Hey Folks! It’s me… Again!

I’m coming back once more to explore the depths of a genre that arguably did not begin where you all thought it did! Yeah yeah… Alright, maybe Left Hand Path, Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious, Like An Ever Flowing Stream & The Red In The Sky Is Ours aren’t exactly the sound you would expect, but they were certainly a sign of something incredible that was about to happen. The birth of Melodic Death Metal!

Most of you, them, us… Would agree that Melodic Death metal really appeared in the form of Carcass’s 1993 album Heartwork. Even though some shades of what would become staples of the genre were heard before, this one would truly be the first album to be called as such. Mixing OSDM with more classic heavy metal styled riffs & melodies, our beloved genre (along with Thrash) would become for a lot of our teenage selves, a gateway into the more extreme bowels of metal’s subgenres. I would argue that it’s an almost obligatory step in the grand metalhead’s journey. Ah, how amazing it was to first taste the somewhat delicate sound of melodeath before rattling our ears with the obscenities & nonsensical wankery of grindcore, brutal tech-death, dissonant death and post metal… Rrrrright.

As you have become accustomed to by now, I will attempt to honour the genre by listing the absolute best Melodic Death metal albums to be ever released throughout the years. And I will do so starting with a few albums that are arguably not Melodic Death metal… Because I can and I did, hah! F*ck you! Along the way, you might stumble upon some strange & unorthodox choices mixing a plethora of other genres as well and that’s ok. Truly. Take it easy, don’t hyperventilate over it and just go with the flow. The main goal here is to help people who don’t know much about melodeath discover it and where it came from. I also want to push forward some less known jewels amongst highly praised landmarks of the style and sprinkle a bit of my personality along the way because that’s always fun. The albums will be ordered in years of release and there will be no other restriction or specific rules.

I hope you have a blast going through my list and that it brings you joy and a slight tingle on your nostalgia strings. Though, if it pisses you off, if I forgot your absolute favourite album of all goddamn time or if you think I’m an idiot, well… Just remember that I’m right, always and forever, thank you. Regardless It will be a pleasure for me to hear your recommendations or discuss anything related to melodeath below. Cheers & have fun!

-Guib-

Note: Albums with a 🇨🇦 are from my country (Canada) and albums with a ★ are my personal favourites.

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Last Updated: April 19th, 2024

1.Entombed - Left Hand Path

2.Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious

3.Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream

4.At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours

5.Carcass - Heartwork

      View entire list ››

The top 50 of the year that will be remembered as the gap year between the pandemic and the war

Album count: 138
Average rating: 7.24

1.Empyrium - Über Den Sternen

2.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

3.Wardruna - Kvitravn

4.Leprous - Aphelion

5.Cannibal Corpse - Violence Unimagined

      View entire list ››

With my best of 2022 coming soon, I thought It would be a good idea to do one for last year. It won't be that accurate since I didn't pay that much attention to new releases in 2021. But I still found enough music to make a top 50 list for the year. Don't forget that this list is completely subjective so please feel free to show your favourites in the comments

1.Iotunn - Access All Worlds

2.Simulacrum - Genesis

3.Turbulence - Frontal

4.Obscura - A Valediction

5.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

      View entire list ››

This is a list of all the death metal albums I have listened to that I thought were at all worth remembering. Like my other genre lists, this is just a record of my own listening experience that I use for personal organization, not a definitive account of the best or all of the death metal out there; there will probably be albums or bands that are not death metal in the strictest sense. You'll find some OSDM, melodeath, tech death, death-doom, maybe a bit of deathcore, I don't know. Maybe some non-death metal albums by death metal bands that I put in here just because.

1.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

2.Death - Symbolic

3.At The Gates - With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness

4.At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

5.Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side

      View entire list ››

For those interested in suggestions of albums by genre

Removed:
- Trolls
- Limp bizkit outside of Alternative category
- albums already nominated. After the results, I will add the nominated albums that don't receive enough votes to be displayed in the results, as "staff write-ins".
- albums with a release date not in 2021

1.

2.Heleven - Into The Oceans

3.Imminence - Heaven In Hiding

4.Lantlôs - Wildhund

5.Leprous - Aphelion

      View entire list ››

Metallic World War 2021

2017 champions Archspire want to defend their leadership (strategy: we raze you with more BPM), while Dvne (3rd place in 2017) and Rivers of Nihil (3rd place in 2018) enhance their sonic arsenal by forcefully declaring war on sovereigns; however, the battlefield is filled with loose mines that could explode and blow everything up, ultra-technical mines called Inferi, Deviant Process and First Fragment (brand: Dominic Forest Lapointe). From afar, cautious and silent, veterans named Carcass, Dream Theater and Mastodon lurk. Steffen Kummurer of Obscura (3rd place in 2009, 2nd place in 2011, 6th place in 2016, 7th place in 2018) warrior experienced and reliable, re-sheaths his most powerful weapons (Jeroen Paul Thesseling and Christian Muenzner, champion with the Alkaloid in 2018) and prepares for the final assault on the Throne of Metal. The 2012 champions, Between the Buried and Me, dethroned but never tamed, take the field recalling the glorious colors of the past to regain what is rightfully theirs.

1.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

2.Dvne - Etemen Ænka

3.Archspire - Bleed The Future

4.Obscura - A Valediction

5.Mastodon - Hushed And Grim

      View entire list ››

Another year, another list. Huh time flies. First 10 in order I think was best of the best. Last 10 worst of the worst. Rest is in a order as I think they fits (based on todays perspective) , maybe december albums are higher as januari ones and also some middle albums might be 2-3 places higher, lover.
PS If there are duplications, let me know.

1.Thyrathen - ThanatOpsis

2.Black Soul Horde - Horrors From The Void

3.Cult Of Eibon - Black Flame Dominion

4.KK's Priest - Sermons Of The Sinner

5.Icon Of Sin - Icon Of Sin

      View entire list ››

1.Wolves In The Throne Room - Primordial Arcana

2.Unleashed - No Sign Of Life

3.Whitechapel - Kin

4.Thy Catafalque - Vadak

5.Thulcandra - A Dying Wish

      View entire list ››

Another year, another list. My favorite DM from 2021, listed alphabetically by band name with subgenres. Some notable omissions include: Altarage, Asphyx, At The Gates, Be'lakor, Deviant Process, Massacre, Omnium Gatherum, Slaughter To Prevail, Swampbeast, The Beast Of Nod, The Monolith Deathcult and Vulvodynia. I've enjoyed those bands' new releases, just don't find them worthy of the company down below. Hopefully you will find a record you haven't heard of here. Feel free to recommend stuff in the comments. Enjoy!

1.200 Stab Wounds - Slave To The Scalpel

2.1914 - Where Fear And Weapons Meet

3.Abiotic - Ikigai

4.Aborted - ManiaCult

5.Abscession - Rot Of Ages

      View entire list ››

1.Cân Bardd - Devoured By The Oak

2.Thy Catafalque - Vadak

3.Iotunn - Access All Worlds

4.Aquilus - Bellum I

5.Dordeduh - Har

      View entire list ››

You already know what to expect from these kinds of lists, so let's get straight to the point.

The statistics for this year's list:

- 268 albums
- Total points given: 2007,4
- Average Score: 7,49/10

- Albums with a score of 7 or above: 62,80%
- Albums with a score of 8 or above: 30,60%
- Albums with a score of 9 or above: 1,12%

1.Raphael Weinroth-Browne - Worlds Within Live

2.Decimals - Symmetry

3.Hwaino - We Lost Another Moon

4.In Mourning - The Bleeding Veil

5.First Nation - Baraka

      View entire list ››

1.Be'lakor - Coherence

2.Opera Diabolicus - Death On A Pale Horse

3.Cynic - Ascension Codes

4.Empyrium - Über Den Sternen

5.Iotunn - Access All Worlds

      View entire list ››

My personal favorite 75 metal albums of the year, this year has been pretty good when comes to heavy metal, especially within black and melodic death metal, also a good year for symphonic metal.

My favourite non metal albums of the year

Spotify playlist:
2021

1.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

2.Helloween - Helloween

3.Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion

4.Turnstile - Glow On

5.Havengarth - The Path Through Reminiscence

      View entire list ››

This year was a very good year in terms of releases, so this year it was very difficult to make a top 10 plus 3 extras. It could probably be another 10 albums or even another 10.

1.Epica - Omega

2.Tribulation - Where The Gloom Becomes Sound

3.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

4.1914 - Where Fear And Weapons Meet

5.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

      View entire list ››

My top best albums of 2021!

1.Iotunn - Access All Worlds

2.Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion

3.Evergrey - Escape Of The Phoenix

4.Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm

5.Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon

      View entire list ››