Marquee Moon is a gift that keeps on giving.

Honestly I think Slayer, Reign in Blood is absolutely timeless. It could have been recorded yesterday. There’s few albums that have that quality.

Gramsci wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 6:29 am Honestly I think Slayer, Reign in Blood is absolutely timeless.

Along with Master of Puppets, Rust in Peace, and dare I say Crack the Skye. I'm sure I'm missing a few more masterpieces.

Gramsci wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 6:29 am Honestly I think Slayer, Reign in Blood is absolutely timeless. It could have been recorded yesterday. There’s few albums that have that quality.

As much as Rick Rubin grates on my nerves these days, you’ve got to hand it to him. He knew he was dealing with a new genre that wouldn’t fare well under the metal norm of digital reverb, or reverb in general. That record’s timelessness has everything to do with the way it was recorded. It’s a shame no one figured it out before Reign In Blood. I’d love to hear a remix/remaster of Hell Awaits and Show No Mercy using the same approach.

Dave N. wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 9:48 am

Gramsci wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 6:29 am Honestly I think Slayer, Reign in Blood is absolutely timeless. It could have been recorded yesterday. There’s few albums that have that quality.

As much as Rick Rubin grates on my nerves these days, you’ve got to hand it to him. He knew he was dealing with a new genre that wouldn’t fare well under the metal norm of digital reverb, or reverb in general. That record’s timelessness has everything to do with the way it was recorded. It’s a shame no one figured it out before Reign In Blood. I’d love to hear a remix/remaster of Hell Awaits and Show No Mercy using the same approach.

Agree in part - but I’d say South of Heaven is where the recording/ production really shone. The first of the 80s crop of metal where the drumming actually sounded good and was up in front instead of relegated to the back and being driven buy a soft floppy kick drum paired with an awful gated snare

I’m interpreting this thread as albums that sound timeless rather than specifically a good repeat spin. The mention of Reign in Blood is more an overall statement about its timelessness. I’m not a huge metalhead as often the “eras” are too obvious in terms of aesthetics, style and production. RIB just sounds outside of time on all these levels. I got into Slayer late and was shocked when I saw the recording date.

Nation of Ulysses' first still thrills me as much as it did when I first heard it 30 years ago.

Numerous days I've taken the first steps out of deep immobilising depression with "if you get up and walk across the room you can put Bill Withers Live At Carnegie Hall on."

This also works with Tribute to Jack Johnson

ZZ Top up to El Loco. I usually skip a couple songs on Eliminator, but it's a solid record.

cakes wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 9:45 am

Gramsci wrote: Mon Jan 05, 2026 6:29 am Honestly I think Slayer, Reign in Blood is absolutely timeless.

Along with Master of Puppets, Rust in Peace, and dare I say Crack the Skye. I'm sure I'm missing a few more masterpieces.

The first few Iron Maiden albums nail this in my opinion.

Sam Cooke’s Live at the Harlem Club or any live Otis Redding album for me. Also Ornette Coleman’s Dancing in Your Head.

These are some of my favorite sounding records that I use for reference, just depending - the first three are what I use if I’m not after something specific:

Marquee Moon Television
Unhalfbricking Fairport Convention
School of the Flower Six Organs of Admittance
Blood On The Tracks Bob Dylan
Firewater to Italian Platinum by Silkworm
Assorted 70s-era John Cale records
Pink Moon Nick Drake
Phases and Stages Willie Nelson
Presence Led Zeppelin

Relatively standard recording setups, I think. Tape, nice studio, nice console, nice microphones, engineers who know what they’re doing, physical space, mechanical effects, people playing together, overdub as needed depending on the record.