Historically, the conventional studio album has been the big moneymaker in heavy metal. The likes of Metallica’s Black Album, Iron Maiden’s The Number Of The Beast and Black Sabbath’s Paranoid all represent apexes of influence that every heavy artist would kill to reach. But what about the album that teams bands together?
Metal history is laden with compilations that have gathered mammoth names, moulded subgenres or even thrust the genre into the mainstream for one fleeting moment. Yet, they never get their just acknowledgement. So, below, Metal Hammer’s collected the 10 most impactful and downright kick-ass compilations in the history of heaviness.
The Metallica Blacklist (2021)
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of their monolithic Black Album, Metallica corralled a peerless array of cross-genre stars. Miley Cyrus, Rina Sawayama, Corey Taylor and even Elton fucking John leant their talents to this 53-track compilation, translating the band’s crushing metal into pop, jazz and everything in between.
Iron Maiden – Somewhere Back In Time (2008)
By 2008, Iron Maiden’s array of bangers, plus the return of Bruce Dickinson, had earned the band a new generation of fans. The Beast capitalised with this golden-age compilation. Not only did it feature most of their greatest songs, but it launched the Somewhere Back In Time tour: arguably their best run of shows ever.
Metal Massacre (1982)
This iconic 1982 compilation has the rare honour of containing the first-ever song released by a then-small-time band called Metallica. Hit The Lights went on to become one of the Four Horsemen’s most loved songs, and Metal Massacre also boasts Yngwie Malmsteen’s first appearance (in Steeler) after his move to America.
Queen Of The Damned (2002)
Queen Of The Damned is a bit shit: less a compelling vampire film than an MTV music video stretched to feature length. The upside of that, though, was some killer songs. Korn singer Jonathan Davis corralled this gothic and seedy-sounding soundtrack, sourcing help from fellow nu metal stars like David Draiman and Papa Roach.
Metal For Muthas Volume I (1980)
Metal For Muthas’ first volume in 1980 was a who’s who of NWOBHM at the time, including some of Iron Maiden’s earliest recordings. It also happened to have a song by Samson, whose frontman at the time was some chap called Bruce Dickinson. Who knows what happened to him?
Speed Kills (The Very Best In Speed Metal) (1985)
In the 1980s, Music For Nations basically had the monopoly on distributing top-notch metal in Europe. Look no further than the tracklist of the label’s 1985 compilation for proof: Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, Celtic Frost, Possessed, Megadeth and Venom all rear their heads and rip your throat out.
The Crow: City Of Angels (1996)
Making a Crow sequel, considering star Brandon Lee died while making the original, was a stupid idea. The people behind City Of Angels’ soundtrack likely knew this, given they compensated for the film’s dogshit quality with rarities by Korn and Deftones, plus classic covers from Hole and White Zombie.
Judgement Night (1993)
Aimed at capturing the then-popularity of rap rock, the soundtrack to 1993’s Judgement Night paired the likes of Helmet with House Of Pain and Slayer with Ice-T. A real collision of worlds, many of the artists were extremely enthusiastic about the project, and the end result shows that creative conviction.
Grindcrusher: The Ultimate Earache (1991)
Earache Records essentially ruled the extreme music underground during its heyday, and the 1991 edition of their Grindcrusher compilation proved it. Napalm Death, Morbid Angel, Godflesh, Bolt Thrower, Entombed and more contributed to this 24-song slab of heaviness, making it one of the greatest pantheons of cult metal you’ll ever hear.
Mastodon – Call Of The Mastodon (2006)
Call Of The Mastodon is a collection of Mastodon’s very earliest songs, considered by the band to be their debut and made before they became the beloved prog metal behemoth they are today. Although originally recorded with a different vocalist, the version released to fans contains the now-classic triple-vocal lineup of Brent, Brann and Troy.
