This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone who is young in age, my tastes tend to revolve around the period of the 80s to the present.* Although certain metal albums from before will certainly be featured, the period of the 60s-70s will be under-represented. I refer you to this excellent list to gain a better appreciation for some of the best metal from that period: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/freis/martin_popoffs_the_top_500_heavy_metal_albums_of_all_time/

1.Macabre - Murder Metal

2.Macabre Omen - Gods Of War - At War

3.Macbeth - Romantic Tragedy's Crescendo

4.Machinae Supremacy - Overworld

5.Machine Head - The Blackening

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They are not in order and also one album per band

1.Anathema - Serenades

2.Opeth - Morningrise

3.In The Woods... - Heart Of The Ages

4.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

5.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

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Every metalhead should have them in his collection!

1.Estatic Fear - Somnium Obmutum

2.Anathema - The Silent Enigma

3.Pantera - Cowboys From Hell

4.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

5.Opeth - Morningrise

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1.Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses

2.Within Temptation - The Silent Force

3.Haggard - And Thou Shalt Trust... The Seer

4.Anathema - Serenades

5.My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans

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I started listening to metal music when I was a teenager, somewhere around the end of the 90's. After all these years, I thought it was high time to compose my personal top list of metal albums. What you see here is the absolute best of the best ... according to my taste.

To compile this list I have put all albums that I have given a 10/10 here on MS. Then I have put all these albums in a Ranking Engine (https://www.pubmeeple.com/ranking-engine) where they were put head to head and I had to choose which I liked more. The list below is what came out of this exercise.

1.Opeth - Deliverance

2.Opeth - Blackwater Park

3.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

4.Edge Of Sanity - Purgatory Afterglow

5.Cobalt - Eater Of Birds

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

2.Sentenced - Amok

3.Paradise Lost - Draconian Times

4.Anathema - Alternative 4

5.Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding

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Welcome to what I consider the "1001 Metal Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" or in other words, a list of records of various genres in the arrays of Metal and Hard Rock that I deem essential or at least very recommended to listeners of hard and heavy music. This may be a very overwhelming list but I essentially try to collect all albums in the History of Metal that strike me as worthwhile. May this be a guideline for people that seek for an entrance to a particular genre or certain bands. In no means I am saying, that this list is indisputable by any means. I consider these my personal picks for albums that should be listened to by die-hard metal fans at least once. Hopefully you can discover some new music or relate with my picks. If I missed something that you would include in such a list, please tell me in the form of a comment. Enjoy! \,,/

1.High Tide - Sea Shanties

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

4.Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come

5.Josefus - Dead Man

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Plus my top three favourite tracks from each release. \m/

Honourable mentions:
Anathema - The Silent Enigma (Doom/Death)
The Gathering - Mandylion (Gothic)
Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side (Power)
Saint Vitus - Die Healing (Doom)
Darkthrone - Panzerfaust (Black)
Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings (Power)

1.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

2.Immortal - Battles In The North

3.Moonspell - Wolfheart

4.Death - Symbolic

5.Paradise Lost - Draconian Times

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Plus whatever Goth Rock I have that was available...

1.Fields Of The Nephilim - Mourning Sun

2.Moonspell - Night Eternal

3.Paradise Lost - Obsidian

4.Moonspell - Wolfheart

5.Tristania - Beyond The Veil

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**Trigger warning**

Albums and EPs rated 8.6+ from 100+ votes which I've given an 8 or lower to.

I've listened to and rated every album on MS that meets this criteria (at time of most recent update) - some of them multiple times - so I feel I can give my honest opinion.

The purpose of this is to list and order the albums that I simply don't "get" and to try re-listening to them in the hope of understanding why they've received so many 9 and 10 votes.

Ordered by my rating then MS rating then number of votes.

Updated: 03-Jan-24

My other lists:
Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 25 EPs (also ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)

1.Anathema - Judgement

2.Paradise Lost - Draconian Times

3.Anathema - Alternative 4

4.Motörhead - Ace Of Spades

5.Motörhead - Overkill

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No particular order

1.Graveworm - As The Angels Reach The Beauty

2.Graveworm - Scourge Of Malice

3.Dimmu Borgir - For All Tid

4.Dimmu Borgir - Stormblåst

5.Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant

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1.Moonspell - Wolfheart

2.Heavenwood - Diva

3.Desire - Infinity... A Timeless Journey Through An Emotional Dream

4.Moonspell - Irreligious

5.Bizarra Locomotiva - Bestiário

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Overall Year rating:
5/5

1.Death - Symbolic

2.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

3.Skepticism - Stormcrowfleet

4.Ved Buens Ende - Written In Waters

5.Down - Nola

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1.Skyclad - Wayward Sons Of Mother Earth

2.Running Wild - Pile Of Skulls

3.Skyclad - Jonah's Ark

4.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

5.Moonspell - Wolfheart

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1.My Dying Bride - The Angel And The Dark River

2.Moonspell - Wolfheart

3.Death - Symbolic

4.Machine Head - Burn My Eyes

5.Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia

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