Progressive metal is one of my most favorite musical genres. The most interesting thing about this genre is the musical flexibility and the fact that progressive metal can come into different forms and this makes progressive metal one of the most divers genres of metal. For me, progressive metal is not just about stupid technicality and soulless show off. For this reason, my definition of progressive metal might be a little different from others. Progressive rock and metal were meant to put aside musical boundaries but nowadays it seems that being complex, technical, "intelligent", ambitious and pretentious is an inherent quality of prog metal genres. Screw this bullshits. Here are my most favorite prog metal albums. They might sometime be technical and complex but they all have their own soul in my opinion.

1.Tool - Lateralus

2.Opeth - Still Life

3.Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor

4.Green Carnation - Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness

5.Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao

      View entire list ››

These are my 20 favorite albums ever. There is a lot of a prog here, which is my favorite genre.

My taste isn't exactly defined yet, but that's because I'm still young.

1.Dream Theater - Images And Words

2.Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

3.Tool - Lateralus

4.Riverside - Second Life Syndrome

5.Opeth - Blackwater Park

      View entire list ››

My top ranked (in order from best down) favorite hard rock/heavy metal albums. I've also one included my top three favorite tracks from each album.

Enjoy!

1.Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Rush - Hemispheres

4.Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards

5.Judas Priest - Painkiller

      View entire list ››

Updated 14.4.2024

My rather personal and improvised take on the subject matter. The list is pretty wage, I'll be updating it a lot and the order might vary a little depending on some things, but they're all great and awesome records no matter what. If there are some great records missing, that doesn't necessarily mean I consider them bad, maybe I just forgot about them or just haven't listened to them enough to consider them personal favourites.

Limited to metal and rock albums found on Metal Storm. Most of them (at least 90%) are anyway, so doesn't matter. The absent ones are mostly more pop and synth oriented stuff and some really obscure jazz and fusion albums.

1.Marillion - Marbles

2.Anathema - Weather Systems

3.Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time

4.Moonsorrow - Voimasta Ja Kunniasta

5.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

      View entire list ››

The must-have albums of old school heavy metal. Includes genres like Traditional, NWOBHM, U.S.P.M., Speed, Epic, Doom, and prog.

1.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

2.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

3.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

4.Crimson Glory - Transcendence

5.Angel Witch - Angel Witch

      View entire list ››

These are the 211 essential hard rock/metal albums of the 80's, as were selected by the Greek Magazine "Metal Hammer" (August 2001 issue).

The albums followed by a star are the "must have", whereas the rest albums are the "could have".

1.Angel Witch - Angel Witch

2.AC/DC - Back In Black

3.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

4.Diamond Head - Lightning To The Nations

5.Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

      View entire list ››

My favorite albums. Includes EPs and 1 compilation. Anything ouside the top 20 or so could be up or down several places. Constantly subject to change.

1.Saviour Machine - Saviour Machine II

2.Ayreon - The Human Equation

3.Stolen Babies - There Be Squabbles Ahead

4.Billy Idol - Cyberpunk

5.Within Temptation - The Unforgiving

      View entire list ››

Some of these albums are known just when you see their album cover. They are usually iconic albums (whether positively or negatively) and one can easily identify them even if they were zoomed out tons in any place.

Please contribute to this list by suggesting albums you think have iconic covers. Comments are appreciated.

1.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

2.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

3.Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse

4.Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

5.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

      View entire list ››

The greatest albums of all time aka albums that nobody needs to listen to unless they want to aka only 9/10 and 10/10 albums here aka no memes, sorry. No particular order either. Will add more albums in the future. Because I can't add new albums in the past, can I?

1.Lurker Of Chalice - Lurker Of Chalice

2.!T.O.O.H.! - Order And Punishment (Řád A Trest)

3.Evoken - Quietus

4.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

5.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

      View entire list ››

1.Estatic Fear - Somnium Obmutum

2.Theatre Of Tragedy - Theatre Of Tragedy

3.My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans

4.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

5.Anathema - The Silent Enigma

      View entire list ››

1.All time & genre (including Non-Metal on MS)
2.Only studio albums & EPs
3.I DON'T modify this list. So, this list is THE FINAL edition and based on my selection on 1 April 2017. (Modified on 12 February 2022)
4.The genre is primary one.
Last modified on 1 April 2017

...NOTICE: I'm reselecting albums & EPs for "The Timeless Ver2". This will be a bit more stringently selected than "ver1".

1.Opeth - Blackwater Park

2.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

3.Krallice - Diotima

4.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

5.Deathspell Omega - Kénôse

      View entire list ››

Lots of genres, not repeating any Band (except Therion, but with 3 different styles). You cannot go wrong with this list, some nice Starts to any kind of Metal.
The list is sorted by year, but has not any particular order. Enjoy!

1.Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

2.Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

3.Therion - Symphony Masses - Ho Drakon Ho Megas

4.Cynic - Focus

5.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

      View entire list ››

I'll start with the disclaimer that I am not, nor ever have been, a musician. This list is of my own favorite performers, not the actual technical best musicians as I am a layman and can only go by what my stupid ears tell me. You'll notice the list is vocalist heavy which is a byproduct of my lack of musical talent. The list contains the artist, their instrument and the release where I feel they are at their best. **Last Update 08/16/11**

1.Symphony X - The Odyssey

2.Septicflesh - Communion

3.Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite

4.Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black Progress

5.Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy

      View entire list ››

Moves up and down depending on mood, but top 25-30 usually the same in varying order

1.Sylosis - Conclusion Of An Age

2.Machine Head - The Blackening

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

4.Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth

5.In Flames - The Jester Race

      View entire list ››

This is an alphabetical list of metal songs and albums that inspired the names of other artists.

While comparable lists often focus on the band name and explain its origin, this list turns the point of view and presents the influential albums and songs that were the basis for the inspiration of other artists and therefore highlights their general impact.

Please feel free to suggest more (MS listed) metal/hard rock examples.

SUMMARY
BANDS THAT INFLUENCED SEVERAL OTHER ARTIST NAMES WITH THEIR WORK

1st Place (14):
Black Sabbath

2nd Place (7):
Judas Priest

3rd Place (5):
Venom

4th Place (4):
Morbid Angel

5th Place (3):
Celtic Frost, Iron Maiden, Metallica

6th Place (2):
Cynic, Darkthrone, Deftones, Dio, Godflesh, Kreator, Motörhead, Rush, Slayer



SUMMARY
ALBUMS THAT INFLUENCED THE NAMES OF SEVERAL OTHER ARTISTS

1st Place (3):
Black Sabbath (Black Sabbath),
Ride The Lightning (Metallica), Altars Of Madness (Morbid Angel), Welcome To Hell (Venom)

2nd Place (2):
Paranoid (Black Sabbath), Master Of Reality (Black Sabbath), Mob Rules (Black Sabbath), To Mega Therion (Celtic Frost), Focus (Cynic), Iron Maiden (Iron Maiden), Sin After Sin (Judas Priest), Stained Class (Judas Priest), Pleasure To Kill (Kreator)

1.Amebix - No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings

2.Anathema - Alternative 4

3.Arch Enemy - Black Earth

4.Architects - Ruin

5.Ayreon - The Final Experiment

      View entire list ››