13. Metallica- Ride the Lightning(1984)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

The almighty Metallica is the second band(after Black Sabbath) to be featured for the second time in my ranking series with- you guessed- its second album, Ride the Lightning, so here is how I rate and rank the tracks from this legendary record:

8. Escape- 7.5(Good)

7. Trapped under Ice- 8(Solid)

6. The Call of Ktulu- 8.5(Very Good)

5. Fade to Black- 9.5(Fantastic)

4. For Whom the Bell Tolls- 9.5

3. Ride the Lightning- 9.5

2. Fight Fire with Fire- 10(Stellar)

1. Creeping Death- 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.06

Once again, the difference between the top 5 tracks on this super album is extremely small for me, but it appears that Creeping Death has wom the battle for my favourite track not only from Ride the Lightning, but- spoiler alert- from the entire Metallica catalogue. How could I not adore such a monstruos track with incredible riffs, a great bridge, fabulous guitar solos and deep biblically-related lyrics? This track has it all, so at least for the time being it has no challenger for the position of greatest Metallica track!

The positions from 2 to 5 have constantly switched throughout the years. Fight Fire with Fire currently occupies the honourable second place thanks to its sheer ferocity and breakneck speed, it's definitely the heaviest song on an already really heavy record! 

The title track takes the bronze medal, followed closely by the hits For Whom the Bell Tolls and Fade to Black. There's so much greatness în. these tunes that I feel tempted to rank'em all in 3rd place, but there has to be a separation, and the fact is enjoy Ride the Lightning slightly more than the other two tracks due to its Foster tempo, remarkable chorus and the fantastic guitar parts from the second half of the song.

As for the other 3 songs, I can briefly say that The Call of Ktulu is a cool instrumental, Trapped under Ice a solid, fast-paced thrasher, and Escape is a pretty good track as well, so obviously there are no skippable moments on Ride the Lightning.

So, is RTL my favourite Metallica record? Its overall rating of 9.06 place it incredibly close ahead of Kill'em All, which has 9.05, so basically they are equal for me, but there are a still a couple of top notch albums to be ranked in the nearby future(it's easy to guess which ones)  so after rating and ranking them as well I will have a clear picture of my favourite Metallica records.

To sum it all up, Ride the Lightning is a superb album, showing the prowess of a young band destined to conquer the world, a record I will never ever stop listening to with immense pleasure!

12. Nirvana- Nevermind(1991)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

My rock/metal album track exploration series continues with my first foray into grunge rock, and I could start with the album which marked a turning point in the world of mainstream rock in the early 90s, Nirvana's Nevermind, so here is my track rating and rating of this famous album:

13. Endless, Nameless- 6(Mediocre)

12. Lounge Act- 7(OK)

11. Stay Away- 7.5(Good)

10. Territorial Pissings- 8(Solid)

   9. On a Plain- 8.5(Very Good)

   8. Polly- 8.5

   7. In Bloom- 8.5

   6. Lithium- 9(Great)

   5. Breed- 9

   4. Something in the Way- 9.5(Fantastic)

   3. Drain You- 9.5

   2. Smells Like Teen Spirit; - 10(Stellar)

   1. Come As You Are- 10

    

     OVERALL RATING: 8.53

 Two songs are in my selected list of  tunes who get my higher mark- 10. The burnout factor still doesn't apply to me in the case of  my second place, the famous Smells Like Teen Spirit; its iconic riff, rebelious attitude, almost chaotic lyrics and outstanding vocal performance from Kurt Cobain still keep me enthralled almost every time I hear this track, but I enjoy my number one track, the almost equally renowned Come As You Are just a little more, as I find its haunting riff, more atmospheric vibe and substantial lyrics even more captivați. Anyway, both are extraordinary tracks that în my opinion represent the pinnacle of Nirvana's short, but unforgettable career.

The rest of the album is also full of quality material, consisting mostly of harder, edgy, dynamic tracks full of hooks and accesibile verses and choruses, but also of beautiful ballads like Something in the Way and Polly, which illustrate Kurt Cobain's introspective side and inner turmoil. Out of these tunes I picked Drain You as my 3rd favourite from the album as I enjoy its melody, verse and catchy chorus to a greater extent than more popular songs like Lithium and In Bloom, but the fact is that there only one song I don't find interesting, the last one on the album; the others I either like(numbers12 to 7)or love(numbers 6 to 3).

To sum it all up, Nirvana's Nevermind is a remarkable album which heralded the beginning of a new era in the history of rock, as it conquered the world at the speed of light and it established the dominant position of grunge in the first half of the nineties. Sadly, Kurt Cobain decide to leave us way too early. Had he chosen to live, maybe Nirvana would also have had a long and prolific career and grunge wouldn't have faded away as fast as it did. Anyway, even with such a short career, Nirvana's influence on modern rock is huge and Nevermind can be seen as a classical rock album.

Dry Fountain

                  

  Fountain full of wisdom

  Once great source of water

  You have lost your freedom

  As the times got hotter.

 People came by your side

 Eager to quench their thirst

 Now you're just empty and dried

 As by an evil force cursed.

 There were great days of glory

 When seeing you was so fun

 Then came the end of your story

 Those days are over and gone!

 Yet, there's still water so clear

 And more wells deep and long

 On this vast magical sphere

 To which we all belong!

11. Black Sabbath- Paranoid(1970)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

Black Sabbath, the true inventors of heavy metal, are the first band to have a second album ranked in my series. It's also their sophomore album, also released in 1970, am extremely prolific ear for a band eager to make its uniquely heavy music for that time known to the world, so did it manage to get a higher score than 8.62, the overall rating of their self-titled debut? Here comes the answer:

8. Rat Salad- 8(solid)

7. Planet Caravan- 8

6. Iron Man- 8.5(very good)

5. Paranoid- 9(great)

4. Han of Doom- 9.5(fantastic)

3. Fairies Wear Boots- 9.5

2. Electric Funeral- 9.5

1. War Pigs- 10(stellar)

Overall Rating: 9.00

Out of the three hits still heavily played on the radios, there is one I still can't grow tired of: War Pigs, the perfect anti-war song, with its heavily slow pace, crushing riffs and outstanding lyrics that will remain relevant for as long as there are wars on Earth and crazy rulers starting them, gets a well-deserved 10 and the undisputed winning slot.

The other two hits, Paranoid and Iron Man, although highly enjoyable as well for their iconic riffs and catchy melodies, didn't reach my top 3 because they were outtaken by the sheer complexitate and musical prowess of tracks ranked 2 to 4. Electric Funeral, Fairies Wear Boots and Hand of Doom are all remarkable, doomy tracks that seem to be way ahead of them. Ranking them was quite hard because I find them almost equally great, so their positions are interchangeable.

Paranoid definitely represents an impro event from Black Sabbath's strong debut and also a hugely influential record, especially for the genre of doom metal. Many people see it as their best record, but it definitely has some contenders for that honourable title in other 70s Ozzy-era works as well în the 80s shorter Dio period, but one thing is undeniable: it's a timeless record that will live in the hearts of rock music fans for centuries to come!

10. Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power(1992)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

My ranking journey continues wih my first plunge into groove metal and its most famous reprezentative, the mighty Pantera. Here is my rating and ranking of the tracks from one of the Texan band's most successful albums, Vulgar Display of Power:

11. Rise- 8(solid)

10. No Good(Attack the Radical)- 8.5(very good)

   9. Live in a Hole- 8.5

   8. Regular People(Conceit)- 9(great)

   7. F***ing Hostile- 9

   6. This Love- 9

   5. Walk- 9

   4. Hollow- 9.5(fantastic)

   3. By Demons Be Driven- 9.5

   2. A New Level- 10(stellar)

   1. Mouth for War- 10

    OVERALL RATING: 9.09

   

The two masterful tracks which are 10 out of 10 for me, Mouth for War and A New Level, are interchangeable. They are both super heavy, have outstanding riffs and guitar solos, and they are empowering tunes, perfect to listen whenever you need to boost your morale and find that remarkable combination of strength and determination that only great metal songs can generate.

By Demons Be Driven lands in 3rd place thanks mostly to its fabulous chorus, while the semi-ballads Hollow and This Love get really high marks as they Pantera's somewhat more melancholic side, but they still have kickass heavy parts which are in great contrast with the slower, ballady sections.

As for Walk, probably Pantera's biggest "hit", it's only in 5th place on my list because it's less complex than the tracks above it, but still its main riff and anthemic chorus stick to my mind for quite a while after hearing it.

There are obviously no bad tracks on this awesome album, a unique blend of energy, agression and catchiness. No wonder it helped Pantera become hugely popular and carry on the flag of heavy music during the 90s, a dark period for metal otherwise. Vulgar Display of Power remains for me an essential listen, a staple of groove, thrashy metal which I will always enjoy hearing from top to bottom!

Wandering Soul

                  

                 

       My soul is free to wander

       To distant, dreamy sights

       Just like the Andean condor

       In search for greater heights.

       There is no limitation

       To my strong, deep desire

       My rich imagination

       Is fuelling the fire.

      I roam through time and space

      And stars lighten my way

      A journey filled with grace

      On such a perfect day!

9. Helloween- Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I(1987)- Rock/Metal Album Track Ranking Series

German legends Helloween make their debut in my ranking series with an album which is hugely influential on the growth of European power metal. Out of the 8 tracks on 'Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I', there are two short instrumental tracks- the intro and the outro- which I didn't rate(though I really love the intro), so only six tracks remain to be ranked, and here is my classification:

6. Twilight of the Gods- 7.5(good)

5. A Little Time- 8(solid)

4. I'm Alive- 9(great)

3. A Tale That Wasn't Right- 9.5(fantastic)

2. Future World- 10(stellar)

1. Halloween- 10

OVERALL RATING: 9.00

There could only be one winner on this album: Halloween, a 13-minute monster track of epic proportions which perfectly illustrates how fabulous European power metal can be when performed by the iconic band which basically invented the genre. Everything in this brilliant song- the versus, the chorus, Michael Kiske's unique voice, the fantastic drumming and guitarwork- is pure perfection!

The second place in my ranking, Future World, also gets the highest mark from me thanks to its musical prowess, amazing chorus and the positive effect it has upon me whenever I give it a spin, while the third place, A Tale That Wasn't Right, is also close to perfection thanks to its emotionally charged delivery and great guitar solo which help it reach the top 10 of my favourite metal ballads of all time.

Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I,along with the second part, which I will analyze in a future episode, remains a hugely influential record for the style of European power metal, and an album I will always enjoy listening to along with other fabulous works from German icons 

Helloween!