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

1.Thy Catafalque - Meta

2.Sepulcros - Vazio

3.Kassad - Faces Turn Away

4.Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings

5.Xanthochroid - Of Erthe And Axen: Act I

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Welcome to what I consider the "1001 Metal Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" or in other words, a list of records of various genres in the arrays of Metal and Hard Rock that I deem essential or at least very recommended to listeners of hard and heavy music. This may be a very overwhelming list but I essentially try to collect all albums in the History of Metal that strike me as worthwhile. May this be a guideline for people that seek for an entrance to a particular genre or certain bands. In no means I am saying, that this list is indisputable by any means. I consider these my personal picks for albums that should be listened to by die-hard metal fans at least once. Hopefully you can discover some new music or relate with my picks. If I missed something that you would include in such a list, please tell me in the form of a comment. Enjoy! \,,/

1.High Tide - Sea Shanties

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

4.Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come

5.Josefus - Dead Man

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Happy Solstice or whatever you people celebrate! Starting the year with a pretty Black Metal-heavy list.

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

Honourable mentions:
Moonspell - The Antidote (Gothic)
Alchemist - Austral Alien (Progressive)
KMFDM - WWIII (Industrial)
Enslaved - Below The Lights (Progressive/Black)

1.Watain - Casus Luciferi

2.Funeral Mist - Salvation

3.Machine Head - Through The Ashes Of Empires

4.Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God

5.Kamelot - Epica

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This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone who is young in age, my tastes tend to revolve around the period of the 80s to the present.* Although certain metal albums from before will certainly be featured, the period of the 60s-70s will be under-represented. I refer you to this excellent list to gain a better appreciation for some of the best metal from that period: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/freis/martin_popoffs_the_top_500_heavy_metal_albums_of_all_time/

1.Faal - The Clouds Are Burning

2.Façade - The Eternal Dance

3.Facínora - Hell Is Here

4.The Faceless - Autotheism

5.Faceless Burial - Speciation

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1.Burzum - Filosofem

2.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

3.Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger

4.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

5.Marduk - Rom 5:12

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These are the albums available through the Solemn Bastion distro. Advocate of Left hand Path and Obscure art.

1.Absolutus - Pugnare In Iis Quae Obtinere Non Possis

2.Abyssal - Antikatastaseis

3.Acrimonious - Sunyata

4.Adustum - Searing Fires and Lucid Visions

5.Adversarial - Death, Endless Nothing And The Black Knife Of Nihilism

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Simple ranking of all my favorite albums. Favorite song from the album in the notes. Sure to change/expand as I learn and explore more within metal.
2023: This was starting to get too long so I split it into separate lists for albums at each ranking 10 to 7. This list will no longer be updated.
10: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6891
9: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=7213
8: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=7512
7: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=8058

1.Madder Mortem - Eight Ways

2.Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side

3.Ayreon - 01011001

4.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

5.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

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1.Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark

2.Bathory - Blood Fire Death

3.Master's Hammer - Ritual

4.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

5.Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism

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Sometimes, samples can improve the atmosphere of a song just as much as the instruments (or even more). This is a compilationn of some of my favorite samples in metal. I'm trying to keep it one album per band but exceptions are just fine. Oh yeah, I forgot something: I'm not gonna be too specific about where these samples are. It's way more interesting to discover them on your own!

Recommendations are welcome! Just don't get upset if I don't like them. D:
Please write band AND album.

Rec's awaiting evaluation:
N.K.V.D. - Vlast
Will Haven - Voir Dire
The Monolith Deathcult - Trivmvirate
Necrophagia - Deathtrip 69
Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre
Ævangelist - De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis
Fantômas - Delirium Cordia
Metallica - Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, ...And Justice For All
Deicide - Legion
Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre
Tool - Lateralus, Ænima
Impaled - Mondo Medicale
Queens Of The Stone Age - Queens Of The Stone Age
Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness
Heathen - Victims Of Deception
Fear Factory - Demanufacture
White Zombie
Strapping Young Lad - City
Static-X - Wisconsin Death Trip
Nailbomb - Point Blank
Impetigo - Horror Of The Zombies
Lamb Of God - Ashes Of The Wake
Buzz*Oven - ...At A Loss
Toxik - Think This
Hell - Human Remains
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
Bolt Thrower - Mercenary
The Ruins Of Beverast - Unlock The Shrine, Foulest Semen Of A Sheltered Elite
Agalloch - Faustian Echoes
Alrakis - Alpha Eri
Blacklodge - Solarkult

1.Aborted - Goremageddon: The Saw And The Carnage Done

2.Abruptum - Potestates Apocalypsis

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Agalloch - The Mantle

5.Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea

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Maximum three Albums per Year, starting in 1991

1.Bathory - Twilight Of The Gods

2.Master's Hammer - Ritual

3.Samael - Worship Him

4.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

5.Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism

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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

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A little something I threw together, the order matters but not entirely.

1.Deströyer 666 - Phoenix Rising

2.In Death I Beome - Black Wings, Grey Skies

3.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

4.Funeral Mist - Salvation

5.Watain - Sworn To The Dark

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Loose order. Not complete

"Extreme" metal albums only

Updated 10/1/22

1.Decrepit Birth - ...And Time Begins

2.Dying Fetus - Stop At Nothing

3.Drawn And Quartered - Extermination Revelry

4.Brutus - Slachtbeest

5.Gorgasm - Masticate To Dominate

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This is the top 50 of my favourite 100 albums of 2000-2009.

1.Warning - Watching From A Distance

2.Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale

3.Primordial - To The Nameless Dead

4.Process Of Guilt - Erosion

5.Negură Bunget - OM

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