1.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

2.Disforia - The Age Of Ether

3.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

4.Ayreon - The Theory Of Everything

5.Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud

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The goats. The near perfect albums that never get old. Some are full of catchy bangers I'm always humming, and some are so full to the brim of details that I still haven't even uncovered them all.

A brief outline of my ratings:
8.5-9.0 = An excellent album with a few mild drawbacks (Weak song, slightly irritating vocals, odd flow)
9.0-9.5 = Perfect albums that haven't quite warranted the time-earnt 9.5+.
9.5-9.9 = Perfect albums that have stood the test of time, ranked by preference.
10 = I don't expect to hear another album like these, ever.

(I use 'perfect' lightly as it makes no sense for a man-made creation to be flawless. 'Perfect' is simply a term to outline how high a level of enjoyment is, specifically the level of enjoyment when minor faults become insignificant.)

(I evaluate albums outside of metal vastly differently to the ones here, which explains the lack of representation of my other favourite genres. Blue Sky Mining is an exception due to being structured very similarly to my optimal metal album. I may add some picks from other genres down the line.)


STATS:
I know y'all don't look at my lists, so these are purely for my own interest.

-Decades
'10s: 36
'20s: 22
'00s: 7
'90s: 2

-Genres (By best fit or most prominent)
Prog: 35
Death: 11
Power: 9
Symphonic: 4
Black: 3
Contemporary: 2
Folk: 1
Doom: 1
Rock: 1

1.Devin Townsend - Empath

2.Memories Of Old - The Zeramin Game

3.Wintersun - Time I

4.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

5.Persefone - Aathma

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1.Therion - Theli

2.Therion - Vovin

3.Therion - Lemuria

4.Therion - Sirius B

5.Cradle Of Filth - Midian

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1.Epica - The Quantum Enigma

2.Epica - Design Your Universe

3.Epica - Consign To Oblivion

4.Epica - The Divine Conspiracy

5.Epica - The Phantom Agony

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Some of the worst and best songs in here.

If I were ranking every long song of Epica:
Kingdom of Heaven would land between 3. and 4.
Serenade Of Self-Destruction would land above KoH, also between 3. and 4.

Have a great day

1.Epica - Consign To Oblivion

2.Epica - The Holographic Principle

3.Epica - Design Your Universe

4.Epica - The Phantom Agony

5.Epica - The Quantum Enigma

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Suggestions are always welcome

1.Paradise Lost - Draconian Times

2.Theatre Of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear

3.Draconian - Arcane Rain Fell

4.The Sins Of Thy Beloved - Lake Of Sorrow

5.Tristania - Widow's Weeds

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I've chosen the order of the albums by personal taste and how each one of them is important for me.

1.Epica - The Quantum Enigma

2.Epica - The Phantom Agony

3.Epica - The Divine Conspiracy

4.Epica - Consign To Oblivion

5.Epica - Design Your Universe

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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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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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1.Witherscape - The Northern Sanctuary

2.Throes Of Dawn - Our Voices Shall Remain

3.The Foreshadowing - Seven Heads, Ten Horns

4.Trees Of Eternity - Hour Of The Nightingale

5.Epica - The Holographic Principle

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1.Metatrone - Eucharismetal

2.Sound Storm - Vertigo

3.Trick Or Treat - Rabbits' Hill Pt. 2

4.Dreamtale - Seventhian ...Memories Of Time

5.Theocracy - Ghost Ship

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1.Evergrey - The Storm Within

2.Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

3.Gojira - Magma

4.Metallica - Hardwired?To Self-Destruct

5.Epica - The Holographic Principle

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1.Epica - The Holographic Principle

2.Thy Catafalque - Meta

3.Alcest - Kodama

4.Ignite - A War Against You

5.Anthrax - For All Kings

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1.Epica - The Holographic Principle

2.Asphyx - Incoming Death

3.Devin Townsend - Transcendence

4.Insomnium - Winter's Gate

5.Opeth - Still Life

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