Disclaimer:
This list is influenced by my genre preferences. Genres like Melodic death/doom, Post-Metal, Extreme Folk and Progressive.

1.Violet Cold - kOsmik

2.Numenorean - Adore

3.Cân Bardd - The Last Rain

4.Dead To A Dying World - Elegy

5.Downfall Of Gaia - Ethic Of Radical Finitude

      View entire list ››

Listing albums that I have listened and liked enough to rank. My tastes skew towards Death/Black Metal which means I probably give most other genres a pass. I also don't bother rating such albums unless they catch my ear.

1.Vader - Thy Messenger

2.Legion Of The Damned - Slaves Of The Shadow Realm

3.Unfathomable Ruination - Enraged & Unbound

4.Embrional - Evil Dead

5.Malevolent Creation - The 13th Beast

      View entire list ››

**DISCLAIMER: The following list is based on my own opinions and musical diversity, and should not be taken as Metalstorm's input on any artist/record/band whatsoever.
-

With no further ado,
Let 2019 BEGIN!

1.Leprous - Pitfalls

2.Insomnium - Heart Like A Grave

3.Devin Townsend - Empath

4.Týr - Hel

5.The Dark Element - Songs The Night Sings

      View entire list ››

1.Vintersorg - Till Fjälls Del II

2.Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud

3.Myrath - Tales Of The Sands

4.Finsterforst - Zerfall

5.Eluveitie - Ategnatos

      View entire list ››

Well, 2020 is not the most enjoyable year, is it...

So I looked back at 2019 to do a little nostalgic ranking of when the world was only half crazy....

My top 50 (rate 8 & above)

Like always opinion my own and I am obviously right

Album count: 160
Average rating: 7

1.Cult Of Luna - A Dawn To Fear

2.Alcest - Spiritual Instinct

3.Blut Aus Nord - Hallucinogen

4.Borknagar - True North

5.Swallow The Sun - When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light

      View entire list ››

1.Kryptos - Afterburner

2.Overkill - The Wings Of War

3.Brymir - Wings Of Fire

4.Iron Fire - Beyond The Void

5.Aephanemer - Prokopton

      View entire list ››

Another year, another top 10, or should I say top 25 of the year. Plenty of good albums, but Månegarm, Borknagar and Insomnium without a doubt top albums of the year. Villagers of Ioannina City is a revelation of the year, and while it might not be "metal" definitely one of the top albums of this year. Blind Guardian is not bad, far from it, but I expected so much more from this album hence it (un)deservedly gets to bear the shame of the letdown, although it is a decent album. Maybe I expected too much from it. One of the bands that deserve more attention this year for certain is Croatian Old Night, a real masterpiece when it comes to doom. Another recommendation would be Serbian Svartgren with their new black metal album called Divlja Vatra, or Wildfire. The rest of it pretty much boils down to personal taste and preferences. Darkwater and Bloodbound were a very pleasant surprise when it comes to progressive and power metal respectively. When it comes to symphonic and progressive metal, Wilderun was another pleasant surprise, a band I discovered recently through metalstorm website..

1.Månegarm - Fornaldarsagor

2.Borknagar - True North

3.Insomnium - Heart Like A Grave

4.Beast In Black - From Hell With Love

5.Swallow The Sun - When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light

      View entire list ››

1.As I Lay Dying - Shaped By Fire

2.Insomnium - Heart Like A Grave

3.Eluveitie - Ategnatos

4.Avantasia - Moonglow

5.Imminence - Turn The Light On

      View entire list ››

In no particular order

1.Xoth - Interdimensional Invocations

2.Borknagar - True North

3.Cult Of Luna - A Dawn To Fear

4.Vorna - Sateet Palata Saavat

5.Darkthrone - Old Star

      View entire list ››

1.Misþyrming - Algleymi

2.Cult Of Luna - A Dawn To Fear

3.Sinmara - Hvísl Stjarnanna

4.Fleshgod Apocalypse - Veleno

5.Insomnium - Heart Like A Grave

      View entire list ››

1.Wormwood - Nattarvet

2.Insomnium - Heart Like A Grave

3.Swallow The Sun - When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light

4.Soen - Lotus

5.Brutus (Belgium Band) - Nest

      View entire list ››

1.Eluveitie - Ategnatos

2.Belzebubs - Pantheon Of The Nightside Gods

3.Grand Magus - Wolf God

4.Exumer - Hostile Defiance

5.Periphery - Periphery IV: Hail Stan

      View entire list ››

My Favorite Albums Of The Year \m/

1.Dream Theater - Distance Over Time

2.Eluveitie - Ategnatos

3.Cellar Darling - The Spell

4.Opeth - In Cauda Venenum

5.Elvenking - Reader Of The Runes - Divination

      View entire list ››

The list is arranged from the most enjoyable album IMO to the less enjoyable.
All items on this list are worth to be listened though...

Legend:
O Listened and arranged (right position, may vary while not all the albums are listened)
< Currently listening
x Not listened
- Unreleased

1.Rotting Christ - The Heretics

2.Eluveitie - Ategnatos

3.Soilwork - Verkligheten

4.Amon Amarth - Berserker

5.Insomnium - Heart Like A Grave

      View entire list ››

1.Cult Of Luna - A Dawn To Fear

2.Wilderun - Veil Of Imagination

3.Swallow The Sun - When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light

4.Saor - Forgotten Paths

5.Alcest - Spiritual Instinct

      View entire list ››