"If I were to die tomorrow, which 50 albums should I take with me?"

Through the endless ocean of music we always seem to find the albums which differ themselves more than others. These are the albums that are timeless to me, and have remained as a musical stain in my life over the years.

The list isn't 100% correct when it comes to the order of the albums, but these are the albums I know I will be happy with - if I only could bring 50 albums to heaven/hell.

1.Kamelot - The Black Halo

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

3.Evergrey - The Inner Circle

4.Dream Theater - Images And Words

5.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

      View entire list ››

Some albums are really good. Many of these are good all the way around. And, in many cases, there is a single song that stands out, sometimes it's the last song on the album. This is a list of those songs.

For a more in depth look at this, I've codified each into a given category:
Type 1 - 'The long song at the end.' Often the title track. These have a tendency to be most well written and dynamic pieces on the album.

1.!T.O.O.H.! - Order And Punishment (Řád A Trest)

2.Abigail Williams - Becoming

3.Agalloch - The Mantle

4.Amon Amarth - Versus The World

5.Anekdoten - Vemod

      View entire list ››

1.In Flames - Colony

2.In Flames - The Jester Race

3.In Flames - Clayman

4.In Flames - Whoracle

5.In Flames - Lunar Strain

      View entire list ››

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.

- - - - -

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

- - - - - - - - - -

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

      View entire list ››

NO MORE ARGUMENTS ABOUT OPETH EDITION!

Ever had that one album that a band has made that everybody just passes off as being decent while you see it as a masterpiece? Well, here are (in no particular order) the albums that I feel deserve much more attention than what they got from their fanbases.

1.Dream Theater - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence

2.Queensrÿche - Promised Land

3.Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold

4.Queen - Innuendo

5.System Of A Down - Steal This Album!

      View entire list ››

This is a list of all the death metal albums I have listened to that I thought were at all worth remembering. Like my other genre lists, this is just a record of my own listening experience that I use for personal organization, not a definitive account of the best or all of the death metal out there; there will probably be albums or bands that are not death metal in the strictest sense. You'll find some OSDM, melodeath, tech death, death-doom, maybe a bit of deathcore, I don't know. Maybe some non-death metal albums by death metal bands that I put in here just because.

1.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

2.Death - Symbolic

3.At The Gates - With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness

4.At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

5.Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side

      View entire list ››

1.Wintersun - Wintersun

2.Forefather - Ours Is The Kingdom

3.Mastodon - Leviathan

4.Motörhead - Inferno

5.Amon Amarth - Fate Of Norns

      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 ››

This is my personal selection of albums (with specific songs) that you'd like to play in your next metal party.
The songs are sorted so the more powerful and energetic songs are equally spread all along the list, except the last songs, which are softer than average.

I'm currently working in this list (well... in my spare time), so it's not the final one.

1.Unexpect - Fables Of The Sleepless Empire

2.Korpiklaani - Karkelo

3.Solefald - Norrøn Livskunst

4.Mastodon - Crack The Skye

5.Kvelertak - Blodtørst

      View entire list ››

Great year with a lot of albums that has meant a lot to me and shaped parts of my taste in music.

1.Wintersun - Wintersun

2.Norther - Death Unlimited

3.Anorexia Nervosa - Redemption Process

4.Sonata Arctica - Reckoning Night

5.Cradle Of Filth - Nymphetamine

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

1.Eternal Tears Of Sorrow - Children Of The Dark Waters

2.Catamenia - Location:COLD

3.Kalmah - For The Revolution

4.Insomnium - Across The Dark

5.Sólstafir - Köld

      View entire list ››

1.In Flames - Reroute To Remain

2.In Flames - Sounds Of A Playground Fading

3.In Flames - Come Clarity

4.In Flames - Soundtrack To Your Escape

5.In Flames - Foregone

      View entire list ››

I feel like my overall favorites list is getting too long. I'm splitting it up by rating.

1.Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

2.Qrixkuor - Poison Palinopsia

3.Skepticism - Ordeal

4.Funeral Mist - Devilry

5.Zeal & Ardor - Zeal And Ardor

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››