One word: "Paschendale". This magnus opus alone makes the album worth a purchase. Along with the title track, this album shows that even after all these years Iron Maiden still has it.

Very diverse album. This is an incredibly heavy affair, but like the best metal, can't be pin-pointed in one genre of music. The title track goes on an epic 9 minute journey and manages to dabble in just about every genre of metal along the way.

Michael Romeo's guitar work is absolutely nuts here, as is Russel Allan's vocals. "Wicked" opens with devastating riffs, before Allan comes and steals the show. Allan's singing at roughly 4:20 into the song is simply the most amazing thing I've ever heard in a song.

They make a strong case for my favorite band along with Iron Maiden and Scar Symmetry. My favorite track is the closer: "One from the Stands". It opens up with some insane guitar work before exploding into a head-banging gallop.

The album is full of Schaffer's head-banging riffs and Barlow's distinct vocals. "I Died for You" ranks among my favorite songs of all time. It never gets old, and Barlow's performance is unforgettable. The song needs to be heard. I can't put it's greatness in words.

Like many of the "older" metal bands, I got into Death well after I had much of the newer metal coming out. I found Sound of Perseverance to be better than 99% of all death metal I've heard. The technical proficiency on this album is off the charts.

If I run into someone who thinks metal is all about "cookie monster vocals", Nightwish is the band I use to show them just how wrong they are. The first thing anyone notices about Nightwish is that they are (note: used to be) fronted by an opera-trained vocalist in Tarja. This album is best likened to a movie soundtrack on steroids.

Yet another band that defies being pigeon-holed into one particular genre. The music definitely leans towards the heavy, but the vocals are layered with heavy over clean. The title track EXPLODES with heavy galloping riffs and other-wordly operatic vocals.

Painkiller is practically a requirement for any metalhead's collection. This is Judas Priest at their best. Fast, heavy, and it has Halford at the helm. The album opens to some BRUTAL drumming in the title track. Every song is a gem.

THE quintessential concept album. Unfortunately, everything Queensryche did before and after this album could never match up to the genious of this gem. But oh! what an album this one was. "I Don't Believe in Love" is an absolutely epic song with an ADDICTIVE chorus.

Suidakra is a criminally unknown melodeath band(they do use a lot of clean vocals on this album). "Highland Hills" opens the album with bag-pipes (yeah, it's that awesome) and some acoustic guitars. Then the magic happens.

I confess: I'm not that big a fan of Slayer. Their music is often too disjointed and fast for my taste. But on this album they slow it down a couple of times and hit PURE GOLD. "Skeletons of Society" is the real gem here though.

I'm not quite so sure this album should even be qualified as metal. To be sure there are "metal moments" to be found here, like on "I am the Wooden Doors" and "You were but a Ghost in my Arms". But aside from the vocals and heaviness found in those songs, mostly this album is an acoustic tour de force.

This album in my opinion is not Eternal Tears of Sorrow's best. "Autumn's Grief" opens with some of the most melancholic keyboards (piano?) I've ever heard. Calling them beautiful does not do them justice. When the violent scream and guitars explode into the song about 30 seconds in, pure magic happens.

A fairly obscure release but well worth checking out. "Revelations" opens up with a powerful solo before giving way to some ridiculous singing and a grandiose chorus.