An exploration of the best (and worst) albums of 1996, will keep updating as I find more albums to rank. I've often thought that 1996 was one of the worst years for metal but I keep finding great…

1.Stratovarius - Episode

2.Metallica - Load

3.Amorphis - Elegy

4.Bathory - Blood On Ice

5.Burzum - Filosofem

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1.Alter Bridge - Blackbird

2.Alter Bridge - One Day Remains

3.Amorphis - Elegy

4.Amorphis - Tuonela

5.Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale

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Must Listen: The First 8…

1.Angra - Holy Land

2.Anathema - Eternity

3.Type O Negative - October Rust

4.Stratovarius - Episode

5.Grave Digger - Tunes Of War

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1.Moonsorrow - Voimasta Ja Kunniasta

2.Primordial - To The Nameless Dead

3.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

4.Ensiferum - Ensiferum

5.Orphaned Land - Mabool: The Story Of The Three Sons Of Seven

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One album per artist in alphabetical order which happen to be my favorites. Feels like an addendum to the ?Beginner's Guide To Building A Prog Collection" (http://www.metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=58)…

1.36 Crazyfists - A Snow Capped Romance

2.Agrypnie - 16[485]

3.Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea

4.Akercocke - Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone

5.Alkaloid - Liquid Anatomy

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1.Serenity - Codex Atlanticus

2.Serenity - War Of Ages

3.

4.Amorphis - Elegy

5.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

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1.Anthriel - The Pathway

2.Oddland - The Treachery Of Senses

3.Amendfoil - Skyline Escape

4.Amorphis - Elegy

5.Pressure Points - False Lights

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This was by far the most difficult list to do. That's because all top releases are so good that any could be number one. 1996 probably best metal year ever imo.

1.Cradle Of Filth - Dusk... And Her Embrace

2.Theatre Of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear

3.Moonspell - Irreligious

4.Samael - Passage

5.Cradle Of Filth - V Empire

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Under construction

(Metal + Porcupine Tree, anyway)…

1.Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory

2.Dream Theater - Images And Words

3.Opeth - Still Life

4.Dream Theater - Awake

5.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

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1.X Japan - Dahlia

2.Therion - Theli

3.Amorphis - Elegy

4.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

5.Summoning - Dol Guldur

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Pretty nice year, some absolutely outstanding albums.

1.Estatic Fear - Somnium Obmutum

2.Opeth - Morningrise

3.Cradle Of Filth - Dusk... And Her Embrace

4.In Flames - The Jester Race

5.Devil Doll - Dies Irae

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