Progressive metal is one of my most favorite musical genres. The most interesting thing about this genre is the musical flexibility and the fact that progressive metal can come into different forms and this makes progressive metal one of the most divers genres of metal. For me, progressive metal is not just about stupid technicality and soulless show off. For this reason, my definition of progressive metal might be a little different from others. Progressive rock and metal were meant to put aside musical boundaries but nowadays it seems that being complex, technical, "intelligent", ambitious and pretentious is an inherent quality of prog metal genres. Screw this bullshits. Here are my most favorite prog metal albums. They might sometime be technical and complex but they all have their own soul in my opinion.

1.Tool - Lateralus

2.Opeth - Still Life

3.Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor

4.Green Carnation - Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness

5.Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao

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These are my favourite albums of all time, the best being first. This is obviously all my own opinion, so please don't shit all over my musical tastes, especially since I am a fan of melodic music, which a lot of people don't seem to like anymore. All these albums have touched me in one way or another and they are all albums I can listen to again and again without ever getting bored.

1.Iron Maiden - Brave New World

2.Katatonia - Night Is The New Day

3.Sentenced - The Cold White Light

4.Wintersun - Time I

5.Omnium Gatherum - Beyond

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The saddest albums I've ever heard in alphabetical order.

1.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

2.Agalloch - The Mantle

3.Ahab - The Giant

4.Aoria - The Constant

5.An Autumn For Crippled Children - Everything

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These are the albums which I like the most. Since I have not listened to a lot of albums( let's say, max 400 for me), it would be pretentious to make a list of my 100 favorite albums, so I keep this list short.

1.Tool - Lateralus

2.Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale

3.Lurker Of Chalice - Lurker Of Chalice

4.Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven

5.Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God

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Alphabetical order.
Limited to 2 albums per band

Top 5 of non-metal:
Pink Floyd-The Wall
King Crimson-In The Court Of The Crimson King
Godspeed You! Black Emperor-Yanqui U.X.O
Comus-First Utterance
Explosions In The Sky-The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place

1.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

2.Agalloch - The Mantle

3.Anaal Nathrakh - In The Constellation Of The Black Widow

4.Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas

5.Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side

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My top 75 favourite albums of all time (initially it was a top 20 list, and after that top 50). Only 1 album per band. The list is in alphabetical order, so it doesn't represent explicitly which album is my absolute favourite (I don't have one). All albums on this list have earned at least a 9/10 rating. Albums with a star (★) have received a 10/10 rating from me. I've added genres and my favourite songs.

1.After Forever - Decipher

2.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

3.Alcest - Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde

4.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

5.Anathema - The Silent Enigma

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My favorite albums. Includes EPs and 1 compilation. Anything ouside the top 20 or so could be up or down several places. Constantly subject to change.

1.Saviour Machine - Saviour Machine II

2.Ayreon - The Human Equation

3.Stolen Babies - There Be Squabbles Ahead

4.Billy Idol - Cyberpunk

5.Within Temptation - The Unforgiving

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Yep, one of those lists. Everyone has one, so I thought I'd make a list of metal albums I really recommend.

This is not an absolute "best-of" list, for a few reasons:
1) I stick to one album per band, unless there's been a drastic style shift (like Katatonia's).
2) I try to cover all major subgenres fairly, so I have something for everyone. It counterbalances the tendency to list all the cool bands in a style I'm into right now (like drone or epic doom).

1.Warning - Watching From A Distance

2.Candlemass - Nightfall

3.Reverend Bizarre - In The Rectory Of The Bizarre Reverend

4.Pagan Altar - The Lords Of Hypocrisy

5.Katatonia - Dance Of December Souls

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1.Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia

2.Moonsorrow - Voimasta Ja Kunniasta

3.After Forever - Decipher

4.Finntroll - Jaktens Tid

5.Arch Enemy - Wages Of Sin

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1.Opeth - Blackwater Park

2.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

3.Green Carnation - Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness

4.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

5.Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet

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On the picture - John Cobbett - Hammers Of Misfortune, Vhöl, Ludicra, The Lord Weird Slough Feg

1.Avenged Sevenfold - City Of Evil

2.Opeth - Blackwater Park

3.Hammers Of Misfortune - The August Engine

4.Mastodon - Remission

5.Opeth - Ghost Reveries

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1.My Dying Bride - The Dreadful Hours

2.Therion - Secret Of The Runes

3.After Forever - Decipher

4.Amorphis - Am Universum

5.Eternal Tears Of Sorrow - A Virgin And A Whore

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I wanted to create my personal Top List for a long time and to be honest, I always considered it as some kind of cool Prog Metal, Avantgarde Metal mix. As you can see, it has become a bit more complicated. So finally, there are Unexpect and Pain Of Salvation next to Bands like Kamelot and Savatage. Also, some Non-Metal Bands got involved like Jeff Buckley and Oingo Boingo. But could you imagine how PoS would sound without Jeffs influence? Or what would have become of Mr. Bungle if it weren't for Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo?!

1.Pain Of Salvation - The Perfect Element, Part I

2.Kalisia - Cybion

3.Savatage - Streets: A Rock Opera

4.Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery

5.Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

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Progressive (and anything progressed) albums I'd like to take with me to the underground. I'm 25 years old and 8 "metal years old" when this list is created.
In not any particular order, and to be continued : ))

1st time edited (06Nov2013): adding more, including kinds of Symphony X 2007, Persefone 2013, Haken 2013...

1.Dream Theater - Images And Words

2.Adagio - Underworld

3.Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse

4.Symphony X - The Odyssey

5.Adagio - Sanctus Ignis

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I just finished making this list and I hate it already. Trying to put your favorite albums in order is very hard. I went at thinking which 20 would I take with me to a deserted island so I went for some variety. However, I don't think I got it right so expect the list to change frequently but for now this is roughly accurate. **Last Update 09/03/11**

1.Septicflesh - Communion

2.Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite

3.Septicflesh - The Great Mass

4.Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy

5.Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs

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