Any genre, 1 cross each.. discuss/argue but pick just one (actually sometimes there can be ties, so two each in and/or style if you like but if there's only one then so be it). Should be some gems to be found in this and the amount of crossover will be interesting to see although I doubt it will be too strong given the lack of genre.

I'm going with NIN - The Fragile/Type O Negative - October Rust

Both pretty rock orientated and I will have to live or die by these now in this thread but sure fuck it.

Who's up? It will be fun trying to not go back on the choices at the least.

Oh god, The Fragile, no question about it. Never thought much of October Rust, bar two or three songs, but then they were never gonna top Bloody Kisses anyway. The Fragile is just such an immersive experience (wanker phrase but there you are) that it's way out on its own for me.

Wouldn't have linked those two albums at all TBH.

Devin Townsend - "Terria"

There is just no topping it for me, at all, in any genre.  It is my permanent #1 album whenever I have to weigh these things up.  That said the NIN and TON choices aren't far off the top of my lists either, the remainder of my top 10 has The Downward Spiral and October Rust quite high up.

Sorry, I thought the idea was to debate which one was better.

My favourite is Dead Can Dance's Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun. It's just majestic beyond words, not a bad second on it and her voice in particular is heartbreaking and chilling in turn. Never equalled.

I've never listened to Dead Can Dance in spite of how many times I should have. I'll try that one out.

No matter how much I'd want to say Show No Mercy, Master Of Puppets or a couple of Iron Maiden albums, it has to be Appetite For Destruction.

I like how even the OP found the proposed topic impossible to single down  :laugh:

If it's one, and only one, then Physical Graffiti for me. I've listened to it more than any other album over the last 20 odd years, and it still gets played in part or in its entirety at least once a week. There are others, heavier stuff, that I listen to loads, but in sheer numbers of hours, nothing at this point gets close to PG's sum total.

Great shouts with October Rust & The Fragile, although I'd rate The Downward Spiral above the latter.

Jaysus, even picking a top 2 is nearly impossible. Gun to my head possibly Anathema - Judgement and Paradise Lost - Draconian Times. And yet, I haven't listened to either of those albums in over 2 years easily. I completely burned them out.

At various turns I could have Dirt, Puppets, Justice, Disintegration, Ultra, Rust in Peace, any of the first few Sabbath albums..... Ah balls, sher tis impossible.

No wait, the best tracks off  the Use Your Illusion albums in one compilation. Ya, that's it.

I don't know how you could even begin to whittle it down.

Oh wait,  In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend.  That was easy  8)

Borknagar s/t, 16 Horsepower 'Secret South', Nadja 'Thaumogenesis' are the albums I've listened to the most (I guess) but it's an impossible question. Like EoinĂ­n, I've ridden those albums raw and rarely listen to them anymore.

As previously stated, a near impossible task to whittle down to one or two albums, but I've taken the same approach as some of the other lads and the two albums I'd say I've listened to the most are, Rory Gallagher - Photo Finish / Mayhem - De Mysteris Dom Sathanas.

Not much in common between those two apart from both of them being obsessed over by yours truly for years but there ya have it.

Yeah it's almost the impossible task to whittle it down, especially without any specific genre and I also picked the two I've listened to most consistently over the years and still regularly draw out. Loads  of really close ones too, but hopefully there'll be a few serious albums mentioned that I don't know to go check out.

Quote from: astfgyl on July 06, 2021, 02:14:23 AM
I've never listened to Dead Can Dance in spite of how many times I should have. I'll try that one out.
Do. You'll recognise pieces of it, it's been sampled and tracks have been used in films and for advertising a lot. For example, The Future Sound Of London's Papua New Guinea is built on a vocal sample from Dawn Of The Iconoclast, which Fifth Dominion and/or Arcane Sun (I forget which) used as intro music live.

Would it be cheeky to suggest that as well as the best album ever lads could also state their opinion on the best live album ever?
I know some people don't rate live albums at all but there are some crackers out there that capture the atmosphere of live music beautifully and showcase artists preforming at their best, in front of an audience.
Rory Gallagher - Irish Tour, for instance, is fucking brilliant.