Hey Folks! It’s me… Again!

I’m coming back once more to explore the depths of a genre that arguably did not begin where you all thought it did! Yeah yeah… Alright, maybe Left Hand Path, Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious, Like An Ever Flowing Stream & The Red In The Sky Is Ours aren’t exactly the sound you would expect, but they were certainly a sign of something incredible that was about to happen. The birth of Melodic Death Metal!

Most of you, them, us… Would agree that Melodic Death metal really appeared in the form of Carcass’s 1993 album Heartwork. Even though some shades of what would become staples of the genre were heard before, this one would truly be the first album to be called as such. Mixing OSDM with more classic heavy metal styled riffs & melodies, our beloved genre (along with Thrash) would become for a lot of our teenage selves, a gateway into the more extreme bowels of metal’s subgenres. I would argue that it’s an almost obligatory step in the grand metalhead’s journey. Ah, how amazing it was to first taste the somewhat delicate sound of melodeath before rattling our ears with the obscenities & nonsensical wankery of grindcore, brutal tech-death, dissonant death and post metal… Rrrrright.

As you have become accustomed to by now, I will attempt to honour the genre by listing the absolute best Melodic Death metal albums to be ever released throughout the years. And I will do so starting with a few albums that are arguably not Melodic Death metal… Because I can and I did, hah! F*ck you! Along the way, you might stumble upon some strange & unorthodox choices mixing a plethora of other genres as well and that’s ok. Truly. Take it easy, don’t hyperventilate over it and just go with the flow. The main goal here is to help people who don’t know much about melodeath discover it and where it came from. I also want to push forward some less known jewels amongst highly praised landmarks of the style and sprinkle a bit of my personality along the way because that’s always fun. The albums will be ordered in years of release and there will be no other restriction or specific rules.

I hope you have a blast going through my list and that it brings you joy and a slight tingle on your nostalgia strings. Though, if it pisses you off, if I forgot your absolute favourite album of all goddamn time or if you think I’m an idiot, well… Just remember that I’m right, always and forever, thank you. Regardless It will be a pleasure for me to hear your recommendations or discuss anything related to melodeath below. Cheers & have fun!

-Guib-

Note: Albums with a 🇨🇦 are from my country (Canada) and albums with a ★ are my personal favourites.

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Last Updated: April 27th, 2024

1.Entombed - Left Hand Path

2.Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting The Insalubrious

3.Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream

4.At The Gates - The Red In The Sky Is Ours

5.Carcass - Heartwork

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Not totally clean, and I had to cut some categories to stay in the 1000 lines limit.

1.

2.Avatar - Dance Devil Dance

3.Avenged Sevenfold - Life Is But A Dream...

4.Code Orange - The Above

5.Death Dealer Union - Initiation

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1.Ulthar - Anthronomicon

2.Ulthar - Helionomicon

3.Acausal Intrusion - Panpsychism

4.Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium

5.Convocation - No Dawn For The Caliginous Night

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Hello there. Below lie my favorite death metal records of 2023 listed alphabetically by band name, with subgenres included if by chance anyone cares. The list will be updated periodically when I get through the ungodly amount of great music the year has produced. As always I welcome recommendations in the comments. That being said, let the blood spill and enjoy the following carnage

1.Absolutism - Asynchronous

2.Afterbirth - In But Not Of

3.Ahab - The Coral Tombs

4.Alkaloid - Numen

5.Altarage - Worst Case Scenario

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1.Shylmagoghnar - Convergence

2.Sacred Outcry - Towers Of Gold

3.Fires In The Distance - Air Not Meant For Us

4.Cattle Decapitation - Terrasite

5.Moonlight Sorcery - Horned Lord Of The Thorned Castle

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1.Flight - Echoes Of Journeys Past

2.Century - The Conquest Of Time

3.Smoulder - Violent Creed Of Vengeance

4.Bell Witch - Future's Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate

5.Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit

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Hey guys! Here are my fav albums of the year so far. Ordered from most to least favorite. You can see a taste shaping up down there (why does this phrase sound wrong?)

Any recommendations?

PS Not every album I've listened to this year has made the list, of course.

1.Moonlight Sorcery - Horned Lord Of The Thorned Castle

2.Nothingness - Supraliminal

3.Atavistia - Cosmic Warfare

4.Mental Cruelty - Zwielicht

5.Non Est Deus - Legacy

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1.Majesties - Vast Reaches Unclaimed

2.Devangelic - Xul

3.Wings Of Steel - Gates Of Twilight

4.Obituary - Dying Of Everything

5.Fires In The Distance - Air Not Meant For Us

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This is my list of newly released Albums that I listened/will listen to in 2023.
The records are presented in order of release date and I will rate them when I´m certain that I formed an opinion on them, though the ratings might change from time to time.
I hope this list might once again be inspiring to other users maybe some people will find some new music to listen to.

1.Ὁπλίτης - Ψ ε υ δ ο μ έ ν η

2.Rye - В с ё

3.Esoctrilihum - Funeral

4.Great Cold Emptiness - Immaculate Hearts Will Triumph

5.Walg - III

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1.Sulphur Aeon - Seven Crowns And Seven Seals

2.Cattle Decapitation - Terrasite

3.Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium

4.Fires In The Distance - Air Not Meant For Us

5.Wayfarer - American Gothic

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My very subjective ranking of all heard metal and metal-adjacent albums 2023.

1.Fleshvessel - Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed

2.Liturgy - 93696

3.Dead Times - Dead Times

4.Vvon Dogma I - The Kvlt Of Glitch

5.Agriculture - Agriculture

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1.Insomnium - Anno 1696

2.Nospūn - Opus

3.Katatonia - Sky Void Of Stars

4.Ironmaster - Weapons Of Spiritual Carnage

5.Sleep Token - Take Me Back To Eden

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1.Redemption - I Am The Storm

2.Suotana - Ounas I

3.Dissentient - Labyrinth

4.Contrarian - Sage Of Shekhinah

5.Hanging Garden - The Garden

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1.Thantifaxath - Hive Mind Narcosis

2.Gravenchalice - Messiah

3.Blackbraid - Blackbraid II

4.Fleshvessel - Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed

5.Hasard - Malivore

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Top albums for the year (8+) rating - Meaning that the albums are worthy of multiple listens and purchase. 9 and 10s are must buy immediately.

There is no real order other than rating and then usually just in order of listening to the album. I don't get to listen to a large portion of the albums that get released, so this list is by no means comprehensive.

1.Blackbraid - Blackbraid II

2.Tribunal - The Weight Of Remembrance

3.Signo Rojo - There Was A Hole Here

4.In Flames - Foregone

5.Frozen Dawn - The Decline Of The Enlightened Gods

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