I Like Big Hits And I Can Not Lie (Part I: 20th Century)
I Like Big Hits And I Can Not Lie (Part I: 20th Century)
Stuff that got me hooked in the course of the years, from my very first blurred memories as a toddler to the present day.
Lots of catchy tunes, some cheese, very few flowers.
Songs that had a big impact on me and influenced my taste in music.
Stuff to let it all hang out, songs for campfire sing-alongs and soundtracks to slit your wrists to.
Love at firstsight listen.
This is part I of II, covering the years to - and including - 2000.
Despite of the list's personal character, suggestions are very welcome.
After all I'm old and I may just have forgotten lots of stuff that did make my day.
Great albums that didn't make it on the list as they can only be enjoyed in their entirety, rather than by picking individual songs:
Elend - Leçons De Ténèbres (Dark Ambient/blackened Neoclassical, 1994)
Celestial Season - Solar Lovers (Doom/Death, 1995)
On Thorns I Lay - Orama - (Gothic Doom/Death, 1997)
The Elysian Fields - We...The Enlightened - (Melodic Death/Black, 1999)
Novembers Doom - The Knowing (Doom/Death, 2000)
Unholy - Gracefallen (Doom/Death, 1999)
Lots of catchy tunes, some cheese, very few flowers.
Songs that had a big impact on me and influenced my taste in music.
Stuff to let it all hang out, songs for campfire sing-alongs and soundtracks to slit your wrists to.
Love at first
This is part I of II, covering the years to - and including - 2000.
Despite of the list's personal character, suggestions are very welcome.
After all I'm old and I may just have forgotten lots of stuff that did make my day.
Great albums that didn't make it on the list as they can only be enjoyed in their entirety, rather than by picking individual songs:
Elend - Leçons De Ténèbres (Dark Ambient/blackened Neoclassical, 1994)
Celestial Season - Solar Lovers (Doom/Death, 1995)
On Thorns I Lay - Orama - (Gothic Doom/Death, 1997)
The Elysian Fields - We...The Enlightened - (Melodic Death/Black, 1999)
Novembers Doom - The Knowing (Doom/Death, 2000)
Unholy - Gracefallen (Doom/Death, 1999)
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1.
Queen
- Jazz
1978 - Don't Stop Me Now --- How it all began and the very first piece of rock music I loved. Probably some years later than in 1978, jumping from my wardrobe while freaking out to "Don't Stop Me Now" was my first conscious listening experience with an impact: I broke my leg. During school holidays. F#ck.
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4.
Metallica
- Ride The Lightning
1984 - Fade To Black & For Whom The Bell Tolls --- Must have been around 1988 that I discovered Thrash, eventhough I didn't really know that it was called Thrash back then. All I knew was that I liked what I heard.
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5.
Einstürzende Neubauten
- Halber Mensch
1985 - Z.N.S. --- Pioneers of german Avantgarde/Noise Rock/Industrial/Experimental. I still remember the day I saw the video of this song for the first time. I was about 12 years old and it scarred me to death.
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6.
Beastie Boys
- Licensed To Ill
1986 - No Sleep Till Brooklyn & Fight For Your Right --- Was never too deep into rap and hip hop, but it would feel kinda wrong to deny that I had quite a lot of fun listening to BB in the late 80's. These guys knew how to party hard, long before I was even allowed to attend my first one.
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7.
Manowar
- Fighting The World
1987 - Carry On --- Neither with pride nor with great joy do I have to confess that Manowar got me into Heavy Metal. "Carry On" was the first metal song I liked. But I don't owe them anything, I had to witness their live performance a few years thereafter, so they owe ME a lot.
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10.
Die Goldenen Zitronen
- Porsche, Genscher, Hallo HSV
1987 - Für Immer Punk --- For me, this very song was the essence of german punk rock: Die Goldenen Zitronen, Die Ärzte, Die Toten Hosen, Torpedo Moskau, ZK, Abwärts, Slime, X mal Deutschland - all of them united to perform a cover version of Alphaville's classic "Forever Young".
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11.
Warlock
- Triumph And Agony
1987 - All We Are & Für Immer --- I didn't even realize up to now that "Für Immer" and "Für Immer Punk" were released in the same year...
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12.
Helloween
- Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II
1988 - Dr. Stein & Keeper Of The Seven Keys & I Want Out
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13.
Manowar
- Kings Of Metal
1988 - Kings Of Metal & Hail And Kill & Heart Of Steel --- First album I bought on my own money. Now it was official: I was a metalhead.
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16.
Sabbat
- History Of A Time To Come
1988 - A Cautionary Tale & Hosanna In Excelsis & Horned Is The Hunter --- My first encounter with 'satanic' music. Lyrics like "Hark! The fallen Angels sing: Glory to Satan our King." and the demonic laughter at the very end of the LP had a massive impact on me. Told my mum that I urgently needed a pair of black jeans and Doc Martens leather boots. Got Lego blocks for christmas instead.
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17.
Savatage
- Gutter Ballet
1989 - Gutter Ballet & When The Crowds Are Gone --- My first girlfriend didn't like Satan, but she loved Savatage and so did I. Great memories of the best summer of my life.
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19.
Amon
- Sacrificial
1989 - Sacrificial Suicide --- this second demo of a young band that was soon to become Deicide got me into Death Metal, their untamed rawness just blew me away.
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21.
Pantera
- Cowboys From Hell
1990 - Cemetary Gates & Primal Concrete Sledge --- My first real metal concert was Judas Priest's Painkiller tour, hitting german roads February of 1991. Neither Priest nor their support Annihilator could really impress me, but this - to me still unknown - band from the U.S. made a hell of a show. Their frontman had rather long hair and he was acting quite normal, so I assume he got replaced by a bald moron right after this tour.
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22.
The Sisters Of Mercy
- Vision Thing
1990 - More
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23.
Slayer
- Seasons In The Abyss
1990 - Seasons In The Abyss --- Slayer was a late discovery. Maybe too late to get into them as this remains the only Slayer song ever I can fully enjoy.
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25.
Bathory
- Hammerheart
1990 - Song To Hall Up High & One Rode To Asa Bay --- My entrance ticket to Viking Metal, but I never really used it for anything else but Bathory.
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26.
Paradise Lost
- Lost Paradise
1990 - Rotting Misery --- This song changed everything I thought I knew about music at one fell swoop. People called it Death/Doom and I'd become a fan of the genre within 5 minutes and 16 seconds.
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27.
Savatage
- Streets: A Rock Opera
1991 - A Little Too Far & Can You Hear Me Now & Believe --- Needed this as some kind of compensation for Paradise Lost so I would not drown in the misery. Besides, it did bring back some sweet memories of the summer of '89...
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29.
Bathory
- Twilight Of The Gods
1991 - Under The Runes & Hammerheart --- Of all genres, all bands and all albums, "Hammerheart" has to be the most played song of my life and the only real purpose of my stereo's repeat button throughout the 90's.
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30.
Carcass
- Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious
1991 - Corporal Jigsore Quandary --- The awesome drum intro alone got me into Grindcore.
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33.
Paradise Lost
- Gothic
1991 - Gothic & Eternal --- Still two of the best songs Paradise Lost have ever recorded.
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34.
Tiamat
- The Astral Sleep
1991 - Lady Temptress & Ancient Entity & Angels Far Beyond --- I fail to find the words to express how much I love this album and in particular, these three songs.
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35.
Eucharist
- Rehearsal - 1991
1991 - The View --- This beast of a song nearly introduced me to Melodeath. The only problem was that the term "Melodeath" didn't yet exist in those days.
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36.
Tori Amos
- Little Earthquakes
1991 - Crucify & Winter --- Tori Amos is magnificent and I believe she's the most talented female singer/songwriter of the 20th century.
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38.
Anathema
- The Crestfallen EP
1992 - ...And I Lust & Everwake & Crestfallen --- Damn it, was this EP f#cken stuffed with awesome songs!
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39.
Hass
- Allesfresser
1992 - Nur Ein Traum & Neues Land & Schlagt Sie Tot & Lasst Die Glatzen Platzen --- The last two track titles translate as "Slay Them" and "Let The Baldies Burst", so you know what it's all about. This got me into Punk again...
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43.
Amorphis
- The Karelian Isthmus
1992 - Exile Of The Sons Of Uisliu --- First Amorphis song I ever heard -> love at first tone...
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45.
God Forsaken
- Dismal Gleams Of Desolation
1992 - Waiting For The Unknown --- The ultimate grief and all phases of pain, sorrow, misery and regret in just 2 ½ minutes of Doom/Death.
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47.
My Dying Bride
- As The Flower Withers
1992 - Sear Me --- Best My Dying Bride song EVER. From this very moment on, I thought that the "Peaceville Three" were beyond music. It rather was a religious experience.
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48.
At The Gates
- The Red In The Sky Is Ours
1992 - The Scar --- Learned that Peaceville was even more than just three bands...
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50.
Anathema
- Serenades
1993 - J'ai Fait Une Promesse & Sleepless --- Spent my summer holidays of '93 in Slovenia when I heard "Sleepless" for the first time. You could still see the traces of the Slovenian Independence War everywhere. Back at home, I found out that this song had been dedicated to the victims of the civil wars of former Yugoslavia.
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52.
Cemetary
- Godless Beauty
1993 - And Julie Is No More & Now She Walks The Shadows & The Serpent's Kiss & By My Own Hand & Adrift In Scarlet Twilight & Where The Fire Forever Burns --- Judging by the endless list of hits, one can assume that this criminally overlooked gem has to be one of my most favorite albums of the year 1993.
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53.
Dismember
- Indecent And Obscene
1993 - Dreaming In Red --- 25 years after its release this is still my most favorite Death Metal song of all time.
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54.
Edge Of Sanity
- The Spectral Sorrows
1993 - Lost & Sacrificed & The Masque & Blood Of My Enemies --- In 1993, Death Metal was still booming - but most of it bored my pants off. Edge Of Sanity brought an highly appreciated, urgently needed breath of fresh air.
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55.
Katatonia
- Dance Of December Souls
1993 - Without God --- First blackened Doom/Death ever and best blackened Doom/Death ever.
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57.
My Dying Bride
- Turn Loose The Swans
1993 - Sear Me MCMXCIII --- Yes, I know: most people seem to prefer "The Crown Of Sympathy" and "Black God" to my pick, but I'm not most people. The well-known, beautiful melody of Sear Me just kills me over and over again.
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58.
Paradise Lost
- Icon
1993 - True Belief - This was an appropriate swan song to herald the end of an era: the Peaceville Three of Doom/Death had transformed into the Peaceville Three of whatever. Anyway, great song!
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59.
Sadist
- Above The Light
1993 - Nadir & Breathin' Cancer & Happiness 'N' Sorrow --- Progressive Death Metal done right, years ahead of their time.
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60.
Propagandhi
- How To Clean Everything
1993 - Haillie Sellasse, Up Your Ass --- This song got me into U.S. Hardcore Punk.
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62.
Therion
- Symphony Masses - Ho Drakon Ho Megas
1993 - Dawn Of Perishness --- Symphonic (Death) Metal done right.
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64.
Hypocrisy
- The Fourth Dimension
1994 - Apocalypse & Reincarnation & The Fourth Dimension & The Arrival Of The Demons & The Abyss --- The concentration of hits on this album is insane.
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65.
Portishead
- Dummy
1994 - Sour Times & It's A Fire & Glory Box --- It shocked me that I loved this, despite of the fact that it was neither Metal nor Punk.
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70.
Dissection
- Storm Of The Light's Bane
1995 - Where Dead Angels Lie --- The very first tones of Meloblack blended with Melodeath caught me by surprise.
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73.
Therapy?
- Infernal Love
1995 - Diane --- Just a cover (Hüsker Dü) but what a f#cken great and intense song!
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75.
Unanimated
- Ancient God Of Evil
1995 - Life Demise & Oceans Of Time --- Underrated and overlooked but still the best Melodeath around.
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78.
Bathory
- Blood On Ice
1996 - The Lake & Woodwoman & Man Of Iron - What a relief to see that Quorthon could still deliver...
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82.
Propagandhi
- Less Talk, More Rock
1996 - Less Talk, More Rock & Refusing To Be A Man & Nailing Descartes To The Wall/(Liquid) Meat Is Still Murder
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84.
Alastis
- The Other Side
1997 - In Darkness & Slaves Of Rot --- I always thought Alastis were a somehow better version of their famous fellow countrymen (Samael).
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85.
Dark
- Seduction
1997 - Broken Down & Love And Seduction --- One of the very few Gothic Metal bands I loved. Despite of the song titles, this is no kitschy 'beauty and the beast' Gothic at all.
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86.
Deinonychus
- Ark Of Thought
1997 - Revelation & Birth And The Eleventh Moon --- This blend of Black Metal and Doom Metal got me into quite some weird stuff...
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88.
Portishead
- Portishead
1997 - All Mine & Only You --- Trip Hop you just have to know, regardless of your general taste.
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89.
The Prodigy
- The Fat Of The Land
1997 - Smack My Bitch Up & Breeze & Firestarter --- See Portishead, but replace "Trip Hop" by "Break Beat".
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92.
Dæmonarch
- Hermeticum
1998 - Corpus Hermeticum & Nine Angels --- Moonspell's Black Metal project. I'd trade all Moonspell albums of the years 1998 - 2015 for a new Dæmonarch release.
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93.
Tori Amos
- To Venus And Back
1999 - Bliss --- One of her gloomiest songs, I'd really love to hear a Doom band's cover version of this.
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94.
Bomfunk MC's
- In Stereo
1999 - Freestyler --- I still don't know the difference between Electro Hip Hop and Breakbeat, all I know is that this track rules.
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95.
Dark Tranquillity
- Projector
1999 - ThereIn --- I've been a fan of DT for many years prior to the release of Projector, but this was their first song that really got me hooked.
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96.
On Thorns I Lay
- Crystal Tears
1999 - Crystal Tears --- Gothic Doom with violins. Beautiful violins...
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98.
Cradle Of Filth
- From The Cradle To Enslave
1999 - Sleepless (Anathema cover) & From The Cradle To Enslave & Funeral In Carpathia & Of Dark Blood And F**king --- Yes, CoF did have some very catchy tunes and this EP is full of them.
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99.
Hollenthon
- Domus Mundi
1999 - Vestige - Non Omnis Moriar --- I believe that Symphonic (Death/Folk) Metal is quite a plague, but these guys knew how to do it right.
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100.
Eternal Tears Of Sorrow
- Chaotic Beauty
2000 - Black Tears (EoS cover) & Autumn's Grief & The Seventh Eclipse & Bride Of The Crimson Sea --- Extreme Power Metal is quite a plaque, too, but... see Hollenthon.
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101.
:Of The Wand And The Moon:
- :Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness:
2000 - Lost In Emptiness --- My first encounter with dark Neofolk. Repetitive and minimalistic, but still one of my most favorite tracks of the genre.
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102.
Dies Natalis
- Vom Gedanken... Und Der Erinnerung
2000 - Der Stein Weit Im Korn & Rain --- German Neofolk and the perfect soundtrack for campfire sing-alongs.
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103.
Hypocrisy
- Into The Abyss
2000 - Fire In The Sky & Deathrow (No Regrets) --- The last songs of the century just had to be from Hypocrisy - my personal most consistent, favorite band of the decade.
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Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
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Comments
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 Posts: 9598 |
Posts: 9598
Where's Crowbar??
---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all?
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 Posts: 3579 |
Posts: 3579 Written by RaduP on 10.05.2019 at 18:14 Radu, sometimes, you really are a son of... ...a son of a mother. But to answer your question, I hope they are forever lost, deep down in the swamps of New Orleans, where I will never ever have to hear them again.
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 Posts: 64330 |
Posts: 64330
Nice list og true metal band,s old bands, old classic genres what we grow up
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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Posts: 64330 Written by Starvynth on 10.05.2019 at 18:26 That band, same and Acid Bath are not bad, old albums was decent, if we compare whit all todays crap in a genre and weird music what so called underground listens what is not even metal.
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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Posts: 3579 Written by Bad English on 12.05.2019 at 12:28 You're probably right, but it's not about "Now" but about "Then". Back then, Crowbar was the first band to combine two genres I just didn't get: sludge and stoner. I believe they took the worst of both genres to create something that was not just the summary of two "bad" influences but a product of multiplication. Furthermore, you just couldn't ignore them. There was no internet, no YouTube, no bandcamp - just radio, magazines and MTV's Headbangers Ball to discover new music. And there he was: Kirk Windstein of Crowbar. Cover stories in Metal Hammer, interviews for Rock Hard magazine, videos on VIVA's Metalla, studio and tour reports for MTV, radio airplay. Above that, they've been touring Europe in 1994, together with one of my favorite bands of that time. Crowbar sucked so hard that I couldn't even enjoy Paradise Lost anymore. What a stupid idea to let Crowbar support them... Not to forget Kirk Windstein of Down: same guy, same story, twice the annoyance. He was literally everywhere. I just can't stomach this guy, he's the Steven Seagal* of metal. *Yes, ALL movies starring Steaven Seagull suck big time. Didn't you know?
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| Posts: 64330 |
Posts: 64330
Back then all new genres what combined new genres and new was poser what killed true metal, as 80's bands says about grunge
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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 Posts: 2778 |
Posts: 2778
Hey, a list by Starvynth, cool (your first one, right?). I was waiting for this, why didnt you let me know? Excellent approach, of course. I have thumbs up for most of the songs mentioned--many I dont know, though. I am not going to refer to all of them, in particular not the obvious ones. I would rather like to point out some of the probably less obvious ones: Licensed To Ill When The Crowds Are Gone Devil's Plaything One Rode To Asa Bay Ancient Entity Everwake Just One Fix (-->how about N.W.O., then?) Sear Me A Caress Of Stars Sleepless Sear Me MCMXCIII True belief Without God Apocalypse Whatever That Hurts Life Demise & Oceans Of Time Black tears Against Widows The woodwoman ThereIn Ruin & Misery The Fat Of The Land
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Posts: 3579 Written by Redel on 29.05.2019 at 21:48 Beastie Boys and The Prodigy? Seriously?? I always thought you were the ultimate exclusive metalhead...  N.W.O. is a nice track as well, but I never really liked the repetitive background "lyrics" throughout the complete song. What does he even sing? Hepp hepp hepp?? Always reminded me of a shepherd calling for his sheep or something...
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Posts: 2778 Written by Starvynth on 29.05.2019 at 23:13 Oh no, not at all. These days I mostly listen to Metal. But that is really just because I only have so little time left over for music that I want to devote it to the most important music for me. I have always liked 90s Beastie Boys and Prodigy quite a lot. Basically all of them up to the end of the 90s (The Prodigy Experience and Music for the Jilted Generation come to mind). Written by Starvynth on 29.05.2019 at 23:13 Yeah, that is quite annoying indeed. I dont enjoy this track too much either but I can listen to it from time to time.
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 Posts: 8220 |
Posts: 8220
There's so much stuff here I absolutely adore. The non-metal stuff included 
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Posts: 5630  |
Posts: 5630
Deserves a thumbs up just for Queen and Savatage being in the list
---- I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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Posts: 3579 Written by John_Doe on 27.03.2020 at 18:28 Thank you! Yeah, that's how it all started and eventhough my taste has undergone a considerable change since 198X, I can't deny that Queen and Savatage are reponsible for some of the most brilliant rock and metal classics of all time. The very meaning of timeless music, so to speak.
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| Posts: 9598 |
Posts: 9598
Lmao Manowar
---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all?
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Posts: 3579 Written by RaduP on 28.03.2020 at 15:31 Life was tough back then in the late 80s, early 90s. People had to choose between two equally dreadful evils. Jeans and leather or cracker jack clothes? Black wind, fire and steel or purple rain, diamonds and pearls? The kings of metal or the prince of pop? What would have been your choice?
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Posts: 8220 Written by Starvynth on 28.03.2020 at 16:44 As far as these two particular tracks go, I'd choose both. Other than "Purple Rain" though, I always hated Prince's music with great passion. And I always adored Manowar of course, as a matter of fact I think it should be ban-worthy to talk shit about '80s Manowar on Metal Storm.
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| Posts: 2778 |
Posts: 2778 Written by Starvynth on 28.03.2020 at 16:44  And what about the king of pop?
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 Posts: 3432 |
Posts: 3432
Cool! Slayer is a late discovery for me also, relatively speaking. I recommend Show No Mercy in addition to Seasons in the Abyss!
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Posts: 3579 Written by F3ynman on 17.09.2021 at 15:49 Thanks, but to be honest, I've never been an avid thrash fan. It's the vocals that I've never warmed up to. Know Slayer, have listened to each of their early albums countless times and appreciate their legacy and a few songs, but that's about it. I can hear Nik swinging his banhammer in the distance, so I better stop right there. 
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