This is a favorites list, not a guide or anything of that sort. It just highlights the albums that I've enjoyed listening to and spinned extensively since last November (When I got into this monolithic genre.) One entry for each band. The descriptions aren't necessarily descriptions of the music. I just wrote what came to my mind. I will update with new albums frequently.
EDIT: Got to 50 entries, so I guess I'll stop for now. I want more time to revisit these 50, get into the other albums of the bands listed below and delve into other genres of metal. I guess that taking a break from black metal (at least new stuff) will ensure that I won't get bored of it. It is likely that I'll continue this list by the half of July.

1.A Forest Of Stars - Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring

2.Addaura - Burning For The Ancient

3.Agalloch - Pale Folklore

4.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

5.Alda - : Tahoma :

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1.Transcending Bizarre? - The Misanthrope's Fable

2.Carach Angren - Death Came Through A Phantom Ship

3.Sanctus Daemoneon - the unaVOIDable

4.Celestia - Archaenae Perfectii

5.Void Of Silence - The Grave Of Civilization

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My favorite element about music is probably atmosphere. My mind is a lazy, albeit adventurous, asshole that likes to take vacations whenever it can. And what better than the surprise mental adventures that music takes you on? SHUT UP. SHUT UP. Nothing is better. Whether I'm whisked away on the wings of a dragon, sitting around a campfire with a group of vikings just before battle, wandering around a haunted castle, or floating around FUCKING SPACE, I love these adventures. Yes. Yes, I do. And here are my favorite albums that have incredible atmosphere for me to get lost in. (No particular order)

1.Bal-Sagoth - Battle Magic

2.Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

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

4.Rhapsody Of Fire - Dawn Of Victory

5.Les Discrets - Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées

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This list isn't really in a set order except the first five, which really were just far and away my top 5. Then everything up to Aspera (or Above Symmetry as they are now called...I will keep it as Aspera for the list purposes tho, since that is who they were when the album was released) is the next tier. Everything after that is kinda in shambles. I tried to keep it to top 25 like my other lists, but there were some on the fringe of making this list, so feel free to check out my album votes for the near misses.

1.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

2.In Mourning - Monolith

3.Barren Earth - Curse Of The Red River

4.Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

5.Mar De Grises - Streams Inwards

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1.Les Discrets - Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées

2.Mar De Grises - Streams Inwards

3.Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

4.Todtgelichter - Angst

5.Procession - Destroyers Of The Faith

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1.Mar De Grises - Streams Inwards

2.Agalloch - Marrow Of The Spirit

3.Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

4.Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time

5.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

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1.The Foreshadowing - Oionos

2.Todtgelichter - Angst

3.Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent

4.Therion - Sitra Ahra

5.Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here

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1.Triosphere - The Road Less Travelled

2.Mandrake - Innocence Weakness

3.Edenbridge - Solitaire

4.Mar De Grises - Streams Inwards

5.Todtgelichter - Angst

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last updated: 14th December 2011

1.Machinae Supremacy - A View From The End Of The World

2.In Vain - Mantra

3.Illidiance - Damage Theory

4.Masterplan - Time To Be King

5.Instanzia - Ghosts

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1.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

2.Amon Amarth - Once Sent From The Golden Hall

3.Amorphis - Queen Of Time

4.Angizia - Das Schachbrett Des Trommelbuben Zacharias

5.Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors

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- only studio albums
- only albums featured on MS

1.After Forever - Decipher

2.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

3.Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea

4.Alcest - Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde

5.Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side

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My first list! Celebrating 25+ years of listening to metal I present my 25 favorite metal albums. Mostly prog and thrash in my early years and exploring other metal avenues today, I hope my fellow metalheads will take notice and discover (or re-discover) some great music!

1.Rush - Moving Pictures

2.Coroner - Grin

3.Voivod - The Outer Limits

4.Fates Warning - Parallels

5.Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time

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