Your favorite metal albums per (sub)genre?

[WildRanger]

Your favorite metal albums from various subgenres (classic heavy, thrash, power, prog, death, gothic, doom, black, alternative, post, folk, symphonic, industrial, melodeath, grindcore, etc.)?

My list:

Classic heavy: tie between Black Sabbath - Master of Reality and Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Thrash: tie between Megadeth - Rust in Peace and Sepultura - Beneath the Remains
Power: Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys II
Prog: Opeth - Blackwater Park
Doom: Candlemass - Nightfall
Death: Death - Human
Stoner: Kyuss - Blues for the Red Sun
Black: Ulver - Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler
Althernative: Deftones - White Pony
Melodeath: Insomnium - Above the Weeping World
Folk: Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet
Industrial: Rammstein - Mutter
Post: Cult of Luna - Somewhere Along the Highway
Gothic: Theatre of Tragedy - Aegis
Symphonic: Nightwish - Oceanborn

[KevShmev]

Pop metal: Wham! - Make It Big

[Dave_Manchester]

Somewhere around 95% of musical 'subgenre' labels baffle the shit out of me ("Hey Dave, what's your favourite post-death album?"), but of the labels I think I roughly understand:

Thrash: Master of Puppets
Classic: Number of the Beast
Prog: Scenes from a Memory
Melodic death (thank you Wikipedia): Hatebreeder (Children of Bodom)
Symphonic metal (ibid): Wishmaster (Nightwish)


Like I said, most of the rest I have no idea what they are, and examples don't help me. Many moons ago I had answered a question about my favourite "black metal" band with 'Cradle of Filth' and incurred the wrath of a dozen tense black metal purists who insisted they're NOT (the capitalisation was apparently important since they all used it) black metal. It was pretty fascinating to observe how seriously they take the taxonomy of music. Anyhoo, whatever Tool, Marilyn Manson and Cradle of Filth are, you can put those next to the appropriate labels too. Great bands.

[HOF]

Somewhere around 95% of musical 'subgenre' labels baffle the shit out of me ("Hey Dave, what's your favourite post-death album?"), but of the labels I think I roughly understand:

Thrash: Master of Puppets
Classic: Number of the Beast
Prog: Scenes from a Memory
Melodic death (thank you Wikipedia): Hatebreeder (Children of Bodom)
Symphonic metal (ibid): Wishmaster (Nightwish)

Like I said, most of the rest I have no idea what they are, and examples don't help me. Many moons ago I had answered a question about my favourite "black metal" band with 'Cradle of Filth' and incurred the wrath of a dozen tense black metal purists who insisted they're NOT (the capitalisation was apparently important since they all used it) black metal. It was pretty fascinating to observe how seriously they take the taxonomy of music. Anyhoo, whatever Tool, Marilyn Manson and Cradle of Filth are, you can put those next to the appropriate labels too. Great bands.

Oh man, it must have been 20 years ago, but I vividly remember getting flamed over at the MP Forum for thinking death metal and black metal were the same thing (I called Opeth black metal and said I didn’t like that kind of stuff). Pretty sure it was the black metal fans who took the most offense at that mistake too!

[Stadler]

Somewhere around 95% of musical 'subgenre' labels baffle the shit out of me ("Hey Dave, what's your favourite post-death album?"), but of the labels I think I roughly understand:

Thrash: Master of Puppets
Classic: Number of the Beast
Prog: Scenes from a Memory
Melodic death (thank you Wikipedia): Hatebreeder (Children of Bodom)
Symphonic metal (ibid): Wishmaster (Nightwish)

Like I said, most of the rest I have no idea what they are, and examples don't help me. Many moons ago I had answered a question about my favourite "black metal" band with 'Cradle of Filth' and incurred the wrath of a dozen tense black metal purists who insisted they're NOT (the capitalisation was apparently important since they all used it) black metal. It was pretty fascinating to observe how seriously they take the taxonomy of music. Anyhoo, whatever Tool, Marilyn Manson and Cradle of Filth are, you can put those next to the appropriate labels too. Great bands.

Oh man, it must have been 20 years ago, but I vividly remember getting flamed over at the MP Forum for thinking death metal and black metal were the same thing (I called Opeth black metal and said I didn’t like that kind of stuff). Pretty sure it was the black metal fans who took the most offense at that mistake too!

They're not?

[Stadler]

Classic heavy: Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Power:  Ayreon - 01011001
Thrash: Metallica - The Black Album
Prog: Dream Theater - Images And Words
Stoner: (Does Sabbath count?)
Althernative: Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
Folk: (I have no fucking idea, but I think I want to be into this!)
Symphonic: Nightwish - Whatever that live album is with the absolutely epic performance of "Ghost Love Score" from Floor Jansen

[Dave_Manchester]

Symphonic: Nightwish - Whatever that live album is with the absolutely epic performance of "Ghost Love Score" from Floor Jansen

The single greatest live performance of any song, in my opinion. Legitimately jaw-dropping.

[Stadler]

Symphonic: Nightwish - Whatever that live album is with the absolutely epic performance of "Ghost Love Score" from Floor Jansen

The single greatest live performance of any song, in my opinion. Legitimately jaw-dropping.

Do you know which album that comes from?  She's got three live records with Nightwish; I know it's not the latest, but which of the other two?  "Showtime, Storytime" or "Vehicle of Spirit"?  I thought it was the first, because I thought it was right after she took over for that other interim singer (Anette Olzen, I think, but I'm not a huge Nightwish fan, so...).

[HOF]

Somewhere around 95% of musical 'subgenre' labels baffle the shit out of me ("Hey Dave, what's your favourite post-death album?"), but of the labels I think I roughly understand:

Thrash: Master of Puppets
Classic: Number of the Beast
Prog: Scenes from a Memory
Melodic death (thank you Wikipedia): Hatebreeder (Children of Bodom)
Symphonic metal (ibid): Wishmaster (Nightwish)

Like I said, most of the rest I have no idea what they are, and examples don't help me. Many moons ago I had answered a question about my favourite "black metal" band with 'Cradle of Filth' and incurred the wrath of a dozen tense black metal purists who insisted they're NOT (the capitalisation was apparently important since they all used it) black metal. It was pretty fascinating to observe how seriously they take the taxonomy of music. Anyhoo, whatever Tool, Marilyn Manson and Cradle of Filth are, you can put those next to the appropriate labels too. Great bands.

Oh man, it must have been 20 years ago, but I vividly remember getting flamed over at the MP Forum for thinking death metal and black metal were the same thing (I called Opeth black metal and said I didn’t like that kind of stuff). Pretty sure it was the black metal fans who took the most offense at that mistake too!

They're not?

Apparently black metal involves corpse paint and stuff.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Somewhere around 95% of musical 'subgenre' labels baffle the shit out of me ("Hey Dave, what's your favourite post-death album?"), but of the labels I think I roughly understand:

Thrash: Master of Puppets
Classic: Number of the Beast
Prog: Scenes from a Memory
Melodic death (thank you Wikipedia): Hatebreeder (Children of Bodom)
Symphonic metal (ibid): Wishmaster (Nightwish)

Like I said, most of the rest I have no idea what they are, and examples don't help me. Many moons ago I had answered a question about my favourite "black metal" band with 'Cradle of Filth' and incurred the wrath of a dozen tense black metal purists who insisted they're NOT (the capitalisation was apparently important since they all used it) black metal. It was pretty fascinating to observe how seriously they take the taxonomy of music. Anyhoo, whatever Tool, Marilyn Manson and Cradle of Filth are, you can put those next to the appropriate labels too. Great bands.

Oh man, it must have been 20 years ago, but I vividly remember getting flamed over at the MP Forum for thinking death metal and black metal were the same thing (I called Opeth black metal and said I didn’t like that kind of stuff). Pretty sure it was the black metal fans who took the most offense at that mistake too!

They're not?

Apparently black metal involves corpse paint and stuff.

I mean some bands get in to corpse paint and whatnot, but that's not what separates black metal from death metal. Here is a very basic description of black metal and death metal, however, both genres have evolved immensely over the years and have spawned numerous subgenres that all incorporate the base genre into the sound but expand on it in ways as to make them each sound very different.

As far as  corpse paint goes, the originators of Black Metal (Hellhammer, Bathory, Sodom) weren't into corpse paint, that didn't really start until the second wave of black metal and isn't a universal thing. In fact, it's becoming less common as time goes on, mostly because it's dumb, but I digress.

Anyway, calling black metal and death metal the same would be like calling power metal and thrash metal the same. They are clearly not.

[HOF]

Somewhere around 95% of musical 'subgenre' labels baffle the shit out of me ("Hey Dave, what's your favourite post-death album?"), but of the labels I think I roughly understand:

Thrash: Master of Puppets
Classic: Number of the Beast
Prog: Scenes from a Memory
Melodic death (thank you Wikipedia): Hatebreeder (Children of Bodom)
Symphonic metal (ibid): Wishmaster (Nightwish)

Like I said, most of the rest I have no idea what they are, and examples don't help me. Many moons ago I had answered a question about my favourite "black metal" band with 'Cradle of Filth' and incurred the wrath of a dozen tense black metal purists who insisted they're NOT (the capitalisation was apparently important since they all used it) black metal. It was pretty fascinating to observe how seriously they take the taxonomy of music. Anyhoo, whatever Tool, Marilyn Manson and Cradle of Filth are, you can put those next to the appropriate labels too. Great bands.

Oh man, it must have been 20 years ago, but I vividly remember getting flamed over at the MP Forum for thinking death metal and black metal were the same thing (I called Opeth black metal and said I didn’t like that kind of stuff). Pretty sure it was the black metal fans who took the most offense at that mistake too!

They're not?

Apparently black metal involves corpse paint and stuff.

I mean some bands get in to corpse paint and whatnot, but that's not what separates black metal from death metal. Here is a very basic description of black metal and death metal, however, both genres have evolved immensely over the years and have spawned numerous subgenres that all incorporate the base genre into the sound but expand on it in ways as to make them each sound very different.

As far as  corpse paint goes, the originators of Black Metal (Hellhammer, Bathory, Sodom) weren't into corpse paint, that didn't really start until the second wave of black metal and isn't a universal thing. In fact, it's becoming less common as time goes on, mostly because it's dumb, but I digress.

Anyway, calling black metal and death metal the same would be like calling power metal and thrash metal the same. They are clearly not.

What I got from that is that black metal involved screams (and sometimes corpse paint) and death metal involved growls/grunts, but I’ve honestly never listened to either for more than a few seconds.

[TAC]

Gonna have to think of my favorite Corpse Paint Metal album..

[TAC]

[kirksnosehair]

Classic heavy: Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
Thrash: Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Power: Serenity - Death & Legacy
Prog: Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Doom: meh
Death: Opeth - Ghost Reveries
Stoner: meh
Black: meh
Althernative: meh
Melodeath: meh
Folk: meh
Industrial: meh
Post: Liquid Tension Experiment - 2
Gothic: meh
Symphonic: Kamelot - The Black Halo

[LudwigVan]

Probably mussed up the genres but I’m not too arsed about it. 

Classic: Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Thrash: Beneath the Remains - Sepultura
Power: Imaginations From the Other Side - Blind Guardian
Folk: Somewhere Far Beyond - Blind Guardian
Prog: Images and Words - Dream Theater
Black: In The Nightside Eclipse - Emperor
Death: Symbolic - Death
Progressive Death: Blackwater Park - Opeth
Melodeth: Whoracle - In Flames
Progressive Power: Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle
Alternative: Blackbird - Alter Bridge
Post: Lateralus - Tool
Extreme: Don’t Break the Oath - Mercyful Fate

[Pettor]

Symphonic: Nightwish - Whatever that live album is with the absolutely epic performance of "Ghost Love Score" from Floor Jansen

The single greatest live performance of any song, in my opinion. Legitimately jaw-dropping.

Do you know which album that comes from?  She's got three live records with Nightwish; I know it's not the latest, but which of the other two?  "Showtime, Storytime" or "Vehicle of Spirit"?  I thought it was the first, because I thought it was right after she took over for that other interim singer (Anette Olzen, I think, but I'm not a huge Nightwish fan, so...).

Showtime, Storytime (Live at Wacken) is the one. I agree, I often come back to it and everytime it's just as mind blowing as the first time.

[wolfking]

Probably mussed up the genres but I’m not too arsed about it. 

Classic: Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Thrash: Beneath the Remains - Sepultura
Power: Imaginations From the Other Side - Blind Guardian
Folk: Somewhere Far Beyond - Blind Guardian
Prog: Images and Words - Dream Theater
Black: In The Nightside Eclipse - Emperor
Death: Symbolic - Death
Progressive Death: Blackwater Park - Opeth
Melodeth: Whoracle - In Flames
Progressive Power: Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle
Alternative: Blackbird - Alter Bridge
Post: Lateralus - Tool
Extreme: Don’t Break the Oath - Mercyful Fate

Post metal?  And Mercyful Fate are extreme metal?

[kirksnosehair]

Hmm...I think I'd put Mercyful Fate in the same category as Iron Maiden, yes?

[wolfking]

Yeah, heavy metal.  Maybe black metal because of King's makeup?   

[kirksnosehair]

Not just the makeup, though.  The lyrics tend to be quite dark compared to a band like Iron Maiden

[NoseofNicko]

Probably mussed up the genres but I’m not too arsed about it. 

Classic: Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Thrash: Beneath the Remains - Sepultura
Power: Imaginations From the Other Side - Blind Guardian
Folk: Somewhere Far Beyond - Blind Guardian
Prog: Images and Words - Dream Theater
Black: In The Nightside Eclipse - Emperor
Death: Symbolic - Death
Progressive Death: Blackwater Park - Opeth
Melodeth: Whoracle - In Flames
Progressive Power: Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle
Alternative: Blackbird - Alter Bridge
Post: Lateralus - Tool
Extreme: Don’t Break the Oath - Mercyful Fate

Post metal?

Stuff like Cult of Luna and Neurosis. Atmospheric metal basically. Tool isn’t post-metal except for some moments here and there though.

[wolfking]

Probably mussed up the genres but I’m not too arsed about it. 

Classic: Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Thrash: Beneath the Remains - Sepultura
Power: Imaginations From the Other Side - Blind Guardian
Folk: Somewhere Far Beyond - Blind Guardian
Prog: Images and Words - Dream Theater
Black: In The Nightside Eclipse - Emperor
Death: Symbolic - Death
Progressive Death: Blackwater Park - Opeth
Melodeth: Whoracle - In Flames
Progressive Power: Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle
Alternative: Blackbird - Alter Bridge
Post: Lateralus - Tool
Extreme: Don’t Break the Oath - Mercyful Fate

Post metal?

Stuff like Cult of Luna and Neurosis. Atmospheric metal basically. Tool isn’t post-metal except for some moments here and there though.

I don't know those bands but I think I know what you mean.

[LudwigVan]

Probably mussed up the genres but I’m not too arsed about it. 

Classic: Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Thrash: Beneath the Remains - Sepultura
Power: Imaginations From the Other Side - Blind Guardian
Folk: Somewhere Far Beyond - Blind Guardian
Prog: Images and Words - Dream Theater
Black: In The Nightside Eclipse - Emperor
Death: Symbolic - Death
Progressive Death: Blackwater Park - Opeth
Melodeth: Whoracle - In Flames
Progressive Power: Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle
Alternative: Blackbird - Alter Bridge
Post: Lateralus - Tool
Extreme: Don’t Break the Oath - Mercyful Fate

Post metal?  And Mercyful Fate are extreme metal?

  Hey, I did say that I'd probably muss up the genres! 

Honestly, this was just an excuse for me to list out some of my favorite metal albums, irrespective of genres and such.  But to me, a band like Mercyful Fate cuts across so many different lines. Truly a unique band.

[wolfking]

Probably mussed up the genres but I’m not too arsed about it. 

Classic: Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Thrash: Beneath the Remains - Sepultura
Power: Imaginations From the Other Side - Blind Guardian
Folk: Somewhere Far Beyond - Blind Guardian
Prog: Images and Words - Dream Theater
Black: In The Nightside Eclipse - Emperor
Death: Symbolic - Death
Progressive Death: Blackwater Park - Opeth
Melodeth: Whoracle - In Flames
Progressive Power: Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle
Alternative: Blackbird - Alter Bridge
Post: Lateralus - Tool
Extreme: Don’t Break the Oath - Mercyful Fate

Post metal?  And Mercyful Fate are extreme metal?

  Hey, I did say that I'd probably muss up the genres! 

Honestly, this was just an excuse for me to list out some of my favorite metal albums, irrespective of genres and such.  But to me, a band like Mercyful Fate cuts across so many different lines. Truly a unique band.

Nothing wrong with any of that statement. 

Corpse paint worn by the lead singer only metal.   

[Volante99]

Prog Metal: Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Thrash: Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Black Metal: Burzum - Filosofem
Stoner Metal: Messa - Feast for Water
Doom Metal: Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper
Death Metal: Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
Melodic Death: Insomnium - Across the Dark
Hair Metal: Dokken - Tooth & Nail
NWOBHM: Motörhead - Overkill
Dark/Gothic: Katatonia - Night is the New Day
Power Metal: Lost Horizon - Awakening the World
Instrumental/Shred Metal: Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force

Damn...that’s a solid list...

Top albums of ALL time that transcend the genre:
1. Metallica - Ride the Lightning/MOP (tie)
2. Megadeth - Rust in Peace
3. Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast
4. Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance
5. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
6. Black Sabbath - Vol. 4

Honorable mentions to the metal albums that didn’t make the cut but arguably, singlehandedly, created their own subgenres and have been parroted ever since by countless other bands
Cynic - Focus
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
Alcest- Les Voyages
Agalloch - The Mantle
Suicidal Tendencies - S/T
Dream Theater - Images & Words
Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power

[Lowdz]

Symphonic: Nightwish - Whatever that live album is with the absolutely epic performance of "Ghost Love Score" from Floor Jansen

The single greatest live performance of any song, in my opinion. Legitimately jaw-dropping.

That last section just brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. The high note at the end is just such a perfect sound it hits me every time I hear it.

[jingle.boy]

Symphonic: Nightwish - Whatever that live album is with the absolutely epic performance of "Ghost Love Score" from Floor Jansen

The single greatest live performance of any song, in my opinion. Legitimately jaw-dropping.

Do you know which album that comes from?  She's got three live records with Nightwish; I know it's not the latest, but which of the other two?  "Showtime, Storytime" or "Vehicle of Spirit"?  I thought it was the first, because I thought it was right after she took over for that other interim singer (Anette Olzen, I think, but I'm not a huge Nightwish fan, so...).

You're most likely thinking of Showtime/Storytime.  There's also an official video release of Live in Buenos Aries that people often reference as Ghost Love Floor.  Not a ton of difference, but even though it's not Wacken, I really love the vibe of the crowd in Buenos Aries.

I'd die to see them perform this with an actual symphony.

[bl5150]

Symphonic: Nightwish - Whatever that live album is with the absolutely epic performance of "Ghost Love Score" from Floor Jansen

The single greatest live performance of any song, in my opinion. Legitimately jaw-dropping.

Do you know which album that comes from?  She's got three live records with Nightwish; I know it's not the latest, but which of the other two?  "Showtime, Storytime" or "Vehicle of Spirit"?  I thought it was the first, because I thought it was right after she took over for that other interim singer (Anette Olzen, I think, but I'm not a huge Nightwish fan, so...).

You're most likely thinking of Showtime/Storytime.  There's also an official video release of Live in Buenos Aries that people often reference as Ghost Love Floor.  Not a ton of difference, but even though it's not Wacken, I really love the vibe of the crowd in Buenos Aries.

I'd die to see them perform this with an actual symphony.

I prefer that Buenos Aries version by a smidge too - the crowd and the final note she hits there just have something extra for mine.   It is bonus material on Showtime/Storytime

[hefdaddy42]

I don't know what half of this shit means, but Metallica is pretty cool.

[WildRanger]

Probably mussed up the genres but I’m not too arsed about it. 

Classic: Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Thrash: Beneath the Remains - Sepultura
Power: Imaginations From the Other Side - Blind Guardian
Folk: Somewhere Far Beyond - Blind Guardian
Prog: Images and Words - Dream Theater
Black: In The Nightside Eclipse - Emperor
Death: Symbolic - Death
Progressive Death: Blackwater Park - Opeth
Melodeth: Whoracle - In Flames
Progressive Power: Ayreon - Into the Electric Castle
Alternative: Blackbird - Alter Bridge
Post: Lateralus - Tool
Extreme: Don’t Break the Oath - Mercyful Fate

Post metal?

Stuff like Cult of Luna and Neurosis. Atmospheric metal basically. Tool isn’t post-metal except for some moments here and there though.

And Isis.

[Lowdz]

Classic rock/metal - Rainbow Rising
Melodic rock/AOR - Bon Jovi - New Jersey and Paul Stanley solo album
Thrash: Anthrax - Spreading The Disease
Power Metal: Vicious Rumors - Digital Dictator
Prog: Spock’s Beard- V
Prog Metal: Images & Words + Operation Mindcrime
Doom: Don’t really listen to any
Death: Death - Sound Of Perseverence
Stoner: none
Black: None
Althernative: My Chemical Romance - Black Parade
Melodeath: Persefone - Spiritual
Folk: None
Industrial: None
Post: Don’t even know what this is. I once listened to a Sigur Ros album, does that count? 
Gothic: None
Symphonic: Within Temptation - Silent Force
Instrumental/shred: Vinnie Moore - Mind’s Eye

[TAC]

Melodic rock/AOR -Paul Stanley solo album

Damn, that is a great call.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I'm going to attempt a list here. Problem is a lot of my favorite albums bleed across multiple genres....

Classic/Heavy: Judas Priest - Painkiller
Thrash: Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Power: Angra - Temple of Shadows
Prog: Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
Prog Death: Opeth - Ghost Reveries
Tech Death: Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris
Doom: Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
Funeral Doom: Ahab - The Call of the Wretched Sea
Death: Rudra - Brahmavidya: Transcendental I
Stoner: YOB - Catharsis
Black: Enslaved - Isa
Alternative: Tool - Lateralus
Melodeath: Woe of Tyrants - Kingdom of Might (this could just as easily go under Technical Death Metal)
Folk: Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet (this could just as easily go under Black Metal)
Industrial: Rammstein - Rosenrot
Post-Metal: Battle of Mice - A Day of Nights
Gothic: Type O Negative - Life Is Killing Me
Symphonic: Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
Grindcore: Gridlink - Longhena
Instrumental/shred: T3h Shred Boiz - WTF

[TAC]

I can't even make a list like this.

[TAC]

Classic Rock=UFO-Strangers In The Night
Classic Metal-Iron Maiden-The Number Of The Beast
NWOBHM-Def Leppard-High n Dry
Melodic Rock/AOR - Shy-Excess All Areas
Thrash: Metallica-Kill 'Em All
Power Metal: Helloween-Keeper Of The Seven Keys
Prog: No idea
Prog Metal: Dream Theater- Images & Words
Doom: No idea
Death: No idea
Stoner: Dead Lord-Heads Held High
Black: Illyria-The Carpathian Summit
Althernative: Red Hot Chili Peppers-One Hot Minute
Melodeath: Tribulation-Down Below
Folk: Lor-In Forgotten Sleep
Industrial: Hell no
Post: WTF?
Gothic: Fields Of The Nephilim-The Nephilim
Symphonic: No idea
Instrumental/shred: Michael Schenker-Adventures Of The Imagination