Name your fav album of all time, metal or not, and explain why.

if it's been done before, i'm sorry, just post a link and don't be rude.
thanks

That's a hard question for most. I'm going to limit this to metal, but I just can't limit it to one album.

I'm tempted to say Master of Reality, but I just can't pick this over Sad Wings of Destiny, Apocalyptic Raids, Ildjarn-Nidhogg, INRI, Hvis Lyset Tar Oss, Morbid Visions, Show No Mercy, Dimension Hatross, Pure Holocaust, Legion, Under a Funeral Moon, and Under the Sign of the Black Mark. All of these albums are the heights of metal for numerous reasons.

It comes down to three albums for me. Blasphemy "Fallen Angel of Doom", Sadistik Exekution "Fukk", Funeral Mist "Salvation". I think out of these three "Fukk" holds a slight lead, that album is just insane. It has to be the sickest, ugliest, most unhinged piece of filth I've ever heard.

An impossible thread to post in without lying or regretting ones answer.

Fallen Angel of Doom kills every SadEx album.

Ha ha we'll have to agree to disagree there...I'll agree it slaughters everything else they ever did, but for me Fukk just barely edges it out.

Black Sabbath - "Sabotage".

This album has everything and means everything to me. From the brilliant cover and Ozzy and Bill Ward's ridiculious (Read: awesome) outfits to the simple and effective false mirror effect.

Track 1. The album starts off with a song about a guy living with his head up his ass (arse, that is. Sabbath is British), figuratively of course.

Tracks 2-3. A brief interlude, and suddenly thrash metal is born.

Track 4. Epic. The strangeness, the driving rock, the magnificence.

Track 5. The "Oh Yeah" song. Those who have heard "Sabotage" know of what I speak. Mr. Osbourne repeats himself a dozen times and nobody cares because the backing rhythm is so strong.

Track 6. The Church of the Holy Iommi, and today is his Feast Day.

Track 7. Yes. Yes I am.

Track 8. The biggest and best "Fuck You" ever delivered to those who've done you wrong. So deep, and so personal. "The Writ" speaks to me on an emotional plane unlike any other song I've ever heard.

After this, we blow on a jug with our bros and turn the album over. Again.

Cirith Ungol's Frost and Fire without a doubt since this thread has apparently sided on the metal side of things.

Fates Warning - The Spectre Within

I was going to write a long explanation of why this is the best piece of metal ever recorded, but instead I think I'll explain it thusly:

John Arch. That is all.

Probably Opeth's Blackwater Park. The album that got me into metal, and simultaneously brutal and beautiful from start to finish. Opeth blend those two like no other.

2nd: Aenima: Tool(I do consider them metal even if Metallum don't)
3rd: Ocean Machine/ Biomech: Devin Townsend.
4th: To the Nameless Dead: Primordial
5th: Heart of the Ages: In the Woods

I agree, I have many favorite albums.

Nope. I am 100% sure that my current answer will never, ever change. I could name my second-favorite album with equal certainty.

This thread is destined for an early death, regardless of the quality of posts but still...

I've got two in contention for this title, DoM probably holding out a slight lead:

Disciples of Mockery - Prelude to Apocalypse
It's not quite Incantation, but similar, more focus on the fast stuff, slower and heavier slow stuff, completely ignores the midpaced stuff. Pretty much entirely based around vicious tremolo riffing which is simulatenously punishing and catchy. Fantastic guitar tone and vocals. Just an overwhelming sense of energy and spite pours out of every second on this album. It's perfect.

Cryptopsy - None so Vile.
This the album which all tech death is measured against and fails miserably. The obvious brilliance of the vocals, drums, bass and riffs are only the surface of this perfect album. The lyrics are deep and well constucted, and the song structuring is absolutely sublime. It avoids being linear or predictable, yet is still perfectly composed to still make songs. Main riffs are repeated at the perfect time, tempo changes are flowing instead of random. Take the last two minutes of Bendictine Convulsions, the 3 riffs that are used move in and out of one another at exciting and unpredictable timings, yet do not cut in abruptly, that section is seriously my definition of perfect song writing, no other band has ever touched this level of well composed almost chaos at all, not even that DoM album.

Those two are pretty hard to separate, such great albums.

Atheist's Unquestionable Presence.
The pinnacle of Tech Death and Metal in general IMO. I hear something new every time I listen to it.

I'm with these guys. I have many albums that I consider a head above others, and some of them I've reviewed (the albums that I've rated 96% and above), yet even then I can't exactly say which one is my all-time favorite. It's a metal album, for sure.

Thus far, the album that I've reviewed and have given the highest rating to is Blut Aus Nord's Ultima Thulé (99%), which is an epic, unique, unimaginable album. Even then, though, I don't even know if I'd call it my favorite.

Your lucky. I have about 20 serious contenders for top spot.

I've got those two which I would give 100% to, I can think of nothing else I hold in the same regard, so I'm actually solid with my best ever listings. I would have trouble ordering my 96-99% albums though.

Early Fates Warning is head and shoulders above everything else. It transcends metal.

Scorpions, Humanity: Hour 1. Yep. I've fucking fallen in love with this album. It's incredible in every way, and the songs are just... I can't really put it into words.

Gee guess i better get around to hearing some.

Listen to Awaken the Guardian first, as it's the more accessible of the two, then listen to The Spectre Within. Those two albums are damn near perfect in every imaginable way.

Either when the kite string pops by Acid Bath or Dusk and her embrace. WTKSP holds the distinction of being able to blow me away every time I put it on,but Dusk is the album that got me into metal. I know every word of every song and when I do listen to it,it has to be front to back. It has everything. Dark atmosphere,epicness,insane vocals and great lyrics

mine changes all the time depending on my mood.

anyway if im in a black metal mood it's either Draconis Infernum - Death in My Veins or Surrender of Divinity - Oriental Hell Rhythmics. who said Asians cant come out with good black metal releases?

if its a heavy metal mood its probably an Iron Maiden album, most likely Powerslave or The Number of the Beast.

i have to admit though, no "all-time favourite" album for me.

Here we go, I suppose...

- The Chasm - Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm
This album has everything I could want in a death metal album; a fair share of pounding death metal riffs, some thrashier riffs, a great sense of atmosphere, and The Chasm's signature stylings. I've yet to find a flaw in this; every song is an instant classic.

- Vader - Impressions in Blood
While this isn't as varied as the aforementioned, it is the perfection of Vader's metal barrage of blasts and riffs, along with some of the newly introduced elements in The Art of War.

That would be right up there in my list as well. The Chasm are almost certainly my favourite Death Metal band right now.

Unleashed In The East. Cuz I said so.

It really is a special album.

Bores the shit out of me, but to each their own.

Spell of Retribution and Conjuring the Spectral Empire are better.

I can´t decide between Masters of Reality,Unleashed in East (Judas Priest) or Made in Japan (Deep Purple).

This is a damn tough question, and I honestly don't really know. There are a number of albums that I would put up there, but I'm not sure I could pick a single one.

Tales From The Thousand Lakes is definitely one of them, however. It was one of the albums that got me into metal and it's still awesome as fuck.

Einsturzende Neubauten - Haus der Luge
Percussion, vocals, guitar, everything about this album is perfect.

Rowland S. Howard - Teenage Snuff Film
I normally don't like it when albums are 50+ minutes long, but here it doesn't bother me because every song is brilliant.

La Dusseldorf - Viva
The pinnacle of I-IV-V chord progression based music.

i second this dude, we should be friends

in my list theres a double tie:

dark lunacy - forget me not:
beautiful and brutal. this album is a perfect blend of gothic imagery and aggressive melodic death metal

in flames - whoracle:
this album got me into extreme metal 10 years ago

Savatage – Streets: A Rock Opera
It portrays like no other what it means to be in pain, rise and fall, live on the streets and seeking ones own spirituality. This album is a masterpiece of epic proportions. It's got heavy tracks, It's got ballads, It's got everything. All of which can be considered pure musical art. The best metal album of all time. (imo)

wow kinda rare to see this album quoted :/ time to go home and spin this disc again

I'm going to go out on a limb and say: Taking the World by Storm, by Demon.

I love how every song gives 100%. Some of the tracks are so epic and moving, and others just grab you by the throat, but no matter what it's always extremely catchy metal.

Don't hold this choice to me for life, but it's one to go with.

Alot of Posts and no Mention of King Diamond's Abigail? Every track on it is outstanding, It also shows why Andy deserves to be up there with the greats. But the best album's ever would either be Abigail, Unleashed in the East, or Master of Reality.

For me, it's either Judas Priest's Painkiller or Black Sabbath's Master Of Reality.

Let's check back in a year and see if you still think so.

I know it's a really typical choice, but right now, it's probably Altars of Madness.