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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1.Cannibal Corpse - Tomb Of The Mutilated

2.Death - Leprosy

3.Nile - Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka

4.Death - Scream Bloody Gore

5.Decapitated - Winds Of Creation

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These are the albums with the highest possible rates in my personal list. Sometimes it was an emotional decision made after one single spin, but mostly these actually are my favorite albums. Also, I was wondering what genre would be most represented.

PS. The image was selected intentionally to piss you off. Still, I do consider Diabolus In Musica to be an almost perfect album

1.1833 AD - My Dark Symphony

2.1914 - The Blind Leading The Blind

3.Akhlys - Melinoë

4.Amorphis - The Karelian Isthmus

5.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

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i like it

1.Bolt Thrower - The IVth Crusade

2.Bolt Thrower - ...For Victory

3.Bolt Thrower - Warmaster

4.Bolt Thrower - Realm Of Chaos

5.Bolt Thrower - Mercenary

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3 caveats
1. Death metal album (not just debut from band that became death metal, like Carcass)
2. Released calendar year 1999 or earlier
3. By a band with more than 1 album (1-album wonder list is elsewhere)

Yes, there are a few bands conspicuous in their absence. For whatever reason, I just never really got into them.
I don't dislike them, but I don't regard them as highly as most folks do

EDIT - I stayed away from death/thrash combo albums, more for convenience's sake. So Malleus Maleficarum, Illusions, Seven Churches, Serpent Temptation, etc are not on this list, but they'll be on the next list I make (top 25 Brutal thrash/death-thrash albums)

1.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

2.Necrophobic - The Nocturnal Silence

3.Nocturnus - The Key

4.Sinister - Cross The Styx

5.Demigod - Slumber Of Sullen Eyes

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1.Death - Scream Bloody Gore

2.Bolt Thrower - In Battle There Is No Law

3.Death - Leprosy

4.Autopsy - Severed Survival

5.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

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

1.Asphyx - Last One On Earth

2.Creeping Death - Wretched Illusions

3.Fetid - Steeping Corporeal Mess

4.Coffin Rot - A Monument To The Dead

5.Obituary - Cause Of Death

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1.Grip Inc. - Solidify

2.x - x

3.x - x

4.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

5.x - x

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*** MAX 3 ALBUMS PER ARTIST!!! (Except Death) Also... While extra weight will be given to classic death metal albums, this list will also include exceptional examples of melodic death, death-grind, technical/progressive death, death-thrash, and blackened death. LPs ONLY. *** /\ UNDER CONSTRUCTION /\

1.Cryptopsy - None So Vile

2.Death - Symbolic

3.Suffocation - Effigy Of The Forgotten

4.Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious

5.Death - Human

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1.Cryptopsy - Once Was Not

2.Cryptopsy - None So Vile

3.Cryptopsy - Blasphemy Made Flesh

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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.Adramelech - PsychoStasia

2.Armageddon - Crossing The Rubicon

3.Asphyx - Last One On Earth

4.At The Gates - Terminal Spirit Disease

5.Atheist - Piece Of Time

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So here are some Brutal, Technical, Progressive and sometimes Atmospheric death metal works I enjoy or that I believe should be given a try because they're unique and interesting, almost an essentials list when it comes to that style. There are some unorthodox choices as well in the mix that aren't just full-on tech death, some bands also incorporate grind, black, core elements or even jazz. Hope you'll all find something that suits your taste! The list is ordered by years. Feel free to comment and give recommendations! Just refrain from telling me an album shouldn't be featured here... All the albums here are deliberately hand-picked and if it made the list, it's for a reason.

Personal absolute favorites of mine have a ★ beside the genre. And my pics of best album for each year are identified by (best of xxxx) beside the albums.

🇨🇦 = From Canada, My Country! We're quite good at Technical and Brutal Death Metal... Trust me. I mean, you'll see for yourself.

-Guib-

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Guib's Best Tech/Brutal/Prog Death Metal Album Picks

Best Of 2023:
The Zenith Passage - Datalysium

Best of 2024 So Far:
Exist - Hijacking The Zeitgeist

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TAGS: Technical Death Metal, Melodic Tech-Death, Brutal, Atmospheric, Progressive, Blackened Tech-Death, Technical Thrash, Deathgrind, Deathcore, Symphonic, Dissonant Tech-Death, Experimental, Avantgarde, Grindcore, Jazz

Last Updated: May 7th, 2024

1.Atheist - Piece Of Time

2.Nocturnus - The Key

3.Atrocity - Hallucinations

4.Death - Human

5.Suffocation - Effigy Of The Forgotten

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Bands listed alphabetically, One album per band (With the exception of Carcass and Napalm Death who appear in the Grind and Death Metal sections). Some bands may not be pure old school (Death / Thrash, Doom Death / Death Doom and early Brutal / Technical Death Included) I have also Included some of the more extreme Thrash releases that pre-dated the genre but undoubtedly help pave the way for things to come, I included these as I wish to give a general summary of the way Death Metal began and evolved throughout the 80's and 90's.

1.

2.Abhorrence - Abhorrence [EP]

3.Acrostichon - Engraved In Black

4.Adramelech - PsychoStasia

5.Afflicted - Prodigal Sun

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1.Nocturnus - The Key

2.Spawn Of Possession - Noctambulant

3.Nile - Annihilation Of The Wicked

4.Illogicist - The Insight Eye

5.Origin - Antithesis

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