Good day folks! T'day, I just wanted to share the best of what Canada has to offer when it comes to Metal, eh. It seems a lot of people don't yet know that Canada's a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the heavy stuff and I'll show you just how much!

The main goal here is to help people discover the history of Canadian Metal through time and amazing releases. To do so, I'll be listing a single album per band and order the list by year of release from oldest to newest then I'll identify the genre for each of them. Note that the albums chosen aren't necessarily the best of each band but my personal favorites and in my humble opinion, good points of entry into a band's discography. I will try to fill each gaps in years over time and add new bands as I discover them. (So this list is permanently under construction).

Also, as always in my lists, releases with a ''★'' are the ones I believe you shouldn't miss because of their impact, uniqueness or just because they are my favourites.

There is a lot of different styles, I did my best to diversify so there should be something interesting for everyone!

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To my fellow Canadians, if you have recommendations or wanna point out obvious albums I might have missed, please feel free to let me know. To everyone else, I hope you'll like this virtual musical trip to the great white north! Enjoy. Oh and you're really all welcome to suggest albums.

- Guib -

Last Update: April 15th, 2024

1.Moxy - Moxy

2.Triumph - Just A Game

3.Rush - Moving Pictures

4.April Wine - The Nature Of The Beast

5.D.O.A. - Hardcore '81

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1.Shylmagoghnar - Emergence

2.Galneryus - Angel Of Salvation

3.Blindead - Affliction XXIX II MXMVI

4.Batushka - Litourgiya

5.Leprous - Bilateral

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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.Uada - Djinn

2.Uaral - Sounds Of Pain

3.Ufomammut - Eve

4.Úir - Óenach Tailten

5.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

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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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An ever-growing list of albums/EPs that were just fun to listen to. They had something unique, were experimental/strange and/or had interestingly/efficiently lined up vocals and/or instruments that are too hard to forget easily. Naturally, quite a few of them will be avant-garde, but anything else goes that stand out in their subgenre more than others.

1....? - ...!

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

3.6:33 - Deadly Scenes

4.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

5.Age Of Silence - Acceleration

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most memorable releases sorted by year
* - especially interesting albums

1.

2.Ashenspire - Hostile Architecture

3.Soen - Imperial

4.Thy Catafalque - Naiv

5.Kayo Dot - Blasphemy

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In no order, just the my favorite of that decade.

1.Swallow The Sun - The Morning Never Came

2.Equilibrium - Sagas

3.The Defaced - Karma In Black

4.Susperia - Vindication

5.Masterplan - Aeronautics

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Listen to these on LSD, they're good.

1.Arcturus - Sideshow Symphonies

2.Ulver - Teachings In Silence

3.Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

4.Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn

5.Tool - Lateralus

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There are the albums that have impressed me. Alphabetical orders. Hope you enjoy this list.

1.Acatalepsy - Acatalepsy (EP)

2.Across Tundras - Dark Songs Of The Prairie

3.Aelter - Dusk Dawn/Follow You Beloved

4.A Forest Of Stars - The Corpse Of Rebirth

5.Ain Sof Aur - Atra Serpens

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A collection of the most original, insane and head spinning albums from the weirdest side of metal. Suggestions are welcome.

1.A Forest Of Stars - Beware The Sword You Cannot See

2.Angizia - Das Schachbrett Des Trommelbuben Zacharias

3.Akphaezya - Anthology II: Links From The Dead Trinity

4.Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale

5.Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

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Releases from Canadian bands that I really like. Ordered alphabetically by artists because I'm OCD like like. Will possibly re-order list by favorite album. Limited to one release per band, only full lengths. Essential albums are noted as such.

1.3 Inches Of Blood - Advance And Vanquish

2.Annihilator - Never, Neverland

3.Anvil - Forged In Fire

4.Bison B.C. - Dark Ages

5.Cryptopsy - None So Vile

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This is a small list (that will grow over time) presenting all the top albums I have heard surrounding the prog-metal scene. I will try to add some lesser known bands that are incredibly good... Alphabetical order

1.Abydos - The Little Boy's Heavy Mental Shadow Opera About The Inhabitants Of His Diary

2.Age Of Silence - Acceleration

3.Akashic - A Brand New Day

4.Amaseffer - Exodus - Slaves for Life

5.Andromeda - II = I

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Influences, avantgarde, progressive, thrash & others.

1.Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare

2.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

3.Toxik - Think This

4.Coroner - No More Color

5.Danny Elfman - Batman

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1.Opeth - Blackwater Park

2.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

3.Green Carnation - Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness

4.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

5.Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet

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On the picture - John Cobbett - Hammers Of Misfortune, Vhöl, Ludicra, The Lord Weird Slough Feg

1.Avenged Sevenfold - City Of Evil

2.Opeth - Blackwater Park

3.Hammers Of Misfortune - The August Engine

4.Mastodon - Remission

5.Opeth - Ghost Reveries

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