SEPULTURA - Arise (1991)

The first album that filled me with crazy energy. The combination of speed, groove and assertive vocals opened my interest in finding heavier metal genres.

MORBID ANGEL - Covenant (1993)

The first album that showed me what real darkness is. The vicious riffs and heavy pressure/mood have left their mark.

ARCH ENEMY - Black Earth (1996)

One of my favorite albums, which is the standard for combining brutality and melody, for me.

DIMMU BORGIR - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant (1997)

The first black metal album to introduce me to the cold Norwegian scene - fast, angry, heavy and dark.

PARADISE LOST - One Second (1997)

The first album that showed me all the beauty and depth of extreme music.

Here is my story.

My first albums were a mix of old and new hard rock/metal when I was a child. I grew up hearing my parents playing '70s/'80s hard rock and hair metal, so that definitely played a big role in developing my early music taste. But what really got me into music more was hearing Rammstein in late '90s/early 2000s and particularly the Sehnsucht (1997) album. It had such heaviness and power that I was hooked instantly. I must have been eight years old or so. Some years later I went back and got into all my parents' bands. One major band for me at that time was KISS. They were the most badass looking band. I was instantly obsessed. That's the band that made me want to pick up the guitar. The album that was a huge influence is definitely Alive! (1975). The bombs going off and crowd cheering made me feel like I was at the show.

Another big album is AC/DC's Back in Black (1980). It's such a classic. I was in Catholic school when I got into them and the whole Angus Young schoolboy uniform applied to me and, of course, I was hooked on the catchy riffs.

After that I got heavily into Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Randy Rhoads was hugely influential on my guitar playing. The album that did it for me was Blizzard of Ozz. Hearing the "Crazy Train" riff made me want to learn it instantly. I was learning a lot of those songs on guitar.

Last but not least is Slayer - Reign in Blood (1986). This was the next big milestone in my guitar playing and probably what put me on the path I am now on. I remember hearing "Raining Blood" when I was in seventh grade and that blew me away. I thought it was so heavy and evil. I learned that main riff instantly and, of course, next thing you know I got the full album and wanted to play heavier and faster.

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY OST - Super Nintendo (1994)

This game is my all-time favorite and wildly important to my life for a variety of reasons, with the music being at the top of that list. The music that was created to go along with the visual backgrounds really struck a chord with me. It taught me the beginnings of how to paint something you can see through music. Through different instrumentation and structures in the music, Donkey Kong Country tells the story and lore of DK's Island without even needing to play the game. From the ethereal "Aquatic Ambience" to the frigid "Northern Hemisphere" (which was a direct influence on our "Hypothermia" title track), the atmosphere of the music in that game is unmatched. In recent years, the Donkey Kong series has really leaned into a swing/big band feel. That's certainly fair to attach that sound to the series, as no other Nintendo franchise really claims that sound, but it seems the other atmosphere has been gradually lost. It's a shame that has happened because the original Donkey Kong Country music is genuinely perfect. If you've never experienced this OST, please take the time to do so!

SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE OST - Gamecube (2002)

It can be difficult to decide which title from the mainline Super Mario games has the most influence on me. Super Mario 64 might be the most energetic, which deserves an honorable mention. But Super Mario Sunshine taught me an incredibly important lesson: you can have a lot of variety while keeping a very consistent sound. If you haven't played Super Mario Sunshine, the game takes place on Delfino Island, where all the levels are broken up into smaller sections of the island. With so many levels having a beach/tropical feel, how do you create different themes? A big factor they use to make that variety is instrumentation in the melody while keeping consistent instrumentation in the harmony. The over world "Delfino Plaza" uses both a nylon-string guitar and accordion to carry the melody lines, whereas the incredible "Noki Bay" offers a soothing pan flute to tell its story. The lively "Rico Harbor" has a horn section to carry its energy, and all these different songs are over similar percussion that helps keep the tropical theme throughout. The way that these songs flow through the levels is seamless and stands as a fun soundtrack to a fun game.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME OST - Nintendo 64 (1998)

I genuinely wonder how many people just heard "Saria's Song" or "Zelda's Lullaby" in their heads when looking at the title of Ocarina of Time. What an absolutely memorable and beautiful soundtrack this game has. Right from the get-go, when the game intro begins, a gorgeous grand piano playing over synth strings sets the scene for a rising sun, with a mesmerizing ocarina melody line coming in and really bringing the mood to the forefront. Immediately after, on the File Select screen, the "Theme of the Great Fairy Fountain" is playing on a beautiful harp. Then after starting the game, "The Great Deku Tree" is telling Navi the Fairy the dangers that are falling upon the land of Hyrule, all while a beautiful string and synth background music plays over the narrative. In the first three instances of music, the atmosphere and mood have been perfectly set. Maybe even just as importantly, the music is absolutely memorable. If you have played the game, I'm sure the music popped into your head as you read the descriptions above. Memorability in music, even in our intense genre, is important. You want the listener to walk away humming their favorite mosh riff in their head, and Ocarina of Time showed me how important that memorability is to have.

MORTAL COMBAT II - Arcade (1993)

I never played Mortal Kombat in the arcades, and I didn't even play Mortal Kombat II until after the first movie was already on TV in like 1997. I was at my friend Richard's house, and I saw Goro in the dining hall scene with Kano and was absolutely enamored with Goro. His brother, Martin, mentioned that this movie was based on a video game that they had on SNES, and he offered to show me. We went to his room, he put in Mortal Kombat II, and the moment the character select screen came up and my controller was highlighted over Reptile, my life was forever changed. While Mortal Kombat II isn't particularly known for its music, the subtlety of the music is actually what I take away from this game. How do you compose music for a fictional Outworld where people are fighting in a tournament for the fate of Earthrealm? Two factors: Rhythm and Suspense. The music, while energetic, relies more on suspenseful atmosphere and big percussive rhythms to get its point across. "The Dead Pool" has a quiet piano and sinister synth over a big snare to capture the haunting mood, while "The Tower" and "The Armory" use faster tempos and staccato melody instruments to illustrate the darkness of Outworld and create a more punctual, rhythmic feel for the fight. Rhythms can't be overlooked in music. 4/4 reigns supreme, but there's a lot of creativity that can be captured in that time signature. Mortal Kombat II does that better than any other game I've played.

THE RIPPINGTONS - Weekend in Monaco (1992)

The Rippingtons are my all-time favorite band, and this was the first album I had ever heard from them. I heard it about a year before starting Insinnerator. While I had to grow my musicianship over time as music did not come to me naturally, this album and band really opened my mind to sounds that I was so desperately looking for. I was never into classic rock or traditional heavy metal. I knew I wanted something instrumental, and I wanted something that spoke to my personal emotions. The Rippingtons were the first band to really do that. The electric pianos featured on this record changed my life. The DX7 is possibly my favorite sounding instrument of all time, and the way it's used here really introduced to me how magical it is. Through this record, I found I loved saxophones/EWI over vocal melodies. Jeff Kashiwa is an absolutely expressive master with his woodwinds. Russ Freeman's guitars, both electric and acoustic, are so clear and passionate on the likes of the title track and "Vienna" that it's hard to believe this record was recorded in 1992. Bassist Kim Stone's ability to hold down the low end (and his incredible bass solo on "Highroller"), the complimentary works of drummer Tony Morales and percussionist Steve Reid, and the piano genius of Mark Portmann all work together to drive the cohesiveness of this record home. An absolute masterpiece.

In my case there were several albums that influenced me the most:

DARK TRANQUILLITY - Damage Done (2002)

After hearing the second song from this album, "Hours Passed in Exile," I wanted to have their whole discography. This album was my entering point to melodic death metal. From this moment on, melodic death became the main genre in my discography and Dark Tranquillity especially became my favorite band.

AMON AMARTH - Versus the World (2002)

This is still my favorite album in the band's whole discography. A song like "Death in Fire" made me to listen to the drums because they are so good in this song. Thanks to a song like "Thousand Years of Oppression" I started to read the lyrics and Amon Amarth's songs deserve an extra hail from me.

DIMMU BORGIR - Puritanical Euphoric Misantropia (2001)

The first really extreme metal band that I loved. This one is emotional and the heaviest album in Dimmu's discography.

NIGHTWISH - Once (2004)

This album is a masterpiece that I have loved since before I became a metalhead.

RAMMSTEIN - Mutter (2001)

When the other boys in our yard listened to Rammstein because of the fashion for that kind of music back then, for me it was much more than just "fashion" when I was 13. For me it was MY type of music from that moment on that I would listen to all my life.

My 5 most influential albums from my childhood:

AEROSMITH - Toys in the Attic/Rocks (1975) and TED NUGENT AND THE AMBOY DUKES - Tooth Fang and Claw (1974)

Somewhere between the ages of 9-10 I discovered hard rock. These albums formed the foundation of my love for heavy music.

SEX PISTOLS - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)

I came across this album when I was about 12. It was the most aggressive music I had ever heard and started my lifelong journey for extreme music.

MINOR THREAT – S/T (1984)

My friend's older brother introduced me to Minor Threat when I was about 14. Once again, it was life changing. It was the next step in extreme music for me and I loved it. I was 100% in tune with not only the music, but the lyrics too. At this point, hardcore was my life.

SLAYER - Hell Awaits (1985)

An older friend of mine was playing this when it first came out when I was 16. After giving me the name of the album, I saw a copy of it at a record store, so I bought it. I taped it so I could bring it to work and listen to. I remember all the details simply because this album blew me away like no other album did up to that point. From my first complete listen, it was the most influential album of my youth.

Just five albums? Man, that's tough but let's do it. Being born in '82, I got a bunch of rad albums growing up.

BOLT THROWER – Mercenary (1998)

It was my first taste of such a pummeling sound, like a freight train and Sherman tank in perfect sync demolishing everything in its wake. "No Guts, No Glory" became a mantra for my life and riff building. From there I jumped into their catalog and dug in. I was more into the Florida Death scene at the time, like Obituary and Deicide, so when this album popped up it was mayhem at first sight.

PANTERA – The Great Southern Trendkill (1996)

To me this is the perfect metal album from my favorite band. We grew up on the Vulgar Video and living in Texas it was ingrained since the beginning. I'm fortunate to have seen Pantera and Dime play live and will cherish those shows and moments forever. TGSTK opens like rubbing glass in your face and continues its onslaught till the end. Every track is choice and is a constant in my rotation.

BRUTAL TRUTH – Sounds of the Animal Kingdom (1997)

I used to pick up albums just based on the cover, and this was one of the best grabs ever. Kevin Sharp's vocals and approach grabbed me right away and it hooked me on grindcore even harder than Napalm Death did. To this day I randomly yell, "still not loud enough, still not fast enough!"

DEATH – Human (1991)

I'm not going to explain this one. If you don't get this album, I don't want to talk to you. PERFECTION!

MEGADETH – Rust in Peace (1990)

I grew up on the first three Metallica albums and the VHS Cliff 'Em All like most of you, but when Rust in Peace dropped, shit got real. The riffs and solos are some of the best in metal history, to say nothing of the song structure and content of the songs. Find me a better thrash album and I'm even calling out the Slayer cuts.

Five albums that made me do it? That's no easy task. Fifty maybe, but I'm going to give it a go anyways.

I got these three albums as birthday presents when I turned 11. They were all picked by me and came from different relatives. I really don't remember which ones anymore, but it doesn't matter, because these three were the most interesting albums for me back then and they still rank high.

AC/DC - Highway to Hell (1979)

I had heard it already, like a million times, because that one and If You Want Blood... (1978) I had on recorded on cassette and that cassette was worn out because I had been listening to these albums relentlessly.

This is still the best one from the band (I almost mentioned two albums, but live albums don't count, right? Because you know, they are like collections or such).

So, the almighty second choice for me is:

STRAY CATS - S/T (1981)

A new band everyone was talking about, rockabilly but not that trad. It hit me hard, and I still love the band. I have way too many albums in my collection, but still after all these years, this first one rules.

Brian Setzer's guitar slinging has influenced me as a guitarist just as much as Lemmy and Cronos on bass playing. When in doubt, Venom (must mention Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982) as a side note).

And straight to the third one...

MOTÖRHEAD - Iron Fist (1982)

These guys were more than this kid could handle. I listened to it all the way through three times in a row, easily, day after day, week after week. Thank god the next year they released Another Perfect Day (1983) because back then I didn't pick up all that melody and such in there, because of the fact that it didn't blow my brain back then. Nowadays I still have that Motörhead album. I haven't heard it thousands of times, only a few hundred, and I have grown to love it more than the Iron Fist album.

So just to be clear, basically I have listed five or six albums, but they all are great - and last through the years, and been huge influences for me as a musician, so I think you can't really leave any above out of the list. Sorry.

DISCHARGE - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing (1982)

Awesome reminder that sometimes you can say all there is to say in just a few strong lines and repeat the message while the rest of the band blows all the obstacles off the road behind you. Something in common with Motörhead, the röaaaaar is strong in these two bands. Just let your face flap in the storm they cause and stick your tongue out.

HANOI ROCKS - Back to Mystery City (1983)

And give a spin for Hanoi Rocks, too, because when I heard their album Back to Mystery City, I lost my heart forever to these weird-looking dudes. Let that one be number five on the list!

Firstly, what strikes me when looking at this list is that every single one was released within a seven-year span. No '60s or '70s albums or oldies that made an impact. My formative environment was actually quite musically orientated, but none of the music had the impact on me that any album on this list had when I first heard it. It makes me wonder about the experience of young listeners today and the music that affects them, especially given what I see as the devaluation of music as art in general, and the devaluation of the subgenre as a subculture, as well as the spoon-feeding algorithms that remove even the need for a click to discover the most obscure music.

IRON MAIDEN - Live After Death (1985)

Needless to say, having spent my childhood in a country where you would never hear so much as a distorted guitar on the airwaves, when my friend put on that Live After Death cassette it changed everything. It made me realize that yes, there was music out there that simultaneously acknowledged that the darkness of existence and the fact that living in it was messy, chaotic but glorious at the same time. For the first time in my life, I understood why people would obsess over music as art. It was a watershed moment and I remember it clear as day.

SEPULTURA - Arise (1991)

Next up is probably Arise. This is an interesting one from the uncommonly good 1991 vintage year for all things death metal. There must have been some sort of cosmic resonance affecting the zeitgeist because of the sheer number of stone-cold classics that came out at that time.

Around the time that I was deep in the Maiden catalogue, I heard Arise, and I could not fathom why Max was shouting and it really bothered me. The following year I broadened my listening with some Anthrax classics, after which I returned to Arise completely by accident. My impressionable brain had decided that I had to put this on repeat. I know many people love Beneath the Remains and it's a great, albeit flawed album but for me the number one will always be Arise, from the time when Sepultura were unmatched in prowess and immediacy.

SLAYER - Seasons in the Abyss (1990)

Next on the list has got to be Seasons in the Abyss. Although I discovered Show No Mercy before this later album, and although the first song I ever learned to play on a guitar and sing was "Black Magic," there's something about that earlier album that's too major, too traditional, not chromatic, aggressive or beefy enough to ooze pure evil like Seasons in the Abyss does. Controversially, even Reign in Blood, great as it is, doesn't hit the same buttons. Seasons in the Abyss has just the right dynamic blend of fury, pacing, clever songwriting and gets everything right in a way that has your speakers glowing with an aura of pure evil. Having aged extremely well, it is also the last album before Tom started yelling every lyric at the top of his voice, which is something that ruined Slayer for many, I think.

DEATH - Leprosy (1988)

I find it quite difficult to pick a favorite Death album, so I just have an interchangeable top three. The first one to blow my teenage mind to smithereens was Leprosy. There is something about the raw, unstoppable juggernautic heaviness that is still unmatched in my view to this day. Yes, you can cite Possessed as much as you want, and Scream Bloody Gore (1987) is great, but to me this is the blueprint for death metal, this is what took triggered drums, heavy guitar, effective merciless riffing, and blood-curdling vocals to make the pedigree certified real deal death metal that doesn't give a damn whether or not anyone likes it. A note to the Gruesome haters; you're totally missing the point, they're supposed to sound like that. Besides, Matt is a legend, and the Gruesome albums are amazing, so simply enjoy them for the reverential tributes that they are.

GORGUTS - Considered Dead (1991)

Much as I think that Gorguts have not released an album that is anything less than great, this will remain my absolute favorite. It may be that it is because it was the first record of theirs that I came across, but I think it has more to do with how right on the money it is on every single level for being a blueprint for what's now known as "OSDM." I know how Luc feels that every album before Obscura (1998) is a prelude to the band finding their true identity. Luc if you are reading this, firstly hello but secondly as a long-term fan who appreciates every single album, I can tell you that you are wrong. No other band could have written that perfect distillate of the most effective and transcendent components of the emergent death metal genre. Like any trailblazing masterpiece, it is flawed, but as close to perfection as you might hope to get with ideal pacing and no waste or excess.

THE BEATLES – Revolver (1966)

When I grew up (I was born in 1975), there was always music in the house. My father played both bass and guitar and had a record collection with great albums by The Who, Steely Dan, Deep Purple, Neil Young and lots of other bands/artists that these days are labelled as "classic rock," but I wouldn't exaggerate if I say that the highest-rated band in our home will always be The Beatles. There are a lot of great albums in The Beatles discography, but for some reason this album has always been one of my all-time favorites. There is so much musical diversity to find here, and the cover art is a piece of ART! What I learned from The Beatles is that you have to make great songs above all, something I've always tried to keep in the back of my mind when making music!

KISS – Unmasked (1980)

I began school and then I heard about a band called KISS (this was 1982-83). I saw some pictures of them and realized they MUST be the best band I've ever heard. But I didn't hear them until my grandmother gave me the album Unmasked. Everything about this album was pure magic, the comic strip on the cover, the big poster that could be found in the sleeve, and the music was, of course, the best I had ever heard in my life. Well, seven-year-old kids aren't known to be objective music listeners and later I understood that this album wasn't rated that high by the KISS fans generally. However, it seems like Unmasked has been revalued during later years, and it still is a great album which leans more towards pop than metal. If I hadn't got this album, my life would definitely be a different story.

IRON MAIDEN – Powerslave (1984)

While checking out the KISS catalogue in the beginning of the '80s you would sooner or later get to know contemporary hard rock/heavy metal bands. And a name that appeared every now and then was Iron Maiden. I found out they had an album coming out called Powerslave and had to buy it. It was not like KISS but definitely good on its own merits! If Unmasked had a great cover art, what can one say about this one? I guess I studied it endlessly during my childhood, and it also led me to an interest/fascination for the ancient Egypt. An interest that was revived this year when my other band (Eternal Darkness) played in Copenhagen. I had to spend some time on the Glyptotek to get a dose of that ancient Egypt feeling again.

JUDAS PRIEST – Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

Judas was one of the first bands I got in my collection. I actually started with Rocka Rolla (1974), which I really enjoyed and always found underrated. But Sad Wings of Destiny is kind of a masterpiece. The song "Victim of Changes" might be the best heavy metal song ever written. And as with The Beatles, there is a great diversity to find in early Judas Priest albums. This one offers epic heavy metal, an acoustic ballad, proto-thrash, straight hard rock, progressive rock tendencies and even a piano-based song. It was like entering a big adventure, a new world...

METALLICA – Master of Puppets (1986)

I had heard some early Metallica songs on the radio, and I thought they were pretty good. But their albums were somewhat hard to get when you lived in the countryside of Sweden. But I learned that Master of Puppets was going to be released during the Easter Holiday week. I was about to visit my grandparents who lived in a bigger town and I found this album in a record store there, bought it and loved it. It had everything I liked about heavy metal, but like a heavier, more intense and enhanced version. A couple of months later (27/9), I turned on the national radio to listen to an interview with Metallica and the host broke the news about Cliff Burton...

My name is Maxim Novikov. I work with many heavy metal bands as a sound engineer and also, I'm the author and creator of the power metal band Somewhere Place. In my songs I use a lot of arrangements, choirs, many guitars, harmonies, and other stuff. Very important for me, when each song is like a great huge composition. I have a few bands that influenced me.

BLIND GUARDIAN - A Night at the Opera (2002)

For me it's the best album ever in heavy metal music. This release combines the classical academic structure of the songs and the modern sound (even now). A huge number of arrangements and voices. Each song changes the mood several times.

EDGUY - Hellfire Club (2004)

Tobias Sammet is an idol for me. To compose so many beautiful songs and albums is something incredible. This album has a great atmosphere and hits. I like the Finnish sound.

IRON MAIDEN - Brave New World (2000)

Maybe it's not an iconic release by Iron Maiden, but it's my favorite. I love all the songs. Great melodies and the best Bruce Dickinson has ever sounded on this album.

EVERGREY - Recreation Day (2003)

I like their last albums with Jacob Hansen as producer, but this old album influenced me in my childhood. Interesting guitar riffs, low vocals, and dark atmosphere. Great release.

FOR MY PAIN - Fallen (2003)

Exclusive! :)

Not a famous release but so wonderful. If I'm right this project has only one album. There were musicians from Eternal Tears of Sorrow and Nightwish. The songs have a great melancholic winter atmosphere. Simple drums and guitar riffs and all so cool.

These are my favorite albums that influenced me to spend my life as a sound producer and musician.

ALICE COOPER - Billion Dollar Babies (1973)

I was about eight years old when this album came out. I already loved "School's Out" and an older kid in my neighborhood got it as a birthday gift. I was there when he opened it. The lifelong journey with Alice continues.

BLACK SABBATH - Sabotage (1975)

I was about 14 and we skipped school, scored weed, and went to a friend's house. His older brother said we were pussies because the only Sabbath song we knew was "Iron Man." He was pretty much right. He put "Hole in the Sky" on at max volume. Our minds were blown...!.

TED NUGENT - Double Live Gonzo! (1978)

Besides being a brilliant album, it is the first time I ever heard the word "fuck" on a record. "This guitar can blow the balls off a charging rhino at 50 paces." Ted's raps were unrivaled.

MOTÖRHEAD - Ace of Spades (1980)

Another mind-blower. It was hard to get Motörhead records in America, but my buddy Hugh "Headbanger" Yerburgh was on the case. He got Spades and we got our brains blown out. Thanks brother!

MEGADETH – Rust in Peace (1990)

>"Boys Are Back in Town" opened me up to so much more. Phil is a prophet, a rock and roll martyr, a legend, a fallen angel, a hero, a sly fox, and maybe even a God.

As far as albums that inspired me as a kid, I'd have to say the following...

METALLICA - Metallica (1991)

One of the first heavy albums I ever bought with my own money - on cassette. It isn't their classic material, but I think it's an album that still holds up, especially the first side. Lots of variety. I'd never heard guitars like that before. So crunchy. A friend and I decided we wanted to start playing guitar shortly after hearing this.

NIRVANA - Nevermind (1991)

I was about twelve years old when I saw the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video and it really made a big impression on me, like a lot of other kids. Probably my gateway into punk rock. It's a perfectly sequenced album, in my opinion, and there's a little bit of everything, stylistically. It's a lot cooler to say you prefer In Utero (1993), and for a while I thought I did. It's a rawer, noisier sounding album but, even though it is now brutally overplayed, I think in many ways it is a perfect album.

AC/DC – The Razor's Edge (1990)

Another early cassette purchase. I started with Brian Johnson and worked my way back to Bon Scott later. Not my pick for one of their best albums but "Thunderstruck" is on there and that's one of their signature tunes. The title track is pretty good also. I went on to appreciate the early material more, but this was my introduction.

MISFITS - Legacy of Brutality (1985)

The next two were cassettes I shoplifted for another kid. I was 14, maybe? I can't remember what I was trading for, but I listened to both albums on my little stereo and... mind blown. The recording on this album is pretty terrible and the musicianship is pretty rough but Glenn's vocals, the weird lyrics, the whole vibe and how easy it was to sing along to every song; I became a fan for life. Love the Misfits.

BLACK FLAG - Slip It In (1984)

I wasn't sure what to make of this at the time. Some of the wildest guitar playing I'd ever heard. So chaotic. The lyrics of the title track don't age very well but, man, it's ripper of a tune. I think a lot of my love for noisy, aggressive, discordant music began right there.

My dad is also a musician and played bass in and early '70s hard rock band. The sound of his band was very influenced by Black Sabbath. At that time, he bought pretty much all the records from the ambitious bands.

I remember when I was a kid, my mom always went to the market on Saturdays to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. That was the moment when my dad turns up his stereo with the huge speakers.

The albums of the bands that made me sit up and take notice at the time were...

BLACK SABBATH - Paranoid (1970)

DIO - Holy Diver (1983)

SCORPIONS - Blackout (1982)

AC/DC - High Voltage (1976)

RAINBOW - Rising (1976)

KISS - Alive! (1975)

HTP - Hughes Turner Project (2002)

SAXON - Wheels of Steel (1980)

MOTÖRHEAD – Overkill (1979)

FINGERNAILS – Fingernails (1988)

These are some of the albums that meant the most to me as a kid. KISS is my all-time favorite band and "superheroes" and Alive! represents for me the maximum expression of Ace Frehley on guitar. I am very attached to Deep Purple and Rainbow, but I chose HTP because it was the first rock concert I saw, and it struck me. Saxon represent for me one of the greatest expressions of the NWOBHM, Motörhead, with difficulty I chose a particular record. To me they represent the "law." Fingernails really made me discover what the underground is and it's a record that I love.

MOTÖRHEAD - Iron Fist (1982)

METALLICA - Master of Puppets (1986)

DEATH - Human (1991)

SEPULTURA - Beneath the Remains (1989)

DIO - The Last in Line (1984)

We used to listen to these records very intensively as teenagers and the musicians playing on the records and in the bands have influenced Damage S.F.P. the most in terms of composing the music, the band's soul and playing live overall.