That was a good list. Here's mine, one band per album: 1. Judas Priest - Painkiller (1990) 2. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988) 3. Metallica - And Justice for All (1988) 4. Dio - Holy Diver (1983) 5. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (1983) 6. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules (1981) 7. Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990) 8. Pantera - Cowboys From Hell (1990) 9. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman (1981) 10. Mercyful Fate - Melissa (1983)
Kudos for having Voivod on the list! My personal favorite is "The Outer Limits" (1993). The compositions, the playing and the production are top-notch. It's Voivod's "Birds of Fire" if you know what I mean. They got everything right at this point. Anyway, this is my personal TOP 10 METAL ALBUMS (in chronological order): Metal on Metal (1982) - Anvil Don’t Break the Oath (1984) - Mercyful Fate Master of Puppets (1986) - Metallica Lightning Strikes (1986) - Loudness Abigail (1987) - King Diamond Taking Over (1987) - Overkill Alice in Hell - Annihilator (1989) Rust in Peace (1990) - Megadeth Dances of Death (1990) - Mekong Delta The Outer Limits (1993) - Voivod
You putting Voivod "Nothingface" in here warms my heart, they were my gateway to all progressive rock and fusion later as a kid. Stll love Voivod, saw them a couple months ago and their recent work is awesome too.
Great show, Andy. Getting into Metal in the mid-80s, Iron Maiden's 'Killers' was a big album for me, and Clive Burr's brilliant drumming especially. I loved that all the drummers of the hard rock/metal bands I listened to had their own particular style and sound - John Bonham, Bill Ward, Ian Paice, Cozy Powell, Philthy Animal Taylor, Vinny Appice, Andy Parker, and Brian Downey.
@@macseinchin thats a good one He switches from rhythm to rhythm so seamlessly on every album His work on bad reputation is my favorite especially what he plays over the solo of opium trail
Look at all the bands/albums you named-all bands originally came from listening/playing other genres of music to create metal. Recently we have musicians that grow up listening to metal and play metal and it can be stale with nothing new to add.
Piece of Mind was my starting point in metal, and still up their among my favourites. So Far So Good So What - Megadeth, South of Heaven - Slayer make up my top 3.
Any Prog Fanboys doubting the veracity of Andy's somewhat unique selections should checkout Voivod's interpretation of Astronomy Domine from 'Nothingface'. Excellent choice!
I'm from Canada and sadly never really gotten into Voivod all that much, I have seen them tho! But I do know their cover of Astronomy, and I love it!! but I bet Andy would really like the version of 21st century schizoid man!? Probably has heard it tho I've never heard Andy mention it!? Rock on!!
My 10 : Motorhead - Overkill Accept - Restless and Wild Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell Anthrax - Spreading the Disease Saxon - Wheels of Steel Slayer - Reign In Blood Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden King Diamond - Abigail Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance Annihilator - Alice In Hell
I saw the Bluesbreakers with Mick Taylor, Albert King, and Deep Purple all at the Pasadena Rose Palace one night in 69. That was a metal night. Sometimes a show tears your reality to its very molecules. One dollar to get in, no chairs, sawdust on the floor.
Ok, when you talked about Voivod never having mentioned in the comments, I felt that I just had to give a big shout out to the (in my mind) best thrash metal band, and that is Mekong Delta. With a dozen albums under their belts, this is an unbelievable mixture of thrash with classical (yes, classical) influences with strong Lovecraftian imagery. The first four albums rank highest in my mind, but all of them are incredible. To start with, I'd probably go with 'The Music of Erich Zann'. I just had to get this out of my system.
Good list Andy! Budgie was the best support band I ever saw, opening for Gillan on the Double Trouble tour. I too was lying in bed as a teenager listening to Tommy Vance playing a track by a new band named Metallica. It was "Metal Militia"! We immediately hated it, had a big NWBOHM meeting at school on Monday and unanimously agreed to boycott them! Except for one quiet member of the committee, who purchased the album, taped us all a copy and the rest is history! But I must point out a band who came before Metallica and were life changing- MERCYFUL FATE!!! Melissa/Don't Break The Oath albums!!! Just saw them live and they were better than I could have wished for with the mighty encore "Satan's Fall"! PS. My first 45 at the age of 12 was "All Night Long" and it still sends shivers up my spine! Bonnet is the best rock singer imo!
I’m late to the party because I discovered your channel literally three hours ago and I had to watch a lot of your “History of Prog” series (which is great stuff by the way) first so bear with me please. For me the theatrical aspect of Metal gets overlooked so often even though it is so central to the whole genre and experience. It’s not just a group of people on stage playing instruments. It’s fog machines and over the top costumes, it’s 7 foot animatronic creatures, it’s Alice Cooper playing a villain on stage that always has to die at the end, it’s Ozzy biting the heads off of bats and Gwar covering their whole audience in blood and gore. It’s the pyrotechnics of Rammstein or Floor Jansen riding a giant pendulum on stage at a Nightwish concert. It’s the theatrics of Ghost or Hollywood Undead. It’s leather clad Judas Priest driving motorcycles on stage. On the other end of the spectrum you have Storytelling bands like Blind Guardian or Santiano who aren’t as heavy on the animatronics and the movie blood but who can draw you into a world or a compelling story or you get the stunning virtuosos who have mastered their craft and awe you with their prowess and panache like a knife thrower or a lion tamer would. I could literally go on forever It’s the pomp and circumstance of a great circus show or the magic of a compelling theater play. The band telling stories through their music or their on stage antics or both. It’s larger than life and a great show as well as a great musical performance. A lot of a Metal IS musical theater in the best sense of the world and a lot of bands even borrow a lot of its techniques and trappings (e.g. Bruce Dickinson’s singing technique or the elaborate stage shows a lot of them put on) …but I’m rambling. Metal borrowed bits and pieces from a whole host of different historic and contemporary genres (like baroque and classical music, prog or musical theater) when it helps the bands put on a great performance and a great show and this is an aspect of the genre that many people tend to overlook and that many contemporary bands don’t seem to understand.
In my middle teens I was a big fan of Mott the Hoople. They released Brain Capers in 71 with a tremendous heavy track “The Moon Upstairs”. Saw them a couple of times in the early to mid 70’s and they had Queen open for them on one show. Several years ago saw Ian Hunter and the Rant band in Boston and they played it and blew everyone away. Mott’s not known for heavy metal but I know this tune was influential. Great stuff Andy, look forward to the next one.
My Top 10 1. Cirith Ungol - King of the Dead 2. Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian 3. Judas Priest - Sin After Sin 4. Anvil - Forged in Fire 5. Helloween - Keeper of the 7 Keys 6. Mercyful Fate - Melissa 7. Cannibal Corpse - the Bleeding 8. Witchfynde - Stagefright 9. Bathory - the Return 10. Yngwie Malmsteen - Marching Out
Weirdly, I'm a similar age to you, but I came to metal from hip-hop. My 10 would be. Motorhead - Ace Of Spades Pearl Jam - Ten Death - Human Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath Exhorder - Slaughter In The Vatican Machine Head - Burn My Eyes Matallica - Master Of Puppets Pantera - Cowboys From Hell Sepultura - Arise Slayer - South Of Heaven
Wonderful vid as usual. My ten favorites, in no particular order. [Only 1 per band] Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 Scorpions, Taken by Force Judas Priest, Sin after SIn Iron Maiden, Killers Saxon, Strong Arm of the Law Michael Schenker Group, MSG Tygers of Pan Tang, Spellbound Ozzy Osbourne, Diary of a Madman Dio, Holy Diver Metallica, Kill 'em All
The songwriting on Sin after Sin is very good. But I can't get over the guitar sound. The producer Roger Glover made them sound very non-threatening. I agree with Andy on the opening to Dissident Aggressor. That was huge. (Still, though, the guitar sound, sound like fake tough metal. Just odd). Simon Phillips is a big reason why this album held much listening interest. I prefer him to Les "Feather Touch" Binks and his cowboy shirt.
Hey Andy. I enjoyed hearing about your metal picks. The video freezes at 41:00 in case you haven't noticed yet. And one more thing, since you are a prog and jazz fusion fan, I think you should check out Cynic's Focus album. Might be jarring to your ears at first, but if you let it grow on you, you will discover a band that was able to bring some of that prog aesthetic to extreme metal. Cheers. Looking forward to your next one
I would have Sabbath at number one. Great list though. Check out "The lay of thrym" by Scandinavian band called Tyr. My favorite metal album. That would be near the top.
My other List 1. Manilla Road - Crystal Logic 2. Disgorge - Consume the Forsaken 3. Venom - At War With Satan 4. Tygers of Pantang - Spellbound 5. Nazareth - No Mean City 6. Loudness - Disillusion 7. Motley Crue - Too Fat For Love 8. Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon 9. Angel Witch - Angel Witch 10. Warlord - Deliver Us
10. darkthrone - panzerfaust 09. slayer - reign in blood 08. iron maiden - killers 07. motörhead - overkill 06. judas priest - sin after sin 05. psychotic waltz - mosquito 04. black sabbath - master of reality 03. morbid angel - altars of madness 02. pantera - far beyond driven 01. death - symbolic out of list because far out the best: CARCASS - HEARTWORK worth mentioning: celtic frost - to mega therion atheist - unquestionable presence cynic - focus kreator - coma of souls sodom - agent orange metallica - ride the lightening annihilator - alice in hell ozzy - blizzard of ozz rainbow - rising exodus - bonded by blood dark angel - darkness descends
Loved the list but I probably would of omitted Soundgarden (even though I really love them) for the band Metallica really wanted to be, the mighty Mercyful Fate!! Hands down the scariest and heaviest band I ever heard growing up. Also Slayer would have to be on there. Merry Xmas from Canada Andy. Love your channel and keep up the great work. BTW I loved your version of Jimi's Manic Depression!! Wow!!
This is without a doubt my favorite list that you have put together (Not because of the genre in of itself). Heavy metal/hard rock probably has the most diversity of cross pollination of music genres. However, the American metal bands and musicians don't have that New Wave of British Heavy Metal aesthetic (😉😄😂).
some oddballs i'd like to throw out there; Acid bath "when the kite string pops" (pure genius) Macrabre Sinister Shaughter ( Denis the Menace most revolutionary drummer all time) Dissection "Storm of the Lights Bane" (none was blacker) Stratovarious "Visions" (awesome execution)
OH man this one scares me. Here's mine (before watching): 1. Paranoid 2. British Steel 3. The Number of the Beast 4. Master of Puppets 5. Black Sabbath 6. Ace of Spades 7. Severed Survival 8. Reign in Blood 9. To Mega Therion 10. Iron Maiden HM: Slowly We Rot, From Enslavement to Obliteration, A Blaze in the Northern Sky
I got into metal around the same time as you and I get where you are coming from in terms of defining metal. The parameters have shifted over time, and even the 'heavy' prefix marks one out as a metal fan of a certain age. I've not listened to your whole selection yet, just thought I'd get my choices down and see if there's any overlap in our tastes... 1) Could be any of the early 6 Sabbath records, particularly from Paranoid onwards. But Black Sabbath is more a heavy blues record and the last couple, although still heavy in places had started to expand into psychedelic, experimental and even pop (mind you, even Vol 4 had Changes). So Master Of Reality gets my vote, even though these days it might be regarded as Stoner Rock maybe? In any case, any respectable metal 'best of' ought to include a Sabs record. 2) Likewise, no metal fan of our vintage has to have gone thru a Maiden phase, surely? They produced great records for many a year, and if I had to pick a favourite I nearly plumped for Killers but in the end went for Somewhere In Time. Good balance between hard rock and prog influences, Dickinson's vocals are top-notch and the dalliance with synths was adding an interesting texture without losing the core sound. 3) Metallica, Ride The Lightning. Still their best record and obviously one of the defining recordings of the thrash period. Brutal in places but also adventurous with great melody and atmosphere. 4) Slayer, South Of Heaven. Could just as easily have been Reign In Blood or Seasons In The Abyss though. Songs like the title track, Live Undead and Mandatory Suicide still sound the dogs bollocks, and covering Judas Priest is a nice tip of the hat to their influences. 5) Fear Factory, Demanufacture. The recording and production technology leaves a sonic stamp very much of its time but this, still FF's strongest set of songs to my ears. The man/machine dichotomy was still a fresh conceit, as was Bell's clean/harsh vocal delivery. New Breed and Pisschrist in particular get regular spins. 6) Nefilim - Zoon. Bit leftfield, Fields Of The Nephilim singer Carl McCoy's foray into harder-sounding realms retained the mystical lyrics and psych/prog bent of Neph swansong Elizium but introduced a thrash and industrial influenced sonic palette. Thrash banger, Penetration and the 3-part, proggy title track still make regular appearances in live sets. 7) Are Tool metal? Prog? Psychedelic? Alt-Rock? All that and more. Definitely 'heavy' as... Often imitated but still unequalled in the cerebral realm that they inhabit. Any of their albums could make the grade, except Fear Inoculum maybe, which is a bit too clever and long-winded for its own good. I have a particular fondness for 10,000 Days. 8) Crimson Glory, Transcendence. Often unfavourably compared to Queensryche, they deserve kudos for making a small number of albums and then fucking off, rather than embarassing themselves decades. I'm not including QR's comeback albums with Todd La Torre (who also fronted CG for a time) by the way, I've not heard them. They might be great for all I know. Transcendence is unique, melodic hard rock/power metal with mystical lyrics and prog overtones in songs like In Dark Places and Eternal World. 9) Last Crack, Sinister Funkhouse #17. Another borderline band - metal is just the base, er metal to which other styles are alloyed. Definite 'arty' pretensions, the potential po-facedness of which is pricked by humorous, absurdist touches. 10) Fair To Midland, Fables From A Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True. If I'm ever asked to nominate an 'underrated' band or album, this (and Levitation's Need For Not, but that's definitely not Metal) is the one. Lacking trad metal soloing, but delivers everything else in spades, heavy riffs, characteristic melodies, one of the best, most versatile and distinctive singers in rock in the shape of Andrew 'Darroh' Sudderth. Best or just a reflection of my taste? Maybe more the former, I'm no scholar but I love my heavy music...
I like your full on thrash aesthetic. To hell with paragraph separation, am I right? Just non-stop word riffage. For those who ain't got time for spaces...we salute you.
wouldnt of when i was a youth.but nowadays i class killing joke as one of my fave heavy metal bands,though not classed as one ,they are much heavier,with proper occult and doomy lyrics/image,georgies guitar sound is unique,like a wall of sound
Unfortunately, I had given up on rock at that point, and completely missed all of those bands mentioned. Until recently, the last hard rock show I had seen was UFO. Yeah, that long ago.
I might add Venom's Welcome To Hell. Despite initially worrying it might be a bit silly sounding, it's so raw and roughly recorded it comes across as the Never Mind The Bollocks equivalent of the newly emerging wave of heavy metal
Voivod was “Canadian Content” so we got to watch Astronomy Domine Weekly… in between Brian Adams and the Northern Pikes… and Luba… 54/40… help!!! I first found out this was Pink Floyd literally at the concert in 94! I was confused slightly due to the weed and wondered why Pink Floyd was covering Voivod. Anyways, I was sure stoned!
I'm really glad that you picked Metallica for Number 1. Because: It's so fashionable these days to leave them out of such lists deliberately, because they, Metallica, and this album, Master of Puppets, are too obvious a choice to put them on a fancy, cool list. But both, the band and the album, just ARE the obvious choice for all the reasons you mentioned. (Also, in 1986 I was only 9 years old, so my very first Metallica album was indeed the black album. I don't think, however, that they intentionally went "commercial" when recording it, maybe Bob Rock had that in mind, but the band themselves? I doubt it. It was just their next ambum, and they didn't want to persue the same ways they did with their previous albums, so they changed their process. But a whole generation of first wave Metallica fans, I sense, never forgave them for ever doing something different than Kill 'em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. And so it's almost a trope to point out the amateur status of Lars Ulrich as a drummer (and his Napster issue), the questionable vocal style of James Hetfield, the Wah-wah use of Kirk Hammet, and only accepting Cliff Burton as a god on bass, which he was, but god is dead.)
I feel old. I remember when Sabbath, Purple and Led Zep were the big three heavy metal bands. I never went for the super harsh metal sound from Judas Priest onwards. The music lacked the warmth of Sabbath and the others. I admit to liking some Tool and Dream Theater and, of course, lots of Crimson, but that's as heavy as my ears can tolerate. Weirdly, I saw the Cure live and they beat Rainbow as the loudest band I ever saw. Go figure.
Andy, I love you to bits and I think you have so much to say on progressive rock and jazz and jazz-fusion and I love your channel and what you have to say, but on this one, you lost me when you said regarding heavy metal, "It's not just the sound." I did listen to the rest, but I think, and have thought since 2006, that this is where heavy rock writers and documentary makers go so wrong. Granted, heavy metal has definitely progressed and changed _since 1966_ but it goes back a long way and the imagery is not the music, nor does it make the music. I always apply the blind person test to musical genres and their development, namely, if a blind person listened to albums from the genre, would they classify them in the same sphere ? Would they see the lines of development ? I think they would. I was using the term heavy metal in 1979 and the term had been applied to bands for almost 10 years at that point. There is quite a bit of documented evidence of this. The fact that the music has changed is largely irrelevant. It's a bit like leaving Africans out of the history of Black Americans, Black Brazilians, West Indians etc because those peoples are no longer classed as "Africans." Heavy metal rock has long been an intelligent music that has itself split into many sub-genres. I don't actually have a problem with any of the albums you've selected because they are your choice and your choice is interesting. But I disagree wholeheartedly with utilizing the imagery of the bands playing heavy metal as a touchstone for what constitutes the music. Heavy metal is primarily _sonic_. And Black Sabbath did not invent the genre. They took it on, yes, they were hugely influential, yes, but invention ? Nope. But that's another story for another time.
My take has always been that Sabbath invented it and Priest defined it. Who do you regard as the ‘inventors’ of heavy metal? There’s definitely proto-metal bands on both sides of the Atlantic. In North America: Blue Cheer, Iron Butterfly, Vanilla Fudge, the Guess Who, Steppenwolf. In the UK: Yardbirds, Cream, The Who, Zeppelin. But listen to those bands, there’s a lot of psychedelia, blues, hard rock. In terms of ‘metal’, its Sabbath who truly invent it, and do it consistently- imo. Otherwise you can take it even further back and say Link Wray invented it with Rumble.
@@jimmycampbell78 I crack up how Andy makes out like the Brits invented everything. I'd say our (I'm American) Detroit band MC5 started the thrash sound on Kick Out the Jams. '69. But in a proto-metal way like the early bands you mentioned. Agree about Sabbath being the full sound and look and theme of metal. My favorite metal band is Judas Priest (pre Turbo). People say they changed metal with Sad Wings, Sin after Sin, and Stained. But I listen to them and think, "Is this different in kind from anything Deep Purple did before them?" I don't think so. For me, it wasn't until Unleashed in the East that Priest really separated themselves. Purple had the speed, and wildness, and chops and metal hellion vocalist. But Unleashed had a massive metal wall of pummeling sound that out-did everyone. Most people say it the metal shift started with Stained Class. I'd grant that argument, IF, Stained Class had the proper production sound. But it was produced by a jazz producer. He didn't know what a metal guitar was supposed to sound like. So, sorry Stained Class, you lose to Unleashed. Ask any teenage metal fan to listen to Stained Class now, and I don't think he'd be that impacted. But have him listen to Unleashed and he WOULD get it. He'd relate. That's the big sound. (Yes, I realize it was made in studio. Doesn't matter) We can thank Tom Allom, the Unleashed producer, for giving NWOBH a proper massive sound. Then he/Priest did British Steel. And that was the best NWOBH done best, yet again. Priest had another advantage over its screechy NWOBHM contenders. And that's the Halford factor. Purple's Gillan was great. But his high notes could sound parodic. And Merciful Fate's singer's high notes lack the beauty, fullness, and manliness of Halford's. He sounds like '76 era nasally Halford before Halford's style matured.
@@jimmycampbell78 Heavy metal rock, like most genres, was not an invention, but an evolution. Some of the bands you mention had their place in the evolution of the genre and they all pre-date Sabbath. Sabbath are a hugely important band in heavy metal, but not as its inventors. Lots of different bands were taking the heavy metal aesthetic and doing their thing with it, some exclusively, some as just one part of their ouvre. No one band or artist invented it. Human life isn't as simple and black and white as that.
@@Frip36 " People say they changed metal with Sad Wings, Sin after Sin, and Stained. But I listen to them and think, "Is this different in kind from anything Deep Purple did before them?" I don't think so." I agree. I got into heavy metal in 1979 and Purple {who had already broken up 3 years before} were still considered as one of the genre's leading lights and people were looking at Whitesnake, Gillan and Rainbow with an expectation that they would show the NWOBHM "upstarts" how to do this. At that time, Judas Priest were, quite frankly, a footnote in heavy metal. That changed a year later, as did the entirety of how heavy metal was viewed, with Back in Black, Ace of Spades {and Overkill}, Permanent Waves British Steel and other albums plus the deaths of Bon Scott and John Bonham.
sad wings of destiny was the british steel for me,there was a underground about priest,not many had the sad wings album at the time,dudes were like ,its heavier than sabbath,of course they werent,but had a different /new sound.sad wings/sin after sin/stained class are my golden age priest,maybe killing machine too,then it went completely leather and motorbikes,and a move towards american,dumbed down stadium rock,thankfully they got back on the proper metal vibe later
I own 9 out of 10 of these albums but very few of your choices would be my choices as the TEN GREATEST. In fact, every one of these albums (almost) has a better album in each band's discography.
I couldn't/wouldn't/would probably get killed for do this. I am regularly communicating with youngsters concerning the definition of metal. I saw Cream, Black Sabbath, Hendrix and the OG Purple. Yours is a cultural definition. I saw the Mick Taylor Bluesbreakers. I babysat Mayall's kid. I stood behind Bowie in the coffee line. I have my creds. What is metal? What happens when a band tears your head off, tosses it around the sun and plonks it back onto your neck? Is that metal? It's only words, and words are all I have...Ozzie saw me dancing naked in 1974. I saw him standing alone on the grass, staring to the south, in a blue track suit with a yellow stripe. 1999. I thought I should say something to him and I didn't, I wish I had. At least "hey, mate, after the meeting let's go get chips on Melrose!".
@@dennismason3740 I don't think categories are absurd. If you want to communicate to someone the types of music you like, the genre will get you further than the band or artist.
I'm 60 years old and much like you when it comes to Heavy Metal I go back to the bands I grew up with in the 70's and 80's. I didnt take to grunge or nu metal and a lot of today's metal does little for me. I'm not one for extreme metal with growling vocals - I do lke Opeth but more so once Michael Akerfeldt predominantly uses clean vocal and they go in a more progressive direction and they're probably the newest band that I listen to alongside so called 'symphonic' metal bands like Nightwish, Epica, Kamelot. I also feel that a lot of current 'traditional HM' is just a retread of whats been before - in some cases if its done well thats fine but otherwise I'd rather listen to the originals. As you know I was big Anthrax fan as well, and I was also at the same time a big Metallica fan though stopped at the Black Album, so I'd totally agree with Among the Living and Master of Puppets. I also do not think that SIn after SIn is in any way contentious as some people would go back further to Sad Wings of Destiny, but for a lot of today's metal Priest on Dissident Aggressor could well be the defining moment - and I think Slayer covered it on one of their albums? (not that I like Slayer - its the vocals again with them, I can appreciate the playing just not the vocalising (couldnt bring myself to call it singing). I checked out the Man Made Hell video - if I were a teenager thats possibly the sort of thing I'd go for even though theres no guitar soloing going on, which is one of the things I like to hear in the metal I lsiten to but is sadly missing. I can hear a bit of NWOBHM crossed with punk and latter day US metal in their sound. I'm sure they'll do fine and dont really need a near OAP amongst their followers though 🤔. I also checked out a vdeo on YT of While She Sleeps - the musics fine but its the shouty vocals that put me off. Hohum, methnks tis possibly nearly time to put on me slippers and get out the Val Doonican and Roger Whittaker records 🤪 Although I agree with your all your choices, though would'nt necessarily listen to some of them, personally I'd have to include Rainbow's Rising as that, I think, is the touchstone for a lot of power metal and prog metal. As with any lst though , your list is your list, mine is mine and even if they're different we can at least agree that Heavy Metal is a might fine genre of music.
"Bobby, Robert, Bob Anthony, Mister Plant, Dude, Mate...I'd love to play guitar and sing harmonies all over your repertoire but, my friend, you have to do something for me - go back to Zep's first three albums and give credit where credit is due. Those records are still in production, mate, and your load is heavy so...lighten up and do the right thing, there you go, I'll play guitar for you - do you like blues?". If you come to L.A. I'll do my Robert Plant impersonation which is quite hilarious. Think "Plant does Bacharach".
The actual phrase came along in 1967 - Heavy Metal - to describe the more thunderous aspects of Deep Purple and Cream and Hendrix. I was there, that is an actual cultural phrase that arose from folk's need to categorize. I would call John Lee Hooker metal, but that's me. Nirvana arose from Kurt Cobain's need to express himself or die trying. Kurt told honest stories in a sea of liars.
@@Frip36 - John Lee Hooker put that idea in my head when I saw this....ua-cam.com/video/WS7_e9LdvDI/v-deo.html - or this - ua-cam.com/video/HTDjD_UdJYs/v-deo.html - "metal" and "heavy metal" are states of being when a solid beat is generated. Blues was metal, is metal, as well as Ozzy, who agrees with me on "metal and blues". They are words that originated in an atmosphere that had no description. The beat is steady, the tempo whatever, the mood electric and thundrous. Categories are convenient to those that use them. The phrase "heavy metal" actually was invented by the Royal British Navy to describe their massive guns on ships.
@@dennismason3740 Customer: I'd like a chocolate cake. Waiter Dennis: Sure. Be right back. Customer: Why did you bring me vanilla cake? Dennis: Chocolate IS vanilla. CHRIST! PEOPLE ARE SO STUPID!
The real metal top ten, this is not negotiable, is 1, Pronounced leth-er skin-er by Leather Skinner 2,Liquidate by Mikrogroove 3,A Murder of Crows by Deathcamp, 4, A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Baste by Sudgemonkey 5, Roadkill vol. 4 by klaw 6, Incelligencia by the Straighteners 7,Deep Six by Maggot Brain 8, Edify by Edifice (American Pressing) 9, Self Abnegation by Spirochette 10, Ultravengeance by The Howdy Doody Boys.
Wel. To be boring. Yes, not much to disagree. Albeit, that Robert Halford is for me always been a sort of Schlager Sänger. Singing Schlager with some cutting howling guitars. Sorry. Anyway at my old age I can‘t listen to Heavy Metal more than a half hour at a time. Without getting sooo boooooord. Ok, I kwow. I am a grumpy old man.
To be fair, Andy did say at the start that metal isn't his main genre. But I caught that too. Dissident is one who rebels against society. Many people still think it's Stained Glass. Can't blame them. The cover looks kinda stained glassy. I like how the Brummies remove the T from Metal. Also, Andy says "PAHN-terah". In U.S. we say "pan-TERA" He makes it sound like the name of a fluffy kitten. Here in America we say it like a solid punch.
I enjoyed this. I have some questions: (I think the opening lyrics to Dissident Aggressor are "grand canyons" ) What charlie benante song had blast beats? I had always heard jazz blast beats were the first ones then hardcore bands then Pete Sandoval changed everything. What are your feeling about Dave Lombardo? I think #1 is Reign in Blood. it is art. cheers.
It os Grand Cayons but it doesn't sound like that. Benante: www.metalsucks.net/2020/06/20/anthrax-drummer-charlie-benante-says-hes-tired-of-not-being-credited-as-the-creator-of-the-blast-beat/#:~:text=In%20a%20new-old%20interview%20with%20Drumtalk%20%28the%20interview,says%20he%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%9Ctired%E2%80%9D%20of%20not%20getting%20his%20due%3A
Hahaha I think Body Count probably should have been on your list however UA-cam probably wouldn't have wanted you talking about them?😁 You know the Cop Killer thing.😁👍
my fave Soundgarden is Badmotorfinger. was a little let-down by the slick production of Superunknown... also prefer the earlier Metallica. great Metallica story...
I just find it impossible to rank HM albums, in my (somewhat limited) view there's very few bands that I like and the one's I do like, I like so many of their albums, bands such as Alice in chains, White/Rob zombie, The Cult, Pantera, Soundgarden, Marilyn Manson.
Sorry about the Glitch at the end. Watch the rest here: ua-cam.com/video/7xTVqHuOoPc/v-deo.html
Thanks for the like & I have a Jazz album that could blow you away but only if you're interested?
That was a good list. Here's mine, one band per album:
1. Judas Priest - Painkiller (1990)
2. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
3. Metallica - And Justice for All (1988)
4. Dio - Holy Diver (1983)
5. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (1983)
6. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules (1981)
7. Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990)
8. Pantera - Cowboys From Hell (1990)
9. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman (1981)
10. Mercyful Fate - Melissa (1983)
Kudos for having Voivod on the list! My personal favorite is "The Outer Limits" (1993). The compositions, the playing and the production are top-notch. It's Voivod's "Birds of Fire" if you know what I mean. They got everything right at this point. Anyway, this is my personal
TOP 10 METAL ALBUMS (in chronological order):
Metal on Metal (1982) - Anvil
Don’t Break the Oath (1984) - Mercyful Fate
Master of Puppets (1986) - Metallica
Lightning Strikes (1986) - Loudness
Abigail (1987) - King Diamond
Taking Over (1987) - Overkill
Alice in Hell - Annihilator (1989)
Rust in Peace (1990) - Megadeth
Dances of Death (1990) - Mekong Delta
The Outer Limits (1993) - Voivod
A band called "Mekong Delta" is hilarious.
I know about half of these and really like them so I'm going to check out the rest in your list soon!
@vagabond197979 You're very welcome to do so!
You putting Voivod "Nothingface" in here warms my heart, they were my gateway to all progressive rock and fusion later as a kid. Stll love Voivod, saw them a couple months ago and their recent work is awesome too.
Great show, Andy. Getting into Metal in the mid-80s, Iron Maiden's 'Killers' was a big album for me, and Clive Burr's brilliant drumming especially. I loved that all the drummers of the hard rock/metal bands I listened to had their own particular style and sound - John Bonham, Bill Ward, Ian Paice, Cozy Powell, Philthy Animal Taylor, Vinny Appice, Andy Parker, and Brian Downey.
I,m no metal fan but Clive Burr was an incredible drummer
I love brian downey
One of the best for sure
@@knorkstea606 Made it look easy. Boogie Woogie Dance one of my faves for his drumming.
@@macseinchin thats a good one
He switches from rhythm to rhythm so seamlessly on every album
His work on bad reputation is my favorite especially what he plays over the solo of opium trail
Look at all the bands/albums you named-all bands originally came from listening/playing other genres of music to create metal. Recently we have musicians that grow up listening to metal and play metal and it can be stale with nothing new to add.
Piece of Mind was my starting point in metal, and still up their among my favourites. So Far So Good So What - Megadeth, South of Heaven - Slayer make up my top 3.
Any Prog Fanboys doubting the veracity of Andy's somewhat unique selections should checkout Voivod's interpretation of Astronomy Domine from 'Nothingface'. Excellent choice!
I'm from Canada and sadly never really gotten into Voivod all that much, I have seen them tho! But I do know their cover of Astronomy, and I love it!!
but I bet Andy would really like the version of 21st century schizoid man!? Probably has heard it tho I've never heard Andy mention it!?
Rock on!!
My 10 :
Motorhead - Overkill Accept - Restless and Wild
Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell Anthrax - Spreading the Disease
Saxon - Wheels of Steel Slayer - Reign In Blood
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden King Diamond - Abigail
Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance Annihilator - Alice In Hell
Good to see Saxon and Wheels of Steel! I remember in the early 80s Saxon and Iron Maiden were just about equally popular among the metal heads.
I saw the Bluesbreakers with Mick Taylor, Albert King, and Deep Purple all at the Pasadena Rose Palace one night in 69. That was a metal night. Sometimes a show tears your reality to its very molecules. One dollar to get in, no chairs, sawdust on the floor.
Only discovered your video's recently but I'm loving them. Keep up the good work.
Ok, when you talked about Voivod never having mentioned in the comments, I felt that I just had to give a big shout out to the (in my mind) best thrash metal band, and that is Mekong Delta. With a dozen albums under their belts, this is an unbelievable mixture of thrash with classical (yes, classical) influences with strong Lovecraftian imagery. The first four albums rank highest in my mind, but all of them are incredible. To start with, I'd probably go with 'The Music of Erich Zann'.
I just had to get this out of my system.
Hut of Baba Yaga , and Black Sabbath were great songs
Good list Andy! Budgie was the best support band I ever saw, opening for Gillan on the Double Trouble tour. I too was lying in bed as a teenager listening to Tommy Vance playing a track by a new band named Metallica. It was "Metal Militia"! We immediately hated it, had a big NWBOHM meeting at school on Monday and unanimously agreed to boycott them! Except for one quiet member of the committee, who purchased the album, taped us all a copy and the rest is history! But I must point out a band who came before Metallica and were life changing- MERCYFUL FATE!!! Melissa/Don't Break The Oath albums!!! Just saw them live and they were better than I could have wished for with the mighty encore "Satan's Fall"! PS. My first 45 at the age of 12 was "All Night Long" and it still sends shivers up my spine! Bonnet is the best rock singer imo!
I’m late to the party because I discovered your channel literally three hours ago and I had to watch a lot of your “History of Prog” series (which is great stuff by the way) first so bear with me please.
For me the theatrical aspect of Metal gets overlooked so often even though it is so central to the whole genre and experience. It’s not just a group of people on stage playing instruments. It’s fog machines and over the top costumes, it’s 7 foot animatronic creatures, it’s Alice Cooper playing a villain on stage that always has to die at the end, it’s Ozzy biting the heads off of bats and Gwar covering their whole audience in blood and gore. It’s the pyrotechnics of Rammstein or Floor Jansen riding a giant pendulum on stage at a Nightwish concert. It’s the theatrics of Ghost or Hollywood Undead. It’s leather clad Judas Priest driving motorcycles on stage.
On the other end of the spectrum you have Storytelling bands like Blind Guardian or Santiano who aren’t as heavy on the animatronics and the movie blood but who can draw you into a world or a compelling story or you get the stunning virtuosos who have mastered their craft and awe you with their prowess and panache like a knife thrower or a lion tamer would.
I could literally go on forever
It’s the pomp and circumstance of a great circus show or the magic of a compelling theater play. The band telling stories through their music or their on stage antics or both. It’s larger than life and a great show as well as a great musical performance. A lot of a Metal IS musical theater in the best sense of the world and a lot of bands even borrow a lot of its techniques and trappings (e.g. Bruce Dickinson’s singing technique or the elaborate stage shows a lot of them put on)
…but I’m rambling.
Metal borrowed bits and pieces from a whole host of different historic and contemporary genres (like baroque and classical music, prog or musical theater) when it helps the bands put on a great performance and a great show and this is an aspect of the genre that many people tend to overlook and that many contemporary bands don’t seem to understand.
Great fun, Andy, thanks!
Sin After Sin is my favorite Priest album. Always available for the "nice price". I was always entranced by the album cover.
My favourite too. Simon Phillips really kills on it and couldn't agree more about "Dissident Aggressor".
@@oman3809 There's a recent video of him performing that song. He's got so much going on with it it's uncanny.
I saw Faith no More and Soundgarden open for Voivod on the Nothingface tour. It ruled.
😮
You're so right about Anthrax, and about the doors they broke open in so many minds...
In my middle teens I was a big fan of Mott the Hoople. They released Brain Capers in 71 with a tremendous heavy track “The Moon Upstairs”. Saw them a couple of times in the early to mid 70’s and they had Queen open for them on one show. Several years ago saw Ian Hunter and the Rant band in Boston and they played it and blew everyone away. Mott’s not known for heavy metal but I know this tune was influential. Great stuff Andy, look forward to the next one.
Ace Of Spades is my all-time favourite!
My Top 10
1. Cirith Ungol - King of the Dead
2. Fates Warning - Awaken the Guardian
3. Judas Priest - Sin After Sin
4. Anvil - Forged in Fire
5. Helloween - Keeper of the 7 Keys
6. Mercyful Fate - Melissa
7. Cannibal Corpse - the Bleeding
8. Witchfynde - Stagefright
9. Bathory - the Return
10. Yngwie Malmsteen - Marching Out
thanks for not snubbing keeper, no one includes "Visions" by strato shit blew my mind when it dropped.
Weirdly, I'm a similar age to you, but I came to metal from hip-hop.
My 10 would be.
Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
Pearl Jam - Ten
Death - Human
Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Exhorder - Slaughter In The Vatican
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
Matallica - Master Of Puppets
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
Sepultura - Arise
Slayer - South Of Heaven
Yo dee yo dee oh! Master of Puppets cannot be denied. Murder Inc. Battery, and Cliff Burtons Bass lead on Orion is sublime.
The lead is at 6:36
41:00 : Andy.exe has stopped working
Love your diversity and choices. I absolutely love metal music. :)
Voivod!
Thanks, Andy!
Great picks Andy.
Very entertaining.
Wonderful vid as usual. My ten favorites, in no particular order. [Only 1 per band]
Black Sabbath, Vol. 4
Scorpions, Taken by Force
Judas Priest, Sin after SIn
Iron Maiden, Killers
Saxon, Strong Arm of the Law
Michael Schenker Group, MSG
Tygers of Pan Tang, Spellbound
Ozzy Osbourne, Diary of a Madman
Dio, Holy Diver
Metallica, Kill 'em All
The songwriting on Sin after Sin is very good. But I can't get over the guitar sound. The producer Roger Glover made them sound very non-threatening. I agree with Andy on the opening to Dissident Aggressor. That was huge. (Still, though, the guitar sound, sound like fake tough metal. Just odd). Simon Phillips is a big reason why this album held much listening interest. I prefer him to Les "Feather Touch" Binks and his cowboy shirt.
I'd just go with everything Maiden did from Number of the Beast to 7th Son. And South of Heaven and Master of Puppets. That's about it for me.
Hey Andy. I enjoyed hearing about your metal picks. The video freezes at 41:00 in case you haven't noticed yet. And one more thing, since you are a prog and jazz fusion fan, I think you should check out Cynic's Focus album. Might be jarring to your ears at first, but if you let it grow on you, you will discover a band that was able to bring some of that prog aesthetic to extreme metal. Cheers. Looking forward to your next one
It deserved it's own video that's why he froze at 41.
I would have Sabbath at number one. Great list though. Check out "The lay of thrym" by Scandinavian band called Tyr. My favorite metal album. That would be near the top.
My other List
1. Manilla Road - Crystal Logic
2. Disgorge - Consume the Forsaken
3. Venom - At War With Satan
4. Tygers of Pantang - Spellbound
5. Nazareth - No Mean City
6. Loudness - Disillusion
7. Motley Crue - Too Fat For Love
8. Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon
9. Angel Witch - Angel Witch
10. Warlord - Deliver Us
Love Venom, Tygers and Angelwitch
10. darkthrone - panzerfaust
09. slayer - reign in blood
08. iron maiden - killers
07. motörhead - overkill
06. judas priest - sin after sin
05. psychotic waltz - mosquito
04. black sabbath - master of reality
03. morbid angel - altars of madness
02. pantera - far beyond driven
01. death - symbolic
out of list because far out the best: CARCASS - HEARTWORK
worth mentioning:
celtic frost - to mega therion
atheist - unquestionable presence
cynic - focus
kreator - coma of souls
sodom - agent orange
metallica - ride the lightening
annihilator - alice in hell
ozzy - blizzard of ozz
rainbow - rising
exodus - bonded by blood
dark angel - darkness descends
I can't speak for anyone else, but I enjoy the "Its my channel and I am going home" moments.
It's all a bit of fun in the end....
Yes Soundgarden's album "Superunknown" is quite good but I wouldn't consider that album a Metal album.
Love the video, some great choices. I have the top six albums, and am inspired by this to go listen to the bottom four.
Loved the list but I probably would of omitted Soundgarden (even though I really love them) for the band Metallica really wanted to be, the mighty Mercyful Fate!! Hands down the scariest and heaviest band I ever heard growing up. Also Slayer would have to be on there. Merry Xmas from Canada Andy. Love your channel and keep up the great work. BTW I loved your version of Jimi's Manic Depression!!
Wow!!
Last few minutes are messed up? Just a frozen face leaving us in anticipation.
I don't know what happened. But the video was nearly finished anyway
This is without a doubt my favorite list that you have put together (Not because of the genre in of itself). Heavy metal/hard rock probably has the most diversity of cross pollination of music genres. However, the American metal bands and musicians don't have that New Wave of British Heavy Metal aesthetic (😉😄😂).
Tried to look up Voivod's Nothingface on Spotify but funnily enough that particular album is missing from their discography!!
some oddballs i'd like to throw out there;
Acid bath "when the kite string pops" (pure genius)
Macrabre Sinister Shaughter ( Denis the Menace most revolutionary drummer all time)
Dissection "Storm of the Lights Bane" (none was blacker)
Stratovarious "Visions" (awesome execution)
OH man this one scares me. Here's mine (before watching):
1. Paranoid
2. British Steel
3. The Number of the Beast
4. Master of Puppets
5. Black Sabbath
6. Ace of Spades
7. Severed Survival
8. Reign in Blood
9. To Mega Therion
10. Iron Maiden
HM: Slowly We Rot, From Enslavement to Obliteration, A Blaze in the Northern Sky
indeed! *dissident aggressor* anno 1977 can be seen as the icon of new metal in the very beginning!
There's a reason why Slayer covered it on South of Heaven
imdeed and the reason is called thrashriffing.
I got into metal around the same time as you and I get where you are coming from in terms of defining metal. The parameters have shifted over time, and even the 'heavy' prefix marks one out as a metal fan of a certain age. I've not listened to your whole selection yet, just thought I'd get my choices down and see if there's any overlap in our tastes... 1) Could be any of the early 6 Sabbath records, particularly from Paranoid onwards. But Black Sabbath is more a heavy blues record and the last couple, although still heavy in places had started to expand into psychedelic, experimental and even pop (mind you, even Vol 4 had Changes). So Master Of Reality gets my vote, even though these days it might be regarded as Stoner Rock maybe? In any case, any respectable metal 'best of' ought to include a Sabs record. 2) Likewise, no metal fan of our vintage has to have gone thru a Maiden phase, surely? They produced great records for many a year, and if I had to pick a favourite I nearly plumped for Killers but in the end went for Somewhere In Time. Good balance between hard rock and prog influences, Dickinson's vocals are top-notch and the dalliance with synths was adding an interesting texture without losing the core sound. 3) Metallica, Ride The Lightning. Still their best record and obviously one of the defining recordings of the thrash period. Brutal in places but also adventurous with great melody and atmosphere. 4) Slayer, South Of Heaven. Could just as easily have been Reign In Blood or Seasons In The Abyss though. Songs like the title track, Live Undead and Mandatory Suicide still sound the dogs bollocks, and covering Judas Priest is a nice tip of the hat to their influences. 5) Fear Factory, Demanufacture. The recording and production technology leaves a sonic stamp very much of its time but this, still FF's strongest set of songs to my ears. The man/machine dichotomy was still a fresh conceit, as was Bell's clean/harsh vocal delivery. New Breed and Pisschrist in particular get regular spins. 6) Nefilim - Zoon. Bit leftfield, Fields Of The Nephilim singer Carl McCoy's foray into harder-sounding realms retained the mystical lyrics and psych/prog bent of Neph swansong Elizium but introduced a thrash and industrial influenced sonic palette. Thrash banger, Penetration and the 3-part, proggy title track still make regular appearances in live sets. 7) Are Tool metal? Prog? Psychedelic? Alt-Rock? All that and more. Definitely 'heavy' as... Often imitated but still unequalled in the cerebral realm that they inhabit. Any of their albums could make the grade, except Fear Inoculum maybe, which is a bit too clever and long-winded for its own good. I have a particular fondness for 10,000 Days. 8) Crimson Glory, Transcendence. Often unfavourably compared to Queensryche, they deserve kudos for making a small number of albums and then fucking off, rather than embarassing themselves decades. I'm not including QR's comeback albums with Todd La Torre (who also fronted CG for a time) by the way, I've not heard them. They might be great for all I know. Transcendence is unique, melodic hard rock/power metal with mystical lyrics and prog overtones in songs like In Dark Places and Eternal World. 9) Last Crack, Sinister Funkhouse #17. Another borderline band - metal is just the base, er metal to which other styles are alloyed. Definite 'arty' pretensions, the potential po-facedness of which is pricked by humorous, absurdist touches. 10) Fair To Midland, Fables From A Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True. If I'm ever asked to nominate an 'underrated' band or album, this (and Levitation's Need For Not, but that's definitely not Metal) is the one. Lacking trad metal soloing, but delivers everything else in spades, heavy riffs, characteristic melodies, one of the best, most versatile and distinctive singers in rock in the shape of Andrew 'Darroh' Sudderth. Best or just a reflection of my taste? Maybe more the former, I'm no scholar but I love my heavy music...
I like your full on thrash aesthetic. To hell with paragraph separation, am I right? Just non-stop word riffage. For those who ain't got time for spaces...we salute you.
Led Zeppelin Presence is the most brutal music I have ever heard in my life.
Voivod is my favorite metal band, hands down. I prefer Dimension Hatross by a hair but Nothingface is classic.
What do you think about Opeth?
...when u said "one thrash band" I knew that you were going to say Anthrax!
...we have very similar tastes
wouldnt of when i was a youth.but nowadays i class killing joke as one of my fave heavy metal bands,though not classed as one ,they are much heavier,with proper occult and doomy lyrics/image,georgies guitar sound is unique,like a wall of sound
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Wow, I feel like Andy's the only other person in the world who would pick Sin After Sin for their list! I am not alone!
Simon Phillips !!!!
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Sin after sin my number one priest album. Sad wings of Destiny a close second!
Almost their best, not quite
Axe Attack. My eldest brother bought me that for Xmas in 1980 when i was getting in to Metal.
ride the lightning for me
Unfortunately, I had given up on rock at that point, and completely missed all of those bands mentioned. Until recently, the last hard rock show I had seen was UFO. Yeah, that long ago.
I might add Venom's Welcome To Hell. Despite initially worrying it might be a bit silly sounding, it's so raw and roughly recorded it comes across as the Never Mind The Bollocks equivalent of the newly emerging wave of heavy metal
That's because it was the demos Venom turned into the label and Neat just released the demos as the album instead of re-recording the songs
My favorite thrash album will always be Overkill - Taking Over
Agree with Sin After Sin. Best 70s Priest album.
You are f…right! Sin after Sin, no more!
Nothing to complain about your list. Good arguments for them. Sin after sin, yes.
Voivod was “Canadian Content” so we got to watch Astronomy Domine Weekly… in between Brian Adams and the Northern Pikes… and Luba… 54/40… help!!!
I first found out this was Pink Floyd literally at the concert in 94! I was confused slightly due to the weed and wondered why Pink Floyd was covering Voivod.
Anyways, I was sure stoned!
I'm really glad that you picked Metallica for Number 1. Because: It's so fashionable these days to leave them out of such lists deliberately, because they, Metallica, and this album, Master of Puppets, are too obvious a choice to put them on a fancy, cool list. But both, the band and the album, just ARE the obvious choice for all the reasons you mentioned.
(Also, in 1986 I was only 9 years old, so my very first Metallica album was indeed the black album. I don't think, however, that they intentionally went "commercial" when recording it, maybe Bob Rock had that in mind, but the band themselves? I doubt it. It was just their next ambum, and they didn't want to persue the same ways they did with their previous albums, so they changed their process. But a whole generation of first wave Metallica fans, I sense, never forgave them for ever doing something different than Kill 'em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. And so it's almost a trope to point out the amateur status of Lars Ulrich as a drummer (and his Napster issue), the questionable vocal style of James Hetfield, the Wah-wah use of Kirk Hammet, and only accepting Cliff Burton as a god on bass, which he was, but god is dead.)
Metallica = yuck
Do you cover metal for Mojo, Jojo?
@@Frip36 Hehe! (No.)
Would have thought you would include Mastodon!
I love all of these albums.
Not a bad list.
I feel old. I remember when Sabbath, Purple and Led Zep were the big three heavy metal bands. I never went for the super harsh metal sound from Judas Priest onwards. The music lacked the warmth of Sabbath and the others. I admit to liking some Tool and Dream Theater and, of course, lots of Crimson, but that's as heavy as my ears can tolerate. Weirdly, I saw the Cure live and they beat Rainbow as the loudest band I ever saw. Go figure.
yeah simon philipps on drums makes the difference!!! he plays heavy funkmetal to the point
Melvins Bullhead would also be up there.
Andy, I love you to bits and I think you have so much to say on progressive rock and jazz and jazz-fusion and I love your channel and what you have to say, but on this one, you lost me when you said regarding heavy metal, "It's not just the sound." I did listen to the rest, but I think, and have thought since 2006, that this is where heavy rock writers and documentary makers go so wrong. Granted, heavy metal has definitely progressed and changed _since 1966_ but it goes back a long way and the imagery is not the music, nor does it make the music.
I always apply the blind person test to musical genres and their development, namely, if a blind person listened to albums from the genre, would they classify them in the same sphere ? Would they see the lines of development ?
I think they would.
I was using the term heavy metal in 1979 and the term had been applied to bands for almost 10 years at that point. There is quite a bit of documented evidence of this. The fact that the music has changed is largely irrelevant. It's a bit like leaving Africans out of the history of Black Americans, Black Brazilians, West Indians etc because those peoples are no longer classed as "Africans."
Heavy metal rock has long been an intelligent music that has itself split into many sub-genres. I don't actually have a problem with any of the albums you've selected because they are your choice and your choice is interesting.
But I disagree wholeheartedly with utilizing the imagery of the bands playing heavy metal as a touchstone for what constitutes the music. Heavy metal is primarily _sonic_.
And Black Sabbath did not invent the genre. They took it on, yes, they were hugely influential, yes, but invention ?
Nope.
But that's another story for another time.
Black Sabbath didn't invent it but they sure defined it.
My take has always been that Sabbath invented it and Priest defined it. Who do you regard as the ‘inventors’ of heavy metal? There’s definitely proto-metal bands on both sides of the Atlantic. In North America: Blue Cheer, Iron Butterfly, Vanilla Fudge, the Guess Who, Steppenwolf. In the UK: Yardbirds, Cream, The Who, Zeppelin. But listen to those bands, there’s a lot of psychedelia, blues, hard rock. In terms of ‘metal’, its Sabbath who truly invent it, and do it consistently- imo. Otherwise you can take it even further back and say Link Wray invented it with Rumble.
@@jimmycampbell78 - right on, Vampyre. I saw Link Wray at a small club in West Hollywood in 1975. You couldn't be more right.
@@jimmycampbell78 I crack up how Andy makes out like the Brits invented everything. I'd say our (I'm American) Detroit band MC5 started the thrash sound on Kick Out the Jams. '69. But in a proto-metal way like the early bands you mentioned. Agree about Sabbath being the full sound and look and theme of metal.
My favorite metal band is Judas Priest (pre Turbo). People say they changed metal with Sad Wings, Sin after Sin, and Stained. But I listen to them and think, "Is this different in kind from anything Deep Purple did before them?" I don't think so.
For me, it wasn't until Unleashed in the East that Priest really separated themselves. Purple had the speed, and wildness, and chops and metal hellion vocalist. But Unleashed had a massive metal wall of pummeling sound that out-did everyone. Most people say it the metal shift started with Stained Class. I'd grant that argument, IF, Stained Class had the proper production sound. But it was produced by a jazz producer. He didn't know what a metal guitar was supposed to sound like.
So, sorry Stained Class, you lose to Unleashed. Ask any teenage metal fan to listen to Stained Class now, and I don't think he'd be that impacted. But have him listen to Unleashed and he WOULD get it. He'd relate. That's the big sound. (Yes, I realize it was made in studio. Doesn't matter) We can thank Tom Allom, the Unleashed producer, for giving NWOBH a proper massive sound. Then he/Priest did British Steel. And that was the best NWOBH done best, yet again.
Priest had another advantage over its screechy NWOBHM contenders. And that's the Halford factor. Purple's Gillan was great. But his high notes could sound parodic. And Merciful Fate's singer's high notes lack the beauty, fullness, and manliness of Halford's. He sounds like '76 era nasally Halford before Halford's style matured.
@@jimmycampbell78 Heavy metal rock, like most genres, was not an invention, but an evolution. Some of the bands you mention had their place in the evolution of the genre and they all pre-date Sabbath. Sabbath are a hugely important band in heavy metal, but not as its inventors. Lots of different bands were taking the heavy metal aesthetic and doing their thing with it, some exclusively, some as just one part of their ouvre.
No one band or artist invented it. Human life isn't as simple and black and white as that.
@@Frip36 " People say they changed metal with Sad Wings, Sin after Sin, and Stained. But I listen to them and think, "Is this different in kind from anything Deep Purple did before them?" I don't think so."
I agree. I got into heavy metal in 1979 and Purple {who had already broken up 3 years before} were still considered as one of the genre's leading lights and people were looking at Whitesnake, Gillan and Rainbow with an expectation that they would show the NWOBHM "upstarts" how to do this.
At that time, Judas Priest were, quite frankly, a footnote in heavy metal.
That changed a year later, as did the entirety of how heavy metal was viewed, with Back in Black, Ace of Spades {and Overkill}, Permanent Waves British Steel and other albums plus the deaths of Bon Scott and John Bonham.
sad wings of destiny was the british steel for me,there was a underground about priest,not many had the sad wings album at the time,dudes were like ,its heavier than sabbath,of course they werent,but had a different /new sound.sad wings/sin after sin/stained class are my golden age priest,maybe killing machine too,then it went completely leather and motorbikes,and a move towards american,dumbed down stadium rock,thankfully they got back on the proper metal vibe later
Agree with you completely
@@jimmycampbell78 Screaming for Vengeance blows Sad Wings out of the lava.
@@Frip36 Screaming is a great 80s metal album. Something about Sad Wings, the melodic feel, atmosphere & production of it does it for me though.
I own 9 out of 10 of these albums but very few of your choices would be my choices as the TEN GREATEST. In fact, every one of these albums (almost) has a better album in each band's discography.
Why were Nirvana such a cultural explosion? Definitely do a video on Grunge.
Assuming Soundgarden belongs on this list, it has to be Badmotorfinger. Superunknown is a different sound.
1001% agree re Judas Priest & Dissident Aggressor.
Your fans request a thrash metal video
I couldn't/wouldn't/would probably get killed for do this. I am regularly communicating with youngsters concerning the definition of metal. I saw Cream, Black Sabbath, Hendrix and the OG Purple. Yours is a cultural definition. I saw the Mick Taylor Bluesbreakers. I babysat Mayall's kid. I stood behind Bowie in the coffee line. I have my creds. What is metal? What happens when a band tears your head off, tosses it around the sun and plonks it back onto your neck? Is that metal? It's only words, and words are all I have...Ozzie saw me dancing naked in 1974. I saw him standing alone on the grass, staring to the south, in a blue track suit with a yellow stripe. 1999. I thought I should say something to him and I didn't, I wish I had. At least "hey, mate, after the meeting let's go get chips on Melrose!".
I've no idea what point you're making Dennis, but I almost agree with you !
@@grimtraveller7923 - the categories, the categories, the categories are absurd. We don't really need them, the name of the band/artist will do.
@@dennismason3740 I don't think categories are absurd. If you want to communicate to someone the types of music you like, the genre will get you further than the band or artist.
Stained Class is a great Judas Priest album. Exciter is just sizzling guitars!! But you could go with several of theirs and get no argument from me.
I would never put Metallica ahead of iron maiden or Judas priest or Black Sabbath. Not that they shouldn’t be on this list but not number one.
I'm 60 years old and much like you when it comes to Heavy Metal I go back to the bands I grew up with in the 70's and 80's. I didnt take to grunge or nu metal and a lot of today's metal does little for me. I'm not one for extreme metal with growling vocals - I do lke Opeth but more so once Michael Akerfeldt predominantly uses clean vocal and they go in a more progressive direction and they're probably the newest band that I listen to alongside so called 'symphonic' metal bands like Nightwish, Epica, Kamelot. I also feel that a lot of current 'traditional HM' is just a retread of whats been before - in some cases if its done well thats fine but otherwise I'd rather listen to the originals.
As you know I was big Anthrax fan as well, and I was also at the same time a big Metallica fan though stopped at the Black Album, so I'd totally agree with Among the Living and Master of Puppets. I also do not think that SIn after SIn is in any way contentious as some people would go back further to Sad Wings of Destiny, but for a lot of today's metal Priest on Dissident Aggressor could well be the defining moment - and I think Slayer covered it on one of their albums? (not that I like Slayer - its the vocals again with them, I can appreciate the playing just not the vocalising (couldnt bring myself to call it singing).
I checked out the Man Made Hell video - if I were a teenager thats possibly the sort of thing I'd go for even though theres no guitar soloing going on, which is one of the things I like to hear in the metal I lsiten to but is sadly missing. I can hear a bit of NWOBHM crossed with punk and latter day US metal in their sound. I'm sure they'll do fine and dont really need a near OAP amongst their followers though 🤔. I also checked out a vdeo on YT of While She Sleeps - the musics fine but its the shouty vocals that put me off. Hohum, methnks tis possibly nearly time to put on me slippers and get out the Val Doonican and Roger Whittaker records 🤪
Although I agree with your all your choices, though would'nt necessarily listen to some of them, personally I'd have to include Rainbow's Rising as that, I think, is the touchstone for a lot of power metal and prog metal.
As with any lst though , your list is your list, mine is mine and even if they're different we can at least agree that Heavy Metal is a might fine genre of music.
I know of a band that you probably have never heard of. That would be fates warning. Prog metal at its best. Check them out if you haven't already.
I did a video on Progressive metal and spoke about them then
Voivod's latest album is killer, possibly better than Nothingface...
Btw, my wife is a huge Pantera fan and she punched the air with her fist in agreement of your assessment of Dimebag.
"Bobby, Robert, Bob Anthony, Mister Plant, Dude, Mate...I'd love to play guitar and sing harmonies all over your repertoire but, my friend, you have to do something for me - go back to Zep's first three albums and give credit where credit is due. Those records are still in production, mate, and your load is heavy so...lighten up and do the right thing, there you go, I'll play guitar for you - do you like blues?". If you come to L.A. I'll do my Robert Plant impersonation which is quite hilarious. Think "Plant does Bacharach".
The actual phrase came along in 1967 - Heavy Metal - to describe the more thunderous aspects of Deep Purple and Cream and Hendrix. I was there, that is an actual cultural phrase that arose from folk's need to categorize. I would call John Lee Hooker metal, but that's me. Nirvana arose from Kurt Cobain's need to express himself or die trying. Kurt told honest stories in a sea of liars.
What book did you read that put that 'Hooker is metal' idea in your head?
@@Frip36 - John Lee Hooker put that idea in my head when I saw this....ua-cam.com/video/WS7_e9LdvDI/v-deo.html - or this - ua-cam.com/video/HTDjD_UdJYs/v-deo.html - "metal" and "heavy metal" are states of being when a solid beat is generated. Blues was metal, is metal, as well as Ozzy, who agrees with me on "metal and blues". They are words that originated in an atmosphere that had no description. The beat is steady, the tempo whatever, the mood electric and thundrous. Categories are convenient to those that use them. The phrase "heavy metal" actually was invented by the Royal British Navy to describe their massive guns on ships.
@@dennismason3740
Customer: I'd like a chocolate cake.
Waiter Dennis: Sure. Be right back.
Customer: Why did you bring me vanilla cake?
Dennis: Chocolate IS vanilla. CHRIST! PEOPLE ARE SO STUPID!
The real metal top ten, this is not negotiable, is 1, Pronounced leth-er skin-er by Leather Skinner 2,Liquidate by Mikrogroove 3,A Murder of Crows by Deathcamp, 4, A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Baste by Sudgemonkey 5, Roadkill vol. 4 by klaw 6, Incelligencia by the Straighteners 7,Deep Six by Maggot Brain 8, Edify by Edifice (American Pressing) 9, Self Abnegation by Spirochette 10, Ultravengeance by The Howdy Doody Boys.
Wel. To be boring. Yes, not much to disagree. Albeit, that Robert Halford is for me always been a sort of Schlager Sänger. Singing Schlager with some cutting howling guitars. Sorry. Anyway at my old age I can‘t listen to Heavy Metal more than a half hour at a time. Without getting sooo boooooord. Ok, I kwow. I am a grumpy old man.
we love heavy metal Schlager
m.ua-cam.com/video/ReiAGVoJFkc/v-deo.html
Did you know that?
'Stained CLASS' 'DISSIDENT Aggressor'
To be fair, Andy did say at the start that metal isn't his main genre. But I caught that too. Dissident is one who rebels against society. Many people still think it's Stained Glass. Can't blame them. The cover looks kinda stained glassy.
I like how the Brummies remove the T from Metal. Also, Andy says "PAHN-terah". In U.S. we say "pan-TERA" He makes it sound like the name of a fluffy kitten. Here in America we say it like a solid punch.
I enjoyed this. I have some questions:
(I think the opening lyrics to Dissident Aggressor are "grand canyons" )
What charlie benante song had blast beats? I had always heard jazz blast beats were the first ones then hardcore bands then Pete Sandoval changed everything.
What are your feeling about Dave Lombardo? I think #1 is Reign in Blood. it is art.
cheers.
It os Grand Cayons but it doesn't sound like that. Benante: www.metalsucks.net/2020/06/20/anthrax-drummer-charlie-benante-says-hes-tired-of-not-being-credited-as-the-creator-of-the-blast-beat/#:~:text=In%20a%20new-old%20interview%20with%20Drumtalk%20%28the%20interview,says%20he%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%9Ctired%E2%80%9D%20of%20not%20getting%20his%20due%3A
Or Billie Holiday does Stones. Yes, I do Billie Holiday, I've heard her since the fifties.
Voivod
Flotsam and Jetsam
Death Angel
Monstermagnet
Anacrusis
Hahaha I think Body Count probably should have been on your list however UA-cam probably wouldn't have wanted you talking about them?😁 You know the Cop Killer thing.😁👍
South of Heaven from Slayer would be in my top 10. would be in my top 5.
Iron Path by Last Exit should have been on that list - you know it ;)
Sacrifist by Praxis is heavier than anything on this list,,,but then I would be opening another door...
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer I know that record well :) C'mon Andy, open that door...
@@MrPhotus 10 albums heavier than any metal albums
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer I'd watch that!
Sin after sin is probably my favourite Priest album, closely followed by Stained Class
Ferrets fail
my fave Soundgarden is Badmotorfinger. was a little let-down by the slick production of Superunknown... also prefer the earlier Metallica. great Metallica story...
18:10 100% agree.
I just find it impossible to rank HM albums, in my (somewhat limited) view there's very few bands that I like and the one's I do like, I like so many of their albums, bands such as Alice in chains, White/Rob zombie, The Cult, Pantera, Soundgarden, Marilyn Manson.
Entombed
No 80' metal without Van Halen and ACDC...
No Tomb Mold?? No Witch Vomit?? No Goat Semen?? Come on, man.
It's "REEEEEED CANYONS!!"
Please best 10 Thrash metal albums!
AC/DC Back in Black?