12 Most Underrated Metal Albums

12. Napalm Death - Diatribes

Napalm Death are a British institution, up there with Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden as one of the country’s greatest metal exports. They rose to prominence in the late eighties playing a form of short, fast crust-punk known as ‘grindcore’. This made the band a cultural curiosity that were loved by some and disparaged by many.

Fortunately, time has been kind to Napalm Death. The band now produce albums of extreme metal beauty packed with fleshed out songs, relentless heaviness and relevant politics. There was an era, however, where the band seemed to be in a state of creative limbo. When Diatribes was released in 1996, it landed with a whimper, with fans admonishing the band for supposedly moving too far away from the sound that made them (in)famous in the first place.

Diatribes is the sound of a band figuring themselves out, experimenting with new ideas, and charting a course for their future. The album contains some brilliant songs, such as lead single Greed Killing, where the band ambitiously synthesise their harsh vocals and frantic drumming with some very '90s alt metal riffing.

It all holds up extremely well today, and deserves a re-evaluation, not just for its unsung quality, but for its importance as a creative stepping stone for Napalm Death’s future career.