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1.
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Queen - Jazz 1978 - Don't Stop Me Now --- How it all began and the very first piece of rock music I loved. Probably some years later than in 1978, jumping from my wardrobe while freaking out to "Don't Stop Me Now" was my first conscious listening experience with an impact: I broke my leg. During school holidays. F#ck. |
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2.
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Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast 1982 - Hallowed Be Thy Name |
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3.
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Dio - Holy Diver 1983 - Holy Diver |
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4.
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Metallica - Ride The Lightning 1984 - Fade To Black & For Whom The Bell Tolls --- Must have been around 1988 that I discovered Thrash, eventhough I didn't really know that it was called Thrash back then. All I knew was that I liked what I heard. |
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5.
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Einstürzende Neubauten - Halber Mensch 1985 - Z.N.S. --- Pioneers of german Avantgarde/Noise Rock/Industrial/Experimental. I still remember the day I saw the video of this song for the first time. I was about 12 years old and it scarred me to death. |
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6.
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Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill 1986 - No Sleep Till Brooklyn & Fight For Your Right --- Was never too deep into rap and hip hop, but it would feel kinda wrong to deny that I had quite a lot of fun listening to BB in the late 80's. These guys knew how to party hard, long before I was even allowed to attend my first one. |
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7.
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Manowar - Fighting The World 1987 - Carry On --- Neither with pride nor with great joy do I have to confess that Manowar got me into Heavy Metal. "Carry On" was the first metal song I liked. But I don't owe them anything, I had to witness their live performance a few years thereafter, so they owe ME a lot. |
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8.
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Pretty Maids - Future World 1987 - Future World |
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9.
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Metallica - Master Of Puppets 1987 - Battery & Welcome Home (Sanitarium) & Disposable Heroes |
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10.
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Die Goldenen Zitronen - Porsche, Genscher, Hallo HSV 1987 - Für Immer Punk --- For me, this very song was the essence of german punk rock: Die Goldenen Zitronen, Die Ärzte, Die Toten Hosen, Torpedo Moskau, ZK, Abwärts, Slime, X mal Deutschland - all of them united to perform a cover version of Alphaville's classic "Forever Young". |
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11.
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Warlock - Triumph And Agony 1987 - All We Are & Für Immer --- I didn't even realize up to now that "Für Immer" and "Für Immer Punk" were released in the same year... |
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12.
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Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II 1988 - Dr. Stein & Keeper Of The Seven Keys & I Want Out |
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13.
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Manowar - Kings Of Metal 1988 - Kings Of Metal & Hail And Kill & Heart Of Steel --- First album I bought on my own money. Now it was official: I was a metalhead. |
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14.
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Danzig - Danzig 1988 - Mother |
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15.
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Metallica - ...And Justice For All 1988 - One & Blackened |
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16.
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Sabbat - History Of A Time To Come 1988 - A Cautionary Tale & Hosanna In Excelsis & Horned Is The Hunter --- My first encounter with 'satanic' music. Lyrics like "Hark! The fallen Angels sing: Glory to Satan our King." and the demonic laughter at the very end of the LP had a massive impact on me. Told my mum that I urgently needed a pair of black jeans and Doc Martens leather boots. Got Lego blocks for christmas instead. |
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17.
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Savatage - Gutter Ballet 1989 - Gutter Ballet & When The Crowds Are Gone --- My first girlfriend didn't like Satan, but she loved Savatage and so did I. Great memories of the best summer of my life. |
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18.
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Faith No More - The Real Thing 1989 - Epic |
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19.
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Amon - Sacrificial 1989 - Sacrificial Suicide --- this second demo of a young band that was soon to become Deicide got me into Death Metal, their untamed rawness just blew me away. |
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20.
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Overkill - The Years Of Decay 1989 - Skullcrusher |
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21.
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Pantera - Cowboys From Hell 1990 - Cemetary Gates & Primal Concrete Sledge --- My first real metal concert was Judas Priest's Painkiller tour, hitting german roads February of 1991. Neither Priest nor their support Annihilator could really impress me, but this - to me still unknown - band from the U.S. made a hell of a show. Their frontman had rather long hair and he was acting quite normal, so I assume he got replaced by a bald moron right after this tour. |
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22.
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The Sisters Of Mercy - Vision Thing 1990 - More |
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23.
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Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss 1990 - Seasons In The Abyss --- Slayer was a late discovery. Maybe too late to get into them as this remains the only Slayer song ever I can fully enjoy. |
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24.
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Danzig - Danzig II - Lucifuge 1990 - Devil's Plaything |
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25.
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Bathory - Hammerheart 1990 - Song To Hall Up High & One Rode To Asa Bay --- My entrance ticket to Viking Metal, but I never really used it for anything else but Bathory. |
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26.
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Paradise Lost - Lost Paradise 1990 - Rotting Misery --- This song changed everything I thought I knew about music at one fell swoop. People called it Death/Doom and I'd become a fan of the genre within 5 minutes and 16 seconds. |
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27.
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Savatage - Streets: A Rock Opera 1991 - A Little Too Far & Can You Hear Me Now & Believe --- Needed this as some kind of compensation for Paradise Lost so I would not drown in the misery. Besides, it did bring back some sweet memories of the summer of '89... |
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28.
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Bolt Thrower - Warmaster 1991 - Cenotaph |
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29.
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Bathory - Twilight Of The Gods 1991 - Under The Runes & Hammerheart --- Of all genres, all bands and all albums, "Hammerheart" has to be the most played song of my life and the only real purpose of my stereo's repeat button throughout the 90's. |
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30.
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Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious 1991 - Corporal Jigsore Quandary --- The awesome drum intro alone got me into Grindcore. |
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31.
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Metallica - Metallica 1991 - The Unforgiven & Nothing Else Matters --- And all over sudden, Metallica wasn't Thrash anymore and their ballads the only songs I could still stomach. |
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32.
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Sepultura - Arise 1991 - Arise --- Luckily, there was some decent new Thrash to fill the vacuum that Metallica had left... |
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33.
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Paradise Lost - Gothic 1991 - Gothic & Eternal --- Still two of the best songs Paradise Lost have ever recorded. |
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34.
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Tiamat - The Astral Sleep 1991 - Lady Temptress & Ancient Entity & Angels Far Beyond --- I fail to find the words to express how much I love this album and in particular, these three songs. |
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35.
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Eucharist - Rehearsal - 1991 1991 - The View --- This beast of a song nearly introduced me to Melodeath. The only problem was that the term "Melodeath" didn't yet exist in those days. |
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36.
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Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes 1991 - Crucify & Winter --- Tori Amos is magnificent and I believe she's the most talented female singer/songwriter of the 20th century. |
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37.
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Morbid Angel - Blessed Are The Sick 1991 - Fall From Grace |
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38.
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Anathema - The Crestfallen EP 1992 - ...And I Lust & Everwake & Crestfallen --- Damn it, was this EP f#cken stuffed with awesome songs! |
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39.
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Hass - Allesfresser 1992 - Nur Ein Traum & Neues Land & Schlagt Sie Tot & Lasst Die Glatzen Platzen --- The last two track titles translate as "Slay Them" and "Let The Baldies Burst", so you know what it's all about. This got me into Punk again... |
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40.
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Ministry - ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ 1992 - Just One Fix --- ...and this into Industrial. |
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41.
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Faith No More - Angel Dust 1992 - Midlife Crisis & Easy |
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42.
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Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond 1992 - The Bard's Song - In The Forest |
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43.
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Amorphis - The Karelian Isthmus 1992 - Exile Of The Sons Of Uisliu --- First Amorphis song I ever heard -> love at first tone... |
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44.
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Pyogenesis - Ignis Creatio 1992 - Still Burn In Fire |
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45.
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God Forsaken - Dismal Gleams Of Desolation 1992 - Waiting For The Unknown --- The ultimate grief and all phases of pain, sorrow, misery and regret in just 2 ½ minutes of Doom/Death. |
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46.
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Edge Of Sanity - Unorthodox 1992 - Enigma |
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47.
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My Dying Bride - As The Flower Withers 1992 - Sear Me --- Best My Dying Bride song EVER. From this very moment on, I thought that the "Peaceville Three" were beyond music. It rather was a religious experience. |
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48.
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At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours 1992 - The Scar --- Learned that Peaceville was even more than just three bands... |
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49.
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Tiamat - Clouds 1992 - A Caress Of Stars & The Scapegoat |
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50.
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Anathema - Serenades 1993 - J'ai Fait Une Promesse & Sleepless --- Spent my summer holidays of '93 in Slovenia when I heard "Sleepless" for the first time. You could still see the traces of the Slovenian Independence War everywhere. Back at home, I found out that this song had been dedicated to the victims of the civil wars of former Yugoslavia. |
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51.
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Carcass - Heartwork 1993 - Heartwork |
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52.
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Cemetary - Godless Beauty 1993 - And Julie Is No More & Now She Walks The Shadows & The Serpent's Kiss & By My Own Hand & Adrift In Scarlet Twilight & Where The Fire Forever Burns --- Judging by the endless list of hits, one can assume that this criminally overlooked gem has to be one of my most favorite albums of the year 1993. |
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53.
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Dismember - Indecent And Obscene 1993 - Dreaming In Red --- 25 years after its release this is still my most favorite Death Metal song of all time. |
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54.
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Edge Of Sanity - The Spectral Sorrows 1993 - Lost & Sacrificed & The Masque & Blood Of My Enemies --- In 1993, Death Metal was still booming - but most of it bored my pants off. Edge Of Sanity brought an highly appreciated, urgently needed breath of fresh air. |
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55.
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Katatonia - Dance Of December Souls 1993 - Without God --- First blackened Doom/Death ever and best blackened Doom/Death ever. |
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56.
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Morgoth - Odium 1993 - Under The Surface --- This crushing blend of Death Metal and Industrial Metal blew me away. |
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57.
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My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans 1993 - Sear Me MCMXCIII --- Yes, I know: most people seem to prefer "The Crown Of Sympathy" and "Black God" to my pick, but I'm not most people. The well-known, beautiful melody of Sear Me just kills me over and over again. |
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58.
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Paradise Lost - Icon 1993 - True Belief - This was an appropriate swan song to herald the end of an era: the Peaceville Three of Doom/Death had transformed into the Peaceville Three of whatever. Anyway, great song! |
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59.
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Sadist - Above The Light 1993 - Nadir & Breathin' Cancer & Happiness 'N' Sorrow --- Progressive Death Metal done right, years ahead of their time. |
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60.
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Propagandhi - How To Clean Everything 1993 - Haillie Sellasse, Up Your Ass --- This song got me into U.S. Hardcore Punk. |
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61.
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Sentenced - North From Here 1993 - Awaiting The Winter Frost |
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62.
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Therion - Symphony Masses - Ho Drakon Ho Megas 1993 - Dawn Of Perishness --- Symphonic (Death) Metal done right. |
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63.
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Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses 1993 - Christian Woman & We Hate Everyone |
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64.
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Hypocrisy - The Fourth Dimension 1994 - Apocalypse & Reincarnation & The Fourth Dimension & The Arrival Of The Demons & The Abyss --- The concentration of hits on this album is insane. |
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65.
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Portishead - Dummy 1994 - Sour Times & It's A Fire & Glory Box --- It shocked me that I loved this, despite of the fact that it was neither Metal nor Punk. |
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66.
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Tiamat - Wildhoney 1994 - Whatever That Hurts & Do You Dream Of Me? |
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67.
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Edge Of Sanity - Purgatory Afterglow 1994 - Black Tears |
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68.
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At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul 1995 - Blinded By Fear |
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69.
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Moonspell - Wolfheart 1995 - Alma Mater |
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70.
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Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane 1995 - Where Dead Angels Lie --- The very first tones of Meloblack blended with Melodeath caught me by surprise. |
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71.
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Nightfall - Athenian Echoes 1995 - Iris (And The Burning Aureole) |
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72.
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Sentenced - Amok 1995 - Phenix & New Age Messiah & Forever Lost & Nepenthe |
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73.
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Therapy? - Infernal Love 1995 - Diane --- Just a cover (Hüsker Dü) but what a f#cken great and intense song! |
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74.
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Morbid Angel - Domination 1995 - Where The Slime Live |
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75.
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Unanimated - Ancient God Of Evil 1995 - Life Demise & Oceans Of Time --- Underrated and overlooked but still the best Melodeath around. |
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76.
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Hypocrisy - Abducted 1996 - Roswell 47 & When The Candle Fades & Slippin' Away & The Arrival Of The Demons --- Undeniably, Hypocrisy was my most favorite band in the middle of the nineties... |
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77.
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Amorphis - Elegy 1996 - Against Widows |
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78.
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Bathory - Blood On Ice 1996 - The Lake & Woodwoman & Man Of Iron - What a relief to see that Quorthon could still deliver... |
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79.
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In Flames - The Jester Race 1996 - Artifacts Of The Black Rain |
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80.
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Sadist - Tribe 1996 - Tribe |
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81.
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Moonspell - Irreligious 1996 - Opium & Ruin & Misery |
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82.
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Propagandhi - Less Talk, More Rock 1996 - Less Talk, More Rock & Refusing To Be A Man & Nailing Descartes To The Wall/(Liquid) Meat Is Still Murder |
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83.
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Sentenced - Down 1996 - Bleed |
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84.
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Alastis - The Other Side 1997 - In Darkness & Slaves Of Rot --- I always thought Alastis were a somehow better version of their famous fellow countrymen (Samael). |
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85.
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Dark - Seduction 1997 - Broken Down & Love And Seduction --- One of the very few Gothic Metal bands I loved. Despite of the song titles, this is no kitschy 'beauty and the beast' Gothic at all. |
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86.
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Deinonychus - Ark Of Thought 1997 - Revelation & Birth And The Eleventh Moon --- This blend of Black Metal and Doom Metal got me into quite some weird stuff... |
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87.
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Hypocrisy - The Final Chapter 1997 - Request Denied |
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88.
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Portishead - Portishead 1997 - All Mine & Only You --- Trip Hop you just have to know, regardless of your general taste. |
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89.
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The Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land 1997 - Smack My Bitch Up & Breeze & Firestarter --- See Portishead, but replace "Trip Hop" by "Break Beat". |
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90.
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Sundown - Design 19 1997 - Synergy & Don't Like To Live Today --- Never met anyone who could enjoy this project of Mathias Lodmalm (Cemetary) and Johnny Hagel (Tiamat), but I certainly did enjoy these two particular songs. |
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91.
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Anathema - Alternative 4 1998 - Empty |
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92.
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Dæmonarch - Hermeticum 1998 - Corpus Hermeticum & Nine Angels --- Moonspell's Black Metal project. I'd trade all Moonspell albums of the years 1998 - 2015 for a new Dæmonarch release. |
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93.
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Tori Amos - To Venus And Back 1999 - Bliss --- One of her gloomiest songs, I'd really love to hear a Doom band's cover version of this. |
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94.
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Bomfunk MC's - In Stereo 1999 - Freestyler --- I still don't know the difference between Electro Hip Hop and Breakbeat, all I know is that this track rules. |
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95.
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Dark Tranquillity - Projector 1999 - ThereIn --- I've been a fan of DT for many years prior to the release of Projector, but this was their first song that really got me hooked. |
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96.
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On Thorns I Lay - Crystal Tears 1999 - Crystal Tears --- Gothic Doom with violins. Beautiful violins... |
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97.
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Hypocrisy - Hypocrisy 1999 - Fractured Millennium |
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98.
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Cradle Of Filth - From The Cradle To Enslave 1999 - Sleepless (Anathema cover) & From The Cradle To Enslave & Funeral In Carpathia & Of Dark Blood And F**king --- Yes, CoF did have some very catchy tunes and this EP is full of them. |
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99.
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Hollenthon - Domus Mundi 1999 - Vestige - Non Omnis Moriar --- I believe that Symphonic (Death/Folk) Metal is quite a plague, but these guys knew how to do it right. |
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100.
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Eternal Tears Of Sorrow - Chaotic Beauty 2000 - Black Tears (EoS cover) & Autumn's Grief & The Seventh Eclipse & Bride Of The Crimson Sea --- Extreme Power Metal is quite a plaque, too, but... see Hollenthon. |
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101.
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:Of The Wand And The Moon: - :Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness: 2000 - Lost In Emptiness --- My first encounter with dark Neofolk. Repetitive and minimalistic, but still one of my most favorite tracks of the genre. |
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102.
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Dies Natalis - Vom Gedanken... Und Der Erinnerung 2000 - Der Stein Weit Im Korn & Rain --- German Neofolk and the perfect soundtrack for campfire sing-alongs. |
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103.
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Hypocrisy - Into The Abyss 2000 - Fire In The Sky & Deathrow (No Regrets) --- The last songs of the century just had to be from Hypocrisy - my personal most consistent, favorite band of the decade. |