A little list series where I list my top 20 favorite metal albums every year starting from the year I was born in.

Man this list was a rough one, but in a good way 1988 is one of the best years in metal history and a lot of great release came out that year, cutting it down to just 20 was tough and ranking them was even harder.

1. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

2. Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II

3. Bathory - Blood Fire Death

4. Candlemass - Ancient Dreams

5. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

      View entire list ››

My all time favorite records

1. Megadeth - Rust In Peace

2. Megadeth - Countdown To Extinction

3. Megadeth - Youthanasia

4. Arch Enemy - Doomsday Machine

5. Protest The Hero - Fortress

      View entire list ››

The eighties was the most productive decade in metal history, the biggest bands born during this decade Iron Maiden, Dio, Slayer, Death, Metallica… for named a few.
The eighties starts with the NWOBHM invasion and new releases from the classic heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Judas Priest with renewed sound and heaviness.
New genres of metal start’s in the 80’s Speed Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal , the rise and fall of the Glam Rock and the first sign in what dominated the nineties alternative and Grunge.
The most representative records in the end of the 80’s

1. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

2. Testament - Practice what you preach

3. King Diamond - Conspiracy

4. Death - Leprosy

5. Voivod - NothingFace

      View entire list ››

1. Dream Theater - Images and Words

2. Mastodon - Crack the Skye

3. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

4. Kamelot - Karma

5. Sonata Arctica - Silence

      View entire list ››

I like to create playlists for fun when I'm not busy. Usually, though, I abandon them soon after. I want this playlist to be a bit different - perhaps not infinitely useful, but I associate all these songs with the season of winter and the winter holidays, and I'll be listening to all these a lot at least for a while. I thought I'd share the songs I included in my digital playlist, maybe you'll find something you like. Many of these are purposely blasphemous - I live surrounded by fundamentalist Christians and they're gonna spend the holidays singing about the birth of Christ - I need me some counterbalance.

1. Dream Theater - Awake

2. Immolation - Close to a World Below

3. Vader - Impressions in Blood

4. Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane

5. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse

      View entire list ››

1. Dream Theater - Images and Words

2. Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

3. Wintersun - Wintersun

4. Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane

5. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

      View entire list ››

Note: Tool intentionally ommitted because they don't consider themselves metal. Otherwise you'd see their first 4 albums in top 25.

Last updated: 3 June 2022

1. Agalloch - The Mantle

2. Opeth - Blackwater Park

3. Edge of Sanity - Crimson

4. Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

5. Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath

      View entire list ››

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

Honourable mentions:
Crimson Glory - Transcendence (Power/Prog)
Megadeth - So Far, So Good... So What? (Thrash)
Pestilence - Malleus Maleficarum (Death/Thrash)
Manowar - Kings Of Metal (Power)
Exodus - Fabulous Disaster (Thrash)
Saint Vitus - Mournful Cries (Doom)

1. Death - Leprosy

2. Slayer - South Of Heaven

3. Metallica - ...And Justice For All

4. Bathory - Blood Fire Death

5. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

      View entire list ››

These are my favorite opening songs of all time. When I listened to them, I was instantly hooked! Whether it starts with a slow instrumental build-up or an aggressive assault of riffs, these openers set the tone for the rest of their respective albums. Enjoy!

1. Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

2. Judas Priest - Painkiller

3. Summoning - Minas Morgul

4. Megadeth - Rust in Peace

5. Testament - The Legacy

      View entire list ››

These are (in my opinion) the best metal songs of all time. I've limited myself to choosing a maximum of TWO SONGS PER ALBUM so that there can be some diversity in the bands that appear.
The genres are mainly heavy, thrash, and death metal - with some black and power metal too.
Format: Band - Album - SONG

1. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

2. Iron Maiden - Powerslave

3. Judas Priest - Painkiller

4. Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith

5. Dio - Holy Diver

      View entire list ››

I've included my top 3 songs from each album. below I have done a list for the bands with the most albums listed:

1. Slayer (U.S) 1, 4, 10, 25, 28.
2. Sepultura (BRA) 15, 17, 47, 50, 51.
3. Metallica (U.S) 3, 14, 20, 44.
4. Megadeth (U.S) 2, 19, 26, 48.
5. Testament (U.S) 5, 8, 36.
6. Sodom (GER) 13, 32, 46.

1. Slayer - Reign In Blood

2. Megadeth - Rust In Peace

3. Metallica - Ride The Lightning

4. Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss

5. Testament - The Gathering

      View entire list ››

Albums with the most epic cover art!

1. Iron Maiden - Powerslave

2. Rainbow - Rising

3. Death - Scream Bloody Gore

4. Megadeth - Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?

5. Necrophobic - Mark of the Necrogram

      View entire list ››

These are my top 100 favorite albums - they are the reason why I love metal!
Enjoy!
Format: Band | Album | (genre, release year, country) What I like about the album; Favorite songs
Statistics:
Genre:
Death: 28
Black: 20
Thrash: 19
Heavy: 15
Progressive: 9
Power: 4
Doom: 4
Symphonic: 1
Years with most album favorites:

1. Judas Priest - Painkiller

2. Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane

3. Megadeth - Rust in Peace

4. Metallica - Ride the Lightning

5. Death - Spiritual Healing

      View entire list ››

1. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

2. Manowar - Kings Of Metal

3. Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II

4. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

5. Crimson Glory - Transcendence

      View entire list ››

An ongoing list for personal use as well as for reference for beginners (& veterans alike). This is solely my personal opinion and taste (Death & Prog mostly but do give every genre a try). Basically will include albums I've rated 8 & above. Sorted by year since I'll need a Venn diagram to sort by genre (seriously MS please make it happen if possible). Will feature multiple releases per year (obviously) and per band (since if a band is putting out better albums it deserves more recognition). Keeping the metal faith alive from India

1. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

2. King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

3. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

4. Black Sabbath - Paranoid

5. Uriah Heep - Look At Yourself

      View entire list ››