TOP 10 Metal/hardcore albums since the 80's began

The album wars thread spurred me to do this.Yes, I know Sabbath, Zeppelin, Rainbow etc. started it all. However metal really wasn't a common definition til the early 80's. I know becuase I was there. Yes I am(38) old. There is too many great albums for just atop 10 IMO. 20 isn't nearly enough, but if i ask for more I don't know how many peeps will actually post them,but I will put 25 myself to just be safe.- EDIT - I changed the title to10, so more people would post their list, but put 25 if you want to.


1. Metallica- Master of puppets
2. Living Sacrifice - The hammering process
3. Project 86- Songs to burn your bridges by
4. Metallica- And justice for all
5. Metallica- Ride the lightning
6. Megadeth- Rust in Peace
7. Pantera- Far beyond driven
8. Corosion of Conformity- Deliverance
9. Pantera- Vulgar display of power
10. Guns N Roses- Appetite for destruction
11. Pantera- Reinventing the steel
12. Metallica- The Black Album
13. Anthrax - The sound of White noise
14. Pantera- Cowboys from hell
15. Project 86- Drawing Black lines
16. Demon Hunter- Self titled
17.Pantera- The great southern Trendkill
18. Wrathchild America- 3D-man
19. Metallica- Kill em all
20. Iron Maiden - Piece of mind
21. Megadeth- So far.. so good... so what
22. Anthrax- Among the Living
23. Living Sacrifice- Conceived in fire
24.Judas Priest- Painkiller
25. WASP- self titled

Nice list man. Not a fan of Motorhead? I think Ace of Spades is in top 20.

Big fan of Pantera and Metallica?

I would chime in on the list, but I was just a kid in the 80's. I clearly remember several of those albums, though. Many of them have proven timeless.

Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
Iron Maiden - Killers
Metallica - Kill em' all
Metallica - Master Of Puppets
Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla (1974) / British Steel
Anthrax - Spreading The disease
Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power
Anthrax - Among The Living
Metallica - ... And Justice For All
Dokken - Breaking The Chains
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
Dream Theatre - Images And Words / When day and Dream unites (can't choose)
Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss
Sepultura - Schizophrenia
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
WASP - The Last Command
Opeth - Orchid
Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying ?
Soulfly - Primitive
Dio - Holy Diver
Van Halen - 1984
Skid Row - Slave To The Grind

Wow this was hard, Id have enough favorites to do a top 50, probly even 60 or 70

EDIT : Seeing as the smacka put 25 up there, i decided to do that too.

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Posted by Copenhagen

Nice list man. Not a fan of Motorhead? I think Ace of Spades is in top 20.

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It ss a great album, and I would put it in the top 100. No small feat in my book by the way. Its just that on the album Ace of spades, Bite the bullet , love me like a reptile ,and Hammer are the only songs that I liked a lot. Still 4 great songs on album is nothing to sneeze at.

I have a hard time lumping Appetite for Destruction ( One of the best albums of all time), Van Halen, and Skid Row is a category titled Metal/Hardcore. Number one for most people will be a Metallica album. My personal choice for numero uno would be And Justice for All. David Lee Roth's Van Halen, GNR, and Skid Row are more on the hard rock side of things, that being said the 80's lack very definitive hard rock bands, so where's that leave those guys. If I would group Guns with the listing, then I take Appetite ( the best selling debut rock album of all time) as my number one choice for sure.

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Posted by The_Metal_Maniac

I have a hard time lumping Appetite for Destruction ( One of the best albums of all time), Van Halen, and Skid Row is a category titled Metal/Hardcore. Number one for most people will be a Metallica album. My personal choice for numero uno would be And Justice for All. David Lee Roth's Van Halen, GNR, and Skid Row are more on the hard rock side of things, that being said the 80's lack very definitive hard rock bands, so where's that leave those guys. If I would group Guns with the listing, then I take Appetite ( the best selling debut rock album of all time) as my number one choice for sure.

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Exactly what I was thinking... I think Guns wre on the very fringe of the hard rock/Glam Rock scene and certainly had cross-over appeal with the metalheads. So personally, if I were going to lump them in with this crowd (and that's an easy argument to make), then Appetite has to be number one on the list.

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Posted by The_Metal_Maniac

I have a hard time lumping Appetite for Destruction ( One of the best albums of all time), Van Halen, and Skid Row is a category titled Metal/Hardcore. Number one for most people will be a Metallica album. My personal choice for numero uno would be And Justice for All. David Lee Roth's Van Halen, GNR, and Skid Row are more on the hard rock side of things, that being said the 80's lack very definitive hard rock bands, so where's that leave those guys. If I would group Guns with the listing, then I take Appetite ( the best selling debut rock album of all time) as my number one choice for sure.

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I both agree and disagree. I think the only reason VH and row can't really be considered as metal to you guys would have to be cause of the voice... wich is what i agree on. But every other aspect of those bands all point to metal IMO, killer riffs and solos, kicking drums and deep/hard bass licks.

Cowboys from Hell is a little low for my taste. Without CFH, metal dies in the 90s.

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Posted by DJDark41

Cowboys from Hell is a little low for my taste. Without CFH, metal dies in the 90s.

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To each his own. lets see your list bro

There is no way I can make a decisive ranking of metal/hxc bands, way too many that deserve the spots, whether the list is objective or subjective. I know of bands that are my personal favorites that I can promise not one person can say that they saw/heard unless they are from my hometown. 518 hardcore crushes all....

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Posted by bojangalz

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Posted by The_Metal_Maniac

I have a hard time lumping Appetite for Destruction ( One of the best albums of all time), Van Halen, and Skid Row is a category titled Metal/Hardcore. Number one for most people will be a Metallica album. My personal choice for numero uno would be And Justice for All. David Lee Roth's Van Halen, GNR, and Skid Row are more on the hard rock side of things, that being said the 80's lack very definitive hard rock bands, so where's that leave those guys. If I would group Guns with the listing, then I take Appetite ( the best selling debut rock album of all time) as my number one choice for sure.

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Exactly what I was thinking... I think Guns wre on the very fringe of the hard rock/Glam Rock scene and certainly had cross-over appeal with the metalheads. So personally, if I were going to lump them in with this crowd (and that's an easy argument to make), then Appetite has to be number one on the list.

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As i was a metalhead/ dirthead back then, as we were known, I can tell you most of us loved GnR. Some dudes were death/thrash metal only, but those were generally the peeps that went for the whole dark/satanic/ pre-goth scene. I thought them kinda funny personally, as they were the guys who would wear makeup, spiked collars, yet thought themselves more hard and " mysterious" . They were just usually kids looking for some niche to fit in. I kind of felt sorry for most of them, as they would try to act all scary, and then when someone called their bluff get beat up. After columbine I was doubly glad I was never the type to bully them, but yeah it seemed that GnR was cool with most everyone into hard/heavy music -once they stopped wearing makeup after the welcome to the jungle video.

Here's my 10, all are from the 90's, and I'm a diehard Pantera fan, so that's why a lot of their stuff is there:


Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power
Down - NOLA
Alice in Chains - Dirt
Pantera - The Great Souhern Trendkill
Skid Row - Slave to the Grind
Armored Saint - Symbol of Salvation
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Carcass - Swansong

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Posted by DJDark41

Cowboys from Hell is a little low for my taste. Without CFH, metal dies in the 90s.

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its #2 on mine!

I could go back and forth on 1 and 2. It's really difficult to compare the two as they are almost complete opposites in terms of sound. I think RIP is a more technical and energetic album. MOP is darker and offers the final album with Cliff Burton, who rnks up there with Les Claypool (Primus) and John Myung (Dream Theater) It depends on what mood I am in. The rest are in no real particular order. Each makes it's rotation through my CD player.

1) Megadeth - Rust In Peace
2) Metallica - Master of Puppets
3) Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power
4) White Zombie - La Sexorcisto
5) Slayer - Divine Intervention
6) Corrosion of Conformity - Deliverance
6.5) Alice In Chains - Dirt
7) Acid Bath - When the Kite String Pops
8) Gwar - Scumdogs of the Universe
9) Sepultura - Arise
10) Static X - Wisconsin Death Trip
11) Metallica - ..and Justice
12) Megadeth - The System Has Failed
13) Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
14) Dream Theater - Images and Words
15) King Diamond - Them
16) Slayer - Seasons In the Abyss

-OUT-

I don't really consider myself a metal-head. On the one hand, that might devalue my opinion a little, because it's not a well-educated opinion. On the other hand, it might mean that the metal albums I like are the ones that really rise above the rest. For some hardcore fans of any genre, any band or album that achieves "crossover appeal" has almost by definition compromised the qualities of the genre, and I think to some degree that's true. However, I think there's also a special place for bands or albums who so perfect their art that they can be appreciated by those outside their core audience.

So with a couple of exceptions, this is a baker's dozen of my favorite metal albums since the '80s:

1. I think Metallica are the single most important American metal band ever, and Master of Puppets is their masterpiece.

2. I pretty much hated metal in the '80s. However, I couldn't deny the charisma of Appetite for Destruction.

3. As a fan of goth, grunge and industrial in their pure forms, Antichrist Superstar was speaking my language from the moment I heard it. Being the genre potpourri that he is, Manson is sometimes dismissed by metal purists, but I think they're failing to appreciate the sheer stomp and smash behind the facade.

4. There's a largely un-mined vein of hard rock that I like to call "Groove-Metal." The above-linked Guns n' Roses song is one example. White Zombie's La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, vol. 1 is another. It's metal-as-party-music, if you will, with a funky bounce and a sense of humor.

5. I always appreciate the oddball, the guy or gal who gives boundaries a big shove, and System of a Down strike me as a bunch of total weirdos.

6. Static-X's Wisconsin Death Trip hearkens back to Ministry's "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste", one of the angriest albums I've ever heard.

7. Epica represents another of the metal crossover genres that purists might turn their noses up at, but The Phantom Agony gets a lot of air time in my iPod.

8. To my knowledge they haven't followed up on their initial effort, but I think Otep's Sevas Tra is one of the most under-appreciated albums of the decade (and for those taking "Psych 101", I can think of no better illustration of Jung's concept of animus).

9. Is Dragpipe's Music For the Last Day of Your Life metal or punk? Either way, it was pretty much ignored by everybody.

10. I've never been impressed with grating vocals for grating vocals' sake, but Two Hunters, by Wolves in the Throne Room, really grabbed me by the balls and spurred an interest in the black metal sub-genre.

11. Droning, experimental, metallic psychedelia is a nascent sub-genre that doesn't even have a name yet, but Nadja's Touched is a fascinating listen.

12. I think I appreciate it the most when I'm drunk and in the company of scantily-clad women, but I get the feeling Vince and the boys wouldn't have it any other way. Dr. Feelgood is uncomplicated, tongue-in-cheek, booty-grabbing party music.

13. Disturbed might be too pop-industrial for some, but I thought The Sickness struck the right balance.


EDITS: Had to fix all kinds of f'ed up markup.

Wow, I cannot believe...I mean literally, I cannot believe, that somone picked "Divine Intervention" as Slayers best album. That album is universally considered their worst piece of work. Just because of that, I have to throw that whole list out.

Here's what I will go with, I am going with what would be considered the critical albums, not my personal favorites necessarily. This is a very difficult list to do since I'm combining hardcore and metal which is tough. I am listing out not only what I think people would say are favorites but also albums that are pivotal, ground breaking albums that launched new genres all together.

#1: Slayer - Reign in Blood
2: Metallica - Master of Puppers
3: Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast
4: Black Flag - Damaged
5: Metallica - Kill 'Em All
6: Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
7: D.R.I. - Dealing With It
8: Sepultua - Chaos AD
9: Hatebreed - Satisfaction is the Death of Desire
10: Venom - Welcome To Hell

I'm impressed that thus far everyone is actually picking metal bands, as there are too many top metal lists tht have bands that aren't metal at all like Bon Jovi or something to that extent.

1)Bullet for my Valentine- The Poison
2)Bullet for my Valentine- Scream Aim Fire
3)Metallica- Black Album
4)Killswitch Engage- The end of Heartache
5)Metallica- Master of Puppets
6)Five Finger Death Punch- The Way of the Fist
7)Atreyu- A Deathgrip on Yesterday
8)Atreyu- Lead Sails and Paper Anchor
9) Megadeth- Peace Sells...but who's Buying?
10)Killswitch Engage- As Daylight Dies
11) Judas Priest- Screaming for Vengance
12)Avenged Sevenfold- City of Evil
13)Metallica- Ride the Lightning
14)Flyleaf- Flyleaf
15)Megadeth- Countdown to Extinction
16)Judas Priest- Brittish Steel
17)Metallica- And Justice for All
18)Black Sabbath- Paranoid
19)Ozzy- Diary of a Madman
20)Atreyu- Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses
21)Caliban- The Awakening
22)Dio- Holy Diver
23)Disturbed- Ten Thousand Fists
24)Type O Negative- Slow Deep And Hard
25)Dream Theater- Images And Words

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Posted by Wolfenstein

I'm impressed that thus far everyone is actually picking metal bands, as there are too many top metal lists tht have bands that aren't metal at all like Bon Jovi or something to that extent.

1)Bullet for my Valentine- The Poison
2)Bullet for my Valentine- Scream Aim Fire
3)Metallica- Black Album
4)Killswitch Engage- The end of Heartache
5)Metallica- Master of Puppets
6)Five Finger Death Punch- The Way of the Fist
7)Atreyu- A Deathgrip on Yesterday
8)Atreyu- Lead Sails and Paper Anchor
9) Megadeth- Peace Sells...but who's Buying?
10)Killswitch Engage- As Daylight Dies
11) Judas Priest- Screaming for Vengance
12)Avenged Sevenfold- City of Evil
13)Metallica- Ride the Lightning
14)Flyleaf- Flyleaf
15)Megadeth- Countdown to Extinction
16)Judas Priest- Brittish Steel
17)Metallica- And Justice for All
18)Black Sabbath- Paranoid
19)Ozzy- Diary of a Madman
20)Atreyu- Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses
21)Caliban- The Awakening
22)Dio- Holy Diver
23)Disturbed- Ten Thousand Fists
24)Type O Negative- Slow Deep And Hard
25)Dream Theater- Images And Words

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Some of these albums are pre-80s which I was trying to stay away from based on the title.

im not a metal fan, but after reading wolfies post i realized that i know half of the bands i shouldnt because my son listens to them(avenged sevenfold, flyleaf, BFMV). of course i know a lot of the older stuff, but man reading that made me feel like a geezer.

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Posted by Joemoplata

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Posted by Wolfenstein

I'm impressed that thus far everyone is actually picking metal bands, as there are too many top metal lists tht have bands that aren't metal at all like Bon Jovi or something to that extent.

1)Bullet for my Valentine- The Poison
2)Bullet for my Valentine- Scream Aim Fire
3)Metallica- Black Album
4)Killswitch Engage- The end of Heartache
5)Metallica- Master of Puppets
6)Five Finger Death Punch- The Way of the Fist
7)Atreyu- A Deathgrip on Yesterday
8)Atreyu- Lead Sails and Paper Anchor
9) Megadeth- Peace Sells...but who's Buying?
10)Killswitch Engage- As Daylight Dies
11) Judas Priest- Screaming for Vengance
12)Avenged Sevenfold- City of Evil
13)Metallica- Ride the Lightning
14)Flyleaf- Flyleaf
15)Megadeth- Countdown to Extinction
16)Judas Priest- Brittish Steel
17)Metallica- And Justice for All
18)Black Sabbath- Paranoid
19)Ozzy- Diary of a Madman
20)Atreyu- Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses
21)Caliban- The Awakening
22)Dio- Holy Diver
23)Disturbed- Ten Thousand Fists
24)Type O Negative- Slow Deep And Hard
25)Dream Theater- Images And Words

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Some of these albums are pre-80s which I was trying to stay away from based on the title.

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True, I guess I kind of got a little off track.

No one has Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction or Faith No More's Real Thing(not sure if exactly metal but it is pretty hard).
otherwise good lists.

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Posted by StorminYourman

No one has Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction or Faith No More's Real Thing(not sure if exactly metal but it is pretty hard).
otherwise good lists.

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Countdown to extinction barely missed my list actually... i do like them but faith no more is not considered metal by my standards though.

Oh boy, this is tough.....an I know I will forget some but here goes nothing.

No real order, just top 25

1- Slayer- Reign in Blood
2- Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power
3- Metallica- Master of Puppets
4- Guns and Roses- Appetite for Destruction
5- Killswitch Engage- Alive or Just Breathing
6- Metallica- Ride the Lightning
7- Pantera- Cowboys From Hell
8- Slipknot- Slipknot
9- Marilyn Manson- Antichrist Superstar
10- White Zombie- Astro Creep 2000
11- Acid Bath- Pagean Love Tactics
12- Megadeth- Countdown to Extinction
13- Soulfly- Soulfly
14- Mushroomhead- Superbuick
15- Mastadon- Livithian
16- Mudvayne- L.D. 50
17- Deftones- White Pony (if that counts)
18- Pantera- Great Southern Trendkill
19- Sevendust- Sevendust
20- Poison the Well- The Opposite of December
21- From Autumn To Ashes- Too Bad Your Beautiful
22- Every Time I Die- Hot Damn!
23- As I Lay Dyng- Frail Words Collapse
24- Machine Head- Burn My Eyes
25- Type O Negative- Bloody Kisses

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Posted by StorminYourman

No one has Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction or Faith No More's Real Thing(not sure if exactly metal but it is pretty hard).
otherwise good lists.

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I had Countdown to Extinction, #15--rest easy, there is some sanity in the world.

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Posted by Wolfenstein

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Posted by StorminYourman

No one has Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction or Faith No More's Real Thing(not sure if exactly metal but it is pretty hard).
otherwise good lists.

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I had Countdown to Extinction, #15--rest easy, there is some sanity in the world.

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Everyone's got different taste. I think it's a great album, but sill Megadeth's 4th best. Behind R.I.P, So far , so good, so what, and Peace sells. So to each their own. We aren't talking badass or not IMO, just degrees of badassidness. Is a word I think.

All right, I think I've organized my thoughts enough to sorta throw a list together.
I'll try to represent both metal and hardcore. Its way to hard to number them, but when I think of my favorite metal albums, these are it....

Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake
deftones - Adrenaline
Unearth - The Oncoming Storm
Candiria - Surrealistic Madness
The Acacia Strain - The Dead Walk
Section 8 - Nine Ways to Say I Love You
Glassjaw - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence
Heal These Wounds - Ambitions
Hatebreed - Satisfaction is the Death of Desire
Skinless - Progression Towards Evil
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
Fear Factory - Soul of a New Machine
Sepultura - Chaos A.D.
Helmet - Strap It On
Lamb of God - New American Gospel
HORSE the Band - The Mechanical Hand
Chimaira - The Impossibility of Reason
Vision of Disorder - Self titled
Cutthroat - Hatebreedsrage

There are some really influential albums that came out in the '80s, but these are my favs that I've actually had to replace the CDs on some of them from too much use/wear and tear over the years.

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Posted by breakdown5

All right, I think I've organized my thoughts enough to sorta throw a list together.
I'll try to represent both metal and hardcore. Its way to hard to number them, but when I think of my favorite metal albums, these are it....

Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake
deftones - Adrenaline
Unearth - The Oncoming Storm
Candiria - Surrealistic Madness
The Acacia Strain - The Dead Walk
Section 8 - Nine Ways to Say I Love You
Glassjaw - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence
Heal These Wounds - Ambitions
Hatebreed - Satisfaction is the Death of Desire
Skinless - Progression Towards Evil
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
Fear Factory - Soul of a New Machine
Sepultura - Chaos A.D.
Helmet - Strap It On
Lamb of God - New American Gospel
HORSE the Band - The Mechanical Hand
Chimaira - The Impossibility of Reason
Vision of Disorder - Self titled
Cutthroat - Hatebreedsrage

There are some really influential albums that came out in the '80s, but these are my favs that I've actually had to replace the CDs on some of them from too much use/wear and tear over the years.

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Hey, I did say SINCE the 80's began, so it's all good. I honestly don't know a lot about secular music for the last 10 years, so you represent the new breed I guess.

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Posted by hippysmacker

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Posted by breakdown5

All right, I think I've organized my thoughts enough to sorta throw a list together.
I'll try to represent both metal and hardcore. Its way to hard to number them, but when I think of my favorite metal albums, these are it....

Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake
deftones - Adrenaline
Unearth - The Oncoming Storm
Candiria - Surrealistic Madness
The Acacia Strain - The Dead Walk
Section 8 - Nine Ways to Say I Love You
Glassjaw - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence
Heal These Wounds - Ambitions
Hatebreed - Satisfaction is the Death of Desire
Skinless - Progression Towards Evil
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
Fear Factory - Soul of a New Machine
Sepultura - Chaos A.D.
Helmet - Strap It On
Lamb of God - New American Gospel
HORSE the Band - The Mechanical Hand
Chimaira - The Impossibility of Reason
Vision of Disorder - Self titled
Cutthroat - Hatebreedsrage

There are some really influential albums that came out in the '80s, but these are my favs that I've actually had to replace the CDs on some of them from too much use/wear and tear over the years.

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Hey, I did say SINCE the 80's began, so it's all good. I honestly don't know a lot about secular music for the last 10 years, so you represent the new breed I guess.

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There are some damn good christian metal bands and a ton of positive youth hardcore bands out there. You should check out Heal These Wounds . They are a real positive and real heavy. I know the lead singer and his faith is very important to him, and its real subtle in his lyrics, kinda like As I Lay Dying.

im not gonna go rip too hard into your music taste, because people are more defensive about that than their kids being ugly.


but in no way should reinventing the steel be ranked higher than the great southern trendkill.