[For Beginners] Metal Masterpieces: A Curated List of Must-Listen, History-Making Albums

Chop Suey!System Of A Down

System Of A Down – Sugar (Official HD Video)

While they emerged amid the late-’90s nu metal boom, System of a Down stood out from their peers with a singular originality that made them a striking presence in the scene.

Their masterful second album, released in 2001, can be regarded—alongside Slipknot’s Iowa, which came out the same year—as a landmark record in heavy rock and loud music from the 2000s onward.

With all members of Armenian descent, their musical identity—at times seemingly playful, yet imbued with cryptic and philosophical lyrics—is so distinctive that it defies simple explanation.

Still, if you’re looking for something different from conventional heavy metal or heavy rock, I can say unequivocally that this is an album you should listen to at least once.

Pull Me UnderDream Theater

Dream Theater – Pull Me Under [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

A landmark album in the genre known as progressive metal, this masterpiece can be called both Dream Theater’s breakthrough and one of their definitive works.

Centered around members from Berklee College of Music, the band’s exceptional technical prowess, backed by taste and sensibility, forged Dream Theater’s unique musical style—one could say it truly began with this record.

Beyond the jaw-dropping virtuosity of each player, the dramatic songs, filled with odd time signatures and labyrinthine developments, retain their allure even after decades.

At the same time, pay attention to how beautiful melodies always remain at the core of the compositions.

Laid to RestLamb Of God

Lamb of God – Laid to Rest (Official HD Video)

Ashes of the Wake, known as the breakthrough work by the American heavy metal band Lamb of God.

Released in 2004, this fourth album quickly made a name for itself, aided in part by its tracks being featured in video games.

It channels the heavy themes that strongly reflected the social climate of the time, expressed through pummeling grooves and razor-sharp guitar riffs.

Despite being the band’s first major-label release, their aggression never waned, and it earned RIAA Gold certification.

For those who want to be swept up in a dense, technical whirlwind of sound, this is the perfect record.

Blackwater ParkOpeth

Opeth – Blackwater Park (Audio)

Blackwater Park, the landmark album that defines the career of Sweden’s proud export Opeth.

Known as a work that has etched its name into metal history, it blends the ferocity of death metal with the calm of acoustic passages in a unique musical identity.

This album is perfect for learning musical dynamism by retracing its complex yet beautiful song developments.

The deeply lyrical sound, brought to life by bringing in Steven Wilson as producer, is also one of the reasons it captivates so many fans.

Savor the shifting soundscapes as if listening to a grand narrative.

WalkPantera

Pantera – Walk (Official Music Video) [4K]

One of the most influential albums in heavy metal and loud rock since the ’90s.

After Pantera scored a hit with their landmark 1990 release Cowboys from Hell, they followed it up in 1992 with their second major-label album—a masterpiece also famous in Japan for its striking title “Zokuaku” (Vulgar).

It’s often cited as the record that defined the so-called groove metal genre, and its impact on subsequent bands is immeasurable.

Dimebag Darrell’s solid guitar riffs, Vinnie Paul’s drumming that forges a unique groove beyond straight 8-beat patterns, Rex Brown’s steady, grounding bass, and Phil Anselmo’s charismatic, expressive vocals—every time you listen, there’s only one word for it: awesome!

BlindKorn

Korn – Blind (Official HD Video)

Today, Korn are recognized in Japan as veteran musicians with a steady following, but when they debuted, they didn’t sell well here.

Twin seven-string guitars firing off unconventional riffs, a bass producing a fierce metallic clang with a scooped EQ, drums heavy on ghost notes with a hint of jazz influence, and a charismatic vocal laying bare childhood traumas—their self-titled debut, released in 1994, hit the scene with a shock strong enough to redefine the very idea of loud music.

One can’t help but imagine that the label simply didn’t know how to market such an uncanny strain of heavy rock.

Many bands tried to imitate Korn, but it’s fair to say that none have matched their originality.

Would?Alice In Chains

Alice In Chains – Would? (Official HD Video)

Dirt, the second album by Seattle’s Alice in Chains, released in 1992.

A classic widely regarded as the band’s signature work, it became a massive hit with over five million copies sold worldwide.

With lyrics that lay bare the darkness of the human heart—drug addiction, loneliness, and more—this intense, deeply affecting work grips listeners and doesn’t let go.

Beyond the heavy guitar riffs, the somber yet beautiful harmonies woven by Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell are also captivating.

This one-of-a-kind dark aesthetic paradoxically brings a strange sense of comfort and catharsis to the listener.

While it stands as a defining album of the grunge scene, it also had a major impact on later metal, so metal fans should definitely give it a listen.