1.Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I

2.Antimatter - Fear Of A Unique Identity

3.Sigh - In Somniphobia

4.Enslaved - RIITIIR

5.Katatonia - Dead End Kings

      View entire list ››

Ratings go from:

WORSHIP ❤️❤️❤️: Absolute greatness, a mindblowing album.
LOVE ❤️❤️🖤: Amazing release with very few flaws.
LIKE ❤️🖤🖤: Enjoyable but far from perfect.
DISLIKE 💔: Not very good or maybe not fitting my tastes.

I've decided to stop rating albums with a numerical value as I tend to feel uncomfortable with that. This list has a minimalistic, subjective and visceral approach, based purely on sensations and personal tastes. Mainly for personal use and doesn't pretend to be a serious ranking, but emerges from the need to remember which bands and albums I enjoyed and the ones I disliked. I constantly revisit new releases so first impressions may change over time. It usually takes 8-10 spins for me to get completely sure of a rating.

1.Æther Realm - Tarot

2.Abhoria - Abhoria

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Agrypnie - Metamorphosis

5.Allegaeon - Fragments Of Form And Function

      View entire list ››

1.Beyond The Bridge - The Old Man And The Spirit

2.Borknagar - Urd

3.Dalriada - Napisten Hava

4.Delain - We Are The Others

5.Kamelot - Silverthorn

      View entire list ››

These are my top Symphonic Black Metal Albums, limited to one per band. Some of these bands have multiple amazing albums, but I wanted to include some of the less heard of bands in this. A few of these might not quite be considered Symphonic Black Metal, but it is close enough for me.

1.Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk

2.Anorexia Nervosa - New Obscurantis Order

3.Dimmu Borgir - Spiritual Black Dimensions

4.Old Man's Child - Revelation 666 - The Curse Of Damnation

5.Carach Angren - Death Came Through A Phantom Ship

      View entire list ››

As is the case with my other lists, this is for my own organizational purposes and is designed purely to help me keep track of all the many black metal bands and albums that I enjoy, since I can't keep all of this information in my head. It has no other benefit whatsoever and will likely result in tantrums should anyone else see it. I'm aware that I haven't listened to every black metal album that I should have. I only went down to the 6s on this list, so it's possible that I have listened to your favorite black metal album that you desperately need to suggest and I thought it was terrible. There are a lot of heinously incompetent black metal bands out there.

On the off-chance that you've found this and actually care about what I think (you shouldn't), be advised that my favorites come first. Some are favorites in the general sense; some are favorites within black metal. The first few of those are in some order and not so much after that.

Because this is for my own purposes and not intended to be a definitive list of pure black metal, there are some black metal-adjacent bands, or albums by black metal bands that may not themselves be black metal. That's why you'll find so much Sigh clogging up the top of the list. I prefer to keep whole discographies together on one list. I used to include Primordial, Forefather, and other such bands, but a while back I created a list for folk and I decided that those artists would fit better there.

I update these lists very infrequently. This was last updated December 7, 2022.

1.Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape

2.Sigh - Graveward

3.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

4.Sigh - Heir To Despair

5.The Meads Of Asphodel - The Murder Of Jesus The Jew

      View entire list ››

My favourite full-lengths from 2012, with probably a few not existing on here. Maybe doing this too late, but who cares anyway? Spread the metal, spread the love.

1.Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I

2.Thy Art Is Murder - Hate

3.Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom

4.Slice The Cake - The Man With No Face

5.Ravenface - Divided Kingdom

      View entire list ››

Its in alphabetical order by albums... Some albums on this list may or may not be the exact description of Black or Doom Metal or their subgenres. They just seem to fit for my taste and way I like my Black And Doom dosage. I'm sure some may say Les Discrets and Alcest and other bands on the list can't be Black or Doom because of their sounds and lyrical themes, but if their music gives me that darkness that let's say Watain or Gorgoroth give in Black Metal just without the Satanic lyrics and more of the emotions of Blackness and Doom then to me its Black Metal and the same goes to whatever Doom bands are on my list. If anyone checks out my list, thanks.

1.Mental Home - Угра

2.Forgotten Tomb - ...And Don't Deliver Us From Evil

3.Profetus - ...To Open The Passages In Dusk

4.Narrow House - A Key To Panngrieb

5.A Forest Of Stars - A Shadowplay For Yesterdays

      View entire list ››

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)

      View entire list ››

My other lists:
Tasty Stuff Not Currently Featured On MS
So I Heard You Like Opeth...

A concise list of my metalhead man-crushes (now featuring ladies.)

While there is little introduction required for some of these bands and their front(wo)men, there are no words that can accurately describe such jaw-dropping talent anyhow. The albums and youtube links listed are meant to display the full capacity of vocalists' talents, not the bands' most quality or popular tracks - click the links below and behold the prowess.

1.Abstrakt Algebra - Abstrakt Algebra

2.Adagio - Underworld

3.Akercocke - Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone

4.Amorphis - Silent Waters

5.Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas

      View entire list ››

So, I figure with all the staff picks and ms awards going around, I'd post some of the new favorites I've found in 2012, as well as some anticipated favs of the year! Some of these have really changed since the MS awards, since I found myself enjoying certain albums way more than others, which likely would have been on my list otherwise.

1.Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

2.Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I

3.Enslaved - RIITIIR

4.Xanthochroid - Blessed He With Boils

5.Atoma - Skylight

      View entire list ››

2012 has been such a great year for metal releases. So in honor of that, here is my personal favourite Albums of 2012.

1.Indesinence - Vessels Of Light And Decay

2.Faal - The Clouds Are Burning

3.In The Silence - A Fair Dream Gone Mad

4.Enochian Theory - Life... And All It Entails

5.Eternal Deformity - The Beauty Of Chaos

      View entire list ››

A lot of bands have great debut albums. Obviously this list is just a fraction of all the great debut albums out there, but it's a start. I'll keep expanding this list continuously, so all suggestions are welcome (granted they are featured on MS). All the albums here are ranked according to genre and then alphabetically. If a certain album belongs to the (in your opinion) wrong genre, then definitely let me know.

1.

2.Aarni - Bathos

3.Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia

4.Diablo Swing Orchestra - The Butcher's Ballroom

5.Sadness - Ames De Marbre

      View entire list ››

Because I reached the word limit on the previous list, and don't want to lose my quite excellent in-depth descriptions. Those without descriptions are from my other list.

1.Sylosis - Monolith

2.Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

3.In The Silence - A Fair Dream Gone Mad

4.Abigail Williams - Becoming

5.Rodrigo Y Gabriela - Area 52

      View entire list ››

Troy had the right idea doing this at the start instead of waiting so here we go...

However my list is in alphabetic order...

1.Abnormality - Contaminating The Hive Mind

2.Abominable Putridity - The Anomalies Of Artificial Origin

3.Aborted - Global Flatline

4.Aeon - Aeons Black

5.After Oblivion - Stamina

      View entire list ››

Limited to only those albums featured on Metal Storm.

1.Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick

2.Rush - Moving Pictures

3.King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

4.Pain Of Salvation - Remedy Lane

5.Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

      View entire list ››