On Monday Korn unveiled plans to play their debut album in full for its 20th anniversary (including the highly controversial Daddy). This has obviously sent Korn fans into spasm at the thought of seeing the 1994 self-titled in full, but what other albums do we want facing the 'played in full' treatment that we're yet to see?
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (and the next five)
Ideal scenario: Black Sabbath play their first three albums back-to-back (ideally with Bill Ward; if not, drop Rat Salad), then the second night they’d do Volume 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage (as long as Bill at least gets up at the end to do Blow On A Jug). But if that proves impossible, the debut will do, with the solo in Warning lasting as long as Tony wants it to.
Kiss** – Music From The Elder**
There’s a diehard pocket of the Kiss Army who would love more than anything to see the hottest band in the world perform their biggest flop, this daring, mystical 1981 concept album, in full ‘evil Duran Duran’ costume. Fat chance: “We get emails that say, ‘you guys should do an all-Elder show,’” comments Gene in the Kissology DVD notes. “We always write back to the hospital and tell the people that we hope they get better,” adds Paul.
Venom – Black Metal
For one last time: Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon, back together as Satan intended, cranking out their unwittingly groundbreaking 1982 platter from the opening screech of the chainsaw to the climactic At War With Satan preview, followed by an encore of contemporary singles and B-sides and accompanied by a blitzkrieg of pyrotechnics in flagrant breach of health and safety, but at least we’d die happy.
Napalm Death – From Enslavement To Obliteration
It would be an irony if the Dorrian/Steer/Embury/Harris line-up was brought back together for multinational corporation prices, but whatever it takes; this would certainly be a riveting spectacle, although these disparate individuals relearning and coordinating the 27-song entirety of this fractured blasting whirlwind grindcore opus, 25 years on, might prove insurmountably tricky, if not actively dangerous.
Rhapsody – Dawn Of Victory
The original Rhapsody splintered into two separate entities a few years ago, but whenever they’re ready Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody and Rhapsody Of Fire should do a set each, and then the Dawn Of Victory line-up should launch into a full-blown fantasy musical production of their mightiest work, with set design including a village of dwarves and an animatronic unicorn.
My Dying Bride – Turn Loose The Swans
Aaron admitted in an interview with Feedback Metal that the band had considered performing their seminal and cherished 1993 masterpiece in full, but been put off by the ubiquity of the concept, adding “It’s a bit cheesy isn’t it?…You’re effectively admitting that everything you’ve done after your ‘classic’ LP isn’t all that great, and we feel quite strongly about that.” It’d still rule, though.
Mayhem – De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
The True Mayhem performing this notorious masterpiece in full at a nocturnal open-air winter ceremony under a literal freezing moon would send multiple chills down the spines of disciples. In the parallel universe dreamworld where many of these gigs are happening it would be nice to get Count Grishnackh up to play bass for a few tunes.
Machine Head – Burn My Eyes
The Oakland quartet actually did the whole of Burn My Eyes on selected dates for the 10th anniversary in 2004 (the whole Philadelphia set is below, including the closing Metallica and Pantera covers), but drummer David McCain insisted in a Metal Discovery interview that audiences “didn’t know” many of the songs except Davidian and Old. Surely they’d have caught up for the 20th anniversary…?
Cradle Of Filth – Dusk… And Her Embrace
Dani has mentioned getting offers from promoters to do this with the album’s original line-up, but he’s better off doing it with whoever’s in the band at the moment than trying to spring that motley assortment from their various asylums. As long as the actual Cronos turns up at the end to do the dramatic snarling oration in Haunted Shores, it’ll be an unmissable occasion.
Lamb Of God – New American Gospel
Bringing the weight of 14 years’ experience and discipline to bear on their ragged, rabid debut proper in a live environment could be the making of LOG’s fondly-remembered but hastily-recorded blueprint platter, a crucial trailblazer for the 00s New Wave Of American Heavy Metal. It could take a little bit of tightening, a little polishing… specifically, it’d be great to hear Randy sing these songs sober.
