Hey Folks! It’s me… Again!

I’m coming back once more to explore the depths of a genre that arguably did not begin where you all thought it did! Yeah yeah… Alright, maybe Left Hand Path, Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious, Like An Ever Flowing Stream & The Red In The Sky Is Ours aren’t exactly the sound you would expect, but they were certainly a sign of something incredible that was about to happen. The birth of Melodic Death Metal!

Most of you, them, us… Would agree that Melodic Death metal really appeared in the form of Carcass’s 1993 album Heartwork. Even though some shades of what would become staples of the genre were heard before, this one would truly be the first album to be called as such. Mixing OSDM with more classic heavy metal styled riffs & melodies, our beloved genre (along with Thrash) would become for a lot of our teenage selves, a gateway into the more extreme bowels of metal’s subgenres. I would argue that it’s an almost obligatory step in the grand metalhead’s journey. Ah, how amazing it was to first taste the somewhat delicate sound of melodeath before rattling our ears with the obscenities & nonsensical wankery of grindcore, brutal tech-death, dissonant death and post metal… Rrrrright.

As you have become accustomed to by now, I will attempt to honour the genre by listing the absolute best Melodic Death metal albums to be ever released throughout the years. And I will do so starting with a few albums that are arguably not Melodic Death metal… Because I can and I did, hah! F*ck you! Along the way, you might stumble upon some strange & unorthodox choices mixing a plethora of other genres as well and that’s ok. Truly. Take it easy, don’t hyperventilate over it and just go with the flow. The main goal here is to help people who don’t know much about melodeath discover it and where it came from. I also want to push forward some less known jewels amongst highly praised landmarks of the style and sprinkle a bit of my personality along the way because that’s always fun. The albums will be ordered in years of release and there will be no other restriction or specific rules.

I hope you have a blast going through my list and that it brings you joy and a slight tingle on your nostalgia strings. Though, if it pisses you off, if I forgot your absolute favourite album of all goddamn time or if you think I’m an idiot, well… Just remember that I’m right, always and forever, thank you. Regardless It will be a pleasure for me to hear your recommendations or discuss anything related to melodeath below. Cheers & have fun!

-Guib-

Note: Albums with a 🇨🇦 are from my country (Canada) and albums with a ★ are my personal favourites.

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Last Updated: April 8th, 2024

1.Entombed - Left Hand Path

2.Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious

3.Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream

4.At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours

5.Carcass - Heartwork

      View entire list ››

2016 was... well... oh oh... oh oh... well... what the fuck!

Anyhow, here is my top 50 ranking of albums I scored 8+

Album count: 126
Average rating: 7.1

1.Alcest - Kodama

2.Khemmis - Hunted

3.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

4.Trees Of Eternity - Hour Of The Nightingale

5.Skuggsjá - A Piece For Mind & Mirror

      View entire list ››

This list aims to be the Wintersun equivalent of LeKiwi's fantastic So I Heard You Like Opeth... list (go and check that one out if you're a fan).

A lot of us around these parts are/were big fans of Wintersun. While Jari may take his sweet time writing, recording, (and let's not forget) producing albums, there are many bands that have a similar sound we can enjoy listening to while we wait for the next Wintersun release, praying that it doesn't disappoint!

This list is a collection of the best albums by those bands.

In alphabetical order and featuring 1 album per band. I will add to this list over time as I discover more.

Enjoy!

My other lists:
Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 25 EPs (also ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
Top 200 Overrated Albums (trigger warning)

1.Æther Realm - Tarot

2.Aephanemer - Prokopton

3.Atavistia - One Within The Sun

4.Blind Stare - Symphony Of Delusions

5.Children Of Bodom - Hatebreeder

      View entire list ››

Yet another list of mine, this time going back since the first one in 2017. My favorite death metal-adjacent records of 2016. I will be adding more as I find other great records, feel free to recommend stuff in the comments! Listed alphabetically by band name with the subgenre included.

1.Abnormality - Mechanisms Of Omniscience

2.Aborted - Retrogore

3.Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

4.Anciients - Voice Of The Void

5.Be'lakor - Vessels

      View entire list ››

This list aims to be the counterpart to the Metal Storm Top 200 Albums (plus a few extras).

If you discover a new band or already like any of ones here, please give this list a thumbs up and/or leave a comment so we can get these overlooked gems in front of more people.

Criteria:
• High-quality musicianship (i.e. 9-10/10 IMO)
• 1 album per band

Ordered by number of votes then MS rating.

As these are albums with a low number of votes, the rating is likely to change frequently. I will update this list as often as I can.

Updated: 29-Jan-24

My other lists:
Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 25 EPs (also ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overrated Albums (trigger warning)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)

1.Solipsist - The Human Equation

2.Ayahuasca - Beneath The Mind

3.Cryptomnesia - Primordial Oddity

4.Element (USA) - The Energy

5.Telepathy - 12 Areas

      View entire list ››

1.First Fragment - Dasein

2.Spellcaster - When Night Hides the World

3.Vektor - Terminal Redux

4.Whispered - Metsutan - Songs Of The Void

5.Exumer - The Raging Tides

      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 ››

My Favorite Albums Of The Year \m/

1.Onmyo-Za - 迦陵頻伽

2.Dream Theater - The Astonishing

3.Epica - The Holographic Principle

4.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

5.Opeth - Sorceress

      View entire list ››

https://fullblackreviews.blogspot.com
My blog if you want to read some reviews.

1.Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep Of Reason

2.Schammasch - Triangle

3.Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä

4.Bethlehem - Bethlehem

5.Ulcerate - Shrines Of Paralysis

      View entire list ››

This is a list of all the folk metal albums I have listened to that I found to be of at least marginal quality. It is purely for my own organizational purposes and is not meant to be a definitive statement about the genre; for that reason, there are some entries that don't entirely fit the description, including some neofolk albums and bands that don't exactly play "folk metal" but are close enough.

1.Elvenking - Secrets Of The Magick Grimoire

2.Forefather - Ours Is The Kingdom

3.Forefather - Steadfast

4.Forefather - Last Of The Line

5.Dalriada - Áldás

      View entire list ››

1.Vektor - Terminal Redux

2.Plini - Handmade Cities

3.Alcest - Kodama

4.The Dillinger Escape Plan - Dissociation

5.Thank You Scientist - Stranger Heads Prevail

      View entire list ››

My personal favorite studio albums of 2016

1.Devin Townsend - Transcendence

2.Trees Of Eternity - Hour Of The Nightingale

3.Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage

4.Metallica - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct

5.Epica - The Holographic Principle

      View entire list ››

1.Alcest - Kodama

2.Myrath - Legacy

3.Fallujah - Dreamless

4.Krampus - Counter//Current

5.Rotting Christ - Rituals

      View entire list ››

1.Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

2.Dark Tranquillity - Atoma

3.Omnium Gatherum - Grey Heavens

4.Equilibrium - Armageddon

5.Be'lakor - Vessels

      View entire list ››

My favorite to least favorite from 2016. I will be adding and moving albums as the year goes on.

1.Epica - The Holographic Principle

2.Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake

3.Avantasia - Ghostlights

4.Allegaeon - Proponent For Sentience

5.Brymir - Slayer Of Gods

      View entire list ››