Current favourite 10 of this decade

1.Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

2.Taake - Noregs Vaapen

3.Hail Spirit Noir - Pneuma

4.Meshuggah - Koloss

5.Saturnus - Saturn In Ascension

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1.Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn

2.Amorphis - Queen Of Time

3.Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika

4.Septicflesh - Codex Omega

5.Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

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Current Top 100 as of September 2019. Having listened to metal for 45 years or so - here are my favourites (favourite track). One album limit per band. Enjoy!

1.Absu - Absu

2.AC/DC - If You Want Blood You've Got It

3.Agalloch - The Mantle

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

5.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

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1.The Body - No One Deserves Happiness

2.Cobalt - Slow Forever

3.Cult Of Luna - Mariner [Collaboration]

4.The Dillinger Escape Plan - Dissociation

5.Nails - You Will Never Be One Of Us

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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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1.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

2.Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika

3.

4.Carcass - Heartwork

5.Cynic - Focus

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My favorite albums from various genres

1.Slipknot - Iowa

2.Nirvana - Nevermind

3.Summoning - Stronghold

4.Septicflesh - Communion

5.Anathema - Judgement

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It's always changing.

1.Moonsorrow - V: Hävitetty

2.Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet

3.Equilibrium - Sagas

4.Týr - Ragnarok

5.Finsterforst - Rastlos

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best album of each year from 1970 onwards

1.Wayfarer - American Gothic

2.Grima - Frostbitten

3.Beast In Black - Dark Connection

4.Havukruunu - Uinuos Syömein Sota

5.Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

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1.Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory

2.Slipknot - Iowa

3.Summoning - Stronghold

4.Septicflesh - Communion

5.Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn

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Honorable mentions:

Asphyx - Incoming Death
Be'lakor - Vessels
Mistur - In Memoriam
Thrawsunblat - Metachthonia
Vader - The Empire

Slight letdown:

Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

1.Helstar - Vampiro

2.Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika

3.Epica - The Holographic Principle

4.Suicidal Angels - Division Of Blood

5.Exumer - The Raging Tides

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In no particular order

1.Devin Townsend - Transcendence

2.Cult Of Luna - Mariner [Collaboration]

3.Astronoid - Air

4.Borknagar - Winter Thrice

5.Messa - Belfry

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Better never than late, right? Order is not particular.

1.Vektor - Terminal Redux

2.Dark Tranquillity - Atoma

3.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

4.Uada - Devoid Of Light

5.Be'lakor - Vessels

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The choice was though, not only because there were some very good albums out there, but also because as you get older, life fucks you up, and you never have enough time to listen to all the albums you want, for as much as you want. Or as much as they deserve. I must add that the list could be different if I made it on any other day, depending on the mood. I would like to note some honorable mentions too, such as Witherscape - The Northern Sanctuary, Rotting Christ - Rituals, Avantasia - Ghostlights, Skuggsja - A Piece For Mind and Mirror, Ihsahn - Arktis, Moonsorrow, Jumalten Aika, Be'lakor - Vessels, Thy Catafalque Meta, and most of all Katatonia - The Fall of Hearts and Fates Warning - Theories of Flight.

1.Borknagar - Winter Thrice

2.Dark Tranquillity - Atoma

3.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

4.Trees Of Eternity - Hour Of The Nightingale

5.Delain - Moonbathers

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A short list displaying my top 5 albums of last year. These albums are truly great and deserve attention not only by the fans of the bands, but all metal fans in general.

1.Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika

2.Dark Tranquillity - Atoma

3.Be'lakor - Vessels

4.Witherscape - The Northern Sanctuary

5.Allegaeon - Proponent For Sentience

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