Heavy Metal (like most people I imagine) was one of the first metal genres I got into around 2005. My friend introduced me to Iron Maiden and from there I was hooked! He would recommend me which of their albums to buy each month from HMV with my saved up pocket money (one of the highlights of the month). Thanks to MS, I've now discovered many more incredible heavy metal bands such as Judas Priest, Deep Purple and King Diamond.

So here are my favourites of the genre with my rating, its sub-genre and release year:

(Score is an average of each album's song ratings, full list located here)

If you discovered any new albums or like the same sort of heavy 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 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 25 EPs (also 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)

1.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

2.Metallica - Metallica

3.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4.Judas Priest - Painkiller

5.Deep Purple - Machine Head

      View entire list ››

I'm not good at making a click baity list name, but here is my Judas Priest ranking. Not an easy thing to do, I could switch a couple of them around. Just like Iron Maiden, no lists look the same.

1.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

2.Judas Priest - Sin After Sin

3.Judas Priest - Stained Class

4.Judas Priest - Killing Machine (Hell Bent For Leather)

5.Judas Priest - Painkiller

      View entire list ››

My favorite metal albums sorted alphabetically by band name and chronological by release date.

1.Æther Realm - Tarot

2.Acid Witch - Witchtanic Hellucinations

3.Allegaeon - Proponent For Sentience

4.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

5.Amorphis - Silent Waters

      View entire list ››

1.Rivers Of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name

2.Sulphur Aeon - The Scythe Of Cosmic Chaos

3.Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology

4.Amorphis - Queen Of Time

5.1914 - The Blind Leading The Blind

      View entire list ››

1.Accept - Blind Rage

2.Wolf - Devil Seed

3.Enforcer - From Beyond

4.Metal Church - XI

5.Rage - The Devil Strikes Again

      View entire list ››

This is the most unquestionably difficult ranking I could undertake. The # of albums I consider borderline flawless from each of these bands is ridiculous. Over a dozen albums from these 3 bands have legitimate arguments to be considered the greatest traditional heavy metal album of all time.

I have a few rankings that are likely hot takes here
** Yes, I like Dance of Death more than most folks. Title track and Paschendale are both top 10 Maiden songs, and Montsegur is only a small step behind that. Those 3 songs are better than anything on Brave New World to me, but the rest of BNW is better and higher quality.
** Yes I kinda like Turbo. It's silly but it's fun and the guitar work and Rob's vocals are absolutely stellar. That kinda sucks about Ram It Down, it's got some of Priests' best lead guitar work and I don't think Rob ever sounded better, but dear lord, some of those songs...
As for the top 6 albums here, honestly put them in whatever order you want. They're that close to me and mood depending it could change

1.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

2.Judas Priest - Painkiller

3.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4.Black Sabbath - Sabotage

5.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

      View entire list ››

1.Powerwolf - The Sacrament Of Sin

2.Seven Sisters - The Cauldron And The Cross

3.Musta Risti - Musta Risti

4.Judas Priest - Firepower

5.Primal Fear - Apocalypse

      View entire list ››

A little list series where I list my top 20 favorite metal albums every year starting from the year I was born in.

2018 was pretty good year, some solid releases in death and Melodic death metal, Symphonic metal had a pretty good record comparing to previous years, and Judas priest released there best album in almost thirty years.


My favorite non metal albums of 2018

1. Civilisation
By Southern Empire (Progressive rock, Symphonic rock)


2. Schmaltz
By Spanish Love Songs (Pop Punk, Emo)


3. Joy as an Act of Resistance
By Idles (Post-Hardcore, Art punk)


4. TA13OO
By Denzel Curry (Trap, Southern Hip Hop, Trap Metal)


5. OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES
By SOPHIE (Bubblegum Bass, Hyperpop, Experimental)



My favorite movie from 2018

1.Amorphis - Queen Of Time

2.Rivers Of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name

3.Crescent - The Order Of Amenti

4.Judas Priest - Firepower

5.Shylmagoghnar - Transience

      View entire list ››

All of the albums that I did full reactions of on my Youtube channel, The Metal Junkie. link here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMetalJunkie/featured

1.Death - Symbolic

2.Rush - Hemispheres

3.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

4.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

5.Rammstein - Mutter

      View entire list ››

1.Judas Priest - Painkiller

2.Judas Priest - Stained Class

3.Judas Priest - Firepower

4.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

5.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

      View entire list ››

1.Primal Fear - Infinity

2.Kamelot - Burns to Embrace

3.Avantasia - Lucifer

4.Iced Earth - Black Flag

5.Soen - Deciever

      View entire list ››

1.Avantasia - Ghostlights

2.Iced Earth - Incorruptible

3.Kamelot - The Shadow Theory

4.Soilwork - The Ride Majestic

5.Jorn Lande & Trond Holter - Dracula: Swing Of Death

      View entire list ››

The Priest Ranked

1.Judas Priest - Stained Class

2.Judas Priest - Sin After Sin

3.Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny

4.Judas Priest - Killing Machine (Hell Bent For Leather)

5.Judas Priest - British Steel

      View entire list ››

1.Judas Priest - Painkiller

2.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

3.Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance

4.Judas Priest - Firepower

5.Judas Priest - British Steel

      View entire list ››

1.Kamelot - The Shadow Theory

2.Amorphis - Queen Of Time

3.Lords Of Black - Icons Of The New Days

4.Judas Priest - Firepower

5.Seventh Wonder - Tiara

      View entire list ››