The 100 Best And Absolute Greatest Heavy Metal Albums In The World Ever

I love a good list, food, The Good Curry Guide, drink, Around Brussels In 80 Bars, and music. All can take you on a journey to discover new sensations and expand your mind. They're also a great topic of conversation and debate, why was one thing included and not another. And all in all they're great fun.

One Of The Latest additions to this cannon of work is Jacelyn Bond's The 100 Best and Absolute Greatest Heavy Metal Albums in the World, Ever. Ooh now there's a controversial title if ever there was one. In this case it will take you on a journey from Heaven to Hell, a journey of power chords, hair metal and flying sheep heads. Strap yourself in and I hope you enjoy the ride.

First off here's the list.

• Accept, 'Balls To The Wall' (1983)
• AC/DC, 'Highway To Hell' (1979)
• ACDC, 'Back In Black (1980)
• Alice Cooper, 'Billion Dollar Babies' (1973)
• Alice In Chains, 'Dirt' (1992)
• All Shall Perish, 'The Price Of Existence' (2006)
• Anthrax, 'Among The Living' (1987)
• Arch Enemy, 'Burning Bridges' (1999)
• At The Gates, 'Slaughter Of The Soul' (1995)
• Behemoth, 'Demigod' (2004)
• Benighted, 'Icon' (2007)
• Black Label Society, 'Hangover Music Vol VI' (2004)
• Black Sabbath, 'Black Sabbath' (1970)
• Black Sabbath, 'Paranoid' (1970)
• Black Sabbath, 'Heaven And Hell' (1980)
• Bruce Dickinson, 'The Chemical Wedding' (1998)
• Candlemass, 'Nightfall' (1987)
• Cannibal Corpse, 'Tomb Of The Mutilated' (1992)
• Carcass, 'Heartwork' (1993)
• Cradle Of Filth, 'Damnation And a Day: From Genesis To Nemesis' (2003)
• Danzig, 'Danzig' (1988)
• Dark Tranquility, 'The Gallery' (1985)
• Death, 'Human' (1991)
• Deicide, 'Deicide' (1990)
• Despised Icon, 'The Ills Of Modern Man' (2007)
• Deep Purple, 'Machine Head' (1971)
• Deftones, 'Around The Fur' (1997)
• The Dillinger Escape Plan, 'Miss Machine' (2004)
• Dimmu Borgir, 'Death Cult Armageddon' (2003)
• Dio, 'Holy Diver' (1983)
• Dream Theater, 'Images And Words' (1992)
• Entombed, 'Wolverine Blues' (1991)
• Exodus, 'Bonded By Blood' (1985)
• Gamma Ray, 'Land Of The Free' (1995)
• Godsmack, 'IV' (2006)
• Gojira, 'The Way Of All Flesh' (2008)
• Guns N' Roses, 'Appetite For Destruction' (1987)
• Helloween, 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys Pt ll' (1988)
• Hammerfall, 'Legacy Of Kings' (1998)
• The Haunted, 'Made Me Do It' (2000)
• In Flames, 'Whoracle' (1997)
• Iron Maiden, 'The Number Of The Beast' (1982)
• Iron Maiden, 'Piece Of Mind' (1983)
• Iron Maiden, 'Powerslave' (1984)
• Isis, 'Panopticon' (2004)
• Judas Priest, 'British Steel' (1980)
• Judas Priest, 'Painkiller' (1990)
• King Diamond, 'Abigail' (1987)
• Killswitch Engage, 'The End Of Heartache' (2004)
• Kiss, 'Kiss' (1974)
• Kiss, 'Destroyer' (1976)
• Korn, 'Korn' (1994)
• Korn, 'Follow The Leader' (1998)
• Kreator, 'Pleasure To Kill' (1986)
• Lamb Of God, 'Sacrament' (2006)
• Machine Head, 'The Blackening' (2007)
• Marily Manson, 'Antichrist Superstar' (1996)
• Mastodon, 'Leviathan' (2004)
• Mayhem, 'Wolf's Lair Abyss' (1997)
• Megadeath, 'Rust In Peace' (1990)
• Mercyful Fate, 'Don't Break The Oath' (1984)
• Meshuggah, 'Destroy Erase Improve' (1995)
• Metallica, 'Ride The Lightning' (1984)
• Metallica, 'Master Of Puppets' (1986)
• Metallica - '...And Justice For All' (1988)
• Metallica, 'Metallica' - aka The Black Album - (1991)
• Monster Magnet, 'Powertrip' (1998)
• Morbid Angel, 'Blessed Are The Sick' (1991)
• Motley Crue, 'Shout At The Devil' (1983)
• Motörhead, 'Ace Of Spades' (1980)
• Napalm Death, 'Utopia Banished' (1992)
• Neurosis, 'The Eye Of Every Storm' (2004)
• Nightwish, 'Once' (2004)
• Opeth, 'Blackwater Park' (2001)
• Ozzy Osbourne, 'Blizzard Of Ozz' (1980)
• Ozzy Ozbourne, 'Bark At The Moon' (1983)
• Paradise Lost, 'Draconian Times' (1995)
• Pantera, 'Vulgar Display Of Power (1992)
• Queensryche, 'Operation: Mindcrime' (1988)
• Rage Against The Machine, 'Rage Against The Machine' (1992)
• Rainbow, 'Long Live Rock 'N' Roll' (1978)
• Rammstein, 'Mutter' (2001)
• Sepultura, 'Chaos A.D.' (1993)
• Saxon, 'Strong Arm Of The Law' (1980)
• Skid Row, 'Skid Row' (1989)
• Slayer, 'Reign In Blood' (1986)
• Slayer, 'Seasons In The Abyss' (1990)
• Slayer, 'God Hates Us All' (2001)
• Slipknot, 'lowa' (2001)
• System Of A Down, 'Toxicity' (2001)
• Testament, 'The Legacy' (1987)
• Tool, 'Xenima' (1996)
• Trouble, 'Manic Frustration' (1992)
• Type O Negative, 'October Rust' (1996)
• Van Halen, 'Van Halen' (1978)
• Venom, 'Black Metal' (1982)
• W.A.S.P, 'W.A.S.P' (1984)
• White Zombie, 'Astro Creep: 2000
• Yngwie Malmsteen, 'Rising Force' (1984)
• Unearth, 'lll: In The Eyes Of Fire' (2006)

Here's my penny's worth. First off and a bit of a show stopper for the title, hown can you have a best ever Metal list and not include arguably the greatest ever Heavy Metal band Led Zeppelin? Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones. Has there ever been a better line up in the history of rock? Add to that the fact that this is a band who produced probably 4 of the top 10 metal albums ever and calling your book The 100 Best And Absolute Greatest Heavy Metal Albums In The World Ever and leaving out this fab four is like leaving Pelé, Maradonna Cruyff and Best out of a book called The Best And Absolute Greatest Football Players In The World Ever. Contreversial.

That said, the book is a great resource for discovering new bands and top quality albums. Only this weekend I picked up copies of Godsmack's IV and Tool's Aenima on the strength of their being included. I enjoyed both immensely and would recommend them to anyone.

Jacelyn Bond probably also picked albums on their strength of their influence on the metal scene. For example, I personally think that Motörhead's Overkill, which was ommitted, was a finer album than Ace Of Spades, included, but it can't be denied that the latter was probably more influential on the genre overall. Hence it makes sense to include their 1980 masterpiece. On the other hand, if you can include 3 Slayer albums, surely there's room for at least one more album by the finest balls to the wall rock band on the planet (not that I'm biased).

It may have made sense to limit the list to a maximum of one album per group. Then again, if you did that, would you leave out AC/DC's definitive Bonn Scott album, Highway to Hell, or the brilliant Back In Black?

All things considered this is a well written and entertaining guide to the world of metal and a worthy addition to any headbanger's bookshelf.

Go buy it. You know you want to.

And finally Cyril, anyone else care to comment...