10 Most Underrated Metal Albums

For years, people have debated whether Van Halen even belongs in the same category as heavy metal. Even though their songs are definitely heavy by the standards of the time, the fun loving attitude of their lyrics and the party atmosphere of their shows was a far cry from the likes of bands like Black Sabbath or Metallica. After a while though, these hair metal icons threw caution to the wind and went for the throat on Women and Children First.

Across every single track, this album has zero let up, from the weird sounds of And the Cradle Will Rock to the amazing tour de force Fools. Almost every song on this thing has a different kind of intensity to it, from the brooding atmosphere in the bridge section of Romeo Delight to the virtual punk rock energy behind Loss of Control. Even the drum showcase from Alex Van Halen on Tora Tora is heavy as hell, with a closing riff that is on par with classic era Black Sabbath.

All of this is pretty much captured in Everybody Wants Some, whose tribal drumming at the outset prepares you for something before exploding into one of the most infectious singalongs of the Roth era. Van Halen might not necessarily be the heaviest bands, but when the time called for it, they could give even the harshest of metal acts a run for their money.