10. In Flames - Soundtrack To Your Escape
This is not one of the band's most popular albums, but for whatever reason it has sonic ability to put me into a trance of melodic genius.
9. Shadows Fall - War Within
This album has some of the best metal guitar work that I've ever heard. Shadows Fall is a very underrated band, but their pounding anthems 100% influenced my guitar playing.
8. Motograter - Motograter
This concept album put the listener head first into a horrific environment of terror. The album builds with suspense and an eerie composition of roller coaster brutality.
7. Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil
The first time that I heard this album I felt like I was doing something wrong, but it kept coming back for more. Dark, raunchy, sexy, and dangerous. What more could a person ask for?
6. Doggystyle - Snoop Dogg
Before I got into rock n' roll,l I was very much into rap. Snoop took the genre to the next level with this album, and is maybe one of the best overall rap albums of all time.
5. Prince - Purple Rain
Purple Rain! Purple Rain! Who doesn't love singing that song?! Prince is my biggest influence and this album gives you EVERYTHING, R&B to guitar ripping rock n' roll.
4. Killswitch Engage - Disarm the Descent
I can easily say that this was the most excited I had ever been while awaiting an album release. Every song is perfection, every song is an anthem. I already can't wait for their next one!
3. Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache
This album infused me for the first time with the concept of brutal, hard pounding sections of songs leading to an ultimate soaring anthem of melody, which stopped me in my tracks. Heavy plus melodic will always equal a perfect song.
2. Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power
Pantera changed metal music with this album, led by the ripping guitar playing of Dimebag Darrell, whom I can hands down define as my guitar hero. Who needs coffee when this record is so intense?
1. 36Crazyfists - Rest Inside the Flames
Heavy and catchy; power and swift. This record is full of emotion which takes you on a ride from each end of that spectrum. This band is an underdog in the metal community, which strikes a chord with me and my journey. This band isn't well known, but this band holds respect with some of the top acts in the new wave of American heavy metal.