This is my top 50 favorite albums. If I were to ever go on a really long road trip, I would take these 50 and blare them on the trip and extra loud while driving through a city .

1.Symphony X - The Odyssey

2.Symphony X - Paradise Lost

3.Judas Priest - Painkiller

4.Ayreon - The Human Equation

5.Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy

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As is the case with my other lists, this is for my own organizational purposes and is designed purely to help me keep track of all the many black metal bands and albums that I enjoy, since I can't keep all of this information in my head. It has no other benefit whatsoever and will likely result in tantrums should anyone else see it. I'm aware that I haven't listened to every black metal album that I should have. I only went down to the 6s on this list, so it's possible that I have listened to your favorite black metal album that you desperately need to suggest and I thought it was terrible. There are a lot of heinously incompetent black metal bands out there.

On the off-chance that you've found this and actually care about what I think (you shouldn't), be advised that my favorites come first. Some are favorites in the general sense; some are favorites within black metal. The first few of those are in some order and not so much after that.

Because this is for my own purposes and not intended to be a definitive list of pure black metal, there are some black metal-adjacent bands, or albums by black metal bands that may not themselves be black metal. That's why you'll find so much Sigh clogging up the top of the list. I prefer to keep whole discographies together on one list. I used to include Primordial, Forefather, and other such bands, but a while back I created a list for folk and I decided that those artists would fit better there.

I update these lists very infrequently. This was last updated December 7, 2022.

1.Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape

2.Sigh - Graveward

3.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

4.Sigh - Heir To Despair

5.The Meads Of Asphodel - The Murder Of Jesus The Jew

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Each album was listened to thoroughly enough to put it in its right place here. So, for now, hail Immortal, the mighty kings of northern darkness!!

1.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

2.Immortal - Battles In The North

3.Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness

4.Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism

5.Immortal - Pure Holocaust

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This is a list of some of my favorite speedy ripping Black and Blackened Death metal albums...

1.1349 - Hellfire

2.Abigail Williams - In The Shadow Of A Thousand Suns

3.Angelcorpse - The Inexorable

4.Anaal Nathrakh - Eschaton

5.Anagnorisis - Overton Trees

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It's nearly been a year since I've started listening to metal. I've listened to many albums since then, but it took me some time to get used to some genres, band ideologies and listening to full albums. This is a list of albums that had a big impact on the way I perceive metal. It is NOT a favorite album list as I don't still frequently listen to some of the listed albums anymore. Ordered by impact level.

1.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

2.Suffocation - Pierced From Within

3.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

4.Agalloch - The Mantle

5.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

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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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Favorite releases from 1995

Updated 9/4/20

1.Suffocation - Pierced From Within

2.Kyuss - ...And The Circus Leaves Town

3.Gorelust - Reign Of Lunacy

4.Death - Symbolic

5.Deicide - Once Upon The Cross

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

Honourable mentions:
Anathema - The Silent Enigma (Doom/Death)
The Gathering - Mandylion (Gothic)
Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side (Power)
Saint Vitus - Die Healing (Doom)
Darkthrone - Panzerfaust (Black)
Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings (Power)

1.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

2.Immortal - Battles In The North

3.Moonspell - Wolfheart

4.Death - Symbolic

5.Paradise Lost - Draconian Times

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"I'll listen to this after I come back home"
I'm so sick of doing this.There are many,many albums that I KNOW will enjoy if I finally make time to listen too. This is more of a personal list,so I can keep track of what I need to hear.

1.Leaves' Eyes - Njord

2.Exodus - Pleasures Of The Flesh

3.Darkthrone - Circle The Wagons

4.Kreator - Coma Of Souls

5.Kreator - Violent Revolution

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For many, some of the more extreme types of metal can be challenging to penetrate. I'll admit that my first time listening to Burzum was nearly the equivalent of listening to a buzz-saw. But over time, I found my ears became acclimated, so to speak. All of the beauty and subtlety within became more and more apparent. Now I find listening to Darkthrone to be little different from listening to Vivaldi. Okay, maybe that is an overstatement, but you get the idea. The point of this list to help those looking for a more gradual path from unkvlt to kvlt, if you will. IHopefully it provides some assistance. The top represents some of the more mainstream, well-produced (but still solid) releases, while working your way down results in a stripping away of sound quality, melody, and radio-friendly content. The list ends with a mixture of gritty second wave and mentally challenging avant guarde stuff. This is far from comprehensive, so feel free to hit the forums for some deeper cuts. I also welcome thoughts on reordering as this was no easy task for one set of ears.

1.Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armageddon

2.Melechesh - Enki

3.Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

4.Immortal - All Shall Fall

5.Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant

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Just did a month-long binge and song-by-song rating on Immortal's discography. Remarkably consistent band, great workout music. Even their 'weak' albums are good.

1.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

2.Immortal - Pure Holocaust

3.Immortal - Northern Chaos Gods

4.Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness

5.Immortal - Damned In Black

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1.Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness

2.Immortal - Battles In The North

3.Immortal - Pure Holocaust

4.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

5.Immortal - Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism

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1.Dimmu Borgir - Stormblåst

2.Cradle Of Filth - Dusk... And Her Embrace

3.Gorgoroth - Under The Sign Of Hell

4.Burzum - Det Som Engang Var

5.Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

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With Immortal finished for the foreseeable future, it seems relevant to look back on their stellar catalog and reflect on one of the best black thrash acts to ever grace the genre.

1.Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness

2.Immortal - Pure Holocaust

3.Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter

4.Immortal - Battles In The North

5.Immortal - Damned In Black

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BEST YEAR OF THE CENTURY

1.Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side

2.Death - Symbolic

3.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

4.In Flames - The Jester Race

5.Dark Tranquillity - The Gallery

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