Hey Folks! It’s me… Again!

I’m coming back once more to explore the depths of a genre that arguably did not begin where you all thought it did! Yeah yeah… Alright, maybe Left Hand Path, Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious, Like An Ever Flowing Stream & The Red In The Sky Is Ours aren’t exactly the sound you would expect, but they were certainly a sign of something incredible that was about to happen. The birth of Melodic Death Metal!

Most of you, them, us… Would agree that Melodic Death metal really appeared in the form of Carcass’s 1993 album Heartwork. Even though some shades of what would become staples of the genre were heard before, this one would truly be the first album to be called as such. Mixing OSDM with more classic heavy metal styled riffs & melodies, our beloved genre (along with Thrash) would become for a lot of our teenage selves, a gateway into the more extreme bowels of metal’s subgenres. I would argue that it’s an almost obligatory step in the grand metalhead’s journey. Ah, how amazing it was to first taste the somewhat delicate sound of melodeath before rattling our ears with the obscenities & nonsensical wankery of grindcore, brutal tech-death, dissonant death and post metal… Rrrrright.

As you have become accustomed to by now, I will attempt to honour the genre by listing the absolute best Melodic Death metal albums to be ever released throughout the years. And I will do so starting with a few albums that are arguably not Melodic Death metal… Because I can and I did, hah! F*ck you! Along the way, you might stumble upon some strange & unorthodox choices mixing a plethora of other genres as well and that’s ok. Truly. Take it easy, don’t hyperventilate over it and just go with the flow. The main goal here is to help people who don’t know much about melodeath discover it and where it came from. I also want to push forward some less known jewels amongst highly praised landmarks of the style and sprinkle a bit of my personality along the way because that’s always fun. The albums will be ordered in years of release and there will be no other restriction or specific rules.

I hope you have a blast going through my list and that it brings you joy and a slight tingle on your nostalgia strings. Though, if it pisses you off, if I forgot your absolute favourite album of all goddamn time or if you think I’m an idiot, well… Just remember that I’m right, always and forever, thank you. Regardless It will be a pleasure for me to hear your recommendations or discuss anything related to melodeath below. Cheers & have fun!

-Guib-

Note: Albums with a 🇨🇦 are from my country (Canada) and albums with a ★ are my personal favourites.

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Last Updated: April 27th, 2024

1.Entombed - Left Hand Path

2.Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious

3.Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream

4.At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours

5.Carcass - Heartwork

      View entire list ››

1.Disillusion - Ayam

2.Aenaon - Mnemosyne

3.Wilderun - Epigone

4.Ghost - Impera

5.Panzerfaust - The Suns Of Perdition - Chapter III: The Astral Drain

      View entire list ››

1.White Ward - False Light

2.Gaerea - Mirage

3.Dream Unending - Song Of Salvation

4.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

5.Voivod - Synchro Anarchy

      View entire list ››

Taken around 8:30 pm GMT
There was no write-in for djent so I voted for one.
Not totally clean (trolls in last categories are kept for fun),
Thanks to the person who curated most of the write-is since yesterday, it really reduced the work to do!

PS : I cleaned the list listening to The Testament by Seventh Wonder, so I was particularly unhappy to see it in the biggest letdowns at the end

1.

2.A.A. Williams - As The Moon Rests

3.Disturbed - Divisive

4.Dog Fashion Disco - Cult Classic

5.Fleshwater - We're Not Here To Be Loved

      View entire list ››

1.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

2.White Ward - False Light

3.Gaerea - Mirage

4.Disillusion - Ayam

5.The Halo Effect - Days Of The Lost

      View entire list ››

1.Immolation - Acts Of God

2.Bloodbath - Survival Of The Sickest

3.Strigoi - Viscera

4.Konvent - Call Down The Sun

5.Souldrainer - Departure

      View entire list ››

My very subjective ranking of all heard metal and metal-adjacent albums 2022.

1.Mamaleek - Diner Coffee

2.Wilderun - Epigone

3.Disillusion - Ayam

4.Ashenspire - Hostile Architecture

5.Cavernlight - As I Cast Ruin Upon The Lens That Reveals My Every Flaw

      View entire list ››

Every category (Best, Very Good...) in no particular order...

1.

2.

3.Disillusion - Ayam

4.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

5.Aenaon - Mnemosyne

      View entire list ››

Shieeet, here we go again...
Best death metal AD 2022 according to myself, listed alphabetically by band name with subgenres. Some notable omissions include: Amon Amarth, Behemoth, Decapitated, Fallujah, Lorna Shore, Omophagia, Paganizer and Temple Of Void. These left me a bit disappointed so I chose not to include them on the list proper, even though I enjoyed all the bands' newest albums. I'm also still catching up on a lot of records so this list will be updated semi-regularly. Hopefully you will find something you haven't heard here. Feel free to recommend stuff in the comments. Enjoy!

Oh and as a side note, none of the genre descriptors are meant as derogative, I obviously enjoy all these bands and albums. Caverncore (or cavernous death) for example is meant as familiar in sound/style to a band like Cruciamentum or Chthe'ilist.

1.Abysmal Dawn - Nightmare Frontier

2.Acephalix - Theothanatology

3.Aeternam - Heir Of The Rising Sun

4.Aethereus - Leiden

5.Allegaeon - Damnum

      View entire list ››

2022 was a great year for Prog Metal.
A lot of fine albums.

1.Disillusion - Ayam

2.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

3.Aeternam - Heir Of The Rising Sun

4.Brymir - Voices In The Sky

5.Persefone - Metanoia

      View entire list ››

1.Sigh - Shiki

2.Darkest Era - Wither On The Vine

3.Blind Guardian - The God Machine

4.Sabaton - The War To End All Wars

5.Tómarúm - Ash In Realms Of Stone Icons

      View entire list ››

All 2022 released studio albums I listened to in 2022, ranked from best to worst.

1.Vermilia - Ruska

2.Septicflesh - Modern Primitive

3.Wolfheart - King Of The North

4.Blackbraid - Blackbraid I

5.Kvaen - The Great Below

      View entire list ››

It's a list of all the albums that I plan on listening to from the year 2022.

Edit 2023: the list is now a personal ruffly ranked top 100 of the year.

1.Persefone - Metanoia

2.Wilderun - Epigone

3.Disillusion - Ayam

4.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

5.Kardashev - Liminal Rite

      View entire list ››

Fell just shy of 100 albums per month for the first half of the year, I imagine I won't be matching that but let's try to get to a full 1000 albums for the year at least.

1.Psychonaut - Violate Consensus Reality

2.Disillusion - Ayam

3.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

4.Panzerfaust - The Suns Of Perdition - Chapter III: The Astral Drain

5.Wake - Thought Form Descent

      View entire list ››

1.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

2.Brymir - Voices In The Sky

3.The Halo Effect - Days Of The Lost

4.Gaerea - Mirage

5.Septicflesh - Modern Primitive

      View entire list ››