Fifty years of metal, 50 best albums of the year. Note that in order to diversify the list I limited it to one album per band, otherwise there would have been too much Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

3.Deep Purple - Machine Head

4.Budgie - Never Turn Your Back On A Friend

5.Queen - Queen II

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1.Judas Priest - Painkiller

2.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

3.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

4.Judas Priest - Stained Class

5.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

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Simple ranking of all my favorite albums. Favorite song from the album in the notes. Sure to change/expand as I learn and explore more within metal.
2023: This was starting to get too long so I split it into separate lists for albums at each ranking 10 to 7. This list will no longer be updated.
10: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6891
9: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=7213
8: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=7512
7: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=8058

1.Madder Mortem - Eight Ways

2.Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side

3.Ayreon - 01011001

4.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

5.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

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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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The ones I've heard

1.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

2.Judas Priest - Stained Class

3.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

4.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

5.Judas Priest - Painkiller

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1.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

2.Rush - 2112

3.

4.AC/DC - High Voltage

5.Aerosmith - Rocks

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Favorite metal/heavier music albums thus far.

1.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

2.Venom - Black Metal

3.Strapping Young Lad - City

4.Sepultura - Beneath The Remains

5.Scars On Broadway - Scars On Broadway

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This is the most unquestionably difficult ranking I could undertake. The # of albums I consider borderline flawless from each of these bands is ridiculous. Over a dozen albums from these 3 bands have legitimate arguments to be considered the greatest traditional heavy metal album of all time.

I have a few rankings that are likely hot takes here
** Yes, I like Dance of Death more than most folks. Title track and Paschendale are both top 10 Maiden songs, and Montsegur is only a small step behind that. Those 3 songs are better than anything on Brave New World to me, but the rest of BNW is better and higher quality.
** Yes I kinda like Turbo. It's silly but it's fun and the guitar work and Rob's vocals are absolutely stellar. That kinda sucks about Ram It Down, it's got some of Priests' best lead guitar work and I don't think Rob ever sounded better, but dear lord, some of those songs...
As for the top 6 albums here, honestly put them in whatever order you want. They're that close to me and mood depending it could change

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Judas Priest - Painkiller

3.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4.Black Sabbath - Sabotage

5.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

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Welcome to what I consider the "1970s Metal Bible" 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 and the other parts of this journey through the decades may be a very overwhelming list. 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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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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1.Human Fortress - Defenders Of The Crown

2.Scanner - Hypertrace

3.Manowar - Into Glory Ride

4.Ancient Bards - The Alliance Of The Kings - The Black Crystal Sword Saga Part 1

5.Rage - Perfect Man

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Gotta respect your roots! This is a list of my favorite pre 1980s heavy metal (or heavy metal influence) albums. And yes, of course the first two will be Sabbath and Zeppelin...(Pink Floyd is my favorite band, but they’re excluded because they’re not on metal storm)

1.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

2.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

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

4.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

5.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

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Before we start a few things
I Rule: Break the Law Rules!
II Rule: A Perfect cover will get a special mark " 🤘 " and then comes my pure subjective view that will always be different from yours. album with \m/ vs album without \m/ but a little bit higher = still both amazing ! i can not choose T_T don't push me!
III Rule: Black Sabbath Effect(Positive side) - When you look from afar on the cover of the album and it seems incredibly classy,gorgeous and cool, but when you try to see what's happening there, only one thing comes to mind "WHAT THE F...?"
IV Rule: Stop reading the rules and start rocking
Large Version of Rob's middle finger for real freaks https://pp.userapi.com/c841327/v841327097/58ce9/8U_5tFeaa-s.jpg

1.Judas Priest - Redeemer Of Souls

2.Prologue - Redeemer Of Souls was the only nightmare from prist after that are coming only good ones

3.Judas Priest - Nostradamus

4.Judas Priest - Ram It Down

5.Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla

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1.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

2.Judas Priest - Nostradamus

3.Judas Priest - Jugulator

4.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

5.Judas Priest - Ram It Down

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Unfinished as I still have to catch up on more recent years. Also all of the places on the list are of course subject to change as I discover more music from each year.

My taste is very much centred around the power of the riff. That means most of the albums on this list are thrash, death, heavy, black, or some offshoot of those genres.

1.After The Burial - Dig Deep

2.Behemoth - The Satanist

3.Carcass - Surgical Steel

4.Cattle Decapitation - Monolith Of Inhumanity

5.Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony

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