Hey Folks! It’s me… Again!

I’m coming back once more to explore the depths of a genre that arguably did not begin where you all thought it did! Yeah yeah… Alright, maybe Left Hand Path, Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious, Like An Ever Flowing Stream & The Red In The Sky Is Ours aren’t exactly the sound you would expect, but they were certainly a sign of something incredible that was about to happen. The birth of Melodic Death Metal!

Most of you, them, us… Would agree that Melodic Death metal really appeared in the form of Carcass’s 1993 album Heartwork. Even though some shades of what would become staples of the genre were heard before, this one would truly be the first album to be called as such. Mixing OSDM with more classic heavy metal styled riffs & melodies, our beloved genre (along with Thrash) would become for a lot of our teenage selves, a gateway into the more extreme bowels of metal’s subgenres. I would argue that it’s an almost obligatory step in the grand metalhead’s journey. Ah, how amazing it was to first taste the somewhat delicate sound of melodeath before rattling our ears with the obscenities & nonsensical wankery of grindcore, brutal tech-death, dissonant death and post metal… Rrrrright.

As you have become accustomed to by now, I will attempt to honour the genre by listing the absolute best Melodic Death metal albums to be ever released throughout the years. And I will do so starting with a few albums that are arguably not Melodic Death metal… Because I can and I did, hah! F*ck you! Along the way, you might stumble upon some strange & unorthodox choices mixing a plethora of other genres as well and that’s ok. Truly. Take it easy, don’t hyperventilate over it and just go with the flow. The main goal here is to help people who don’t know much about melodeath discover it and where it came from. I also want to push forward some less known jewels amongst highly praised landmarks of the style and sprinkle a bit of my personality along the way because that’s always fun. The albums will be ordered in years of release and there will be no other restriction or specific rules.

I hope you have a blast going through my list and that it brings you joy and a slight tingle on your nostalgia strings. Though, if it pisses you off, if I forgot your absolute favourite album of all goddamn time or if you think I’m an idiot, well… Just remember that I’m right, always and forever, thank you. Regardless It will be a pleasure for me to hear your recommendations or discuss anything related to melodeath below. Cheers & have fun!

-Guib-

Note: Albums with a 🇨🇦 are from my country (Canada) and albums with a ★ are my personal favourites.

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Last Updated: April 27th, 2024

1.Entombed - Left Hand Path

2.Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious

3.Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream

4.At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours

5.Carcass - Heartwork

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Amon Amarth discography ranked from best to worst

1.Amon Amarth - Versus The World

2.Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising

3.Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God

4.Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side

5.Amon Amarth - Fate Of Norns

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here another top for another band that have a huge impact in my life.

1.Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God

2.Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side

3.Amon Amarth - Versus The World

4.Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising

5.Amon Amarth - Deceiver Of The Gods

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1.Opeth - Blackwater Park

2.Moonsorrow - Voimasta Ja Kunniasta

3.Windir - 1184

4.My Dying Bride - The Dreadful Hours

5.Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape

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1.Amon Amarth - Deceiver Of The Gods

2.Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God

3.Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side

4.Amon Amarth - Versus The World

5.Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

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Amon Amarth, kings of Skandinavia, melodic death titans! Their albums are here Best to worst. All are IMO, don't panic!

1.Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God

2.Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side

3.Amon Amarth - Versus The World

4.Amon Amarth - Surtur Rising

5.Amon Amarth - Deceiver Of The Gods

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1.My Dying Bride - The Dreadful Hours

2.Therion - Secret Of The Runes

3.After Forever - Decipher

4.Amorphis - Am Universum

5.Eternal Tears Of Sorrow - A Virgin And A Whore

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This is a joking list, it has the ten most weird covers of all time in metal music. It's of course an ironic list, the covers of these albums are really really gay...

1.Manowar - Anthology

2.Virgin Steele - Noble Savage

3.Manowar - Warriors Of The World

4.Accept - Balls To The Wall

5.The Gates Of Slumber - Conqueror

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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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In my oppinion these are the best of 2001, and one important fact is that many great bands made their debut in this year (Ensiferum, Moonsorrow, Arthemesia, Falconer, Saurom Lamderth, Pagan Reign, Runic...)

1.Ensiferum - Ensiferum

2.Moonsorrow - Voimasta Ja Kunniasta

3.Moonsorrow - Suden Uni

4.Saurom Lamderth - El Guardian de las Melodias Perdidas

5.Agalloch - Of Stone, Wind And Pillor

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