Great Tracks On Poor Albums

I don't think we've had this topic for discussion before, if we have I apologise. Does anyone have any tracks they love on albums they consider generally poor. I'll kick off with Slipknot's Vermillion and Vermillion pt.2 (I consider them two parts of the same song) from Subliminal Verses.

How about this beauty from Chicago-based hard rock/heavy metal/proto-doom exponents Sorcery's 1978 debut album "Sinister Soldiers":

Here's my only favorite from The Body's droning drone album I've Seen All I Need to See. There's still a bit of metal in this song with its heavy riffing, and it could work as part of the Invader Zim soundtrack, much better and doomier than that so-called "Doom Song".

Hhhmmmm... interesting. I'd argue that The Body's "The City Is Shelled" is the clear highlight of an extremely consistent album with no weak tracks but that come down to taste I suppose.

I don't consider these albums poor, but certainly on the weak end of metal at least, and these tracks stand out especially amidst the surrounding material.

Born Again - Born Again, Black Sabbath

Run of the Mill - Rocka Rola, Judas Priest

Until it Sleeps, The Outlaw Torn - Load, Metallica

Fixxxer - Reload, Metallica

Sweet Amber, All Within My Hands - St. Anger, Metallica

Over and Out - Power Metal, Pantera

Ostia - Dante XXI, Sepultura

Sinister Soldiers is a good example, but I would have picked the track Last Good-Bye!

I love Vol. 3 the Subliminal Verses, but I'll at least appreciate that you picked the best songs on the album as your faves. 

I don't consider these albums poor, but certainly on the weak end of metal at least, and these tracks stand out especially amidst the surrounding material.

Born Again - Born Again, Black Sabbath

Run of the Mill - Rocka Rola, Judas Priest

Until it Sleeps, The Outlaw Torn - Load, Metallica

Fixxxer - Reload, Metallica

Sinister Soldiers is a good example, but I would have picked the track Last Good-Bye!

Quoted SilentScream213

I quite like Black Sabbath's "Born Again" album to tell you the truth but interestingly the title track is one of the few tracks that I don't have time for. I don't think there are any genuine classics included but the first three tracks are where the highlights reside in my opinion with "Disturbing The Priest" being my pick of the bunch.

Judas Priest's "Rocka Rolla" is a massively underrated record in my opinion although I agree that "Run Of The Mill" is the clear classic amongst the tracklisting.

I have no time for Metallica's "Load" whatsoever so I agree that it's a poor album. I don't think it includes any genuinely great tracks though. "Bleeding Me" would be the clear highlight for me personally. "Until It Sleeps" is OK but I don't actually like "The Outlaw Torn" to be honest.

"Reload" is an even worse album for mine & I think only "Carpe Diem Baby" & "Devil's Dance" are at a reasonable level. Interestingly I actually rate "Fixxxer" as one of the weakest tracks on the tracklisting & for Metallica as a whole.

Yeah "Last Good-bye" seems to be the other track  that people rate from "Sinister Soldiers" but I've always found it to be a bit flat personally. "Snowshit" is the only track from the album that I have any time for & it's nothing short of a 5 star classic in my opinion.

Accept's 1980 sophomore album "I'm A Rebel" was a bit of a dud when taken holistically however the one-two punch of "Thunder & Lightning" into "China Lady" right in the middle of the album is nothing short of magic in my opinion:

"Reload" is an even worse album for mine & I think only "Carpe Diem Baby" & "Devil's Dance" are at a reasonable level. Interestingly I actually rate "Fixxxer" as one of the weakest tracks on the tracklisting & for Metallica as a whole.

"Carpe Diem Baby" and "Fixxxer" still remain two of my favorite tracks from Reload, though "Devil's Dance" comes out as just OK for me.

Accept's 1980 sophomore album "I'm A Rebel" was a bit of a dud when taken holistically however the one-two punch of "Thunder & Lightning" into "China Lady" right in the middle of the album is nothing short of magic in my opinion:

I agree that the first two Accept albums are slight duds compare to the rest of their discography, but I give I'm a Rebel a few extra points for beginning the band's transition from the hard rock-like sound of their debut into the sound we consider classic heavy metal in Breaker and especially their perfect album trilogy (Restless and Wild, Balls to the Wall, and Metal Heart). Those two songs above are nice upbeat rockers, though they never reach the fast speed of the band's subsequent albums...

I'd go with:

Machine Head Through The Ashes of Empires - a mediocre album at best but Imperium that opens the album could easily lull you into thinking it is going to be a great record.

Sepultura Chaos AD - a massive let down of an album from its predecessor Arise but again the opening track Refuse/Resist would have you believe otherwise.

Megadeth Endgame - whilst not terrible as such, Endgame lacks spirit overall (beyond Mustaine's usual political ramblings of course) but 44 Minutes is probably one of the best tunes they have ever written.

Deicide Scars of the Crucifix - one of the more unremarkable albums in the Deicide discography has a ripping title track that attacks from the off.

When I was doing the modern groove metal part of my Ultimate Metal Family Tree band challenge, my Machine Head reviews show that despite a bit of good material, I'm just not really into the band or genre. Not even The Blackening could change my mood, though that album has a few great highlights such as this thrasher written by Robb Flynn to say "Thank you, Dimebag Darrell" and "F*** you, William Grim" (the latter having written an article disrespecting the former):

OK, one more track from me then that's it for now. If there's one thing anyone who has listened to Devin Townsend doesn't know, unless they're a super-fan who has built up their collection into completion, well here it is: Before his solo debut progressive metal masterpiece Ocean Machine - Biomech, Devin Townsend made up a fictional punk rock band named Punky Bruster and hired a drummer and bassist to bring this story to life in an album titled Cooked on Phonics. The album was later re-issued with the two names combined as Punky Bruster - Cooked on Phonics as a Devin Townsend album, thereby technically being his first solo album! In the story, they started as a death metal band from Poland named Cryptic Coroner, but when disaster strikes at a pub they were performing in, in a hurry they improvised by transforming into the punk band Punky Bruster. The concert became an enormous commercial success and so did their punk music. I would tell you more, but I don't wanna spoil a lot for anyone who hasn't heard it yet, so here's a good song from that album that shows the beginning of the story like I just told you about. Consider this introduction and punk-rocker your sneak peek:

Now I'm gonna answer some not-yet-asked questions in advance here. Q: Do you really think this is one or one of a few songs you like from an album you think is a poor one? A: As a matter of fact, it is, along with "Metal Dilemma". The album itself I would give 2.5 stars because for the music, I'm a metalhead who prefers to listen to anything metal (but not too extreme or mainstream), and if I want something punk, or at least hardcore punk, I have metalcore. For the lyrics, yes they are ridiculously cheesy and comedic for the most part (don't get me started on the toilet humor in the song that has the last 4 letters of the 7th planet in the Solar System in the title), but the concept seems relatable to any band who starts extreme then sells out with a lighter melodic sound thinking they might regret it but the change really pays off, though the success depicted here seems exaggerated compared to most rock bands in the world. It also seems relatable for my own "metal dilemma" right now, but we'll get to that soon. Bonus points!

Q: Isn't this a non-metal album? A: Yes, but it's from a metal artist.

Q: What made you think of this album all of a sudden? A: Well remember that I'm currently planning my departure from death metal forever? Yeah, that reminded me of this album's concept, but instead of turning from death metal to punk in just one concert, I'm currently in the midst of a month-long plan to remove any trace of death metal from my current metal interest so it can be less brutal and more melodic without losing my metal, this whole plan being orchestrated just from the safety of my home. So yeah, that's one part of my personal connection to this concept. The other part is the name, Cryptic Coroner. That reminds me of a real band, Coroner! Sure that band Coroner is from Switzerland (not Poland, but they're both part of Central Europe) and they're tech-thrash instead of death metal, but with their split-up being near the same time as the release of the Punky Bruster album, I started formulating a theory about the end of Coroner's original run (hey don't criticize me, I'll be writing just a theory). And with those two parts of my personal connection, I feel the need to share them to this site, so I'm gonna write a long review for this album based on the release itself, the concept, and my personal connections, and since the album isn't on the site because it's not metal, it would be a separate thread. The review shall be ready to go around early May, so stay tuned...