Despised Records that I Genuinely Adore

Dear readers,

I know that I have at times unusual preferences but that's the way it has always been and I'm simply being myself without trying to be controversial or contrarian.

For instance and in order of preference, I genuinely admire Iron Maiden's The X Factor as its gloomy atmosphere has always struck a chord with me.

Another controversial record that I love is Judas Priest's Jugulator, once again because of its sinister atmosphere, unexpected approach and explosive fury.

I think Annihilator's Feast is the band's best record because it finds the perfect balance between raw thrash metal anthems, a cool collaboration, one astonishing ballad and a few more adventurous epics.

Another favourite of mine is Metallica's St. Anger because of its liberating energy in combination with its raw production. It didn't click with me immediately but once it did, it became one of my favourite Metallica records along with Ride the Lightning as well as ...And Justice for All.

Septicflesh's Revolution DNA is my favourite output of theirs as the combination of gothic metal soundscapes with science-fiction vibes is quite unique and combines two things that I enjoy a great deal.

Lots of people despise contemporary In Flames and I haven't been a fan of the band's last two studio outputs either but I sincerely appreciated A Sense of Purpose, Sounds of a Playground Fading and Siren Charms because they offer a highly entertaining mixture from alternative rock to melodic death metal and everything in between.

Something similar could be said about contemporary Sonata Arctica that are loathed by many but despite a few too many ballads, there are actually quite a few atmospheric, epic and inspiring songs to be found on The Ninth Hour and Talviyö for instance that walk off the beaten path.

I'm a fan of Morbid Angel's Illud Divinum Insanus and its remixes because I appreciate gothic and industrial metal much more than traditional death metal. I can understand why fans of old days might feel offended by these outputs but I thought they were mostly entertaining, except for the few more traditional death metal tunes that just didn't fit in but which were unsurprisingly identified as highlights by fans of the early years.

There are also several albums outside metal genres that are loathed by many but appreciated by me. I love Mike Oldfield's Heaven's Open and think that he has a great singing voice that blends in perfectly with his unique guitar play. My favourite Red Hot Chili Peppers record remains One Hot Minute because it combines relentless heaviness and weird experiments fuelled by excessive drug use. One of the most despised albums in recent years, Suicide Silence's self-titled effort, is my favourite record of theirs as I appreciate the record's raw sound, spontaneous songwriting and desperate vibes.

To keep it short, it's important to stick to your own preferences, no matter what others might think about it. These preferences make us unique and we should never feel ashamed to declare them. In addition to this, it's always important to support people and groups who inspire you in one way or another, especially in difficult times like these.