5 Albums I Want To Be Buried With #11: Hellforged!

The end of July marked the return of Essex Heavy Metal act Hellforged, a band who had entered into battle in the 2023 incarnation of the Metal to the Masses competition for a place at Bloodstock Open Air Festival and survived to tell the tale. Having had line up issues with limited options in their search for a replacement rhythm section, original guitarist Ben Greenblatt and vocalist Luke Grunge stumbled upon bassist Matt Starns and with new material written they entered Black Cactus studios. Fortune favours the brave and having given a demo to producer Liam Hooker, he agreed to double up and perform drums and new single “Rage In The Rain” was born. After reviewing that single, we got talking to Ben about his choices for 5 albums he would live to take to the afterlife with him and that conversation went something like this…

The premise is simple: “Back in ancient Egypt they believed that the items their Kings were buried with would travel with them into the afterlife and so part of the burial ritual would see the mummified bodies surrounded by chariots, gold and more. Fast forward to now. If there were five albums that you’d want buried in the coffin with you to take to the afterlife, what would you choose?”

1. “Cowboys from Hell” by Pantera

“It was difficult deciding between cowboys and vulgar display, but ultimately, cowboys holds a special place in my heart. From start to finish the riffs are relentless, the guitar work absolutely iconic. Whether its Dimebag’s harmonic work on cemetery gates, his epic riffing throughout, or his haunting, yet beautiful solo in ‘the sleep’, the whole album slays, and I can just listen to it over and over again. Unique, innovative and distinct. An absolute masterpiece from the metal titans of Pantera.“

2. “Rust in Peace” by Megadeth

“Another album that doesn’t relent from the first track to the last. Every song is a tour de force, Marty Friedman ripping through the songs with incredible lead work and one of the most memorable metal solos ever in ‘Tornado of souls.’ Mustaine’s writing is masterful with ‘Holy wars, ‘Hangar 18, and ‘five magics’ full of intensity and boundless energy to bang your head to. A metal masterpiece with awesome album art to boot.“

3. “Nightmare” by Avenged Sevenfold

“Although most people would choose ‘City of Evil’ as A7X’s best album, Nightmare is a special one for me. As we all know, A7X’s incredible drummer, The Rev, tragically died during the recording process and the band were clearly hit hard. You can feel the emotion and pain in every song. It is powerfully raw, yet exceptionally creative ‘So far away’, a tribute to The Rev, had me teary the first time I heard it, and if you’ve ever lost somebody it will hit you too! ‘Buried alive’ is a masterpiece, and ‘save me’, an awesome prog metal journey hinting at the direction A7X would later travel. Every song is incredibly strong, dealing with mature themes of grief and loss. Following on from ‘City of Evil’, Synester Gates’ guitar work cements him here as easily one of the best in the genre. I have listened to this album countless times and I always come back to it. Another awesome album cover also.“

4. “Van Halen” by Van Halen

“What can I say about this album that hasn’t already been said? Groundbreaking, outrageous guitar work from EVH, and an album that was hugely influential on all that was to follow for metal guitarists everywhere, even though it’s not metal! Every song is an anthem that you want to sing, drenched in groove. Dave’s vocals and melodies are iconic. It’s hard to believe it was a debut album. Absolutely epic. Footnote –  I had a hard time picking between this and ‘1984’ as I adore that album also!“

5. “The Ultimate Collection” by Black Sabbath

“Ok, I admit it, this one is a cheat. But why choose one Sabbath album to take to my grave when I can have so many of their hits on one album?! The pioneers of heavy metal, that would pave the way for all to follow. An epic, versatile and varied back catalogue of infectious grooves in one place. Too many great songs to choose just one album. Groundbreaking, experimental and original, particularly regarding songs from the first album. Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, and Ward are just magic together. Anyone getting into metal – start right here, at the beginning. RIP Ozzy.“

Final word: “Second footnote – I would also smuggle Anthrax’s ‘Among the Living’ in with these five! A thrash metal masterpiece I can’t live without!“