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In the mood to write a blog.
This is a music-oriented guide for those that are interested in the metal genre but don't really know where to start, or the lost souls that are currently listening to numetal/metalcore. These are the 5 albums I would most recommend to anyone starting out with Metal.
4. Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes
Genre: Power/Heavy Metal with Thrash influences.
Description: Iced Earth is a band that is quite known within the Metal genre, with high critical acclaim. This is their most accessible record, with ballads such as Melancholy (Holy Martyr), Watching Over me, and Blessed Are You, but still packs quite a punch with Disciples of the Lie, My Own Savior and the Something Wicked trilogy. I would highly recommend this album.
3. Judas Priest - Painkiller
Genre: Heavy Metal/Speed Metal
Description: This album is probably considered their best album. The album starts off with the title track, which is an amazing speed metal track and an epic solo, though not the most accessible song. After that, the album slows down a bit but still has great moments such as Night Crawler and A touch of Evil, both are recommended tracks.
2. Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Genre: Heavy Metal
Description: Black Sabbath's most famous album, and the first real heavy metal album ever. This album single-handidly started the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (in which bands such as Iron Maiden got popular). The entire album is killer and you basically can't go wrong here. It's very accessible for someone who hasn't listened to Metal before, and a definite recommendation.
Just kidding.
1. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
Genre: Heavy Metal
Description: The breakthrough album for Iron Maiden. This album contains the best song ever made in the world of heavy metal; Hallowed be thy Name. It is seen as Maiden's best performance to date. Other notable songs on this album include the title track, 22 arcacia avenue, and Run to the Hills. It's a shame some of the song on here aren't that good (Solar Eclipse in particular), but the rest of the album is just too good to pass up.
Close, but no cigar:
Metallica - Master of Puppets: I view this album as too overrated to be here, and the emphasis in this blog was on Heavy Metal. This is still a recommended album though.
Testament - The Ritual: Many thrash-fans don't like this album too much, but I think it's quite underrated. I don't think it's worth putting it with these 4, though.
Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction: If any Megadeth album were to be placed in here, it'd have to be CtE since it's their best album after Rust in Peace, which I would deem too aggressive for starting listeners. It might've been worth an extra, 5th spot, but meh.
Now I'm sure a lot of metalheads will disagree with me. Note that this was written for those with completely no experience with the genre, though.
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Hmm I listen to a lot of metal and I don't listen to heavy metal at all. It is deceptive if anything to not write "HEAVY" metal. Because I listen to power metal/death metal/melodic death/symphonic metal and these albums sound nothing like those genres.
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Hooray for metal! I agree with most of your choices, especially The Number of the Beast and Paranoid. Those albums are pure greatness. I was kind of disappointed there wasn't any Megadeth, but like you said this is for people new to the genre. I think Rust in Peace is a better album than Countdown to Extinction personally, but CtE is certainly respectable.
I'm a metal fanatic, and anyone who has even the slightest interest in the genre should check out those albums.
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On May 11 2008 03:25 tKd_ wrote:
Hmm I listen to a lot of metal and I don't listen to heavy metal at all. It is deceptive if anything to not write "HEAVY" metal. Because I listen to power metal/death metal/melodic death/symphonic metal and these albums sound nothing like those genres.
Simply using the official notations. Judas Priest/Black Sabbath/Iron Maiden made Heavy Metal, and it's not for nothing that it's called the NWOBHM (New wave of british HEAVY metal).
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Good choices, they're good for starters. I think if you're becoming interested in metal, it's very important that you listen to songs several times, because you'll need to accustom yourself to the sound in general and the vocals in particular.
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no priest, BIG no maiden 
metal is vast. associating metal in general with heavy metal (in the form of priest metal and maiden metal) is one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make before getting in this music. but just like you, most people will recommend them as "musts" for anyone that wants to get into these music paths. and this drives them away fast. i listen to so many subgenres of metal but my ears can't fucking stand the power/heavy metal voices. plus I hate the drumming too, but that's more of my thing. most people can't stand the screaming voices most of all. so please, recommend them as "YOUR" choices of "YOUR" specific metal taste and encourage people that want to get in this kind of music to start investigating the metal paths on their own cause there really is much more to metal than what appears to be attributed to it from these or any similar choices.
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On May 11 2008 03:46 SchOOl_VicTIm wrote:
metal is vast. associating metal in general with heavy metal (in the form of priest metal and maiden metal) is one of the biggest mistakes anyone can make before getting in this music. but just like you, most people will recommend them as "musts" for anyone that wants to get into these music paths. and this drives them away fast.
I agree that the genre is quite broad. However, in my experience (and I've introduced quite a few people to the genre) is that they generally appreciate bands like Maiden/Priest/Sabbath the most.
i listen to so many subgenres of metal but my ears can't fucking stand the power/heavy metal voices. plus I hate the drumming too, but that's more of my thing. most people can't stand the screaming voices most of all. so please, recommend them as "YOUR" choices of "YOUR" specific metal taste and encourage people that want to get in this kind of music to start investigating the metal paths on their own cause there really is much more to metal than what appears to be attributed to it from these or any similar choices.
I'm not saying that this is THE list of lists, however it seems to be a list that most people can agree on. As for the screaming voices; There are only a few genres in Metal that don't have this; Death Metal has grunts, Black Metal has screeches, Doom is highly band dependant, same case with Progressive. Thrash is my personal favorite, but I feel it most likely sounds too aggressive for a new listener. That's the thing I kept in mind when making this list; the accessibility, and I feel that the vocals of Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford are much more bearable then those of Chuck Schuldiner and co for your average listener.
However, if you disagree, I'd love to see a list by yours (not sarcasm/meant in a bad way) to what you would recommend to new listeners.
Also: After thinking a bit more about it, I would probably recommend Dream Theater's Awake as well.
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i totally agree with most of your choices, especially number of the beast. The soft stuff but still good.
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I've gotten into some thrash lately but my favorite band of all time is of course Iron Maiden (Going to see them live this summer again  )
I agree on Paranoid, that album is so fucking great!
About Megadeth, CtE is pure gold!!
One thrash album that is good too is Exodus - Bonded By Blood! (Thanks Artanis)
What about Testaments new album? I think its pretty good actually!
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is awesome32271 Posts
Well for GETTING into metal I would sure as hell recommend "The Best From The Beast". It has most of their best songs, and people not used to metal could find their other records not so good. Specially since some songs are long. Also with that compilation once they get some songs they like they can go and get the album from where that song is...
I would also recommend Painkiller + some power metal since is what people not used to Metal find more interesting. Stratovarius, Helloween, Rhapsody, Nightwish. People who are new to metal tend to like those bands.
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Wow, I was fucking pissed when I saw St. Anger, you got me good :p
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The list is OK but a bit one-sided. Why not include more subgenres?
I'd say:
- Metallica - Master of Puppets [Thrash + Heavy]
- Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth [Power]
- Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2 [Progressive]
... and the 4th would be something combining Black and Death. I don't know many bands combining these two, so I'll just say: Belphegor
With that, you should have all the most important bases covered. 
Each band is also *vastly* different from the others, showing just how big metal is and how diverse the subgenres are.
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As always, its all Thrash/Power/Traditional from my pal Artanis. (BTW this is Logan).
You should have these in it.
Darkthrone - Transylvanian Hunger (Black Metal)
Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness (Death Metal)
Cryptopsy - None So Vile (Tech Death Metal)
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (Black Metal)
To cover all the death/black basically.
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Oh, and I'd recommend Hate Eternal - Fury & Flames to anyone who likes Death metal.
Crazy shit.
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Where's the thrash in there? ;p None of the 4 are thrash.
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am i the only person that listens to power metal? -_-
what about rap metal?
represent more generic/happy derivants of metal!
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that list really only covers one genre of metal
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EPT![[image loading]](http://www.icedearth.com/discography/c_wicked_400.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.metalkingdom.net/album/img/d30/379.jpg)
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![[image loading]](http://www.alternative-zine.com/images2/albums/metallica_st._anger__big.jpg)
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