Metal Storm logo
Top lists


Order by:  Date | Popularity | Show all



Thumbs up: +21
Top 500 Albums of All Time

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 ››
Created by nonZero on 06.10.2018



Thumbs up: +15
Guib's Essentials (Alphabetical Order)

Wanna know what I headbang to on the regular? The releases that have seen countless re-spins... Well, this is a very simple list and something you've probably seen a lot of other MS users do in the past. Basically, I'm just going to list what are essential metal albums for me, my all time gems & masterpieces (very subjective and some are also in there due to nostalgia and sentimental value).

There's no particular ''Genre'' that I'll be covering and I will also try to limit myself to two albums per band and a few of my favorite tracks or highlights per album. Of course everything in this list is just my opinion, meaning that I'm not saying these albums are all masterpieces or whatnot, it's just my personal favorites. I hope most of you will agree with me and those few who don't, well... it's okay to be wrong, the next step is acceptance

🇨🇦 = From Canada, My Country!

Last Updated: March 27th, 2024

1.Absu - The Third Storm Of Cythrául
2.AC/DC - High Voltage
3.Alestorm - Black Sails At Midnight
4.Alien Weaponry - Tū
5.Amon Amarth - Fate Of Norns

      View entire list ››
Created by Guib on 02.05.2015



Thumbs up: +13
Current Top 100, 5 Years On

Back when I joined the site in 2011, I did a customary top 100 album list. Every year since then, when I've looked back at it it's become increasingly unrecognisable from my own tastes. Seeing bands I once listened to daily vanish from my playlists, new bands emerge as favourites, and bands even come and go in my reckonings during that time period (Iced Earth, Alcest, even Pain Of Salvation and more certainly peaked in my listening habits around 2011-12 to slowly vanish into obscurity). Now that it's just gone 5 years since I did that list, I thought I might do an updated list just to see how much my tastes have shifted. Whilst compiling the list, I pretty much worked on gut instinct, which was weird as I found myself almost disregarding albums I know I like whilst promoting albums I'm honestly undecided on - it almost seemed to veer away from album quality at times to embracing a subconscious effect the albums have had. Anyway, here it is, plus some honorable mentions that I was surprised missed out.

1.Dream Theater - Images And Words
2.Sylosis - Monolith
3.Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth
4.Agalloch - The Mantle
5.Protest The Hero - Kezia

      View entire list ››
Created by musclassia on 23.03.2016



Thumbs up: +12
Uldreth's Ultimate Metalcore List

This is a long list of metalcore albums from all over the genre's spectrum, albums I consider to be either exceptionally good, are historically important to the genre, or just are an enjoyable listen regardless.

My intentions with this to provide a good start for people who wish to get to know the genre more, or are just looking for more albums to listen.

1.7 Angels, 7 Plagues - Jhazmyne's Lullaby
2.The Agonist - Lullabies For The Dormant Mind
3.All That Remains - The Fall Of Ideals
4.Amia Venera Landscape - The Long Procession
5.Architects - Nightmares

      View entire list ››
Created by Uldreth on 31.10.2012



Thumbs up: +9
Current Top 100 (subject To Change)

Moves up and down depending on mood, but top 25-30 usually the same in varying order

1.Sylosis - Conclusion Of An Age
2.Machine Head - The Blackening
3.Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory
4.Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth
5.In Flames - The Jester Race

      View entire list ››
Created by musclassia on 21.03.2011



Thumbs up: +8
Favorite Albums Of All Time

1.Trivium - Shogun
2.Avenged Sevenfold - Waking The Fallen
3.All That Remains - Overcome
4.Children Of Bodom - Blooddrunk
5.Avenged Sevenfold - Sounding The Seventh Trumpet

      View entire list ››
Created by Syn Gates on 06.03.2010



Thumbs up: +4
Metal Albums Ranked From WORSHIP To DISLIKE

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 ››
Created by Rinbel on 14.03.2022



Thumbs up: +4
My All Time Favorite (metal) Albums...

Metal albums (and yes, I consider metalcore to be metal) that rocked my world, with maximum 2 albums per band sorted by bands in alphabetic order. Live, EP and compilation albums allowed, also including hard rock and stoner rock albums.

It will be updated as I discover new bands so check it sometime

1.Alabama Thunderpussy - Open Fire
2.Alice In Chains - Dirt
3.All That Remains - The Fall Of Ideals
4.Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God
5.Annihilator - Alice In Hell

      View entire list ››
Created by Drogich on 27.09.2014



Thumbs up: +3
Metalcore's Finest

1.All That Remains - The Fall Of Ideals
2.Bleeding Through - The Truth
3.Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache
4.Dry Kill Logic - The Darker Side Of Nonsense
5.Evergreen Terrace - Sincerity Is An Easy Disguise In This Business

      View entire list ››
Created by MOIST on 01.11.2017



Thumbs up: +2
Favourite Album's Of The 00's

My favorite and most enjoyed album's of the decade 2000-2009. Roughly in order, but not exactly.

You can kinda tell from this list that I joined Metalstorm in 2009. I started discovering far more music thanks to this site, hence the number of '09 releases featured. I'm slowly starting to pick back through the top lists of previous years, so I expect more pre-'09 releases will be added to this list.

1.Opeth - Blackwater Park
2.Vektor - Black Future
3.Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect
4.SikTh - Death Of A Dead Day
5.Protest The Hero - Fortress

      View entire list ››
Created by Moose on 21.10.2011



Thumbs up: +1
Favourite Albums

Just a list of my favourite albums. Not in a particular order. I will be adding more probably.

1.Metallica - Master Of Puppets
2.In Flames - Colony
3.Slayer - Divine Intervention
4.Kreator - Phantom Antichrist
5.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

      View entire list ››
Created by Toxik on 13.06.2016



Thumbs up: +1
My Top Albums Of 2005

1.Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
2.Opeth - Ghost Reveries
3.Epica - Consign To Oblivion
4.Demons And Wizards - Touched By The Crimson King
5.Arch Enemy - Doomsday Machine

      View entire list ››
Created by Chaosweaver on 25.03.2013



Thumbs up: +1
My Favourite Metalcore Part I

A List of Some of my Favourite Metalcore albums, no doubt another list will be made soon! In No Particular Order!!

1.Bring Me The Horizon - There Is A Hell, Believe Me, I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret
2.Bullet For My Valentine - The Poison
3.Rise To Remain - City Of Vultures
4.The Devil Wears Prada - Plagues
5.Bring Me The Horizon - Suicide Season

      View entire list ››
Created by neoprene_scream on 17.03.2012



Thumbs up: +1
Best Of 2005 (work In Progress)

1.Reverend Bizarre - II: Crush The Insects
2.Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
3.Trivium - Ascendancy
4.Annihilator - Schizo Deluxe
5.Cathedral - The Garden Of Unearthly Delights

      View entire list ››
Created by beyondtehdarksun on 18.02.2011



Thumbs up: +1
My Unique Albums

sequences are mixed

1.Katatonia - Brave Murder Day
2.Agalloch - The Mantle
3.Trivium - Ascendancy
4.Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side
5.Opeth - Damnation

      View entire list ››
Created by deepinside on 02.04.2010