Reading through the comments section throughout these pages you would be mistaken if you thought it was an anti-metal site given the huge amount of negativity. "Oh I'm a fan of this band, really, but this new albums shit"; "This band should stop making albums and play their old stuff" blah blah blah. This list compiles albums that are a prime target; the over-sized bulls-eye; a band bashing bandwagon for trolls. Too bad 'cause I thoroughly enjoy them. Sure there are metal albums I don't like but why whinge? It's about time this site had some positivism thrown in. If you hate these records Calvin Harris has some Special K he'd like to share with you.

Created by:

Mark Ayoub | 19.04.2016

	1.	Metallica - Re-Load 1997. My first metal album and my floodgate to the heavy metal world. This album receives the same hostility as Load but were it not for Unforgiven II I wouldn't be the metal fan I am today. Probably listening to Green Day thinking they are the heaviest thing ever. Heaven forbid. Yes I love Metallica's first 5 albums and would give them each 4.5 or 5 stars but Re-Load will always be my favourite. As for the songs bluesy, psychedelic and grungy. It pissed off the old school fans but certainly recruited new ones. I was one of the latter and I've never looked back.
	2.	Megadeth - Risk 1999. Lars Ulrich told MegaDave he should take a risk with his music. He listened. The fans didn't. But Risk was an essential album of its time. Thrash was dead. You were wedged between either the extremes of death metal or....cough..nu-metal. It's easy to pin Risk down because of its mellowness but at the time it sounded right. A nostalgic listen.
	3.	KISS - Creatures Of The Night 1982. More forgotten than hated. This album was released between their Unmasked album and unmasked era. A highly contentious period for KISS. But compare it to their other 19 releases and you'll find it's the heaviest album they've ever recorded. It may not be 'all killer no filler' but compare it to their other 80's releases and you can declare it a masterpiece.
	4.	Metallica - Load 1996. If Metallica had released another 'Puppets' album in 1996 it would have tanked. I was very much alive and sober in the 90's and few people complained at the time. It's only now where Thrash has returned to the foray that Load and it's other 90's album counterparts get crucified. I'm happy to have 80 minutes of Metallica in one sitting, even if there aren't any double bass drums to absorb.
	5.	Korn - Issues 1999. I liked this album since the band replaced the white boy raps from their previous 2 albums with actual singing. The dark subject matter of child abuse, psychopathy and suicide was sincere before they started repeating themselves in albums to come.
	6.	Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark 1992. The title track is still performed live to this day but there are other choice cuts too. Hear "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" and "Be Quick Or Be Dead." Released at a time traditional metal was on its downfall - Good release at the wrong time.
	7.	Judas Priest - Ram It Down 1988. Turbo caused a lot of controversy and Ram It Down got equal backlash due to the similar 80's production values and pop driven sound. But compared to Turbo the songs are much stronger. A famous festival takes its name from one of the albums songs.2017 Correction - Monsters Of Rock started in 1979 so the band probably named the song after the festival! Still a great album closer.
	8.	Paradise Lost - Host 1999. More a 'heavy Depeche Mode' than a metal album. I spend my time listening to it wondering what it would sound like with heavier riffs. Nevertheless if this wasn't treated as a metal album there would be less hostility towards it I'm sure.
	9.	Cradle Of Filth - Thornography 2006. Most people who hate Cradle Of Filth seem to do so because they have a sense of humour, smile in their photo-shoots, use keyboards and orchestras and therefore are not 'black metal' enough. Have your debates about that. I'm indifferent. In all the armchair warrior rage Thornography seems to get the most bashings. Despite numerous listens and comparisons to the rest of their catalogue I fail to see why.
	10.	Judas Priest - Nostradamus 2008. The mighty Priests' first concept album and with added symphonic overtones. And the fans revolted. Maybe a double album was too much to stomach; maybe the numerous interludes dragged the album down. Me? I was happy that they tried something different. Not perfect but not crap like everyone else says it is.