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All Time Top 20 Favourite Metal Bands


Requiem

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18 minutes ago, True Belief said:


If you move to Melbourne from Adelaide, you’d need to understand there would be expectation that you eat that food with utensils.

 

 

Zing! 

You also have to wear black at all times and constantly insist that Melbourne coffee is the best in the world. And don't get surprised by the change in weather. If you can do those things, you're in. 

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18 minutes ago, Requiem said:

Zing! 

You also have to wear black at all times and constantly insist that Melbourne coffee is the best in the world. And don't get surprised by the change in weather. If you can do those things, you're in. 

I've never tried Aussie coffee before but now I must.

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9 hours ago, Requiem said:

We should do a podcast. True Belief and Requiem's Metallic Elegy. It's just me and him talking about the forum and getting drunk. It'd be romantic if it was me an @Fjara

 

Good point. I'll do the same. I'm always shuffling preferences around. 

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

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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!  

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8 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

 

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.   

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.

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.

 

This reminds me that @True Belief will be here in less than an hour and he still hasn't posted his list. tut tut. 

Nice list with many of my favourites appearing. Here are my comments on selected entries that intrigue me:

Dimmu Borgir so high surprises a bit, although I had them in my Honourable Mentions section.

Akercocke so high interests me as well and I need to give them another listen. They never hooked me first time around when they were 'big'. 

The Meads... is a huge surprise! I have the split they did with Mayhem and it's pretty good but very weird. Top 10 as well! I also have 'Exuming the Grave of Yeshua' and I think I played it twice and it's been on the shelf for the last fifteen years. I'll give it another spin. 

Never heard of Darkness in Blood but they sound suitably vampiric.

Very surprised to see you rate 'Ravishing Grimness' as the best Darkthrone album! I'll have to give that another listen as well - I think it was around that album that I finally lost interest in the band, so I won't have heard it since 2000 probably! It's certainly not in my collection. 

And Arcturus - great choice. I thought about including them in my Honourable Mentions but they just didn't have that added meaning for me that would have got them in there. Great band though. 

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2 hours ago, Requiem said:

This reminds me that @True Belief will be here in less than an hour and he still hasn't posted his list. tut tut. 

Nice list with many of my favourites appearing. Here are my comments on selected entries that intrigue me:

Dimmu Borgir so high surprises a bit, although I had them in my Honourable Mentions section.

Akercocke so high interests me as well and I need to give them another listen. They never hooked me first time around when they were 'big'. 

The Meads... is a huge surprise! I have the split they did with Mayhem and it's pretty good but very weird. Top 10 as well! I also have 'Exuming the Grave of Yeshua' and I think I played it twice and it's been on the shelf for the last fifteen years. I'll give it another spin. 

Never heard of Darkness in Blood but they sound suitably vampiric.

Very surprised to see you rate 'Ravishing Grimness' as the best Darkthrone album! I'll have to give that another listen as well - I think it was around that album that I finally lost interest in the band, so I won't have heard it since 2000 probably! It's certainly not in my collection. 

And Arcturus - great choice. I thought about including them in my Honourable Mentions but they just didn't have that added meaning for me that would have got them in there. Great band though. 

Dimmu has always been top five metal band for me.

Akercocke is not for everyone. They can be odd, avant-garde, and absurd. Their albums are all very different so it may depend on which album you listen to.

Darkness of Blood is a one-album enigma. But if you like Dracula film scores, Castlevania, Cradle of Filth, and black metal, then this is as essential as blood itself.

The Meads of Asphodel are most bizarre and have always been among the top thanks mostly to the Red Gleaming Serpent demo. Excommunication is similarly excellent as is Damascus Steel, and Yeshua is also pretty good but I wouldn't start with that one.  

Panzerfaust may actually be my favourite Darkthrone album. I just meant to imply that they are ravishing grimness incarnate.

Arcturus has really grown on me over the years. I can always appreciate those bands who are creative and unique.

 

 

11 minutes ago, True Belief said:

 


Joking right?

The only thing you’ve done better is stuff bodies in barrels of acid. I’ll give you that.

Don't tempt him now, you may just end up being his next victim... or meal. One of the two.

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38 minutes ago, True Belief said:

 


Joking right?

The only thing you’ve done better is stuff bodies in barrels of acid. I’ll give you that.

 

Hmm let's see world renowned wines, sought after produce, more award winning restaurants then one can count. I'd say good old South Australia has quite a lot going for it. Only thing Melbourne's well known for is gang violence and drug syndicates.

39 minutes ago, Vampyrique said:

Dimmu has always been top five metal band for me.

Akercocke is not for everyone. They can be odd, avant-garde, and absurd. Their albums are all very different so it may depend on which album you listen to.

Darkness of Blood is a one-album enigma. But if you like Dracula film scores, Castlevania, Cradle of Filth, and black metal, then this is as essential as blood itself.

The Meads of Asphodel are most bizarre and have always been among the top thanks mostly to the Red Gleaming Serpent demo. Excommunication is similarly excellent as is Damascus Steel, and Yeshua is also pretty good but I wouldn't start with that one.  

Panzerfaust may actually be my favourite Darkthrone album. I just meant to imply that they are ravishing grimness incarnate.

Arcturus has really grown on me over the years. I can always appreciate those bands who are creative and unique.

 

 

Don't tempt him now, you may just end up being his next victim... or meal. One of the two.

Tsk tsk you know me better then that. Cthulhu doesn't accept offering in barrels, his tributes are to be impaled and roasted.

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7 minutes ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

Hmm let's see world renowned wines, sought after produce, more award winning restaurants then one can count. I'd say good old South Australia has quite a lot going for it. Only thing Melbourne's well known for is gang violence and drug syndicates.

Um.... no. No Restless. No.

You seem to not understand that the world's most liveable city and the sporting capital of the world and the culinary capital of Australia has no fear of outsider contenders. 

Belief says that the best thing to ever come out of South Australia is the Sturt Highway. Killer humour that man. 

Anyway, back to topic. Good to see some interesting lists here. 

 

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15 minutes ago, Requiem said:

Um.... no. No Restless. No.

You seem to not understand that the world's most liveable city and the sporting capital of the world and the culinary capital of Australia has no fear of outsider contenders. 

Belief says that the best thing to ever come out of South Australia is the Sturt Highway. Killer humour that man. 

Anyway, back to topic. Good to see some interesting lists here. 

 

Clearly the people who came up with that list never actually visited Melbourne... don't you just love the interstate rivalry?

 

Anyway yes some interesting lists for sure.

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I won’t have the patience to sit here and do a full list of 20 in one sitting so will just add bands as and when I feel I have the time because it is a great thread.

Sepultura

I lost my shit to “Arise” when I first heard it as a teenager and pretty much played the hell out of “Chaos AD” when it followed.  I was pummelled into submission by the relentless delivery of “Dead Embryonic Cells”, crushed by the riff that opens “Altered State” and slapped fucking senseless by Igor’s drumming on “Infected Voice”.  It wasn’t until the last 5 years or so that I really started to pay attention to their earlier discography and I soon realised that I had been selling myself short with my near entire focus on just “Arise”.  

What Sepultura had consistently done during their first three albums was raise the bar for themselves each time.  From the amateur blackened thrashings of the debut through the increasing refinement and maturity of the next two releases, Sepultura became a force to be reckoned with and in doing so managed a “golden run” of albums.  “Chaos AD” didn’t age well and now sounds like it has more filler than the wall around my dartboard.  I had no time for them post “Chaos AD” but twice in my life Sepultura have proven to be stop me in my tracks impressive with the first time being at a very early and influential part of my metal journey.

Key Album - Arise

Saxon

The Yorkshire metallers get a mention really because “Power and the Glory” was the first metal full album I listened to when I borrowed my cousins vinyl collection.  That fucking pink, orangey logo literally blazing across the top of the cover was too big a draw for me to listen to any of the other 20 or so LP’s stacked on my bed that day.  Nostalgia aside, Saxon have stayed in my collection across vinyl, CD and digital format throughout the years.  I have never felt compelled to own everything they have done but then when ever I have ventured into new material with them I haven’t been disappointed.  Any band with a singer called Biff Byford is impossible not to check out and they balance staying relevant with just enough a modern edge to their metal so well I can see them lasting a few years more yet.

Key Album - Strong Arm Of the Law

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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...)

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1 hour ago, Depraved said:

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...)

So most of us included a little blurb talking about why we like the band. Picking an album is tough I just went for my favourites.

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4 hours ago, Depraved said:

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...)

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. 

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