Favorite Full-length Debut Albums?

[Maiden33]

Interesting topic of discussion that I can't recall us ever having in a formal topic on here before. I'd say "metal", but then we get into technicalities of what is and isn't metal, and people are gonna cry about it - so whatever style of music you want.

Use best personal discretion for qualifications. I'll post mine later.

[xStructualDefect]

Korn - s/t
Sonata Arctica - Ecliptica
Wintersun - s/t
Ensiferum - s/t
Static-X - Wisconsin Death Trip
Slipknot - s/t
Mors Principium Est - Inhumanity
Kalmah - Swamplord

[jerry1013]

Van Halen I
Union
Black Sabbath

would be my top 3....

[ADD]

A safe assumption would be that almost every band I dig I dig their debut album if nothing else, most bands put out 2-3 albums worth of essential material at best anyway, and more times than not its in the earlier part of their career. A few notable exceptions that took at least a couple albums to really come into their own are Thin Lizzy, Nazareth, Manilla Road, Uriah Heep, Accept, can't think of any great post-90 bands that didn't come out the gates swingin per se.

But to stay on topic

[undergroundrage]

Top 3, for my money -
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell (well...if you don't count what they don't count, haha...)

Also:
Lazarus A.D. - The Onslaught
DevilDriver - DevilDriver
All Shall Perish - Hate, Malice, Revenge
Metallica - Kill Em All
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Divine Hersey - Bleed The Fifth
Cavalera Conspiracy - Inflikted
Lamb of God - New American Gospel
SlipKnot - SlipKnot

It's hard. Most bands don't start to have stand out albums until the 2nd or 3rd. Man if we did 'best 2nd album'...look out. That's an awesome list. Or 'major label debut'.

[SirLardsAlot]

Top 5 in alphabetical, because it's too hard otherwise:


Bang Camaro - Bang Camaro
Boston - Boston
Dio - Holy Diver
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
Van Halen - Van Halen

[Maiden33]

Originally Posted by ADD

can't think of any great post-90 bands that didn't come out the gates swingin per se.

This brings up an interesting thought I had, more of an observation really, that today's bands sometimes really lack the "character development" that a lot of classic (or just pre 1995-ish) bands had. Most bands I listen to that have debuted in the past dozen years, their debut is one of if not easily their best record, whereas back in the 70s and 80s I think bands usually took a while to "find themselves", as well as acquire the budget and time to make a great album. Most old bands I like, my favorite record is usually like their 3rd one or so. Great debuts seemed to be more of a rarity back then, whereas bands these days tend to come out strong and then crap out and stagnate by their 3rd or 4th album.

[ADD]

Originally Posted by SirLardsAlot

Top 5 in alphabetical, because it's too hard otherwise:


Bang Camaro - Bang Camaro
Boston - Boston
Dio - Holy Diver
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
Van Halen - Van Halen

How you gonna choose Bang Camaro over the first Angel Witch?

[ADD]

Originally Posted by Maiden33

This brings up an interesting thought I had, more of an observation really, that today's bands sometimes really lack the "character development" that a lot of classic (or just pre 1995-ish) bands had. Most bands I listen to that have debuted in the past dozen years, their debut is one of if not easily their best record, whereas back in the 70s and 80s I think bands usually took a while to "find themselves", as well as acquire the budget and time to make a great album. Most old bands I like, my favorite record is usually like their 3rd one or so. Great debuts seemed to be more of a rarity back then, whereas bands these days tend to come out strong and then crap out and stagnate by their 3rd or 4th album.

I think some of it has to do with back then the game was different in that there was less competition/saturation in all styles of music, which means you didn't have to stand out imemdiately, so if you were a band you could dedicate yourself to making music all the time and developing a sound as you develop your skills, whereas now "bands" usually start as the concept of one or 2 dudes who then fill out the group and its less of a band collaborating over a period of time eventually forming its own collective identity than it is the projection of one individual's vision (the band "leader" per se). The less cohesion there is means that bands fizzle out quicker, the creative mover burns out or exhausts their vision and can't find new inspiration, or the role players get tired and unmotivated, personalities and egos are already difficult enough to manage in a band construct as it is without having forged the lasting bonds of being poor and struggling to survive together, sucking at your instruments together, and eventually through hard work achieving higher levels of expression and in short better music. Today to stand out and get noticed you have to kickass right away, so there's less time/room for development, unless you don't care and choose to take the time to develop cohesion and a singular vision as a band rather than being a collection of individuals gathered to play songs written by primarily one or maybe 2 people with no one else really being emotionally or spiritually invested in it.

[Natrlhi]

This is way, way, way, way, way, way, way too fucking hard. Let me just throw out a few off the top of my head, and I'll just be scratching the surface here:

1. Baroness - Red Album
2. Russian Circles - Enter
3. Giant Squid - Metridium Fields
4. Grayceon - Grayceon
5. Death - Scream Bloody Gore
6. Cynic - Focus
7. Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
8. Red Sparowes - At the Soundless Dawn
9. Made Out of Babies - Trophy
10. Cormorant - Metazoa
11. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
12. Mastodon - Remission
13. Cro-Mags - The Age of Quarrel
14. Caspian - The Four Trees
15. Red Fang - Red Fang
16. 5ive - 5ive
17. Helms Alee - Night Terrors
18. Zozobra - Harmonic Tremors
19. Arsis - A Celebration of Guilt
20. Asschapel - Fire & Destruction
21. Carcass - Reek of Putrefaction
22. Napalm Death - Scum
23. Exodus - Bonded by Blood
24. Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales
25. Landmine Marathon - Wounded
26. Struck by Lightning - Serpents
27. Dreaming Dead - Within One
28. The Crystal Method - Vegas
29. 65daysofstatic - The Fall of Math
30. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
31. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
32. If These Trees Could Talk - If These Trees Could Talk
33. Mogwai - Young Team
34. Orbital - Orbital
35. Daft Punk - Homework

These are not in any type of order - I just numbered them to keep track of how many there were.

Yeah, this is way too fucking hard. Every one of the above albums totally rocks balls - and I'm sure there are dozens upon dozens that I'm forgetting...so fuggit - I'm done.