10 Favourite albums with best opener and best closer!

[Charger]

So moving on with out "top" 10 lists!

Lets throw in a bit of curveball here thanks to Vyn and lets pick out albums with the best opener AND closer! So albums that kick things off with a bang and end with a blast!


And lets think of the opening songs not only as how good they are as a song but how well they work as an opener. That's a very important part.

I.E. Wheels Of Confusion, which is a great song but a horrible album opener which means Vol 4 could not make it to the list even though Under The Sun is a fantastic closer.

Also lets try to stay true to the album's original running orders and if there happens to be a bonus track at the end of the album that would not count.


I'll kick things off with a simple first choice.

HEAVEN AND HELL

Neon Knights kicks the album off with an absolute bang. This is the perfect way to start an album. A fast and furious opener that sets the tone and also can't really think of a better way to introduce a new singer to the band.

Lonely Is The Word has to be one of the best album closers of all time, the riff is incredible but the solo sections are suberb. This song is Tony Iommi at his absolute finest.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Heaven & Hell is a great choice. I'll think deeper about it  for the rest of my 10 but the first album that sprung to my mind is:

SABBATH BLOODY SABBATH

The title track kicks off the album with one of the greatest riffs ever imagined. It ends with another great piece of superior song writing with Spiral Architect.

I think I'll limit myself to no more than 2 albums by any one band/artist.

[Charger]

I'm battling between Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and The Mob Rules for my second Sabbath pick personally...

[Zzzptm]

Machine Head from Deep Purple

Opens with Highway Star, closes with Space Truckin'.

Best opener, best closer, just try and convince me otherwise.

***

For the Dio-era albums, I do have some question marks on the closers, as I like fast and heavy songs. I like both the closers from those albums, but I don't have them in my top ten for all albums. Love them both, but not for the closing songs.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, though, AMAZING opener and closer. AMAZING stuff in those 2 songs.

Vol. 4 is interesting because Wheels of Confusion is one of my favorite Sabbath songs of all time, but, I agree, as an opener it's an odd choice.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

Best opener, best closer, just try and convince me otherwise.

It's okay I suppose! 

[Charger]

^^^
 

I was thinking about Machine Head too...hard to fault that for sure. Killer start and killer finish.

[Zzzptm]

Best opener, best closer, just try and convince me otherwise.

It's okay I suppose! 

I challenge you to a duel with pistols at sunrise. You may select the field of honor.

[Charger]

Next one on the list would be

THE LAST IN LINE


The album kicks off with a monster that is We Rock. That riff is brilliant and the track is just as fast and furious as a good opener should be.

The closer is Egypt (The Chains Are On) which is epical in every way and as such works as a perfect closer.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I may be alone with appreciating this choice.

The album is Marillion's - Clutching at Straws

The first song is called Hotel Hobbies... sadly it runs into the 2nd song so cuts off abruptly!

The last track is called The Last Straw. Great female vocal at the end.

These may not stand up outside the albums concept, but I love 'em!

[Zzzptm]

Reminds me of The Strawbs, in a very good way. I liked them both. Now I need to find my next nomination...

[Zzzptm]

I'm going today with Hell, Fire And Damnation by Saxon.

Opening song is also title track. Great heavy rocker with varied tempos, doesn't hurt that Brian Blessed does the spoken-word intro. Really grabbed me but good when I heard it and, well, here we are now, all of us Saxon fans in 2024.

Closing track is Super Charger. Fast, hard, and metal - great combo for a finish that just lights 'em all up!

[Charger]

There were couple of albums that I considered like Hell, Fire And Damnation but I did not included them because the first track is a short instrumental and eventhough they can be good they are never THAT good. Opening track is NOT the title track but it is The Prophecy.


My next choice is

NOLA by DOWN

Temptation's Wings is a hell of an opener, setting the tone right away and you'll know what to expect.

But Bury Me In Smoke is something majestical. That opening riff is hands down one of THE greatest riffs ever made! So damn simple yet so damn powerful! It's heavy, it's doomy, it's sludgy, it's pure perfection. Also that song just has to be one of the best album closers in history!

[Zzzptm]

I saw The Prophecy as part of the "opening track", just in 2 parts. Then again, I also listen to 40-minute albums that are just one song. I blame prog rock!

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I haven't actually heard anything from the new Saxon album....


Third choice, and I'm only including the videos where I doubt anyone has heard them before.

Iced Earth - Incorruptible

First Track - The Great Heathen Army

An interesting start to the album, not their greatest opener but right up there.

Last Track - Clear The Way (December 13th 1862)

Very much in the mould of The Gettysburg trilogy, it looks at a different battle in the American Civil War. This one doesn't have any orchestration but that's fine.

[Vyn]

Ok, been ridik busy, but here's my first:

Sad Wings of Destiny by Judas Priest.

Opens with Victim of Changes, a song that makes great use of Halford's entire vocal range and was an instant classic.

Closes with Island of Domination. It is just so representative of JP during this "pre-black leather" phase of their existence. This did not sound like music targeted at 15 year old boys.