So all bands have an album that is regarded as their "best", some rightly so, others I'm not so sure if it's valid
One of those is Monster Magnets "Powertrip", generally listed in a lot of polls as their best but for me its the one I hardly ever listen to. I'm not saying its bad, it's just not what best represents MM for me
When I want a dose of MM I reach for "Dopes To Infinity" each and every time
Anyone else in the same position regarding other bands "pinnacle" albums?
Altars of Madness is generally regarded as Morbid Angel's best, but Blessed are the Sick is the daddy in my opinion.
Same for Legion by Deicide which is a savage album. I love the first album, but Legion is like a rabid death metal version of Reign in Blood.
I would reach for ...And Justice for All it Kill 'em All before Masters of Puppets or Ride the Lightning. I can appreciate why people love MOP and RTL but they do nothing for me.
Leprosy is by some margin my least-played Death album.
Lacks the bite of the debut, and Murphy's playing on SH... not to mention Bill Andrews on drums (ugh).
For me the QOTSA debut is the one I listen to again and again even though Rated R or Songs for the Deaf are nearly always listed as their best, but I hardly ever listen to em.
edit ah hang on, these threads are getting me confused. They basically seem like the same thing
Maggot Colony and The Heretic are correct about MA and QOTSA respectively.
Reign In Blood is a great album but I rank South Of Heaven, Show No Mercy and Seasons In The Abyss above it and would go them first.
King For A Day... Fool For A Lifetime is highly thought of but my least favourite of the classic Patton FNM albums so I rarely go near it.
I find Individual Thought Patterns unlistenable, and don't like Clandestine at all either.
Forgot about Hell Awaits - the thin production makes it unlistenable for me.
Hell Awaits production is perfect.
I've never gotten the impression that MA, Slayer, Death or some of the others mentioned are bands that have a consensus pinnacle or best album. Not in the way, to take a particularly striking example, Mayhem have De Mysteriis, say.
Ah no, the consensus is Reign In Blood and Altars of Madness for those two, definitely. With Death there'd be more ambiguity alright..
Turn Loose The Swans and The Silent Enigma seem to be regarded as MDB and Anathema's best, can't stand either.
I forgot about Hell Awaits. It's shit
Quote from: Carnage on August 13, 2025, 02:26:59 PMAh no, the consensus is Reign In Blood and Altars of Madness for those two, definitely.
I'll put my impression down to over-exposure to underground contrarians then :laugh: :abbath:
Quote from: Pentagrimes on August 13, 2025, 01:55:20 PMedit ah hang on, these threads are getting me confused. They basically seem like the same thing
One is an album that's classed as shit but you like it more than all their other outputs, think of St Anger/Lulu
This one is for a album that's not listed as their best, but not shit, and its the one you go to, think of And Justice For All
Oh Right. I stand by Soulside Journey then :laugh:
Deathspell Omega - Kénôse (Musicianship is off the charts)
Quote from: Carnage on August 13, 2025, 02:26:59 PMI forgot about Hell Awaits. It's the shit :abbath:
Fixed that there for ya! ;) And as for Morbid Angel, Covenant is where it's at
The Eternal Idol and Dehumanizer would usually be first picks when it comes to browsing the Sabbath CDs. I mean, I love them all but those two... just something about them which draws me in.
For Sepultura, listen, I saw them in the Top Hat touring BTR, I'm not a kid, but Dante, A-lex and Quadra are the ones I listen to most.
Is Somewhere In Time cool? That's where I go when it's Maiden time :laugh:
Also... While Mental Vortex might just be the very best album ever recorded... I fucking love Grin.
Absolutely, never had a problem with Grin
Quote from: The Heretic on August 13, 2025, 12:31:58 PMSo all bands have an album that is regarded as their "best", some rightly so, others I'm not so sure if it's valid
One of those is Monster Magnets "Powertrip", generally listed in a lot of polls as their best but for me its the one I hardly ever listen to. I'm not saying its bad, it's just not what best represents MM for me
When I want a dose of MM I reach for "Dopes To Infinity" each and every time
Anyone else in the same position regarding other bands "pinnacle" albums?
That's funny, I pretty much only ever hear Dopes to Infinity being listed as their best. Powertrip was the most commercial one, so prob most famous.
Is the topic which 'pinnacle' albums do you favour less over other bands' albums? If so then Number of the Beast, Master of Puppets, Heartwork, Leviathan, and Blizzard of Ozz would all be albums that wouldn't be the go-to for those particular bands for me (disclaimer: I do like all those albums). There could be plenty more but it's debatable what would count definitively as a band's pinnacle album (Join the Army is my favourite ST album for example, but which would count as their pinnacle? There's at least 3 contenders...)
Yeah the good Greene-era Sepultura albums get a lot more play from me these days than the classics.
Grin is absolutely mint as well. First Coroner song I heard was "Paralyzed, Mesmerized", and I was hooked and in awe there and then.
Re: Monster Magnet - Last Patrol is the only one I bother with, never took to any of the other ones as much.
Suicidal Tendencies, Join The Army would also be my go-to, while Lights Camera Revolution was probably their zenith I reckon.
And Grin is grand.