100 Greatest Metal Songs Of All Time Pt.3

Hmm..I'm back again. Here they are, numbers 60 to 41.

60) Walk In The Shadows--Queensryche(Rage For Order)
The only listenable song from this surprisingly mediocre album from Queensryche. But man!!, it'a a masterpiece. Catchy moving riffs, and excellent chorus as any other great Queensrcyhe song, and the solo..well...if you know the band, you won't ask.

59) Wasted Years--Iron Maiden(Somewhere In Time)
Who doesn't know this one! One song which even people who don't listen to metal enjoy. The opening guitar lick is legendary. Not a very heavy song by Maiden's standards, but extremely melodious!! and great vocals.

58) Lucretia--Megadeth(Rust In Peace)
Yeah another RIP song!. great riffs..memorable solos(typically megadeth) and the highlight of the song...the opening evil laugh by Mega-Dave Mustaine;)

57) Desecrator--Exhorder(Slaughter In The Vatican)
An obscure band, and obscure song! But it kills! Many might not know this but Pantera used to be a Hair/Glam metal band before they decided to rip off!! Exhorder's sound. Trust me on this :)
56) Seasons In The Abyss--Slayer(Seasons In The Abyss)
Arguably the most evil sounding track Slayer haev ever recorded. Not agressively fast as some of the other great slayer songs, but it does provide for some gut thumping rhythm and riffs. This is Slayer at their mature---essssssst!!

55) Episode 666--In Flames(Whoracle)
With this In Flames once again prove that they are arguably the best Metal band of the last decade. Riffing..soloing..harmonising.....they put all the other bands in their genre to shame with this one. It just hits you right in the head with everything.

54) For Whom The Bell Tolls--Metallica(Ride The Lightning)
Monster of a thrasher from the Gods of metal. The intro bass-line is drool-worthy. What more to say...really kick***.

53) Fade To Black--Metallica(Ride The Lightning)
Another Epic..anthemic song this album. One of the very few true heavy metal ballads in existence.

52) You've Got Another Thing Coming--Judas Priest(Delivering The Goods)
Judas Priest's most infectious song to date. Great rhythm work and infectious riffs.

51) Take No Prisoners--Megadeth(Rust In Peace)
This might be a surprise for many of you. This song displays what is arguably the most technical and fast riffing performance in metal history. Just listen to the first 30 seconds of the song..and you'll know what I mean. And it's not just here for the technicality, it's here coz it's a great song.....a thrasher's delight.

50) The Mission--Queensryche(Operation Mindcrime)
One of the many great songs off this masterful album. Very very eerie and atmospheric.....one of the greatest vocal performances ever!! And the guitar work?...well..it's Queensryche so don;t ask.

49) T.D.S.(Take it as you will)--Vio-Lence(Eternal Nightmare)
Classic! 80's style Thrash cannot get any better than this. This album is a rarity and a hugely overlooked gem. Get it now!

48) The Faded Line--Lamb Of God(Ashes Of The Wake)
Another surprise for you? Yeah well, this one's got the most infectious double bass/guitar duo work ever recorded. Did I mention it's also heavy as hell!!

47) First Strike is Deadly--Testament(The Legacy)
Yes, Testament were inspired by Metallica, but they don't sound like a copy cat in any way. This song represents all that's good about 80's thrash...fast/furious/deadly riffs and blistering solos.

46) Kissing The Shadows--Children Of Bodom(Follow The Reaper)
COB's last appearance on my list..and it certainly is very high!! Don't you think? Everybody has different opinions and tastes, but you can't tell me that this song doesn't have one of the greatest solos you've ever heard.

45) Killing In The Name Of...--Rage Against the Machine(Rage Against The Machine)
You can't really classify RATM into a genre, but whatever it is, it's GOOD!! And this song is easily the best of their career.

44) Perish In Flames--Dark Angel(Darkness Descends)
The best song off this extreme-thrash classic. Ultra-fast riffing..mind numbing drumming and the extremest vocals for that time(I know, Possessed were more extreme...and started the cookie monster vocals...but I, somehow, never liked Seven Churches...oh please don't kill me for this).

43) Home--Dream Theater(Scenes From A Memory)
EPIC!!! would be a one word summary for this song. Classical intro...followed by what may very well be the greatest musical performance in metal history.

42) Paranoid--Black Sabbath(Paranoid)
One of the most celebrated and covered songs in metal history. You know what it's all about, don't you?

41) Powerslave--Iron Maiden(Powerslave)
Another geat headbanger form these masters. has a very Egyptian feel to it, as with most of the other album tracks. The rhythm riff has been copied soooooo many times by soooooo many maiden immitators.

Okie dokie...that's it for now...catch ya later..cheerio

100 Greatest Metal Songs Of All Time Pt.2

Ok..I'm back with the second installment...so here they are; numbers 80-61

80) Wicked--SymphonyX(The Odyssey) First 10 seconds into the song...and you'll know you have a masterpiece at hand. Unusual riffing...extremely catchy.

79) A Dangerous Meeting--Mercyful Fate (Don't Break The Oath)
DBTO is inarguably the most revolutionary album in Black Metal, and this is easily the best song off this album. Tight riffing....blistering solos thrown in throughout the length of the song and of course...the legendary voice of King Diamond.

78) Troops of Doom--Sepultura(Schizophrenia)
Sepultura's grroviest headbanger this one..the rhythm is so addictive. If you call yourself a fan of thrash and haven't heard this one...shame on you!!

77) Hall Of The Mountain King--Savatage(Hall Of The Mountain King)
Classic thrash song this one. Catchy moving riffs...the chorus ending really gives you an adrenaline kick.

76) Imperium--Machine Head(Through The Ashes Of Empires)
Machine Head's best song to date. Has everything..headbanging moments....slow atmospheric moments...great vocals..screaming as well as clean. Very very structured song this one.

75) This Is Absolution--Killswitch Engage(As Daylight Dies)
One of the best metal songs of 2006. You're really missing some vintage metal if you haven't heard this one...a headbanger's delight, the melodic breakdowns are absolutely mindblowing.

74) Bringing On A Heartbreak--Def Leppard(High N' Dry)
Classic 80s heavy metal. Catchy verses..a melodious chorus and good guitar work.

73) Dig--Mudvayne(L.D.50)
A nu-metal anthem. Impeccable bass work...very very angry!! vocals.

72) E.vil N.ever D.ies--Overkill(The Years of Decay)
This is undoubtedly the most underrated Thrash album of all time. This is the speedy killer cut from this masterpiece.

71) Battery--Metallica(Master Of Puppets)
Still an inspiration to all the extreme death metal acts of today.Soothing acoustic intro..followed by mid-tempo twin solo...and then....5 minute of metal madness.

70) A Mansion In The Darkness--King Diamond(Abigail)
Epic song from the King. The guitars in this song are truly!!! out of this world, and the vocal performance of the King is his best IMO. The best song off this masterpiece of an album. The overall guitar solo performance on Abigail has to be one of the 5 best ever!!(now that's saying a lot...isn't it)

69) Artifacts Of The Black Rain--In Flames(The Jester race)
Another great song from these Swedish masters. Melodious and heavy! the guitar lick/double bass parts are excellent!!!

68) Keeper Of The Seven Keys--Helloween(Keeper Of The Seven Keys Pt.2)
Everything that's good and pure about power metal. A trendsetting epic song, the soloing madness in the climax can still give DragonForce a run for their money.

67) The Eyes Of Medusa--SymphonyX(The Divine Wings Of Tragedy) Right from the word go, this one is a headbangers dream. The opening riff is AWESOME!!The piano-esque keyboards provide for some excellent atmospheric listening. Michael Romeo si definitely one of the better riffmeisters in the business.

66) Freak On A Leash--KoRn(Follow The Leader)
Yeah..I go the nu-metal way again. One of the very few KoRn songs I enjoy....as everyone should. Creeeeeeepyyyy!!! sound this one has...and whiny or not..Jonathan Davis can sing.

65) 5 Minutes Alone--Pantera(Far Beyond Driven)
Angry..bludgeoning thrasher from this legendary quartet. 3 note riff throughout and still a very very entertaining song.

64) Beyond The Realms Of Death--Judas Priest(Stained Class)
Who doesn't know this one!...the suicide song:). Well lyrics apart...and i've never cared for lyrics in metal(yeah..time to judge me again)..this is an epic song from the grand daddies of heavy metal. The solo is one of the best(for it's time)

63) The Ultra-Violence--Death Angel(The Ultra-Violence)
Another one of those underrated masterpiece albums. This is classic 80's Thrash at its best.

62) Queen Of The Reich--Queensryche(Queensryche)
This was before Queensryche went the 'thinking man's metal' way. One hell of a rocker this one...the guitar work as with any Queensryche song...is godly.

61) Wake Up Dead--Megadeth(Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?) Not your typical thrash song this one. Many riff changes throughout, great bass work and the last 1 n a half minutes are almost godly. Pure thrash mayhem...do I need to say anything about the solos?? It's Megadeth!!

Hmm..so that's it for now..catch ya all later;)

100 Greatest Metal Songs Of All Time Pt.1

Before going through this list, you must understand that whenever a person writes this kind of stuff, he/she is bound to be prejudiced sometimes...it's only human. I'm no elitist who swears by Iron Maiden/Judas priest/Black Sabbath or someone who says that any list without Slayer sucks, or someone who makes it a point to talk trash about bands like Slipknot, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit,Disturbed etc. and belittle anyone who listens to them. I enjoy rock/metal in all it's forms...if it sounds good to my ears..it's good. Of course, when something sounds good, and also has great technicality and musicianship to back it up, it becomes even more memorable, in other words..a CLASSIC/MASTERPIECE. The top 20 of this list would be absolute!, i.e. my REAL favourites..in order. The rest of the list, however, should not be considered definitive..the No.29 might actually become my No.21 over a period of time....lol..i know I'm confusing you now..so I'll cut the crap and start with the listings...in reverse order. I won't be including ballads in this list, so don't go freaking out if you don't find a Nothing Else Matters or Stairway To heaven in the list....coz I don't think ballads should ever be compared with the heavier/rockier stuff, it results in bias all around. And do remember, there are thousands of great metal songs and choosing only 100 is bound to faulty at times, and I might even miss something that should have been here. One thing is for sure though, if there's a metal band I missed in this list, either I haven't heard of it or I seriously don;t consider any of their songs to be on this list. I'll be doing 20 songs in one sitting..so here they are Nos.100-81

100. World Of Lies--At The Gates(Slaughter Of The Soul):
A great track from their melo-death classic Slaughter Of The Soul. Heavy..pounding beats..insane shredding. Tempo changes--blast beats and groove immmaculately mixed, and of course, the melodic feel typical of the Gotherburg sound. Killer of a song

99. The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears--Machine Head(The Burning Red)
One of the few Machine Head songs I enjoy very much..has a very nu-metallish feel to it, but it's a groovy headbanger nonetheless.

98. Crystal Mountain--Death(Symbolic)
This is progressive death metal at it's best, and who better to do it than the creators of the genre themselves. Godly riffing and even better soloing..Chuck Schuldiner--RIP

97. Balls To The Wall--Accept(Balls To The Wall)
The best song from these German metal masters. You'll find all that's good about classic heavy metal in here.

96. Hate Me--Children Of Bodom(Follow The Reaper)
This is a great place to start if you haven't heard of COB. Maiden-esque solos(only 10 times faster), deadly keyboards, savage riffing..monster of a song.

95. Downfall--Children Of Bodom(Hatebreeder)
Two COB songs in a row? yeah well...it's hard not to think of their other songs while thinking of one. The keyboard-guitar lick intro is sooooooo addictive..then the song bursts into 4 n' a half minutes of power/death mayhem.

94. Laid To Rest--Lamb Of God(Ashes Of The Wake)
Almost 4 minutes of a lesson in what metal should sound like in the new millennium. Insane headbanger this one.

93. Zombie Inc.--In Flames(Colony)
Combining METAL!!! n Melody...no one does it better than In Flames. Great song off a great album. Everything you need in a metal song.

92. Through The Fire And Flames--DragonForce(Inhuman Rampage)
Yeah, they're fresh in my memory, so this has to be here. But seriosuly, listen to this song, and you'll have a feeling that all the other guitarists and drummers in the world are school kids(atleast while you're listening to it).The dual guitar attack is AWESOME!!

91. Final Resistance--Dark Tranquillity(Damage Done)
Starts off slow..for about 10-15 seconds...and then blasts on to you with 3 minutes of melo-death metal fury. Do remember to UP the volume all the way while listening to this...he he.

90. Mr. Crowley--Ozzy Osbourne(Blizzard Of Ozz)
Classic metal with the virtuosity of Rhandy Rhoads taking over Ozzy's charisma, it was evident on the whole album. The solo on this one is a masterpiece.

89. Riot Of Violence--Kreator(Pleasure To Kill)
Monster thrasher from a monster album. This saw Kreator at their best.

88. Punish My Heaven--Dark Tranquillity(The Gallery)
Very maiden-esque song from these lords of Gotherburg. Great song with clasical twin solos.

87. Omens--King Diamond(Abigail)
People can hail Venom and Merciful Fate(another King Daimond outfit) as much as they want, but when it comes to black metal, I swear by King Diamond. Abigail, for me was the pinnacle of black/horror metal. The whole album is a masterpiece from start to finish, and the album can be enjoyed best when you sit through it. Omens is one of the two songs(the other will come later) which can be listened to individually and enjoyed. That's why it's here. Great riffs--very groovy and a DARK atmosphere. King Diamond's vocals can be an acquired taste..but man...you gotta love those falsettos...better than Halford in my opinion. And the dual guitar attack is underrated as hell...it's right up there with Iron Maiden in my opinion.

86. Polaris--Megadeth(Rust In Peace)
Great thrasher with amazing riffs from RIP..one of the greatest metal albums ever recorded.

85. Blinded By Fear--At The Gates(Slaughter Of The Soul)
The best song off this album. An out n out headbanger..blast beats all the way.Hevy as hell!

84. Good Mourning/Black Friday--Megadeth(Peace Sells...But Who's Buying)
Excellently crafted track from Megadeth's first great album.The riffing is to die for!

83. Darkness Descends--Dark Angel(Darkness Descends)
The MOST underrated extreme thrash classic of all times.This is probably due to the fact that it was released in the same year(1986) as Master of Puppets,Reign In Blood and Peace Sells..But Who's Buying?. The album is a merciless onslaught of uber heavy thrash madness. I know it's blasphemous to say so, but it owns Reign In Blood in terms of sheer agression. The title song is about as agressive as metal could get in those days, and if you listen closely to the double bass pattern, you'll know where One(Metallica) came from.

82. Inner Self--Sepultura(Beneath the Remains)
A classic song from one of the most under-rated thrash masterpieces of all time. This song presents everything that was good and thrashy about Sepultura before they went crazy with their tribal crap.

81. The Endless Feed--Dark Tranquillity(Character)
Arguably the best 'true death metal' song of the new millennium. Very atmospheric and heavy song. The album was great too

Bye for now...will be back with 80-61 very soon.

THE iPhone....Any takers???

"iPhone combines three amazing products — a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps, and searching — into one small and lightweight handheld device."

This is what Apple have to say about their new gizmo on their website. The iPod is a CULT..it's a fashion statement...and these days it's almost always a necessity. The power of iPod can be seen in the fact that iPod has actually become a generic name for all portable digital music players. Shoppers at Delhi's Palika Bazaar come in barges to ask for an iPod..and what they take away is a locally made low quality player which sounds like TIN in your ears. When the Mac almost died due to the mammoth that Windows is, it was the iPod which provided Apple with the resources to build up the Mac brand again.

I, for one, like my gadgets to be special...as in...I would never invest in a mobile phone with a 3-4 megapixel camera coz I love my 6 Megapixel Cannon digicam..I would rather the pictures be taken on it...I wouldn't invest in a Nokia N93...If I want to, I'd record widescreen DVD quality in my SONY DVD-Handycam. GPRS/EDGE/3G are welcome in a mobile phone...coz carrying around your laptop is not always possible, for e-mail checking and casual chatting etc. I would never invest in one of those Sony Walkman series phones or Nokia N91 coz I love my music on my iPod Nano. I wouldn't jump through hoofs to acquire a small device with tremendous "horsepower" as they call it...350-450 Mhz processor...a la iPaq, iMate JAM..etc etc...huh. If I want horsepower I'd rather use my Core2Duo ThinkPad T60.....I mean who on earth would want horsepower on a flight or train journey...it's not like we'd be rendering a ShrekII on our journey. And last but not the least...playing games...watching movies...is best when done on a big screen...atleast a 12.1' laptop LCD.

So..though it might seem like a revolutionary product(which the iPod was)...the iPhone actually is nothing but a simple gimmick. There is nothing new that the iPhone has to offer...many high-end Nokia..Sony mobiles can do the same job, and have been in the market for quite long. Aesthetically, it does appeal a lot...a true eye-candy..but no more than that. I'm not excited the least bit....you....well...decide for yourself.

Force of the DRAGON!!!

The most shocking and awe inspiring surprises come from where you expect the least. This happened to me very recently; I had heard of this band called DragonForce about a year ago on some power metal forum where the guys were all praises for this band. I did not pay much attention, and thought it might be another of those Helloween or Blind Guardian rip-offs hailing from Germany or Sweden singing about dragons(as the name suggests) or chanting Tolkien rhymes. But boy!! I was wrong, and I'm mad at myself for not checking them out earlier. DragonForce are an 'extreme power metal'(that's what they call themselves) band from London, England(lol, was I surprised at this? a bit:-))

To describe their music in a nutshell:- Virtuosity par excellence, inhuman instrumentation and music that's faster than the speed of light!! Yes! you read that correct, I was finding it impossible to tap my foot along with the beats. The dual guitar harmonies and solos by Herman Li and Sam Totman are something which you have to hear for yourself to believe, not even a thousand word write-up can explain it. Herman Li, well, he's the real guitar GOD as of now, have a look at the picture below(look at Steve vai's expression!!This is a still from Ibanez JEM 20th anniversary show....MAKE WAY FOR THE NEW MASTER)Soooooooo fast!! and so melodious, you feel like crying, and how Dave Mackintosh(drummer) can keep up with all of it is beyond my comprehension.

They don't make memorable music for sure, but while you listen to it, you'll feel that there's nothing more grand and more accomplished than these guys. The speed factor, well, the speed at which they have played in Inhuman Rampage(their latest album), as I said, is inhuman. Whether they can beat this is something we'll have to wait and watch. These guys do tend to get a bit self indulgent at times, but even doing so, they make music which all metal bands, and I mean all of them!! can only dream of. That's speed I'm talking about. So, while the speed lasts, and even if it doesn't, you have to enjoy two of their last albums..Sonic Firestorm and Inhuman Rampage. I haven't heard much off their debut album, Valley Of The Damned, so I can't comment about it. As for Sonic...and Inhuman...they are masterpieces!!

Classic Tracks: Through The Fire And Flames, Revolution Deathsquad, Cry Of The Brave, Fury Of The Storm, Fields Of Despair, Cry For Eternity

20 Greatest Metal Bands Of All Time

Before I start, I must clarify that this list is solely based on my personal opinion. No surveys, no research, no crap like that. This list will consist of metal bands in all their forms; heavy metal, death, doom, black, power, gothic, thrash, progressive, nu-metal etc. Some genres may have a bigger share and it’s even possible that some don’t even make it to the list. Some bands may be included because of their popularity or sheer influence over a particular sub-genre of Metal, but most of them would be here at my own discretion. You are welcome to not agree with the list, but don’t comment unnecessarily, and ask me to kick out or include any band in the list. Just read and enjoy:

20) DIO: Why are they here? For Ronnie James Dio. Ronnie, along with Robert Plant and Bruce Dickinson is one of the most powerful and unique voices in metal history. Holy Diver and Rainbow In The Dark are what classic metal is all about.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Holy Diver, Last In Line


19) MOTLEY CRUE: Why are they here? For being the ultimate glam-metal band ever. ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Shout At The Devil

18) OPETH: Why are they here? I seriously don’t knowL. I have tried and tried and tried to like Opeth, but I haven’t succeeded. They are here because every damn critic the world over says “they are the best death/doom metal band in the world”. I don’t know, maybe I missed something, maybe I’m plain stupid or maybe something’s wrong with my ears. I don’t like ‘em or their music. Just coz they change their tempo every 30 seconds, and throw in flutes and acoustic guitars amidst the thrashy riffs and death-ish growls doesn’t mean they make good music. Anyway, as I said, some bands would be included for their sheer influence, so here they are, Opeth—the best doom/progressive death metal band in the world.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS(Apparently?): Blackwater Park, Ghost Reveries

17) CHILDREN OF BODOM: Why are they here? Hey, it’s my list you knowJ
The guitar work which you hear in COB is out of this world! They are just so damn good! Genre wise, they can’t be classified really, some could say it’s melodic black metal with death influences. Anyway, the point is, COB rock, and they rock hard!! The guitar solo and twin attack on ‘Kissing The Shadows’ is the most phenomenal piece of music you’d ever hear in any metal song. The vocals could have been a little less ‘shrieky’ but hey, it’s great still.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Hatebreeder, Follow The Reaper, Hatecrew Deathroll

16) DEEP PURPLE: Why are they here? Dhang dhang dhann…dhang dhang dad an….Dhang dhang dhann….da daaaan.For giving us the ULTIMATE metal riff. They have given us two of the greatest metal songs ever written..Highway Star and Smoke On The Water. Nothing more to say here.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Machine Head, In Rock

15) AC/DC: Why are they here? For doing the impossible; making POP out of METAL.
It’s true, AC/DC have written countless metal songs which you can actually hop and dance to. They made metal ‘hip n’ happy’, the simplicity with which they played their riffs and the sheer catchiness of their songs is what makes them great! Black Is Black, Highway To hell,You Shook Me All Night Long, That’s The Way I Wanna Rock n’ Roll are eternal classics which everyone from a 2nd grade kid to a 60 year old grandma will always listen to.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Back In Black, Blow Up Your Video, Who Made Who

14) KORN: Why are they here? Like ‘em or hate ‘em, you just can’t ignore ‘em.
At a time, during the mid nineties, they said metal was dead, they said rock was dying. Then came along a band called Korn, and started smashing the Billboard charts and sales records. If nu-metal had a definitive origin, it would be Korn! ‘Freak on a leash’ remains the most requested non pop/rock song on US radio channels to date. Blind, Got The Life, Children Of The Korn and Freak on a Leash are, as you all know, nu-metal anthems.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Korn, Follow The Leader

13) HELLOWEEN: Why are they here? For giving us Keeper of the Seven Keys 1 & 2.
Keeper of the Seven Keys I & II stand right up there with Operation Mindcrime ( Queensryche) as the best concept albums of all time. I want Out, Dr. Stein, Halloween and Future World are power metal anthems, and not to forget the 13 miute epic ‘Keeper Of The Seven Keys’—Power Metal’s finest moment.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Keeper of the Seven Keys I & II

12) PANTERA: Why are they here? For taking extreme music to the masses. Pantera started where Slayer had left off. How they could make a whole song with that ‘2 and a half note’ riff(The Walk) and make that song so memorable and utterly HEAVY!! That was what Pantera was all about. The nasty, dirty guitar playing of Dimebag Darrel was what drove Pantera’s music. In the very short span of their musical career, Pantera gave us 4 great thrash albums. It’s sad they decided to part ways and some idiot shot! Dimebag, may he rest in peace.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Cowboys From Hell, Far Beyond Driven, Vulgar Display Of Power

11) IN FLAMES: Why are they here? For re-inventing the Swedish metal scene and giving the world what you call ‘Melodic Death Metal’. If it weren’t for the pressure of including some "ESSENTIAL" bands in the top 10, these guys would have definitely been in the top 8 somewhere. In Flames are what you call the ‘inspiration’ for the metalcore/melodic death metal acts of today, a la Killswitch Engage, Atreyu etc. In Europe they are Metal GODS, and are definitely the tightest and most original metal act to have surfaced in the past decade and a half. Just listen to The Jester Race, Colony, Clayman and you’ll know what I’m saying. It’s sad that their most popular song, atleast in India, is ‘Cloud Connected’ from ‘Reroute To Remain’, listen to their earlier albums and be amazed by the sheer talent these guys possess. Their latest offering ‘Come Clarity’ shows that they still have it!
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: The Jester Race, Whoracle, Colony, Clayman, Come Clarity

10) JUDAS PRIEST: Why are they here? Because the top 10 of any metal list can’t be complete without these guys. Yes it’s true, I’ll admit it again, I’m not a huge fan of Judas Priest, but their influence on metal music during the late seventies and early eighties along with Iron Maiden is undeniable, and Painkiller, Breaking The Law, Beyond The Realms Of Death, Hell Bent For Leather, The Ripper do find my iTunes playlist once in a blue moon.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Screaming for Vengeance, British Steel & Painkiller

9) SYMPHONY X: Why are they here? Because on a good day, they can give D**** ******R a run for their money. The title track from The Divine Wings Of Tragedy is arguably the greatest metal epic(21 minutes) ever written, and they almost beat themselves with the 24 minute classic ‘The Odyssey’. Michael Romeo is the most underrated guitarist in the world today. They can belt out insane headbangers like Wicked, Of Sins And Shadows, Eyes Of Medusa and then wrench your heart with a Candlelight Fantasia. Their list of good songs is also very exhaustive…
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: The Divine Wings Of Tragedy, The Odyssey, V-The New Mythology Suite

8) LED ZEPPELIN: Why are they here? For giving us ‘Stairway To Heaven’…..period!
There’s no other substantial reason I could find. It was one of those ‘make everyone happy’ choices. They’re not REALLY metal too, but what the hell.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Led Zeppelin II,Led Zeppelin IV, Houses Of The Holy

7) SLAYER: Why are they here? They’re 3rd of the great trinity of the 80s thrash scene(the other two will come later). Slayer, in my opinion are not a mere thrash band in the real sense, their music sounds a little extreme for that. Bootomline: They have given us the most definitive thrash album of all time..Reign In Blood. Angel Of Death, Raining Blood, Jesus Saves and Necrophobic are cult anthems. Slayer fans are notorious for chanting ‘Slayer…Slayer…Slayer’ at other bands’ shows. There’s no denying the influence of Slayer on all the extreme metal acts since their time. Sepultura were actually a clone till they went berserk with their Brazillian tribal crap!! Christ Illusion shows that these monsters still have IT, will have to wait for a couple of years to put the album in ESSENTIALS just to check if it ages well.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Reign In Blood,South Of Heaven,Hell Awaits & Seasons In The Abyss

6) QUEENSRYCHE: Why are they here? For giving us Operation Mindcrime.
While D**** ******R are progressive with their neo classical style of guitar work/keyboards and the technical time signatures, Queensryche are progressive in creating immersive musical atmosphere. Every single second on Operation Mindcrime is musical bliss, the definitive musical atmosphere, and everything else than has been or ever could be. Eyes O A Stranger, the Mission, Anarchy-X, I don’t Believe In Love are songs which every rock band of the 80s dreamt of but could never make. The single Silent Lucidity from their album Empire is arguably the best rock ballad ever made.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Operation Mindcrime, Empire, Promised Land

5) DREAM THEATER: Why are they here? Because they are the most talented band on the planet. Each member is worth much more than many good bands out there. They can go on jamming for bloody 30 minutes, and it still turns out to be vintage prog-metal. When it comes to metal drumming, there’s no answer to Mike Portnoy, when it comes to metal guitaring, there’s no REAL answer to John Petrucci. They are largely regarded as the best progressive metal band ever, and they deserve it. All of their albums are great except for the newest Octavarium. The beauty of Dream Theater is that they can make you mad with the bludgeoning Pull Me Under, Lie, Caught In A Web and at the same time make you wanna dance to Another Day or Silent Man. The list of good songs is so long that I won’t even try.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Awake, Images and Words, Scenes From A Memory

4) MEGADETH:Why are they here? Because they’re 2nd of the great trinity of the 80s thrash scene (Slayer was one, the other one will come later). What can I say about them? They have written some of the most advanced and technical riffs in Metal history, the twin solo attack of Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman is almost legendary. They are one of the very few ‘very popular’ bands who have never compromised with their music. Peace Sells but Who’s Buying, Rust In Peace and Countdown to Extinction are a MUST!! for every Metal collection..period!! This is not to say that Youthanasia or Cryptic Writings wee not good, they are excellent too, with the former being their heaviest effort to date. Honestly speaking, if you talk about ‘album’ listening, they score over ********A. You can put Rust In Peace or Countdown to Extinction in your player and forget it, all songs are killer. It’s the individual ‘classics’ where ********A takes the edge over Megadeth. I love this band, it has given me some of my most memorable riffing and solo moments.Holy Wars,Wake Up Dead, Hangar 18, Lucretia, In My Darkest Hour, Symphony Of Destruction, Sweating Bullets, Tornado Of Souls, Killing Road, She-Wolf and their mammoth!!! cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ are some of thrash’s greatest moments.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Peace Sells…., Rust In Peace, Countdown To Extinction

3) BLACK SABBATH: Why are they here? They are here, because they have to be! They are here for the fact that they gave the world ‘Heavy Metal’. The sheer influence of this band on rock music and the countless metal bands till date is what gets them this position. I’ll admit, I’m not a huge fan of Black Sabbath, but I’ll also admit that Paranoid, War Pigs and After Forever do keep coming up in my iTunes playlist every alternate month or so. The originators of heavy metal, they deserve this.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Master Of Reality, Paranoid

2) IRON MAIDEN: Why are they here? They are actually bigger than the music they create. The lords of heavy metal, the all 50 somethings who can still make the public chant along and give the definitive adrenaline rush. Bruce Dickinson’s operatic voice is perhaps the best known in the metal world. During their long! career they have given us monster epics like Fear of the dark, Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, Sign Of The Cross, Hallowed Be They Name. Given us out and out headbangers like 2 min to midnight, be quick or be dead, aces high and also cult anthems like Number of the beast, powerslave, flight of the icarus, the list goes on. They, undoubtedly, have the longest list of ‘GOOD’ songs among all metal bands.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Powerslave,Piece Of Mind, Number Of The Beast, Fear Of The Dark

1) METALLICA: Why are they here? Because they’re Metallica…, if you don’t agree, you don’t know metal. The last piece of the great 80s thrash trinity. I agree, that they’ve perhaps lost their magic touch since the release of the Black Album 13 years ago, but Ride the Lightning and Master Of Puppets are sufficient enough to cement their position as the greatest Metal act of all time....period. Not to forget the equally wonderful ..And Justice for All and Black album. ...and who can ignore the ferocious Kill Em All which really kick started the Thrash scene. The fact that they have sold over 200 million albums worldwide and are the most successful metal act of all time, and the fact that they are USA’s 7th most successful music act of all time is testimony to the fact that Metallica, in fact, are the best Metal band ever.
The Four Horsemen, Creeping Death, The Call Of Ktulu, Fade To Black, One, Battery, Master Of Puppets(8 mins of perfect metal bliss), Damage Inc., Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam, The Unforgiven and the wonderful Nothing Else Matters will always remain etched in our memory as metal’s finest moments.
ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, Metallica & ..And Justice

Well that was it; as I said in the beginning, a few of the bands are here because of universal acceptance or critical appeal and most of them are my personal choice. Your suggestions are welcome…maybe I did miss something which should have been in here. Cheerio!!

WORTHY MENTIONS

Arch Enemy--One of the greatest melodic death metal bands ever...with a female vocalist now!!!Check out Wages of Sin..if nothing else.

Blind Guardian--Second only to Helloween. Have given many epic power metal albums.

Dark Tranquillity--Another of the great Gotherburg trio. Much heavier than In Flames and At The Gates. the Gallery, Damage Done and Character are classic melo-death metal albums.

Death--Started the term 'Death Metal'. Scream Bloody Gore and Perseverance Of Time are calssic death metal albums.

Skid Row-- Skid Row and Slave To The Grind are the ultimate glam-metal albums.

Scorpions--The biggest Rock/Metal band Germany has ever produced.

Def Leppard--Greatest of the NWOBHM brigade after Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath & Judas Priest.

KISS--Almost! made it to the list. No band has merchandised itself like KISS. Dimebag Darrel was buried in a KISS casket!!

** Guns N Roses were never really a metal band; angry hard rock at best, or else they would have been there, right at the top!**

BANDS THAT MIGHT MAKE THIS LIST 10 YEARS FROM NOW

Lamb Of God

Killswitch Engage

DragonForce

Trivium

AN ANSWER TO ALL WHO HATE SACHIN

I'm sorry for deviating from the music/tech/games genres lately, but I just can't help it. The Indian, the cricket lover, and most of all a proud Sachin fan cries!! If nothing else, humor me:)

THIS IS AN ANSWER TO ALL WHO HATE SACHIN TENDULKAR

This is what we hear from most of SACHIN'S CRITICS (The ones who don’t know cricket or are very busy in breeding their own biases, whatever they might be)
1.Selfish
2.Scoring Against weaker Oppositions
3.Failing in pressure situations
Let’s have a lesson shall we?

1.SELFISH

TEST CRICKET

Records are meant to be broken, and if Sachin is breaking them, critics[haters more rightly] can't digest them.. One of the incidents people mention is regarding his 194 knock against Pakistan..Some said it was slow knock..Agreed it was a slow knock by Sachin's standards, but if it is compared wid one of the knocks wid Dravid...this will not look as bad it seems.. Tendulkar- 194 runs in multan with a strike rate of 54 Dravid- 217 runs in oval with a strike rate of 46 I m just taking one example to tell that Dravid's natural game is to hold the one end and let the others to dominate..In multan Sachin changed his gears and held one end and he let Sehwag dominate..Played Rahul's role in that innings. Now this is called team game.. but people call it slow batting and selfish... Sachin always said that the Team's win is more important than personal landmarks..He proved this statement in that very test by taking Moin Khan's wicket off the last ball of the 3rd day..That Ball was beauty!!Weren't you happy at that moment???I guess not, coz you were busy sulking in your hatred and jealousy. Since Sachin is the most senior player of the team so he can't throw his wicket just to prove critics that he is still a master blaster...[he is still scoring at brisk rate in one days]..People forget his fast scroing Centuries against world class bowling
169 [201 balls] against South Africa in 1997 at Capetown 92
[120 balls] against West Indies in 1997 at Bridgetown
155 [191 balls] against Australia in 1998 at Chennai
79 [ 85 balls] against Australia in 1998 at Kolkata
100 in 123 balls against NewZealand in 1999 at Wellington[he scored 113 runs in that inning] 155 [183 balls] against South Africa in 2001 in Bloemfontein
These are just some examples. There are many other breath taking innings in tests from Tendulkar.

NOTE THIS DOWN!!.Sachin is the Only Batsman in Test Cricket who scored 3 Centuries wid a SIX !!
179 - 6 off Walsh[I remember it was a hook shot] against West Indies in 1994 at Nagpur
124 - 6 off Min Patel[off spinner, straight down the ground] against England in 1996 at Birmingham
113 - 6 off Wiseman[off spinner, straight down the ground] against New Zealand in 1999 at Wellington

Not Satisfied are we? Here’s some more exercise for your utensil brain.

ONE DAY Centuries- 41 [out of 41 centuries India Won 30 times and lost 10 times,1 century in a rain affected match ] 10 centuries gone in Vain.. It’s a team game isn’t it? Or is it your JOB to criticize him no matter what?

Half Centuries- 73 Now here is more interesting news. Out of these 73 half-centuries Sachin got 29 scores of 80 and above. Of these 29 scores if we take out the innings in which he was not out [coz of over completed or target chased ] he was 5 times not out in such innings. So now lets talk about remaining innings. Can u believe he has 10 scores of 90's??? If these 90's were converted in 100's the stats looks likes this Centuries-51 , 51 ODI centuries!!!... And look he missed another record for those who make so much fuss about playing for records. I’m sure you would feel happy, coz you hate him so much na.Getting out highest numbers of times in 90's in ODI's ..just coz he wanted to score for the team and not for the his personal records. But NO, he’s still selfish, and you are the Lord Almighty of criticism, who knows it all.

Test Centuries- 35 [12 in which India won,15 in dead tests,8 in lost tests ] lone warrior in tests which India lost Half Centuries- 41
Intresting Part 12 scores of 80 6 scores of 90's convert them in 100s..he will pass 40 centuries in Test Cricket..sad for critics he played for team and thats why couldn't converted these 90's into 100's

2.Scoring Against weaker Oppostions

IT HAPPENS ONLY IN INDIA. Such ignorance, foolishness, just blurt out whatever crap comes to your mind without even knowing it.

People remember 152 against Namibia and forget 98 against Pakistan in WorldCup. People remember 248 against Bangladesh and forget his 7 centuries against World Champions Australia [4 in their own den].. Only one century against Bangladesh and share the honour of scoring test centuries against each test playing nation wid Dravid,Ponting and Garry Kristen...No one talks about the other 3 batsmen scoring centuries against Bangladesh..then why the fuss for Sachin?? Take a look at this all you ignorant people!!!! (And this is his test record). Scoring against weaker oppositions my foot!!

Test
Australia - 7 Centuries [4 in Australia], 2 of them at the age of 18 in 1992
Bangladesh- 1 Century [Unfortunately his highest score in Test Cricket]
England- 6 Centuries [4 in England],
NewZealand- 3 Centuries [1 in NewZealand]
Pakistan- 2 Centuries [1 in Pakistan]
SouthAfrica- 3 Centuries [ all three in South Africa]
Srilanka- 7 Centuries [4 in Srilanka]
WestIndies- 3 Centuries [ 1 in WestIndies]
Zimbabwe- 3 Centuries [ none in Zimbabwe]

90s

96 against Srilanka at Banglore in 1994
92 against West Indies at Bridgetown in 1997
97 against South Africa at Mumbai in 2000
90 against England at Banglore in 2001
92 against England at Nottingham in 2002
94 against Pakistan at Mohali in 2005

Intresting Part
He scored runs in all parts of world. There are three types of wickets u generally find in Cricket..Fast and bouncy Pitches like in Australia, South-Africa, NewZealand, WestIndies, Spin tracks in India, Srilanka, Pakistan,and seaming tracks in England. Today people talk about Ricky Ponting...now check this out. Sachin's and Ponting's average on their own home soil is above 55 so nothing to discuss here, but the real part starts now

Sachin's average in Australia 54.15 , 4 centuries
Ponting's average in India,12.28 , no centuries
Sachin's average in England 71.60 , 4 centuries
Ponting's average in England 42.63 , 3 centuries

I am taking records for these countries only bcoz.. right now, best fast bowlers are from Australia, best spinners are from India, Best Seamers from England[as there is no choice bcoz only England has such pitches] Anyone can easily tell who played good cricket against best attacks on all kind of pitches...

One Day
Australia - 7 Centuries 1 score of 90's
Bangladesh- 1 Century
England- 1 Centuries 1 score of 90's
Kenya- 4 Centuries
Namibia- 1 Century
NewZealand 4 Centuries
Pakistan- 5 Centuries 4 scores of 90's
SouthAfrica- 3 Centuries 1 score of 90's
Srilanka- 7 Centuries 3 score of 90's
WestIndies- 3 Centuries
Zimbabwe- 5 Centuries

90s
90 against Australia in 1996 at Mumbai
91 against England in 1997 at Sharjah
95 against Pakistan in 1998 at Dhaka
93 against Pakistan in 2000 at Hobart
93 against SouthAfrica in 2000 at Nagpur
93 against Srilanka in 2000 at Dhaka
98 against Pakistan in 2003 at Centurion
97 against Srilanka in 2003 at Johannesburg
93 against Srilanka in 2005 at Nagpur
95 against Pakistan in 2006 at Lahore

Scoring against weaker oppositions, is he??Only 5 Centuries against minnows like Kenya ,Namibia[non test playing nation]...and Kenya was the semi-finalist of the world cup'03. 10 scores of above 90 against only test playing nations...now can anyone tell me how is he selfish?? 34 times he scored more than 80 and couldn't reach 100..If he played for his records..he could have easily scored 100's all of those scores above 80's ...




3. Failing under pressure situations

ODI


Won Chasing Target M R H AVG 100s 50s
Sachin- 101 4397 134 58.62 13 23
Dravid- 72 2124 109* 49.39 2 19
Ponting- 77 2670 124* 53.40 4 17

Can you see it yourself? Or are you still blindfolded by your hatred and jealousy? Or should I explain?
In Series Won
Sachin- 127 5548 186* 51.37 19 26
Dravid- 76 2645 153 42.66 2 22
Ponting- 177 7245 145 47.98 18 45

Autralia is the greatest team. Wins 7 out of 10 matches it plays. It’s understood that most runs scored by their best batsman will be in winning games. But you see Sachin still beats Ponting’s Average by a huge margin. He has more centuries, has almost double the half centuries of Ponting, and he has played 50 matches less than him!!

Test 100's in Tests India Won - 12
100's in Tests India Lost - 8
100's in Test Drawn - 15
Holds the record of maxium number of 100's for loosing team...That means a lone warrior. That’s why once, the Indian Cricket Team was known as ONE MAN ARMY!!!! Kya chaahte ho bhai aap log? I think you people will only be happy if Sachin were to bat for 50 overs and make 400 runs, then bowl for 50 overs and take ten wickets, keep the wicket for 50 overs, field in the slips, gully, mid wicket, short leg, sweeper cover..blah blah blah and then WIN the game for India. That will satisfy you no?

Poor guy holds the innings, makes a century, unfortunately he gets out. The rest of the FIVE!!!! batsmen cannot make 16 more runs, and you say because of Sachin we lost. Let me remind you again..IT’S A TEAM!!!!! GAME.Sachin gets out and you go crying..boo hoo. Now who will win the match for us??Dravid ?? or Sehwag?? or Yuvraj?? Or Ganguly?? Or Dhoni?? No one is sure who will win match for them... are you?

That’s why teams targeted Sachin as the most precious wicket...

Nasser Hussain introduced Negative lines for Sachin Tendulkar to stop the flow of runs when he is on crease!!!

Local umpires are also involved some times to help their team against Sachin Tendulkar, especially Australians!

Some incidents come my mind...I think Sachin is the player who got out maximum numbers of times bcoz of bad or wrong decisions by Umpires..I’m producing those incidents which I remember, there may be many more.

1. 92 - out of a NO ball from Frankline Rose against West Indies in 1997 at Bridgetown..Remember India lost the test just by 38 runs. Again, Sachin goes and we lose..it’s a team game for God’s sake.
2. 83 - Out of a NO ball again..[don't remember the bowler] last test in WestIndies in 1997.Draw Test.
3. 67- LBW off Cains..last test against NewZealand in 1999, was not out coz the ball pitched outside the legstump.Match Drawn
4. 61 - caught at forward shortleg,bowler Shane Warne.against Australia at Adelaide in 1999.. the ball touched the thigh pads and Umpire Darel Harper gave him out.. India were 107 for 4 when Ganguly joined Sachin and they put on 108 runs for the 5th wicket..
5. 0 - LBW bowler Macgrath..against Australia at Adelaide in 1999,same test, nothing more to say..Everyone remembers that FOOLISH decision
6. 52 - LBW bowler Shane Warne,Umpire David Shepherd,against Australia at Melbourne in 1999, were chasing 356 as a target on the fourth day.
7. 45 - LBW bowler Macgrath,UmpireIan Robinson,against Australia at Sydney in 2000, the ball seemed to hit him too high and was going on leg stump, In that very over,Tendulkar had pulled a short one from Macgrath for two,and hooked the next two for boundaries,and a ball later punched the fast bowler back past him for the 3rd four of the over
8. 16 - caught behind off Waqar Younis,against Pakistan at Perth in 2000, it was must win situation for India to qualify in the final , scored 16 runs of 9 balls,hit 3 fours in one over of Waqar Younis and 1 off Wasim Akram on the fastest pitch of the world,India were chasing 260 odd runs...
9. 0 - LBW bowler Gillespie,Umpire Bucknor,against Australia at Brisbane in 2003 funny thing is that the bowler did not even appeal!! for the LBW... MR.Bucknor gave the decision of his own 10. 0 - caught behind off Lee,against Australia at Melbourne in 2003,ball touched the thigh pads and umpire gave him out.
11. 54 - caught behind,Umpire Bucknor,against Pakistan at Kolkata in 2005, I think we all saw that decison, the ball was not near his pad, gloves, helmet, arm.. no where...

There may be so many other incidents like this...Teams like Australia taking help from the umpires to stop Tendulkar... the 1999-2000 tour of Australia proves it..

And the last thing is that Sachin played 11 years [1989-2000] in the era where his own team mates were involved in match fixing.. So despite of his brilliant knocks we failed to win the match just bcoz others were not contributing. You can win ODI's jwid ur own batting but u can't win test matches wid one innings bcoz tests are played for 5 days, its a 4 inning game. Still, Tendulkar's record in that era is Awesome.. and remember the awe of opponents was as great as that of the crowds. But the finest compliment must be that bookmakers would not fix the odds - or a game - until Tendulkar was out.

“Sachin is a genius, I’m a mere mortal”
- Brian Lara

“Tendulkar is the best batsman in the World”
- Glenn McGrath

“I think there are some in this world who would find fault even with the best. This guy has scored over 25,000 runs or thereabouts in both forms of cricket but he is still criticised. It just amazes me.”
-Kapil Dev

“You can't get a more complete cricketer than Sachin. He has everything that a cricketer needs to have.”
- Rahul Dravid

“After being in the game for so long, he still has the same desire to do well for India in any international match. I tell you what, this man is a legend.”
-Sourav Ganguly

“His life seems to be a stillness in a frantic world... [When he goes out to bat], it is beyond chaos - it is a frantic appeal by a nation to one man. The people see him as a God... “
–Mathew Hayden

Beyond doubt, a living legend and a great title holder.
– Bhushan Parulekar

“If I had to bowl to Sachin I would bowl with a helmet on. He hits the ball so hard”
- Dennis Lillie

(After being defeated in the Coca-Cola Cup finals in Sharjah) "It was the greatest inning I have ever seen. There is no shame being beaten by such a great player, Sachin is perhaps only next to the Don''.
- Steve Waugh

I saw him playing on television and was struck by his technique, so I asked my wife to come look at him. Now I never saw myself play, but I feel that this player is playing much the same as I used to play, and she looked at him on Television and said yes, there is a similarity between the two...hi compactness, technique, stroke production... it all seemed to gel!
- Sir Don Bradman


"Don't bowl him bad balls, he hits the good ones for fours."
- Michael Kasprowicz

“I have never seen Bradman but heard people talk about him. But I tell you what, if Bradman could bat like this man does then he was dynamite. Players like Sachin deserve to be preserved in cotton wool. “
-Viv Richards

"I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He was unstoppable. I don't think anyone, apart from Don Bradman, is in the same class as Sachin Tendulkar. He is just an amazing player."
- Shane Warne


Today, he showed the world why he is considered the best batsman in the world. Some of the shots he played were simply amazing. Earlier, opposing teams used to feel that Sachin's dismissal meant they could win the game. Today, I feel that the Indian players, too, feel this way.
Wasim Akram, after game at Hobart, CUB series, 1999

You might pitch a ball on the off stump and think you have bowled a good ball and he walks across and hits it for two behind midwicket. His bat looks so heavy but he just waves it around like it's a toothpick.
Brett Lee

I think he is marvellous. I think he will fit in whatever category of Cricket that has been played or will be played, from the first ball that has ever been bowled to the last ball that’s going to be. He can play in any era and at any level. I would say he’s 99.5% perfect.
Viv Richards

Consensus is that Sir Donald Bradman was the best batsman ever to play Cricket. Sir Don did not play One-Day Cricket but if he did, he could easily be Sachin Tendulkar.
Barry Richards

Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives.
--BBC Sports, on Sachin Tendulkar.

Do you think you know more than these men? I bet you do! You’re so soaked up in your own inferiority complex or whatever flimsy reason you have, you’ll still go ahead and deny all that’s been discussed above and criticize Sachin. So be it, be happy.