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Thumbs up: +13
Song Puzzles: One Song In Several Parts On Different Albums

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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Created by Plattner on 28.05.2023



Thumbs up: +2
My Symphonic/Atmospheric Metal Albums List

Here's my list of symphonic metal albums from the bands that I know of, this list is defined by the terms of "atmospheric/bombastic sounding". This is my first time of making list on this site, so some of this might not make any sense as I'm still a bit confused myself as well, and I don't really prefer to see these in particular orders.

1.Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
2.Within Temptation - The Silent Force
3.Epica - The Divine Conspiracy
4.Xandria - Neverworld's End
5.Nightwish - Once

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Created by InfinityZ780 on 03.07.2022



Top 30 Symphonic Metal Albums

1.Therion - Theli
2.Therion - Vovin
3.Therion - Lemuria
4.Therion - Sirius B
5.Cradle Of Filth - Midian

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Created by Mrtvozornik on 05.10.2021



Thumbs up: +5
Top 100 (+5) Of 2000-2004

2005-2009 list: http://www.metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=5838
2010-2014 list: http://www.metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=5828
2015-2019 list: http://www.metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6722

I sure do love this site and it's rating system, it makes finding great music so easy and, even more importantly, when an album is overlooked for a while but starts getting a buzz a few months later, boom, there it appears in the top 20.

All that being said, I still wish there was some way to get a weighted ranking that not only takes the rating of the album into account, but also the number of votes that were cast. For example, an album with a rating of 8.8 and 1000 votes would rank higher than an album with a rating of 8.9 and 20 votes. So, I scraped all the albums on the site with at least 1 vote into a database. Then, taking a leaf out of IMDb's book, I used Bayesian estimation (like the IMDb's Top 250) to calculate a weighted rating for each album based on its Metal Storm rating and the number of votes it had received.

The formula for calculating the Top 100 Albums gives a true Bayesian estimate:
Bayes rating (BR) = ( C × m + R × N ) ÷ ( m + N ) where:
C = average expected rating given...
m = minimum number of votes
R = average rating for the album = (Metal Storm rating)
N = number of votes for the album = (votes)

The way the Bayesian estimator works is that all albums in the database are given and additional m fake votes with an average rating of C, irrespective of how many true votes it already has. Then a new weighted rating is calculated...
If the album has no true votes ( N = 0 ), then BR = ( C × m + R × 0 ) ÷ ( m + 0) = C × m ÷ m = C (the average expected rating).
If the album has a number of true votes equal to the minimum ( N = m ), then BR = ( C × m + R × m ) ÷ ( m + m ) = ( C + R ) × m ÷ 2m = ( C + R ) ÷ 2 (halfway between the two ratings).
If the album has a very large number of true votes ( N >> m ), then BR = ( C × m + R × N ) ÷ ( m + N ) ≈ R × N ÷ N = R (the Metal Storm rating).
This means that the Bayes rating will never equal the Metal Storm rating but will approach it as the true votes grow arbitrarily large.

Now that the maths bit is out of the way, here was my methodology:
Only Studio and EP album types, from the years 2000 to 2004, with at least 1 vote, were included.
The average expected rating (C) was determined by averaging all the Metal Storm ratings from 2000-2004.
The minimum number of votes (m) was determined by calculating the 75th percentile of the votes, rounded to the nearest 10.
I also decided that if an album's Bayes rating was within 0.005 of #100, it would be included too; hence the +5.

C for 2000-2004 = 7.599
m = 30

Number of albums from each year in the list:
2000 - 15
2001 - 27
2002 - 14
2003 - 20
2004 - 29

Ratings are accurate as of 30/10/2023

1.Opeth - Blackwater Park
2.Agalloch - The Mantle
3.Tool - Lateralus
4.Wintersun - Wintersun
5.Ensiferum - Ensiferum

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Created by Crys1s on 26.09.2019



Best Duet Songs Of 2000's....he said, she said

This is a collection of duets with male and female singers. Listed in play order and not best order. I'm sure there are more that I have overlooked.

1.Fleshgod Apocalypse - Labyrinth
2.Therion - Lemuria
3.Sonata Arctica - The Days Of Grays
4.Imperanon - Stained
5.Draconian - Sovran

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Created by rps on 02.01.2019



Thumbs up: +21
Top 500 Albums of All Time

I've been listening to Metal since 2005 and it has become my biggest passion in life.

Rarely a day goes by where I don't listen to it in one form or another. The bands I listened to in my teens inspired me to pick up the guitar (and later drums) and start making music of my own.

So here are the albums that have stood out and made the largest impact on me. To be as transparent as possible, I've labelled albums as 'nostalgia bias' where my memories of the album give it an advantage over others.

(Score is an average of each album's song ratings, full list located here. There are a ton of albums that I've rated 9/10 in the 'TBR' tab that may never make it to this list, be sure to check those out.)

If you discovered any new albums or like the same sort of metal, be sure to give this list a thumbs-up and leave a comment so more people can find these amazing bands!

My other lists:
Top 25 EPs (ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
Top 200 Overrated Albums (trigger warning)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)

Genre-Specific:
Top 50 Black Metal Albums
Top 50 Melodic Death Metal Albums
Top 45 Thrash Metal Albums
Top 40 Power Metal Albums
Top 30 Doom Metal Albums
Top 30 Heavy Metal Albums

1.Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
2.Opeth - Blackwater Park
3.Metallica - Master Of Puppets
4.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson
5.Opeth - Still Life

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Created by nonZero on 06.10.2018



My Top 10 Of 2004

1.Rotting Christ - Sanctus Diavolos
2.Behemoth - Demigod
3.My Dying Bride - Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light
4.Vader - The Beast
5.Wintersun - Wintersun

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Created by Archie 666 on 11.07.2017



Thumbs up: +3
Essential Masterpieces Top 50

1.Metallica - Master Of Puppets
2.Iron Maiden - Powerslave
3.Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy
4.Dream Theater - Images And Words
5.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

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Created by lte1 on 22.04.2016



Thumbs up: +1
Favorite Therion Albums

1.Therion - Secret Of The Runes
2.Therion - Vovin
3.Therion - Sirius B
4.Therion - Theli
5.Therion - Lemuria

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Created by ManiacBlasphemer on 19.09.2014



Thumbs up: +2
Rock & Metal Ballads Collection

Compilation of many Hard Rock or Metal Ballads I've heard. Bands and Albums are ordered by name alphabetically.

1.Accept - Balls To The Wall
2.Accept - Blood Of The Nations
3.Accept - Eat The Heat
4.Adagio - Underworld
5.Aerosmith - Aerosmith

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Created by Alpha on 27.09.2013



Thumbs up: +9
Favoritest Favorites - My Top 100 Albums

My favorite albums. Includes EPs and 1 compilation. Anything ouside the top 20 or so could be up or down several places. Constantly subject to change.

1.Saviour Machine - Saviour Machine II
2.Ayreon - The Human Equation
3.Stolen Babies - There Be Squabbles Ahead
4.Billy Idol - Cyberpunk
5.Within Temptation - The Unforgiving

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Created by M C Vice on 06.10.2012



Thumbs up: +9
Some Of The Best Albums Of All Time (In No Particular Order)

Lots of genres, not repeating any Band (except Therion, but with 3 different styles). You cannot go wrong with this list, some nice Starts to any kind of Metal.
The list is sorted by year, but has not any particular order. Enjoy!

1.Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
2.Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
3.Therion - Symphony Masses - Ho Drakon Ho Megas
4.Cynic - Focus
5.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

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Created by Atrus on 10.06.2012



Thumbs up: +1
MY TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2004

1.Persefone - Truth Inside The Shades
2.Slumber - Fallout
3.Ayreon - The Human Equation
4.My Dying Bride - Songs Of Darkness, Words Of Light
5.Haggard - Eppur Si Muove

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Created by buber on 01.11.2011



Thumbs up: +2
TOP 2004

1.Wintersun - Wintersun
2.Europe - Start From The Dark
3.Haggard - Eppur Si Muove
4.Amon Amarth - Fate Of Norns
5.Rhapsody Of Fire - Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret

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Created by giok99 on 30.08.2011



Thumbs up: +27
Most Gripping Atmospheres

Here are the most captivating atmospheres I've ever heard. Including metal and non-metal albums. Grouped according to genre and one album per band.

1.Division By Zero - Independent Harmony
2.Beyond Twilight - The Devil's Hall Of Fame
3.Riverside - Out Of Myself
4.Suspyre - When Time Fades...
5.Redemption - The Fullness Of Time

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Created by R'Vannith on 13.08.2011