Best heavy-metal albums of all time

continued from the list of rock albums | History of Rock Music
see also hard-rock | see also stoner-rock

(only one album per band, unreliable after the mid 1990s)
  1. Type O Negative: Slow Deep And Hard (Roadrunner, 1991)
  2. Metallica: Master Of Puppets (Elektra, 1986)
  3. Kyuss: Blues For The Red Sun (Dali, 1992)
  4. Guns and Roses: Appetite for Destruction (Geffen 1987)
  5. Jane's Addiction: Nothing's Shocking (WB, 1988)
  6. Napalm Death: From Enslavement to Obliteration (Earache 1988)
  7. Between the Buried and Me: Colors (2007)
  8. Pyrrhon: Mother of Virtues (2014)
  9. Stabscotch: Uncanny Valley (2017)
  10. Fear Factory: Demanufacture (Roadrunner 1995)
  11. Dream Theater: Images And Words (Atco, 1992)
  12. Sepultura: Roots (Roadrunner, 1996)
  13. Electric Wizard: Come My Fanatics (Rise Above, 1997)
  14. Rage Against the Machine: self-titled (Epic 1992)
  15. Cathedral: Forest of Equilibrium (Earache 1991)
  16. Cult of Luna: Somewhere Along the Highway (2006)
  17. Khanate: Things Viral (2003)
  18. Krallice: s/t (2008)
  19. Meshuggah: I EP or Chaosphere (1998)
  20. Nile: In Their Darkened Shrines (2002)
  21. Orthrelm: OV (2005)
  22. Peste Noire: L'Ordure A L'Etat Pur (2011)
  23. Sectioned: Annihilated (2017)
  24. Voivod: Nothingface (Combat, 1989)
  25. My Dying Bride: The Angel & The Dark River (Peaceville, 1995)
  26. Blue Oyster Cult: Secret Treaties (1974)
  27. Megadeth: Peace Sells (Capitol, 1986)
  28. AC/DC: Back In Black (1980)
  29. Korn: self-titled (Epic 1994)
  30. Burzum: Filosofem (1996)
  31. Enslaved: Eld (Osmose, 1997)
  32. Tool: Aenima (Zoo Entertainment 1996)
  33. Pantera: Cowboys From Hell (Atlantic, 1990)
  34. Marilyn Manson: Antichrist Superstar (Nothing 1996)
  35. Queens Of The Stone Age: Songs For The Deaf (Interscope, 2002)
  36. Aerosmith: Toys In The Attic (Columbia, 1975)
  37. Death: Leprosy (Combat, 1988)
  38. Paradise Lost: Gothic (Peaceville 1991)
  39. Helloween: Helloween (Noise 1985)
  40. Sleep: Jerusalem/ Dopesmoker (1998)
  41. Anthrax: Among the Living (Island 1987)
  42. White Zombie: La Sexorcisto (Geffen, 1992)
  43. Prong: Beg To Differ (Epic, 1990)
  44. Deicide: Deicide (Roadrunner, 1990)
  45. Deftones: Adrenaline (Maverick 1995)
  46. Judas Priest: Sad Wings Of Destiny (Gull, 1976)
  47. Nuclear Assault: Game Over (Combat 1986)
  48. Cro-Mags: Best Wishes (Profile, 1989)
  49. Slayer: Reign in Blood (Def Jam 1986)
  50. Warrior Soul: Last Decade Dead Century (DGC, 1990)
  51. Danzig: Danzig (Def American, 1988)
  52. Obituary: Slowly We Rot (Roadrunner, 1989)
  53. Van Halen: Van Halen (WB, 1978)
  54. Iron Maiden: Iron Maiden (EMI 1980)
  55. System Of A Down: System of a Down (1998)
  56. Satyricon: Dark Medieval Times (1993)
  57. Opeth: Morningrise (1996)
  58. Queensryche: Operation: Mindcrime (EMI 1988)
  59. Slipknot: Slipknot (Roadrunner, 1999)
  60. Discordance Axis: The Inalienable Dreamless (Hydra Head, 2000)
  61. Entombed: Wolverine Blues (Earache, 1993)
  62. Manowar: Battle Hymns (Liberty, 1982)
  63. Motorhead: No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (Bronze 1981)
  64. Def Leppard: Pyromania (Polygram, 1983)
  65. Emperor: In The Nightside Eclipse (Century Black, 1994)
  66. Brujeria: Matando Gueros (Roadrunner 1993)
  67. Brutal Truth: Need to Control (Earache 1994)
  68. Venom: Black Metal (1982)
  69. Cradle Of Filth: Dusk and Her Embrace (Music For Nations, 1997)
  70. Acid Bath: When The Kite String Pops (Rotten, 1994)
  71. Anathema: Serenades (Peaceville, 1993)
  72. We: Dinosaur Futurobic (Black Balloon, 2002)
  73. Eyehategod: In the Name of Suffering (Convulsion, 1990)
  74. Cobalt: Eater of Birds (2007)
  75. Queen: Sheer Heart Attack (Elektra, 1974)
  76. Journey: Look Into The Future (Columbia, 1976)
  77. Joan Jett: I Love Rock And Roll (Boardwalk, 1981)
  78. Heart: Heart (Epic, 1985)
  79. Kiss: Kiss (Casablanca, 1974)
  80. Flotsam & Jetsam: Doomsday For The Receiver (Metal Blade, 1986)
  81. Exciter: Heavy Metal Maniac (1983)
  82. Immortal: Battles In The North (Osmose, 1994)
  83. Rush: Permanent waves (1980)
  84. Bathory: Hammerheart (1990)
  85. Suffocation: Effigy of the Forgotten (1991)
  86. Saint Vitus: Hallow's Victim (1985)
  87. Exodus: Bonded By Blood (1985)
  88. Sadus: Illusions (Sadus, 1988)
  89. Morbid Angel: Altars of Madness (Earache 1989)
  90. Testament: The Legacy (1987)
  91. Vicious Rumour: Soldiers Of The Night (1985)
  92. Sanctuary: Refuge Denied (Epic, 1987)
  93. Montrose: Montrose (Warner, 1973)
  94. Darkthrone: A Blaze In The Northern Sky (Peaceville, 1991)
  95. Funeral Mist: Salvation (2003)
  96. Demilich: Nespithe (Necropolis, 1993)
  97. Pestilence: Consuming Impulse (Roadrunner, 1989)
  98. Moonsorrow: Veris„keet (Spinefarm, 2005)
  99. Windir: Arntor (Head Not Found, 1998)
  100. Russian Circles: Enter (2006)
  101. Thou: Heathen (2014)
  102. Chat Pile: God’s Country (2022)
  103. Isis: Panopticon (2004)
  104. Motley Crue: Shout At The Devil (Elektra, 1983)
  105. Diamond Head: Lightning to the Nations (D.H. Music 1980)
  106. Saxon: Wheels of Steel (Carrere 1980)
  107. Mercyful Fate: A Corpse without Soul (Rave On 1982)
  108. Accept: Restless and Wild (Brain 1982)
  109. Ronnie James Dio: Holy Diver (Vertigo 1983)
  110. Twisted Sister: Stay Hungry (Atlantic 1984)
  111. Fates Warning: No Exit (1988)
  112. Celtic Frost: Into the Pandemonium (Noise 1987)
  113. Faster Pussycat: Wake Me When It's Over (Elektra, 1989)
  114. Joe Satriani: Surfing with the Alien (Relativity 1987)
  115. Faith No More: Real Thing (Slash 1989)
  116. Terrorizer: World Downfall (Earache 1989)
  117. LA Guns: LA Guns (Polydor, 1988)
  118. Carcass: Symphonies of Sickness (Earache 1989)
  119. Nailbomb: Point Blank (Roadrunner)
  120. Mayhem: De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (DSP 1994)
  121. At the Gates: Slaughter of Soul (Earache 1996)
  122. Samhain: Initium (Plan 9, 1984)
  123. Yngwie J. Malmsteen: Rising Force (Polydor 1984)
  124. Sacred Reich:
  125. Extreme:
  126. Virgin Steele:
  127. Warrant:
  128. Autopsy: Severed Survival (Peaceville, 1989)
  129. Impetigo: Horror of the Zombies (Wild Rags, 1992)