A list Metal:
Years and bands that produced A grade Metal albums.
Heavy Metal:
Black Sabbath: 1970-1971
Judas priest :1976-1978, 1990, 2005
Iron Maiden: 1980-1986
Motorhead: 1977-1986
Speed Metal:
*Metallica: 1983-1986
*Slayer:1983-1988
Megadeth: 1984-1990
Overkill: 1985-1987
Exodus: 1985
Metal Church: 1985
Kreator: 1985-1990
Sodom: 1986-1989
Dark Angel: 1986
Sepultura: 1986-1991
Testament: 1987
First Wave Black Metal:
Mercyful Fate: 1983-1984
Bathory: 1984-1991
*Hellhammer / Celtic Frost: 1983-1987
King Daimond: 1987-1988
*Venom - 1981-1984
Death Metal:
Possessed:1985
Death: 1987-1990
Morbid Angel: 1989-1991
*Atheist:1989-1991
Deicide: 1990-1992
*Suffocation: 1991-1995
Demilich: 1993
*Gorguts: 1993-1998
*At the Gates: 1992
*Incantation: 1992-1998
*Immolation: 1991-1996
Second Wave Black Metal:
Darkthrone: 1992-1994
Burzum: 1992-1994
Immortal:1992-1995
Emperor: 1994
*Enslaved: 1994
Mayhem: 1994
Gorgoroth: 1994-1996
Graveland: 1994-2000
Sacrementum: 1996
*Necromantia: 1993-1997
*Beherit: 1990-1993, 1995, 2009
meh. "Fixed" some of the entries. All changes marked with an asterisk. Wasn't sure where to put Godflesh, but I would regard the Godflesh EP and Streetcleaner as A level
I would add these albums, and suggest maybe these subtractions
Black Sabbath at least until 73 but I'd like to take Sabotage if I could too.
Captain Beyond 71 (this is more progressive rock but I don't go anywhere without it)
Candlemass 86 - 89
Pagan Altar
Pentagram 85-88(+demo comps)
No King Diamond albums, Mercyful Fate is mandatory and cancels the need for them out entirely.
These later period heavy/doom bands would likely be disputed by other members but for me they'd be essential.
Cathedral
Sleep
Electric Wizard
I think we could cut out a whole bunch of the shitty and rip off thrash/speed like Testament, Sodom, Megadeth etc. Not that these bands didn't make contributions, good albums or at the very least songs but do we really need a Testament album in a post Apocalyptic world other than to sharpen and throw at the neck of a game animal or a member of an enemy raiding party? If we're putting in chud like that, then lets at least put in something that actually does what the genre is supposed to do, irrelevant or not, and include an obscure album like Morbid Saint's Spectrum of Death. Reinsert Justice in the Metallica discog...taking that out is treason!
Deathstrike/Master 85-91
Amorphis 92
Demigod 93
Cryptopsy 94-96
Morbid Angel adding 93, 98
Massacra 90-91
Merciless 91
Satyricon 96
Varathron 93
Havohej 91
I should stop here because I'd imagine we might be running out of room even if there is more that belongs on here, and I'd start chucking Graveland, Metal Church and Overkill albums left and right. I might chuck those Overkill ones anyway.
To make some room for high end newer bands that probably aren't as "good" as the classics but are what I am here to feel and experience in the moment and thus hold a strong affinity for. It would be a great disservice to exclude a whole generation of elite bands(and from my own subjective opinion a group as enjoyable and fundamentally valid as the previous generation)
Demoncy
Necros Christos
Disma
Goreaphobia
Cruicamentum
Grave Miasma
Lie in Ruins
Impiety