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 27th, 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

      View entire list ››

I feel like my overall favorites list is getting too long. I'm splitting it up by rating.

1.Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

2.Qrixkuor - Poison Palinopsia

3.Skepticism - Ordeal

4.Funeral Mist - Devilry

5.Zeal & Ardor - Zeal And Ardor

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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 ››

This is a list of all the death metal albums I have listened to that I thought were at all worth remembering. Like my other genre lists, this is just a record of my own listening experience that I use for personal organization, not a definitive account of the best or all of the death metal out there; there will probably be albums or bands that are not death metal in the strictest sense. You'll find some OSDM, melodeath, tech death, death-doom, maybe a bit of deathcore, I don't know. Maybe some non-death metal albums by death metal bands that I put in here just because.

1.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

2.Death - Symbolic

3.At The Gates - With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness

4.At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul

5.Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side

      View entire list ››

1.TesseracT - Polaris

2.Caligula's Horse - Bloom

3.Arcturus - Arcturian

4.Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.

5.Leprous - The Congregation

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1.Cain's Offering - Stormcrow

2.Cradle Of Filth - Hammer Of The Witches

3.Kamelot - Haven

4.Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful

5.August Burns Red - Found In Far Away Places

      View entire list ››

Simple ranking of all my favorite albums. Favorite song from the album in the notes. Sure to change/expand as I learn and explore more within metal.
2023: This was starting to get too long so I split it into separate lists for albums at each ranking 10 to 7. This list will no longer be updated.
10: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=6891
9: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=7213
8: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=7512
7: https://metalstorm.net/users/list.php?list_id=8058

1.Madder Mortem - Eight Ways

2.Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side

3.Ayreon - 01011001

4.Ulcerate - The Destroyers Of All

5.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

      View entire list ››

My favorites album in 2015

1.Tempel - The Moon Lit Our Path

2.Slugdge - Dim And Slimeridden Kingdoms

3.Alkaloid - The Malkuth Grimoire

4.Cruciamentum - Charnel Passages

5.Exgenesis - Aphotic Veil

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1.Kamelot - Haven

2.Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful

3.Helloween - My God-Given Right

4.Blind Guardian - Beyond The Red Mirror

5.Moonspell - Extinct

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The list is arranged from the most enjoyable album IMO to the less enjoyable.
All items on this list are worth to be listened though...

Legend:
O Listened and arranged (right position, may vary while not all the albums are listened)
< Currently listening
x Not listened

1.Enslaved - In Times

2.Melechesh - Enki

3.Heidevolk - Velua

4.Dope Stars Inc. - TeraPunk

5.Svartsot - Vældet

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All the albums I've listened to in 2015, from favorite to least favorite, and a small summary.

1.Shape Of Despair - Monotony Fields

2.Swallow The Sun - Songs From The North I, II & III

3.Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.

4.Leviathan - Scar Sighted

5.Ahab - The Boats Of The Glen Carrig

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1.Breaking Benjamin - Dark Before Dawn

2.Draconian - Sovran

3.Kamelot - Haven

4.Cradle Of Filth - Hammer Of The Witches

5.Vanden Plas - Chronicles Of The Immortals: Netherworld II

      View entire list ››

Yet another best to worst list. I'll be adding all the albums I listen throughout the year, including non-metal albums.

Last additions:
- Birds In Row
- Draconian
- Manège Noir
- Secrets Of The Moon

1.Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss

2.Ahab - The Boats Of The Glen Carrig

3.Deafheaven - New Bermuda

4.Leprous - The Congregation

5.ISON - Cosmic Drone

      View entire list ››

Here's another list based on the albums i've enjoyed listening to most in 2015. Consider it a best to worst based on all the albums i've checked out. This list does not reflect the views of others on MS, but some of the albums here are really awesome and you should check out some of them, you might find you liked it as much as I did.

1.Galneryus - Under The Force Of Courage

2.Wilderun - Sleep At The Edge Of The Earth

3.Orden Ogan - Ravenhead

4.Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud

5.Sunless Rise - Unrevealed

      View entire list ››

1.Whyzdom - Symphony For A Hopeless God

2.Ensiferum - One Man Army

3.The Agonist - Eye Of Providence

4.Moonspell - Extinct

5.Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful

      View entire list ››