As anyone who knows me well enough by now should know, I'm a sucker for drone, ambient, and psychedelic music, and anything and everything in between. I've come to really enjoy and appreciate that hypnotizing, trance inducing stuff that is all about plunging the listener deep into a semiconscious state of awareness through repetition, minimalist composition, and/or formless atmospheres that explore the very nature of music itself. This list is basically for me to keep track of such albums released this year, and to potentially turn you onto some of them as well. Includes a few nonmetal albums. And not entirely limited to drone/ambient and psychedelia either, as I sometimes find awesome, trance-inducing albums outside of these genres as well. Albums in order by release date. Suggestions welcomed and appreciated.

1.Deveikuth - VII - π - III

2.Seirom - Mesmerized

3.Gorgantuan - Pestis

4.Tauusk - Hermit

5.Autokrator - Autokrator

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All the albums I've listened to in 2015, from favorite to least favorite, and a small summary.

1.Shape Of Despair - Monotony Fields

2.Swallow The Sun - Songs From The North I, II & III

3.Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.

4.Leviathan - Scar Sighted

5.Ahab - The Boats Of The Glen Carrig

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----Updated every weeks----

I'm looking for all genres without exceptions, with currently little preferencies for Progressive, Death and Black metal! Listenning to every albums 2 or 3 times at less before including it in my list.
I specify my favourite songs in order of preferency

❤ = Amazing song!

1.Intronaut - The Direction Of Last Things

2.Between The Buried And Me - Coma Ecliptic

3.Periphery - Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega

4.Thy Catafalque - Sgùrr

5.Deafheaven - New Bermuda

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This list is provisional with no specific order. It's subject to change as time passes and more albums get released. For now, Triptykon's new work tops my chart.

1.Mayhem - Esoteric Warfare

2.Triptykon - Melana Chasmata

3.Insomnium - Shadows Of The Dying Sun

4.Behemoth - The Satanist

5.Witch Mountain - Mobile Of Angels

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This year, I will try to listen to less music more. That is, I won't go out of my way to hear and list every possible album I sort of dig on the first spin, and the ones I do include I aim to know thoroughly. A lot of the albums I include tentatively will probably get deleted, too. Without further preamble, interesting albums in no particular order:

1.Owen Pallett - In Conflict

2.Menace Ruine - Venus Armata

3.Pallbearer - Foundations Of Burden

4.Jenny Hval & Susanna - Meshes of Voice

5.Tuomas Henrikin Jeesuksen Kristuksen Bändi - Käkkyrällään

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2014 is upon us and as per usual here is yet another unimaginative top list!

1.Monarch - Sabbracadaver

2.Nasheim - Solens Vemod

3.Earth - Primitive And Deadly

4.Darkspace - Dark Space III I

5.Lethian Dreams - Red Silence Lodge

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I list the black metal artworks which are the most different and appealing, at least for my eyes, and give a brief excuse for a somewhat explanation of why I think it.
Edit: As suggested, I gave a link to the inages of the albums not feat. here non MS. For all the other ones... Well, one can always click on the album name.

1.A Forest Of Stars - A Shadowplay For Yesterdays

2.A Forest Of Stars - Opportunistic Thieves Of Spring

3.Abigail Williams - Becoming

4.Ad Hominem - Dictator

5.Alcest - Le Secret

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I'll be introducing some albums people can possibly relate to, either because of the music, or the lyrics that people find more personal than others. Also included are my personal favorites.

1.40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room

2.Abandon - The Dead End

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Antimatter - Fear Of A Unique Identity

5.Agalloch - The Mantle

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The following CDs are the as the title states, "The Rarest CDs In Jiri's Kollection". However, there are two LP sets, so the title is ultimately lying. Anyway, these CDs have ineffable sentimental and "pride for owning them" value, as well as monetary value. I have listed them in order of "pride" importance; meaning the first is the most adored by Jiri and the last is least adored by Jiri, but still a rare artifact. That said, anything ultra rare in Jiri's kollection was examined and placed into the list below. Enjoy.

1.Root - Kärgeräs

2.Chthonic - Where The Ancestors' Souls Gathered

3.Ulver - The Trilogie - Three Journeyes Through The Norwegian Netherworlde

4.Sigh - Infidel Art

5.Sigh - Ghastly Funeral Theatre

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Voila.

1.Saturnus - Saturn In Ascension

2.Blut Aus Nord - 777 - Cosmosophy

3.Dordeduh - Dar De Duh

4.Indesinence - Vessels Of Light And Decay

5.Enslaved - RIITIIR

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Since we had the whole MS album art awards, I figured I would try and list out my favourites.
This is not in any order and has no relation to the music, there are bands in here that I don't like, but the artwork is still great.
I'm not quite sure of some of the illustrators and designers on some covers, so they have been left blank, if you do know who did them, let me know. If you think there are some artists that I would dig coz of similar work, just leave me a shout.
This list is not finished so I will keep adding covers that I like.
I don't like Derek Riggs work too much so don't ask me why an Iron Maiden cover is not on the list.

1.Baroness - Red Album

2.Baroness - Blue Record

3.Mastodon - Leviathan

4.Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse

5.Kvelertak - Kvelertak

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An encyclopedia of metal songs that get you to dance or groove to whether you want to or not.
One album per band. Recommendations are welcome.

1.6:33 - Feary Tales For Strange Lullabies: The Dome

2.Aborym - With No Human Intervention

3.Akphaezya - Anthology II: Links From The Dead Trinity

4.Alestorm - Black Sails At Midnight

5.The Algorithm - Polymorphic Code

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Other good lists with some melodic metal in them:
strade's - R'Vannith's - Unhealer's - Lkoturnindrin's

Will only add 7.5+ releases, so this won't be a gargantuan list... last year saw maybe forty or so releases I thought of as 7.5+'s, a lot of them rated only at the end of the year, and some not rated at all due to the extensiveness of pre-MSA listening sessions... if you want to stalk my "bad" ratings, they're all in my album votes.

1.Enochian Theory - Life... And All It Entails

2.Dissona - Dissona

3.Big Big Train - English Electric 1

4.Headspace - I Am Anonymous

5.Beyond The Bridge - The Old Man And The Spirit

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There really is nobody else like King Diamond in the metal world, and in my observation there also isn't much of a grey area regarding enjoyment of his work. You either love him or you can't stand his voice. Myself, while I understand the criticism, I'm very firmly in that first camp, and aside from Maiden there really isn't any other individual or band that has released as many of my favorite records.

1.King Diamond - Abigail

2.Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath

3.King Diamond - Conspiracy

4.Mercyful Fate - Melissa

5.King Diamond - Them

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My personal top 50 list.
(In no particular order)

1.Decrepit Birth - Polarity

2.Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse

3.Blue Öyster Cult - Blue Öyster Cult

4.Joe Satriani - Time Machine

5.Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull

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