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With some last minute letting of the veins.... This list is subject to change. Hack commentary included for reasons of amusement and abusement. 20. Carcass : The spirit of Carcass is found in Symphonies of Sickness and Necroticism. The other albums are good, but they are faceless cadavers next to these. These are words straight from the coroner's report. 19. Nile : Let the Eye of Horus guide you through ancient Egypt with unparalleled Ithyphallic Metal. In Their Darkened Shrines may be their pyramidal peak. 18. Morbid Angel : Morbid Angel occupy a unique place in the metal pantheon for many reasons. The band’s alpha-eccentric personalities alone make for an interesting enigma. I’m not sure I could single out a favourite album if I tried to, but I enjoy both eras of the band. Not so much the ensuing Insanus, but only Trey and David are that morbid, too extreme for mere punnery to encapsulate. 17. Paradise Lost : Once lost was Paradise, but it hath since been regained. I have a difficult time picking a favourite here. Probably Gothic, but their debut haunts me equally. 16. Emperor : Thus Spake the mighty Emperor! Even though equilibrium was lost later on, their first two are black metal epics. 15. Mayhem : The precise definition of mayhem is this band. Even Oxford agrees. Undoubtedly De Mysteriis dom. Sathanas is the definition of black metal. 14. Arcturus : Avantguardians of the galaxy, astral travelers of the higher frequentseas. But only Garm is real. 13. Darkthrone : Forever hypnotic and trve. The quantity of quality albums is impressive, ravishing grimness unmatched by any other. 12. Moonspell : Full moon madness indeed. You only need to examine their catalogue to get a sense of this. But Wolfheart, Irreligious, Memorial, and Extinct eclipse the others. 11. Agalloch : Grey metal for a rainy day. Campfire companions. More than just a clay urn on the mantle, life itself. 10. Darkness of Blood : Blood libations, dramatic adrenochromatic hallucinations, psychopompic incantations. Symphonies of the night bled to aztec vampire rite. 9. The Meads of Asphodel : The ecstasy of suicide making love to open wounds! Unearth the Holy Grail that is Metatron and the Red Gleaming Serpent now. 8. Akercocke : Immaculate, pure, devout! Satanically suited for occult occasion. No Hammer Horror Satanism here. This is the real deal, done fashionably Faustian. Here The Devil rides out. 7. King Diamond : Only King’s ghostly falsettos can reach the paranormal plane of existence and capture such atmospheres of haunting horror. The band’s phantom run from Fatal Portrait to The Eye is legendary, much like the King himself. 6. Burzum : From black melancholic metal mastery to transcendental Casio meditations, Varg is a Norse God and Burzum is your journey to the stars. 5. Satyricon : Magically medieval are their early masterworks. Rebel Extravaganza and Volcano are worthy and underrated albums, but lackluster are their later works. 4. Dimmu Borgir : Sometimes a band’s most passionate followers are their very detractors. This is the band that The Church of Black Metal warned you about… yet secretly worship. Their run from For All Tid to Death Cult Armageddon is a peculiar one because the quality of output remained high despite the line-up changes and drastic evolution of sound. They’ve since stagnated, but that doesn’t tarnish their Luciferian legacy. 3. My Dying Bride : Whilst, stylistically, I prefer a Bride of death metal-infused doom and gloom as performed on the first two albums, I hardly notice on albums like The Angel and The Dark River or Like Gods of the Sun due to their excellence. The Dreadful Hours and Songs of Darkness are the best of the modern era. 2. Cradle of Filth : Superior lyrics, attention to aesthetics, and a healthy bloodline from the crypt of Countess Bathory tracing masterpiece after masterpiece. Another victim of the The Black Metal Vatican. Yet the Filth whispers my name…again and again. 1. Theatres des Vampires : Mater Mater Inferorum! Metallum Vampirorum! Til the last drop of blood!

Dimmu Borgir - 'Spiritual Black Dimensions' The sound of triumphant late 90s melodic black metal. Hail Vortex. Hail Mustis.

You understand my idea of 'romance' very well it seems....

Depends on ones idea of 'romance' though I am sure you have suitable rooms in your Castle for such purpose..m'Lord.

Deicide - Legion

Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

Megadeth - Peace Sells, But Who's Buying

For me they are slightly different. Hard Rock still has discernable elements of pop rock or rock'n'roll, while maybe boasting a stronger or grittier attitude. Heavy metal will tend to have a less danceable quality to it, focusing more on the dramatic charge of the music. That's just my interpretation of it. I imagine fans of hard rock would find heavy metal to be a little too much.

Re: Deep Purple!!!