Right... Let's get this out of the way from the get-go. Alternative metal is hard to define. I guess that comes from it always wanting to experiment, explore and fuse heavy metal with non-metal music genres. It also makes it an ever changing and growing genre.

Also, before you guys flood me, yes my list contains a lot of Industrial & Nu Metal bands, as well as other genre.. As far as I'm concerned, my picks all fit quite well in the scope of an alternative metal list. Don't you agree? Wait... You disagree? Well, let's agree to disagree and move on.

As for the list itself, I'm going to try and list through time what I (me, myself & moi) consider as essential alternative albums. I will also limit myself to a maximum of 4 releases each year to prevent a messy list, which often makes it a difficult decision, especially in the early 2000's. So yes, it is possible your personal favourite won't be featured. You can tell me all about it in the comments below and we can discuss it, even argue it.

Now, have fun, enjoy my list and let me know what you think or would personally put in your favourite alt-metal list!

-Guib-

EDIT: I will now add my pick for best album of each year using the (best of xxxx) in the chosen album's description.

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Guib's Best Alternative Metal Album Picks

Best Of 2022
Polyphia - Remember That You Will Die

Best Of 2023
Mutoid Man - Mutants

Best of 2024 So Far
...tbd

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Last Updated: March 27th, 2024

1.Living Colour - Vivid

2.Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking

3.Faith No More - The Real Thing

4.Godflesh - Streetcleaner

5.L7 - Smell The Magic

      View entire list ››

This is very simple, I took the ratings for a bunch of alternative metal albums on MS and ranked them accordingly

To qualify:
The album must have been released when the band was labelled as "Alternative Metal" by MS. So for example the three most recent Gojira albums count, but early Gojira does not.

The band must have more than 10 fans on MS

Therefore this is not a reflection of my opinions, rather a reflection of numbers so if you wanna get mad, get mad at the numbers, not me. And remember that this really isn't that serious

1.Mass Hysteria - Contraddiction

2.Tool - Lateralus

3.The Butterfly Effect - IV

4.Tool - Ænima

5.Mass Hysteria - Le Bien-Être Et La Paix

      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.

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 ››

LATEST EDIT: December 12/2016- Added a whole bunch of progressive rock albums; processing earlier suggestions on the list.

Assembled below are some choice selections in alternative metal, prog rock, prog metal, jazz and avant-garde metal. I don't necessarily consider these styles to be my favourite (I do have a penchant for post-metal and cavernous death metal these days), but they have been the foundations of my taste for the last seven or eight years.

1.

2.Soundgarden - Down On The Upside

3.Rishloo - Living As Ghosts With Buildings As Teeth

4.Karnivool - Asymmetry

5.Blindead - Absence

      View entire list ››

1.TesseracT - Altered State

2.Cult Of Luna - Vertikal

3.Riverside - Shrine Of New Generation Slaves

4.Fleshgod Apocalypse - Labyrinth

5.Leprous - Coal

      View entire list ››

1.Karnivool - Sound Awake

2.Opeth - Blackwater Park

3.Angra - Temple Of Shadows

4.Tool - Lateralus

5.Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I

      View entire list ››

1.Letlive. - The Blackest Beatiful

2.Clutch - Earth Rocker

3.Protest The Hero - Volition

4.Alice In Chains - The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here

5.Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork

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This is pretty much a carbon copy of a list I posted on deviantART. If you want to see me go into a little more detail on why I picked these albums (I find it hard to do that with MetalStorm's listing system) then check out the original list here: http://shuriken95.deviantart.com/journal/Top-35-Albums-of-2013-35-21-423820869

1.Leprous - Coal

2.Ayreon - The Theory Of Everything

3.Future Of The Left - How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident

4.Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

5.Haken - The Mountain

      View entire list ››

My favourite albums of 2013. (In order of preference, and only including albums I would rate 7+).

1.Deafheaven - Sunbather

2.Protest The Hero - Volition

3.TesseracT - Altered State

4.Ovid's Withering - Scryers Of The Ibis

5.Means End - The Didact

      View entire list ››

All Studio releases including Full lengths, EPs, Collaborations and Splits.

Support the artist.

Lascaille's Shroud | Youtube

TOP ALBUM ARTWORKS OF 2013

1.Intronaut - Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones)

2.Gris - À L'Âme Enflammée, L'Äme Constellée...

3.Shade Empire - Omega Arcane

4.Obliteration - Black Death Horizon

5.Dream Death - Somnium Excessum

      View entire list ››

1.Haken - The Mountain

2.The Ocean - Pelagial

3.Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)

4.Deafheaven - Sunbather

5.Leprous - Coal

      View entire list ››

Because I can't stop listening to music, but neither can I sacrifice my lovely descriptions, so same fare as before, but deleted descriptions for those covered in the first list.

1.Protest The Hero - Volition

2.Persefone - Spiritual Migration

3.Amorphis - Circle

4.Nero Di Marte - Nero Di Marte

5.Monolithe - Monolithe IV

      View entire list ››

1.Deafheaven - Sunbather

2.Protest The Hero - Volition

3.Omnium Gatherum - Beyond

4.The Ocean - Pelagial

5.Haken - The Mountain

      View entire list ››

Albums from 2013 worth being considered for a replay, I'm already having trouble remembering some of them. I'll TRY to order them from the one I liked most to the least.
I'm taking a passive stand to this year's music since I'm dedicating myself to old records currently, so probably 3/4 of the stuff I checked out came to me from this site one way or another

1.Cult Of Luna - Vertikal

2.Corrections House - Last City Zero

3.Dreadnought - Lifewoven

4.Ayreon - The Theory Of Everything

5.Obscure Sphinx - Void Mother

      View entire list ››

1.Persefone - Spiritual Migration

2.In Vain - Ænigma

3.Soilwork - The Living Infinite

4.Heart Of A Coward - Severance

5.The Ocean - Pelagial

      View entire list ››