The 15 Most Underrated Albums by Heavy Metal Legends
Some bands’ bold decisions, the time records were released, fans’ expectations, or simply bad publicity have relegated some great metal albums from the spotlight.
We did the hard work for you and dove deep into metal history to rescue them from oblivion. These are some of those pearls saved from the sea of time and brought together for you.
1. Black Sabbath, ‘Headless Cross’ (1989)
I know this album doesn’t feature Ozzy, Ian Gillian, or even Dio, but this record with Tony Martin is definitely worth rescuing. For example, the epic Brian May solo over the crushing backing track in “When Death Calls” would be considered a classic if it wasn’t Tony singing. If you can get past the era-correct production, there are gems to be discovered here.
2. Judas Priest, ‘Turbo’ (1986)
Like many of its peers, Judas Priest also succumbed to that hideous hair metal synth era in the eighties. But in this record, if you ditch the commercial single “Turbo Lover” and go deeper, you’ll find songs like “Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days” and “Locked In,” featuring some righteous Judas Priest metal with epic choruses and great guitar playing. Believe me, it’s worth the try.
3. Pantera, ‘Power Metal’ (1988)
This album is definitely rooted in the ‘80s, full of clever hooks, and with a very young Phil Anselmo singing his heart out with a voice we’re absolutely not used to hearing. Yet, the Pantera element is there in this transition record, and songs like “We’ll Meet Again” show the bombastic quality of Dime and Vinnie Paul’s musical relationship. Also, “Proud to Be Loud” is a great song to hear with the top down of your car on long summer nights.
4. Black Sabbath ‘Sabotage’ (1975)
Written and recorded while being sued by their former manager, this hugely underrated album by Black Sabbath has some classics that would influence much of what came after them. I mean, if this record would only have “Symptom of the Universe”, “Hole in the Sky”, and the hugely epic, 9-minute “Megalomania”, it would be considered a great record by any other band.
5. Van Halen ‘Women and Children First’ (1980)
This might be the case of an album that came out after two bombastic efforts (‘Van Halen’ and ‘Van Halen II’) with the wrong single. I think that if they had come out with something more unique and daring like “Everybody Wants Some!!” or “Romeo Delight”, this record would have turned into a classic. I mean, Eddie’s playing proficiency on this album was already at a world-domination level.
6. Metallica ‘Load’ (1996)
After the biggest hit record of their career, the ‘Black Album’ from 1991, the Metallica boys cut their hair short and came up with a record that was closer to Alice in Chains than to Pantera. They received stone-cold criticism from all directions. Fans were disheartened that their idols had softened and sold out. Well, to me, this album (which I bought as a teenager, heard until my ears bleed, and still treasure) hides amazing Metallica songs like “King Nothing”, “Hero of the Day”, the Western ballad “Mama Said”, and the super obscure single “Until it Sleeps”. If you hated it back then, give it another chance.
7. Queensryche, ‘Promised Land’ (1994)
Perhaps, the worst thing about this album is coming out after the band’s most successful albums, ‘Operation: Mindcrime’ and ‘Empire’. But also, it’s an album that came out during the grunge revolution and was outshined by bands playing simpler songs and riffs. Still, if you hear it today, the epic darkness, super-heavy guitar riffs, and heartfelt vocals are right there with the band’s best material.
8. Dio, ‘Strange Highways’ (1994)
Following up his effort with Iommi, Butler, and Nichols for Black Sabbath’s ‘Dehumanizer’, this album by Dio sounds incredibly current and features great guitar playing by Tracy G. He’s not afraid of pyrotechnics and the rest of the band prepares a tight, powerful, and heavy environment for his lead playing to soar. The songwriting is up there with Dio’s best, and songs like “Jesus, Mary & The Holy Ghost” are exquisitely heavy and powerful.
9. Megadeth, ‘Youthanasia’ (1994)
I know it might sound strange to see this album on this list, but what happened with ‘Youthanasia’ is close to what happened with Metallica’s ‘Load’ two years later. First, it came out after ‘Rust in Peace’ and ‘Countdown to Extinction’. Second, it features a slower tempo and the vocals are more melody-heavy. Finally, besides “Train of Consequences” and “A Tout le Monde”, the album is pretty much forgotten for most fans.
10. Metallica, ‘Death Magnetic’ (2008)
After the ugly-sounding (pardon my French) ‘St. Anger’, Metallica recruited one of the best producers in history, Rick Rubin, and recorded part of this album in Sound City (the legendary studios). Also, it marks the moment Robert Trujillo finally settled into the Metallica sound to give it its current muscular power. Songs like “All Nightmare Long” are like the best of Metallica’s history put into a blender and sent right to your headphones. Believe me, it’s a record worth revisiting if you overlooked its release.
11. Mastodon, ‘Once More ‘Round the Sun’ (2014)
‘The Hunter’ might be one of Mastodon’s most successful albums, but, for metal fans, it’s also one of their most conservative and radio-oriented ones.For example, the super-heavy riff starting “High Road”, or the ferocious galloping of “The Motherload” are up there with the band’s best material.
12. Testament, ‘Low’ (1994)
The departure of Alex Skolnick was enough reason for many metal fans to just disregard this amazing thrash record that has plenty of crushing rhythms and heavy, guttural, otherworldly vocals to offer. Plus, the songs became heavier without the ornaments from Skolnick’s classical guitar proficiency. For example, a song like “Dog Faced Gods” is a great metal statement fthat could be compared to the band’s best material any day of the week.
13. Lamb of God, ‘Sturm und Drang’ (2015)
Released after the death of a fan and a trial that had the band’s singer as the main suspect, most metal fans thought Lamb of God was done and that they were nowhere near releasing a hit record. Therefore, this magnificent metal statement that’s crushing, brutal, fast, and, in my opinion, au pair with the band’s finest material went criminally underrated. If it escaped your radar too, it’s high time you give it a try.
14. Black Sabbath, ‘Dehumanizer’ (1992)
Firing Ozzy Osborne and finding a replacement was a move that almost destroyed Black Sabbath. Yet, they made a bold move and recruited one of metal’s most distinctive voices: Ronnie James Dio. The timing did a lot of harm to an album that has songs like the dark “Master of Insanity” and the upbeat and fast “TV Crimes”.
15. Opeth, ‘Pale Communion’ (2014)
The daring new direction Opeth took when writing and releasing this record was beyond what some of their fans could take. Indeed, beyond the given instrumental proficiency, this album marks one of the greatest prog-rock or prog-metal moments in modern music. My recommendation? A good pair of headphones and losing yourself to this musical journey.
