The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 13: 50-41

We are now in the top 50 album covers! And, here we go:

50. Anthrax- We've Come for You All- The ninth studio album, and last one with John Bush, by one of thrash metal's Big Four has comic book artist Alex Ross art with the band surrounded by arms with the Anthrax pentagram behind them.







49. Morbid Angel- Altars of Madness- The debut album by these Floridan death metal masters has a very cool cover of "a flat disk made of a fossil material, that has captured souls" by Dan Seagrave.







48. Bleeding Through- The Truth- The fourth album by this American metalcore band is probably their best and most popular. It also has their best cover art. It's a photographic cover of a ripped out jaw. Bloody and in black and white, this is a striking and awesome image!






47. Def Leppard- Pyromania- The third album by this British hard rock act is my personal favorite of theirs. It also has their best, and most controversial, cover: that of a bullseye on a building top set ablaze. It was enough to have some stores refuse to carry it, and music censorship loving Tipper Gore flash it during the PMRC trials.





46. Danzig- III: How the Gods Kill- The third and highest charting album by Danzig has a magnificent cover taken from H.R. Giger's Meister und Margeritha (The Master and Margarita). Giger modified it, so that the erect penis in the painting became a dagger with the Danzig skull, which in turn was used on the cover to the single, "Dirty, Black Summer".





45. Cattle Decapitation- Monolith of Inhumanity- The sixth, and so far best album,  from these American deathgrinders has a Simian humanoid ripping out the flesh from his face on the cover. He is surrounded by bones and garbage and in the background, a monolith and other simians. It's gory and cool and recalls a nightmarish take on Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.





44. Entombed- Clandestine- The second album by this Swedish death metal act features a beautifully unusual cover of some other worldly place.








43. Motorhead- Rock 'n' Roll- The eighth album by these British metal masters, had a very different and intricate idea by it's artist Joe Petagano for it's cover. But, the band went with this cool take on Snaggletooth, instead. It looks awesome, so that's all that matters. right? 






42. Dio- Holy Diver- The classic debut album by Dio has one of metal's most iconic covers: in it, their mascot Murray has a broken chain and there is a priest chained up with his head sticking out of the water. Dio has said don't "judge a book by it's cover" on the meaning of this amazing piece of art.





41. Death- Leprosy- The second album by Death is an out right classic of the subgenre. As is its' awesome cover of a cloaked man suffering from leprosy.

 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 12: 60-51

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 11: 70-61

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 10: 80-71

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 9: 90-81 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 7: 110-101 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 6: 120-111 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 5: 130-121

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 4: 140-131 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 3: 150-141

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 2: 160-151

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 1: 175-16

Read More

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 10: 80-71

80. Astarte- Demonized- The fifth album by this criminally underrated Greek black metal band had a suitably demonized rendering of the band's beautiful lead signer and multiple instrument player, Tristessa.







79. Anthrax- Persistence of Time- The fifth, and my favorite, studio album by NY's thrash metal masters has a desolate place with a clock that uses death to show time. 








78. Dio- Lock Up the Wolves- The fifth studio album (jeez, lots of fifth albums in this part of the list!) by this heavy metal act has a gorgeous and cool cover with some sort of fantastical/ supernatural character and his two pissed off and bloodthirsty looking wolves.






77. Whitechapel- A New Era of Corruption- The third studio album by this deathcore act has a truly amazing cover! Portrayed on it are some cybernetic men. It's quite simply one of the best covers, if not the best cover, of the entire sub-genre!







76. Venom- Welcome to Hell- The debut album by this super influential group is a pure classic!! Also a classic is it's genre defying artwork of a pentagram/ baphomet cover. It is one of the most iconic and important covers in all of metal!!!!







75. Iron Maiden- Killers- Speaking of iconic, that description also goes to the second album from Maiden, with this classic Derek Riggs cover. In it Eddie is killing someone who seems to be almost begging for his life. The blood dripping hatchet is a cool addition. 






74. Overkill- The Years of Decay- The fourth studio album by New Jersey's Overkill has a cool as hell cover, as their winged skull mascot looks to be the entrance to some sort of ancient temple.








73. Kreator- Coma of Souls- The fifth (back to that number huh?) by the German thrashers is my favorite of theirs and their cover where we seem to look into the mind of their mascot is one of their best looking ones!!







72. Dissection- Storm of the Light's Bane- Like the first album Kristian Whalin did the cover for this release by these Swedish black metallers. In it, the grim reaper rides a black steed on a frozen and desolate place.







71. Slayer- Reign in Blood- Larry Carroll designed the cover to the third studio release by Slayer. The album, itself, is one of the most important and influential thrash metal albums of all time. The cover has a plethora of satanic and evil imagery. It's as iconic as the album itself. Sort of like Picasso goes to hell, this hits a 10 on both amazing art and the devil meter. A fucking classic all the way!!

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 9: 90-81 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 7: 110-101 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 6: 120-111 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 5: 130-121

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 4: 140-131 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 3: 150-141

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 2: 160-151

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 1: 175-16

Read More

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 7: 110-101

110. Rainbow- Rainbow Rising- The classic album by British hard rock act Rainbow is their masterpiece and the cover by Ken Kelly is a beauty! The killer use of a giant hand that grabs a rainbow is a stunning image of fantasy and one of the most recognizable classic era metal album covers of all time.






109. Black Sabbath- Cross Purposes- The seventeenth album from the legendary British metal act came post the return and leaving of Ronnie James Dio. So Tony Martin returned for this admit ably not great but certainly highly decent album. The beautiful cover has a blonde haired angel with her wings on fire. The cover has long been one of my favorites and is a captivating imagine from the moment you lay your eyes on it.




108. Iron Maiden- No Prayer for the Dying- The eighth studio album by the mighty Iron Maiden has an awesome and badass drawing by Derek Riggs, as Eddie (who has none of his earlier scars) rises from his grave and strangles a grave robber. Sadly he was taken out of the rerelease at the behest of the band's manager Rod Smallwood. This ranking is based on the original cover, of course.




107. Dio- Last in Line- The Dio demon, Murray, stands above an Egyptian world of slaves, in this cool and classic cove, from the band's second release.









106. Amon Amarth- Twilight of the Thunder God- The seventh album by the Swedish, melodic death/ viking metal band has a fucking kick ass cover of Thor battling the Jörmungandr, a sea serpent and enemy of the thunder god, himself. There's rain, lightning, and, one would imagine, thunder adding to the overall coolness factor.





105. Helloween- Better than Raw- The eighth studio album by the German power metallers has a sexy witch brewing up a stew. There are lots of little pumpkin-head guys, and it looks cool and comic-bookish.







104. Rob Zombie- Past, Present, and Future- This compilation of White Zombie and Rob Zombie has a gorgeous cover by former Famous Monsters of Filmland artist Basil Gogos.








102. Megadeth- Youthanasia- The sixth album by Megadeth has no Vic Rattlehead on the cover, again, but it does have an old lady hanging babies out to dry by their feet. I am gonna on the record in saying that this is not the way to deal with babies who have pissed themselves. 






102. Marduk- Those of the Unlight- The second album by Swedish black metal act Marduk has a dark and cool as fuck cover of cloaked men riding horses that looks like the wraiths from Lord of the Rings. Being that this is a black metal band any similarities between LOTR and the band shouldn't shock anyone.







101. Judas Priest- Sad Wings of Destiny- The second album by these gods of metal has an angel who seems sad (hence the title!) and is in some hellish world (if not, in fact, hell, itself). I love that his pendent is the Judas Priest trident. The artwork is amazing and breathtaking and the type that you want on a classic metal album. It should also be noted that the band had not yet adopted their classic logo.

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 6: 120-111 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 5: 130-121

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 4: 140-131 

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 3: 150-141

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 2: 160-151

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 1: 175-16

Read More

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 4: 140-131

140. Dio- Master of the Moon- The tenth and final solo album by Dio has a very awesome fantasy inspired cover with a demon holding a moon.

139. Iron Maiden- Fear of the Dark- The first of many Maiden albums to make this list is the first Maiden cover to be done by Melvyn Grants, and it's a doozy! Eddie is presented as some sort of zombie tree creature, and in being that it makes for a very cool and suitably creepy drawing.

138. Anthrax- Worship Music- A bunch of zombies try to grab the Anthrax pentagram in this album marking the return of Joey Belladonna to being their frontman. One of the best albums of their entire career is marked by this cool artwork.

137. Arch Enemy- Doosmday Machine- My favorite of the Swedish melodic death group's albums has some very cool artwork by Joachim Luetke. I love how the the semi circle usually used in the Arch Enemy pentagram, instead has a skull seemingly connected to it.

136. Children of Bodom- Relentless Reckless Forever- The CoB grim reaper gets some cool green autumnish colors in the seventh album by the Finnish melodic death metal masters.

135. Dark Funeral- Angelus Exuro pro Eternus- The fifth album by Swedish black metalers, Dark Funeral has a very cool and, suitably, evil looking cover with Satan appearing in a cloud over a hellish world. I think this is not only their best album artwork, but also their best album to date.

134. Deicide- To Hell with God- The tenth album by the world's most evil death metal act has an amazing cover with a Christ-like figure standing tall in a hellish world where skeletons are rising from a inferno pit and reaching for him.

133. Death Angel- Relentless Retribution- The sixth album by this thrash metal band has fucking kick ass artwork in which some sort of demonic wolf stands over a mountain of his slain prey, while two others are behind him (part of his pack, I assume).

132. Disturbed- Indestructible-  The next album by Disturbed to make the list might be my favorite album of theirs. The cover, featuring art once again by David Finch, has The Guy looking badass as fuck with flames on and around him.

131. Heaven & Hell- The Devil You Know- Ronnie James Dio book ends this part of the list with his final studio recording. This album with his Black Sabbath mates has a very cool looking demon with three tongues holding up what appears to be some sort of demonic crucifix while a crucified figure is in the background of this hellish world (a lot of that in this section of the list, huh?).

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 3: 150-141

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 1: 175-161

The 175 Greatest Heavy Metal Album Covers of all Time Pt. 2: 160-151

Read More

DIO- HOLY DIVER LIVE

Being that Ronnie James Dio tragically passed away last week, losing his battle with stomach cancer, I felt the need to add more Dio to my collection. This live DVD, which I picked up for a mere seven bucks this week at FYE, more than fit the bill.

Shot in Britain on Oct. 22, 2005, Dio played all of his classic Holy Diver album, as well as other classics from his solo career, and even two Rainbow tracks (Gates of Babylon, Man on the Silver Mountain) and the all time Sabbath classic, Heaven and Hell. The concert, itself, clocks in at slightly over two hours and kicks major ass. From the opening of Tarot Woman to closing of the ass whooping We Rock, this is one hell of a live performance. Most touching now, is seeing how gracious Dio was with his fans. He was a great man and is a rock legend, for sure.

Ronnie's voice sounds amazing and the band is at their best. The transfer is simply gorgeous with stunning, lively colors. The sound is awesome, too. You can hear it either in Dolby Digital Stereo or Dolby Digital Surround 5.1.

As for extras, we get cool interviews with the band regarding playing in this show and tour. We also get linear notes form Classic Rock Magazine writer Dave Ling. In all, an excellent must have DVD.

**** out of ****

----------------
Now playing: Dio - Hey Angel
via FoxyTunes

Read More

In Remembrance of a Metal Legend, Ronnie James Dio

I first heard this tragic news yesterday, when I had saw a rumor had stated that he had died on Saturday. But, it was then said that he was actually alive. Later that day, though, this was posted by his wife, Wendy Dio:

Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever.

- Wendy Dio

(If you wish to leave condolences go to the official Facebook page)

I'll be first to sat that this news came to me as major blow. I have been a fan of the man (whose last stage name means God in Italian) and his music since I was in high school. He would eventually become one of my heroes.

He was born Ronald James Padavona on July 10, 1942. After working on various bands, including Elf, he was recruited by Richie Blackmore, along with other Elf members, to form Rainbow. Rainbow was an amazing early heavy metal/ hard rock band. They released three albums with Dio, including Rainbow Rising, which became a classic. He left Rainbow when Blackmore wanted to take the band in a more commercial route.

In 1979, he joined Black Sabbath, after Ozzy had left. They released their masterpiece Heaven and Hell, along with two more albums (the last one a live one). Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules are both considered classics of the genre. The title track from HaH is quite simply one of the greatest metal songs ever written. An epic song with powerful and unforgettable lyrics. It was during this time that he popularized the "devil horns", which came from his grandmother. It's called the Malocchio or evil eye. It gave just another reason for us metalheads, to love and be grateful to him.

Dio eventually left Sabbath and formed his own solo band, Dio. They would put out many albums over the years, including the genre defining classic that is Holy Diver. Both the title track and Rainbow in the Dark became metal favorites. And, gave him further success.

One of my fav Dio tracks, live: Don't Talk to Strangers

Tenacious D sign about Dio

He returned to Sabbath for Dehumanizer, the album that got me into this version of Sabbath, in 1992. He would eventually return full time to Sabbath in 2006. A best of Black Sabbath with Dio collection was released with a couple of new songs. The band changed their name to Heaven and Hell, and would release their one and only studio album (under that name), The Devil That You Know. It was an immediate success, debuting at number 8, making it the highest debut for a Sabbath album in history. It received great reviews and as an awesome, classic sounding masterwork.

Sadly, on November 25, 2009, his wife announced he had stomach cancer. I was greatly saddened by this bit of news. Many fans, including myself, sent their well wishes to him. And, then it seemed that he had gotten better. But, by May 4, Heaven & Hell canceled all their summer tour dates. He had gotten very ill. Dio died at 7:45 am on May 16, 2010.

I feel a very heavy hearted writing this blog. It wasn't easy to put my thoughts into paper. In fact, yesterday, I had to log off the net for a little while; as I was shaken and deeply, deeply saddened. And, so I had to pay tribute to the man, the legend that is Ronnie James Dio, and write this blog, today. While, he is gone his legacy will live on in the great music he made. Throw up those devil horns for him and rock out to his amazing musicianship. May you RIP, Ronnie James Dio.

----------------
Now playing: Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell
via FoxyTunes

Read More