LATEST EDIT: December 12/2016- Added a whole bunch of progressive rock albums; processing earlier suggestions on the list.

Assembled below are some choice selections in alternative metal, prog rock, prog metal, jazz and avant-garde metal. I don't necessarily consider these styles to be my favourite (I do have a penchant for post-metal and cavernous death metal these days), but they have been the foundations of my taste for the last seven or eight years.

1.

2.Soundgarden - Down On The Upside

3.Rishloo - Living As Ghosts With Buildings As Teeth

4.Karnivool - Asymmetry

5.Blindead - Absence

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From A to Z.

1.Agalloch - Faustian Echoes

2.Alkerdeel - Dyodyo Asema [Collaboration]

3.Bongripper - The Great Barrier Reefer

4.Boris - Flood

5.Boris - Boris At Last - Feedbacker

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Well, I've seen lots of lists here and I have to say, a noticeable percentage of these lists are great references for anyone interested in music, but I noticed that something new was missing.

What I'm going to do here, is to gather a lot of bands that have gone through major overhauls and transitions in their music, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEIR MUSIC IS GOOD OR NOT.

1.Ahab - Starting with The Giant, post-metal elements were added.

2.After Forever - With Floor Jansen being the catalyst here, the dutch band flourished after 1997, only to undergo another shift with the departure of Mark Jansen in 2002 and losing much of their gothic sound and adding progressive music to their symphonic charade.

3.Amoral - Death metal becomes rock.

4.Arcturus - Now everyone knows Garm-era Arcturus was more of a black metal band, don't they?

5.A Storm Of Light - Figured trendy post-metal wouldn't do justice to their talent and went more bombastic.

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Some albums are really good. Many of these are good all the way around. And, in many cases, there is a single song that stands out, sometimes it's the last song on the album. This is a list of those songs.

For a more in depth look at this, I've codified each into a given category:
Type 1 - 'The long song at the end.' Often the title track. These have a tendency to be most well written and dynamic pieces on the album.

1.!T.O.O.H.! - Order And Punishment (Řád A Trest)

2.Abigail Williams - Becoming

3.Agalloch - The Mantle

4.Amon Amarth - Versus The World

5.Anekdoten - Vemod

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These are the albums I've enjoyed so far this year to which I've given an approximate rating and organised in a rough order of preference. As the year progresses I'll add some descriptions to them as well. EP's are also included.

Recent additions: Armory, Russian Circles, Ulver, Tad Morose, SubRosa, Almah, Blood Bright Star, Autumnblaze, Ayreon, Chthonic, Darkestrah, God Is An Astronaut, Képzelt Város, Lodz, Månegarm, Obscure Sphinx, Caligula's Horse, Sky Architect, Keldian, Monster Magnet

1.Vulture Industries - The Tower

2.The Moth Gatherer - A Bright Celestial Light

3.Walrus - Walrus

4.Clutch - Earth Rocker

5.Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu

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Some of my favourite stuff I have scratched it up to one pile. One album per band, no order, just chaos.

1.Eibon - Entering Darkness

2.Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs

3.Mar De Grises - Draining The Waterheart

4.Ankhagram - Where Are You Now

5.Anorexia Nervosa - New Obscurantis Order

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My tops of this year. If you wanna know anything about those albums or got suggestions PM me!

1.Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

2.Leprous - Bilateral

3.Devin Townsend - Deconstruction

4.Minushuman - Bloodthrone

5.Textures - Dualism

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Interesting and pretty unknown bands that ain't featured on MS
One album per band.
No order

..the list isn't finished yet.

1.StarGazer - A Great Work Of Ages

2.Azure Emote - Chronicles Of An Aging Mammal

3.Black Boned Angel - Supereclipse

4.Men In Search Of The Perfect Weapon - Men In Search Of The Perfect Weapon

5.Rishloo - Eidolon

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Updating this as of 20th Nov 2012

1.Madder Mortem - All Flesh Is Grass

2.Paradise Lost - Icon

3.The Gathering - Mandylion

4.Tiamat - Wildhoney

5.Throes Of Dawn - Quicksilver Clouds

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Updated in 19/9/2011

1.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

2.Year Of No Light - Ausserwelt

3.Mar De Grises - Streams Inwards

4.A Forest Of Stars - Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring

5.Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

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11 defining death metal albums that are a must-listen.

5/01/2012 (or 1/5/2012 for you Amerifags): I present, the almighty sequel!

1.Suffocation - Effigy Of The Forgotten

2.Vital Remains - Forever Underground

3.Resurrection - Embalmed Existence

4.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

5.Carnage - Dark Recollections

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I updated the list, so there are now 100 entries, and I consider 100 to be to little. These are albums I listen to regularly, and some I listened to frantically for a while.

1.Rapture - Songs For The Withering

2.System Of A Down - Toxicity

3.Warning - Watching From A Distance

4.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson II

5.Converge - Jane Doe

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The silver lining to the year of Covid is metal bands seem to have had plenty of inspiration. It was very strong year for black metal and a strong year overall. A bit weak in the death metal category but still some gems to be found. Recommendations and comments are always welcome. Enjoy.

1.Atramentus - Stygian

2.Evaporated Sores - Ulcerous Dimensions

3.Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville

4.Ulcerate - Stare Into Death And Be Still

5.Hail Spirit Noir - Eden In Reverse

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Black Metal with a clear message against nazism, fascism and racism.
Releases are listed chronologically and included regardless of the music's quality.
Particular songs that have been a decisive reason for inclusion may be indicated.

Why?

That's why!

Suggestions in order to complete this list are highly appreciated.

1.Black Kronstadt - A World To Win

2.Profecium - Socialismo Satánico

3.Iskra - Iskra

4.Smear - Smear

5.Iskra - The Terrorist Act

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My top albums from 2015, in list are those I have heard more then 3 times.
First 3 are in order, 4-11 also in some order as I like. rest no, just add them , because those what I have played and remember most from 2015
O yes what sucked. Virgin Steele, Iron maiden, WASP, Dis Pater listed in last 4, those last 4 places sucked big time , don't know what more, hmmm VS I think

1.Draconian - Sovran

2.Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful

3.Moonspell - Extinct

4.My Dying Bride - Feel The Misery

5.Ereb Altor - Nattramn

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