Top Ten Heavy Metal Album Covers

I've been a fan of heavy metal music since I was old enough to watch MTV. Since I was an imaginative kid who loved Star Wars, comic books, and swords-and-sorcery, it was only natural that I would be attracted to the visual style of the early 1980's heavy metal videos. Metal clips like Motley Crue's Looks That Kill, The Scorpions' Rock You Like A Hurricane, and Def Leppard's Rock of Ages were chock full of swords, spikes, lasers, explosions, skulls, dragons, and to help push along those developing hormones, plenty of scantily clad metal babes. These bands weren't just four or five guys standing around a studio playing their instruments, they were larger-than-life super heroes using the powers of rock to battle demons or escape from giant glowy triangles (I'm talkin' to you, Joe Elliot!).

Later, when I was old enough to start buying the actual albums from the bands I saw on MTV, I was stunned by the colorful, eye-catching artwork that adorned their covers . Heavy metal album covers definitely stood out from the pack with their epic, beautifully-painted depictions of horrific creature mascots or demon-filled hellscapes. Heavy metal album covers also featured some incredible design work that remains classic and timeless to this day. So, for all you metal fans out there, boxcar astronaut is proud to present the top ten greatest heavy metal album covers of all-time. (Remember, if you disagree with my selections, you are wrong!)

10.) AC/DC-Back in Black (1980) Black. Simple. Timeless. Classic. Rock. The end.