A lot of bands have great debut albums. Obviously this list is just a fraction of all the great debut albums out there, but it's a start. I'll keep expanding this list continuously, so all suggestions are welcome (granted they are featured on MS). All the albums here are ranked according to genre and then alphabetically. If a certain album belongs to the (in your opinion) wrong genre, then definitely let me know.

1.

2.Aarni - Bathos

3.Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia

4.Diablo Swing Orchestra - The Butcher's Ballroom

5.Sadness - Ames De Marbre

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My top 100 metal albums of all time (featured on MS).

- one album per band.
- in alphabetical order.

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

2.Ævangelist - De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Agruss - Morok

5.Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea

      View entire list ››

the "genres" of stoner metal, sludge, and post-metal all seem to bleed/flow together at various times so playing metal bartender, i've cooked up this list of albums those interested in the genres can use as suggestions/starting points. this is just a basic primer with 25 albums... not a definitive list by any stretch. just albums i love. some are landmark releases that helped define the genre... while others are recent releases from cool bands that MS/labels have helped me uncover. Enjoy.

1.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

2.Baroness - Blue Record

3.Down - Nola

4.High On Fire - Death Is This Communion

5.Kyuss - Blues For The Red Sun

      View entire list ››

Sometimes, samples can improve the atmosphere of a song just as much as the instruments (or even more). This is a compilationn of some of my favorite samples in metal. I'm trying to keep it one album per band but exceptions are just fine. Oh yeah, I forgot something: I'm not gonna be too specific about where these samples are. It's way more interesting to discover them on your own!

Recommendations are welcome! Just don't get upset if I don't like them. D:
Please write band AND album.

Rec's awaiting evaluation:
N.K.V.D. - Vlast
Will Haven - Voir Dire
The Monolith Deathcult - Trivmvirate
Necrophagia - Deathtrip 69
Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre
Ævangelist - De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis
Fantômas - Delirium Cordia
Metallica - Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, ...And Justice For All
Deicide - Legion
Cathedral - The Carnival Bizarre
Tool - Lateralus, Ænima
Impaled - Mondo Medicale
Queens Of The Stone Age - Queens Of The Stone Age
Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness
Heathen - Victims Of Deception
Fear Factory - Demanufacture
White Zombie
Strapping Young Lad - City
Static-X - Wisconsin Death Trip
Nailbomb - Point Blank
Impetigo - Horror Of The Zombies
Lamb Of God - Ashes Of The Wake
Buzz*Oven - ...At A Loss
Toxik - Think This
Hell - Human Remains
Machine Head - Burn My Eyes
Bolt Thrower - Mercenary
The Ruins Of Beverast - Unlock The Shrine, Foulest Semen Of A Sheltered Elite
Agalloch - Faustian Echoes
Alrakis - Alpha Eri
Blacklodge - Solarkult

1.Aborted - Goremageddon: The Saw And The Carnage Done

2.Abruptum - Potestates Apocalypsis

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Agalloch - The Mantle

5.Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea

      View entire list ››

I've been listening to Metal since 2005 and it has become my biggest passion in life.

Rarely a day goes by where I don't listen to it in one form or another. The bands I listened to in my teens inspired me to pick up the guitar (and later drums) and start making music of my own.

So here are the albums that have stood out and made the largest impact on me. To be as transparent as possible, I've labelled albums as 'nostalgia bias' where my memories of the album give it an advantage over others.

(Score is an average of each album's song ratings, full list located here. There are a ton of albums that I've rated 9/10 in the 'TBR' tab that may never make it to this list, be sure to check those out.)

If you discovered any new albums or like the same sort of metal, be sure to give this list a thumbs-up and leave a comment so more people can find these amazing bands!

My other lists:
Top 25 EPs (ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
Top 200 Overrated Albums (trigger warning)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)

Genre-Specific:
Top 50 Black Metal Albums
Top 50 Melodic Death Metal Albums
Top 45 Thrash Metal Albums
Top 40 Power Metal Albums
Top 30 Doom Metal Albums
Top 30 Heavy Metal Albums

1.Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

2.Opeth - Blackwater Park

3.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

4.Edge Of Sanity - Crimson

5.Opeth - Still Life

      View entire list ››

Almost all album titles fall in one of two categories: The album shares the title with one of its songs (the title track) or, alternatively, the album title is independent from the songs (no title track).

However, there are examples of songs that have a central link to the album title without sharing the same name. In these cases, certain lyrics from the song were chosen as the album title.

This (alphabetical) list shows the names of these “hidden title tracks” and the central lyrics that gave the name to the corresponding album.

Please feel free to suggest more of your favorite metal/hard rock examples of these “hidden title tracks”.

1.40 Watt Sun - Wider Than The Sky

2.A Forest Of Stars - A Shadowplay For Yesterdays

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Agalloch - The Mantle

5.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

Beware of contact high and feelings of severe misanthropy.

1.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

2.Acid Witch - Stoned

3.Ancestors - In Dreams And Time

4.Baroness - Blue Record

5.Bison B.C. - Dark Ages

      View entire list ››

In no particular order. Will be expanding as I listen to more albums. Only one album per band, be sure to check the rest of the discography by yourself.

1.Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane

2.System Of A Down - System Of A Down

3.Ulver - Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr I 5 Capitler

4.Anacrusis - Manic Impressions

5.Death - Symbolic

      View entire list ››

My favourites of the 90's. Bitch and moan girls, or check some of these out.

1.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

2.Nagelfar - Srontgorrth

3.Mysticum - In The Streams Of Inferno

4.Corrupted - Llenandose De Gusanos

5.Esoteric - The Pernicious Enigma

      View entire list ››

So here we are again . After many years of dedication and love to this music that we call progressive metal, here are some of the best albums that ever existed and made the earth a better place . Give to these albums the attention and the respect they deserve and you will be fully awarded. I think i will try and limit this list to 3 cd's maximum per band to make this thing more challenging .

1.Dan Swanö - Moontower

2.Cynic - Traced In Air

3.Cynic - Focus

4.Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

5.Enslaved - Ruun

      View entire list ››

Here is a revamped list of my favorite metal songs!
It was hard to limit it to 50 albums, and even harder to rank them, but I believe it’s a good insight into my current taste in metal!

The old version of my “300+ Greatest Metal Songs of All Time” is archived and can be found through this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a8UTyLlQ5ReSjfJM1ww70oCVHuvtZq_-rcVtIylP9sk/edit?usp=sharing

1.Kypck - Черно

2.Vektor - Terminal Redux

3.Nile - Annihilation Of The Wicked

4.Judas Priest - Defenders Of The Faith

5.Electric Wizard - Dopethrone

      View entire list ››

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

      View entire list ››

Merry Christmas, my fellow metalheads!

I present to you my top 50 most frequently listened-to albums of the year 2023, ordered by number of full listens.

In other words, here are the albums that I've been most obsessively addicted to over the past year!

Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!

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Last year's edition: F3ynman's Top 50 Most Frequently Listened-to Albums Of 2022

1.Electric Wizard - Dopethrone

2.Japanische Kampfhörspiele - Welt Ohne Werbung

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Necrovation - Storm The Void / Starving Grave

5.Vitriolic Sage - 梦路

      View entire list ››

Welcome everybody to a little lesson on the history of Sludge & Stoner Metal. I'm Guib and today I have the immense pleasure to serve as your humble teacher.

Please take a seat and travel with me through time as we explore the very best of those two, often blurred, genres. The goal here is simple, I want to get you familiarized with the styles. I want you to understand where they come from through albums on a timeline and while we're at it get a sweet selection of great releases that you might not know and that, hopefully, will get you hooked to explore even more!

But this is a classroom and in my classroom there are a few rules. We want to keep this clean, clear and prevent having a 500+ albums mess. So here are the rules we'll follow throughout this lesson.

- - - - - The Rules - - - - -

1. We will settle for a maximum of 4 albums per year and they will be listed from oldest to newest. Makes it simple to navigate. Those releases will represent what I consider to be hallmarks of the genres for that year. Essentials if you want, yes? Of course, I'll sprinkle a bit of my personality here and there so you will find some unorthodox choices and some less known albums from time to time. It would be boring otherwise... and also why not?

2. We will begin the journey with Melvins' "Gluey Porch Treatments" released in 1987. Why? Because it is arguably the first album to be widely considered as Sludge.

3. The list will mostly feature studio albums. So no Demos & bare minimum when it comes to EPs if any at all. Thank you.

4. I am not going to include releases by Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Hawkwind, etc... I fully understand and recognize the influence older bands had on Stoner Rock, but this is not the list for them.

5. Lastly, not really a rule but more of a note. Considering that we're talking about Sludge & Stoner, it is inevitable that Doom, Post, Progressive, Grunge & Hardcore acts will be featured in this list. Those genres simply go together naturally and are often mixed so do not be alarmed!

- - - - - - - - - -

That is it, I hope you will all discover something to enjoy through my little history lesson. Also, do not hesitate to comment below if you agree or disagree with some of my picks. After all, this is a classroom and debate is invited as it can be fun and educative. As long everything's done respectfully, of course.

Enjoy & Have Fun... Class dismissed!

NOTE: I will now add my picks for best album of the year using this format (best of xxxx) in the chosen album's description.

- Guib -

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Guib's best Sludge/Stoner Album Picks

Best Of 2023:
Urne - A Feast On Sorrow

Best Of 2024 So Far:
O Zorn! - Vermillion Haze

- - - - - - - - - -

Last Update: April 27th, 2024

1.Melvins - Gluey Porch Treatments

2.Soundgarden - Ultramega OK

3.Oxbow - Fuckfest

4.Melvins - Ozma

5.Soundgarden - Louder Than Love

      View entire list ››