I guess the case could be made for other genres too (above 8.4 rating):
- Alternative: 2 albums (both from Soen... also tagged as "Progressive")
- Thrash: 1 album ("Terminal Redux" by Vector with 8.9)
- Gothic: 1 album ("Obsidian" by Paradise Lost with 8.5)
- Industrial: 0
- Metalcore: 0
- Avantgarde: 0
I'm not sure if one can draw a conclusion about the "status" of a genre from this ratings actually... I tend to think it's very unreliable.

The subgenre is alive and well. It's just not that popular on MS, which is the reason I've become less and less active on here over the years. The subgenre simply doesn't require much innovation to be enjoyable. Not that other subgenres are particularly more innovative though, the lack of innovation always felt like an excuse by those who dislike the genre.

There's been a decent amount of releases this decade that can certainly hold their own against the turn of the millennium glory days. Some of them simply aren't on metalstorm, others are simply underrated on this website. Here's a few that are interesting:

Edu Falashi - Vera Cruz and Eldorado
Magic Opera - The Golden Pentacle
Memories of Old - The Zeramin Game
Nemedian Chronicles - The Savage Sword
Tales and Legends - Struggle of the Gods