What are your favorite metal albums?
I was planning on doing this next week, but I decided to do it now as a 1000th Metal Academy forum post special, so...yeah. Without further ado, here's my top 25 favorite metal albums in my current dark/modern metal taste (inspired by the Metal Sucks 25 Best Metal Albums of the 2010s):
#25: Septicflesh - Communion (2008)
#24: Paradise Lost - Draconian Times (1995)
#23: Nightrage - Sweet Vengeance (2003)
#22: In Flames - The Jester Race (1996)
#21: Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008)
#20: Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome (2009)
#19: Mastodon - Leviathan (2004)
#18: August Burns Red - Constellations (2009)
#17: Edge of Sanity - Crimson I+II (1996/2003) (both work better as one full 2-part suite)
#16: Moonspell - Irreligious (1996)
#15: Tiamat - Wildhoney (1994)
#14: Cynic - Focus (1993)
#13: The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)
#12: At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul (1995)
#11: Shadows Fall - The Art of Balance (2002)
#10: Meshuggah - Catch Thirtythree (2005)
#9: Darkest Hour - Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation (2003)
#8: Amaranthe - Amaranthe (2011)
#7: Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (2005)
#6: Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage (2012)
#5: Between the Buried and Me - Colors (2007)
#4: Nevermore - Dead Heart in a Dead World (2000)
#3: All That Remains - Overcome (2008)
#2: Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake (2004)
#1: Trivium - In Waves (2011)
So if you feel like discussing some of your favorite metal albums, what are your top 25 favorites (or any lower number)? Unlike my list, it does NOT have to be one album per band. Discuss!
Nice! I think it would take me days to put together my top 25, so I won't attempt that now. You have a number of albums in your list that I'm a big fan of though, so I thought I'd raise my horns in agreement for 5 of them that would at least make my top 100:
#17: Edge of Sanity - Crimson I+II
#15: Tiamat - Wildhoney (1994)
#14: Cynic - Focus (1993)
#12: At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul (1995)
#10: Meshuggah - Catch Thirtythree (2005)
Cynic's Focus is easily top 25 for me too (possibly top 10). Crimson would be there or thereabouts too.
It does not have to be top 25. If you feel like writing your own list of favorite metal albums but don't want to spend too much time, top 10 is a good number to start. Anyway, glad you love some of my favorite albums!
I'll do it sometime. For now, I will simply list the first 25 albums that I love that come to mind. Should be an interesting exercise. Like you, I will choose only 1 album per band, otherwise you'll be reading Shape of Despair over and over. 
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Death - Human
My Dying Bride - Turn Loose the Swans
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Shape of Despair - Angels of Distress
The Ruins of Beverast - Exuvia
Coldworld - Melancholie²
Blut aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God
Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
disEMBOWELMENT - Transcendence Into the Peripheral
Ulver - Bergtatt
Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
Katatonia - Brave Murder Day
Negură Bunget - OM
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Carcass - Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious
Summoning - Stronghold
Amorphis - Tales from the Thousand Lakes
Darkspace - Dark Space III
Saturnus - Paradise Belongs to You
Lurker of Chalice - Lurker of Chalice
Sepultura - Beneath the Remains
Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters
...and that's 25. I'm sure I've missed important albums, but the fact that these ones entered my brain first must mean something.
Shoot, I forgot about My Dying Bride! Yeah they're a dark gothic death/doom band that I sometimes listen to, but the music is so slow compared to the faster metal bands that I love. In fact I edited a couple My Dying Bride albums to play at a 2x faster tempo so they wouldn't sound too slow and doomy for me. Anyway, excellent list, Ben!
Aaaaggghhhhh....Cynic Focus! I just said it was possibly a top 10 album for me and then forgot to include it.
I guess I'll try my hand at this too even though I'm in the same boat as Ben with not really being able to order it. I was never a fan of the "Of-All-Time" lists since it's so hard to really quantify and compare so many albums from so many different time periods. So here goes I suppose:
Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper (2017)
Insomnium - Winter's Gate (2016)
Fallujah - Dreamless (2016)
Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet (2005)
Tool - 10,000 Days (2006)
Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984)
Kyuss - Welcome to Sky Valley (1994)
Saor - Aura (2014)
Devin Townsend - Empath (2019)
Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond (1992)
Bathory - Blood Fire Death (1988)
Inter Arma - Sulphur English (2019)
Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990)
Månegarm - Vredens tid (2005)
Caligula's Horse - Bloom (2015)
Gojira - From Mars to Sirius (2005)
In Flames - The Jester Race (1996)
Ne Obliviscarus - Portal of I (2012)
Evoken - Hypnogogia (2018)
Slayer - Reign In Blood (1986)
Avantasia - Moonglow (2019)
Emperor - In Nightside Eclipse (1994)
Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons (1995)
Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud (2015)
My list is surprisingly recent, with 11 of the 25 being in the 2010's, which makes sense given my listening habits. Kinda neat.
25. Deicide - "Deicide" (1990)
24. Obituary - "Cause Of Death" (1990)
23. Katatonia - "Brave Murder Day" (1996)
22. Suffocation - "Effigy Of The Forgotten" (1991)
21. My Dying Bride - "Turn Loose The Swans" (1993)
20. dISEMBOWELMENT - "Transcendence Into The Peripheral" (1993)
19. Entombed - "Clandestine" (1991)
18. Suffocation - "Pierced From Within" (1995)
17. Morbid Angel - "Blessed Are The Sick" (1991)
16. Metallica - "Master Of Puppets" (1986)
15. Darkthrone - "Transilvanian Hunger" (1994)
14. Carcass - "Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious" (1991)
13. ISIS - "Panopticon" (2004)
12. Slayer - "South Of Heaven" (1988)
11. Immolation - "Close To A World Below" (2000)
10. Boris - "Boris At Last -Feedbacker-" (2003)
09. Alice In Chains - "Dirt" (1992)
08. Death - "Human" (1991)
07. Morbid Angel - "Altars Of Madness" (1989)
06. Metallica - "...And Justice For All" (1988)
05. ISIS - "The Mosquito Control" E.P. (1998)
04. Sunn O))) - "Black One" (2005)
03. Deathspell Omega - "Kenose" E.P. (2005)
02. Burzum - "Filosofem" (1996)
01. Slayer - "Reign In Blood" (1986)
ARRG!!! Totally forgot about Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I! It's the best part of the discography of one of the most progressive recent bands of metal, with Citadel being a close second. I will probably later make a revised edition of my list to include the bands and albums I forgot about, along with an album or two from a couple bands that I just became interested in, so stay tuned for that. Cool lists, Xephyr and Daniel!
And I forgot about Devin Townsend's Ocean Machine.
My list is surprisingly recent, with 11 of the 25 being in the 2010's, which makes sense given my listening habits. Kinda neat.
Mine is very 90s heavy. I think there would be a lot more modern releases, but I just haven't listened to recent stuff anywhere near as much as early metal. Now that Daniel and I have put the Metal Academy podcast on hold, I hope to remedy that.
Very happy to see Fallujah and Bell Witch on your list. There's two bands that I need to spend more time with.
Very happy to see Fallujah and Bell Witch on your list. There's two bands that I need to spend more time with.
Fallujah is sadly a one-hit-wonder for me. Dreamless just hit me a certain way that I doubt they'll be able to replicate, especially since their newest release is pretty awful.
I like that Ruins of Beverast made your list, that album was fantastic. As well as Katatonia. They're a band I definitely need to spend more time with, I listened to The Great Cold Distance and The Fall of Hearts and really enjoyed them but never really went back.
As well as Katatonia. They're a band I definitely need to spend more time with, I listened to The Great Cold Distance and The Fall of Hearts and really enjoyed them but never really went back.
Katatonia's discography is fairly eclectic, so there's no guarantee that you'll enjoy their early work based on your experience with their modern output. Brave Murder Day is an absolute classic though, and I'm not surprised to find it on Daniel's list as well. If you've ever heard and enjoyed Rapture's Futile, Slumber's Fallout or Enshine's Origin, then it's a no-brainer that you'll love the album that sound originated from.
When it comes to classic Katatonia, it's Dance of December Souls that I always find myself coming back to. It would definitely be in my own Top 25. They perfected that primitive black/doom metal sound there. The vocal performance is so gut-wrenching that Jonas basically ruined his vocal chords recording that album. I don't think he has done those raw screams since.
Of their modern era, Viva Emptiness is my go-to. It has a bleak urban feel to it that pairs well with the crime/noir lyrical concept.
In fact I edited a couple My Dying Bride albums to play at a 2x faster tempo so they wouldn't sound too slow and doomy for me.
Blasphemy!
Of their modern era, Viva Emptiness is my go-to. It has a bleak urban feel to it that pairs well with the crime/noir lyrical concept.
Agreed.
In fact I edited a couple My Dying Bride albums to play at a 2x faster tempo so they wouldn't sound too slow and doomy for me.
Blasphemy!
Also agreed! I'm going to suggest that Funeral Doom would not gel well with shadowdoom9's tastes.
03. Deathspell Omega - "Kenose" E.P. (2005)02. Burzum - "Filosofem" (1996)
01. Slayer - "Reign In Blood" (1986)
Deathspell Omega at number 3! Kenose should have made a show in my list too. Wasn't thinking about EPs.
IMO, it's the greatest EP in all of metal. High quality throughout, close to album-length, and none of the material appears elsewhere, plus I think the track "II" is their finest moment. It set the bar for EPs and hasn't been beaten.
Better revised version of my top 25 favorite metal albums (including bands I've previously forgotten about and bands I've just started listening to):
#25: HIM - Love Metal (2003) (even though they're more of a gothic rock band than metal)
#24: Paradise Lost - Draconian Times (1995)
#23: My Dying Bride - The Angel and the Dark River/Like Gods of the Sun (1995-1996) (both albums fit together and edited to play at 2x faster tempo)
#22: Nightrage - Sweet Vengeance (2003)
#21: Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008)
#20: In Flames - The Jester Race (1996)
#19: Mastodon - Leviathan (2004)
#18: August Burns Red - Constellations (2009)
#17: Edge of Sanity - Crimson I+II (1996/2003) (both work better as one full 2-part suite)
#16: Tiamat - Wildhoney (1994)
#15: Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (2012)
#14: Cynic - Focus (1993)
#13: The Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity (1999)
#12: At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul (1995)
#11: Shadows Fall - The Art of Balance (2002)
#10: Meshuggah - Catch Thirtythree (2005)
#9: Darkest Hour - Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation (2003)
#8: Amaranthe - Amaranthe (2011)
#7: Bullet for My Valentine - The Poison (2005)
#6: Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage (2012)
#5: Between the Buried and Me - Colors (2007)
#4: Nevermore - Dead Heart in a Dead World (2000)
#3: All That Remains - Overcome (2008)
#2: Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake (2004)
#1: Trivium - In Waves (2011)
My revised list after realizing that I'd forgotten one of my favourite bands ever:
25. Deicide - "Deicide" (1990)
24. Obituary - "Cause Of Death" (1990)
23. Suffocation - "Effigy Of The Forgotten" (1991)
22. My Dying Bride - "Turn Loose The Swans" (1993)
21. dISEMBOWELMENT - "Transcendence Into The Peripheral" (1993)
20. Entombed - "Clandestine" (1991)
19. Suffocation - "Pierced From Within" (1995)
18. Morbid Angel - "Blessed Are The Sick" (1991)
17. Metallica - "Master Of Puppets" (1986)
16. Darkthrone - "Transilvanian Hunger" (1994)
15. Carcass - "Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious" (1991)
14. ISIS - "Panopticon" (2004)
13. Neurosis - "Souls At Zero" (1992)
12. Slayer - "South Of Heaven" (1988)
11. Immolation - "Close To A World Below" (2000)
10. Boris - "Boris At Last -Feedbacker-" (2003)
09. Alice In Chains - "Dirt" (1992)
08. Death - "Human" (1991)
07. Morbid Angel - "Altars Of Madness" (1989)
06. Metallica - "...And Justice For All" (1988)
05. ISIS - "The Mosquito Control" E.P. (1998)
04. Sunn O))) - "Black One" (2005)
03. Deathspell Omega - "Kenose" E.P. (2005)
02. Burzum - "Filosofem" (1996)
01. Slayer - "Reign In Blood" (1986)
Still a cool list, Daniel!
Some fun lists here. Loving Catch 33 on yours, shadowdoom!
My own is always changing whenever I feel something needs to be boosted higher or the like, but at the moment:
25.) Strapping Young Lad - City
24.) Metallica - ...And Justice For All
23.) Morbid Saint - Spectrum of Death
22.) King Diamond - The Puppet Master
21.) Rhapsody - Power of the Dragonflame
20.) Candlemass - Nightfall
19.) Gamma Ray - Land of the Free
18.) Rainbow - Rising
17.) Torture - Storm Alert
16.) Rhapsody - Rain of a Thousand Flames
15.) Overkill - Killbox 13
14.) Meshuggah - Catch Thirtythree
13.) Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
12.) Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings
11.) Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip
10.) Celtic Frost - Monotheist
9.) Mercenary - 11 Dreams
8.) Dark Empire - Humanity Dethroned
7.) W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol
6.) Exodus - Tempo of the Damned
5.) Draconian - Arcane Rain Fell
4.) Dio - Holy Diver
3.) Metallica - Ride the Lightning
2.) Machine Head - The Blackening
1.) Metallica - Master of Puppets
Thrilled to see Draconian's Arcane Rain Fell, Nevermore's This Godless Endeavor and Morbid Saint's Spectrum of Death on that list! Much respect!
It's also good to see such a mix of genres. Industrial, Thrash, Heavy, Power, Doom, Progressive, Gothic and Groove. Covering a lot of the metal spectrum.
I admit that I had to look up Torture. Never heard of them. Will have to add them to the site.