Ranking the Best Metal Albums of All Time

[@FinnMckentyPRMBA]

Go to dave.com/finn and get up to $500 in 5 minutes or less when you download Dave. For terms, visit dave.com/legal. Thanks Dave for sponsoring!

[@michaelsantangelo6192]

You criticize metal culture a lot. I don't really disagree with much of what you say, but the punk/hardcore scene is no better. Plenty of douche bags in the HC scene. Who would you rather run into at a show: a condescending metal elitist who talks down to you for not knowing the most underground death metal band or a hardcore asshole who will kick you in the teeth because you have long hair or smoke weed?

[@nickmorgan8434]

Pantera Far Beyond Driven is #1

[@xwhite2020]

The way you look at Suicide Silence as not being metal is how Pantera were viewed when Vulgar came out. Most people (me included) saw that as a rock album. Obviously history says different but hey, I still reckon Vulgar Display of Power is a rock album. Btw pretty good list Finn. Thanks.

[@figu6ka379]

Dave Mustaine.com

[@nickmorgan8434]

@xwhite2020 Pantera was definitely metal I as a kid listened to Metallica as soon as I heard Pantera I was like Metallica who

[@ThatBlindGuy247]

I actually listen through Dirt for the first time all the way through yesterday after only knowing a few AIC songs. It holds up insanely well

[@josephvanucchi5249]

Love Dirt

[@Rdmlime-qh4wk]

Most of grunge albums still hold up

[@DiZZoLabs]

I still prefer facelift

[@mind0killer]

@@Rdmlime-qh4wk Go listen to Stone Temple Pilots and say that again with a straight face 😂

[@toke7342]

AIC = Nickleback and Creed So you love all three bands. Thats just a fact.

[@SirSiegward]

The metal boomers are going to love this, all the metal dad Facebook groups will be back on your side.

[@Mindshot217]

Back in my day streaming music was when you threw your tape in the river cuz your player ate it.

[@michaeldugan3544]

I’m here! It’s me! I’m the 41yo metal boomer dad.

[@stevenfunderburg1623]

Yes! Glorious!

[@SirSiegward]

@@michaeldugan3544 Prove it! Name three metal bands.

[@michaeldugan3544]

@@SirSiegward Warrant, Skid Row, Dokken

[@HontoNeet]

I agree with the sentiment that Dirt is great because it's so dark, but also kinda too dark to just put on and listen to, you have to be in the right mood for it. Even aside from the lyrics, Jerry Cantrell seems to have a natural gift for writing songs with the most despairing, evil sounding chords/riffs, really capturing the feeling of having given up on life

[@TheLizardWizard17]

Jerry is such a great songwriter!

[@ligmaballs2022]

thats me on a daily basis, depression and autism makes albums like Dirt so understandable and easy to listen to

[@xkmmx2132]

“Rain when I die” has one of Layne Staleys best chorus’ ever. Dude was just singing from the bottoms of his soul and that voice he had was so sonically powerful.

[@obiwanshinobi5098]

Yes! One of my favourite AIC songs! That is when i realised how good a singer layne is. Certainly in my top 5 of all time!

[@sandhya315]

Dirt is such a dope album. It's been with me for so many years and through my darkest times. Absolutely a 10/10.

[@dumdumchord]

Cynic just gained a new fan. It's always fun to discover bands that were so ahead of their time.

[@StuartHetzler]

just don't look up what happened to them in recent years. it's sad af

[@burningtheevidence8038]

Their Carbon Based Anatomy EP is a masterpiece and it's not too old.

[@swatchcovers5401]

Paul masvidals solo stuff is nice too

[@Mutabor1981]

focus is a great album

[@eugenesis8188]

​@@StuartHetzlerBro, i f*cking hate how i never hear about metal artists i listen to dying until years later. Vinnie paul, alexi laiho and now 2/3 of cynic are just the ones ive learned of in the last few months. Before that, it was Warrell Dane and Oli Herbert. I always find out in youtube comments. I kinda wish the media around metal wasnt an infuriating cess pit so that i could actually stay current on who died.

[@christoskoutsikopoulos4715]

To me, Dirt is the pinnacle of songwriting in heavy music. Besides the lyrical content, it's insane how Cantrell wrote riffs that match perfectly Layne's vocal lines. They complement each other so damn beautifully!

[@cmlguerra]

The only problem is that dirt is a grunge album not metal

[@christoskoutsikopoulos4715]

@@cmlguerra Well, that's the thing! To me personally, they never were part of the grunge sound. The time they came out coincided with the rise of the movement. In my opinion, they're alternative metal.

[@jessed6151]

​@@cmlguerraehh, there's way too many clean guitar solos in AIC songs instead of the sloppy spazz out solos like in most grunge *cough cough nirvana*

[@RafitoOoO]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with admitting that bands like Metallica, Pantera, Sepultura, Iron Maiden, etc. are the best because it's 100% true lol.

[@trip_permit]

Ignorance is bliss.

[@RafitoOoO]

@@_D01 Iron Maiden is fantastic, but it's ok to be wrong, my friend.

[@mjwbulich]

​@@_D01Who do you think the members of Metallica,Sepultura, and Pantera were listening to when they were kids? I'm not going to tell you what to like or that you're dumb for not liking Maiden. Maybe show some respect though. They helped lay the foundation for everything metal was to become.

[@Skycladatdusk78]

​@@_D01No insulting caveman core! Wooley Mammoth Slaughter and Satanic Saber Tooth is classic shit.

[@ChipmunkAsylum]

Honestly I would not put Sepultura up on the same tier as those other bands

[@ZeroaddoneMusic]

"Dirt" is seriously one of the best hard-rock albums ever made. It's just an absolutely devastating album emotionally. The production holds up; that guitar tone is absolutely killer, and Layne and Jerry just sound so good together. An absolute masterpiece.

[@abunai.j]

I think it'd be cool to see you do a "Definitive Albums From Each Subgenre of Metal" list. Like the album you feel best exemplifies thrash, groove, djent, black, metalcore, doom, melodic death, tech death, alternative metal, etc. It's a little more specific, and allows for more of a modern view as well, since some of these genres have some newer stuff that's pretty definitive as well.

[@Habeev07]

1988's AJFA doesnt even need bass to be the best thrash metal album ever created. EVER.

[@justinphillis9598]

Love the idea, but it’d probably have to be multiple videos split into groupings of sub genres.

[@stangcobra592]

Good idea I'm down..

[@abunai.j]

@@stangcobra592 Love the Jinjer avatar, man. Killer band.

[@jackdancer709]

​@@Habeev07if AFJA had bass it would be not just the greatest thrash metal album's of all time but I dare say one of the best albums ever made. Lost count how many times I watched And justice for all with bass on the The Bass Channel... Not obvious it is one of my favourite instruments. Playing it over a decade has made me appreciate so much more music. But I unfortunately listen to the most horrible shit I can get my hands on half the time.

[@dohanddonuts5716]

Rooster makes me think about what my dad went through after he got back frrom Vietnam. Going to fight for your country and being sent to some godawful jungle and then come home and seen a pariah, called a baby killer having people try to pick fights with you and spit on. He talked a little about it, but there was pain there. Thank you Jerry Cantrell.

[@TheMetaldudeX]

“Suicide silence is not metal” was not on my Finn McKenty bingo card. But I respect it.

[@fmlAllthetime]

It's a garbage take through and through. They have all the traits of a modern metal band. Down tuned guitars, palm muting, percussive strings, blast beats, guitar solos, double bass drums and gutteral and shrieked vocals. What genre do all those traits for into? I mean c'mon.

[@davidescristofaros2241]

There's literally another video where Finn says Suicide Silence IS in fact metal, critizising elitists for saying they're not metal. Lol

[@papichulobr]

Gotta agree with you that Cynic - Focus is a MASSIVE album! If you remaster it with modern production, people will think it just came out last week ..that's how fresh it sounds

[@kingravenous]

They did that this year! They released a reissue, fully remixed and remastered. It's called "ReFocus".

[@jakobthonen9411]

Yeah lol that literally just happened. But it wasn't even necessary it's a timeless album.

[@papichulobr]

Damn, i didn't know that! @@kingravenous

[@UnclePhillyMyAss]

@@papichulobr The remaster is TERRIBLE

[@RoderickvandenBrink]

Ah yes this list oozes boomer energy, but I respect it. My list would be completely different. In no particular order: - Opeth - Ghost Reveries - Slipknot - Vol 3 - Textures - Silhouettes - Periphery - II - Metallica - Master of Puppets - Mastodon - Blood Mountain - Gojira - From Mars to Sirius - Rage Against the Machine - Self Titled - BMTH - Sempiternal - Trivium - Shogun

[@dryker7085]

I fucking love Shogun! Trivium might have single-handedly gotten me into harsh vocals with Ascendancy... the rest is a blur.

[@StevenKershaw]

The crusade is trivium best album

[@smote_his_ruin]

Black Sabbath - Master of Reality Pantera - Cowboys From Hell Metallica - Ride the Lightning Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son Megadeth - Rust in Peace Judas Priest - Painkiller Down - NOLA Dio - Holy Diver Alice in Chains - Dirt King Diamond - Abigail

[@ckoegl]

Wow. Massive thumbs up for including S.O.D. Loads of people are way too young to have noticed them, but back in 1985 they were such a revelation type of thing for me. Absolutely crushing!!!

[@brandocalrissian3294]

March of the S.O.D is the greatest metal riff ever written!! Speak English or die!!!

[@Petteriks]

These are 🔥 Pantera - The great southern Trendkill Machine head - The Blackening Sepultura - Roots

[@thewelshbeersnob2783]

The great (grrrreeeat) Southern (sooouuuttthhheerrrn) Trendkill!!! With backing vocals with AxCx’s Seth Putnam, which is interesting 😅

[@dmphax]

Been listening to metal since the 80s, and my personal favourite metal album of all time is Clayman by In Flames. Honourable mentions to Dirt - Alice in Chains, Demanufacture - Fear Factory, Arise - Sepultura AIC was criminally underrated in the 90s, but today people can't get enough AIC.

[@TheLizardWizard17]

I'm born in 99, so I missed the actual grunge era. I find that very surprising that AIC was that underrated. To me, they are by far the best band of all time

[@dmphax]

@@TheLizardWizard17 they were small compared with the record sales & spotlight on bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden. They also regularly got shunned by award shows like the Grammys & American Music Awards. Those entities were uncomfortable with artists like AIC putting their hearts out there and singing about their experiences, no matter how dark they may be. Years later, I am pleased their music is being appreciated by the masses, and they're finally getting the recognition they deserve.

[@the3rddecline]

Aww, it made me so happy that you Anthrax and S.O.D. made it on the list!🥲And yes, I am _that_ old 😄. Great list altogether, thank you!

[@Rude_i_Wredne]

From a perspective of a more melodic metal fan, someone this into hardcore turning out to have "Among the Living" and "City of Evil" in their top 8 feels like the kid in the corner of the class doing the math in a completely unintended way, but still coming up with correct answers.

[@lowenbad]

I’m happy to see “Dirt” being considered a metal album… because that is exactly what it is. So are Soundgarden, Melvins, Helmet and Faith No More.

[@83442handle]

So can we finally stop having people call them grunge

[@lowenbad]

@@83442handle right? Grunge was a marketing term, not a genre.

[@xwhite2020]

​@@lowenbadGrunge is/was a sub genre of rock just as much as any other sub genre of rock. You might not like it but it is what it is.

[@lowenbad]

@@xwhite2020 I lived in the northwest when that whole thing popped off and almost everyone involved were like “wtf is grunge?”.

[@xwhite2020]

@@lowenbad Cool story, adds nothing to the fact that sub genres have existed since the 70s. And they ALWAYS get named well after they begin. You can unbunch your panties now.

[@Van5195]

Rest in peace to Sean Malone of Cynic as well. I feel like he was one of the first to bring that weird fretless bass sound to metal, or at least one of the first to have it noticeably present in the mix. Unfortunate that metal bass players usually just get joked about when guys like him put serious artistry into the genre.

[@TheKalaxis]

Totally related to freaking out when your manager asks for a word later. The worst time was when I worked myself up into such a state think about all the awful things they were going to ask that I got sent home for being too erratic. The next morning the boss had that word and all they wanted to know if I wanted to take part in the "Secret Santa" thing between all the staff that year. I was so relieved to hear that was all it was.

[@ljrumpf3]

The band Godsmack 100% ripped their entire discography from a single song from Alice in Chains

[@abraxasvoice440]

I don't know why people even liked Megadeth "...( I stopped watching this video)

[@astralmass]

I enjoy your content every day. Really. You happen to post right while I'm getting ready for a 11am-7pm shift.

[@astralmass]

But! Even with a Wife and a Baby... I hope you're working towards deeper-dive or more documentaryal (sp?) content. You excel at that, and when you have time, I look forward to it :)

[@xkmmx2132]

The first time I ever heard Among the Living I bought it on cassette at a garage sale for .50 cents in 96. When I heard the opening to the title track I wanted to slam into the walls of my room. That shit hit me like a lighting bolt. I did have to get used to Joeys vocals slowly but what a perfect groove and riff filled album.

[@nothere941]

Got a respect Dirt. That album is so fucking heavy and so fucking dark. Different heavy from like thrash metal, but JFC it's so dense man

[@johndef5075]

Tripod seems even darker to me.

[@miras-nurtazin]

​@@johndef5075 Tripod is like the darkest fucking album you could ever find. I mean, of course there are bands that try to be as dark as it's possible just to be dark, but Alice In Chains were dark naturally. If you listen to them from Facelift to the Unplugged one, you can see how struggles in life made them sound more emotional through time. Frogs is the shit...

[@KevinQ1989]

I'm sure all the extreme metal edgelords will come at me: 1. Black Sabbath- Master of Reality 2.Judas Priest- Stained Class 3.Metallica- Ride the Lightning 4.Iron Maiden- Somewhere in Time 5.Ozzy Osbourne- Diary of a Madman 6. Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power 7. Megadeth- Rust in Peace 8. Death- The Sound of Perseverance 9. Dio- Holy Diver 10. Slayer- Show no Mercy

[@vietnamd0820]

That’s a great list …I’d only swap out Somewhere In Time with Number Of The Beast or Killers …but Somewhere In Time is great

[@smote_his_ruin]

Putting Avenged up there and not something from Maiden, Priest, Dio, King Diamond or Megadeth is hilarious.

[@noizetrauma242]

I remember seeing Cynic open for Cannibal Corpse in 1994. They did not fit in. I felt so bad for them. I saw them again when they opened for Dragonforce a decade or so later. I drove from Seattle to Spokane for that show. They didn't play a single song off Focus, but played Traced in Air in its entirety. I was bummed. I eventually came to love that album, but at the time wasn't happy. Especially so since I didn't care about Dragonforce. The next time I saw Cynic was at the Capitol Hill Block Party. If you know anything about Seattle's Capitol Hill Block Party, you know that's not a good fit. I finally got to see them play all their old stuff and saw them another three times, touring each of their albums after Focus. Thanks, Finn, for finally doing a bit more of a deep dive into Cynic.

[@briandingdong7702]

I remember being so exhausted and worn out about ten years ago and putting Them Bones on and it just clicking. That shit sounds like how it feels to be just beaten down and burnt out.

[@glacialedge]

Atheist was ahead of Cynic and who I would have personally picked. Unquestionable Presence is amazing. Also, as far as I remember, Cynic was well recognized as being awesome. I find myself listening to Traced in Air more often than Focus.

[@djcj]

Finn - would you ever do a breakdown of your recording set up? Equipment? Green screen? Editing apps? Would love to see that

[@FinnMckentyPRMBA]

Sm7b and gh5. Green screen from amazon. Elgato camlink and lights. Record everything in OBS, edit in premiere.

[@felixconnor9630]

Really liked the video. Not to be pedantic but there were metal bands with some groove before Pantera. Stuff thay comes to mind: Black Sabbath (Sweet Leaf), Metallica (No Remorse), Exodus (And Then There Were None), even Napalm Death (Unchallenged Hate), etc.

[@JohnHenrysaysHi]

Thank you for the ranking, Finn, since I really wanted to know your thoughts because I don't have your historical perspective. I was born in the 90s, and my favorite genre as a kid was Sports Metal. Growing in my faith, I tried cleaning up my music, but back then, I thought KoRn's first album was the greatest album I heard. Now, I can't say since I don't think a lot of tracks are good for me from albums I listened to. Appreciated you mentioning "Silent Scream" by Slayer! I read that the theme of the track was based on the 29 minute 1984 documentary the Silent Scream. It has Bernard Nathanson Obstetrician-gynecologist, the co-founder of NARAL in 1969, and after the arrival of ultrasound and other technology, he became a vocal opponent to the procedure after performing 5,000 of them. Really heartbreaking documentary imo. Thanks again. Hope you and your family have a peaceful good day.

[@JesseB1983]

Now we need a "Ranking the Best Butt Rock Albums of All Time" video.

[@atvena]

Shinedown "sound of madness"

[@michaelkozma5929]

Great list Finn, I agree Alice in Chains is lyrically dark. 1.) Megadeth - Rust in Peace 2) Metallica - Master of Puppets/The Black Album. 3.) Pantera - Cowboys From Hell/Far Beyond Driven 4.) Death - Human 5.) Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve 6.) Parkway Drive - Horizons 7.) Periphery - Self Titled 8.) Within The Ruins - Creature 9.) August Burns Red - Thrillseeker 10.) I Killed The Prom Queen - Music for the Recently Deceased

[@andycalifornia426]

On Silent Scream being anti-abortion. I don't know. It could be, but it could also be "hey, Beavis, do you know what abortion is? It's, like, killing unborn babies, dude. Cool!". It's like: in death metal (which Slayer is adjacent to), a song about killing of anything is never intended to make you think about what a terrible idea killing someone is. It's usually just "this kicks ass, dude!". No reason to think Silent Scream is any different. Angel Of Death might've been commentary on WWII war crimes. But who are you kidding? This ain't Bob Dylan. Hannemann just thought "let's write a song about something evil. What have you got? Hell has been covered, black magic has been covered. Oh, I know: Nazi!". People in metal just like evil imagery in and of itself, without the need to comment on it.

[@delix787]

Avenged sevenfold has always been getting hate for not being completely original. I never cared about original art tbh. You’re always going to put limits on yourself, if you flip out because you hear 15 seconds of a copy and paste every now and then, than you will never enjoy music again. It’s part of art to recycle to create something new within your genre as well, but there’s nothing wrong in putting something already done in your work on purpose to show the world this is what we love, or what we grew up with a long time ago. Another thing to add, fans believe a band is completely original simply because if an artist doesn’t want to explain the inspirations or what made them to create this new album. Then in your mind, you view it as completely original music, even tho the actual artist knows fully well, where they got their inspiration from, and there probably from bands people have never heard of, and they keep the doors locked until somebody officially finds out where they got their inspiration from. But when they discovered the bands that inspired your favorite artist, all of a sudden you’re calling them out as being a rip off? Deal with it except music is recycled. It’s part of the art creation to create something new. Start putting limits on yourself. 🎶🎵🎶

[@Habeev07]

As a 34 y/o dude: Anthrax - Among the Living Linkin Park - Hybrid theory Metallica - And Justice for all/Ride the lightning ( gotta count both XD) Judas Priest - Screaming for vengence S.O.A.D - Toxicity Killing Joke - Killing Joke Faith No More - Angel Dust Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz Some of these aren't full on metal but have metal songs on the albums.

[@whatistau]

The nuances, stories and cool facts that Finn takes time to address on his channel made me want to listen to many of those bands for the first time and appreciate it. There is a stigma that you either get into it as a teenager or grow up to be a metal boomer, but im having a blast randomly falling for those genres today. Also, i think that best metal as made in the 80 and 90, because it was defying decades for this music. Like if you ask what was the best decade for boom bap or disco. And thats why we separate hip hop from trap. Things evolve but there is always a “you had to be there” time capsule period for all genres. Thats why we call it golden age.

[@jasondorst13]

Bat Country has my favorite guitar solo. So badass, and so much feeling in it.

[@Jimmyboy23482]

Ikr

[@SupplementalSense]

I remember buying City of Evil in a Target back in '05 just because I wanted something new to listen to. I had only heard Bat Country on the radio. I didn't like the album right away. It wasn't really my thing at the time. But I kept listening to it while I delivered pizzas. Probably half a year later I was loving it. I got Waking the Fallen and Sounding the 7th Trumpet and they were my main band for about 10 years.

[@PORTALIAN_Makes_Bass]

My list: Opeth - Ghost Reveries Metallica - Master of Puppets Pantera - Cowboys From Hell Slayer - Reign In Blood Black Sabbath - Master of Reality Death - The Sound of Perseverance Iron Maiden - Powerslave Linkin Park - Meteora Rings of Saturn - Lugal Ki En Guns ‘N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction Megadeth - Rust In Peace Mastodon - Leviathan (Edit: Forgot Leviathan)

[@powermonger9090]

I would pick Blackwater Park over Ghost Reveries for Opeth, such a perfect album.

[@SaintMartins]

My Top 5 01. Metallica - Master Of Puppets (1986) 02. Slayer - Reign In Blood (1986) 03. Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984) 04. Anthrax - Spreading The Disease (1985) 05. Nuclear Assault - Game Over (1986) Runner up....Judas Priest - British Steel (1980)

[@rareformx]

Also loved the Decapitated cover of Suffer the Children

[@Sven.Jeschke]

There are so many great metal albums from the 90s that it's impossible to pick just a few. The 90's was by far the best decade for metal - excitingly innovative and influential new releases on a weekly basis. It was just such a burst of creativity.

[@stewartdowouis9218]

Entombed’s Wolverine Blues is basically the template for modern hardcore. Was expecting to see it here.

[@brianjohnston5221]

Underrated album imo

[@bucknasty69]

That and Master Killer by Merauder. Two of my favorite albums from the 90s.

[@timgonzales2891]

Ive always preferred "pierced from within" over effigy of the forgotten.

[@doomusrlc]

The intro to "Thrones of Blood" is just... *chef's kiss*

[@GnawedPupils]

The Human Waste EP is where it's at. Infecting the Crypts hits like a train.

[@daryl4841]

Same. Better songwriting, and the production on Effigy is a bit too raw and sludgy sounding for it to be my favorite.

[@eversosleight]

Yes! Any type video like this, we'll take it. It's due to this channel that I started listening to old school Sepultura. Sounds crazy but true 🤘🪖👍

[@vietnamd0820]

Old school Sepultura is so good

[@melvinramone2605]

I thought everybody knew Dirt was all about heroin. It was talked about in all the reviews and articles about the band at the time. I knew plenty of people who knew "Silent Scream" was about abortion too, but I was a Catholic school kid so I might have just been in a crowd that was more aware of it than most.

[@michaellorenz7177]

I think in the rhythm guitar conversation, Scott Ian often gets overlooked (easy I guess when Papa Het is one of your contemporaries). His riffs are so good.

[@fmlAllthetime]

Hannemam had my favorite riffs tbh.

[@MrMikewright1980]

Great list man! I'm in the same boat as you, most of my faves are from the 90's. Mine would be something like: Pantera - Great Southern Trendkill Sepultura - Chaos AD Alice In Chains - Dirt Down - Nola Zao - Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest/Liberate Te Ex Infernus Converge - Jane Doe Living Sacrifice - Reborn Vision Of Disorder - Imprint

[@dilll3066]

Hail to the king is special to me because I learned about a7x through cod bo2. Shepherd of fire playing during the origins intro cutscene is so iconic.

[@brandonjackson5865]

I Wanted to hate your list because of your Megadeth haterism but South of Heaven, Vulgar Display of Power and your assessment of Avenged Sevenfold is spot on. I kinda feel the same way about Anthrax as you do about Megadeth so there’s that, Scott Ian has phenomenal riffs and tone, but I just can’t get into them. Ooh yeah and Dirt is a dark and heavy MF’r that I also love. If Dirt is too depressing for you, stay away from Life of Agony, they are amazing but River Runs Red can take you from Hero to Zero in a heartbeat, but they bring the sounds from the underground.

[@MilitantMe]

The shock Reddit is going to have after seeing this video "fuck... His taste is perfect."

[@damianyoung1719]

"Dirt", to this day, is just a different album. It takes you places that no other album I've ever heard takes you. True definition of "masterpiece'

[@resofcincinnati4830]

When I listen to Dirt all the way through, I get physically nauseous.

[@ggcade8896]

My thoughts: 1. AIC Dirt is my pick for Best Rock album of the 90s, and in my Top 10 all time! 2. Slayer’s SOH album is solid, but I never cared for the overall sound of the album, or the pitch of Araya’s vocals on throughout . Seasons is my favorite for sure, and in my Top 10 albums all time. 3. It’s crazy close, but I actually choose Far Beyond Driven as my favorite Pantera album and in my Top 10. 4. And finally, Finn you’re going to absolutely adore this, lol, but my favorite album of all time is definitely Megadeth’s RUST IN PEACE. I mean it’s always ranked high in greatest Metal albums of all time, and sold in big numbers, around the world, so I ain’t alone for Fs sake 🤟😎

[@12badmired]

Love ya vids man and awesome to see ya rocking an Aussie metal band knocked loose

[@tussk.]

Any best metal album list that has Pantera on it fails, and since when were AIC metal? How are you going to say that Suicide Silence arent metal and have a fucking grunge band in the top 10?

[@theangelbelow88]

For me, Underoath's Define The Great Line is one of the best metal albums of the last 20 years

[@austins.2495]

Agreed

[@justinphillis9598]

Great album but for me it has to be “They’re Only Chasing Safety,” but again Papa Finn would tell you that they’re Post-Hardcore.

[@Michael-fs1cw]

Define was my first of their albums, I’ve come to love Disambiguation more though. They’ve released some great albums

[@Glasshexagon]

BTW, Seasons in the Abyss is the fifth album by Slayer

[@atvena]

Actually...

[@theshrike29]

Cynic - Focus was a revelation as a Death Metal kid...genius album

[@billybee3423]

The Hell You Say!? Alice In Chains is GRUNGE, not Metal…Urgh…I hate it when people say that shit. As far as heroin goes, their entire catalog is pretty much about heroin.

[@ThEmB0nEz]

I'm the complete opposite with DIRT/AIC. I listen to them when i'm depressed & feel better after. I also never took drugs in my life. Easily my favorite band of all time.

[@slingster]

Dirt is depressing but at least 2 songs on Jar Of Flies can make you cry

[@ReverendBenzo]

Taking the grunge label away (which was really more of a marketing tactic than anything) do you consider Melvins a metal band? Or more of a punk one? In any case, Houdini and Stoner Witch are two of my favorite albums of the '90s.

[@brianjohnston5221]

They are just heavy and awesome 🤘

[@that_pi_guy]

43 y/o metal boomer dad approves of this list. Caught in the Mosh is one of my entry songs into metal..such a classic!

[@codnamerich]

Being a boomer is ok. Welcome to the club! That being said, I still love finding new music....mostly now through this channel and prmba. Thank you for that! Btw....for me the defining metal album for me being 49 was when I traded my Psalm 69 tape for friends Arise tape. Beat deal ever. Sepultura was my gateway band into the heavier stuff. That might be a good topic to dive into (gateway bands or artists for different genres.)

[@InsomniacRocker]

Sepultura (the Max Cavalara era) is sooooo criminally underrated IMO

[@bcab7955]

My first job in the early 2000s, had a coworker that let me borrow Vulgar Displays of Power and was absolutely blown away, still my favorite metal record to this day.

[@Dab_Marino]

Hope the End of Heartache KSE made the list. Metalcore Dad Rock people!

[@Dab_Marino]

Lmao wrong genre! Lol Love how Daves checking account rewards 4%apy

[@shanebeacham3348]

Listened to the Layne Staley era AIC as a teenager but didn’t appreciate Dirt until much later when I was an adult. That album hits so hard

[@MetalNeverDieswithMarkA]

That’s actually how your brain works if you have anxiety. Something so small and blow it up. Killer stuff.

[@pranavnnair5]

"In Waves"( Special Edition)" by Trivium is easily my favorite metal album of all time. It's got such an atmospheric quality to it with some of the most technical and catchiest songs I have ever heard. It's got a combination of some of Tivium's catchiest and most accessible songs like In Waves, Built to Fall, and Of All These Yesterdays while also having some of their heaviest songs like Dusk Dismantled, Chaos Reigns, and Skyline's Severance. The instrumentation is top tier and Matt's harsh vocals sound the best in this album. Even his low death metal growls sound fantastic considering that was always his weakest point when it came to harsh vocals prior to this album. Just an absolute 10/10 album. My personal favorite song from the album has to be "Inception of The End".

[@justindevoe9556]

On the Anthrax note: Persistence Of Time is their best album and the best song on ATL is actually I Am The Law. You did perfectly lay out why I fell in love with them in middle school though, their riffs were all just nasty

[@bucknasty69]

I Am The Law goes hard. Why it wasn’t used in a Judge Dredd movie is beyond me haha

[@queensofthedthrone8267]

Man, Dirt reminds me of this album called a Crow Looked at Me by Mt Eerie. If you're going through some rough times, that album will come in and snap the last few tiny twigs in your heart (that you have always wanted)

[@thebrokenorder]

I don't hate this list although I would ditch Avenged Sevenfold and add Carcass "Heartwork"

[@paulozavala3232]

Every genre has a time window whera the music was as it peak. The best metal was made during the 80-90th.

[@bluesrock88]

Solid picks. Mine, in no particular order: Black Sabbath - masters of reality Death - Symbolic Judas Priest - Painkiller Bolt Thrower - Those once loyal Blind guardian - Imaginations from the other side Rotting Christ - Triarchy of the lost lovers Iron Maiden - Somewhere in time Slayer - Seasons in the abyss Megadeth - Rust in Peace King Diamond - Abigail

[@bluesrock88]

@@rybread28 Cheese is good. Painkiller is the epitome of heavy metal imho. Perfect album beginning to end, songs perfectly written and executed. It´s the sound of heavy metal itself.

[@jafethvermeij8944]

I saw Suffocation live for the first time this summer and i have been missing out real bad. What a legendary band.

[@chrisofhearts22]

"I have no idea why people ever liked Megadeth" Sorry man but I left your channel this very instant

[@dehartgertrude128]

city of evil every song is a masterpiece

[@Rahn1975]

As a 48 year old from the Seattle area originally I’d go with this I guess Corrosion Of Conformity - Blind Metallica - Puppets Opeth - Blackwater Park Forced Entry - As Above, So Below AIC - Facelift Dream Theater - Images & Words Pantera - Cowboys Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime Lamb of God - Ashes Of The Wake Megadeth - Rust In Peace

[@ky1le750]

City of Evil and Sacrament are probably the best of the 00's

[@SSPGwemlin]

Love S.O.D. Also, just in case ya didn’t know, Speak English Or Die is actually all satirical.

[@tropiq]

3 albums from this list (or possibly 4) were direct 'inspiration' for the music in doom/doom2, its also an interesting part of music history how much music was ripped off for those games and no lawsuits ever came from it, it just couldn't be done today

[@jakobthonen9411]

Cynic is incredible. Focus is a masterpiece obviously and none of their albums are bad. My girlfriend and I got the pleasure of meeting Paul Masvidal this summer and he's ond of the kindest souls you'll ever meet. One of the coolest guys in all of rock and metal period. Rip Sean Reinart and Sean Malone but Cynic is still out there killing it 30 years later. What a bunch of badasses. Paul missed his own graduation to go on tour with Death back in the day, then he and Sean recorded Human which is one of the greatest albums of all time when they were just 19 years old, and then they went back to their Cynic project and released Focus. Such a fascinating and inspiring story. One of my favorite bands of all time.

[@ledzep9943]

Talking about Dirt “I can’t even listen to it, it’s too heavy” 1. I totally understand where you’re coming from 2. Everyone needs to experience that record

[@isaacpunch9295]

Saw Avenged Sevenfold last night in NC. It’s interesting because I associate them with youth, but they’ve changed so radically since coming back. I have to stop and remind myself that they’ve been around since the tale end of the 90’s. Wild.

[@isaacpunch9295]

@@rybread28 I thought he sounded freaking great. I think that’s the only reason they took so much time off. But he sounds awesome even though his voice has changed as he’s gotten older.

[@jonathansurrey8230]

Hail to the king is one of my favorite AV7x albums. It was also the first I heard so I'm probably biased. It's the album that got me into metal. My local library had the CD and I borrowed it and I was hooked

[@ryanrowe1975]

Great list!

[@thirteenthandy]

We come from very different schools when it comes to metal, but there is no denying that Vulgar Display of Power is a fucking classic and I will never grow bored of it.

[@1980extremeG]

Interesting! My top 10 metal albums, in no particular order:- Metallica: Master of Puppets Anthrax: Among the Living Slayer: Reign in Blood Megadeth: Peace Sells Slipknot: Iowa Korn: Korn Tool: Lateralus Satyricon: Dark Medieval Times Lamb Of God: Omens Napalm Death: Scum Honorable mentions: SYL: City Job for a Cowboy: Genesis Sepultura: Morbid Visions Soulfly: Primitive Deftones: Adrenaline SOAD: Toxicity Hed Pe: Broke Papa Roach: Infest RATM: S/T BFMV: The Poison Coal Chamber: S/T COF: Principal of Evil made flesh 5FDP: Way of the Fist American Head Charge: The Feeding Disturbed: The Sickness Therapy: Troublegum Soil: Scars Trivium: The Crusade Good to see AIC getting a mention, but i think Facelift is better than Dirt......

[@stangcobra592]

In no particular order Top 15 Underground (to a fair weather metal fan) 1. Sepultura- Beneath the Remains 2. Kreator -Coma of Souls (or Extreme Agression take your pick) 3. Morbid Angel-Alters of Madness 4. Malevolent Creation- Retribution 5. Bleeding Through-Portrait of a Goddess 6. Obituary- Cause of Death (or Slowly we Rot) 7. Cannibal Corpse-The Bleeding 8. Hatebreed-Satisfaction is the Death of Desire 9. Sick Of It All- Blood Sweat and No Tears (Utter Hardcore mayhem live shows circa '90.) 10. Fear Factory-Soul of a New Machine 11. Gorgots-Considered Dead 12. Machine Head-Burn My Eyes 13. Acacia Strain- Continent & Wormwood together 14. Black Dahlia Murder-Unhallowed 15.Sacred Reich-Ignorance

[@DjDreamcastle]

I haven't even watched this yet. All I have to say is "Follow the Reaper" by Chuldren of Bodom and "America Must be Destroyed" by Gwar.

[@ScottMosier12345]

Dirt is still one of my favorite albums of all time.

[@1mlb704]

I'm not a metal guy, but my favorite metal albums are probably ...And Justice For All by Metallica and Meantime by Helmet. I do love a ton of metal adjacent rock stuff including Dirt (huge grunge fan in general)

[@Habeev07]

Nice taste! As a 34 y/o dude born the year AJFA came out... (Dec birthday) I love your choices of Helmet and Metallica. Not a metal diehard but love certain things. My list goes: Anthrax - Among the Living Linkin Park - Hybrid theory Metallica - And Justice for all/Ride the lightning ( gotta count both XD) Judas Priest - Screaming for vengence S.O.A.D - Toxicity Killing Joke - Killing Joke Faith No More - Angel Dust Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz Some of these aren't full on metal but have metal songs on the albums.

[@LibertyRapsher]

Maybe you are a metal guy and just don't know it and just so happened to have those two albums and that's why you like them, because Helmet in particular is an extremely random selection for someone claiming not to be into metal music except for that (don't get me wrong, Helmut's a pretty decent band). I wasn't a metal guy either until I was in 9th grade and got my first metal album which blew me away, so I went down the list of what are considered to be the best and they all blew me away. If you liked Justice, then check out Mater of Puppets and the Black album, which will probably open pandora's box for you. Two more would be Tool - Aenima and Lateralus.

[@1mlb704]

@@LibertyRapsher I'm a fan of Metallica in general, I've heard and like most of their albums. Also a fan of Tool, I've listened to everything from Undertow through 10,000 Days and (Lateralus is probably my favorite). Helmet is more on the Alternative side, they're kind bunched in with grunge and some post-hardcore stuff like Quicksand, which I'm also a fan of lol. I just call myself a rock fan because I'm generally not into a lot of metal, like a lot of these other bands Finn talked about I don't like very much.

[@LibertyRapsher]

@@1mlb704 - I rememember when both helmut and Quicksand where taking off. At the time those two bands were often put in the same category as Tool (Undertow and Opiate)... then of course Tool's music expanded astronomically from Undertow to AEnima. I'm actually not familiar with some of the bands he mentioned, which I grew up at the same time he did and caught that 91 metal boomb. I never really distinguised the different styles of music that much from one another. Almost everything I just put in the metal category, but I liked everything from heavy rock to punk to heavy metal to death metal. I didn't get to sample everything like some of the bands he mentioned here because I was taking in everything. In the grunge realm I consider Pearl jam the biggest talent in that realm, but it's difficult for me to even categorize them as grunge. To me they're heavy rock, but whatever.

[@1mlb704]

@@LibertyRapsher I feel that! People like to label things and put them into categories, especially with music. It's always debatable what is considered what. At the end of the day, if I like it I listen to it haha

[@TheRealP1mpt12mYOYT]

You should make a video on Alice In Chains

[@dmphax]

Take my thumbs up!