Albums are the bread and butter of music appreciation, the mighty Long Player endlessly celebrated in myriad permutations; much less attention is paid to the LP’s petite stepsister, the Extended Play single. It’s an enduring format, frequently perfect for introducing an exciting new band and sound to the world, or as an experimental testing ground for musicians to try out new ideas and directions. Far too often, however, EPs end up falling through the cracks in otherwise acclaimed discographies, a lower priority for fans, labels and media alike. Here we rectify that injustice, by presenting the 50 greatest metal EPs of all.
