One of the most influential cult bands in the heavy metal scene, established in 1971 their first record was from 1980 and their last from 2023 the band just published 6 albums.
Doom - Epic - Dark and Power Metal style. The vocals of Tim Baker unique style gave to Cirith Ungol a special flavor.

1.Cirith Ungol - Frost And Fire

2.Cirith Ungol - King Of The Dead

3.Cirith Ungol - One Foot In Hell

4.Cirith Ungol - Paradise Lost

5.Cirith Ungol - Dark Parade

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This alphabetical list presents bands that took the inspiration for their name from literature (novels, poems, plays, comics). The list shows the debut album cover along with the information of the corresponding source of inspiration.

Please feel free to suggest more examples of metal/hard rock band names that are inspired by literature.


AUTHORS

1st Place (51 bands):
J.R.R.Tolkien

2nd Place (21 bands):
H.P.Lovecraft

3rd Place (10 bands):
W.Shakespeare

4th Place (7 bands):
E.A.Poe

5th Place (3 bands):
F.Herbert, R.E.Howard, C.A.Smith

6th Place (2 bands):
A.Huxley, J.W.v.Goethe, B.Kane, S.King, C.S.Lewis, H.Melville, K.Miura, M.Moorcock, J.K.Rowling, H.Van Alkmer, O.Wilde

7th Place (1 band):
R.Adams, J.P.Ahonen, D.Alighieri, L.F.Baum, E.C.Bertin, R.Bloch, E.Bronte, L.Carroll, L.Carter, L.Chase, C.Dickens, A.Diggle, M.Ende, S.Erikson, W.Faulkner, J.&W.Grimm, Homer, A.Jodorowsky, Kakifly, U.KLeGuin, H.W.Longfellow, G.R.R.Martin, A.Miller, J.Milton, D.Quinn, S.Rohmer, P.Rothfuss, Y.Sadamato, M.Sandemo, W.Scott, H.Sienkiewicz, D.Simmons, W.Smith, J.Steinbeck, B.Stoker, Suetonius, L.Uris, L.Weisberger, H.G.Wells, Q.Yuan


CATEGORY

1.) Novels (92 bands)
2.) Short Stories/Novellas (34 bands)
3.) Drama (11 bands),
Poems (11 bands)
4.) Comics/Mangas (10 bands)
5.) Religious Texts (4 bands)
6.) Author Names (3 bands)
7.) Magazines (2 bands)
8.) Biographies (1 band), Essays (1 band), Reports (1 band),

1.A Dream Of Poe - The Mirror Of Deliverance

2.Abhoth - Abhoth

3.Abigail Williams - In The Shadow Of A Thousand Suns

4.Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea

5.Alice In Chains - Facelift

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Mascots are an established and popular part of metal fan culture. In contrast to sports team mascots, they are no cute talismans, but are regarded as personification of the band and its music (or even as some kind of evil band member) that adds enormously to the identification of the fans with the band.

This alphabetical list presents well known examples by showing the album cover where the corresponding mascot first appeared, along with one or two sentences as general information.

Please feel free to suggest more examples of metal mascots or share relevant information on the presented mascots.

1.Alestorm - Captain Morgan's Revenge

2.Annihilator - Alice In Hell

3.Anthrax - Inside Out

4.Artillery - B.A.C.K.

5.Avenged Sevenfold - Waking The Fallen

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A list of my favorite album covers

1.Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

2.Mercyful Fate - Melissa

3.Slayer - Reign In Blood

4.Motörhead - Motörhead

5.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

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This is an alphabetical list of metal songs and albums that inspired the names of other artists.

Please feel free to suggest more examples.

1.Amebix - No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings

2.Anathema - Alternative 4

3.Arch Enemy - Black Earth

4.Architects - Ruin

5.Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark

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Welcome to what I consider the "1001 Metal Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" or in other words, a list of records of various genres in the arrays of Metal and Hard Rock that I deem essential or at least very recommended to listeners of hard and heavy music. This may be a very overwhelming list but I essentially try to collect all albums in the History of Metal that strike me as worthwhile. May this be a guideline for people that seek for an entrance to a particular genre or certain bands. In no means I am saying, that this list is indisputable by any means. I consider these my personal picks for albums that should be listened to by die-hard metal fans at least once. Hopefully you can discover some new music or relate with my picks. If I missed something that you would include in such a list, please tell me in the form of a comment. Enjoy! \,,/

1.High Tide - Sea Shanties

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

4.Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come

5.Josefus - Dead Man

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What seems the most important albums for me in chronological order.
I wish I could carry the list year after year to see how my tastes changed and new findings.
I can help but notice that old albums immediately strike me, while in recent times most albums are good but nothing is groundbreaking. We have a tide of releases in the last decades, and standing above the other requires an impossible lot of talent.
Or is it my listen habbits that changed ? I felts I listened to the old albums albums for a lifetime while I'm only surface checking the new ones. Too little time, too little time to truly live...
Also the mixing technology, the sound is too flat nowadays and lack impact and personnality

1.Frank Zappa - Freak Out

2.The Who - Tommy

3.Frank Zappa - Uncle Meat

4.Frank Zappa - Hot Rats

5.King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

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Bands almost unknown for the most, Cds or Vinyls out of print or never print, Sometimes record production sucks, thats why I love US power metal. An original style Classic and Epic Heavy Metal Mixed With Thrash, Speed and High Doses of Virtuosity, different than Europe PM with more testosterone and heaviness

1.Manilla Road - Crystal Logic

2.Jag Panzer - Ample Destruction

3.Riot - ThunderSteel

4.Savatage - Hall Of The Mountain King

5.Cirith Ungol - Frost And Fire

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"CALENDAR MADE OF METAL"
December = Heavy Metal
Listening to as many albums as possible in said genre during said month and listing them here as I go. Suggestions welcome.

1.Anvil - Metal On Metal

2.Mercyful Fate - Melissa

3.Raven - Rock Until You Drop

4.Tygers Of Pan Tang - Spellbound

5.Angel Witch - Angel Witch

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Some time ago I made a list for heavy metal albums I enjoyed the most. I got it cleaned up after ripening my tastes.I also tried to organize the list a bit, in subcategories. There is one album per band (choices were hard sometimes), with no strict order, but my favorite albums are usualy on top.

2020 EDIT:
I like heavy metal with atmoshpere, with melody, and ideally it should be some kind of gate to a fantastic universe. I don't care about modern HM with a shiny production and simplistic riffs. I don't care obscure occult band with horrendous prod and no musical ideas. Here's the list of what I consider classics of the genre, pinnacle of dreamy, groovy, beautiful and well composed oldschool heavy metal

1.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

2.

3.Angra - Angels Cry

4.

5.Fates Warning - No Exit

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Note: these are only for the traditional style of metal borne out of the period of late 60s - late 80s. Modern bands are permitted but they need to be playing in that style.

Recommendations are welcome. I'll listen and if I like it, I'll add it.

1.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

4.Deep Purple - In Rock

5.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

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The must-have albums of old school heavy metal. Includes genres like Traditional, NWOBHM, U.S.P.M., Speed, Epic, Doom, and prog.

1.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

2.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

3.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

4.Crimson Glory - Transcendence

5.Angel Witch - Angel Witch

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1.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

2.Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

3.Diamond Head - Lightning To The Nations

4.AC/DC - Back In Black

5.Rush - Permanent Waves

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1.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

2.Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz

3.Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

4.Angel Witch - Angel Witch

5.Judas Priest - British Steel

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These are the 211 essential hard rock/metal albums of the 80's, as were selected by the Greek Magazine "Metal Hammer" (August 2001 issue).

The albums followed by a star are the "must have", whereas the rest albums are the "could have".

1.Angel Witch - Angel Witch

2.AC/DC - Back In Black

3.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

4.Diamond Head - Lightning To The Nations

5.Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

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