Honestly curious to see if I get anywhere near 2021's ludicrous album count (~900) this year; should hopefully be some very high-scoring albums in the first couple of months, but otherwise let's hope for some good stuff this year!

Edit: Somehow managed to reach the list character limit, so going to delete some of the comments

1.Persefone - Metanoia

2.Hath - All That Was Promised

3.Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory

4.Playgrounded - The Death Of Death

5.Kardashev - Liminal Rite

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Some stories, themes or concepts are presented not just in one single song but are split in separate tracks that (often) share the same title but are distinguished by a number of the corresponding part of the song series.

However, sometimes these parts are not found together on one album, but are included on different releases of the artist.
They can be found on two (or more) conceptually linked albums (where they function as part of an ensemble together with the other songs), or they can be included on independent releases (where only they alone continue their story).

Therefore, the main purpose of this list is to give an overview that enables the reader to find the missing song pieces - or even to inform that these pieces exist at all.

Please feel free to find and suggest more examples of these "song jigsaw puzzles": one song(concept) in separate parts on different albums.

1.After Forever - Prison Of Desire

2.Agathodaimon - Higher Art Of Rebellion

3.Agathodaimon - Phoenix

4.Alestorm - Sunset On The Golden Age

5.Alestorm - Curse Of The Crystal Coconut

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As is the case with my other lists, this is for my own organizational purposes and is designed purely to help me keep track of all the many black metal bands and albums that I enjoy, since I can't keep all of this information in my head. It has no other benefit whatsoever and will likely result in tantrums should anyone else see it. I'm aware that I haven't listened to every black metal album that I should have. I only went down to the 6s on this list, so it's possible that I have listened to your favorite black metal album that you desperately need to suggest and I thought it was terrible. There are a lot of heinously incompetent black metal bands out there.

On the off-chance that you've found this and actually care about what I think (you shouldn't), be advised that my favorites come first. Some are favorites in the general sense; some are favorites within black metal. The first few of those are in some order and not so much after that.

Because this is for my own purposes and not intended to be a definitive list of pure black metal, there are some black metal-adjacent bands, or albums by black metal bands that may not themselves be black metal. That's why you'll find so much Sigh clogging up the top of the list. I prefer to keep whole discographies together on one list. I used to include Primordial, Forefather, and other such bands, but a while back I created a list for folk and I decided that those artists would fit better there.

I update these lists very infrequently. This was last updated December 7, 2022.

1.Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape

2.Sigh - Graveward

3.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

4.Sigh - Heir To Despair

5.The Meads Of Asphodel - The Murder Of Jesus The Jew

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Taken around 8:30 pm GMT
There was no write-in for djent so I voted for one.
Not totally clean (trolls in last categories are kept for fun),
Thanks to the person who curated most of the write-is since yesterday, it really reduced the work to do!

PS : I cleaned the list listening to The Testament by Seventh Wonder, so I was particularly unhappy to see it in the biggest letdowns at the end

1.

2.A.A. Williams - As The Moon Rests

3.Disturbed - Divisive

4.Dog Fashion Disco - Cult Classic

5.Fleshwater - We're Not Here To Be Loved

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So much music yet so little time!

These are all the 2022 albums that I've been able to check out so far.

1.Messa - Close

2.Shape Of Despair - Return To The Void

3.A.A. Williams - As The Moon Rests

4.Brutus (BEL) - Unison Life

5.Vanhävd - Vila

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Note: Tool intentionally ommitted because they don't consider themselves metal. Otherwise you'd see their first 4 albums in top 25.

Last updated: 27 March 2024.

1.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

2.Agalloch - The Mantle

3.Opeth - Blackwater Park

4.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

5.Lost Horizon - A Flame To The Ground Beneath

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Ratings go from:

WORSHIP ❤️❤️❤️: Absolute greatness, a mindblowing album.
LOVE ❤️❤️🖤: Amazing release with very few flaws.
LIKE ❤️🖤🖤: Enjoyable but far from perfect.
DISLIKE 💔: Not very good or maybe not fitting my tastes.

I've decided to stop rating albums with a numerical value as I tend to feel uncomfortable with that. This list has a minimalistic, subjective and visceral approach, based purely on sensations and personal tastes. Mainly for personal use and doesn't pretend to be a serious ranking, but emerges from the need to remember which bands and albums I enjoyed and the ones I disliked. I constantly revisit new releases so first impressions may change over time. It usually takes 8-10 spins for me to get completely sure of a rating.

1.Æther Realm - Tarot

2.Abhoria - Abhoria

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Agrypnie - Metamorphosis

5.Allegaeon - Fragments Of Form And Function

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Mind map:

Blue = win
Undead = win
Hell = win
Blue = win
Nature ft. Water = win
Color eyegasm = win
Grim reaper = win
Boys being boys = win
Badly done CGI = win
Blue = win
Blue = win
Orthodox stuff = win
Black and white = win, sometimes

Last updated on 29 July 2023.

1.Emperor - Reverence

2.Wintersun - Wintersun

3.The Ruins Of Beverast - Rain Upon The Impure

4.Dissection - Live Legacy

5.Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman

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I ordered them from the most to the least cherished from top to bottom. This is probably the first year I can even put together 20+ favorite albums. I've never done as much exploration in a year, although it all pales in comparison to what some of you are able to pull of. Merry Christmas and happy new year

1.Witcher - Lélekharang

2.Hath - All That Was Promised

3.Moonlight Sorcery - Piercing Through The Frozen Eternity

4.Immolation - Acts Of God

5.Phobophilic - Enveloping Absurdity

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Ratings go from:

WORSHIP ❤️❤️❤️: Absolute greatness, a mindblowing album.
LOVE ❤️❤️🖤: Amazing release with very few flaws.
LIKE ❤️🖤🖤: Enjoyable but far from perfect.
DISLIKE 💔: Not very good or maybe not fitting my tastes.

I've decided to stop rating albums with a numerical value as I tend to feel uncomfortable with that system. This list has a minimalistic, subjective and visceral approach, based purely on sensations and personal tastes. I constantly revisit new releases so first impressions may change over time. It usually takes 3-4 spins for me to get completely sure of a rating.

1.Vehemence - Ordalies

2.The Mist From The Mountains - Monumental: The Temple Of Twilight

3.Allegaeon - Damnum

4.Fit For An Autopsy - Oh What The Future Holds

5.Vanaheim - Een Verloren Verhaal

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All listened albums chart

1.Wilderun - Epigone

2.Disillusion - Ayam

3.Sylvaine - Nova

4.Soundgarden - Live At The Paramount Theatre - Seattle 1992

5.Lamentations - Passion Of Depression

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Top 100 2022 in the making.

1.Gaerea - Mirage

2.Lorna Shore - Pain Remains

3.Cult Of Luna - The Long Road North

4.SpiritWorld - Deathwestern

5.Final Light - Final Light

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1.Disembowelment - Transcendence Into The Peripheral

2.Weakling - Dead As Dreams

3.Greylotus - Dawnfall

4.John Petrucci - An Evening With John Petrucci & Jordan Rudess [Collaboration]

5.John Petrucci - Suspended Animation

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I feel like my overall favorites list is getting too long. I'm splitting it up by rating.

1.Thy Catafalque - Meta

2.Sepulcros - Vazio

3.Kassad - Faces Turn Away

4.Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings

5.Xanthochroid - Of Erthe And Axen: Act I

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In order, my favourite song highlighted and a rating out of 5 for the album

1.Undeath - It's Time . . .To Rise From The Grave

2.Maul - Seraphic Punishment

3.The Spirit - Of Clarity And Galactic Structures

4.Venom Prison - Erebos

5.Shadow Of Intent - Elegy

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