I feel like my overall favorites list is getting too long. I'm splitting it up by rating.

1.Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

2.Qrixkuor - Poison Palinopsia

3.Skepticism - Ordeal

4.Funeral Mist - Devilry

5.Zeal & Ardor - Zeal And Ardor

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1.Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken

2.Primal Fear - Delivering The Black

3.Vanden Plas - Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld (Path 1)

4.Threshold - For The Journey

5.Voyager - V

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The things I liked in 2014

1.Disforia - The Age Of Ether

2.Accept - Blind Rage

3.Arion - Last Of Us

4.Exodus - Blood In, Blood Out

5.Machine Head - Bloodstone & Diamonds

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Simple ranking of all my favorite albums. Favorite song from the album in the notes. Sure to change/expand as I learn and explore more within metal.
2023: This was starting to get too long so I split it into separate lists for albums at each ranking 10 to 7. This list will no longer be updated.
10: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6891
9: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=7213
8: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=7512
7: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=8058

1.Madder Mortem - Eight Ways

2.Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side

3.Ayreon - 01011001

4.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

5.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

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1.Septicflesh - Titan

2.Autumnal - The End Of The Third Day

3.Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel

4.Novembers Doom - Bled White

5.Epica - The Quantum Enigma

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Suggestions For The Eclectic Metalhead - 2014 Edition. I spent over half of 2014 NOT absorbing new metal, and thus spent the rest of the year catching up. I'm pretty certain I missed many great albums, as well as missing a few entire genres, so know that this isn't an exhaustive list (and why it is only 30 instead of 50). These albums all easily rate an 8 or higher and are my favorite and most recommended albums. If your tastes are equally varied, please recommend me your favorites in return!

1.Evenoire - Herons

2.Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken

3.Wayfarer - Children Of The Iron Age

4.November-7 - Awaraxid 7mg

5.Sivyj Yar - From The Dead Villages' Darkness

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These are my favourite albums of 2014. You can find this list, together with some sentences about the albums, in my blog

http://forsakenatthegates.blogspot.se/

1.Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun

2.Teramaze - Esoteric Symbolism

3.Anubis Gate - Horizons

4.Delain - The Human Contradiction

5.Vanden Plas - Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld (Path 1)

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My top 20 albums listed by order:

1.Ne Obliviscaris - Citadel

2.Septicflesh - Titan

3.Insomnium - Shadows Of The Dying Sun

4.Neurotech - Infra Versus Ultra

5.Burzum - The Ways Of Yore

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1.Ancient Bards - A New Dawn Ending

2.Epica - The Quantum Enigma

3.Eluveitie - Origins

4.Hoth - Oathbreaker

5.Insomnium - Shadows Of The Dying Sun

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1.Mayhem - Esoteric Warfare

2.Arch Enemy - War Eternal

3.Agalloch - The Serpent & The Sphere

4.Sólstafir - Ótta

5.Darkest Hour - Darkest Hour

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My best album list to 2014 so far (january-september)

1.Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails

2.Animals As Leaders - The Joy Of Motion

3.Serdce - Timelessness

4.Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun

5.Agalloch - The Serpent & The Sphere

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100% subjective.
I also listened to albums far from metal or metal world (Hanggai, Lisa Gerrard, ...) but I decided not to list them there.

Updated constantly - feel free to recommend something to check out.

1.Darkspace - Dark Space III I

2.Blues Pills - Blues Pills

3.Earth - Primitive And Deadly

4.Aenaon - Extance

5.Triptykon - Melana Chasmata

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1.Epica - The Quantum Enigma

2.Xandria - Sacrificium

3.Delain - The Human Contradiction

4.Insomnium - Shadows Of The Dying Sun

5.Agalloch - The Serpent & The Sphere

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1.Opeth - Pale Communion

2.Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken

3.Delain - The Human Contradiction

4.Arch Enemy - War Eternal

5.Within Temptation - Hydra

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This list is provisional with no specific order. It's subject to change as time passes and more albums get released. For now, Triptykon's new work tops my chart.

1.Mayhem - Esoteric Warfare

2.Triptykon - Melana Chasmata

3.Insomnium - Shadows Of The Dying Sun

4.Behemoth - The Satanist

5.Witch Mountain - Mobile Of Angels

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