The episode that launched the entire Death Match series — and what a way to kick it off. Show No Mercy (1983) vs Hell Awaits (1985): the straight-ahead debut against the more progressive, darker, longer follow-up. Evil Has No Boundaries vs Hell Awaits. "Which one is eviler?" Album covers compared. The WWF Baphomet presides. Chemical Warfare and Captor of Sin as bonus tracks. The backwards hidden message in Hell Awaits — SU NIOJ (JOIN US). The verdict: "And the winner is… SHOW NO MERCY!!!" #backwardsHellAwaitsIntro #hehahuh

The two albums from 1988 most synonymous with high school and summertime go head-to-head. Metallica's progressive thrash tour de force against Slayer's brooding, slower, heavier companion piece. "Anything Slayer does is more eviler." "Even minus the bass…" "Those two albums define high school and summer." The unanimous pick for the best Slayer song on either album: "That's the best riff right there" (on Eye of the Beholder). "I wear a speedo and I eat mayonnaise." Size does not necessarily equal potency. Spans two episodes — Side 1 and Side 2.

The most inevitable Death Match in Metal Nerdery history — and the most brutal. Two albums from the same year that together define what thrash metal is. "Comparing them is like comparing tacos and spaghetti: equally incredible yet vastly unique." Battery vs Angel of Death. Orion vs Raining Blood. Damage Inc. vs Postmortem/Raining Blood. "It's Slayer's Enter Sandman." The final tally: 4 draws, 18 and 17. #ReignInPuppets #MasterOfBlood. The Metal Nerdery 5th Anniversary Special.

Two of the most important sophomore albums in thrash history go head-to-head. "To be fair, 'tis certainly a vexing quandary" — one member of one of these bands has songwriting credits on both albums. Fight Fire with Fire vs Wake Up Dead. Ride the Lightning vs Peace Sells. Creeping Death vs Devil's Island. The Call of Ktulu vs I Ain't Superstitious. "Is it a lightning dildo?" The Twix Conspiracy. Work out your traps and use your sports words. Discover the most sensually appealing culinary wonder ever documented in the annals of breakfast food debauchery. #fightfirelikemegadeth

The internal Metallica Death Match nobody saw coming — the greatest album from the Cliff Burton era against the greatest from the Jason Newsted era. "The Black Album is closer to Puppets than AJFA." "You go to the peak of your ability… that's what Justice was… it was their Hemispheres." #Rushtallica. Side 2 conclusion features the most shocking verdict in Death Match history. "That riff… is nothing but sack." "Dyers Eve — surgical… precise… clinical… that one is personal. VERY personal." Stay until the very end to discover the power of frontmasking. #NoDraws.

1982: Michael Jackson releases Thriller, and Iron Maiden and Judas Priest both release two of the most iconic albums in metal history in the same year. Number of the Beast (March 22) vs Screaming for Vengeance (July 1). Track by track: Invaders vs The Hellion/Electric Eye ("You've gotta play those two together"). Children of the Damned vs Riding on the Wind. Hallowed Be Thy Name vs Devil's Child ("I almost feel like this isn't even fair"). The final score? All 7's. The banana helps it go down. "Priest? PRIEST?!"

To properly commemorate All Hallows' Eve in true black metal fashion — the Mercyful Fate Head-to-Head Death Match. The beginning of black metal before black metal was black metal. King Diamond's falsetto vs the rest of human possibility. 7 tracks vs 9 tracks. Evil vs A Dangerous Meeting. Into the Coven ("this is the happiest witch song I've ever heard" — "When I think of Mercyful Fate I think of this song") vs Desecration of Souls. Satan's Fall ("it's a big long one — apparently it takes a LONG time for Satan to fall") vs Gypsy/Welcome Princess of Hell. The Petrine Cross explained. "Don't light a black candle." Also: the Garage Inc. Mercyful Fate medley gets a shoutout. The Sober October edition — Monster Energy Java Mocha as the anti-relaxer of the episode. #covenless

The Sunset Strip Edition — two of the greatest debut albums in the history of early 80s metal, both of which preceded and ironically helped define the hair metal movement. "More metal than we thought." Metal Health (Bang Your Head). Cum on Feel the Noize (the Slade cover — "If you put your 10-year-old hat on…" — "Ohhh, the weird feeling?" #edging). Round and Round ("every time I hear Warren DeMartini, I hear George Lynch"). Slick Black Cadillac. Scene of the Crime. The verdict: "Basically, literally… technically Quiet Riot with 11 and Ratt with 14." Also: Ice Nine Kills playing The American Nightmare before the Docket, and a very important voicemail question about IQ testing for squirrels. #grocerystoresoundtrack