Storm of the Light's Bane and Symbolic are definitely my favorites of 1995!
I should listen to more Immortal - I only know At the Heart of Winter
I recommend Minas Morgul by Summoning - great melodies and Tolkien-themed lyrics!
Also, Pierced From Within by Suffocationand The Gallery by Dark Tranquillity would be honorable mentions for me.

Written by F3ynman2000 on 18.10.2021 at 21:45

Storm of the Light's Bane and Symbolic are definitely my favorites of 1995!
I should listen to more Immortal - I only know At the Heart of Winter
I recommend Minas Morgul by Summoning - great melodies and Tolkien-themed lyrics!
Also, Pierced From Within by Suffocationand The Gallery by Dark Tranquillity would be honorable mentions for me.

Storm was an easy pick for top spot, listening to Symbolic for the first time in a while yesterday bumped it up a few. Somehow must’ve forgotten just how great it is.
You definitely should. Battles In The North is my favourite Immortal album, I feel like it’s kind of a nice in-between in regards to the furious style of Pure Holocaust and the more epic style of At the Heart of Winter but at the same time a bit more raw in its sound.
Summoning and Dark Tranquility are two bands I’ve been intending to get into but, sorry, Suffocation have never appealed to me...

Written by blackwreath13 on 18.10.2021 at 23:58

listening to Symbolic for the first time in a while yesterday bumped it up a few. Somehow must’ve forgotten just how great it is.

Yeah I just bought Symbolic on CD yesterday and listened to it again for the first time in a while. It's really incredible! The highlight is definitely the blending of heavy riffs and super melodic solos. The lyrics are also very thought-provoking and emotional. I like Chuck's voice in it too - it's a pretty unique mix of his deeper growls and a kind of sickened/raspy/strained style.

Written by blackwreath13 on 18.10.2021 at 23:58

but, sorry, Suffocation have never appealed to me...

No worries - I've only listened to one of their albums once (Pierced From Within)

Thanks for doing these lists. Keep it up!

Nice to see The Gathering getting (at least) an honorable mention. Underrated and often overlooked band.

Written by F3ynman2000 on 19.10.2021 at 08:28

Written by blackwreath13 on 18.10.2021 at 23:58

listening to Symbolic for the first time in a while yesterday bumped it up a few. Somehow must’ve forgotten just how great it is.

Yeah I just bought Symbolic on CD yesterday and listened to it again for the first time in a while. It's really incredible! The highlight is definitely the blending of heavy riffs and super melodic solos. The lyrics are also very thought-provoking and emotional. I like Chuck's voice in it too - it's a pretty unique mix of his deeper growls and a kind of sickened/raspy/strained style.

Written by blackwreath13 on 18.10.2021 at 23:58

but, sorry, Suffocation have never appealed to me...

No worries - I've only listened to one of their albums once (Pierced From Within)

Thanks for doing these lists. Keep it up!

I think my Leprosy worship might’ve hurt my perception of the album lol. I was assuming something pretentious and was like “oh wait this is just as brutal as it is melodic and progressive”.
I have tried Pierced From Within and Effigy Of The Forgotten but they always seem to come off as technical riff-salad style devoid of hooks or atmosphere which some people like but isn’t what I like in Death Metal. Who knows? I’ve come around on None So Vile so maybe I’ll like it too eventually.
Cheers, I intend to.

Written by JoHn Doe on 19.10.2021 at 09:23

Nice to see The Gathering getting (at least) an honorable mention. Underrated and often overlooked band.

Yeah it was very close to making it on, one of the best Gothic Metal albums I’ve heard. (‘95 seems to have been a particularly good year for Gothic/Death-Doom bands.)

Written by blackwreath13 on 18.10.2021 at 23:58

listening to Symbolic for the first time in a while yesterday bumped it up a few. Somehow must’ve forgotten just how great it is.

Did you happen to change your vote on Symbolic - and thereby push it past Rust in Peace to 1st place on MS?

Written by F3ynman2000 on 19.10.2021 at 17:36

Written by blackwreath13 on 18.10.2021 at 23:58

listening to Symbolic for the first time in a while yesterday bumped it up a few. Somehow must’ve forgotten just how great it is.

Did you happen to change your vote on Symbolic - and thereby push it past Rust in Peace to 1st place on MS?

Well I have bumped it up to 9 but I didn’t know it had made a difference.

I've returned to this list and to the album Burnt Offerings by Iced Earth. Nice to see it in your honorable mentions, although I'd put it higher in the ranking
I started to listen to The Gathering's Mandylion and I'm intrigued - I didn't expect the female vocalist

Written by F3ynman2000 on 05.11.2021 at 16:37

I've returned to this list and to the album Burnt Offerings by Iced Earth. Nice to see it in your honorable mentions, although I'd put it higher in the ranking
I started to listen to The Gathering's Mandylion and I'm intrigued - I didn't expect the female vocalist

It was a tight squeeze at the end and tbh I am kinda questioning whether Deicide really deserve to be on instead of those two let alone at 9. Maybe it should be changed?
Hey if it’s Gothic Metal I figure there’s a 75% chance the vocalist will be female.

Written by blackwreath13 on 06.11.2021 at 13:58

Hey if it’s Gothic Metal I figure there’s a 75% chance the vocalist will be female.

I'm totally new to gothic metal, so I didn't know that

Written by blackwreath13 on 06.11.2021 at 13:58


Hey if it’s Gothic Metal I figure there’s a 75% chance the vocalist will be female.

not yet in 1995.
It was usually "beauty & the beast" type of interaction, The Gathering did it without the beast

Written by F3ynman2000 on 06.11.2021 at 14:06

Written by blackwreath13 on 06.11.2021 at 13:58

Hey if it’s Gothic Metal I figure there’s a 75% chance the vocalist will be female.

I'm totally new to gothic metal, so I didn't know that

It’s a cool genre, some evil shit... some beautiful shit. Something for everyone (although not much happy shit).

Written by JoHn Doe on 06.11.2021 at 14:12

Written by blackwreath13 on 06.11.2021 at 13:58


Hey if it’s Gothic Metal I figure there’s a 75% chance the vocalist will be female.

not yet in 1995.
It was usually "beauty & the beast" type of interaction, The Gathering did it without the beast

True that although female vocals is the thing I first associate with it, I guess I am a product of my time - the 2000’s when people seemed to call most bands with female vocalists Gothic Metal whether a fair assessment or not.

And the 90's keep on improving with what is their best year so far. Too much stuff to talk about means I'm going to extend my list a little bit!

1. Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane
2. Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons
3. Hex Minora - Ai (noise)
4. Suffocation - Pierced From Within
5. Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler
6. Shiro Sagisu] - Neon Genesis Evangelion
7. Ved Buens Ende..... - Written in Waters
8. Forgotten Silence - Thots
9. Darkthrone - Panzerfaust
10. Opeth - Orchid
11. Hospice - Irreparableness
12. Sigh - Infidel Art
13. David Wise - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
14. David Wise / Eveline Fischer - DK Jamz: The Original Donkey Kong Country Soundtrack
15. Sieges Even - Sophisticated
16. Crystal Age - Far Beyond Divine Horizons

Shoutout to the donkey kong country soundtracks, which have no right being this good.