For now the albums aren't in no particular order. I was blown away and still love all this albums after years listening. Trying to put 1 per band maximum, maybe more if they have different but awesome eras. Still in progress

1. Opeth - Blackwater Park

2. Angra - Temple of Shadows

3. Death - Symbolic

4. Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond

5. Metallica - Ride the Lightning

      View entire list ››

1. Iron Maiden - The number of the beast

2. Metallica - Ride the lightning

3. Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4. Judas Priest - Screaming for vengeance

5. Iron Maiden - Piece of mind

      View entire list ››

While the order in each decade is purely personal preference, there are several rules for a song qualifying for the list. First off, the band has to be notable. I'm not going to define what that means, but I'm sure you'd agree all the bands in the list are notable. There are plenty of riffs from obscure bands I'd rather put, but I know my love for Tarby doesn't make him the greatest riff maker of the 21st century. Second, each artist can only appear once in a decade, this is to prevent the best riff makers from hogging the list and adding some variety, showing how metal has changed over time. Decades are measured by when the song was recorded, not released, and when it's unclear the beginning of recording is used. This is mainly because a lot of definitive early metal songs were released in 1970, but recorded in 1969. Third, the song itself has to be notable. Here are things that can qualify as being notable: the song was release as a single, has music video made for it, was released as a single, was the title track for an album (note that Crawl through Knives meets this criteria because it was the original title for Come Clarity, and there is no way in hell Come Clarity is getting best riff of the decade ), is included on a greatest hits compilation album, was nominated for a Grammy or musical award of similar caliber, was included as a track in a notable film or video game, was covered by a notable band, or has a Wikipedia page for some miscellaneous reason. Finally, the song needs to be metal. Misirlou gets the pass despite predating metal as it was probably the single most influential song on the development of metal, and while many of the other songs in the other songs are better classified as hard rock, I can find a source listing them as heavy metal.

1. 60s:

2. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King

3. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

4. Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

5. Deep Purple - In Rock

      View entire list ››

I will be filling the gap years with more albums soon... :3

1. Aenaon - Hypnosophy

2. Ghost - Meliora

3. Septicflesh - Titan

4. Twenty One Pilots - Vessel

5. Igorrr - Hallelujah

      View entire list ››

Metal albums that blow me away every time I hear them. Loosely ordered... list gets less organized as it goes on. My favorite song from each album is included.

1. Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory

2. Faith No More - Angel Dust

3. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

4. Tool - Ænima

5. Metallica - ...And Justice for All

      View entire list ››

1. Metallica - Ride The Lightning

2. Metallica - Metallica

3. Metallica - Master Of Puppets

4. Metallica - ...And Justice For All

5. Metallica - Re-Load

      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 ››

1. Iron Maiden - Live After Death

2. Rainbow - Rising

3. Metallica - Ride The Lightning

4. Megadeth - Rust In Peace

5. Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

      View entire list ››

1. Agent Steel - Unstoppable Force

2. Annihilator - Alice in Hell

3. Anthrax - Among the Living

4. Artillery - By Inheritance

5. Baphomet - The Deas Shall Inherit

      View entire list ››

1. Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

2. Death - Scream Bloody Gore

3. Bathory - Under The Sign Of The Black Mark

4. Slayer - Reign In Blood

5. Bathory - Blood Fire Death

      View entire list ››

1. AC/DC - Back In Black

2. Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3. Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality

4. Dio - Holy Diver

5. Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

      View entire list ››

1. Kreator - Pleasure To Kill

2. Dark Angel - Darkness Descends

3. Megadeth - Rust In Peace

4. Slayer - Reign In Blood

5. Sodom - Persecution Mania

      View entire list ››

1. Arcane Sun - Arcane Sun

2. At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

3. Atheist - Piece Of Time

4. Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

5. Be'lakor - Stone's Reach

      View entire list ››

1. Agalloch - The Mantle

2. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

3. Opeth - Ghost Reveries

4. Metallica - Ride the Lightning

5. Megadeth - Rust in Peace

      View entire list ››

Just a list of classic thrash albums I really enjoy, since thrash has had such a good year this year. They are in no particular order.

1. Annihilator - Alice In Hell

2. Anthrax - Among The Living

3. Anthrax - Spreading The Disease

4. Artillery - By Inheritance

5. Assassin - The Upcoming Terror

      View entire list ››