
- Judas Priest – Hell Bent for Leather (As a kid, I found this album inspiring. Give me a break, I was 13. I still enjoy it though. I could probably make a better argument for my #2 though, Screaming for Vengeance.)
- Deep Purple – Fireball (Deep Purple seems to be forgotten by many, but Fireball is a heavy record. They did a lot of good work in that period and this one just edges Machine Head and In Rock.)
- Scorpions – Love at First Sting (Through the 80s and even into the 90s, the Scorps were consistenly good, but Love at First Sting is their moment of glory. Blackout was close, but just not as complete.
- Kyuss – Blues for the Red Sun (A little less polish often equals a lot more energy and that’s what Kyuss is about even if that energy isn’t the sort that smacks you in the face.)
- Slayer – Reign in Blood (The earlier albums may have been ground-breaking, but this is where they put it all together. It is perhaps the greatest speedmetal album of all time. After this, it was all downhill for Slayer. They may have had a few decent ones way down the road, but nothing that even approached this one.)
- Motorhead – Iron Fist (This was a tough one to pick, because they’re almost all good and they almost all do the same thing. Sure something like Orgasmatron is a little different when looking at the Motorhead catalog in isolation, but in the broader picture, they’re kinda like a heavy metal Ramones.)