Hey Folks! It’s me… Again!

I’m coming back once more to explore the depths of a genre that arguably did not begin where you all thought it did! Yeah yeah… Alright, maybe Left Hand Path, Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious, Like An Ever Flowing Stream & The Red In The Sky Is Ours aren’t exactly the sound you would expect, but they were certainly a sign of something incredible that was about to happen. The birth of Melodic Death Metal!

Most of you, them, us… Would agree that Melodic Death metal really appeared in the form of Carcass’s 1993 album Heartwork. Even though some shades of what would become staples of the genre were heard before, this one would truly be the first album to be called as such. Mixing OSDM with more classic heavy metal styled riffs & melodies, our beloved genre (along with Thrash) would become for a lot of our teenage selves, a gateway into the more extreme bowels of metal’s subgenres. I would argue that it’s an almost obligatory step in the grand metalhead’s journey. Ah, how amazing it was to first taste the somewhat delicate sound of melodeath before rattling our ears with the obscenities & nonsensical wankery of grindcore, brutal tech-death, dissonant death and post metal… Rrrrright.

As you have become accustomed to by now, I will attempt to honour the genre by listing the absolute best Melodic Death metal albums to be ever released throughout the years. And I will do so starting with a few albums that are arguably not Melodic Death metal… Because I can and I did, hah! F*ck you! Along the way, you might stumble upon some strange & unorthodox choices mixing a plethora of other genres as well and that’s ok. Truly. Take it easy, don’t hyperventilate over it and just go with the flow. The main goal here is to help people who don’t know much about melodeath discover it and where it came from. I also want to push forward some less known jewels amongst highly praised landmarks of the style and sprinkle a bit of my personality along the way because that’s always fun. The albums will be ordered in years of release and there will be no other restriction or specific rules.

I hope you have a blast going through my list and that it brings you joy and a slight tingle on your nostalgia strings. Though, if it pisses you off, if I forgot your absolute favourite album of all goddamn time or if you think I’m an idiot, well… Just remember that I’m right, always and forever, thank you. Regardless It will be a pleasure for me to hear your recommendations or discuss anything related to melodeath below. Cheers & have fun!

-Guib-

Note: Albums with a 🇨🇦 are from my country (Canada) and albums with a ★ are my personal favourites.

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Last Updated: April 19th, 2024

1.Entombed - Left Hand Path

2.Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious

3.Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream

4.At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours

5.Carcass - Heartwork

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A beginner's guide to genuine blasting. Call it Gothenburg, call it extreme power - whatever, it's always enjoyable.

Now ranked for even more win.

1.Wintersun - Wintersun

2.Children Of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll

3.Kalmah - Seventh Swamphony

4.Kalmah - 12 Gauge

5.Blood Stain Child - Idolator

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This list aims to be the Wintersun equivalent of LeKiwi's fantastic So I Heard You Like Opeth... list (go and check that one out if you're a fan).

A lot of us around these parts are/were big fans of Wintersun. While Jari may take his sweet time writing, recording, (and let's not forget) producing albums, there are many bands that have a similar sound we can enjoy listening to while we wait for the next Wintersun release, praying that it doesn't disappoint!

This list is a collection of the best albums by those bands.

In alphabetical order and featuring 1 album per band. I will add to this list over time as I discover more.

Enjoy!

My other lists:
Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 25 EPs (also ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
Top 200 Overrated Albums (trigger warning)

1.Æther Realm - Tarot

2.Aephanemer - Prokopton

3.Atavistia - One Within The Sun

4.Blind Stare - Symphony Of Delusions

5.Children Of Bodom - Hatebreeder

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This is a list of all the power metal albums I have listened to that are worth remembering. Like my other genre lists, this is not meant to be a definitive guide to power metal or a binding judgment on what power metal is or is not. The list exists purely for my own organizational purposes and may contain bands or albums that are not strictly True Knights of the Eternal Thundersword.

The first cluster includes my favorite albums in the genre (and a significant number of my all-time favorites); beyond that, they are listed by rating from 9/10 down to 6/10 and alphabetically within each bracket.

Last updated November 27, 2021.

1.Blind Guardian - Nightfall In Middle-Earth

2.Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side

3.Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond

4.Jag Panzer - Thane To The Throne

5.X Japan - Art Of Life

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1.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

2.Death - Scream Bloody Gore

3.Obituary - Slowly We Rot

4.Suffocation - Effigy Of The Forgotten

5.Deicide - Legion

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This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone who is young in age, my tastes tend to revolve around the period of the 80s to the present.* Although certain metal albums from before will certainly be featured, the period of the 60s-70s will be under-represented. I refer you to this excellent list to gain a better appreciation for some of the best metal from that period: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/freis/martin_popoffs_the_top_500_heavy_metal_albums_of_all_time/

1.N.K.V.D. - Vlast

2.Naamah - Resensement

3.Nachtig - Nachtig

4.Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle, Part 1

5.Nader Sadek - In The Flesh

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1.Novembre - Wish I Could Dream It Again

2.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3.Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness

4.Metallica - ...And Justice For All

5.Autumnal - Grey Universe

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No particular order

1.Graveworm - As The Angels Reach The Beauty

2.Graveworm - Scourge Of Malice

3.Dimmu Borgir - For All Tid

4.Dimmu Borgir - Stormblåst

5.Dimmu Borgir - Enthrone Darkness Triumphant

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Welcome to what I consider the "1001 Metal Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" or in other words, a list of records of various genres in the arrays of Metal and Hard Rock that I deem essential or at least very recommended to listeners of hard and heavy music. This may be a very overwhelming list but I essentially try to collect all albums in the History of Metal that strike me as worthwhile. May this be a guideline for people that seek for an entrance to a particular genre or certain bands. In no means I am saying, that this list is indisputable by any means. I consider these my personal picks for albums that should be listened to by die-hard metal fans at least once. Hopefully you can discover some new music or relate with my picks. If I missed something that you would include in such a list, please tell me in the form of a comment. Enjoy! \,,/

1.High Tide - Sea Shanties

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

4.Sir Lord Baltimore - Kingdom Come

5.Josefus - Dead Man

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This is not a list over my favourite albums, although some of them on the list of course are. These are albums that formed me, had a huge impact on me and defined my musical taste. Without some of these releases I probably wouldn't even be the person that I am today.

1.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

2.Iron Maiden - Rock In Rio

3.Iron Maiden - Dance Of Death

4.Iron Maiden - Killers

5.Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time

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1.Eternal Tears Of Sorrow - Children Of The Dark Waters

2.Catamenia - Location:COLD

3.Kalmah - For The Revolution

4.Insomnium - Across The Dark

5.Sólstafir - Köld

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1.Children Of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll

2.Evanescence - Fallen

3.Rage - Soundchaser

4.Reverend Bizarre - Harbinger Of Metal

5.Before The Dawn - My Darkness

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1.Novembre - Wish I Could Dream It Again

2.Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness

3.Metallica - ...And Justice For All

4.Novembre - Arte Novecento

5.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

      View entire list ››

1.Rotting Christ - Aealo

2.Sabaton - Coat Of Arms

3.Parkway Drive - Deep Blue

4.Equilibrium - Rekreatur

5.Sabaton - The Art Of War

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1.Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja

2.Kalmah - Swampsong

3.Static-X - Shadow Zone

4.Children Of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll

5.DragonForce - Valley Of The Damned

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