Stupid Lists: Top 20 Heavy Metal Albums, 1980 -- Present

I'm a sucker for lists.  I value my own opinion significantly more than most other opinions.  If you're not famous or hold some kind of advanced degree (preferably a Phd.), chances are I think your opinion on most things is unimportant at best and downright worth of ridicule at worst.  Just the way it is.  Anyway, my maiden (haha!) "list" post is what I feel to be, and, remember, what I feel to be is in fact the only thing that matters here, the very best metal albums since, say, 1980.  I could go as far back as the late 60's when Led Zeppelin and The Beatles (yes, The Beatles...check out "She's So Heavy") invented the music form.

So here goes... the twenty "best" (meaning:  I like to listen to them a lot) metal albums since 1980...in no particular order except BRAVE NEW WORLD is hands-down the best metal album I own...Maiden stormed back like a real motherfucker...up the irons, et al.:

1.  BRAVE NEW WORLD -- Iron Maiden, 2000
2.  OPERATION: MINDCRIM -- Queensryche, 1988
3.  COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION -- Megadeth, 1992
4.  MASTER OF PUPPETS -- Metallica, 1986
5.  RUST IN PEACE -- Megadeth, 1990
6.  RAGE FOR ORDER -- Queensryche, 1986
7.  ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL -- Metallica, 1988
8.  DRACONIAN TIMES -- Paradise Lost, 1995
9.  BLACK ALBUM, Metallica, 1991
10.  SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SON -- Iron Maiden, 1988
11.  APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION -- Guns N Roses, 1987
12.  EMPIRE -- Queensryche, 1990
13.  YOUTHANASIA -- Megadeth, 1994
15.  PROJECTOR -- Dark Tranquility, 1999
16.  MARCHING OUT -- Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force, 1985
17.  THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST, Iron Maiden, 1982
18.  DIRT -- Alice In Chains, 1992
19.  TOXICITY -- SYSTEM OF A DOWN, 2001
20.  NATURAL BORN CHAOS, Soilwork, 2002

Honorable mention:  BLIZZARD OF OZ -- Ozzy, VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER -- Pantera, LATERALUS -- Tool, PAINKILLER -- Judas Priest, REROUTE TO REMAIN -- In Flames, DAMAGE DONE -- Dark Tranquility, SEASONS IN THE ABYSS -- Slayer, RIDE THE LIGHTNING -- Metallica, POWERSLAVE -- Iron Maiden, CLAYMAN -- In Flames