I saw this on a Roadrunner Records article, that they were doing a thing with bands about the 5 albums that had the biggest impact on their existence. I think it's cool, so I'm gonna' do it too.

#1: Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV - Volume One: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness - Coheed & Cambria

This album is first on my list because without it, I would not be the metalhead I am today. I went from liking Avril Lavigne and The All-American Rejects (both of whom I do still like) to this, all thanks to "Welcome Home" being on Rock Band. This is what kickstarted my transformation, bought as a gift for my 13th birthday.

#2: Astro Lounge - Smash Mouth

Astro Lounge was the first rock CD I ever bought, when I was around 7 or 8 I believe. It had many different styles of songs on it, and I still enjoy most of the tracks nowadays. I went from old 50s vinyls to this.

#3: Master Of Puppets - Metallica

When I first heard Metallica, I was unimpressed. I liked "Enter Sandman" and a song or two off of Death Magnetic, but otherwise eh. Then I was told to get MOP, and after a few listens I loved it. The title track was also the first song I learned in my early days of learning guitar. This was my introduction to Thrash Metal, before I even knew what that was.

#4: Octavarium - Dream Theater

What's this? Dream Theater being so low on the list? Well, that's because I've only been a fan for about two years, and Coheed and Metallica came way before. However, that doesn't change how much good this album did me. I first heard "Panic Attack" when my best friend phoned me and told me to look it up. Then I got the whole album and listened to it in full on the perfect day at a sunny beach with food and stuff. I have nothing but fond memories while listening to this. And the moment I heard the title track, I knew I'd found an all-time favourite song.

#5: Move Along - The All-American Rejects

This was probably the least influential of the five, but it was still definitely an important stage in my musical developement. Kickstarted by the thing they did with BIONICLE in '06, I got kinda' hooked on them for about two years, and still enjoy listening to them quite a bit. This was another rung on the ladder to the music I love now.

So there you have it, the top five albums that have shaped me as a person over the years. I put alot of thought into this, and was going to add in Megadeth's Risk, but all it really did for me was let me discover Megadeth. While I love them, that's not quite life-changing.