The 500 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time

Rank	Artist name / Album title	Rating	Votes	Reviews
1	Megadeth Rust in Peace August 21, 1990 Thrash Metal	96.8	338	16
2	Judas Priest Painkiller September 3, 1990 Heavy Metal	97.1	282	17
3	Dream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory October 26, 1999 Progressive Metal	96.1	219	14
4	Dream Theater Images and Words July 7, 1992 Progressive Metal	94.9	236	16
5	Slayer Reign in Blood October 7, 1986 Thrash Metal	94.9	232	14
6	Metallica Ride the Lightning July 27, 1984 Thrash Metal	94.6	216	12
7	Helloween Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II August 1, 1988 Power Metal	93.7	186	13
8	Opeth Blackwater Park March 12, 2001 Progressive Metal, Death Metal	94.3	150	12
9	Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast March 22, 1982 Heavy Metal, NWOBHM	94.3	142	10
10	Black Sabbath Paranoid September 18, 1970 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock	95	123	8
11	Vektor Terminal Redux May 6, 2016 Technical Thrash Metal, Progressive Metal	93.8	156	8
12	Iron Maiden Powerslave September 3, 1984 Heavy Metal	94.5	128	6
13	Judas Priest Defenders of the Faith January 24, 1984 Heavy Metal	94.4	127	6
14	Dream Theater Awake October 4, 1994 Progressive Metal	93.1	153	13
15	Black Sabbath Heaven and Hell April 25, 1980 Heavy Metal	94.3	108	6
16	Megadeth Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? July 20, 1986 Thrash Metal	93.1	138	9
17	Angra Temple of Shadows September 6, 2004 Power Metal	92.2	166	7
18	Death Symbolic March 21, 1995 Technical Death Metal	94.7	93	6
19	Stratovarius Visions April 28, 1997 Power Metal	94.1	103	8
20	Metallica Master of Puppets February 21, 1986 Thrash Metal	90.1	252	19

21	Dark Tranquillity Damage Done July 22, 2002 Melodic Death Metal	92.7	137	9
22	Mayhem De mysteriis dom Sathanas May 24, 1994 Black Metal	92.6	143	12
23	Queensrÿche Operation: Mindcrime May 3, 1988 Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal	93.9	105	8
24	Sepultura Beneath the Remains September 5, 1989 Thrash Metal, Death Metal	93.5	107	8
25	Omnium Gatherum New World Shadows February 4, 2011 Melodic Death Metal	91.7	154	6
26	Helloween Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I May 23, 1987 Power Metal	92.2	133	12
27	Cryptopsy None So Vile July 3, 1996 Brutal Death Metal, Technical Death Metal	93	110	5
28	Kamelot The Black Halo March 15, 2005 Power Metal	93	115	13
29	Dream Theater Train of Thought November 11, 2003 Progressive Metal	92.8	111	6
30	Death Human October 22, 1991 Technical Death Metal, Death Metal	94.2	81	6
31	Rhapsody Power of the Dragonflame March 18, 2002 Power Metal, Symphonic Metal	93.9	82	8
32	Nightwish Oceanborn October 1, 1998 Symphonic Metal, Power Metal	92.6	113	6
33	Insomnium Winter's Gate September 23, 2016 Melodic Death Metal	94.2	74	3
34	Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force Rising Force March 5, 1984 Neoclassical Metal, Heavy Metal	93.5	86	5
35	Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Ozz September 20, 1980 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock	92.6	106	5
36	Dissection Storm of the Light's Bane November 17, 1995 Melodic Black Metal	93.1	98	9
37	Darkthrone A Blaze in the Northern Sky February 26, 1992 Black Metal	92.7	108	6
38	Dark Tranquillity Fiction April 24, 2007 Melodic Death Metal	92.3	111	9
39	Emperor In the Nightside Eclipse February 21, 1994 Symphonic Black Metal	92.3	114	4
40	Morbid Angel Altars of Madness May 12, 1989 Death Metal	93.4	80	6

41	Black Sabbath Black Sabbath February 13, 1970 Heavy Metal, Hard Rock	92.9	88	6
42	Lacrimosa Elodia 1999 Symphonic Metal, Gothic Metal	93.4	79	6
43	Dio Holy Diver May 23, 1983 Heavy Metal	92.7	96	10
44	Avantasia The Metal Opera July 10, 2001 Power Metal, Rock Opera	92.4	98	6
45	Black Sabbath Master of Reality July 21, 1971 Heavy Metal	93.8	74	5
46	Iron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh Son April 11, 1988 Heavy Metal	93.6	77	6
47	Slayer Seasons in the Abyss October 9, 1990 Thrash Metal	91.7	113	5
48	Judas Priest Screaming for Vengeance July 14, 1982 Heavy Metal	92.2	99	7
49	Death Leprosy November 16, 1988 Death Metal	93.8	68	4
50	Аспид Кровоизлияние May 1993 Technical Thrash Metal	92.8	81	6
51	Ne Obliviscaris Portal of I May 7, 2012 Progressive Metal, Melodic Black Metal	91.4	116	10
52	Arch Enemy Burning Bridges May 21, 1999 Melodic Death Metal	90.7	132	10
53	Slayer Hell Awaits March 1985 Thrash Metal	91.6	105	8
54	Coroner Punishment for Decadence August 1, 1988 Technical Thrash Metal	94.8	50	1
55	Obituary Cause of Death September 19, 1990 Death Metal	92.3	88	4
56	Judas Priest Invincible Shield March 8, 2024 Heavy Metal	93.1	70	4
57	Death The Sound of Perseverance August 31, 1998 Technical Death Metal, Progressive Metal	92.1	94	9
58	Opeth Ghost Reveries August 29, 2005 Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock	92.3	85	10
59	Rhapsody Symphony of Enchanted Lands October 5, 1998 Power Metal, Symphonic Metal	91	114	14
60	Cradle of Filth Cruelty and the Beast April 27, 1998 Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	91.9	88	8
61	Alcest Écailles de lune March 29, 2010 Blackgaze, Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Rock	92	85	9
62	Royal Hunt Paradox September 23, 1997 Progressive Metal	93.9	57	5
63	Heavenly Virus November 13, 2006 Power Metal	91.2	99	5
64	Lacrimosa Stille March 14, 1997 Symphonic Metal, Gothic Metal	93.2	62	4
65	Seventh Wonder The Great Escape December 3, 2010 Progressive Metal	94.4	47	3
66	Avantasia Moonglow February 15, 2019 Symphonic Metal, Power Metal	93.1	63	9
67	Metallica ...And Justice for All August 25, 1988 Thrash Metal	88.8	167	14
68	Liquid Tension Experiment Liquid Tension Experiment 2 June 15, 1999 Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, Jazz Fusion	94.6	43	2
69	Burzum Hvis lyset tar oss May 15, 1994 Black Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal	92.1	79	1
70	Crimson Glory Transcendence November 1, 1988 Heavy Metal	92.5	69	5
71	Rainbow Rising May 17, 1976 Hard Rock, Heavy Metal	92.8	66	5
72	Sonata Arctica Ecliptica September 4, 1999 Power Metal	90.6	105	7
73	Edguy Mandrake September 24, 2001 Power Metal	92.5	67	4
74	Linkin Park Hybrid Theory October 24, 2000 Nu Metal, Rap Rock	92.5	67	4
75	Kamelot Karma July 10, 2001 Power Metal	92.5	69	8
76	Symphony X V: The New Mythology Suite October 9, 2000 Progressive Metal	93.6	48	3
77	Iron Maiden Somewhere in Time September 26, 1986 Heavy Metal	92.6	65	6
78	Kreator Pleasure to Kill November 1, 1986 Thrash Metal	91.5	82	6
79	Opeth Still Life October 18, 1999 Progressive Metal, Death Metal	91.7	78	7
80	Gorgoroth Pentagram October 12, 1994 Black Metal	93.9	48	4
81	Deicide Legion June 9, 1992 Death Metal	92.3	67	3
82	Sad Legend Sad Legend December 1998 Melodic Black Metal	92.8	60	3
83	Symphony X The Divine Wings of Tragedy March 24, 1997 Progressive Metal, Neoclassical Metal	93.1	54	6
84	Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine November 10, 1992 Rap Metal, Alternative Metal	92.2	72	5
85	Children of Bodom Follow the Reaper October 30, 2000 Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal	90	118	10
86	Death Individual Thought Patterns June 22, 1993 Technical Death Metal, Death Metal	93.1	56	2
87	Carcass Heartwork October 18, 1993 Melodic Death Metal	90.9	97	5
88	Kalmah 12 Gauge March 3, 2010 Melodic Death Metal	91.3	81	3
89	Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral March 8, 1994 Industrial Rock, Industrial Metal	95	34	1
90	Iron Maiden Piece of Mind May 16, 1983 Heavy Metal, NWOBHM	91.1	87	5
91	Angra Rebirth November 13, 2001 Power Metal	91	84	7
92	Opeth My Arms, Your Hearse August 18, 1998 Progressive Metal, Death Metal	92.2	64	4
93	Cradle of Filth Dusk... and Her Embrace August 28, 1996 Symphonic Black Metal, Gothic Metal	90.5	94	8
94	Deicide Deicide June 25, 1990 Death Metal	91.8	70	4
95	Darkthrone Transilvanian Hunger February 17, 1994 Black Metal	90.5	93	5
96	Heavenly Dust to Dust January 12, 2004 Power Metal	91.2	79	10
97	Sepultura Arise March 20, 1991 Thrash Metal	91.6	72	4
98	Destruction Eternal Devastation July 12, 1986 Thrash Metal	93	52	2
99	Therion Vovin May 4, 1998 Symphonic Metal	93.9	44	5
100	Children of Bodom Hate Crew Deathroll January 7, 2003 Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal	90.1	103	5

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