What's a good album to start with if I wanna get into metal? - Music

LedZep

Spyglass wrote:

Hopefully not. I really don't think every form of music can be exclusively represented by only four bands. And if I might suggest, Anthrax? Not Artillery or Testament or Overkill? Overkill's still killing. Have you heard Wings of War?

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough, sorry. The "big 4" of metal (Sabbath, Maiden, Metallica, Priest) is my unofficial and not very serious idea. The other 3 which I've mentioned are "official" (as in, widely used since at least the 90s in magazines, forums etc.) So I haven't put Anthrax in the "Big 4" of thrash, somebody else in the 80s has, probably based on their nationality (those 4 are US bands) and commercial success. There was even the "Big 4" tour.
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Finally updated the overall chart

2020s
90s

Spyglass
Resident Metalhead

Gender: Male
Location: The red dot on the map

I know what you're saying. I just don't think every style should have one. You suggested that most styles of music may have one now so I expressed my hope in not seeing that become a more official things. I know the thrash one's legitimate, but Anthrax has to be replaced.
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Do it yourself and let me play my music: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=61802

LedZep

Spyglass wrote:

I know what you're saying. I just don't think every style should have one. You suggested that most styles of music may have one now so I expressed my hope in not seeing that become a more official things. I know the thrash one's legitimate, but Anthrax has to be replaced.

I had confused myself in the process of clarifying things it seems Very Happy

Most metal styles of music having a "big 4" is a stupid idea, I agree. Even if it's purely based on album sales.
_________________
Finally updated the overall chart

2020s
90s

Spyglass
Resident Metalhead

Gender: Male
Location: The red dot on the map

LedZep wrote:

I had confused myself in the process of clarifying things it seems Very Happy

Most metal styles of music having a "big 4" is a stupid idea, I agree. Even if it's purely based on album sales.

I can understand an occasional big four, but it can be a serious challenge to big out only four bands from one scene. I recall a similar conversation about Southern Hip Hop and its greatest influences, and there were four or five suggestions. Since I'm not the hip hop guy, I can't really say anything about for certain, even though Southern Hip Hop is one of my favorite kinds of hip hop. But the idea of simply picking four can exclude a lot of great potentials.
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Do it yourself and let me play my music: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=61802

Skinny
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Spyglass wrote:

I can understand an occasional big four, but it can be a serious challenge to big out only four bands from one scene. I recall a similar conversation about Southern Hip Hop and its greatest influences, and there were four or five suggestions. Since I'm not the hip hop guy, I can't really say anything about for certain, even though Southern Hip Hop is one of my favorite kinds of hip hop. But the idea of simply picking four can exclude a lot of great potentials.

I think it was me, mentioning that my personal Mount Rushmore of "Southern hip-hop" consists of UGK, Outkast, Scarface/Geto Boys, and Three 6 Mafia. You could reasonably add Jeezy or Gucci or Wayne or maybe even Z-Ro or Future to that list, but I would largely argue that most Southern rap music since takes elements or attitudes from the four I put forward initially. On the West Coast, I'd tend to look towards NWA, Too $hort, Snoop, Tupac, E-40, Quik, and maybe even Freestyle Fellowship or Kendrick. The East Coast is too vast in its history, but I'd lean towards Run DMC, Biggie, Rakim, maybe Jay-Z or Nas or Kool G. Rap or Kane or Mobb Deep or Tribe or Slick Rick (even though the latter's laconic, buttery flow was arguably more influential elsewhere). Anyways, I tend to think that hip-hop producers are more influential than rappers in shaping regional trends (as evidenced by my Southern picks, three of whom are at least as influential sonically as they are in terms of lyrics or performance), but this is a conversation for another thread.
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2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.

Spyglass
Resident Metalhead

Gender: Male
Location: The red dot on the map

^Yeah it was you, and what you're saying is very true. In order to even find a proper 4 you may have to rely on location for much of hip hop. East coast, west coast, southern, Memphis, it gets interesting. Metal is less reliant on location but it can help. Many metal scenes evolve from California, but Germany loves its metal as well. The power metal scene is one of Germany's biggest and greatest achievements, but we've got bands from all over the world as well, especially in America and Japan. Dragonforce is one of the more iconic acts, but there aren't many British power metal acts that have reached those heights. If I had to make a big 4 for power metal, it would have to be Helloween, Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray and Running Wild. But there are some pwer metal bands I consider way better than Running Wild. But limiting it to the German bands, while appropriate, doesn't take into account that there are some bands better than Running Wild, like Virgin Steele. Basing such things on location also gets confusing considering thar you'd have multiple big fours for the same genre.

I know you said this should be reserved for another thread, but I figured a little extra metal knowledge might help. After Iron Maiden, Helloween might be good to explore.
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Do it yourself and let me play my music: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=61802

Skinny
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Mount Rushmore of British rap: Roots Manuva, Wiley, Task Force, Giggs. Please note that I left out all of my favourites in order to try to put together something "objective". Doesn't happen often.
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2021 in full effect. Come drop me some recs. Y'all know what I like.

Spyglass
Resident Metalhead

Gender: Male
Location: The red dot on the map

Hey, Kylie, your thread inspired me to finish this metal chart. I'm a bit new myself but I've heard hundreds of metal albums. I've been working on this slowly on Word but I spent hours putting it together today. Once you get through the recs you've been given, feel free to use my top 100 metal albums list to look for starting recommendations.

https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=63056
_________________
Do it yourself and let me play my music: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=61802

Kylie-Swans

Location: Canada, so I don't have to deal with the mess that is American politics

Spyglass wrote:

What kind of music do you currently like? If you're a pop fan, start a little small with something like the Van Halen debut or Dr. Feelgood by Motley Crue. A very good start for metal (and a revolutionary one for its mainstream success) is Metallica, a.k.a. The Black Album.. Then move onto Iron Maoden's first seven albums.

I'm a big fan of progressive rock. Especially Pink Floyd & Genesis

Kylie-Swans

Location: Canada, so I don't have to deal with the mess that is American politics

baystateoftheart wrote:

For me the first three Black Sabbath albums were a gateway into enjoying metal, which I was very skeptical of as a genre until a few years ago. They're still my favorites.

I didn't much like Metallica's black album.

Wait, Black Sabbath is metal? I thought it was hard rock. I love the album "Paranoid" so I guess I'm already off to a good start d'oh!