Right... Let's get this out of the way from the get-go. Alternative metal is hard to define. I guess that comes from it always wanting to experiment, explore and fuse heavy metal with non-metal music genres. It also makes it an ever changing and growing genre.

Also, before you guys flood me, yes my list contains a lot of Industrial & Nu Metal bands, as well as other genre.. As far as I'm concerned, my picks all fit quite well in the scope of an alternative metal list. Don't you agree? Wait... You disagree? Well, let's agree to disagree and move on.

As for the list itself, I'm going to try and list through time what I (me, myself & moi) consider as essential alternative albums. I will also limit myself to a maximum of 4 releases each year to prevent a messy list, which often makes it a difficult decision, especially in the early 2000's. So yes, it is possible your personal favourite won't be featured. You can tell me all about it in the comments below and we can discuss it, even argue it.

Now, have fun, enjoy my list and let me know what you think or would personally put in your favourite alt-metal list!

-Guib-

EDIT: I will now add my pick for best album of each year using the (best of xxxx) in the chosen album's description.

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Guib's Best Alternative Metal Album Picks

Best Of 2022
Polyphia - Remember That You Will Die

Best Of 2023
Mutoid Man - Mutants

Best of 2024 So Far
...tbd

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Last Updated: March 27th, 2024

1.Living Colour - Vivid

2.Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking

3.Faith No More - The Real Thing

4.Godflesh - Streetcleaner

5.L7 - Smell The Magic

      View entire list ››

1.Three Days Grace - One-X

2.Celtic Frost - Monotheist

3.Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky

4.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

5.Suicide Silence - The Cleansing

      View entire list ››

This is very simple, I took the ratings for a bunch of alternative metal albums on MS and ranked them accordingly

To qualify:
The album must have been released when the band was labelled as "Alternative Metal" by MS. So for example the three most recent Gojira albums count, but early Gojira does not.

The band must have more than 10 fans on MS

Therefore this is not a reflection of my opinions, rather a reflection of numbers so if you wanna get mad, get mad at the numbers, not me. And remember that this really isn't that serious

1.Mass Hysteria - Contraddiction

2.Tool - Lateralus

3.The Butterfly Effect - IV

4.Tool - Ænima

5.Mass Hysteria - Le Bien-Être Et La Paix

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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

      View entire list ››

Welcome to what I consider the "1001 Metal Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" or in other words, a list of records of various genres in the arrays of Metal and Hard Rock that I deem essential or at least very recommended to listeners of hard and heavy music. This may be a very overwhelming list but I essentially try to collect all albums in the History of Metal that strike me as worthwhile. May this be a guideline for people that seek for an entrance to a particular genre or certain bands. In no means I am saying, that this list is indisputable by any means. I consider these my personal picks for albums that should be listened to by die-hard metal fans at least once. Hopefully you can discover some new music or relate with my picks. If I missed something that you would include in such a list, please tell me in the form of a comment. Enjoy! \,,/

1.High Tide - Sea Shanties

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

4.Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come

5.Josefus - Dead Man

      View entire list ››

1.System Of A Down - Toxicity

2.Soen - Lotus

3.Tool - Lateralus

4.Faith No More - The Real Thing

5.Tool - Ænima

      View entire list ››

A personal list of non favorite metal songs, some better than others…
A bad song is the one I like the least and a great song is the one I love.
Beethoven

1.Hear 'n Aid - Stars

2.Black Sabbath - Never Say Die!

3.Metallica - Re-Load

4.Judas Priest - Ram It Down

5.Helloween - Pink Bubbles Go Ape

      View entire list ››

These are the albums that got me into metal when I was a teenager.

1.Arch Enemy - Doomsday Machine

2.Sepultura - Against

3.Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

4.Slipknot - Iowa

5.Korn - Issues

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JUST FOR FUN….Bad Records From Great Bands Or Bands You Just Don’t Get Into…This is my personal choice
💀💀💀

1.Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

2.Limp Bizkit - Significant Other

3.Bruce Dickinson - Skunkworks

4.KISS - Unmasked

5.Manowar - Kings Of Metal MMXIV

      View entire list ››

Plus my top three favourite tracks from each release. \m/

Honourable mentions:
Stratovarius - Episode (Power)
Marduk - Heaven Shall Burn... When We Are Gathered (Black)
Cannibal Corpse - Vile (Death)
Korn - Life Is Peachy (Nu)

Non-Metal mentions:
The Exploited - Beat The Bastards (Punk)
Velvet Acid Christ - Church Of Acid (Industrial)

1.Burzum - Filosofem

2.Moonspell - Irreligious

3.Gorgoroth - Antichrist

4.Satyricon - Nemesis Divina

5.Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

      View entire list ››

The albums below is my definition of extreme metal music, regardless of their genre. Entire list is based only on my personal preferences in metal.
Rules:
1. One album per band
2. 305 groups/305 albums

1.In Flames - Clayman

2.Metallica - ...And Justice For All

3.Chimaira - Chimaira

4.Death - Symbolic

5.Testament - The New Order

      View entire list ››

Here are some albums that used to be replayed in my MC-player hundreds of times when I was 16. Some of them keep listening till now, some I won't ever listen to again. Some good, some bad, some rather unexpected, but all of them pirated.

1.Aggressor - Of Long Duration Anguish

2.Amorphis - The Karelian Isthmus

3.Amorphis - Elegy

4.Brutality - When The Sky Turns Black

5.Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

      View entire list ››

1.Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

2.Rammstein - Mutter

3.Godflesh - Streetcleaner

4.Skinny Puppy - Too Dark Park

5.Ministry - ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ

      View entire list ››

Pretty straight-forward, these are my favourite industrial rock/metal albums I've heard to date. Limiting it to 3 albums per band.

1.Rammstein - Mutter

2.Rammstein - Reise Reise

3.Rammstein - Rosenrot

4.Static-X - Wisconsin Death Trip

5.Static-X - Shadow Zone

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These are MY Top 250 Albums that are featured on Metal Storm in chronological order to celebrate 50 Years of Metal.

Some bands are featured on this list with more than one album, which means that they are perticulary amazing to me.

I listen to a wide spectrum of metal genres, which is why I tried to keep it diverse and not focus on one genre.

1.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

2.Deep Purple - In Rock

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

4.Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards

5.Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies

      View entire list ››