Out of all genres, metal has a lot of underrated albums that don’t really see the light of day, and I hate that; So, let’s shed some light on some of the most underrated albums in metal (Please note: this is not a ranking, none of the albums here are in any specific order, this is simply a list).
1. Blind Guardian – Battalions of Fear: Most people know Blind Guardian for albums like Nightfall in Middle Earth or A Night at the Opera, beautifully crafted pieces of power metal with enough progressive and symphonic flourishes to go around. Battalions of Fear, however, is not that. Blind Guardian’s first studio effort, Battalions of Fear is pure, raw speed metal. The symphonic majesticness and progressive elements had yet to be incorporated, rendering Battalions of Fear a very different album from what would be expected of the German power metal titans; when Guardian’s albums are ranked, Battalions often ranks very low because of this. All throughout, Battalions of Fear rips through eight tracks of pure speed/thrash fury. Highlight tracks include: “Majesty” (a fan favorite, still played today), “Run for the Night,” and “Guardian of the Blind.”
2. At the Gates – The Red in the Sky is Ours: In the eyes of the mainstream, Slaughter of the Soul will always be At the Gates’ masterpiece. While Slaughter of the Soul was influential, At the Gates’ real masterpiece came with their debut, The Red in the Sky is Ours. Instead of the polished, melodicism of Slaughter, The Red in the Sky is Ours is dark, chaotic, and utterly pulverizing Swedish death metal. That’s not to say it doesn’t have melody; in fact, its use of melody is part of what makes it unique. The use of violins and occasional melodic guitar harmonies add to a dark, menacing atmosphere. The Red in the Sky is Ours is a truly unique take on classic Swedish death metal. Highlight tracks include: “Within,” “Kingdom Gone,” and “Through Gardens of Grief.”
3. Sodom – Obsessed by Cruelty: Before they released Agent Orange and truly instated themselves as German thrash titans, Sodom was more chaotic and evil than any other band. Their debut full-length album Obsessed by Cruelty is often overlooked due to the fact that it comes sandwiched between the brilliant proto-black metal debut EP In the Sign of Evil and the utter thrash masterpiece Persecution Mania. Obsessed by Cruelty is somewhat of a mixture of both releases, it has the chaotic speed metal of In the Sign of Evil with a slight thrash refinement, reminiscent of Persecution Mania. The aforementioned chaotic element, however, is very present. Because of this, one can often hear the instruments going off time and the songs feel a bit disjointed. It’s understandable as to why this could be a turn-off, as Sodom never plays any of the songs from Obsessed by Cruelty which is a real shame. Highlight tracks include: “Brandish the Sceptre,” “Deathlike Silence,” and (if you own or have heard the Steamhammer Records pressing) “After the Deluge.”
4. X Japan – Vanishing Vision: By the time X Japan (then known simply as X) debuted Vanishing Vision in 1988, they had gained significant traction in the Japanese underground scene. X’s iconic, over-the-top glam image had made itself known as the mainstay of their early career and success and Vanishing Vision brought their high-energy, uplifting speed metal to a greater Japanese Audience. X broke out internationally in 1989 with Blue Blood, but they could not have gotten there without Vanishing Vision. Vanishing Vision represents X at their most raw and contains some of the earliest examples of what would make them famous on albums like Blue Blood and Jealousy. There are two tracks on here that ended up being re-recorded and released on Blue Blood. One is “Unfinished,” an (as the name implied) incomplete ballad that cuts out abruptly, it finished and re-recorded on Blue Blood. The other song is “Kurenai,” which eventually became X’s signature song, the version of Vanishing Vision is entirely in English and was re-recorded for Blue Blood with all the lyrics in Japanese. Highlight tracks include: “Vanishing Love,” “Sadistic Desire,” and “Kurenai.”
5. Sepultura – Morbid Visions: Those who only know Sepultura for their 1996 nu-metal breakout Roots or their twin thrash masterpieces Beneath the Remains and Arise are probably unfamiliar with their 1986 debut Morbid Visions. Morbid Visions is a rather different album from what would come to be expected from Sepulture. While thrash elements are present, the album is mostly dominated by the first-wave black metal sound similar to that of Celtic Frost and Bathory. While not the most original album ever, Morbid Visions still has its strengths. The music is a great snapshot of early black metal and has a certain wholesome quality, due in part to the DIY-sounding production and the lyrics written in English that the members learned through word-for-word dictionary translations of metal lyrics. Morbid Visions is often coupled with Sepultura’s debut EP Bestial Devastation, which contains one of the only known contributions of original lead singer Wagner “Antichrist” Lamonier, who would go on to form the highly influential extreme metal act Sarcófago. Highlight tracks include: “Troops of Doom,” “Mayhem,” and “Crucifixion.”
