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 27th, 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

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1.Rotting Christ - Aealo

2.Sabaton - Coat Of Arms

3.Parkway Drive - Deep Blue

4.Equilibrium - Rekreatur

5.Sabaton - The Art Of War

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1.Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra

2.Rotting Christ - Aealo

3.Allegaeon - Fragments Of Form And Function

4.Carach Angren - Death Came Through A Phantom Ship

5.Dark Fortress - Ylem

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1.Helloween - 7 Sinners

2.Soilwork - The Panic Broadcast

3.Treat - Coup De Grâce

4.Pretty Maids - Pandemonium

5.Blaze Bayley - Promise And Terror

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My Favorite Albums Of The Year \m/

1.Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier

2.Star One - Victims Of The Modern Age

3.Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time

4.Rhapsody Of Fire - The Frozen Tears Of Angels

5.Eluveitie - Everything Remains (As It Never Was)

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This is a list of all the folk metal albums I have listened to that I found to be of at least marginal quality. It is purely for my own organizational purposes and is not meant to be a definitive statement about the genre; for that reason, there are some entries that don't entirely fit the description, including some neofolk albums and bands that don't exactly play "folk metal" but are close enough.

There used to be a good amount of crossover with my black metal list, but I have since cleaned house and removed anything labeled "pagan" or "Viking" to this list. Personally, I'm very skeptical of the idea that "pagan" anything is its own genre, and unless you're Bathory, the Viking shtick doesn't really work with me. I file it under blackened folk or folk black metal or something like that; if it has any ties to traditional music, I've decided simply to add it to this list and not bother with splitting hairs.

The first section of albums represents my favorite albums - sometimes just within the genre, sometimes overall. Beyond that, they are divided into sections by rating going down to 6/10, and within those sections in alphabetical order.

This list was last updated August 8, 2021.

1.Elvenking - Secrets Of The Magick Grimoire

2.Forefather - Ours Is The Kingdom

3.Forefather - Steadfast

4.Forefather - Last Of The Line

5.Dalriada - Áldás

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1.Deadlock - Bizarro World

2.In Flames - Clayman

3.Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God

4.Slipknot - Iowa

5.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

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Just a list of my personal top albums for the year 2010.

1.Rotting Christ - Aealo

2.Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

3.Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time

4.Eluveitie - Everything Remains (As It Never Was)

5.Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra

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1.Equilibrium - Rekreatur

2.Kivimetsän Druidi - Betrayal, Justice, Revenge

3.Whispered - Thousand Swords

4.Finntroll - Nifelvind

5.Eluveitie - Everything Remains As It Never Was

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1.Ensiferum - Iron

2.Ensiferum - Ensiferum

3.Turisas - The Varangian Way

4.Eluveitie - Slania

5.Equilibrium - Sagas

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Best Folkish albums I've heard so far...!! Please feel free to post your Suggestions!!

1.Agalloch - The Mantle

2.Ensiferum - Iron

3.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

4.Blackmore's Night - Under A Violet Moon

5.Blackmore's Night - Shadow Of The Moon

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My "Final Selection" for 2010. Top 10 in order. The Rest for A-Z.
As a big fan of Power and Folk metal, this year was quiet good. The return of Rhapsody, new actors as Ancient Bards, Sinbreed, great comeback - Accept, Masterplan with Jorn, long awaited albums - Orphaned Land, Blind Guardian and Alcest. Some discoveries - Finsterforst, Skiltron, Pretty Maids (shame on me)and Orden Ogan. Some unexpected suprises Black Majesty, Iron Fire. Not to say that many bands didnt disappoint me with their new album - Derdian, Freedom Call, Eluvetie, Galneyrus, Wuthering Heights. Good year, a little bit above the average

1.Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time

2.Pathfinder - Beyond The Space, Beyond The Time

3.Freedom Call - Legend Of The Shadowking

4.Derdian - New Era Pt. 3 - The Apocalypse

5.Rhapsody Of Fire - The Frozen Tears Of Angels

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2010 had a lot of great releases. Here are some my favorites that will look like other people's favorites.

1.Ihsahn - After

2.Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

3.Finntroll - Nifelvind

4.Barren Earth - Curse Of The Red River

5.Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR

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1.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

2.Fear Factory - Mechanize

3.Les Discrets - Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées

4.Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

5.Eluveitie - Everything Remains as It Never Was

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Just a list containing some of my favorite folk metal albums of all time. Note: this list is unordered.

1.Wintersun - Wintersun

2.Equilibrium - Sagas

3.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

4.Moonsorrow - V: Hävitetty

5.Agalloch - The Mantle

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