The general consensus with Metallica is that their first four albums (five if you happen to like the Black album) are their best work and have yet to be surpassed. Opinion varies on which of the first four are the best, be it Kill 'em All's pugnacious energy and rawness, or Master Of Puppets with it's intricate arrangements and crushing heaviness. Some people favour ...And Justice For All's more mature and heavily progressive sound despite the lack of bass throughout the album, but for many Ride The Lightning is the overlooked masterpiece in Metallica's formative years. Striking a balance between the youthful exuberance of their debut and the more considered and technical format of it's follow up, RTL is pure, distilled thrash. It's fast, it's heavy, it's nihilistic and it's memorable but more importantly, it'll leave you breathless by the time you get to the end.
34. Trivium - Ascendancy
Sitting somewhere between thrash and metalcore, Trivium's breakthrough album was the sound of 2005 for many a young metalhead. It's an astounding album given the band's young age at the time (frontman Matt Heafy was 17 when they started writing it) and the maturity in the lyrical and thematic content is something they've never managed to surpass. It was a critical and commercial success due to it's mix of sheer heaviness with catchy singalong choruses and their devastating live show backed up their credentials as a hotly tipped metal band to watch. Just don't mention The Crusade...
33. The Algorithm - Polymorphic Code
Bear with this one because it's very much at the periphery of rock and metal. The Algorithm is a blend of electronica and progressive metal in the vein of Meshuggah and is very much an acquired taste, but if you acquire that taste you're in for a treat. Fusing techno breaks with blast-beats has been attempted many times before, but no one has got it right to the same degree that Rémi Gallego has managed. Once it worms its way into your head, Polymorphic Code sets up residence and will refuse to leave. Even if you approach it as an oddity, give it a listen and you might be shocked at how much you like it.