This thread inspired me to go back to some bands that I've always dismissed, namely Deicide and Morbid Angel. I always wrote Deicide off as a band too similar to Cannibal Corpse (who I completely hate). I just can't get into CC, and I knew that Deicide came from the same scene, yet lyrically went with Satanism vs. gore.
I checked out some Deicide last week and then the other day, I sampled every single album they own, starting with the first four (Deicide, Legion, Once Upon the Cross, Serpents of the Light) and Stench of Redemption. That band just blew me away! There are some really strong albums in their history, with some insane and badass riffs.
As for Morbid Angel, I had Covenant about 20 years ago and didn't care for it at all, eventually selling it I started with Altars of Madness this time, using Metal Archives as a guide to see which records had the highest ratings. That album is absolutely killer! I have the first four albums of theirs to check out (through Domination) and then the first two Steve Tucker albums. After that, the ratings seem to drop off, so I don't think I need any albums beyond those.