These are my favorite opening songs of all time. When I listened to them, I was instantly hooked! Whether it starts with a slow instrumental build-up or an aggressive assault of riffs, these openers set the tone for the rest of their respective albums. Enjoy!

1.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

2.Judas Priest - Painkiller

3.Summoning - Minas Morgul

4.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

5.Testament - The Legacy

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1.Judas Priest - Painkiller

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

5.Motörhead - Inferno

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In chronological order of release.

1.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

2.Deep Purple - In Rock

3.Uriah Heep - Very 'eavy... Very 'umble

4.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

5.Budgie - Budgie

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All Black Sabbath albums (including Heaven and Hell's "The Devil You Know"), ranked from best to worst (in my opinion).

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

4.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

5.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

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This is my top albums (only with those where I gave 8 or more). I will update the list now and then

1.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

2.Opeth - Ghost Reveries

3.Slipknot - Iowa

4.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

5.Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper

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1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

3.Black Sabbath - Headless Cross

4.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

5.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

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The bands are in that order on purpose, from most to least favorite, but favorite nonetheless. The format is:

band | favourite album by the band | favorite song (or 2) by the band

Last updated on 4 November 2022.

1.Meshuggah - Nothing

2.Opeth - Blackwater Park

3.Immolation - Close To A World Below

4.Death - Symbolic

5.Agalloch - The Mantle

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Inspired by Jiri's list of greatest track numbers, I decided to make a tracklist of my own!

I chose 1 song as the best 1st track of any album, 1 song as the best 2nd track of any album, etc. The list goes to 10 tracks, because I only know a few albums that have more than 10 tracks.

To keep it diverse, I've followed the rule of 1 song per band. I've tried to also choose the songs in such a way that the tracklist flows nicely, with diversity in pace and genres, but still working together to create one hell of an album!

1.Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath

2.Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

3.Slayer - Show No Mercy

4.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

5.Death - Leprosy

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Last updated on 11 April 2024.

1.Dream Theater - Images And Words

2.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

3.Wintersun - Wintersun

4.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

5.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

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There are various types of album closers: those that combine everything from the beginning of the album (Recharging the Void), the last punch in the face (Dyers Eve), the standout best song of the album (Hallowed Be Thy Name), the melancholy instrumental outro (No Dreams Breed in Breathless Sleep), and many other types!
These are my favorite album finishers! Enjoy!

1.Vektor - Terminal Redux

2.Death - Symbolic

3.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

4.Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?

5.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

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Bands in my daily listening rotation. Albums chosen are my favorite by the respective band in most cases 🤘

1.200 Stab Wounds - Slave To The Scalpel

2.A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms

3.Abbath - Abbath

4.Acid Witch - Rot Among Us

5.Æther Realm - Tarot

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Compilation of many Hard Rock or Metal Ballads I've heard. Bands and Albums are ordered by name alphabetically.

1.Accept - Balls To The Wall

2.Accept - Blood Of The Nations

3.Accept - Eat The Heat

4.Adagio - Underworld

5.Aerosmith - Aerosmith

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1.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

2.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

4.Judas Priest - Painkiller

5.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

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In progress top 100 albums in no order yet

1.Alice In Chains - Jar Of Flies

2.Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

3.Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf

4.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

5.Dream Theater - Images And Words

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This is the most unquestionably difficult ranking I could undertake. The # of albums I consider borderline flawless from each of these bands is ridiculous. Over a dozen albums from these 3 bands have legitimate arguments to be considered the greatest traditional heavy metal album of all time.

I have a few rankings that are likely hot takes here
** Yes, I like Dance of Death more than most folks. Title track and Paschendale are both top 10 Maiden songs, and Montsegur is only a small step behind that. Those 3 songs are better than anything on Brave New World to me, but the rest of BNW is better and higher quality.
** Yes I kinda like Turbo. It's silly but it's fun and the guitar work and Rob's vocals are absolutely stellar. That kinda sucks about Ram It Down, it's got some of Priests' best lead guitar work and I don't think Rob ever sounded better, but dear lord, some of those songs...
As for the top 6 albums here, honestly put them in whatever order you want. They're that close to me and mood depending it could change

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Judas Priest - Painkiller

3.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4.Black Sabbath - Sabotage

5.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

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