2026 Top 20+

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2026 Top 20+

List image
A list by
Languedocian
Created
January 02, 2026
Entries
106
Endorsements
5
Previous:
2025
2024

Time for another list...

EP of the Year
🥇 -
🥈 -
🥉 -

Debut of the Year
🥇 - Void Of Light - Asymmetries
🥈 - Northern Graves - Derelict Heart
🥉 - De L'Abîme Naît L'Aube - Rituel : Initiation

Song of the Year:
🥇 - Crippled Black Phoenix - Colder And Colder
🥈 - The Silver - Tendrils
🥉 - Speglas - The Endarkenment


🇳🇿 - 🥇🥇🥈
🇩🇪 - 🥇🥈🥉
🇫🇮 - 🥇🥈🥉
🇬🇧 - 🥇🥈
🇨🇴 - 🥇🥉
🇮🇹 - 🥇
🇨🇦 - 🥇
🇫🇷 - 🥈
🇳🇱 - 🥈
🇵🇱 - 🥈
🇨🇭 - 🥈
🇸🇪 - 🥉🥉
🇩🇰 - 🥉🥉
🇺🇸 - 🥉
106.
1.
Miserere Luminis - Sidera
🇨🇦 9
106.
2.
DeadTrees - New World
🇨🇳 9
106.
3.
Hällas - Panorama
🇸🇪 8.5+
106.
4.
Enshine - Elevation
🇸🇪 8.5+
106.
5.
At The Gates - The Ghost Of A Future Dead
🇸🇪 8.5+
106.
6.
Ethereal Darkness - Echoes
🇧🇪 8
106.
7.
Véhémence - Assiégé Pour L'éternité
🇫🇷 8
106.
8.
Speglas - Endarkenment, Being & Death
🇸🇪 8
106.
9.
Elder - Through Zero
🇩🇪 8
106.
10.
Draconian - In Somnolent Ruin
🇸🇪 8
106.
11.
Immolation - Descent
🇺🇸 8
106.
12.
Yoth Iria - Gone With The Devil
🇬🇷 8
106.
13.
Crippled Black Phoenix - Sceaduhelm
🇬🇧 8
106.
14.
Skaphos - The Descent
🇫🇷 8
106.
15.
Winterfylleth - The Unyielding Season
🇬🇧 8
106.
16.
The Silver - Looking Glass Hymnal Blue
🇺🇸 8
106.
17.
Triumpher - Piercing The Heart Of The World
🇬🇷 8
106.
18.
A Forest Of Stars - Stack Overflow In Corpse Pile Interface
🇬🇧 8
106.
19.
Neurosis - An Undying Love For A Burning World
🇺🇸 8
106.
20.
The Duskfall - The Everlasting Shadows
🇸🇪 7.5+
106.
21.
Antrisch - Expedition III : Renitenzpfad
🇩🇪 7.5+
106.
22.
Spell - Wretched Heart
🇨🇦 7.5+
106.
23.
The Holeum - Ensis
🇪🇸 7.5+
106.
24.
Blindead 23 - Deuterium
🇵🇱 7.5
106.
25.
Vomitory - In Death Throes
🇸🇪 7.5
106.
26.
Atavistia - Old Gods Awaken
🇨🇦 7.5
106.
27.
Ellende - Zerfall
🇦🇹 7.5
106.
28.
Gaerea - Loss
🇵🇹 7.5
106.
29.
Galibot - Catabase
🇫🇷 7.5
106.
30.
Void Of Light - Asymmetries
🇬🇧 7.5
106.
31.
Northern Graves - Derelict Heart
🇺🇸 7.5
106.
32.
Hecate Enthroned - The Corpse Of A Titan, A Lament Long Buried
🇬🇧 7.5
106.
33.
De L'Abîme Naît L'Aube - Rituel : Initiation
🇨🇭 7.5
106.
34.
Green Carnation - A Dark Poem, Part II: Sanguis
🇳🇴 7.5
106.
35.
Angellore - Nocturnes
🇫🇷 7.5
106.
36.
Archspire - Too Fast To Die
🇨🇦 7.5
106.
37.
Dyed In Grey - Harbinger
🇺🇸 7.5
106.
38.
Riverflame - Lunar Crusades
🇬🇷 7.5
106.
39.
Cnoc An Tursa - A Cry For The Slain
🇬🇧 7.5
106.
40.
Bloody Valkyria - Requiem: Reveries Of The Dying
🇫🇮 7.5
106.
41.
Weedpecker - V
🇵🇱 7.5
106.
42.
Aversio Humanitatis - To Become The Endless Static
🇪🇸 7.5
106.
43.
Nazghor - A World Ablaze
🇸🇪 7
106.
44.
Crimson Shadows - Whispers Of War
🇨🇦 7
106.
45.
Wildhunt - Aletheia
🇦🇹 7
106.
46.
Anneke Van Giersbergen - La Mort
🇳🇱 7
106.
47.
Dimmu Borgir - Grand Serpent Rising
🇳🇴 6.5+
106.
48.
Whirlwind - 1640
🇪🇸 6.5+
106.
49.
Fires In The Distance - Circadian Promise
🇺🇸 6.5
106.
50.
Downfall Of Nur - And The Firmament Will Burn To Quench The Pain Of This Earth
🇦🇷 6.5
106.
51.
Archaic Oath - Determined To Death And Beyond
🇧🇪 6.5
106.
52.
Abandon Agony - Endbringer
🇸🇪 6.5
106.
53.
Volcandra - Beyond The Will Of Mortals
🇺🇸 6.5
106.
54.
Misanthrope - Embrasement
🇫🇷 6.5
106.
55.
Vansind - Hævnen
🇩🇰 6.5
106.
56.
Crimson Glory - Chasing The Hydra
🇺🇸 6.5
106.
57.
Pure Wrath - Bleak Days Ahead
🇮🇩 6.5
106.
58.
Sanctvs - De L'Abîme Au Plérôme
🇨🇦 6.5
106.
59.
Ordh - Blind In Abyssal Realms
🇺🇸 6.5
106.
60.
Rivers Ablaze - Inexternal Dread
🇭🇺 6.5
106.
61.
Ponte Del Diavolo - De Venom Natura
🇮🇹 6.5
106.
62.
Invictus (JPN) - Nocturnal Visions
🇯🇵 6
106.
63.
Ossomancer - Banebjed’s Path
🇺🇸 6
106.
64.
Toward The Throne - Midnight
🇫🇷 6
106.
65.
Stormkeep - The Nocturnes Of Iswylm
🇺🇸 6
106.
66.
Pharmacist - Vertebrae After Vertebrae
🇯🇵 6
106.
67.
Periphery - A Pale White Dot
🇺🇸 5.5+
106.
68.
Bloodred Hourglass - After The Burial
🇫🇮 5.5
106.
69.
Devoid Of Thought - Devoid Of Thought
🇮🇹 5
106.
70.
Neal Morse - L.I.F.T.
🇺🇸
106.
71.
Hellripper - Coronach
🇬🇧
106.
72.
Spirit Adrift - Infinite Illumination
🇺🇸
106.
73.
Hanging Garden - Isle Of Bliss
🇫🇮
106.
74.
Inferi - Heaven Wept
🇺🇸
106.
75.
Power Paladin - Beyond The Reach Of Enchantment
🇮🇸
106.
76.
Kerrigan - Wayfarer
🇩🇪
106.
77.
Tjaktjadálvve - Encompassing Nothingness
🇸🇪
106.
78.
Blackwater Holylight - Not Here Not Gone
🇺🇸
106.
79.
Juodvarnis - Tėkmės
🇱🇹
106.
80.
Vreid - The Skies Turn Black
🇳🇴
106.
81.
Circular Ruin - A Sermon In Tongues
🇸🇪
106.
82.
Melechesh - Sentinels Of Shamash
🇳🇱
106.
83.
Marlugubre - Per Amor Nymphae
🇮🇹
106.
84.
Karnivool - In Verses
🇦🇺
106.
85.
Soen - Reliance
🇸🇪
106.
86.
Marianas Rest - The Bereaved
🇫🇮
106.
87.
Cryptic Shift - Overspace & Supertime
🇬🇧
106.
88.
AmongRuins - Advent Of Chaos
🇬🇷
106.
89.
Leatherhead - Violent Horror Stories
🇬🇷
106.
90.
Upiór - Forefathers' Eve (Redemption)
🇫🇷
106.
91.
Tailgunner - Midnight Blitz
🇬🇧
106.
92.
Non Est Deus - Blessings And Curses
🇩🇪
106.
93.
Temple Of Void - The Crawl
🇺🇸
106.
94.
Sidious - Malefic Necropolis
🇬🇧
106.
95.
The Ruins Of Beverast - Tempelschlaf
🇩🇪
106.
96.
Worm Shepherd - Dawn Of The Iconoclast
🇺🇸
106.
97.
Urne - Setting Fire To The Sky
🇬🇧
106.
98.
Exxûl - Sealed Into None
🇨🇦
106.
99.
Blackbraid - Nocturnal Womb
🇺🇸
106.
100.
Møl - Dreamcrush
🇩🇰
106.
101.
Draconis Infernum - The Black Flames Of Satan
🇸🇬
106.
102.
Cruel Force - Haneda
🇩🇪
106.
103.
Graufar - Via Necropolis
🇦🇹
106.
104.
Fuath - III
🇬🇧
106.
105.
Worm - Necropalace
🇺🇸
106.
106.
Martikor - The Ritual
🇺🇸
More lists by Languedocian ››
Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
[ More lists by Languedocian ]

Comments

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Comments: 3 Visited by 43 users

Posts: 490
Permalink
+1
02.01.2026 - 22:50

Posts: 490
Two first spots for Austria in three years … I’m liking this .. let’s hope Ellende can stay in this position until december 😀
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Posts: 174
Permalink
03.01.2026 - 17:20

Posts: 174


Written by Dinruth on 02.01.2026 at 22:50

Two first spots for Austria in three years … I’m liking this .. let’s hope Ellende can stay in this position until december 😀

Definitely a country whose scene I need to explore more... Do you have any recs?

Ellende knocked off top spot by Enshine - but to be fair, this is one of the best albums I've heard in years and already an AOTY contender for me. It will take something very special to move it from 1. What an album!
----
2026 Top 20
MS Top 100 Bands By Average Album Rating
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Posts: 490
Permalink
+1
04.01.2026 - 08:24

Posts: 490
Well the obvious/traditional choices (with favorite albums) would be:

Abigor (Nachthymnen/Totschläger), Summoning (Stronghold/Oath Bound), Dornenreich (Her von Welken Nächten/Oathbound), Pungent Stench (Been caught Buttering), Hollenthon (With Vilest Worms to Dwell) Harakiri for the Sky (Arson) and Ellende ofc (Todbringer)


there are the more recent/ lesser known but great ones:

Vinsta (Drei Deita/Wiads) - a Opeth worshipping bands that throws in Hammered Dulcimer in the mix to give it a folky atmosphere and even some Jodlers

Deumus (Oyer and Terminer) - fantastic doom with a great atmosphere

Jack Frost (My own Private Hell) - Doom with pretty unique vocals .. I can listen to "You are the cancer" any day

Estatic Fear (A Sombre Dance) - can't even describe it .. some medieval guitar-work ,, a bit of black metal,.. a bit of gothic? unique album

Kringa (Feast Upon the Gleam) - Jaw breaking Black Metal

Transilvania (Night of the Nights) - Great Vampire themed Black Metal
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