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

      View entire list ››

Do you know this feeling when you stumble across a random word, and then suddenly that name pops up just about everywhere? That specific term haunting yours truly has long been "Portland, Oregon". It seems to me that every new discovery was founded in Portland, apparently every other album was mastered at Brad Boatright's Audiosiege Studio in Portland, and every single of my favorite bands had, at some point, performed on a stage somewhere in Portland.

In the 1980s, LA was undeniably the world's glam metal capital, alongside with San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal as a counter development. Then we witnessed the death metal boom of the early 90s, with Tampa, Florida as its global hotspot. Not to forget the New York punk and hardcore scene (NYHC), the rise of sludge metal from the swamps of New Orleans during the late 80s, grunge from Seattle gaining mainstream prominence in the early 90s...
Apparently, there has always been a tendency in the US towards rapidly developing, locally restricted music scenes, in whose environment a completely new style or genre could develop in order to have a lasting impact on the global musical landscape within a few years.

So I just had to find out if my mind was playing tricks on me or if Portland really is the current capital of the US for heavy music and extreme metal - hence this list.

Inclusion criteria:
featured on Metal Strom and
established in Portland or
a long-term creative phase in Portland or
still active and currently based in Portland
(that's why Leviathan is here but Lurker Of Chalice isn't)

Only one album (preferably the most recent full-length album) per band.

By the way, according to this article, Portland harbors the highest amount of active metal bands per capita in the US. Quite a surprise, isn't it?

While we are at it, what's your favorite Portland band?

1.Abhorrent Affliction - Forever Will He Reign

2.Acathexis - Acathexis

3.Ænigmatum - Deconsecrate

4.Ævangelist - Dream An Evil Dream III

5.Agalloch - The Serpent & The Sphere

      View entire list ››

This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone who is young in age, my tastes tend to revolve around the period of the 80s to the present.* Although certain metal albums from before will certainly be featured, the period of the 60s-70s will be under-represented. I refer you to this excellent list to gain a better appreciation for some of the best metal from that period: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/freis/martin_popoffs_the_top_500_heavy_metal_albums_of_all_time/

1.Gaerea - Unsettling Whispers

2.Galadriel - World Under World

3.Galaktik Cancer Squad - Celestia

4.Galar - De Gjenlevende

5.Gallowbraid - Ashen Eidolon

      View entire list ››

1.Saor - Guardians

2.Oathbreaker - Rheia

3.SubRosa - For This We Fought The Battle Of Ages

4.Astronoid - Air

5.Zeal and Ardor - Devil Is Fine

      View entire list ››

Might as well.

Slapped this thing together in 5 minutes so don't take it too seriously.

1.Aluk Todolo - Voix

2.David Bowie - Blackstar

3.Ill Omen - Æ.Thy.Rift

4.Gorguts - Pleiades' Dust

5.Light Of The Morning Star - Cemetery Glow

      View entire list ››

2016 - What An amazing year for Metal!

End of the year list for the bands & albums I heard this year - sorted In alphabetical order. List is WIP.

1.Abbath - Abbath

2.Alcest - Kodama

3.Ancient - Back To The Land Of The Dead

4.Antimatter - Welcome To The Machine

5.Borknagar - Winter Thrice

      View entire list ››

Hi here is my list from this year hope you like and comment it.
❤ : Awesome Album
+ : Need to be listen
- : Don't like it
O : Coming Soon (Not listen yet =))
$ : Current listening

Notable Song (Try to limit at 2)
Useful Link (for bands not yet on MS)
Don't forget it's just my opinion.

1.Witherscape - The Northern Sanctuary

2.Be'lakor - Vessels

3.Hypno5e - Shores Of The Abstract Line

4.In Mourning - Afterglow

5.Haken - Affinity

      View entire list ››

This is my Best of 2016. Obviously a work in progress. Still tons more new metal to be released this year. Right now I am going back to the early releases and making sure nothing fell through the cracks.

1.Swans - The Glowing Man

2.Sumac - What One Becomes

3.Wormed - Krighsu

4.Katatonia - The Fall Of Hearts

5.Internal Suffering - Cyclonic Void Of Power

      View entire list ››

All the other 2016 lists are total garbage.

1.Schammasch - Triangle

2.Mortichnia - Heir To Scoria And Ash

3.Départe - Failure, Subside

4.SubRosa - For This We Fought The Battle Of Ages

5.Ustalost - The Spoor Of Vipers

      View entire list ››

No preference order except the Top 5 (see the stars)

1.SubRosa - For This We Fought The Battle Of Ages

2.Inquisition - Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond The Celestial Zenith

3.Throane - Derrière-Nous, La Lumière

4.Oathbreaker - Rheia

5.Darkher - Realms

      View entire list ››

Last year I was a little late to the party...busy studying for a professional exam and all. This year I thought I would try and stay on top of a list and hopefully follow it through to the end. I'm going to limit the list to anything I would rate 7 and up. Overall on this site my ratings are fairly favourable, because I try to stick to genres and bands I know I will like.

1.Asphalt Graves - The New Primitive

2.Vektor - Terminal Redux

3.Grave Miasma - Endless Pilgrimage

4.Lycus - Chasms

5.Glorior Belli - Sundown (The Flock That Welcomes)

      View entire list ››

For me more than you, as the sheer amount of music in the world has turned me into a goldfish as far as remembering what I've listened to and what I thought of it. However, if you find something cool from here, more power you my friend!

1.Cult Of Luna - Mariner [Collaboration]

2.Fallujah - Dreamless

3.Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika

4.Death Grips - The Bottomless Pit

5.Iamthemorning - Lighthouse

      View entire list ››

----Updated every weeks----

I'm looking for all genres without exceptions, with currently little preferencies for Progressive, Death and Black metal! Listenning to every albums 2 or 3 times at less before including it in my list.
I specify my favourite songs in order of preferency

❤ = Amazing song!

1.Vektor - Terminal Redux

2.Be'lakor - Vessels

3.Thank You Scientist - Stranger Heads Prevail

4.Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep Of Reason

5.Hypno5e - Shores Of The Abstract Line

      View entire list ››

My favorites of the year as they come. No order.

1.Krallice - Hyperion

2.The Black Queen - Fever Daydream

3.Deströyer 666 - Wildfire

4.After The Burial - Dig Deep

5.Abbath - Abbath

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››