Kai vs RYM Metal charts: 1990

     Well, we made it to the 90s.  The decade that Vh1 programmed a bunch of Gen-Xers* into thinking it killed heavy metal.  Clearly that is not the case.  But they say that a decade doesn't start with the first year of such, and some of the albums here definitely feel like there is still an 8 in that 10s digit.....and that is a good thing (frankly all albums should be made with that mindset).  1990 is one of metal's best years, this is a fact.  But how do the RYM users feel about it?  Are they on the money?  Or has inverted snobbery damaged their brains like huffing glue (another 90s trend)?  Let's go holy diving.....

1. Megadeth- Rust In Peace

    Well, they got this one right at least.  You'd be surprised at how many people suck at shooting fish in a barrel (see also 1986).  But yeah, the greatest heavy metal album ever made.  Or at least one of three that can claim to be so (the other two being Paranoid and Reign In Blood).  Living proof that thrash can be clean, high-definition and still feel like one steel beam after another being launched into your skull.  This is where Dave Mustaine indubitably proves to the metal world that he can be better than anyone.  Anyone.  This album is so good there's a hardcover book dedicated to it.  This album is so good there's a bloody Onion article saying that everybody else should just stop making art because no one will ever top this.  I don't agree with that sentiment per se, cos who the hell wants to listen to only one album?  I was literally told by a metal director upon not owning this yet "What the hell's wrong with you?"  And goddamit, he was right then and he's right now.  If you don't worship this, what the hell is wrong with you?

Should this be ranked as the greatest of all time: Yes

Would I rank this as the greatest of all time: Yes

2. Judas Priest- Painkiller

    When it comes to ranking albums of the 1990s, never mind 1990, it's usually between these two, and sometimes you wouldn't be too sure which would come out on top.  These days, while still firmly #2, Painkiller has some distance between it and Rust In Peace.  And there's a simple reason: Rob's terrible lyrics.  "I mean, come on, ME- TAL, MELT-DOWN, ME- TAL, MELT-DOWN?" Those lyrics are stupid.  But goddamn if they aren't fun to sing along to.  Most of us know the story here: Judas Priest travel a little too far down the sterile pop-metal path, drummer Dave Holland decides he's had enough, and they replace him with an absolute rabid dog of a percussionist, Scott Travis.  He subtly proceeds to push  Priest not only into their boundary pushing chaotic albums of the 70s, but manage to make something that goes toe to toe with the thrash movement, and somewhat the death metal movement.  This 100% influenced everything that came after it.  It would also be the last thing Priest would make overtly contemporary.  I don't know, before Priest retire I'd like their last album to be an attempt to mix trad metal with djent/deathcore like only they can.  Not sure how that's possible without Glenn and/or KK.

Should this be on a top 10: Yes

Would this be on my top 10: Yes

3. Slayer- Seasons In The Abyss

    The only reason this is so high is because Slayer is the third biggest name that put out something quality this year (Iron Maiden were too busy crashing and burning with No Prayer For The Dying).  Well, ok, South Of Heaven was below a death and black metal release for '88 I guess, but come on, even the "only extreme metal is real metal" retards are gonna put this above Left Hand Path and Deicide? In any case, it's pretty much set in stone that Seasons In The Abyss goes down in history as the last great Slayer album.  

Should this be on a top 10: Yes

Would this be on my top 10: No

4. Entombed- Left Hand Path

    Yes, Virginia, this should be above Seasons In The Abyss.  Matter of fact, I predict just about every other album to follow should out rank Seasons, but I could be wrong of course.  So you wanna know how good Left Hand Path is?  It's so good that any self-respecting metalhead that gets an opportunity to make any "left hand" joke, can, would and should.  If they don't, donkey-punch them.  This album single-handedly put Sweden on the map for the 90s, and any "Final Countdown" jokes would be retorted with groans and a bollocking. it a If you are unfamiliar with death metal, and wonder why people babble about Swedish death metal vs. American death metal, this album will answer the subtle intricacies for you.  If you think all death metal sounds the same, then you might not notice the difference.  Left Hand Path is the album that gave the world the Boss-HM pedal sound and changed extreme music forever.  Still, I'm finding a lot of supposed "death metal classics" are falling into the symptom of "in one ear, out the other, can't remember a lick of it when it's done."  Left Hand Path isn't entirely like that for me, but it is half the time. Nonethless, this album deserves to be in a top 10 of all time here for the conversion of the Phantasm movie theme into a breakdown alone.  Everything else makes it legendary.  R.I.P.  LG Petrov.

Should this be on a top 10: Yes

Would this be on my top 10: No

5. Bathory-Hammerheart

    There are three things I don't believe in, God, Santa Claus and viking metal being anything but made up-bullhonkey. Quorthon didn't want to play extreme metal anymore, so he used some smoke and mirrors that could be considered Ulrichian.  Of course, Hammerheart didn't sell 16 million copies so it isn't a 'sellout.'  As of this writing, I've just read a post which makes the claim that Hammerheart did this best job of maintaining a bands legacy whilst making such a dramatic stylistic shift.   The secondary genre for Hammerheart is “Epic Doom Metal.”  Thats closer to the mark than “viking metal.”  Viking metal was a ruse, albeit a pretty clever one.   Now what Quorthon  DID want to play was a fascinating combination of Manowar meets Candlemass.  This combination produces one of the more unique and original albums in metal.  You could tell with Manowar that their viking worship wasn’t fully authentic.  Whereas here, it's couldn't be more authentic!  Well, as authentic as a Swede born hundreds of years later could make it.  This album is a little split in terms of Bathory's fandom.  I find that those that hate Hammerheart love its follow-up,  Twilight of The Gods, much more.  Then there's people like me, who love this album, and think Twilight is uninspired crap.   Hopefully we don't have to cross that bridge (of death).

Should this be on a top 10: Yes

Would this be on my top 10: Yes

6. Artillery-  By Inheritance

    Huh, I guess there is an album on this top 10 I would rank lower than Seasons In The Abyss.  At the risk of revealing a power level, this record waited way too long to make itself available to me.  If I heard this when I was 20 I would probably love it.  But hearing it for the first time two years ago,  more like Mid MidMiditance.  And the singer sounds like demented Grover, which should be amazing, but it isn't.  The cost of looking for hidden gems is you get them and sometimes they weren't worth the hunt.  BuT jUsT uSe SpOtIfY.  And give wannabe General Shepherd more military money?  No thank you.  There's better 1990 thrash albums than this...

Should this be on a top 10: 10 at best

Would this be on my top 10: No

7. Morbid Saint- Spectrum of Death

    ...and this is definitely one of them, as well as a hidden gem VERY worth tracking down.  You do get the feeling that they didn't want to promote themselves too hard or you know....Maiden might sue over that album cover.  Spectrum of Death is one of the most vicious albums you've ever heard in your life.  Pat Lind's vocals alone are like velociraptors chomping at your brain.  (I'd love to see these stink-face vocal coachs react to "Assassin" alone) Matter of fact, dare I say, Lind is laying down black metal vocals here.  Yup, these have way more in common with Nocturno Culto and Quorthon than they do Dave Mustaine and Chuck Billy.  So this could be called one of the first instances of blackened-thrash? I'm not sure Skeletonwitch exists without this record.  Spectrum of Death just fucking mows down everything in its path, and this could damn well be a top 3 1990 record.

Should this be on a top 10: Yes

Would this be on my top 10: Yes

8. Primus- Frizzle Fry

     I....what?  I'm....speechless here....what?  I mean look, I got nothing against Primus (they suck).  I like me some "Tommy The Cat" and "Winona's Big Brown Beaver" every now and then, and I kinda remember digging "John The Fisherman" from Guitar Hero 2, but I wouldn't call that song metal.  I've never dug deep into any Primus record so maybe Frizzle Fry is metal.  But I've never seen Primus in any capacity brought up in metal discussion, other than Larry LaLonde used to be in Possessed.

Should this be on a top 10: No

Would this be on my top 10: No

9. Atheist- Piece Of Time

    The only album on this list that can claim to be more technical than Rust In Peace (but just because it's more technical doesn't mean it's better).  Atheist are key figures in progressive and technical metal.  Opeth fans alone owe mainman Kelly Sheafer patreon subs (if he even has one).  Piece of Time is a fun little album.  It does fall under the category of "in one ear, out the other, how does it go again" for me, and no way will I claim this is better than its successor.  Tech-death has certainly seen a comeback these past couple of years, so it makes sense why the RYM users would rate this so highly.  Matter of fact, I think this would be album #2 I would put below Seasons In the Abyss.  Three if we're counting Frizzle Fry.

Should this be on a top 10: Yes

Would this be on my top 10: No

10. Danzig- II: Lucifuge

    You know who doesn't get nearly enough trad/heavy metal credit?  Glenn Allen Anzalone.  Or as we know him, Danny-bo-banny.  Tell me how this isn't trad.  Not enough dragons?  Drag these nuts, and yes trad metal can be sexy goddammit!  Blues metal?  Get down on your knees and blue me, scrub.  Matter of fact, this should be the new trend in NWOTHM/power metal. Less of Dio, more of Danzig!  Baritone studs bellowing odes to clappin' goth girl cheeks and depression (But enough about Peter Steele).  I'll throw this take out there, and like baby-bear's porridge, it's just right: Lucifuge is the best album Glen Danzig ever made.  Yes, I am well aware of everything else.  If you must only one Danzig album, this is the one.  Oh sorry, ITS THE ONE ITS THE WU-HONE!

Should this be on a top 10: Yes

Would this be on my top 10: Yes

    Outro: For those of you wondering who was robbed by Primus, it was Kreator's Coma Of Souls.  A certified hood classic which frankly, should be here for innovating the Gothenburg sound alone.  Wait, I hate Gothenburg.

    As for the list itself, only one death metal album here.  Well, two if you count Piece of Time (normies would likely count it for the vocals, but there's a lot of bands with vocals on here that normies would write off as death metal), but I've heard more people call that a tech-thrash album than you think.  I have no clue what makes Piece Of Time thrash and it's follow-up death, but it's just accepted as such.  

    But the lack of death metal is surprising considering 1990 is where some would consider the official kick off year for the genre as a collective.  At least in the first year you could make a top 10 of the sub-genre itself.  And whilst I was extolling the well-deserved praises of Left Hand Path, I'm not sure that would be the one album I'd pick (I'll give you a hint, it begins with 'D' and ends with 'eicide').  So, 2 out of the top 10 list death metal. Whatever you do don't show this list to J-Dawg.

    Shit, Cowboys From Hell isn't here either.  A pity, my favorite of the 'Ter.  I am...concerned for 1992.

But that's not for another 2 weeks cos next is 1991!  See ya then!

My alphabetical top 10:

BATHORY- HAMMERHEART

CARNAGE- DARK RECOLLECTIONS

DANZIG- II: LUCIFUGE

DEICIDE- DEICIDE

JUDAS PRIEST- PAINKILLER

KREATOR- COMA OF SOULS

MEGADETH- RUST IN PEACE

MORBID SAINT- SPECTRUM OF DEATH

OBITUARY- CAUSE OF DEATH

PANTERA- COWBOYS FROM HELL

* (remember kids, actual baby-boomers hated metal cos they weren't The Beatles or Elvis)