A few weeks ago, Noisy Deadlines posted a list of 5 albums that shaped her taste in music. I was going to write a post like this too, but it completely slipped my mind. Today she published another post about 5 books that shaped her, which reminded me of the 5 albums. So here's my list, these are 5 albums that had a huge influence on me.
AC/DC - Highway to Hell (1979)
This one I'm pretty sure is the first "heavy" album I bought. Before this I listened to mostly pop music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, or stuff that was on the radio. Then in my late teens I discovered this album and it was my gateway drug into the world of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, music generes I still love and listen to to this day. I already wrote a review of this album (and all other AC/DC albums), so I'm not going to repeat myself here too much. It's a fantastic album and I love it.
Judas Priest - Priest...Live! (1987)
This album, particularly the live video version of it, shows Priest at their absolute peak. Halford had quit drinking and smoking and his voice was at it's absolute best during this era. Tipton and Downing's dual guitar attack is legendary, and just look at the clothes and the hair! It's peak 80s Priest. They're one of my favourite bands ever, and this album was on heavy rotation for a long time after I discovered it.
Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (1986)
This one is a masterpiece. Candlemass is a Swedish Doom Metal band which plays music very much inspired by 70s Black Sabbath, with heavy riffs and dark lyrics, but more melodic and operatic vocals than what Sabbath did at the time. This is their debut album, and they were only in their early 20s when they recorded this, which makes it even more impressive that it's so good. If you look up any list of "The X best Heavy Metal Albums of All Time", this album is almost always included, and usually at least in the top 20. And for good reason, because it's just perfect. I listened to it countless times and I know pretty much every lyric, guitar part and drum fill by heart. I even know where all the little mistakes are, of which there are a few because they recorded on a tight budget. And I even have the album cover tattooed on my arm. That's how much I love this album.
Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)
Any number of the old Black Sabbath albums could be in this spot, but this one has Paranoid on it, and Paranoid is amazing. Full review is here in my Black Sabbath post. I play electric guitar and Tony Iommi's riffs are a huge influence on my; so much so that I own his signature Epiphone SG guitar which I've had for I guess 15 years or so, and I played it every single time I've played live with my band. And it's still my main guitar that I play almost every day.
Uriah Heep - The Best of... (1975)
Again, I could put any number of the old Uriah Heep albums from the 70s here, but I think the first one I heard was the Best of, the European edition which was released in 1975. Lady in Black is on there, which is incredible and I've loved this song ever since I first heard it as a child. It's just so good. What I love about Uriah Heep is the blend of Hard Rock music and operatic vocals with intricate multi part harmonies. This was later picked up and refined by many other bands, most notably of course Queen. They perfected it, but Uriah Heep came before and their music was hugely influential for me when I was young. I've also seen them live numerous times and they are still a force to be reckoned with.
And there we go. I could add another 10, but these are the first that came to mind; and of course it's not just these particular albums but the bands in general that had a huge influence on me. I've seen all of them live at least once; some have since retired and/or lost key members, others are still out on the road and I hope to catch them again when I have the chance.