Ah, power rankings! As inspired by Idubbbz’s fast food tier list video, here is my power ranking of Metallica’s Albums! From super spectacular to fucking foul!

Ok, so… Master Of Puppets is an absolute classic and you’re a fool if you disagree. You knew it’d be an S tier before you even clicked here. I’ve chosen 1988’s …And Justice For All to also sit upon the top tier due to its progressive song writing and brutal riffs paired with quieter and more dynamic sections. Despite the lack of bass, this album is so strong that it really doesn’t matter! S tier!

The A tier consists of the band’s standout sophomore effort, Ride The Lightning, and their commercial breakthrough, 1991’s ‘Black Album’! Vastly different in their approach, both albums hold up at a consistent quality. The song writing is extremely memorable on both records despite the change from thrash to a more radio oriented sound. A tier, both are essential listens for any metal fan!

As we hit the B tier we see the band’s debut. 1983’s Kill ‘Em All is a vicious, rabid debut full of youth and rage but it doesn’t quite have the refined finesse of the albums that followed it. Still, a must have! The mighty ‘Tallica’s foray into symphonic metal is showcased brilliantly in the orchestral live album S&M. The Call Of Ktulu is a particularly excellent track here and gives me goosebumps every time. Thirdly, the band’s latest studio LP Hardwired… To Self-Destruct is a stunning return to form from the titans of metal! While Death Magnetic was a return to their thrash roots, this is where the definitive Metallica sound has returned!

As we reach the C tier, we have plenty of material to talk about! Even if most of the tracks are covers… Regardless, the material here is strong but not quite up to par with the strength of others. Garage Inc is an album of covers of other bands which influenced Metallica and while disc 1 is good, I have to say that Disc 2 is better. Made up of EP’s and B-sides, the second half of the album sounds better in my opinion. The other release in this section, Death Magnetic, is a good album but it has a tendency to feel bloated at points. Also, the production is heavily compressed and I feel like the dynamics suffer on this record. Still there’s some gold here, that’s why it sits mid way up this list. Moving on…

Here’s where the waters get muddy… D tier is occupied by the pretty much double album: Load/Reload. I feel like if they had some quality control, they could’ve cut the running time down and utilised the disc more effectively. This era divides opinions like a motherfucker! Everybody thinks that Load/Reload could’ve just been one record and half the tracks but everyone likes different songs from it. Its certainly a polarising time in the band’s career to say the least. I included Beyond Magnetic in the D tier as it: A) is an EP which features tracks that didn’t make Death Magnetic, and B) it was clearly an apology for 2011’s Lulu.

The E tier represents the lowest point in the straight up Metallica canon. The band was on the verge of breaking up and struggled to produce a record without fighting, therapy and a documentary showcasing what a shit-show this era was! Thankfully, they got their asses in gear and managed to make it through! This song is great riff after great riff ruined by shitty production and songs that are too long with no solos.

F tier… Lulu… Had to be… Goes without saying…

Camel’s ‘Breathless’

Camel are a progressive rock band from Guildford, England formed by founding guitarist Andrew Latimer. I was introduced to Camel by a friend in college. While I knew some of their very underrated work, I had not fully dived into their albums. Well, I’ve started here and was blown away! This album is wonderfully chilled out in parts and crazy technical in others, perfect prog material right there…

This record, while boasting technical prowess is remarkably accessible and doesn’t overdo the prog! The album begins with the gentle title track and really eases you into the album. Gorgeous acoustic guitars accompanied with a jolly bassline really makes this song a pleasant listen. Track two, “Echoes”, leans more towards the technical side while keeping the lead melody at the forefront with immense hi hats and leads into a beautiful interlude before vocals and an epic outro!

“Wing And A Prayer”, much like the title track “Breathless”, is more simple and stripped down with a bouncy synth part that just puts a smile on your face and “Down On The Farm” BRINGS THE ROCK with its intro before turning into a humorous love letter to living on a farm! “Starlight Ride” is one of my favourite tracks on the album, with its luscious woodwind, guitar and synth soundscape and breathtakingly (pardon the pun) beautiful vocal melody.

“Summer Lightning” has an early Toto feel to it with the synth choices and its disco feel! Very groovy 70’s glitter ball song while retaining their prog credibility with Latimer’s solos and technical performances from the whole band. “You Make Me Smile” is a unique sounding number on the record, with its funky synth bass and wacka-wacka guitar verses and loving ballad choruses.

“The Sleeper” is the defining prog moment on the record. While probably the least accessible song on the record, it certainly shows of the musicianship this band can pull off! The technicality of this track is mind blowing, even if it sticks out like a sore thumb on an album full of poppier tracks. And finally, the dreamy “Rainbow’s End” brings the album to a graceful and wonderful end. Much like “Starlight Ride”, the composition of this track is just pure beauty. The perfect way to end this album, it almost feels like the credits rolling on a happy ending to a movie!

To conclude, this album has made my week of listening very worthwhile! Great for listening to while chilling out in the sun. Love it.

Megadeth! Thrash legends! Often placed next to Metallica in the debate on which band is better, Megadeth was formed when an angry Dave Mustaine was kicked out of Metallica and immediately sought revenge! From 1985 to 1990 Megadeth released some of the most defining thrash releases of the era before moving onto a more diverse selection of tempos and sounds as of 1992’s Countdown To Extinction through to 1999’s controversial LP, Risk. So, lets get to the albums shall we? (You Might be surprised!)

Quick reminder, this is my list so its just my opinion! Feel free to disagree, variety is the spice of life!

8) Risk (1999)

This was a ‘Risk’, indeed! The industrial/disco meets alternative rock undertones of this album are hard to ignore. After a string of albums showcasing a more radio friendly sound from ’92 to ’97, this seemed like a step too far for many die hard thrash fans. Nevertheless, this isn’t totally irredeemable! In fact, there are many songs on here that are among some of the catchiest Megadeth has written! “Insomnia”, “Crush ‘Em” and “Breadline” are almost pop-like in their accessibility! Personally, I fucking adore this album and it pains me to put it so low. Maybe its nostalgia goggles, maybe poor taste… Either way, this album is infectious and I love it!

7) Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! (1985)

Ah, the mighty ‘Deth’s’ low budget debut… Mustaine’s visceral response to Metallica. This album begins gently with a haunting piano piece before exploding into a riff that out-shreds anything on Kill Em All and one of the most frightening screams ever put to tape! And trust me, I love Metallica but this album is angry to the core and the perfect response to his firing! It even has the original version of Metallica’s “The Four Horsemen” in the form of “Mechanix” which Mustaine wrote while in Metallica!

I have a dilemma personally when it comes to the production on this record; while its very low budget and definitely the most ‘demo quality’ album in the entire Megadeth catalog, upon deeper listening I realised that this lo-fi approach really accentuates the overall volatility and frightening fury of Dave Mustaine and the musicians he surrounded himself with! With Mustaine on Vocals and rhythm/lead guitar, Chris Poland on lead guitar, David Ellefson on bass and Gar Samuelson on drums they were a huge force to be reckoned with! This album is furious and great for breaking shit along to!

6) So Far, So Good… So What! (1988)

Megadeth’s third effort features the first of many lineup changes the band would undergo throughout its career and is the only release to feature drummer Chuck Behler and guitarist Jeff Young, who were both fired right after the tour of this record. This album is an oddball. Its very underrated! Songs such as “Into the Lungs of Hell”, “Set the World Afire”, “In My Darkest Hour” and “Hook in Mouth” are awesome Megadeth classics! This album sits between the two albums which generally claim the top spots on most lists, but it must not be underestimated! Fun fact, “Set the World Afire” is the first ever Megadeth song! Overall, strong effort which is unfortunately overshadowed by both its predecessor and its successor!

5) Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (1986)

Surprised to see this here? Same, to be truthful with you! This album absolutely rips! The production is a vast improvement on their debut, the songwriting is even stronger and the performances are visceral yet precise. Home to classics such as “Wake Up Dead” and “Peace Sells”, this is one of the holy trinity of thrash albums released in 1986, the others being Metallica’s Master Of Puppets and Slayer’s Reign In Blood! (Anthrax’s Among The Living was released the following year.) Its not hard to see why this album goes down a treat, since the musicianship here is phenomenal. Whether its the amazing riff from the “Conjuring”, the melancholy clean guitar which changes into pure thrash brutality that is “Good Mourning/Black Friday” or the frightening speed at the end of “My Last Words” which brings the album to a fitting close! Thrash classic, don’t get me wrong, but not my favourite incarnation of Megadeth as you’ll come to find in the rest of this list…

4) Rust In Peace (1990)

Ah… Here we are! My favourite lineup: both Daves, Marty Friedman and Nick Menza (RIP 1964 – 2016). Megadeth’s fourth LP, ironically fourth on this list, is the other slice of bread in the thrash sandwich enveloping the band’s 3rd effort as we mentioned earlier. This one beat 1986’s Peace Sells for a few reasons, the production is again tighter, the songwriting is more consistent and we’ve got Marty fucking Friedman and Nick Goddamn Menza on the drums!

Megadeth ushered in the 90’s with one final thrash album for the 20th century before diverting to a more straightforward heavy metal approach on subsequent releases in the last decade before the millennium. The whole album is a classic, I even nearly broke a finger trying to play “Take No Prisoners” on drums when I first started out! It hurt, but it was worth it!!! Standouts: “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”, “Hanger 18”, “Tornado Of Souls”, the title track and the weird but wonderfully dark bass riff that is the penultimate track “Dawn Patrol”! So, if this masterpiece is fourth what topped it?! Well………..

3) Countdown To Extinction (1992)

As I said at the beginning, my opinion! So here are MY top 3 Megadeth albums! Starting with 1992’s Countdown To Extinction! This album isn’t unlike Metallica’s Black Album in its approach. The fifth album in Megadeth’s discography is a more commercially accessible record. The band stripped back on speed to focus more on riffs and melody, which if I’m honest I prefer! Whether it be the infectious catchiness of “Skin O’ My Teeth”, the groove metal riff of “Symphony Of Destruction” or the bluesy schizophrenic madness of “Sweating Bullets”! This album, while a departure from the thrash of previous records, showcases a maturity and an appreciation for other elements that would come to define 90’s Megadeth. And on that note…

2) Cryptic Writings (1997)

Megadeth’s final album with the Mustaine, Ellefson, Friedman and Menza lineup takes the number two spot on this list. This album is catchy, full of riffs and hooks-a-plenty. I have no doubt that this list has angered some thrashers, but its my list so fuck it! Anyway, whether it be the Enter Sandman Esque “Trust”, the too catchy for its own good hooks of “Almost Honest”, the galloping thrash of “She Wolf” or even the sitar laden “Secret Place”! There’s even some foreshadowing of Risk in “I’ll Get Even”! Its a radio album, no doubt, but its an excellent album nonetheless!

1) Youthanasia (1994)

You didn’t see this coming, did you? This album has a special place in my heart as my favourite Megadeth album. This is one of the best melodic metal albums I’ve ever heard! From start to finish, this album is an excellent example of a band that has matured correctly. The stomping opener “Reckoning Day”, the singles “Train Of Consequences” and the accompanying (BALLAD?!?!?!!) “A Tout Le Monde” are fantastic and even the deeper album cuts are phenomenal! “Elysian Fields”, “The Killing Road”, “Youthanasia”… The list goes on!

This album is my favourite for the following reasons: the production is huge, the lineup sounds particularly great, and there’s way more harmony and melody on this record. There’s also an excellent ‘making of’ documentary, available on Youtube, that I always watch when I’m on a bit of a Megadeth kick. This album, while not pure thrash, is heavy metal perfection! Overall, this concludes my list, hope you enjoyed!

Faith No More. One of my personal favourite bands. There’s a lot I could say about this subject as I’ve listened to their albums hundreds of thousands of times and still find new things to love! Whether it be with Patton or Mosley at the mic, this band never fails to make me bang my head, laugh and even scratch my head and think, “what just happened?!” So today, I’m ranking the 7 studio LP’s they’ve released as of 2019!

7) Album Of The Year (1997)

1997’s Album Of The Year is the last album from the original run of Faith No More (1979 – 1998). The band broke up shortly afterwards to pursue many different side projects, especially Mike Patton! (Check out his many projects such as Mr Bungle, Tomahawk, Peeping Tom, Fantomas and many more…)

So, the important question is, “why is this album at the bottom?” Well, this isn’t a bad album by any means. Its got some really cool stuff on it, including one of my all time favourite FNM tracks, ‘Ashes To Ashes’. Other highlights include ‘Stripsearch’ with its trip hop meets ‘Metal Gear Solid’ SFX soundscape. ‘Collision’, ‘Naked In Front Of The Computer’ and ‘Got That Feeling’ are for the more metal listeners, whereas moody tracks such as ‘Paths Of Glory’ and ‘Pristina’ highlight the atmospheric finesse of the band.

Compliments aside however, when stacked against other entries in the Faith No More catalogue, its clear to see that by the time this album was made the band’s members were in need of some space. I enjoy this album, but I have to give it the lowest ranking as a result of the quality of the rest of the band’s work.

6) Sol Invictus (2015)

The first album since the band’s reformation is a startlingly good comeback! This album boasts a cohesive sound 18 years since their last effort, 1997’s Album Of The Year. The first half of the album is a very impressive collection of catchy, yet aggressive alternative metal! Whether it be the dark opening title track, the relentless guitar riffs of ‘Superhero’, the dirty lounge styling reminiscent of ‘RV’ from the band’s 1992 album Angel Dust that is ‘Sunny Side Up’, the snarling intensity of ‘Separation Anxiety’ and the spaghetti western meets metal breakdowns masterpiece ‘Cone Of Shame!’

The second half of the album is good, but it feels like it picks up where the last album leaves off. Although I must say, yelling “Hellooooo moooootherrrrrrr FUCKERRRRRRRRRR!” along to track 8 always puts a smile on my face! Overall, as a comeback album, its awesome! Lets hope we’ve got plenty more FNM to look forward too in the future!

5) We Care A Lot (1985)

Being the massive 80’s fan I am, it pains me to put something so 80’s so far down on the list. But… Well… Everybody starts somewhere, including producers. The album was made on a small budget in a short space of time. That’s not to say that this album doesn’t have a great energy though! This record has 80’s post-punk influences coursing through its DNA! The punk/funk rap stylings of Chuck Mosely yell and echo over tribal drum kit rhythms, bouncing funky bass lines, thrash guitar riffs and 80’s synths galore! The title track was deemed so catchy that the band re-recorded it on their sophomore LP, Introduce Yourself!

So, lets get into the songs! As far as songwriting goes on this album, they found a formula and stuck to it about 90% of the time. Mike ‘Puffy’ Bordin’s drumming style accompanied by Roddy Bottum’s keyboards and Billy Gould’s bass lay the foundation of the music with Jim Martin’s guitars and Mosely’s vocals over the top. ‘We Care A Lot’ and ‘As The Worm Turns’ are must-listens! Live staples, FNM classics. Both of these songs have been re-recorded for this very reason! The rest of the songs are very formulaic, but still very entertaining to listen to! The ‘don’t-give-a-fuck-ness’ of this record as a debut makes no effort to pander to a particular scene, rather it revels in its weirdness! An oddball on an odd album is the classical guitar piece “Jim”. The band’s twisted sense of humour shines throughout, but overall We Care A Lot is the weakest of the band’s 80’s work.

4) King For A Day… Fool For A Lifetime (1995)

After the departure of Jim Martin, the band hired both a new guitarist as well as a new producer! Trey Spruance of Mike Patton’s band Mr Bungle played guitar on the album whereas Dean Menta played on the album’s tour. This album is notable for another significant shift in the band’s sonic landscape particularly as the keyboards on this album are far less prominent, due largely to Bottum’s absence from a struggle to cope with the deaths of Kurt Cobain and his own father. But lets get into the music!

This album is probably the closest to Mr Bungle they ever got! Each song has its own style, its own personality. Its very much like Angel Dust but a lot rougher around the edges. The styles alternate like the most eclectic of music libraries got left on shuffle and the band went for that! Nearly none of the songs sound the same! While the heavy metal is consistent on the album, ‘Get Out’, ‘Cuckoo For Caca’ and ‘Ugly In The Morning’ for example, it probably makes up just about half of the material. ‘Evidence’ is a smooth, funky song reminiscent of the 70’s, ‘Take This Bottle’ has a sad country feel, ‘Just A Man’ features a full on choir and the band even do a song called Caralho Voader in a Bossa Nova style! If you want extreme variety, then this is the album for you!

3) Introduce Yourself (1987)

Faith No More’s second album is often regarded as their true debut, many often unfairly dismiss 1985’s We Care A Lot as a demo. Which is simply not true. Regardless, this album is a significant improvement on their first from both a songwriting and production standpoint. The songs are more varied and structured better, yet they retain their formula and what makes Faith No More, Faith No More.

The album opens strongly with ‘Faster Disco’, a song with chugging guitar and synths-a-plenty (right up my street) and really sets the tone for what’s to come. The album spawned two singles, the second track ‘Anne’s Song’ and ‘We Care A Lot’, the latter being a re-recording of the band’s debut title track. Keeping the post-punk influence once more on this album, albeit more metalled-up, some of the band’s finest work can be found in songs such as ‘Chinese Arithmetic’ and ‘The Crab Song’.

Unfortunately for fans of Mosley, this was to be his last album with the band as severe in-fighting lead to his dismissal in 1988. Thankfully, they got ahold of the vocal acrobat Mike Patton and the rest is history! Overall, this is the stronger of the two Chuck era albums and remains an important piece of his legacy. RIP Chuck Mosley (1959 – 2017).

2) The Real Thing (1989)

Here it is, the album that broke them into the mainstream making them one of the biggest selection of weirdo’s to grace the MTV screens in the early 1990’s! This album is amazing no doubt about it. Whether it be the catchy as hell trio of pop singles at the beginning, “From Out Of Nowhere”, “Epic”, and (one of my personal favourite underrated FNM tracks) “Falling to pieces”; or, if you’re more interested in the more metal side of the band you’ve got “Surprise! You’re Dead!”, “Zombie Eaters”, “The Real Thing” and even a cover of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath! There’s even a lounge song about a pedophile club owner from San Francisco called “Edge Of The World”.

This album could have taken the number one spot and no-one would bat and eye, but to me its still not the ‘perfect album’. Patton had only two weeks to get his lyrics together as all the music was written when Mosley was still in the band, and while the lyrics are amazing considering they were written by a fresh-faced 22 year old man in a fortnight are a testament to Mike Patton’s talent he delivers the vocals far less comfortably on this album than any other. He’s very nasally and sounds like a bratty kid at points. While I never noticed when I first got into the band, I tend to notice it more now. Apart from that, this album is just-about flawless! Hell, if this is number two what the hell beat it to first place?!

1) Angel Dust (1992)

Well the answer to that question is 1992’s Angel Dust! Everything here is Faith No More perfection! The production, the performances and the songwriting are all just killer on this record. A major departure from the formula of the very guitar riff driven predecessor, 1989’s The Real Thing, Angel Dust allows every part of the band’s sound to shine through various schizophrenic sections of this amazing work of art.

In stark contrast to their previous album, the singles are far more spaced out on this album and don’t just come as a 3 song cluster at the start of the record. This album is similar to King For A Day… Fool For A Lifetime in the sense that each song has its own personality, but this album does it even more seamlessly and cohesively. Each song sounds different, yet they all belong together!

Again, the lead singles are catchy as all hell but this time more majestic and ambitious with their sound choices! These include the GTA San Andreas Radio X banger “Midlife Crisis”, the fortune cookie and personality test lyrics of “Land Of Sunshine”, “A Small Victory”, ‘Everything’s Ruined’ and even a cover of The Commodores’ “Easy”! If its metal you want, you’ll find plenty in songs like “Caffeine”, “Malpractice” and “Jizzlobber”; whereas, if you want some more funky stuff check out “Be Aggressive” and “Crack Hitler”! Overall, this album is batshit insane but at the same time very listenable.

So, this concludes my list of Faith No More’s studio albums. This was fun, I hope to do many more of these lists in the future!