The MS top 200 is supposed to represent the absolute peak of metal music, the timeless classics. I have been listening to metal for about 6 years now and would consider myself fairly knowledgeable about the genre. Yet, I have barely heard half of what the top 200 has to offer. I am now on a quest to listen to it all and give an honest opinion on what I thought of it.
This list will show every album of the top 200 and if I've listened to it whether it's an all-time favourite of mine (+++), I really like it (++), I like it (+), I don't think it's anthing special (*), I dislike it (-) or I really dislike it (--). The same symbols will be used to characterize what I think my opinion of the albums I haven't heard yet will be, based on my knowledge of the band and of the genre they play. (?) signifies that I have no idea of whether I'll enjoy it or not and (/) means that my opinion of the album is probably obsolete and I need to listen to it again.
The way the top 200 works makes it so that the albums at the bottom of the list are actually tied with other albums, but those other albums do not show up in the list. To make this list better, I decided that every album rated 8.74 (the lowest score included in the top 200) as of 23/04/2023 would be included in my list, making it a top 215.

1. Albums I am yet to hear:

2. -----------------------------

3. Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side

4. W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol

5. Saturnus - Veronika Decides To Die

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Limiting my picks to one album per band (otherwise it would have been a much larger list), here are my top 50 favorite metal albums of all time including my favorite track for each album:

1. Stratovarius - Episode

2. Angra - Angels Cry

3. Helloween - Better Than Raw

4. Metallica - Ride The Lightning

5. Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark

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This is an alphabetical list of metal songs and albums that inspired the names of other artists.

Please feel free to suggest more examples.

1. Amebix - No Sanctuary: The Spiderleg Recordings

2. Anathema - Alternative 4

3. Arch Enemy - Black Earth

4. Architects - Ruin

5. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

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A little list series where I list my top 20 favorite metal albums every year starting from the year I was born in.

2003 may not have been that spical, but for me I think it was possibly one of the best years for Power and Symphonic metal, also this was the year where I started to listen to metal regularly going back to classic albums and bands, starting my metal journey.

1. Masterplan - Masterplan

2. Epica - The Phantom Agony

3. Lost Horizon - A Flame To The Ground Beneath

4. Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

5. Swallow The Sun - The Morning Never Came

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1. Pain Of Salvation - Remedy Lane

2. Evergrey - The Inner Circle

3. Dark Tranquillity - Haven

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

5. Nevermore - Dead Heart In A Dead World

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These are albums that I'm currently enjoying. They may be classics that I'm revisiting or new gems I've recently discovered. (Ordered alphabetically)

By the way, this image is the view out of my bedroom window

- A star (⭐️) denotes a new discovery that I find exceptionally special!
- A flame (🔥) denotes an album that I've heard before, enjoyed, and am revisiting this month!

1. Acherontas - Theosis

2. Albino Slug - Albino Slug

3. Anathema - Alternative 4

4. Ashbury - Endless Skies

5. Asphyx - Death... The Brutal Way

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just rating albums as I listen to them, work in progress

1. blind guardian - imaginations from the other side

2. helloween - keeper of the seven keys part II

3. wintersun - wintersun

4. symphony x - the divine wings of tragedy

5. ANGRA - Temple of shadows

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Ratings go from:

WORSHIP ❤️❤️❤️: Absolute greatness, a mindblowing album.
LOVE ❤️❤️🖤: Amazing release with very few flaws.
LIKE ❤️🖤🖤: Enjoyable but far from perfect.
DISLIKE 💔: Not very good or maybe not fitting my tastes.

I've decided to stop rating albums with a numerical value as I tend to feel uncomfortable with that. This list has a minimalistic, subjective and visceral approach, based purely on sensations and personal tastes. Mainly for personal use and doesn't pretend to be a serious ranking, but emerges from the need to remember which bands and albums I enjoyed and the ones I disliked. I constantly revisit new releases so first impressions may change over time. It usually takes 8-10 spins for me to get completely sure of a rating.

1. Æther Realm - Tarot

2. Abhoria - Abhoria

3. Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4. Agrypnie - Metamorphosis

5. Allegaeon - Fragments Of Form And Function

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1. Kamelot - Epica

2. Kamelot - Ghost Opera

3. Kamelot - The Shadow Theory

4. Kamelot - Haven

5. Kamelot - The Black Halo

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Happy Solstice or whatever you people celebrate! Starting the year with a pretty Black Metal-heavy list.

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

Honourable mentions:
Moonspell - The Antidote (Gothic)
Alchemist - Austral Alien (Progressive)
KMFDM - WWIII (Industrial)
Enslaved - Below The Lights (Progressive/Black)

1. Watain - Casus Luciferi

2. Funeral Mist - Salvation

3. Machine Head - Through The Ashes Of Empires

4. Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God

5. Kamelot - Epica

      View entire list ››

Inc. Symphonic Metal.

1. Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time

2. Sabaton - The Art Of War

3. Unleash The Archers - Apex

4. Kamelot - The Black Halo

5. Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle-Earth

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**Trigger warning**

Albums and EPs rated 8.6+ from 100+ votes which I've given an 8 or lower to.

I've listened to and rated every album on MS that meets this criteria (at time of most recent update) - some of them multiple times - so I feel I can give my honest opinion.

If I haven't already done so, I will likely re-listen to these in the hope of understanding why they've received so many 9 and 10 votes.

Ordered by my rating then MS rating then number of votes.

Updated: 17-Oct-22

My other lists:
My Favourite Albums (ordered & rated)
My Favourite EPs (also ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)

1. Anathema - Judgement

2. Anathema - Alternative 4

3. Paradise Lost - Draconian Times

4. Motörhead - Ace Of Spades

5. Motörhead - Overkill

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Must Listen: All

1. Masterplan - Masterplan

2. Kamelot - Epica

3. Evanescence - Fallen

4. Katatonia - Viva Emptiness

5. Deadsoul Tribe - A Murder Of Crows

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An ongoing list for personal use as well as for reference for beginners (& veterans alike). This is solely my personal opinion and taste (Death & Prog mostly but do give every genre a try). Basically will include albums I've rated 8 & above. Sorted by year since I'll need a Venn diagram to sort by genre (seriously MS please make it happen if possible). Will feature multiple releases per year (obviously) and per band (since if a band is putting out better albums it deserves more recognition). Keeping the metal faith alive from India

1. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

2. King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

3. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

4. Black Sabbath - Paranoid

5. Uriah Heep - Look At Yourself

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1. Paradise Lost - Obsidian

2. Alcest - Spiritual Instinct

3. Judas Priest - Firepower

4. Pallbearer - Heartless

5. Vektor - Terminal Redux

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