An entirely subjective list of my all-time favourite metal albums, well lets better say albums/genres featured on MS, since not all here is precisely metal.
Objective quality is not a criteria here, just how much I like the album. Ordered by preference, top down.

1.Anathema - The Silent Enigma

2.Opeth - Morningrise

3.Estatic Fear - Somnium Obmutum

4.My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans

5.Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss

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1.Slayer - Hell Awaits

2.Possessed - Seven Churches

3.Kreator - Pleasure To Kill

4.Dark Angel - Darkness Descends

5.Sepultura - Morbid Visions

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The best decade in history of heavy metal.

1.Judas Priest - Painkiller

2.Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time

3.Accept - Breaker

4.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

5.Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I

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1.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

2.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

3.Slayer - Reign In Blood

4.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

5.Motörhead - Ace Of Spades

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1.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

2.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

3.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

4.Slayer - Reign In Blood

5.Exodus - Bonded By Blood

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1.Metallica - Kill 'Em All

2.Manowar - Into Glory Ride

3.Mercyful Fate - Melissa

4.Saxon - Power And The Glory

5.Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

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1.Dio - Holy Diver

2.Accept - Balls To The Wall

3.Metallica - Kill 'Em All

4.Loudness - The Law Of Devil's Land

5.Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

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This list is list of my favorite albums in last 30+ year,limited to one album per year.
*Years marked with ? means that i have not decided what album to put there.
**Also there were so much good albums from '84 and '94 that i like but that is theme for another list.

1.Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance

2.

3.Crysalys - The Awakening Of Gaia

4.Darkthrone - Circle The Wagons

5.

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Albums I have downloaded and are in the process of obtaining

1.AC/DC - Back In Black

2.AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

3.AC/DC - High Voltage

4.AC/DC - Highway To Hell

5.AC/DC - Let There Be Rock

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These are the 211 essential hard rock/metal albums of the 80's, as were selected by the Greek Magazine "Metal Hammer" (August 2001 issue).

The albums followed by a star are the "must have", whereas the rest albums are the "could have".

1.Angel Witch - Angel Witch

2.AC/DC - Back In Black

3.Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

4.Diamond Head - Lightning To The Nations

5.Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

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Well, I can't afford every album I want so I'm going off of my August 2013 count of about 700 albums. First time I've ever done this so it may be quite scattered.

This is personal and not like a Rust in Peace, then Black Sabbath, then Painkiller type of list. Time to destroy.

1.Stratovarius - Visions

2.Opeth - Ghost Reveries

3.Yes - Close to the Edge

4.Omnium Gatherum - New World Shadows

5.Ayreon - 01011001

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Here is my personnal top 50 Thrash Metal album of all time, order by my preference. (even if it's really hard to order after the top 20 )
Feel free to suggest me some I've forgot to mention, there's so much excellent band and I should have not listen to all of them ! ^^
In my opinion, the best style to see live !!

1.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

2.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3.Slayer - Reign In Blood

4.Vektor - Black Future

5.Machine Head - Burn My Eyes

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1.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

2.Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast

3.Judas Priest - Stained Class

4.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

5.Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

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1.Avenged Sevenfold - City Of Evil

2.DevilDriver - The Fury Of Our Maker's Hand

3.Five Finger Death Punch - War Is The Answer

4.Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes

5.Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache

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Long hair, tight jeans, tons of chicks. Thrash metal at it's finest.

1.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

2.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

3.Slayer - Reign In Blood

4.Pantera - Cowboys From Hell

5.Artillery - By Inheritance

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