A list of albums that had the biggest effect on me growing up. These ten albums all made a massive impact on me, and I still listen to all of them to this day. Starting at number one…
1) Pearl Jam – Ten
This album was the very first “rock” album I listened to religiously. The first time I heard “Even Flow” and saw the music video of Eddie Vedder wearing plaid, whipping his long hair around, and climbing the roof, I was enthralled and hooked.
Ten was massively instrumental in making me outgrow my rap/dance phase at age Thirteen. Ten pushed me towards heavier stuff and the music I will listen to for the rest of my life.
2) Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger
When I first listened to this tape my older cousin bought me for Christmas, I didn’t even know who, or what, Soundgarden was. The opening track “Rusty Cage” kicked my ass so hard I couldn’t believe my ears. How did Kim Thayil make such massive, heavy sounds out of his guitars and how did Chris Cornell hit those high notes?!
Still my favourite Soundgarden album today, Badmotorfinger was Soundgarden at their prime, the album that blew the doors off for this band and the grunge scene. A beast of an album, tops for this band.
3) The Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik
The only none rap album I listened to when I was a wee lad. I loved how dangerous and old I felt listening to this album. First spun by my friends big sister who was scary, but so cool and grown up compared to us, each song seemed so ballsy at the time.
Songs of sex, drug addiction, loss and regret, and past transgressions. Such a great variety of songs on this album, it broke the Chili’s into the mainstream thanks to “Under the Bridge”, but there are far superior songs on this album. It’s entirely solid from front to back.
4) AC/DC – The Razor’s Edge
My buddies big brother used to listen to this all the time in his car & bedroom. The guitars sound amazing, Brian Johnson’s voice is spot on and the songs are catchy as hell. Nobody can make a chord wail like Angus & Malcolm Young can. Legendary album, from a legendary band. While this album doesn’t achieve the greatness or mastery of Brian Johnson’s debut; Back in Black it still managed to catapult AC/DC to an even larger audience because of mega-hit Thunderstruck that must have been the most played song of the 90’s. None of their albums since have matched this level of success sadly.
5) Metallica – The Black Album
If this was sorted by influence and not a chronological order, this album would be right at the top. Easily the album that changed my entire life. I was turned onto Metallica by my cool Junior High Headbanger friend. He wore the coolest Metal shirts, black leather jacket and the tightest black jeans I had ever seen. He passed his discman over to me in Social Studies class and told me to listen to this album.
Suffice to say, from the first verse of “Enter Sandman” all the way through to the final note of “The Struggle Within” I was in a trance. This album instantly made me a Metal fan for life. It was like I watched a big light turn on in my head, and a fire erupt in my soul. I had found my path, this music spoke to me like nothing before it.
For that Metallica will always be one of my favourite bands, they are responsible for helping me discover who I am.
6) Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction
After thoroughly exhausting my Metallica catalog over the course of a year, I needed more! Naturally I went over to Metallica’s nemesis Dave Mustaine for further guidance. I ordered all of Megadeth’s then released cd’s from Columbia House and listened to them all back to back for a long time. Countdown to Extinction was the album that got the most airtime, thanks to the accessible nature of the album and high production values. So Far, So Good, So What! is still my favorite Megadeth album, but didn’t get as many spins back in the day as this one.
It took a while to get used to Dave Mustaine’s unorthodox vocals, but the quality of the songwriting and musicianship of Megadeth in general helped to pull me in.
7) Slayer – Seasons in the Abyss
After Metallica & Megadeth, I need something heavier, faster and scarier. Luckily I had seen a few Slayer shirts on different headbangers wandering around my school, so I decided to see if the music matched the visual evil on the shirts!
In short, yes it sure did! Seasons in the Abyss terrified me. It was my first real encounter with Satanic and evil lyrics. When Tom Araya yelled “Some have called me Satan’s son, a name I cannot deny” I got scared. I began to wonder if I should be listening to such evil music, after this there was no turning back. I was going straight to hell.
I picked up my guitar and made it my life’s work to learn every Slayer riff created. The dual guitar attack of Hanneman & King have provided me with the best riffs in Metal. Nobody writes as catchy and awesome to play riffs as these boys.
8 Sepultura – Arise
Faster. Check. Heavier. Check. The first album I’d ever heard with Death Metal style growling vocals. The opening track “Arise” is a blisteringly fast, heavy tune that is still the pinnacle of Sepultura. Max Cavelera’s growling, pissed off vocals and chunky rhythm guitar playing made Sepultura the band to beat. Max & Iggor played in such unison, they grooved hard.
This whole album cranks from start to finish. Arise is the one to beat, when Max Cavelera quit and started Soulfly, Sepultura died.
9) Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power
Thanks for taking me to groove school Pantera. Vulgar does just that. It grooves through and through. The tone and technical ability that flowed out of Dime into his guitar on this album is a thing of majesty. Every song on this album contains incredibly unique sounding and catchy riffwork. Phil Anselmo’s vocals are at an all time high too. He sings with fury, and practically spits every syllable as he seethes with rage on every track.
Vulgar Display of Power was so huge not only did it turn people onto one of the greatest bands in musical history, it created an entire new genre of groove metal. Listen to Vulgar Display of Power if you haven’t already. You haven’t heard anything like it, and never will again.
10) Cannibal Corpse – The Bleeding
My very first Death Metal album. Like Seasons in the Abyss had corrupted and terrified me a year or so before it, The Bleeding managed to up the ante. Never had I heard such terrifying noises come out of a human being, as I did the first time I spun this. Chris Barnes growling his way through this album was inhuman, reading the lyrics I discovered he was actually singing words!
Well once I actually read the lyrics, I began to feel dirty for listening to such depravity. Songs about torture, rape, murder and general nastiness sung with such enthusiasm and force, I thought Cannibal Corpse must be illegal. Yet, I couldn’t stop listening to this album, the music was so good. Guitars tone that was so unique, and riffs like i’d never heard. Paul Mazurkiewitz’ blast beats were enthralling, I thought he was going to smash right through his snare! This album is still my favourite out of Cannibal’s entire catalogue. While Corpsegrinder is good, nobody can match Chris Barnes vox on this album. He was heavy, he was distinct and he sounded great. Oh and he single handedly popularized “The Death Metal Growl” that one hundred gazillion zillion Death Metal bands overuse today. I’ve yet to hear any Death Metal album since be able to walk that fine line of heavy and terrifying, mixed with catchy groove that The Bleeding did. Heavy and fast is easily done, and is reproduced constantly in this uninspired, over saturated genre of metal.
No Death Metal band around touches The Bleeding or Cannibal Corpse in general. For me, it’s Death Metal at it’s most professional and accomplished and is why they are the most successful Death Metal band on the planet.
Honorable Mentions:
Alice in Chains – Dirt
My favourite band of all time. Layne Staley had an amazing voice. Alice in Chains had amazing, unique songs. Dirt is AiC firing on all cylinders. Tracks like “Would?”, “Them Bones”, “Down in a Hole” & “Rooster” spoke to an entire generation of grunge rockers and metalheads alike. The entire band are great musicians, and I think Alice in Chains are the most musically talented band I listen to, still.
Napalm Death – Fear, Emptiness, Despair
Impressive growling, fast, tight musicianship. They are Grindcore’s most famous and successful band for a reason. While the band certainly have far better albums, this was the one that I got into the most and prefer.
Obituary – World Demise
These guys bring the groove. Heavily. A lot of people are put off by John Tardy’s unique vocals, but initially it was what drew me into the band. I can only listen to so much growling and need some variety dammit! Obituary brings that variety. While not nearly as technically proficient as their peers, Obituary’s songs are much more accessible and easy to get into. Trevor Peres has an unmistakable tone, there is almost no treble in his guitar sound whatsoever, and no snare drum on the planet has the delightful “snap” that Donald Tardy’s does.
What were your top 10 most influential albums growing up? Let us know in the comments below!
