50 Rock And Metal Albums You Need To Hear Before You Die

38. Rhapsody Of Fire - Triumph Or Agony

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWkVOmf5L0 Power metal is at it's best when it's epic, which is fortunate then that Rhapsody Of Fire know how to make use of a full orchestra to provide the maximum in epic satisfaction. Yes, by the time they started their Dar-Kunor saga with Symphony Of Enchanted Lands Pt 2, they were making use of a full orchestra during recording and Triumph Or Agony has them sounding absolutely huge. Add in a cameo from Christopher Lee doing dialogue in The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demonknight and you've got a cinematic masterpiece.

37. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7zBFDDpFbU As albums go, few storm as many barns as Led Zeppelin II. Credited with being one of the first "heavy metal" bands, LZ II brought the absolutely timeless Whole Lotta Love with it's instantly recognisable riff, spacey violin bow middle section and hook laden chorus. But besides the big hitter that opens the album, it contains the fan favourites that are Ramble On and Moby Dick which rock just as hard today as they did in 1969.

36. AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onE43h_TUUY When you say AC/DC, everyone automatically thinks of Back In Black or Highway To Hell, but the oft-overlooked gem in their extensive back catalogue is Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, and it's an absolute blinder. The Australian maniacs released this album in 1976 while they were firing on all of their twisted cylinders. If anything, it's worth a listen to just for the double entendré-laden Big Balls, which is just plain filth. That said, if you don't laugh at the absurdity of the lyrics, you're probably already dead.