1.Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse

2.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

3.Saturnus - For The Loveless Lonely Nights

4.Katatonia - Discouraged Ones

5.Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty And The Beast

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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

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1.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

2.Empyrium - Songs Of Moors And Misty Fields

3.Saturnus - Paradise Belongs To You

4.Opeth - Still Life

5.Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory

      View entire list ››

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

1998 was like AMAZING, by far the best year since I started this series, one of the best years in Symphonic and power metal, strong releases in black metal, and one of the most Iconic matel albums of all time.

1.Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle-Earth

2.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

3.Therion - Vovin

4.Tristania - Widow's Weeds

5.Anathema - Alternative 4

      View entire list ››

This is an old list I made on my previous account. I've update it a little bit.
My introduction text back then said: "A list of 90s albums I enjoyed throughout the decade, some I discovered later."
I kept the same title.

1.Marillion - Brave

2.Dream Theater - Awake

3.Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade Of Gray

4.Enchant - Break

5.Marillion - Holidays In Eden

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1.Empyrium - Songs Of Moors And Misty Fields

2.Thurisaz - Scent Of A Dream

3.Opeth - Morningrise

4.Empyrium - A Wintersunset...

5.Anathema - Eternity

      View entire list ››

A (most probably incomplete) list of albums on which I really enjoy only a single song (in alphabetical order, excluding one-track albums).
They turn out to be albums that I rate a 6 or 7 overall -- with few exceptions.
The songs mentioned though are all-time favourites, which I would rate at 9 or 10.
I only listed albums on which I found exactly one such song.

1.Agalloch - Pale Folklore

2.Amorphis - Far From The Sun

3.Annihilator - Set The World On Fire

4.Asphyx - The Rack

5.Bathory - Blood Fire Death

      View entire list ››

The list shows 50 albums that have had a huge impact on me over my teens. Albums released before 2000 only.
In alphabetical order.

1.Aerosmith - Get A Grip

2.Alice In Chains - Alice In Chains

3.Amorphis - Elegy

4.Anathema - Alternative 4

5.Apes, Pigs & Spacemen - Transfusion

      View entire list ››

1.Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes

2.Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse

3.Fear Factory - Obsolete

4.Arch Enemy - Stigmata

5.Moonspell - Sin / Pecado

      View entire list ››

1.Sentenced - Frozen

2.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

3.Anathema - Alternative 4

4.Therion - Vovin

5.Rhapsody Of Fire - Symphony Of Enchanted Lands

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Not *quite* as doomy of a list as the title implies. This is just my current playlist, since my preferences change this time of year.
Post Edit: Now that Bell Witch is on here...it *is* as doomy as the title implies. \m/

1.Kamelot - Silverthorn

2.Bell Witch - Self Titled

3.Wintersun - Time I

4.Watain - Lawless Darkness

5.Sunstorm - House Of Dreams

      View entire list ››

Keep in mind, there is not a single Katatonia album that I dislike or think is "okay". I have a deep respect and admiration for this group, so much so that even my least favorite album by the group is a very good one.

1.Katatonia - Viva Emptiness

2.Katatonia - Discouraged Ones

3.Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance

4.Katatonia - Dead End Kings

5.Katatonia - Dance Of December Souls

      View entire list ››

1.The Gathering - How To Measure A Planet?

2.Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty And The Beast

3.Theatre Of Tragedy - Aégis

4.The Sins Of Thy Beloved - Lake Of Sorrow

5.Therion - Vovin

      View entire list ››

Slow/Depress/Funeral/Love/Gloom/Beauty/Sorrow/Obscure/Cold/Atmospheric/

1.Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea

2.Akelei - De Zwaarte Van Het Doorstane

3.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

4.Anathema - The Silent Enigma

5.Corrupted - El Mundo Frio

      View entire list ››

1.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Katatonia - Discouraged Ones

4.My Dying Bride - The Angel And The Dark River

5.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

      View entire list ››