Thread: The albums that helped shape ye old Northman

Day 14 Judas Priest- Turbo

This record always creates a polarization with Priest fans yet i really dont understand why. Sure, Turbo was an album that reflected the rock scene of the late 80's that was littered with glam/hard rock bands. But for any Priest fan worth a grain of salt they would know that Judas Priest has always marched to the beat of their own drum.

Whether its the more classic/blues rock vibe of Rocka Rolla or the heavy pounding metal of Painkiller its easy to see and understand that Judas Priest does what they like when they like to do it musically. I was aware of Priest in the early 80's but when Turbo got released it showed me just how versatile they were as a band and this record kicks ass.

Songs like "Locked in", "Parental Guidance", "Rock You All Around the World", "Turbo Lover", "Private Property", and "Wild Nights, Hot Crazy Days" are all excellent tunes and worthy of appreciation. While Painkiller would eventually blow my mind once again as a fan it was Turbo that had the larger impact on me in my teens.

While some metal and Priest fans alive shun this record i welcome it always with open arms. For a band that spans a musical career of over 4 decades this album certainly belongs in the discussion and locked me in personally as a Priest fan for the rest of my life.

Day 15 King Diamond- Them

In the late 80's as i was beginning to get into thrash metal and things on the heavier side of music i remember listening to Z-rock while i was still living in Colorado and hearing a song called "The Invisible Guest". I was immediately drawn to the powerful riffs and intricate solo work as well as the banshee like singing of a man they would call King Diamond.

I did not yet know at the time that he had also been a part of the group Mercyful Fate as that project would not come into my life until later on. I would end up hearing some other tracks on the station from this album which included "Welcome Home" and "Twilight Symphony" without really realizing at the time how the songs were all connected. Even though i was aware of concept albums (Ryche's Operation Mindcrime comes to mind at the moment) it wasnt until i actually purchased Them and read the lyrics and learning of the story that was unfolding in front of me.

I quickly learned that KD had a knack for storytelling and that he was very masterful at capturing your imagination as a listener. He had an art at creating horror via the music that he and the band were making. Ive had the pleasure to have seen KD live twice in my lifetime although they came years apart and later in my life as opposed to in my teens. But both times he was incredible and the atmosphere of the stage props and show were top notch.

While most of the thrash and death metal bands that i was getting into in the late 80's focused more on death and politics KD was the outlier with a heavy metal approach with themes that dove into the occult and witchcraft. Something that i would not really discover with music at greater length when i started to get into black metal in the late 90's. While i do enjoy other KD releases when it comes to a full fledged album and storyline Them is at the top of the heap for me and will always be one of my favorite top 10 releases.

Day 16 Laaz Rockit- Annihilation Principle

The late 80's were littered with a lot of great thrash with everything from Testament to Overkill to Megadeth and so on. But if there was one record that i played more than anything else it was this one. A band that usually flies below the radar with most metal fans it was a pleasure for me to stumble upon this band when i did.

Even though this is probably the most thrash oriented record they have (as well as 2008's Left for Dead) as the other work is a little more heavy metal influenced it is also by far their best. From the opening track to "Fire in the Hole" to the very somber ballad "The Omen" this album packs a lot of punch. Other great tracks on here are "Chain of Fools", "Shadow Company", "Mirror to Madness", "Holiday in Cambodia (Dead Kennedy's Cover)", and my fav "Mob Justice".

It was really hard not to list some other thrash records in my list but this one had the most impact on me back then and thus gets the nod.

Day 17 Ozzy Osbourne- No Rest for the Wicked

While "Bark at the Moon" and "Crazy Train" were the first songs i ever heard from Osbourne the first real record that i liked from start to finish was NRFTW. It also happened to be guitarist Zakk Wylde's debut with Osbourne. When the single for "Miracle Man" came out i was completely blown away.

Strangely i rarely hear many Ozzy fans talk that much about this record as it seems to be underappreciated and flies under the radar with most metal fans. And even though the follow up "No More Tears" would take the band to new levels i feel that NRFTW still stands as his best record from start to finish.

Other songs like "Devil's Daughter", "Crazy Babies", "Fire in the Sky", "Breaking All the Rules", "Demon Alcohol", and "Hero" shine on this record. For me this was Ozzy at his best and is still my go to when i listen to an Oz record.

Day 18- Sepultura- Beneath the Remains

If there was a band and album that bridged the gap for me between death metal and thrash it was Beneath the Remains by Sepultura. When i first heard this album it totally caught me off guard. It was like when i heard this record the flood gates opened with my musical tastes even further than before.

WIth songs like "Innerself", "Slaves of Pain", "Stronger than Hate", "Mass Hypnosis", "Primitive Future", and the title track it wasnt hard to fall in love with this band. The fact that the album had a very raw sound and production to it added to its authenticity.

I must of played this non-stop for several weeks before diving into records by Morbid Angel, Obituary, Entombed, and Nocturnus that got released around the same time. Oddly enough this had been Sep's 3rd record but it was ground breaking for me only to be magnified by the follow up "Arise".

For a long time Sepultura remained probably my most favorite band at this point up until Roots got released and the subsequent lineup change.

Day 19- Napalm Death- Harmony Corruption

So basically one of 2 Cds i bought for the very time included this gem of a record. I instantly became in interested in ND when i caught the video for "Suffer the Children" on some random channel on my old ass TV in 1990. Ironically, i also saw a video for a band that would soon explode in the 90's a couple of years later (Smashing Pumpkins) but we will get to them at a later date.

I instantly fell in love with Barney Greenway's vocals and the dirty and gritty sound production on this record. It just sounded and felt so post apocalyptic in nature to me. Songs like "Vision Conquest", "Unfit Earth", "Malicious Intent", and "The Chains that Bind Us" encapsulate the primitive power of this record. While ND would on to create some incredible albums after this even incorporating their grindcore/punkish vibe back into their music they have forever been one of my favorite bands even to this day starting with this record.

Originally Posted by Northman

Day 15 King Diamond- Them

In the late 80's as i was beginning to get into thrash metal and things on the heavier side of music i remember listening to Z-rock while i was still living in Colorado and hearing a song called "The Invisible Guest". I was immediately drawn to the powerful riffs and intricate solo work as well as the banshee like singing of a man they would call King Diamond.

I did not yet know at the time that he had also been a part of the group Mercyful Fate as that project would not come into my life until later on. I would end up hearing some other tracks on the station from this album which included "Welcome Home" and "Twilight Symphony" without really realizing at the time how the songs were all connected. Even though i was aware of concept albums (Ryche's Operation Mindcrime comes to mind at the moment) it wasnt until i actually purchased Them and read the lyrics and learning of the story that was unfolding in front of me.

I quickly learned that KD had a knack for storytelling and that he was very masterful at capturing your imagination as a listener. He had an art at creating horror via the music that he and the band were making. Ive had the pleasure to have seen KD live twice in my lifetime although they came years apart and later in my life as opposed to in my teens. But both times he was incredible and the atmosphere of the stage props and show were top notch.

While most of the thrash and death metal bands that i was getting into in the late 80's focused more on death and politics KD was the outlier with a heavy metal approach with themes that dove into the occult and witchcraft. Something that i would not really discover with music at greater length when i started to get into black metal in the late 90's. While i do enjoy other KD releases when it comes to a full fledged album and storyline Them is at the top of the heap for me and will always be one of my favorite top 10 releases.

King Diamond will never be duplicated, and if you can get past the initial shock of hearing him sing after saying to yourself WTF?! he is one of the greatest contributors to metal and inspiration even to Metallica.

Originally Posted by Northman

Day 16 Laaz Rockit- Annihilation Principle

The late 80's were littered with a lot of great thrash with everything from Testament to Overkill to Megadeth and so on. But if there was one record that i played more than anything else it was this one. A band that usually flies below the radar with most metal fans it was a pleasure for me to stumble upon this band when i did.

Even though this is probably the most thrash oriented record they have (as well as 2008's Left for Dead) as the other work is a little more heavy metal influenced it is also by far their best. From the opening track to "Fire in the Hole" to the very somber ballad "The Omen" this album packs a lot of punch. Other great tracks on here are "Chain of Fools", "Shadow Company", "Mirror to Madness", "Holiday in Cambodia (Dead Kennedy's Cover)", and my fav "Mob Justice".

It was really hard not to list some other thrash records in my list but this one had the most impact on me back then and thus gets the nod.

Flotsam and Jetsam and Laaz Rockit are two of the most unappreciated bands.

Originally Posted by Shazam!

King Diamond will never be duplicated, and if you can get past the initial shock of hearing him sing after saying to yourself WTF?! he is one of the greatest contributors to metal and inspiration even to Metallica.

I still prefer Mercyful Fate over his solo stuff, though.

Originally Posted by CoachChaz

Originally Posted by Shazam!

King Diamond will never be duplicated, and if you can get past the initial shock of hearing him sing after saying to yourself WTF?! he is one of the greatest contributors to metal and inspiration even to Metallica.

I still prefer Mercyful Fate over his solo stuff, though.

That is an ode to his creativity, that his two bands have very distinct sounds. I prefer his solo albums because of the story content.

Day 20- Alice in Chains- Facelift

Before i moved to MD and before the rise of Nirvana there had already begun a shift in musical direction although i just didnt really know it yet. It took me a while to fully "get" what AIC was doing and it was difficult at first because i was still riding high on thrash and death metal in 1990.

So while i was aware of the hit single "Man in the Box" as it began to get its airplay on the radio and MTV alike at that point i really didnt want anything to do with the band or genre it was representing. However, on one fateful day when attending the "Clash of the Titans" tour at Red Rocks where i witnessed thrash giants Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer there was one odd duckling amongst them.

Yep, you guessed it. AIC opened and despite not resembling the rest of the bill musically the band was received with mixed reviews from the crowd, mostly negative. Some fans were throwing trash and empty bottle containers at Staley as he and company grinded away on songs from their debut record. And it was watching Staley dodge and maneuver himself in the barrage of trash thrown at him while continuing to sing (he even managed to pipe in a joke "haha you missed me you big hairy ******!) the songs flawlessly.

At this moment i had garnered a new found respect for them as a band and thus went to pick up their cd the following day. To my surprise the record was incredibly good. No, it wasnt a metal album but it was quite dark both lyrically and with the music itself. Songs like "Love Hate Love", "We Die Young", "Confusion", "Sea of Sorrow", "Bleed the Freak", all showcased dark issues but presented in a much different format musically.

LIttle did i know the impact this album or the band would have going forward in the music scene and although Nirvana is often credited for the "Grunge/Alternative Rock" movement in the 90's it was actually AIC that actually first gave the mainstream a taste of what was to eventually come. And for me it further pushed my tastes and challenged my perception of what can be deemed heavy and by what kind of standards musically.

Day 21- Ugly Kid Joe- America's Least Wanted

After the alternative grunge era took off it pretty much spelled the end of the hard/hair rock era that so dominated the 80's. However, there was at least one band trying to hold onto the hard rock roots that came in the form of UKJ. While they made a name for themselves off their debut EP with the hit single "Everything About You" their first full length America's Least Wanted pushed them to stardom even further.

And although they would not be able to followup this record with the same kind of success they did just enough around this time to remain relevant amidst the grunge era. Aside from featuring "Everything About You" and "Madman" which appeared on their EP this record also featured some great tracks such as "Come Tomorrow", "Neighbor", "So Damn Cool", "Ill Keep Trying", and a awesome cover of Harry Chapin's "Cats in the Cradle".

One thing that i really liked about UKJ was that they did not care about image while sporting a whole Point Break attire and look. As i said the band fizzled out about as fast as they had started but then when it came to the 90's not much could really compete with the music scene that had exploded with the rise of artists like Nirvana or Pearl Jam. But this record still gets a lot of airplay from me and although the band reformed years later with some decent work this will always be their unicorn when it comes to perfect albums.

Day 22- Nirvana- Nevermind

It wasnt too long after i arrived in MD that the shift from the glam and hard rock of the 80's began to shift over to the alternative/grunge era. And while i pointed out that AIC had somewhat already begun that transformation it was Nirvana that catapulted to scene to great lengths.

Having seen and heard the video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" it still had a rock edge to it but instead of makeup or mascara it was replaced with flannel shirts and shorts. Musically Nevermind is melodic yet heavy without really leaning in one particular direction. Songs like "Come As You Are", "In Bloom", "Territorial Pissings", "Polly", and "Something in the Way" showcase the diversity of the musical arrangements adding a bit of everything in the mix.

While the hair/hard rock bands and the death and thrash bands were still around in the early 90's it got buried beneath a lot of what was going on in Seattle and across the nation. While i kept my eye on the metal scene during this time it was filled mostly with the alternative rock scene which drew a heavy interest from me with a great many bands. It was opening yet another door and chapter in my musical taste before like all genres of music became saturated with copycats and B and C grade bands.

Who knows how far Nirvana would have gone if not for the untimely death of lead vocalist/guitarist Kurt Cobain. Unfortunately Cobain fell into the same trap that other high profile musicians tend to fall into when trying to cope with the real world and sorrow they so often sing about. But it didnt stop this record from having a strong impact on me in my early 20's and while its not a record i tend to play a lot (because i played the shit out of it for years) it still is a mighty record and one that carries a monumental influence on musical culture to this day.

My musical taste is....unique? I think unique in this case is just code for weird and not popular

If I had to pick mine
Our Newest Album Ever - Five Iron Frenzy
Light of Things Hoped for - Brave Saint Saturn
The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek - Relient K
Legend of Chin - Switchfoot
Skillet - Skillet
Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo - MxPx
Silence - Blindside
Supertones Strike Back - OC Supertones
Again for the First Time - Bleach

That's basically the soundtrack of my youth right there. Outside of maybe Five Iron and MxPx it'd amaze me if anyone has ever heard of half those bands lol.

If I were to pick my current soundtrack
Any Foo Fighters Album
Unleashed - Skillet
Engine of a Million Plots - Five Iron Frenzy
Mylo Xyloto - Coldplay (I know...sorry...yes I like coldplay...I am properly ashamed to say that)
With Shivering Hearts We Wait - Blindside
Therapy Session - NF
This is Not a Test - TobyMac