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 8th, 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

      View entire list ››

This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone who is young in age, my tastes tend to revolve around the period of the 80s to the present.* Although certain metal albums from before will certainly be featured, the period of the 60s-70s will be under-represented. I refer you to this excellent list to gain a better appreciation for some of the best metal from that period: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/freis/martin_popoffs_the_top_500_heavy_metal_albums_of_all_time/

1.Macabre - Murder Metal

2.Macabre Omen - Gods Of War - At War

3.Macbeth - Romantic Tragedy's Crescendo

4.Machinae Supremacy - Overworld

5.Machine Head - The Blackening

      View entire list ››

This list aims to be the counterpart to the Metal Storm Top 200 Albums (plus a few extras).

If you discover a new band or already like any of ones here, please give this list a thumbs up and/or leave a comment so we can get these overlooked gems in front of more people.

Criteria:
• High-quality musicianship (i.e. 9-10/10 IMO)
• 1 album per band

Ordered by number of votes then MS rating.

As these are albums with a low number of votes, the rating is likely to change frequently. I will update this list as often as I can.

Updated: 29-Jan-24

My other lists:
Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 25 EPs (also ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overrated Albums (trigger warning)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)

1.Solipsist - The Human Equation

2.Ayahuasca - Beneath The Mind

3.Cryptomnesia - Primordial Oddity

4.Element (USA) - The Energy

5.Telepathy - 12 Areas

      View entire list ››

No particular order

1.Graveworm - As The Angels Reach The Beauty

2.Graveworm - Scourge Of Malice

3.Dimmu Borgir - For All Tid

4.Dimmu Borgir - Stormblåst

5.Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant

      View entire list ››

This serves as a memory note, pretty much.

1.Insomnium - Above The Weeping World

2.Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud

3.Ghost Brigade - IV - One With The Storm

4.Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

5.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

      View entire list ››

A bunch of albums with a big circle on the cover

1.Karnivool - Sound Awake

2.Skyclad - The Silent Whales Of Lunar Sea

3.Death - Scream Bloody Gore

4.Pentagram - Pentagram

5.Russian Circles - Empros

      View entire list ››

A top ten from another year being added a few years late...

1.MyGrain - MyGrain

2.Obscura - Omnivium

3.Benighted - Asylum Cave

4.Beyond Creation - The Aura

5.Neuraxis - Asylon

      View entire list ››

1.Insomnium - One For Sorrow

2.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

3.Symphony X - Iconoclast

4.Concerto Moon - Savior Never Cry

5.Brymir - Breathe Fire To The Sun

      View entire list ››

1.Novembers Doom - Aphotic

2.Before The Dawn - Deathstar Rising

3.Benighted - Asylum Cave

4.MyGrain - MyGrain

5.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

      View entire list ››

1.Nightwish - Imaginaerum

2.Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

3.Amaranthe - Amaranthe

4.In Flames - Sounds Of A Playground Fading

5.Scar Symmetry - The Unseen Empire

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edited over and over again

1.Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

2.Eyefear - The Inception Of Darkness

3.Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I

4.Ahab - The Giant

5.Chaosweaver - Enter The Realm Of The Doppelgänger

      View entire list ››

1.Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa

2.Shining - VII - Född Förlorare

3.Warbringer - Worlds Torn Asunder

4.MyGrain - MyGrain

5.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

      View entire list ››

Another Pointless top 20 albums of 2011 list. Most of these are bands I had not listened to before or had listened to very little of.

1.Symphony X - Iconoclast

2.Mastodon - The Hunter

3.Ghost Brigade - Until Fear No Longer Defines Us

4.Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy

5.Iced Earth - Dystopia

      View entire list ››

This list will expand later and the positions here will probably change a bit as well. An interesting feature is an album in top 10 from a band that's not featured on Metal Storm yet.

1.Amorphis - The Beginning Of Times

2.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

3.MyGrain - MyGrain

4.Constantine - Divine Design

5.Chaos Divine - The Human Connection

      View entire list ››