It is standard that albums contain several different songs that are separated by distinct track markers. Sometimes, these songs may contribute to one story, which is the case on concept albums. The next, more radical step is to include only one long song on an album, which may be presented as a single track. These one track albums provide a special kind of journey for the listener, demanding full commitment without the help and orientation that the separation in several tracks may have provided.

This list includes albums that consist of only one single song presented in one track.

Please feel free to suggest more one track metal albums.

1.Abruptum - In Umbra Malitae Ambulabo, In Aeternum In Triumpho Tenebrarum

2.Abruptum - Vi Sonus Veris Nigrae Malitiaes

3.Agalloch - Faustian Echoes

4.Alkerdeel - Dyodyo Asema [Collaboration]

5.Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper

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1.King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

2.Gentle Giant - Gentle Giant

3.Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick

4.Dream Theater - Images And Words

5.Opeth - Orchid

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1.King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

2.Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick

3.Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

4.Metallica - Kill 'Em All

5.Slayer - Show No Mercy

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All my favourite songs ranked in order best down.

1.Rush - 2112

2.Deep Purple - In Rock

3.Jethro Tull - Aqualung

4.Rainbow - Rising

5.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

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Thought I ought to have at least one little list here, so in a rare display of lack of creativity, here's a bunch of 9s and 10s that will likely never get old, though I might. "666" is obviously only a theoretical upper limit.

1.Tiamat - A Deeper Kind Of Slumber

2.King Crimson - Red

3.Cult Of Luna - Vertikal

4.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

5.Die Apokalyptischen Reiter - All You Need Is Love

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My top ranked (in order from best down) favorite hard rock/heavy metal albums. I've also one included my top three favorite tracks from each album.

Enjoy!

1.Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

2.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

3.Rush - Hemispheres

4.Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards

5.Judas Priest - Painkiller

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"CALENDAR MADE OF METAL"
January = Progressive Metal
Listening to as many albums as possible in said genre during said month and listing them here as I go. Suggestions welcome.

1.Rush - Caress Of Steel

2.Threshold - Wounded Land

3.Shadow Gallery - Carved In Stone

4.Porcupine Tree - Up The Downstair

5.Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways

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I've been listening to Metal since 2005 and it has become my biggest passion in life.

Rarely a day goes by where I don't listen to it in one form or another. The bands I listened to in my teens inspired me to pick up the guitar (and later drums) and start making music of my own.

So here are the albums that have stood out and made the largest impact on me. To be as transparent as possible, I've labelled albums as 'nostalgia bias' where my memories of the album give it an advantage over others.

(Score is an average of each album's song ratings, full list located here. There are a ton of albums that I've rated 9/10 in the 'TBR' tab that may never make it to this list, be sure to check those out.)

If you discovered any new albums or like the same sort of metal, be sure to give this list a thumbs-up and leave a comment so more people can find these amazing bands!

My other lists:
Top 25 EPs (ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
Top 200 Overrated Albums (trigger warning)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)

Genre-Specific:
Top 50 Black Metal Albums
Top 50 Melodic Death Metal Albums
Top 45 Thrash Metal Albums
Top 40 Power Metal Albums
Top 30 Doom Metal Albums
Top 30 Heavy Metal Albums

1.Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

2.Opeth - Blackwater Park

3.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

4.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

5.Opeth - Still Life

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My absolute favorite prog rock/metal albums. None of these are less than a 9/10 to my ears. No particular order.

1.Spock's Beard - Snow

2.Devin Townsend Project - Terria

3.IQ - Dark Matter

4.Dream Theater - Awake

5.Marillion - Clutching At Straws

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LATEST EDIT: December 12/2016- Added a whole bunch of progressive rock albums; processing earlier suggestions on the list.

Assembled below are some choice selections in alternative metal, prog rock, prog metal, jazz and avant-garde metal. I don't necessarily consider these styles to be my favourite (I do have a penchant for post-metal and cavernous death metal these days), but they have been the foundations of my taste for the last seven or eight years.

1.

2.Soundgarden - Down On The Upside

3.Rishloo - Living As Ghosts With Buildings As Teeth

4.Karnivool - Asymmetry

5.Blindead - Absence

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From A to Z.

1.Agalloch - Faustian Echoes

2.Alkerdeel - Dyodyo Asema [Collaboration]

3.Bongripper - The Great Barrier Reefer

4.Boris - Flood

5.Boris - Boris At Last - Feedbacker

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Progressive rock / metal - what I love the most in my collection. Would love suggestions to add to it.

1.Animals As Leaders - Animals As Leaders

2.Animals As Leaders - The Joy Of Motion

3.Ayreon - The Human Equation

4.Between The Buried And Me - Colors

5.Between The Buried And Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence

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A good many of these also had promo videos. If you've got adecent sense of humour I'd like to point out http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/videos.php?band_id=116 (Bark) and http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/videos.php?band_id=383 (10th one). Perhaps also http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/videos.php?band_id=484 for some funny Sugar... (and speaking of; http://www.metalstorm.net/bands/videos.php?band_id=1750)

1.Aoife Ní Fhearraigh with choral accompaniment - Metal Gear Solid

2.Bush - Golden State

3.Cathedral - Hopkins

4.Dio - We Rock

5.Glen Hansard - Drive All Night

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Recently, instead of scouring too much the albums of the year I'm in, I decided to take a deeper journey and appreciate progressive music (prog metal/rock). While I'm still in the early beginnings of my journey, I decided to make a list to the albums I fully listen to so that I can keep charting my voyage in these vast seas. Some albums are not yet added because I need to listen them well and grab my favorites out, and some bands are on queue. I'm also eager to hear some recommendations, so thanks in advance for them!

1.Ayreon - The Human Equation

2.Barren Earth - The Devil's Resolve

3.Blotted Science - The Machinations Of Dementia

4.Control Denied - The Fragile Art Of Existence

5.Dream Theater - A Change Of Seasons [EP]

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My favourite prog rock/metal albums. In no order.

1.Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon

2.Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

3.King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

4.Genesis - Selling England By The Pound

5.Yes - Close To The Edge

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