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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That Circles list inspired me to do a Goatse list. If you don't know what Goatse is then consider yourself fortunate and don't investigate. You will regret it.

For the rest of us though, let's see how many album images we can destroy together!

1.Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

2.Quintessence Mystica - The 5th Harmonic Of Death

3.Tool - Undertow

4.Tool - Ænima

5.Coal Chamber - Rivals

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Right... Let's get this out of the way from the get-go. Alternative metal is hard to define. I guess that comes from it always wanting to experiment, explore and fuse heavy metal with non-metal music genres. It also makes it an ever changing and growing genre.

Also, before you guys flood me, yes my list contains a lot of Industrial & Nu Metal bands, as well as other genre.. As far as I'm concerned, my picks all fit quite well in the scope of an alternative metal list. Don't you agree? Wait... You disagree? Well, let's agree to disagree and move on.

As for the list itself, I'm going to try and list through time what I (me, myself & moi) consider as essential alternative albums. I will also limit myself to a maximum of 4 releases each year to prevent a messy list, which often makes it a difficult decision, especially in the early 2000's. So yes, it is possible your personal favourite won't be featured. You can tell me all about it in the comments below and we can discuss it, even argue it.

Now, have fun, enjoy my list and let me know what you think or would personally put in your favourite alt-metal list!

-Guib-

EDIT: I will now add my pick for best album of each year using the (best of xxxx) in the chosen album's description.

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Guib's Best Alternative Metal Album Picks

Best Of 2022
Polyphia - Remember That You Will Die

Best Of 2023
Mutoid Man - Mutants

Best of 2024 So Far
...tbd

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Last Updated: March 27th, 2024

1.Living Colour - Vivid

2.Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking

3.Faith No More - The Real Thing

4.Godflesh - Streetcleaner

5.L7 - Smell The Magic

      View entire list ››

This is very simple, I took the ratings for a bunch of alternative metal albums on MS and ranked them accordingly

To qualify:
The album must have been released when the band was labelled as "Alternative Metal" by MS. So for example the three most recent Gojira albums count, but early Gojira does not.

The band must have more than 10 fans on MS

Therefore this is not a reflection of my opinions, rather a reflection of numbers so if you wanna get mad, get mad at the numbers, not me. And remember that this really isn't that serious

1.Mass Hysteria - Contraddiction

2.Tool - Lateralus

3.The Butterfly Effect - IV

4.Tool - Ænima

5.Mass Hysteria - Le Bien-Être Et La Paix

      View entire list ››

Ratings go from:

WORSHIP ❤️❤️❤️: Absolute greatness, a mindblowing album.
LOVE ❤️❤️🖤: Amazing release with very few flaws.
LIKE ❤️🖤🖤: Enjoyable but far from perfect.
DISLIKE 💔: Not very good or maybe not fitting my tastes.

I've decided to stop rating albums with a numerical value as I tend to feel uncomfortable with that. This list has a minimalistic, subjective and visceral approach, based purely on sensations and personal tastes. Mainly for personal use and doesn't pretend to be a serious ranking, but emerges from the need to remember which bands and albums I enjoyed and the ones I disliked. I constantly revisit new releases so first impressions may change over time. It usually takes 8-10 spins for me to get completely sure of a rating.

1.Æther Realm - Tarot

2.Abhoria - Abhoria

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Agrypnie - Metamorphosis

5.Allegaeon - Fragments Of Form And Function

      View entire list ››

Recently, instead of scouring too much the albums of the year I'm in, I decided to take a deeper journey and appreciate progressive music (prog metal/rock). While I'm still in the early beginnings of my journey, I decided to make a list to the albums I fully listen to so that I can keep charting my voyage in these vast seas. Some albums are not yet added because I need to listen them well and grab my favorites out, and some bands are on queue. I'm also eager to hear some recommendations, so thanks in advance for them!

1.Ayreon - The Human Equation

2.Barren Earth - The Devil's Resolve

3.Blotted Science - The Machinations Of Dementia

4.Control Denied - The Fragile Art Of Existence

5.Dream Theater - A Change Of Seasons [EP]

      View entire list ››

Metal albums that blow me away every time I hear them. Loosely ordered... list gets less organized as it goes on. My favorite song from each album is included.

1.Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory

2.Faith No More - Angel Dust

3.Dream Theater - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence

4.Tool - Ænima

5.Metallica - ...And Justice For All

      View entire list ››

So here are ten alternative metal albums which I think are significant to defining the sound of alternative metal over the years, limiting it to one album per band and keeping to albums that are best described as alternative metal as opposed to subgenres like industrial or nu metal. I've also included what I consider to be the most important song from each album, even if it's not the best representative of the albums sound.

1.Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking

2.Faith No More - Angel Dust

3.Helmet - Meantime

4.Alice In Chains - Dirt

5.Tool - Undertow

      View entire list ››

The best debut records of all time by year…

1.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

2.KISS - Kiss

3.Rush - Rush

4.AC/DC - High Voltage

5.Motörhead - Motörhead

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...Diving Into The Void...

1.Dream Theater - Train Of Thought

2.Tool - Undertow

3.Metallica - Kill 'Em All

4.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

5.Slayer - Reign In Blood

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don't hate me just because you don't agree with the list.

1.Tool - Ænima

2.Tool - Lateralus

3.Tool - Undertow

4.Tool - 10,000 Days

5.Tool - Opiate

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1.Motörhead - Bastards

2.Carcass - Heartwork

3.Dissection - The Somberlain

4.Dio - Strange Highways

5.Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses

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Plus my top three favourite tracks from each release. \m/

Honourable mentions:
Sepultura - Chaos A.D. (Groove/Thrash)
Morbid Angel - Covenant (Death)
Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times (Black)
KMFDM - Angst (Industrial)

Non-Metal mentions:
Nirvana - In Utero (Alternative/Rock)
:Wumpscut: - Music For A Slaughtering Tribe (Industrial)

1.Dissection - The Somberlain

2.Immortal - Pure Holocaust

3.Cathedral - The Ethereal Mirror

4.Carcass - Heartwork

5.My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans

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Not my genre so this is a pretty limpdicked list.

Inc. Avant Garde Metal because I'm a Philistine who can't tell the difference.

1.Tool - Lateralus

2.Celtic Frost - Monotheist

3.Arcturus - La Masquerade Infernale

4.Opeth - Ghost Reveries

5.Death - Symbolic

      View entire list ››

1.Tool - Ænima

2.Tool - Lateralus

3.Tool - 10,000 Days

4.Tool - Fear Inoculum

5.Tool - Undertow

      View entire list ››