Depraved

Mgla - 'Exercises in Futility'
I've known about this band for a while now, and I've seen people post about them, but why has no one grabbed me by the collar and slapped my face a few times to get me to listen to them. Holy hell this is amazing. 
 

Type O Negative - October Rust

Impaled Nazarene - Suomi Finland Perkele

Impaled Nazarene - Suomi Finland Perkele

Morbid - 'December Moon'
Great version hit my mailbox (real mailbox, not the internet). Just a stunning product. Great demo as well, of course. 
Just the 'Now' will do, thanks True Belief. 

Type O Negative - October Rust

Anathema - Serenades 

Type O Negative - October Rust

Type O Negative - October Rust

Anathema - Serenades 

Paradise Lost - ‘Draconian Times’
What a glorious, wonderful album this is. If you’ve never heard it, try it out. For those that know, relive it. 
Metal reached its perfection point. 

I don’t know how you guys listen to two or three albums simultaneously. It must be a right cacophony. 
Requiem listens to one album at a time exclusively. 
NP: Mayhem - ‘Dawn of the Black Hearts’. Hail the old spirit. 

Probably feeling, for me. I tend to like music that's equally slow and intense. Tight musicianship is, of course, always appreciated, but I listen to music mainly for the feeling it gives me and the mood and atmosphere it can convey. Many of my favorite albums were early releases from my favorite bands, and while they're not nearly as polished as their later works, I enjoy the rawness and imperfection of it, because it sounds natural and somehow more passionate to my ears, even though some people might call it boring or amateurish or immature. I love when songs have lots of different riffs and are doing something different or interesting technically, but if it sounds wrapped in plastic and vacuum-sealed, I'm probably not going to like it.

This is so accurate. A lot of it is garbage but when it's good, it's phenomenal. 

I wanted to join just to ask this question. I think metal produces the best and the worst music I have ever heard. So can I call myself a metal fan if I like some metal music (more than anything else) but I despise some metal music. I have a hard time finding anything that I like since I have to search through so much crap. Recently I listened to the band Mastodon which I like but it is like finding a needle in a haystack. The internet is a blessing and a curse in that sense. I like a lot of 80s metal but not much of the extreme stuff. New music doesnt blow me away. 

I recently got my hands on a very handsomely packaged A5 size copy of an instrumental rough mix recording of 'De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas' that is apparently limited to 100 copies. It's put out by some crew claiming to be Deathlike Silence Productions, which is of course Euronymous' old label, with the product code 'Anti-mosh 010' in a clever nod to the fact that the actual Deathlike Silence released 9 albums prior to its end. 
THe recording here was taken from a tape by Euronymous in 1992 and was apparently passed around to a few people. It features Euronymous, Occultus and Hellhammer pictured in individual shots on the back cover. The front is of a church roof and tower with snow falling. It's a beautiful cover. As mentioned, the tracks are instrumental, so it's a great way to hear the structures and subtleties of the album, even though it's not the full polished mix, and there are bits and pieces of difference to the finished product. 
In other news, I was really surprised to discover that very recently Peaceville Records have released CD versions of the 'Live in Jessheim' show with the Dead line-up (I knew there was a vinyl version but until now there was no official CD) as well as 'Live in Sarpsborg' (which most people know as the 'Dawn of the Black Hearts' show). I was really surprised because there was no fanfare at all about this and I can't even find them listed on the Peaceville website. 
Needless to say, I've ordered these (official!) little gems, which even come with a DVD each. Once they arrive along with a pack of Mayhem MP3s that I've also bought, I'll post a new photo because the collection is starting to get pretty decent. It's time I properly catalogued my collection too, which I'll do over the next week or so. 
 

Paradise Lost - Draconian Times
I still adore this album. One of my all time favorites. I love the guitar tone so much. I have such an odd sensory connection with this album. I felt inspired to listen to it cover to cover this morning for the first time in nearly a year. Love it.
"Yearn for Change", "I See Your Face" and "Hallowed Land" are some of my absolute favorite PL songs. Kickass b-sides from this album, too. Love their Sisters of Mercy cover.

Death - ‘Symbolic’
This is not a game! This is not a test of power!!!!

This is really hard. I've tried doing something like this before but I can never really choose a favorite over the other especially among my top 8-10. And I'm assuming we're only allowed to choose one album per band, which is even more difficult. Then I have to take into account different subgenres, which to me is like comparing apples to oranges.
But...here goes.
20. Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil
19. Scorpions - Love at First Sting
18. Immortal - At the Heart of Winter
17. Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
16. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
15. Suicidal Tendencies - Lights...Camera...Revolution!
14. Death - Symbolic
13. Gorgoroth - Antichrist
12. Moonsorrow - Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
11. Korpiklaani - Tales Along This Road
10. Turisas - Battle Metal
9. Finntroll - Jaktens Tid
8. 1349 - Hellfire
7. October Tide - Rain Without End
6. Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky
5. Paradise Lost - Draconian Times
4. Opeth - Orchid
3. Satyricon - Nemesis Divina
2. Katatonia - Dance of December Souls
1. Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
And then there are all the albums I like from a lot of other bands who I wouldn't say are among my most favorite bands, but who have made some killer music (like Enslaved, Dream Theater, Annihilator, Skyforger, WASP, Skid Row, Eluveitie, and so on...and so on...)

Satyricon mastered the most perfect atmospheric, sort of mystical sound on those albums. The acoustic arrangements on Dark Medieval Times are beautiful and unexpected, and they took this one step farther on The Shadowthrone and Nemesis Divina to create an absolutely haunting atmosphere using piano/keyboards to harmonize with those incredible riffs. They were unique in that way I think. It's a shame they moved away from that sound in the late 90s, as nothing they've done since then even comes close to touching those albums. I can appreciate that they're still together and making music and I'm always curious to hear what they're doing, they've written some good songs over the years but those first three albums are masterpieces of the genre.

Yeah, it was amazing - one of the best shows I've seen. The music is great, of course, but the theatre behind it all is so entertaining live. And the sound was just magnificent. They also have a real effect on the crowd and people really love them wholeheartedly, so the vibe in the tent was off the charts. 

I just saw Ghost on the weekend in a huge marquee - amazing live experience.
They can be a little hit and miss when it comes to their music though. Their latest album 'Prequelle' (the one with 'Rats' on it) was my second favourite album of 2018 (see the thread in the General Music forum). It is such an amazing album: perfectly produced, catchy, emotional. I can't say the same for all of their earlier songs, but there are great ones out there like 'Cirice' and 'Square Hammer'. Regarding the almighty 'Prequelle', I spent 3 weeks in Bordeaux, walking around at night tipsy listening to it and it was just heaven. It easily has their best guitar sound. 
Anyway, NP: Korpiklaani songs about alcohol. 
EDIT: Ghost - 'Prequelle'. The instrumental 'Miasma' loud! What a progression! 

Holy shit, guys. I just heard Ghost for the first time ever today and - WHAT A KICK ASS BAND.  I've been so disappointed in bands over the last 10-15 years or so but this band - THIS BAND? What. The. Fuck. Like motherfucking Mercyful Fate + Dream Theater or some shit. And they sound great! 
Currently watching a live recording of "Rats" (for like the 20th time today). What a tight band. Incredible.

Our tastes run really closely together, because you've listed a lot of bands here who are in my next batch of favourites, like Motley Crue, Finntroll etc. And our top 2 is the same (although I put Katatonia in first place)!! Brilliant list. 

This is really hard. I've tried doing something like this before but I can never really choose a favorite over the other especially among my top 8-10. And I'm assuming we're only allowed to choose one album per band, which is even more difficult. Then I have to take into account different subgenres, which to me is like comparing apples to oranges.
But...here goes.
20. Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil
19. Scorpions - Love at First Sting
18. Immortal - At the Heart of Winter
17. Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
16. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
15. Suicidal Tendencies - Lights...Camera...Revolution!
14. Death - Symbolic
13. Gorgoroth - Antichrist
12. Moonsorrow - Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
11. Korpiklaani - Tales Along This Road
10. Turisas - Battle Metal
9. Finntroll - Jaktens Tid
8. 1349 - Hellfire
7. October Tide - Rain Without End
6. Darkthrone - A Blaze in the Northern Sky
5. Paradise Lost - Draconian Times
4. Opeth - Orchid
3. Satyricon - Nemesis Divina
2. Katatonia - Dance of December Souls
1. Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
And then there are all the albums I like from a lot of other bands who I wouldn't say are among my most favorite bands, but who have made some killer music (like Enslaved, Dream Theater, Annihilator, Skyforger, WASP, Skid Row, Eluveitie, and so on...and so on...)