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.Rotting Christ - Aealo

2.Sabaton - Coat Of Arms

3.Parkway Drive - Deep Blue

4.Equilibrium - Rekreatur

5.Sabaton - The Art Of War

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Here’s my list of best finnish metal albums of all time. Hopefully you can find some more music you like based on this list. I have listed only one album per band. Most of these bands have a lot more good music outside this list with the exception of perhaps of Whispered and Omnium Gatherum. What are the top finnish metal albums for you!?

1.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

2.Mokoma - Kuoleman Laulukunnaat

3.Kotiteollisuus - Kuolleen Kukan Nimi

4.Nightwish - Century Child

5.Insomnium - In The Halls Of Awaiting

      View entire list ››

1.Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra

2.Rotting Christ - Aealo

3.Allegaeon - Fragments Of Form And Function

4.Carach Angren - Death Came Through A Phantom Ship

5.Dark Fortress - Ylem

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This is a list of all the folk metal albums I have listened to that I found to be of at least marginal quality. It is purely for my own organizational purposes and is not meant to be a definitive statement about the genre; for that reason, there are some entries that don't entirely fit the description, including some neofolk albums and bands that don't exactly play "folk metal" but are close enough.

1.Elvenking - Secrets Of The Magick Grimoire

2.Forefather - Ours Is The Kingdom

3.Forefather - Steadfast

4.Forefather - Last Of The Line

5.Dalriada - Áldás

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My personal favorite studio albums of 2010

1.Haken - Aquarius

2.Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy

3.Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare

4.James LaBrie - Static Impulse

5.Grand Magus - Hammer Of The North

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My top 100 Albums, sorted in descending order of favorites. Pretty rough list, I may update if I become un-lazy sometime. One album per band only. Some explanation and description provided for those who aspire to waste as much time on this site as I do.

1.Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris

2.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

3.Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor

4.Opeth - Still Life

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

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1.Equilibrium - Rekreatur

2.Kivimetsän Druidi - Betrayal, Justice, Revenge

3.Whispered - Thousand Swords

4.Finntroll - Nifelvind

5.Eluveitie - Everything Remains As It Never Was

      View entire list ››

Here i made a list of My Top 5 albums of 2010. I was gonna do Top 10 but decided that some albums shouldnt be awarded on a Top list. So here they are, they was a lot of quality music this year for sure

1.Carach Angren - Death Came Through A Phantom Ship

2.Whispered - Thousand Swords

3.Eluveitie - Everything Remains As it Never Was

4.Rhapsody Of Fire - The Frozen Tears Of Angels

5.Ozzy Osbourne - Scream

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This is my top 50 favorite albums. If I were to ever go on a really long road trip, I would take these 50 and blare them on the trip and extra loud while driving through a city .

1.Symphony X - The Odyssey

2.Symphony X - Paradise Lost

3.Judas Priest - Painkiller

4.Ayreon - The Human Equation

5.Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy

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"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

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Edited from 'top 5' to an collection of metal albums in the symphonic death sub-genre. Recommendations are welcome.

1.Aeternam - Disciples Of The Unseen

2.Arch Of Hell - One Day

3.Atrocity - Atlantis

4.Brymir - Breathe Fire To The Sun

5.Dark Lunacy - Devoid

      View entire list ››