In chronological order of release.

1.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

2.Deep Purple - In Rock

3.Uriah Heep - Very 'eavy... Very 'umble

4.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

5.Budgie - Budgie

      View entire list ››

In no real particular order. These albums are all great.

1.Judas Priest - Stained Class

2.Judas Priest - Killing Machine (Hell Bent For Leather)

3.Rainbow - Long Live Rock 'N' Roll

4.Van Halen - Van Halen

5.Black Sabbath - Never Say Die!

      View entire list ››

1.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

2.Judas Priest - Nostradamus

3.Judas Priest - Jugulator

4.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

5.Judas Priest - Ram It Down

      View entire list ››

1.Judas Priest - Stained Class

2.Motörhead - Overkill

3.Judas Priest - British Steel

4.Venom - Welcome To Hell

5.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

      View entire list ››

1.Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

2.Iron Maiden - Killers

3.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

4.Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

5.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

1.Judas Priest - Painkiller

2.Judas Priest - Sin After Sin

3.Judas Priest - Killing Machine (Hell Bent For Leather)

4.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

5.Judas Priest - British Steel

      View entire list ››

The must-have albums of old school heavy metal. Includes genres like Traditional, NWOBHM, U.S.P.M., Speed, Epic, Doom, and prog.

1.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

2.Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

3.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

4.Crimson Glory - Transcendence

5.Angel Witch - Angel Witch

      View entire list ››

1.Skeletonwitch - Beyond The Permafrost

2.Metallica - Kill 'Em All

3.Dio - The Last In Line

4.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

5.Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

      View entire list ››

1.Estatic Fear - Somnium Obmutum

2.Theatre Of Tragedy - Theatre Of Tragedy

3.My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans

4.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

5.Anathema - The Silent Enigma

      View entire list ››

An entirely subjective list of my all-time favourite metal albums, well lets better say albums/genres featured on MS, since not all here is precisely metal.
Objective quality is not a criteria here, just how much I like the album. Ordered by preference, top down.

1.Anathema - The Silent Enigma

2.Opeth - Morningrise

3.Estatic Fear - Somnium Obmutum

4.My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans

5.Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss

      View entire list ››

1.AC/DC - Powerage

2.Rainbow - Long Live Rock 'N' Roll

3.Van Halen - Van Halen

4.Judas Priest - Stained Class

5.Judas Priest - Killing Machine [Hell Bent For Leather]

      View entire list ››

I know I probably speak for a lot of people when I say that, very often, the artwork that a band chooses for a particular album can be the icing on the cake, essential to giving a visual depiction that tops off the overall aesthetic of the music. There are plenty of albums that I simply couldn't imagine listening to without staring, zoned out, to the big ball of glorious that is their cover art. Here are some such albums. In alphabetical order by band. Links to full images of the covers have been provided, as well as credits to the artists.

1.Aarni - Bathos

2.Absu - The Sun Of Tiphareth

3.Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

4.Bathory - Blood Fire Death

5.Blue Öyster Cult - Fire Of Unknown Origin

      View entire list ››

Albums I have downloaded and are in the process of obtaining

1.AC/DC - Back In Black

2.AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

3.AC/DC - High Voltage

4.AC/DC - Highway To Hell

5.AC/DC - Let There Be Rock

      View entire list ››

Compilation of many Hard Rock or Metal Ballads I've heard. Bands and Albums are ordered by name alphabetically.

1.Accept - Balls To The Wall

2.Accept - Blood Of The Nations

3.Accept - Eat The Heat

4.Adagio - Underworld

5.Aerosmith - Aerosmith

      View entire list ››