So, I figure with all the staff picks and ms awards going around, I'd post some of the new favorites I've found in 2012, as well as some anticipated favs of the year! Some of these have really changed since the MS awards, since I found myself enjoying certain albums way more than others, which likely would have been on my list otherwise.

1.Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

2.Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I

3.Enslaved - RIITIIR

4.Xanthochroid - Blessed He With Boils

5.Atoma - Skylight

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This is my list of bands I feel aren't given the credit they deserve.

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1.Witherscape - The Inheritance

2.Ayreon - The Theory Of Everything

3.Týr - Valkyrja

4.Thrawsunblat - Thrawsunblat II: Wanderer On The Continent Of Saplings

5.Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn

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1.Moonspell - Memorial

2.Madder Mortem - Desiderata

3.Scar Symmetry - Pitch Black Progress

4.Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance

5.Into Eternity - The Scattering Of Ashes

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These are the cream of the crop, in my humble opinion, of 2012. Take a look!

1.Periphery - Periphery II: This Time It's Personal

2.Headspace - I Am Anonymous

3.Lich King - Born Of The Bomb

4.The Stranded - Survivalism Boulevard

5.Accept - Stalingrad

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Here's a list of mostly Gothic Metal albums, exclusively of the "Beauty and the Beast" type (which refers to clean "angelic" female vocals contrasted with male growls/screams). I made this list because it's one of my all-time favourite subgenres of which I own "a lot" of great albums. Since there are several lists of the best Gothic Metal albums on MS, I didn't feel like creating a similar one, but rather an exclusive list solely comprised of this subgenre. It could be useful as a guide for people who are searching for these kinds of albums, though I'm very open to suggestions since I obviously haven't heard all great albums yet. Lastly, everything on this list is at least worth a 7.5/10 rating and I only add a maximum of 2 albums per band.

1.Tristania - Widow's Weeds

2.The Sins Of Thy Beloved - Lake Of Sorrow

3.Draconian - Where Lovers Mourn

4.Epica - The Phantom Agony

5.Theatre Of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear

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same shit, different year. found the year lacking a bit at the very top but wowzers were there a lot of really good albums released last year... so much so that i ran out of spots in the top 25 before i ran out of "8's"... passers by were surprised by the unusual amount of blood. passers by were surprised by the unusual amount of blood. passers by were surprised by the unusual amount of blood.

1.Faal - The Clouds Are Burning

2.Tort - Tort

3.High On Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis

4.Lurk - Lurk

5.Enslaved - RIITIIR

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1.Accept - TBA

2.Alestorm - Live At The End Of The World

3.Dio - Finding The Sacred Heart - Live In Philly 1986

4.Dream Theater - Live At Luna Park

5.Ensiferum - TBA

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This Chart Is Based On The Team Of "أوبيث" Page And It's Member, The Arabian Page For Fans Of Opeth. ( https://www.facebook.com/OpethArabianFans )

1.Opeth - Blackwater Park

2.Opeth - Ghost Reveries

3.Opeth - Deliverance

4.Opeth - Morningrise

5.Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse

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1.Enslaved - Isa

2.Orphaned Land - Mabool

3.Wintersun - Wintersun

4.Ayreon - The Human Equation

5.Into Eternity - Buried In Oblivion

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this a list of my top 20 most metal countries, excluding USA

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(in progress)

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1.Dark Tranquillity - Fiction

2.Moonspell - Under Satanæ

3.Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked - Part 1)

4.Epica - The Divine Conspiracy

5.Machine Head - The Blackening

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Here is my personal ranking of all the Iron Maiden albums released thus far. This is a personal faves list, so don't get butt-hurt because Powerslave is not number one and such. Thanks.

1.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

2.Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time

3.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

4.Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls

5.Iron Maiden - Brave New World

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