These are 44 of the my favorite Gothic Metal albums in no particular order. This will hopefully serve as a starting point for someone new to the style. If one of your favorites isn't on here, it's…

1.The Foreshadowing - Second World

2.Anathema - Judgement

3.Crematory - Awake

4.Charon - Songs For The Sinners

5.Darkseed - Ultimate Darkness

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1.Sepultura - Chaos A.D.

2.Paradise Lost - Icon

3.My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans

4.Metallica - Live Shit: Binge & Purge

5.Clawfinger - Deaf Dumb Blind

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From last.fm (27.07.12)…

1.Dream Theater - Train Of Thought

2.Machine Head - Unto The Locust

3.Machine Head - The Blackening

4.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

5.Machine Head - Through The Ashes Of Empires

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RANKING CRITERIA :

- Originality [ 35% of the rating ]
- Songwriting [ 35% of the rating ]
- Performance [ 30% of the rating ]

Neither popularity among fans nor commercial success (or unsuccess)…

1.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

2.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

3.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

4.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

5.Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

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1.Death - Human

2.Opeth - Still Life

3.At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

4.Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream

5.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

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The choice of albums was made according to aesthetic criteria, taking into account only musical merits of the recordings.
Neither popularity among fans nor commercial success (or unsuccess) of the albums…

1.Anacrusis - Screams And Whispers

2.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

3.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

4.Pantera - Cowboys From Hell

5.Death - Symbolic

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1.Angra - Angels Cry

2.Dissection - The Somberlain

3.Edge Of Sanity - The Spectral Sorrows

4.Immortal - Pure Holocaust

5.Death - Individual Thought Patterns

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These my all time favorite albums.
Not in a particular rank…

1.Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

2.At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

3.Arch Enemy - Anthems Of Rebellion

4.Carcass - Heartwork

5.Children Of Bodom - Tokyo Warhearts

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Here are the most captivating atmospheres I've ever heard. Including metal and non-metal albums. Grouped according to genre and one album per band.

1.Division By Zero - Independent Harmony

2.Beyond Twilight - The Devil's Hall Of Fame

3.Riverside - Out Of Myself

4.Suspyre - When Time Fades...

5.Redemption - The Fullness Of Time

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1.Sepultura - Chaos A.D.

2.Clawfinger - Deaf Dumb Blind

3.Life Of Agony - River Runs Red

4.Steve Vai - Sex & Religion

5.Rush - Counterparts

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1.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Katatonia - Discouraged Ones

4.My Dying Bride - The Angel And The Dark River

5.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

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1.Pain Of Salvation - Remedy Lane

2.Katatonia - Brave Murder Day

3.Ira - Visions Of Landscapes

4.Pain Of Salvation - The Perfect Element, Part I

5.Savatage - Gutter Ballet

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*** READ ME *** This list is about the greatest metal albums of all-time, from all sub-genres and all countries. You won't see bands like Deep Purple, Rush, BOC, Zeppelin, etc., nor will you see bands…

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

4.Death - Symbolic

5.Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath

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Updating this as of 20th Nov 2012…

1.Madder Mortem - All Flesh Is Grass

2.Paradise Lost - Icon

3.The Gathering - Mandylion

4.Tiamat - Wildhoney

5.Throes Of Dawn - Quicksilver Clouds

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1.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

2.Marillion - Brave

3.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

5.Insomnium - Across The Dark

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