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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1.All time & genre (including Non-Metal on MS)
2.Only studio albums & EPs
3.I DON'T modify this list. So, this list is THE FINAL edition and based on my selection on 1 April 2017. (Modified on 12 February 2022)
4.The genre is primary one.
Last modified on 1 April 2017

...NOTICE: I'm reselecting albums & EPs for "The Timeless Ver2". This will be a bit more stringently selected than "ver1".

1.Opeth - Blackwater Park

2.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

3.Krallice - Diotima

4.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

5.Deathspell Omega - Kénôse

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This is a list of my 20 favorite BM albums ever. Apparently Mystifier and Moonblood are too kvlt to be on Metal Storm at this time, but both are incredibly fucking awesome. Moonblood played Epic Black Metal and are the undisputed gods of horrible lo-fi production, with one of their rehearsals rumored to have even been recorded in a bathroom. Mystifier is another quite good BM band, who are from South America and play in a similar vein to that of Sarcófago, old Beherit, and old Sepultura, and is some of the most evil material I have listened to in a long time.

1.Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

2.Bathory - Blood Fire Death

3.Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

4.Blasphemy - Fallen Angel Of Doom

5.Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger

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I have finally caved in and made a top 200 list. The main focus here is metal, so no Rush, no King Crimson, Deep Purple, or GY!BE are in the list, but I do still love those bands and others that could have qualified.
The list mostly contains albums, but some EPs, demos, splits, and compilations are also featured every now and then. I also tried to avoid including demos or EPs that were too short but there’s still a few of them.
Enjoy!

1.Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory

2.Windir - Arntor

3.Vektor - Terminal Redux

4.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

5.Sigh - Hangman's Hymn: Musikalische Exequien

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Music I listen to in an English-styled park in Warsaw, where nature grew in such a way that a controlled wilderness was achieved. Some songs match certain seasons better than others! This music goes well with the wonderful fantasy-themed imagination I've been gifted through my autism.

1.Agalloch - The Mantle

2.Opeth - Blackwater Park

3.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

4.Wintersun - Wintersun

5.Summoning - Stronghold

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Mightiest = albums I can listen to almost anytime/anywhere - no matter how many times they never wear out - and always give me pleasure, power, euphoria, goosebumps, inspiration and many other nasty things.
One album per year obviously, with some years missing in case i have not yet found an album mighty enough from that year.
Recommendations appreciated.

1.Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud

2.Anaal Nathrakh - Desideratum

3.Battle Beast - Battle Beast

4.Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

5.Skeletonwitch - Forever Abomination

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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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Weird name for the list, couldn't think of a better to describe the list. So I've selected the best album of every year since I was born. Will edit when needed.

1.Motörhead - 1916

2.Dream Theater - Images And Words

3.Motörhead - Bastards

4.Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

5.Dark Tranquillity - The Gallery

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These songs make me think of times so old that none of us were there to experience them. The criteria for the inclusion of a song are so personal here that there's a high chance you think something should be on here and I might love the same song you're thinking of but I would still not put it on here.

I don't like Varg btw

1.Enslaved - Vikingligr Veldi

2.Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

3.Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times

4.Windir - Arntor

5.Bathory - Hammerheart

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SPOILER ALERT: This is mostly just black metal.
****Alphabetical Order

1.Abigor - Nachthymnen (From The Twilight Kingdom)

2.Agalloch - The Mantle

3.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

4.Arckanum - Fran Marder

5.Arckanum - Antikosmos

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If you have any recommendations on similar albums I might like, you can suggest me.

1.Behemoth - Sventevith (Storming Near The Baltic)

2.Behemoth - Grom

3.Lutomysl - Catharsis

4.Furia (POL) - Martwa Polska Jesień

5.Behemoth - Pandemonic Incantations

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Overall year rating:
3,5/5

1.Soundgarden - Superunknown

2.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

3.Skyclad - Prince Of The Poverty Line

4.Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

5.Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse

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This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone who is young in age, my tastes tend to revolve around the period of the 80s to the present.* Although certain metal albums from before will certainly be featured, the period of the 60s-70s will be under-represented. I refer you to this excellent list to gain a better appreciation for some of the best metal from that period: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/freis/martin_popoffs_the_top_500_heavy_metal_albums_of_all_time/

1.Ba'al - Ellipsism

2.Back To R'lyeh - The Awakening / Last Fight Of The Primordial

3.Bad Salad - Uncivilized

4.Bakos Attila - Aranyhajnal

5.Balance Of Power - Book Of Secrets

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1.Burzum - Filosofem

2.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

3.Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger

4.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

5.Marduk - Rom 5:12

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They are not in order and also one album per band

1.Anathema - Serenades

2.Opeth - Morningrise

3.In The Woods... - Heart Of The Ages

4.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

5.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

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