This is not a list over my favourite albums, although some of them on the list of course are. These are albums that formed me, had a huge impact on me and defined my musical taste. Without some of these releases I probably wouldn't even be the person that I am today.

1.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

2.Iron Maiden - Rock In Rio

3.Iron Maiden - Dance Of Death

4.Iron Maiden - Killers

5.Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time

      View entire list ››

1.Sentenced - Crimson

2.Helloween - The Dark Ride

3.HammerFall - Renegade

4.White Skull - Public Glory, Secret Agony

5.Blaze Bayley - Silicon Messiah

      View entire list ››

My favourite Symphonic Metal (mostly female-fronted) albums

1.After Forever - Decipher

2.After Forever - Prison Of Desire

3.Amberian Dawn - End Of Eden

4.Epica - Design Your Universe

5.Epica - The Phantom Agony

      View entire list ››

With the express exclusion of Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Fe, Cu, W, Hg, etc.

EP, full-length albums, & single song picks from a Guy Who's Not Really into PM... Yeah, I should have put up Viron's cover art as the image but that Dokken single (theme song of Nightmare on Elm Street movie #3) just looks far more interesting. Whether or not that was a PM addition to a Hollywood soundtrack may be a point of relevance, but to me it's immaterial. Go listen to the music!

1.Eidolon - Nightmare World

2.Tad Morose - Modus Vivendi

3.Brainstorm - Soul Temptation

4.Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera

5.Nightwish - Wishmaster

      View entire list ››

1.Haggard - Awaking The Centuries

2.Rhapsody Of Fire - Dawn Of Victory

3.Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper

4.Dark Moor - The Hall Of The Olden Dreams

5.Demons And Wizards - Demons And Wizards

      View entire list ››

1.Queensrÿche - Rage For Order

2.Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

3.Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I

4.Therion - Vovin

5.Theatre Of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear

      View entire list ››

1.Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper

2.Iron Maiden - Brave New World

3.In Flames - Clayman

4.Cradle Of Filth - Midian

5.Nightwish - Wishmaster

      View entire list ››

Edit: 20.12 / 2010

1.Angel Dust - Enlighten The Darkness

2.Arena - Immortal?

3.Artension - Machine

4.Ashes You Leave - The Inheritance Of Sin And Shame

5.Atrox - Contentum

      View entire list ››

I feel like my overall favorites list is getting too long. I'm splitting it up by rating.

1.Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

2.Qrixkuor - Poison Palinopsia

3.Skepticism - Ordeal

4.Funeral Mist - Devilry

5.Zeal & Ardor - Zeal And Ardor

      View entire list ››

1.Nightwish - Once

2.Nightwish - Oceanborn

3.Nightwish - Imaginaerum

4.Nightwish - Dark Passion Play

5.Tuomas Holopainen - The Life And Times Of Scrooge

      View entire list ››

Limiting my picks to one album per band (otherwise it would have been a much larger list), here are my top 50 favorite metal albums of all time including my favorite track for each album:

1.Stratovarius - Episode

2.Angra - Angels Cry

3.Helloween - Better Than Raw

4.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

5.Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark

      View entire list ››

1.Iron Maiden - Brave New World

2.Rhapsody - Dawn Of Victory

3.Nightwish - Wishmaster

4.Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper

5.Mudvayne - L.D. 50

      View entire list ››

1.Powerwolf - Bible Of The Beast

2.Iron Maiden - Brave New World

3.HammerFall - Renegade

4.HammerFall - Crimson Thunder

5.HammerFall - Threshold

      View entire list ››

just rating albums as I listen to them, work in progress

1.Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side

2.Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II

3.Wintersun - Wintersun

4.Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy

5.Angra - Temple Of Shadows

      View entire list ››

1.Nightwish - Once

2.Nightwish - Dark Passion Play

3.Nightwish - Oceanborn

4.Nightwish - Imaginaerum

5.Nightwish - Wishmaster

      View entire list ››