RANKING CRITERIA :

- Originality
- Songwriting
- Performance

Neither the popularity among the fans nor the commercial success (or unsuccess) of the albums were taken into account in the selection.

1.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

2.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

3.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

4.Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

5.Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

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1.Death - Human

2.Opeth - Still Life

3.At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

4.Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream

5.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

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The choice of the albums was made according to aesthetic criteria, taking into account only the musical merits of the recordings. Neither the popularity among the fans nor the commercial success (or unsuccess) of the albums were taken into account in the selection.

1.Anacrusis - Screams And Whispers

2.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

3.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

4.Pantera - Cowboys From Hell

5.Death - Symbolic

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1.Gorguts - From Wisdom To Hate

2.Hate Eternal - I, Monarch

3.Cannibal Corpse - Bloodthirst

4.Death - Individual Thought Patterns

5.Obscura - Omnivium

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My personal top 50 list.
(In no particular order)

1.Decrepit Birth - Polarity

2.Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse

3.Blue Öyster Cult - Blue Öyster Cult

4.Joe Satriani - Time Machine

5.Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull

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Bands listed alphabetically, One album per band (With the exception of Carcass and Napalm Death who appear in the Grind and Death Metal sections). Some bands may not be pure old school (Death / Thrash, Doom Death / Death Doom and early Brutal / Technical Death Included) I have also Included some of the more extreme Thrash releases that pre-dated the genre but undoubtedly help pave the way for things to come, I included these as I wish to give a general summary of the way Death Metal began and evolved throughout the 80's and 90's.

1.

2.Abhorrence - Abhorrence [EP]

3.Acrostichon - Engraved In Black

4.Adramelech - PsychoStasia

5.Afflicted - Prodigal Sun

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1.Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

2.Carcass - Heartwork

3.Abramelin - Abramelin

4.Sepultura - Arise

5.Nocturnus - The Key

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*** READ ME *** This list is about the greatest metal albums of all-time, from all sub-genres and all countries. You won't see bands like Deep Purple, Rush, BOC, Zeppelin, etc., nor will you see bands like Tool, Rage ATM, Melvins and Soundgarden. While I love many of those bands, my definition of metal does not include them.

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

4.Death - Symbolic

5.Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath

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1.Obituary - Slowly We Rot

2.Entombed - Left Hand Path

3.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

4.Asphyx - The Rack

5.Cannibal Corpse - Eaten Back To Life

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1.Judas Priest - Painkiller

2.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

3.Pantera - Cowboys From Hell

4.Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World

5.Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss

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1.Behemoth - Evangelion

2.Bloodbath - The Fathomless Mastery

3.Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream

4.Grave - Into The Grave

5.Behemoth - Demigod

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In no particular order. Will be expanding as I listen to more albums. Only one album per band, be sure to check the rest of the discography by yourself.

1.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

2.System Of A Down - System Of A Down

3.Ulver - Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr I 5 Capitler

4.Anacrusis - Manic Impressions

5.Death - Symbolic

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1.Obituary - Cause Of Death

2.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

3.Entombed - Left Hand Path

4.Napalm Death - Harmony Corruption

5.Death - Leprosy

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1.Entombed - Clandestine

2.Deicide - Deicide

3.Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream

4.Malevolent Creation - The Ten Commandments

5.Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious

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1.Bolt Thrower - Realm Of Chaos

2.

3.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

4.

5.Pestilence - Consuming Impulse

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