The Old Testament: Essential Tomes Of The Old School Heavy Metal Canon

What better way to open discussion of metal trends than to first list the 20th century metal albums that established the stylistic trends still held as ideals by metal bands today? Note: these are not necessarily my favorite metal albums, as some of them receive very few regular listens. By subgenre, then alphabetical...

Heavy Metal
Angel Witch - Angel Witch
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4
Cirith Ungol - King Of The Dead
Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
Fates Warning - Awaken The Guardian
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny
Judas Priest - Stained Class
Manilla Road - Crystal Logic
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath
Motorhead - Overkill
Pagan Altar - Volume 1
Satan - Court In The Act
Venom - Welcome To Hell
Venom - Black Metal

Speed Metal
Destruction - Infernal Overkill
Helstar - Nosferatu
Kreator - Pleasure To Kill
Metallica - Kill 'Em All
Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Rigor Mortis - Freaks
Slaughter - Strappado
Slayer - Show No Mercy
Slayer - Hell Awaits
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Slayer - South Of Heaven
Sodom - Persecution Mania
Voivod - Dimension Hatross
Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly

Death Metal
Amorphis - Privilege Of Evil
Asphyx - The Rack
At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
Autopsy - Mental Funeral
Deicide - Deicide
Deicide - Legion
Demigod - Slumber Of Sullen Eyes
Demilich - Nespithe
Disembowelment - Transcendence Into The Peripheral
Dismember - Like An Everflowing Stream
Immolation - Dawn Of Possession
Incantation - Onward To Golgotha
Massacra - Final Holocaust
Merciless - The Awakening
Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness
Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick
Necrophobic - The Nocturnal Silence
Pestilence - Consuming Impulse
Possessed - Seven Churches
Suffocation - Effigy Of The Forgotten
Therion - Beyond Sanctorum
Unleashed - Where No Life Dwells

Black Metal
Bathory - The Return......
Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
Beherit - Drawing Down The Moon
Blasphemy - Fallen Angel Of Doom
Burzum - Burzum
Burzum - Det Som Engang Var
Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky
Darkthrone - Under A Funeral Moon
Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
Enslaved - Vikingligr Veldi
Gorgoroth - Pentagram
Graveland - The Celtic Winter
Graveland - Thousand Swords
Havohej - Dethrone The Son Of God
Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raids
Ildjarn - Det Frysende Nordariket
Immortal - Pure Holocaust
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Mutiilation - Remains Of A Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul
Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract
Sacramentum - Far Away From The Sun
Sarcofago - I.N.R.I.
Summoning - Dol Guldur

Doom Metal
Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
Cathedral - Forest Of Equilibrium
Mournful Congregation - An Epic Dream Of Desire
Pentagram - Relentless
Ras Algethi - Oneiricon - The White Hypnotic
Saint Vitus - Saint Vitus
Skepticism - Stormcrowfleet
Skepticism - Lead And Aether
Thergothon - Fhtagn-Nagh Yog-Sothoth
Thergothon - Stream From The Heavens
Trouble - Psalm 9
Winter - Into Darkness
Worship - Last Tape Before Doomsday

Grindcore
Blood - Impulse To Destroy
Blood - O Agios Pethane
Carbonized - For The Security
Carcass - Reek Of Putrefaction
Impetigo - Horror Of The Zombies
Napalm Death - Scum
Napalm Death - From Enslavement To Obliteration
Pathologist - Grinding Opus Of Forensic Medical Problems
Repulsion - Horrified
Terrorizer - World Downfall

Thrash / Crossover
Cro-Mags - The Age Of Quarrel
Cryptic Slaughter - Convicted
D.R.I. - Dealing With It!
Dead Horse - HORSECORE: AN UNRELATED STORY THAT'S TIME CONSUMING
Fearless Iranians From Hell - Foolish Americans
Nuclear Assault - Game Over
Prong - Beg To Differ
S.O.D. - Speak English Or Die!

Hardcore Punk
Amebix - Arise!
Black Flag - Damaged
Discharge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
The Exploited - Troops Of Tomorrow
G.B.H. - City Baby Attacked By Rats

Industrial Metal
Godflesh - Streetcleaner

About This Blog

This blog is the product of two music fans that enjoy discussion of music including overarching trends, otherworldly qualities, and other aspects that affect music's growth through the ages as well as its effect on the listener.

Both Matt and I enjoy a variety of genres of music; however, I most enjoy and specialize in forms of heavy metal and related genres while Matt takes interest in electronic music, including varieties of beat music, ambient soundscapes, and more. As we introduce each other to more music from genres outside our respective fields of interest, however, we hope to find inherent connections between genres and thus become more educated in the vast world of music.

The title is a reference to the black metal band Beherit's album "Electric Doom Synthesis", which seemed most fitting, as its title refers to the album's joining of metal elements with electronic elements, much like the joint opinions of a metal listener and electronica listener that this blog hopes to reflect one day.