Metallica - Master of Puppets - Ive said my piece on it. Its probably my favorite album of all time.
Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory - Im not sure I can point to a single other album that shaped my musical taste as much as this one. I can probably sing and mime the instruments of this album front to back without even listening to it. Its a part of me. And it still sounds SO good.
System of a Down - Toxicity - I first heard Chop Suey in my dads car in 2002. I still listen to it 20 years later. I still listen to this whole fucking album front to back 20 years on. Its weird, its wonky, its hard-hitting, I still feel like theres very little like it to this day.
Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold - About as well-composed as a modern metal band can be. Avenged Sevenfold produces some of the catchiest songs this side of rock, with a sense of pure aggression, impressively progressive riffs and song structure, and a flair for the creative as seen on their magnum opus, Little Piece of Heaven.
Black Marble - Its Immaterial - Moody and packed to the brim with feeling, Black Marbles effort here is undeniable. Its a personal favorite choice - as judged by its lukewarm reactions in the topic I almost feel like its an album made specifically for me and my tastes alone. I know thats not true, but still, awash in its dreamy vocals and subdued synths, its an album I can close my eyes to at any time and get whisked away into a land of pure bliss and nostalgic sadness.
Guns n Roses - Appetite for Destruction - God damn how is this shit so good?
Blink-182 - Enema of the State - A truly amazing piece of pop songwriting here. I mean I have my own personal favorites I think are better of course, but can anyone objectively say pop punk has ever been done better than this right here? There are no skips, and honestly the lyrics can be pretty smart in a slacker suburban kid sort of way - like when a dumb friend says something profound on accident. Super fun.
Faith No More - Angel Dust - ITS PERFECT, YES, ITS TRUE.
Taylor Swift - Folklore - Some of the most emotionally beautiful tracks Swift has ever written. A huge leap in maturity though Folklore certainly suffers from a lack of catchiness and brattiness I so adore in her first few albums. I think Evermore struck a more comfortable balance but if someone were to call Folklore Swifts best album - I wouldnt necessarily argue. Its clearly the work of a masterful songwriter proving why shes the best and most fearless voice in pop music right now.
Miracle Musical - Hawaii: Part II - Im so fucking glad albums like this are nominated for this series. Love how it combines retro sounds with modern techniques and the themes of the album are just incredible.
Eagles - Hotel California - Yes it has its weak spots in the second half, but to kick off an album with THREE all-timers, well, this album is undeniable. The lyricism is amazing and the guitar and drum work is always tasty.
Portishead - Third - Man I wish I had time to rank this one at the time. Its beats feel anxious, its vocals horror inducing, and dissonant cut-ins are heart-pounding and shocking.
Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee - Be Sweet will never leave my head for as long as I live. Oh yeah, and the rest of the album is amazing too.
Opeth - Damnation - Not Opeths best, but the more accessible prog rock styling that usurped prog death creates a more intimate and depressing experience thats hard not to get sucked in by.
The Beatles - Rubber Soul - Yeah its The Beatles. Yeah, theyre amazing. This isnt a personal favorite Beatles album or anything, but this is still a solid catalog of songs nonetheless. Its not as flashy as later works, or as instantly catchy as prior works, but what is here is just a good batch of folk tunes you can listen to at practically any time.
Dream Theater - Images and Words - A solid, occasionally jaw-dropping, debut by one of the best progressive metal bands of all time. Theres no denying this bands musical proficiency and willingness to not be pigeonholed, but this is a band that would only get better from here.
VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater - Though the tracks blend in with one another, the album has such a strong sound that I dont even mind.
The Cranberries - No Need to Argue - An album absolutely deserving of being in the 90s alt rock definitive canon. ORiordans vocals are beautiful and even occasionally reach gothically haunting heights, while a harder edge from the rest of the band brings things full circle to something gorgeously profound throughout.
Love - Forever Changes - Its obviously a good album, but it doesnt feel as timeless as other 60s works. Thats okay as its swerving experimentation keeps things interesting throughout. Just loses out to other albums on here since this is a pretty solid collection of records after all.
The White Stripes - Elephant - The White Stripes is one of those bands I like putting on one song at a time and enjoying a good tune. As an album, it gets drowned out in itself. Really great singles though.
Peter Gabriel - So - Beautifully produced and meticulously arranged, though with no blemishes a full listen can feel sort of plain. Still, give me that Kate Bush feature any day of the week, and Sledgehammer will always be a fun one.
Mos Def - Black on Both Sides - It feels a little too long and the style gets grating for me personally, still theres some damn good lyricism to be found here and I do love some of the beats.
Phil Collins - Face Value - A pretty experimental record all things considered, and Phil Collins puts in solid effort as he does on all recordings. Its appropriately moody but feels occasionally lost in the sauce, a little directionless even if tracks like In The Air Tonight remind you why Phil Collins is a musical force to be reckoned with.
Jack White - Fear of the Dawn - Cant go wrong with some Jack White, if you want solid guitar work and good old fashioned rock, you can do worse. Still, what makes it stand out? Not much honestly.
Sunspot - Singularity - Feels like something that couldve been bigger in the 90s. Theres a bit of a local band quality to it - not trying to belittle it, because I do like some of the tracks on here, but rather its a little too safe and doesnt do anything to elevate to a next level, at least to me.
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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back. https://www.instagram.com/horror_obscurities/