Something I'd actually like to see would be a greatest hits compilation with a disc that focuses on one specific era of the band. They came close with the various Ozzy and Dio stuff, but The Sabbath Stones just doesn't cut it for me. Thus, I propose a four part set to this collection:

Disc 1: The Ozzy Era
1) Black Sabbath
2) Paranoid
3) Electric Funeral
4) War Pigs
5) Children of the Grave
6) Lord of this World
7) Supernaut
8) Cornucopia
9) Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
10) A National Acrobat
11) Hole in the Sky
12) Symptom Of The Universe
13) Never Say Die

Disc 2: The Dio Era
1) Neon Knights
2) Heaven And Hell
3) Lonely Is The Word
4) Sign Of The Southern Cross
5) The Mob Rules
6) Falling Off The Edge Of The World
7) Master Of Insanity
8) After All (The Dead)
9) TV Crimes
10) The Devil Cried
11) Double The Pain
12) Follow The Tears
13) Bible Black

Disc 3: The Tony Martin Era
1) The Gates Of Hell/Headless Cross
2) When Death Calls
3) Black Moon
4) Anno Mundi
5) The Sabbath Stones
6) Heaven In Black
7) The Law Maker
8) Virtual Death
9) I Witness
10) Dying For Love
11) The Illusion of Power
12) I Won't Cry For You
13) Kiss Of Death

Disc 4: Other (Deep Sabbath/The Eternal Idol)
1) Stonehenge/Disturbing The Priest
2) The Dark/Zero The Hero
3) Digital Bitch
4) Born Again
5) In For The Kill
6) No Stranger To Love
7) Heart Like A Wheel
8) Angry Heart
9) In Memory...
10) The Shining
11) Glory Ride
12) The Eternal Idol
13) Black Sabbath (Live With Ian Gillan)

The tracklisting is a little iffy but it is incredibly hard to get most of these eras down to 20 songs, let alone 13! And since The Eternal Idol never felt like a "true" part of the Tony Martin era since it was first recorded with Ray Gillen, I decided to put it in the extra category. Shame that a collection like this could never happen...

Interesting, I came here to post the same thing, and yet my results are completely different. There are so many amazing Manilla Road tracks, I think most fans would come up with something different each time. I'm going with some that I consider the essential tracks, but there are so many more I wish I could put in here

1. Necropolis
2. Flaming Metal System
3. Divine Victim
4. Masque of the Red Death
5. Road of Kings
6. Helicon
7. Mystification
8. Spiral Castle
9. Voyager
10. When Giants Fall
11. The Riddle Master
12. Witch's Brew

Cool, two Manilla Road compilations ina row! Glad to see "Helicon" here, Messiah..that is one hell of a song and maybe seriously underrated...

I'd definitely pick "Seven Trumpets" from the Spiral Castle album, myself...definitely one of my favourite Manilla Road songs. THe vocal lines throughout and the quiet verses are simply amazing.

Rad thread idea.

I chose one of my favourite bands that I have been flogging the shite out of lately:

Riot

I think that Riot works well because of their long, vast and varied career. I'll do mine chronologically.

1. "Warrior" - Utter classic from their debut album "Rock City" from '77, arguably one of the first speed metal songs ever with It's amazing chorus that just grabs at ya and the sweet leads and solo's, It's one of my favourite Riot tracks of all time.
2. "Overdrive" - Another great song from their debut album, great midpaced driving song, nice riffs and great performances all around.
3. "Narita" - 3rd track on the compilation is the self titled instrumental from their second album from '79. This one is all about the riffs and leads, lots of amazing playing on this one, really uplifting moments and is just great all around.
4. Road Racin' - More driving goodness, hailing from the second album as well this track definitely gets me pumped, just listen to that tough as nails main riff, sexy as fuck. Also great vocals from their original vocalist (who sings on the first 3 albums) Guy Speranza.
5. "Fire Down Under" - Speaking of classics, the self titled track from their third and my personal favourite Guy Speranza album, this track is one of them. Not much to say really other than catchy as hell riffing and singing, at 2:34 this quick little jam will rock ya fuckin' socks off.
6. "Outlaw" - Great midpacer from Fire Down Under, infectious as hell chorus and again, great riffs and performances all around as usual.
7. "Altar of the King" - This one kicks off with a really atmospheric and epic intro before kicking into a completely brilliant riff, one of the best songs they ever wrote. Very varied song, lots of midpaced moments, kicking into some faster playing after the halfway mark this one never gets boring.
8. "Running from the Law" - The only song on this compilation from the Rhett Forrester era of the band which is probably my second least favourite Riot Era, this song is simple yet super effective, Rhett isn't quite as good or charismatic as Guy but is still a great singer.
9. "Sign of the Crimson Storm" - Moving forward a few years after the band broke up and reformed. This is from their highly rated classic "Thundersteel" and obviously the first album with current singer "Tony Moore". This track is undoubtedly a classic, great screaming vocals, amazing slow to mid paced riffs, the simplicity of the riffing does not detract from it one bit.
10. "Johnny's Back" - Second track on the compilation from the Thundersteel album, kicking off with a nice little bass lick, this one is driven by the great verse and chorus singing, that fuckin' chorus will stick to your brain. And holy shit that solo.
11. "Bloodstreets" - The third and final track off Thundersteel has become a recent favourite of mine, starting off as a epic ballad-esque track, before kicking into some galloping goodness, great chorus and awesome performances all around again.
12. "Dance of Death" Coming from a bit of an oddity of an album "The Privilege of Power" (The album contains a horn section) This second effort with Tony Moore on vocals is still good stuff once you get over the initial surprise. This track in particular once the weird intro is over is a speed metal classic.
13. "Riot" - Skipping over most of the 90's and early 2000's albums as I'm not familiar with them this track is the opener from their most recent album with the re-uniting of their "Thundersteel" lineup and in my opinion a modern classic. This track is a blistering speed metal song with great screaming vocals, great drumming, riffs and soloing.
14. "Majestica/Immortal Soul" - Instrumental "Majestica" is a beautiful intro with some sexy sounding dual guitar melodies. It then kicks into the title track from the album, this is more of a midpaced song, great lyrics and an infectious chorus make it one of my favourites on the album.

Okay, this is a long one. Autopsy were one of the bands that introduced me to old school death metal and they are a band to fall in love with. Grinding, twisted gore metal often treading into doom terroritory, technically rather basic, that drills itself into your brain with morbid catchyness and fills you with the dread of a world that only knows perverted violence and mortal fear. Their latest album, 2011's comeback full length Macabre Eternal proves their integrity by being a monument of the old school spirit and easily one of the best records of the new decade so far, if not also the one before it.

The following list includes songs from all the full lengths except Shitfun, simply because those are the records I am familiar with. The order is, again, what felt intuitively right. I decided to start the whole thing with one of the coolest death metal riffs ever: Hole In The Head. Enjoy.

Autopsy compilation (Youtube playlist)

1. Hole In The Head
2. Critical Madness
3. Battery Acid Enema
4. Spinal Extractions
5. Severed Survival
6. Dirty Gore Whore
7. Torn From The Womb
8. Ridden With Disease
9. An Act Of The Unspeakable
10. Skullptures
11. Seeds Of The Doomed
12. Pus-Rot
13. Gasping For Air
14. Bonesaw
15. Deliver Me From Sanity
16. Pagan Saviour
17. Destined To Fester
18. Funerality
19. In The Grip Of Winter
20. Charred Remains
21. Blackness Within
22. Slaughterday
23. Walls Of The Coffin

Playing time: 1:19:41

I'm going to add my own two cents for a Primordial list (I don't like naming favourite bands, but they would be damn close if I did such a thing), but first I'll add some original content...


Best of WOODS OF YPRES Youtube Playlist
(This is way easier than linking each song, and you can just skip ahead in the playlist if anything's not to your liking)

It's certainly a challenge to encapsulate such a diverse career that only spanned 9 years and change, but which gave us 4 full lengths (usually chock full of music, almost every minute filled with it) two EPs (I count "Home" as one of them, since it's missing 3 songs and was intended to be the next full length after The Green Album) and a 7" split with a cover by a cello group. Highly experimental, David Gold was never at rest, constantly seeking out the next dimension of sound for his band. This has attracted mixed attention from fans and critics alike, but when Woods of Ypres was at their best, there were few in my opinion who could match the raw passion, no matter what specific sub-genre they might be tagged as at the time. So, here is my attempt to do that decade-short career (as David Gold passed away in a car accident last December) justice - with a diverse mix of doom rock, melodic black metal, gothic anthems and melancholic folk metal which all flows together under the banner of WOODS.

WOODS OF YPRES PLAYLIST
1. Adora Vivos - Grey Skies & Electric Light
2. The Will to Give - Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth
3. Through Chaos and Solitude I Came... - The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues
4. You Were the Light - Home EP
5. Into Exile: "Can You Get Here in 10 Days?" - The Green Album
6. To Lock Eyes with a Wild Beast - The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues
7. The Sea of Immeasurable Loss - Against the Seasons EP
8. Travelling Alone - Grey Skies & Electric Light
9. A Meeting Place and Time - Against the Seasons EP
10. Pining (For You) - The Green Album
11. Distractions of Living Alone - The Deepest Roots and Darkest Blues
12. Finality - Grey Skies & Electric Light
13. Outro: The End of August - Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth
[79 minutes; YouTube makes it longer]
14. BONUS TRACK - Thrawsunblat - She, Aboreal (one of David Gold's final projects; before Joel was in Woods, David was in Thrawsunblat. It's seriously awesome. Sounds like the first three Woods albums put into a blender)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best of PRIMORDIAL
(This is way easier than linking each song, and you can just skip ahead in the playlist if anything's not to your liking)

From an obscure, melodically-leaning black metal sound on the first two full lengths, tinged with pagan pride and fiery in its most folky moments, to a triumphant, Celtic equivalent of what Quorthon & Bathory were doing up in Sweden starting with 99's The Burning Season EP to their later hybrid of traditional metal, Celtic folk and black metal, this is a band that has carved their career out with (to borrow a line) "no regrets, no remorse". I can't begin to describe the depth with which their music speaks to me, from rock-hard drumming, swirling Celtic guitars, to Alan's singular voice, it's all there. This is an organic, truly classic band which more need to know. I've chosen favourites from all eras and albums of the band, with some focus especially on their later era. I also think Primordial are a better band when they are dark and brooding, so perhaps my list is missing some of their more up-beat songs, though I do not think this to be a deficiency, just personal taste.

PRIMORDIAL PLAYLIST
1. Empire Falls - To the Nameless Dead
2. Autumn's Ablaze - A Journey's End
3. To The Ends of the Earth - Imrama
4. And the Sun Set on Life Forever - A Journey's End/The Burning Season EP
5. The Soul Must Sleep - Spirit the Earth Aflame
6. The Mouth of Judas - Redemption At The Puritans Hand
7. No Nation on this Earth - To the Nameless Dead
8. The Song of the Tomb - The Gathering Wilderness
9. Cast to the Pyre - Storm Before Calm
10. The Coffin Ships - The Gathering Wilderness
[79 minutes; YouTube makes it longer]

And WHERE is Destined to Fester, inhumanist?

Hm, I knew there had to be more Mental Funeral. Must've slipped
Any suggestions which >4 minutes I should throw out for it? Can't decide. Maybe "Macabre Eternal"...

Yeah that'd be a fine one to take out.

Decided I'd do one for Rotting Christ.
(In chronological order)

1: Feast of the Grand Whore
2: The Forest of N'Gai
3: Transform all Suffering into Plagues
4: Fgmenth, Thy Gift
5: Non Serviam
6: King of a Stellar War
7: Ira Incensus
8: Cold Colours
9: If it Ends Tomorrow
10: Call of the Aethyrs
11: Visions of a Blind Order
12: The Sign of Prime Creation
13: Keravnos Kivernitos
14: Demonon Vrosis
15: Fire, Death and Fear

BONUS TRACK (Ssshhh this is a big CD mmkaaay?)
16: Athanati Este
17: ...Pir Threontai

Runtime: Who cares it's Rotting Christ

With this list you'll get a perfect idea of the progression of their sound.
I made sure there was at least one song off every album.
Oh fuck it. Just go and listen to ALL of Thy Mighty Contract. Then ALL of Non Serviam, Triarchy of Lost Lovers and A Dead Poem. Then Theogonia and Aealo. Rotting Christ is too good to be condensed!

I'll do this for a couple of my favourite bands. First up: HammerFall

I somehow managed to get this down to 78 minutes, but I still feel like I'm missing plenty of essentials. Obviously I had to represent the first 3 albums quite a bit (though Renegade didn't get its fair share on my compilation), but I also think their fourth-seventh albums are very underrated. Infected has some interesting songs, and I did include one track so that it's a comprehensive compilation, but there are a number of songs I could have chosen from other albums. I'll break down some of my choices in order of release:

1. HammerFall
2. Steel Meets Steel
3. Glory To The Brave
4. Heeding The Call
5. Legacy of Kings
6. Let The Hammer Fall
7. Templars of Steel

These are absolutely essential HammerFall songs. They should be played at every show. I also wanted to include The Dragon Lies Bleeding, but didn't have room. All three of these albums are filled with songs I love, but these are the ones that will get someone hooked on HammerFall.

8. Hearts on Fire - This is a great song and is obviously the band's most popular. I would have had no problem leaving it out, but it is necessary for a greatest hits
9. Crimson Thunder
10. Blood Bound
11. Hammer of Justice
12. The Templar Flame

Chapter V is probably HammerFall's most underrated record, and IMO, Blood Bound is the song that should have been their biggest hit. Hammer of Justice was my favourite HF song for a long time, and I find The Templar Flame is both a fan and band favourite.

13. Genocide
14. Titan

These are two tracks that are rarely talked about, but are some of the band's best material. I especially love the ending of Titan: huge power chords with Joacim's godly vocals over top. I had hoped that they would continue to do that a lot more in the future, but this is the most noticeable time they really let him shine on vocals.

15. Punish And Enslave
16. Legion
17. 666 - The Enemy Within

The last couple of records have been a bit weaker, but these songs are some of their more old-school sounding songs.

And here's another awesome band: Savatage. I don't own all of their albums (missing the first one and Fight For The Rock), but I'll give this a shot anyways:

1. 24 Hours Ago
2. Strange Wings
3. Prelude to Madness
4. Hall of the Mountain King

Hall of the Mountain King is such an insane record. Not only is the song-writing great, but Criss Oliva just sounds like he was determined to out-shred any guitarist out there. The first two tracks I chose were mainly some of the more memorable/hooky ones, and the title track/Prelude are the highlight of the album for me.

5. Gutter Ballet
6. When The Crowds Are Gone
7. If I Go Away - My absolute favourite Savatage ballad that was overshadowed by "Believe".
8. Believe - I know this song means a lot to Jon, and it is definitely one of their stronger songs. Savatage is really just unbelievably good at writing great ballads.
9. Edge of Thorns - This song showcases the brillant vocals of Zak Stevens. I know I'm in the minority, but I think he's a way better vocalist than Jon (who is also great)
10. He Carves His Stone - The screams from Zak/soloing from Criss near the end of the song is the most intense moment in Savatage history.
11. Follow Me
12. Chance
13. This Is The Time (1990) - The guitar playing on this song is really mindblowing. Nobody can replace Criss, but I was always impressed by good Savatage guitarists were after Criss.
14. Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) - This song opened a huge market for Savatage and even though it isn't under their name, I'm happy the song blew up.
15. The Wake of Magellan - This song reminds me of Chance, probably because of the vocal harmonies. This is another song overshadowed by the fact that Savatage have so many classics.

Nice Primordial playlists guys! They were one of those bands that I had only heard snippets of, so that was quite a comprehensive and proper introduction! Also, kudos for making it into a playlist, Nyaricus. That made for a very fluent listening experience.
And at Folkemon, +1000 for adding Banish from Sanctuary, that's my all-time favorite Blind Guardian song.

And even though I see there has already been a Megadeth playlist, I think I'd like to give one of my all-time favorite bands my own spin.

The Essential Megadeth
(A YouTube playlist for your convenience)

1. Hook In Mouth
2. Family Tree
3. Rattlehead
4. Good Mourning/Black Friday
5. This Day We Fight!
6. Rust In Peace... Polaris
7. My Last Words
8. The Killing Road
9. Tornado of Souls
10. Liar
11. The Conjuring
12. Chosen Ones
13. Poison Was the Cure
14. Elysian Fields
15. Washington Is Next!
16. In My Darkest Hour
17. Never Dead
18. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

So first off, yeah I know that adding Holy Wars to a Megadeth "Best Of" has been done to death, and that's why I put it last. But it just wouldn't be doing the song justice if it weren't included at all. I mean it's friggin' Holy Wars. Aside from that, these to me are the cream of the crop. Heavy, menacing and full of Dave's palpable aggression. From the raw grass-roots thrash of Killing Is My Business, to the streamlined poppier Youthanasia, and gargantuan heaviness of Endgame and Thirteen: these are the best o' the best. I tried to include all of their prominent lyrical themes: spanning from the hilariously juvenile (Liar), to the occult (The Conjuring), more serious social issues (Holy Wars), and of course Dave's political lunacy (Washington Is Next!). It's quite lengthy, but the way I see it, if you like it, then ya' wont even notice! So enjoy!
And for Round Three I won't do something as lazy as picking a Big 4 band

Ahh! I may make a Rotting Christ one myself...I like the list...but dunno if I can get behind it entirely.

I'd be interested in seeing your own. Making a best of for RC is difficult as balls.

Presenting: The best of Enslaved. It's a difficult and expansive career to encapsulate in just one album, but I'm going to try. But first off, I'm a little disappointed that my favourite album from the early years, Vikingligr Veldi, is filled with 10+ minute long songs, because I would have loved to fit more from that album in. I considered putting the songs in chronological order, to show the progression, but then I decided to mix it up a bit and order it more according to mood. One song from each of the full lengths that they've released to date.

Here's a link to the playlist on YouTube: Best of Enslaved

1. Havenless (Below the Lights, 2003) - Probably their most popular song, off what could be their most critically claimed album. A fantastic mix between the viking, black and progressive metal styles that they have.

2. Heimdallr (Vikingligr Veldi, 1994) - Like I said before, if I could, I would have chosen a longer song from this album. An absolutely massive, epic and majestic album. This song really shows where the band came from, with it's sections of chaotic black metal, interspersed with slower, more viking metal oriented sections.

3. Isa (Isa, 2004) - Some may consider this album to be one of their weakest, but I absolutely love it. At this point, clean vocals were being utilised more, and this song shows Enslaved at their most straight forward. Catchy and fun.

4. Center (Vertebrae, 2008) - An experiment in post-metal. This song really shows how Enslaved always try new things, and Center is a challenging song on a challenging album. Vertebrae was really a love it or hate it kind of album, that took me a while to warm up to.

5. Blodhemn (Blodhemn, 1998) - Chaotic and technically impressive, I find this song to be far and away the best on this album. This was the last album before they started becoming more progressive metal oriented.

6. Tides of Chaos (Ruun, 2006) - This album was based on creating grooves, and Tides of Chaos has a fantastic one. The main riff is probably one of my favourite Enslaved riffs.

7. Gylfaginning (Frost, 1994) - One of the slower songs on Frost, this song really has some magnificent riffs and a great use of keyboard. Though, I find Frost to be vastly overrated as an album.

8. Convoys to Nothingness (Monumension, 2001) - This shows the band's experiments in psychedelic music, with the echoing lead guitar and swirling melodies.

9. Hordalendingen (Eld, 1997) - Riff based black metal. Not really going for an atmospheric sound, as with earlier albums. The riffs are front and centre. And this song is just chock full with riffs.

10. Night Sight (Axioma Ethica Odini, 2010) - The band has gone full progressive by this time. Not much trace of the raw black metal they started out with. But this song showcases some fantastic clean singing, and also one of my favourite aspects of modern Enslaved: background growls, that add a sense of foreboding and really round out the sound.

11. Aeges Draum (Mardraum: Beyond the Within, 2000) - This album was heavy. Probably the Enslaved album I listen to the least, as the songs don't particularly stand out, compared to other bands. However, I reckon that this song really showcases the move to a fuller guitar sound, but the band has really taken that next step to progressive metal.

12. Roots of the Mountain (Riitiir, 2012) - Got this album a few weeks ago, and have been listening to it heaps. This song showcases the extremes of Enslaved, with a vicious opening riff, and huge, epic chorus, as well as calmer sections.

That was hard.

i love that you put Majesty at number one. My all time fave BG song too.

But i miss "Traveller in Time" in your list.

yeah too much of an album band

kinda like ND or neurosis...the good albums kinda work as a single entity

its gets harder : you missed "Slaget i skogen bortenfor" one of the greatest BM songs ever written IMHO. What's even more amazing is that it came out in 93 (i heard it around 1996 in pakistan) and it killed me (especially with the drugs)

perfect match for the greatness of emperor on the hordane's land split

Oh yeah, between Hordane's Land and Vikingligr Veldi, there are 8 amazing songs by Enslaved. But like I said in my previous post, I couldn't put any of those longer songs on the list, to avoid going over the 80 minute mark.

yeah you are correct, unless you wanted to discard post ISA fluff.....

your list is pretty good as it is...+ "the dead stare"

Time for a LEVIATHAN playlist!

1. The Remotest Cipher (Beside The Last Breath Vanished) from Xasthur/Leviathan split
2. Vexed and Vomit Hexed from Tentacles of Whorror
3. A Bouquet of Blood for Skull from Tentacles of Whorror
4. Sardoniscorn from The Tenth Sublevel of Suicide
5. Vesture Dipped In The Blood Of Morning from Massive Conspiracy Against All Life
6. Summoning Lupine from Howl Mockery at the Cross
7. Force the Hand of Evilution from Verrater
8. The Bitter Emblem of Dissolve from The Tenth Sublevel of Suicide
9. He Whom Shadows Move Towards from The Tenth Sublevel of Suicide

This is an awesome idea for a thread and I'm currently listening to the Rotting Christ playlist above!

Best of Horn!

Playlist

I decided to start with the most recent album and go backwards from there.

Distanz
Die verlorene Rotte
Die Heimat, die keiner kannte
The Grandest of all Blades
Naturkraft
So kalt wie nie zuvor
Marsjerende
Naturkraft
Die Kraft der Szenarien
Alpenland II
Landscapes on Hold
Jahreszeiten
Das Jahr geht mit eisiger Faust
Der Gast im Frühlingswald (Nostalgie I)

Horn is really something special. First of all, I adore one-man-bands when the guy excels at playing the guitar and drums. No drum machine, no session musician, just one single mind with plenty of ideas and impressive execution. It would be a stretch to say Horn is eclectic in his approach to black metal - there are no post-rock/shoegazing influences whatsoever and nothing will make you think of 'progressive' here - but yet he manages to give each song a unique feel. He often builds a maelstrom of rousing melodic riffs with interesting drum work, only to break it up with more subtle chord progressions. Horn is the epitome of atmospheric black metal for me.

Joph, I love the list!
Mine wouldn't be much different but I'd also add;

1. Agony And Shame.
2. Guardians Of The Flame.
3. The Wine Of Violence.
4. Vow Of Honour/Defiance.
5. Flames Of Thy Power (From Blood They Rise)
6. Noble Savage.
7. The Burning Of Rome (Cry For Pompeii)
8. Perfect Mansions.
9. Angel Of Death.
10. The Spirit Of Steele.
11. Victory Is Mine.

Okay, think I gonna join this really great thread and contribute with my personal "Bal Sagoth Best Of List".

While being one of my absolute fave bands I have to say that their first ("A Black Moon...") and their last album ("The Cthonic...")
don't appeal that much to me as their other albums do. So due to this there won't be many tracks of said albums to
be found in my personal best of.
Actually "The Cthonic Chronicles" is only featured with two synth bombast songs (but these two really shine and
alone make that album worth the purchase!) and none of "A Black Moon..." is to be found.

Anyway - this were just a few introductional words, let's head over to the list! BLODU OK JARNA!

Battle Magic (the most brillant intro ever made imo setting the course just right for some epic battle-filled adventure)
And Lo, When the Imperium Marches Against Gul-Kothoth, Then Dark Sorceries Shall Enshroud the Citadel of the Obsidian Crown
Naked Steel (The Warrior's Saga)
The Fallen Kingdoms of the Abyssal Plain (sorry, no video)
The Scourge of the Fourth Celestial Host
Star-Maps of the Ancient Cosmographers (sorry, no video)
The Dark Liege of Chaos Is Unleashed at the Ensorcelled Shrine of A'Zura Kai
Black Dragons Soar Above the Mountain of Shadows
To Dethrone the Witch-Queen of Mytos K'unn (The Legend of the Battle of Blackhelm Vale)
The Empyreal Lexicon (sorry, no video)
A Tale from the Deep Woods
Draconis Albionensis
The Hammer of the Emperor (sorry, no video)
Starfire Burning Upon the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule (great closing song with the last part of the lyrics,
namely "I am destined to reign forever... to reign from the Ice-Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule!" being just sublime triumphant sounding )

(I haven't summed up all minutes exactly but due to some shorter synth songs it should fit the 80 minutes, I guess...)

"Noble Savage" and "The Burning of Rome" weren't too far from making the list, but I just can't help but find their 90s material superior in every way, even if those are the two best songs out of the 80s. Although, "Fire of Esctasy" was also written in the 80s...

Anyway, not a bad list yourself, although there are a couple of songs there I'm not fond of.

Best of Gorefest

1. Intro / Mental Misery (6:08) (from ”Mindloss”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4kGLEdGamw
2. Confessions Of A Serial Killer (5:33) (from ”Mindloss”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFwYAUOTaNE
3. The Glorious Dead (4:36) (from “False”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEEtjTTbUSg
4. Reality – When You Die (6:33) (from “False”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSBpWqIUMPY
5. Erase (5:52) (from”Erase”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Wgpi7JVaY
6. Peace Of Paper (4:37) (from”Erase”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnvH8Tonxnc
7. River (4:46) (from “Soul Survivor) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq80_RomVSo
8. Soul Survivor (4:31) (from “Soul Survivor”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0EcW36q534
9. Chapter 13 (3:06) (from “Chapter 13) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwxeqf45POQ
10. The Idiot (3:37) (from “Chapter 13) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7fgO20v4W0
11. For The Masses (4:47) (from “La Muerte”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1YH7PFy3no
12. Malicious Intent (5:47) (from “La Muerte”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WGnPj9FZ6Y
13. The War On Stupidity (4:14) (from “Rise To Ruin”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaNyrNf8mk0
14. Revolt (5:27) (from ”Rise To Ruin”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUHH3mNfHhs

I've taken the best 2 tracks from each studio album and put them in chronological order. I'd have liked to include some demo tracks, especially from the "Horrors In A Retarded Mind" demo, which still features my favourite Death vocals ever, but the rawness of the material just didn't feel right sitting next to the album stuff. Obviously it all starts off gloriously heavy and old school, with the bands style evolving into what I would consider the best example of "death 'n roll" by the midpoint of this compilation. The last 4 tracks are taken post-reunion, and feature some of their most extreme material, perhaps a perfect synthesis of all their pre-breakup styles. The mid-period material, whilst my least favourite, sits surprisingly comfortably between the heavier early and later stuff, making this a great showcase for an great band.

Great best of. "Piece of Paper" is a fucking killer song from Erase so that is a definite inclusion. I think you've summed it up perfectly and put two of their better tracks from Rise to Ruin on there, too. Well done.

Fixed. (no. 17)

Blind Guardian is my favorite band of all time, but I'm actually going to start with a band that doesn't get nearly enough love: Fates Warning. I'll cover both eras of the band, but if I'm a bit heavy on the Arch material, well... who can blame me? =]

1. The Sorceress http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzPq4RBP0jg Simply the perfect opening song. So mysterious and magical, and very representative of their classic sound.
2. Anarchy Divine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MdBOfys4x8 I don't care what people say about 'No Exit', I fucking love this album. This song smashes through walls.
3. Traveler in Time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mzoVJRUJ5I A very dark song, but dark in that way that only Fates can do.
4. Night on Bröcken http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7GqS--2U5s This song is wonderful. Fates Warning never wrote a better chorus in their entire career. I love the buildup to it.
5. Point of View http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRe7MTZ_Ucg 'Parallels' was Fates's most radio-friendly album, but they really made it work. This is my favorite song from that album; it's just so smooth and melodic.
6. Guardian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUJQ5Kngw8g Everyone knew this song had to be here! 'Guardian' is THE Fates Warning ballad. It works marvelously well as a ballad, but what really rockets this song into the heavens is that monster thrash break starting at 6:04. Headbang!
7. The Apparition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3TImZgT5jA Another famous song from the Arch era, and one that many consider their best song. I personally don't, but it is a shining example of Perfect Metal.
8. Damnation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dSqWSjz9g4 One of my all-time favorite Fates songs. Can't even pick out a favorite part - just listen to it!
9. Chasing Time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3nRLFt9jOU 'Perfect Symmetry' is a really good album, but honestly it's the one I listen to the least out of their first six albums. Nevertheless, 'Chasing Time' is one tune I'd never deny a place on any Fates Warning playlist.
10. Giant's Lore (Heart of Winter) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MULGmCCpeBU I may be the only Fates Warning fan in existence who, if asked to pick out ONE absolute favorite Fates song, would choose this one. I love the touching lyrics to this song, and the riffs are unbelievable. John Arch completely owns this. Perfect.
11. The Ivory Gate of Dreams: IV. Quietus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x43LjHYvAzQ I know, I know, it's kind of lame to pick only one part of this epic, but I don't expect everyone to listen to a 20-minute song, and frankly this works totally fine as a stand-alone song. The climax to this song is fucking amazing, and it is Ray Alder's finest performance. Plus, it's a riff monster!
12. Exodus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S39dW-QJByo One of their absolute best epics. Everything about this song just rules, and the riff starting at 1:47 is one of my favorites they ever wrote.
13. Epitaph http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39Ja9rOKpHw Bringing this playlist to a close is the unparalleled 'Epitaph'. This song is VERY dark, and parts of it leave me breathless ('Omen bird soars the desert land...').

Well, I'd call this a very short best-of, and there are a lot of great songs that I left off for the sake of conciseness. Hope you enjoy it, and happy 'banging!

Usually the people on MA know their metal shit, so I'm going to burn me a lot of CDs when all this is over!

Here's my best of RUNEMAGICK.
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Runemagick/456
Awesome Swedish Doom/Death band (although the earlier stuff was straight up "Death") who actually have quite the sizable discography. Their first two albums The Supreme Force Of Eternity and Enter The Realm Of Death are really must haves and Darkness Death Doom and Invocation Of Magick are phenomenal masterpieces of the Doom/Death persuasion.

THE BEST OF RUNEMAGICK
1. Bells Of Death/Funeral Caravan.
2. Conjuration of the Black Shape.
3. At The Horizons End.
4. On Chariots To Hades.
5. Abyss Of Desolation.
6. Beyond (The Horizons End...).
7. One Road To Megiddo.
8. The Eyes Of Kali.
9. Darken Thy Flesh.
10. Chthonic Temple Smoke.
11. Revolution Of The Dead.
12. Reborn In Necromancy.
13. The Necro Ambassador.
14. Wizard With The Magick Runes.
15. The Black Wall.
16. Lord Of The Grave.

Trust me, that is fucking exhaustive and I am quite proud of myself!
I've put the spotlight on the band's best moments. I love them but sometimes there's too much clutter on their full lengths that gets in the way of the really good stuff. You can't go wrong with those, but by all means, treat yourself to the band's discog.

Let's try another one; this time Lunar Aurora.

1. "Grabgesänge" (taken from Weltenganger)
2. "Dämonentreiber" (taken from Ars Moriendi)
3. "Augenblick" (taken from Elixir of Sorrow)
4. "Nachteule" (taken from Hoagascht
5. "Kerkerseele" (taken from Elixir of Sorrow)
6. "Sterna" (taken Hoagascht)
7. "Conqueror of the Ember Moon" (taken from Weltenganger)

Lunar Aurora are very adept at creating this thick atmosphere and I wanted to showcase some of their best moments of this. Before thinking up the body, I knew "Grabgesange" had to be the opener and "Conqueror of the Ember Moon" had to be the closer considering how they fit in as the band's best opener and closer songs better than any of their other albums' openers and closers. Sorry, no Andacht or Zyklus. Elixir... and Hoagascht fit the atmosphere bill better.

Why no "Into The Secrets Of The Moon"?

Presenting...ULTIMATE DREAM THEATER

They are the quintessential band to ever marry Progressive rock of the Yes/King Crimson/Rush nature with metal. My compilation is in true Prog fashion a double dose featuring the absolute best of the band.

DISC ONE
1. Pull Me Under.
2. 6:00.
3. New Millennium.
4. Home.
5. On The Backs Of Angels.
6. In The Name Of God.
7. The Root Of All Evil.
8. Hollow Years.
9. A Mind Beside Itself: I. Erotomania.
10. A Mind Beside Itself: II. Voices.
11. A Mind Beside Itself: III. The Silent Man.

DISC TWO
1. A Fortune In Lies (Live)
2. Metropolis - Part I "The Miracle and the Sleeper".
3. Peruvian Skies.
4. Constant Motion.
5. The Spirit Carries On.
6. Take The Time.
7. The Test That Stumped Them All.
8. The Count Of Tuscany.
9. Wait For Sleep/Learning To Live.

*the live version of "A Fortune In Lies" is taken off "Live At The Marquee".

I'm going to go ahead and make a best of Asphyx CD playlist here, and since most of you know all these songs already, probably better than I do, I'm just hoping to do for all one person (because there is probably only one) of you out there in the metal universe who hasn't yet to listen to this band a big ole' solid.
The way I've arranged this album is the all of the quick-to-begin nutcrushers in the first half, and all the the slowly-beat-you-into-the-ground-with-a-sledgehammer fadeout songs on the second half. Let's begin!

Into the Timewastes [Deathhammer] 3:41 A great into from the Deathhammer album with a sweet riff midsong.
Scorbutics [Death... the Brutal Way] 4:25 Come on, this song is about fucking PIRATES, man. I don't know about you, but I dig pirates. I even liked the new Pirates of the Carribean... what's that? You didn't? Fuck you. This song gets even better later, because all those pirates die and have their eyeballs eaten and whatnot. They deserved it. Fuck pirates. Oh by the way, this song has one of my favorite Asphyx riffs too.
The Flood [Deathhammer] 3:04 Anytime a song starts, and the absolute first thing you here is Martin Van Drunen yelling at you about killer seahorses, it can only be good. It kind of gives you a heart-attack, but in a good way. I like playing this song with my grandma in the car, sadly she is no longer with us.
Diabolical Existence [The Rack] 3:55 I like this song because it is a kind of sneak peak as to where this band ends up a couple albums down the line. I think it fits right in with some of the stuff from Death... the Brutal Way, whereas it is completely different from Vermin, the song right before it on The Rack.
M.S. Bismarck [Last One On Earth] 5:04 A song about a hateful fucking battleship that just kills everybody, what's not to love? Let's not even mention the guitars that get stuck in your head and that sweet little breakdown kind of section in the middle.
Deathhammer [Deathhammer] 2:27 Asphyx's way of saying "We kick ass, you guys suck. Want proof? Listen and proceed to have your asses riffed off."
Evocation [The Rack] 5:32 I like the slow sort of melancholy guitar solo in this song quite a bit, and as with Diabolical Existence, it is a preview of things to come.
Food for the Ignorant [Last One On Earth] 4:49 A spaceship basically takes off in your face during the little breakdown in this song. It's pretty sweet.
The Rack [The Rack] 9:05
The Krusher [Last One On Earth] 5:52 This song was suppose to be called The Ball Krusher, but there was a printing error at the pressing factory. What? You don't believe me?
Bloodswamp [Death... the Brutal Way] 3:57 This song's title, like The Ball Krusher, totally sums up the song. It really is like chugging through a swamp full of bloody body parts which once belonged to those posers which the Deathhammer song is about. Slow, crushing.
Cape Horn [Death... the Brutal Way] 6:54 The slow lead guitar solo into is just too evil sounding, oh yeah, and it riffs later.
Black Hole Storm [Death... the Brutal Way] 5:35 Once the piano player is done goofing around, the drums proceed to beat the shit out of anyone within earshot. It's like your teeth are being used as the snare. Don't forget the brief shred attack too!. Your neighbors will visit, pretty pissed at that, but that's the idea.
We Doom You to Death [Deathhammer] 6:56 So either a court has doomed you to death, be it by hanging, electric chair or by savage nutkickery, or perhaps this song just refers to what it literally does: kills you from a large dose of epic doom-death metal. I prefer the latter, and yes, it literally kills you. Every time you listen to this song, you die, and you die so hard you don't even remember it. The only thing you notice that makes you realize something happened is a sweet fucking song stuck in your head and throbbing feeling where your balls used to be.
Last One On Earth [Last One On Earth] 7:08 This is probably my favorite Asphyx song. I always get an image in my head of some pshyco 100 years from now who happens to be the last guy left on the planet who doesn't actully watch the X-Factor (yes it will still exist), so everyday he wakes up and just kills everyone he sees all day long with a flamethrower or a laser gun or something. But in all seriousness, this has some of the best lyrics of any Asphyx song, and the outro is just damn awesome.

Length: 78 Minutes

Some of the songs I couldn't find on youtube, maybe because of my country, but those I couldn't find a studio version, then I just linked a live version.

I'd do a Primordial-comp but it's been done already so many times and so well, so I'll do another all-time favourite:

Deströyer 666 Ultimate fvkken cumpilation!

1. Satanic Speed Metal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dOSGUsmruA)
Open beer, hail satan! Gets the layout of what we're dealing with here.
2. An Endless Stream of Bombers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6eIlR3R44Y)
Old-school killing continued.
3. Unchain the Wolves (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yg-Kva94 ... re=related)
A more atmospheric yet just as sinister song, to give proper contrast between thrashing.
4. Sons of Perdition (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u29ti2fdXqM)
Umm.. just a killer song! Tough to choose tracks from Cold Steel, they're all awesome!
5. Trialed by Fire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlqgiFRIb_4)
An epic masterpiece that gets neglected way too often.
6. Lone Wolf Winter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBNvbllRHw8)
My personal favourite of _all_ their songs. Crushing yet catchy!
7. The Eternal Glory of War (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwaRbDnF4tM)
Rather the earlier recording, has more balls and slime!
8. Human, All Too Human (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzNBigiYf3I)
Many folks don't seem to like the newest installment. I myself find it a ripper of an album, hence this killer track included.
9. Australian and Anti-Christ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyXdcn1DZGc)
Separated from the other "early" material just for the hell of it.
10. The Calling (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P869I5U8qmM)
Another classic track, showcasing their more melodic and epic approach.
11. I Am the Wargod (Ode to the Battle Slain) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax7cdHiZ010)
The highlight in all its epicness. No one can withstand its enormous glory.
(Bonus Track) 12. See You In Hell (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2udAjkkkMyQ)
A proper D666 statement to end the compilation.

I would've put at least 8 songs more to actually make a best-of album, but it wouldn't feel like a D666-compilation if it's too long. Compact and slaying, am I right?

Because then half of the Weltenganger album would be in the compilation.

If you say so...

Oh, Runemagick! I forgot about these guys. You have some totally killer stuff on there and I would find it really hard to condense everything into one best-of, because you'd be leaving way too much awesome out of it. I listened to Invocation of Magick earlier today and it still rips. Dry, rolling riffs with some great drumming...this band is too good for a best-of. They require a box set!

Do I have to do just one? Ugh, I cannot choose. I'm going to assign numbers to each band I want to do and use a random number generator to pick...

Killswitch Engage. Hmmm....

Actually, I'd rather do Adam Dutkiewicz, so this covers Killswitch Engage, Aftershock and Times of Grace. The three bands are rather similar anyhow.

I picked at least one song from each major release by each band. Naturally Alive or Just Breathing and Hymn of a Broken Man got more songs picked from them. I also ended each band segment with an instrumental song.

1. Aftershock - Divest Your Entity
2. Aftershock - Jabberwocky
3. Aftershock - Black
4. Aftershock - Displacing Inertia
5. Killswitch Engage - Irreversal
6. Killswitch Engage - Rise Inside
7. Killswitch Engage - Element of One
8. Killswitch Engage - When The Balance Is Broken
9. Killswitch Engage - My Last Serenade
10. Killswitch Engage - Just Barely Breathing
11. Killswitch Engage - Hope Is...
12. Killswitch Engage - Break The Silence
13. Killswitch Engage - Reckoning
14. Killswitch Engage - One Last Sunset
15. Times of Grace - Strength In Numbers
16. Times of Grace - The Forgotten One
17. Times of Grace - Hope Remains
18. Times of Grace - In The Arms of Mercy

Aftershock was a great band to start with, especially with how heavy this band was. You can hear Killswitch Engage in the riffing, just heavier, the only album by Killswitch Engage that approaches the heaviness of Aftershock is their debut. Yet throughout Adam Dutkiewicz's career there is death metal influences, it's just not used in a way that is absolutely crushing like it is during the song Jabberwocky or even Irreversal.

Of all the instrumentals that appear on these albums, the one that stands out the most is One Last Sunset. There is a sense of impending doom and darkness that puts it as one of the best album closers I've ever heard. It's almost the complete polar opposite of In The Arms of Mercy, which is a song you might play for someone to lift their spirits if they are sad from perhaps witnessing their dog get run over by a tractor trailer. If you ever want to get in bed with a Christian girl and get her into metal at the same time you might have luck with The Hymn of a Broken Man by Times of Grace. It's not so obnoxiously preachy as to turn me off from it, it's actually one of my favorite albums.

Alive or Just Breathing is Adam's best work so it of course has the lion's share of this "best of" compilation. But the stuff by Aftershock has far more kick to it. So even fellow forum-goers that don't like metalcore, I still recommend giving the first ten songs a try.

If this winds up to be a double-post... I apologize ahead of time. But I have to do this next band... they are often one I consider to be my absolute favorite band.

THERION!!!

But I cannot do their whole discography in one take. I got to do the best of each era instead.

Disc 1. The Death Metal years

1) The Return
2) Asphyxiate With Fear
3) Genocidal Raids
4) Morbid Reality
5) Future Consciousness
6) Pandemonic Outbreak
7) Symphony of the Dead (Beyond Sanctorum)
8) Enter the Depths of Eternal Darkness
9) The Way
10) Paths
11) A Black Rose
12) Dawn of Perishness
13) Procreation of Eternity
14) Powerdance
15) Ho Drakon Ho Megas

Many of these songs rank as among the most atmospheric. Genocidal Raids gives me the impression of a totalitarian government sending out dark robed patrols with rifles to find and murder any people that is a target of their genocide. Pandemonic Outbreak appeared in a nightmare of sorts I had a while back. I woke up with the ending of this song playing in my head and an unsettling feeling followed by a cold sweat. The dream had blood and gore and shit in it. It was about an attempt at interstellar travel using some sort of magnetic rail that went horribly wrong and killed a shit load of people.

Asphyxiate With Fear is my favorite example of a death metal song with funny lyrics. "McDonalds feed their cows with the lives of our children!"

Then you got The Return and Morbid Reality with their fucking awesome riffs. Enter the Depths of Eternal Darkness has one of my favorite opening breakdowns, it blows away any deathcore attempt at a heavy riff.

The Way is one of the most epic death metal songs you'll ever hear. Dark, melodic and it's got one of my favorite guitar solos in all of metal.

Paths is one of the best album closers ever. Yes, I know I said the same about One Last Sunset, but Paths is darker by far.

Yes, I consider Symphony Masses: Ho Drakon Ho Megas death metal. Fuck you. Don't care. - to be fair, I often consider this album to be a part of the immediate post-death metal years of Therion and group it with Lepaca Kliffoth as the two are somewhat similar.

Speaking of Lepaca Kliffoth...

Disc 2. Further Ventures Into the Depths of Symphonica

1) The Wings of the Hydra
2) Riders of Theli
3) Sorrows of the Moon
4) Evocation of Vovin
5) The Beauty in Black
6) Black
7) The Veil of Golden Spheres
8) In Remembrance
9) Black Fairy
10) Symphony of the Dead (A'arab Zaraq)
11) To Mega Therion
12) In The Desert of Set
13) Cult of Shadows
14) Nightside of Eden
15) The Siren of the Woods

So Lepaca Kliffoth is where Therion really started to delve into symphonic territory and use operatic vocals in metal. It's a varied album, so it also has several songs that could be on Symphony Masses, with Christofer Johnsson's deathy/thrashy howl that was quite distinctive of this time period. Lepaca Kliffoth is also where Piotr Wawrzeniuk makes his first appearance - his vocals also were distinctive for Therion's time period and he makes a later appearance in Lemuria and Sirius B.

I included three songs from A'arab Zaraq because they happen to be three of my favorite Therion songs, though I have a lot of favorite Therion songs. In Remembrance, Black Fairy and what I personally consider to be a sequel to Symphony of the Dead instead of just a rerecording (it's condensed and has more symphonic elements while the original was more drawn out and heavier).

Black Fairy, In The Desert of Set and Nightside of Eden are especially of note because Dan Swanö sings on them! Fuck all of the yes! Theli overall is a great album, it has probably the best balance between "old" Therion, still with Christofer's vocals (but here much more shout instead of death growl) and heavy riffs, but plenty of operatic vocals and symphonic elements of "new" Therion. Then you got yet probably one of the best and most magical ballads in all of metal: The Siren of the Woods. Sung in Akkadian, it beautifully captures a sense of wonder of mythic times.

Speaking of a sense of wonder... their next two albums (and Crowning of Atlantis) feature next...

Disc 3 - Epic Symphonies Galore

1) The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah
2) Wine of Aluqah
3) Clavicula Nox
4) The Wild Hunt
5) Raven of Dispersion
6) The Crowning of Atlantis
7) Mark of Cain
8) Thor (Manowar cover)
9) Seven Secrets of the Sphinx
10) Eternal Return
11) Enter Vril-Ya
12) Via Nocturna (part 1 & 2)
12) O Fortuna (Carl Orff cover)

One thing Therion does great with is paying tribute to their influences by covering their songs. Their most recent full length is entirely covers, but of obscure 60s and 70s French pop songs. However, right now the best of covers Vovin, Crowning of Atlantis and Deggial.

Crowning of Atlantis was a late entry into my collection. I overlooked it because I thought at the time it was all old material with some covers. BOY WAS I WRONG. Mark of Cain has a classic metal feel but it's distinctly a Therion original. The title track of this EP/full length/whatever has a catchy opening riff that will get you returning to it quite often. I included their cover of Thor by Manowar because this song will ALWAYS bring memories of their performance of this song at the end of their set in 2007, all of the band members dressed up as Vikings and I think Snowy Shaw and Thomas Vikström came out holding cardboard Viking ships. BEST CONCERT EVER by the way.

Vovin and Deggial are albums that didn't pique my interest immediately. Thergothon's Streams from the Heavens is also an album that didn't catch my ear on first listen but now I fucking love it! I fucking love Vovin and Deggial too! Both of these albums are getting a few spins tonight now. Deggial in particular contains the best metal version of O Fortuna. Trans-Siberian Orchestra can try all they want, but the Swedes beat them at this one. To be fair, TSO is great at Beethoven worship!

Disc 4 - Secret of the Runes
1) Ginnungagap (The Black Hole) (Prologue)
2) (Old) Midgård
3) Asgård (The Bifrost Bridge)
4) (Call Of) Jotunheim
5) Schwarzalbenheim (Svartalfheim) (Gold der Unterwelt)
6) Ljusalfheim (The Shining Ones)
7) Muspelheim (Gudaskymning)
8) Nifelheim (Dimmornas Värld)
9) Vanaheim (Seed of Ing)
10) Helheim (Den dimhöljda)
11) Secret of the Runes (Epilogue)
12) Summernight City (Abba Cover)

As a concept album, I feel this album works best when listened to as a whole, so no single song should be left out. Also Ginnungagap is the heaviest non-death metal song by Therion.

Disc 5 - Double albums and Experimentation

1) Typhon
2) Lemuria
3) Feuer Overture-Prometheus Entfesselt
4) The Blood of Kingu
5) Son of the Sun
6) Kali Yuga (Part 1)
7) Kali Yuga (Part 2)
8) Kali Yuga (Part 3)
9) Son of the Staves of Time
10) Chain of Minerva
11) The Falling Stone
12) The Perennial Sophia
13) Kings of Edom
14) Din
15) Poupée de cire, poupée de son (France Gall cover)
16) Une fleur dans le cœur (Victoire Scott cover)
17) Lilith (Léonie Lousseau cover)

The started to experiment with Beyond Sanctorum, and Therion has always been a band to experiment with their sound. This trend continued for the Lemuria/Sirius B duo, which contained several of Therion's catchiest and most accessible songs. Son of the Sun, The Blood of Kingu, Lemuria, etc... Gothic Kabbalah was more experimental while Sitra Ahra seemed like an attempt to throw back to the sound of Sirius B. Unfortunately the album as a whole is Therion's weakest. I still like many songs off Sitra Ahra, especially the epic Kings of Edom and the bludgeoning Din that brings back the death metal. Gothic Kabbalah was another double album epic that pleased my ears, yet it contained some weak songs that I often skip. The latter half of the album picks up though it's the first half I always enjoy a bit more. The Perennial Sophia is my favorite off of that whole album. Then we have the boldest move yet by Therion - a cover album, part of a project of a touring metal opera that will take the band's time over the next 3 to 5 years at most before they release another traditional Therion album. Les Fleurs du Mal is the first result and this is a record that is actually growing on me. Entirely covers of 60s and 70s French chansons, some of them quite familiar to my ears (such as Poupée de cire, poupée de son). They are covers, but each song is Therionized and typically contain several new riffs, so in many ways these are new takes on the old songs.

Of course there were many songs I didn't include because they didn't fit into 80 minutes. Here are some honorable mentions:

Bells of Doom off Paroxysmal Holocaust - fucking raw Therion death metal! Not the greatest production

Macabre Declension and Paroxysmal Holocaust both appear on Beyond the Darkest Veils of Inner Wickedness but not on any future release.

Cthulhu and Beyond Sanctorum on the latter song's namesake album are also great songs on their own right. Both feature heavily distorted monstrous vocals used to great effect!

The covers on A'arab Zaraq are also partly what got me into Therion, and I didn't even realize they were covers when I first listened to them. A'arab Zaraq is the first Therion album I got.

Then there's the Bells of Doom release, which contains some good unreleased raw death metal (such as a long version of Paroxysmal Holocaust that is more like Bells of Doom) as well as "Ravaged" which I don't know of any other Therion release with this song on it, but it may have been a song written for Lepaca Kliffoth.

Oy, I'm done writing for the night now. Got my bugs to feed anyway.

I thought of posting a Samael listing but some problems rapidly arisen. How would I choose and put together stuff as different as Worship Him and Eternal?! Simple answer is, no way José! So I decided to make a double disc with the first being "The Black Years" and the second "The Industrial Years", since I can't just post Ceremony as disc one and Passage as disc one, eh.

With that being said disc one comprises music from 1991 to 1995 (yes Rebellion is included) and a few songs from 2009 out of Above. Hate it as much as you want but they are good songs and fit the mood where they're placed. I took some work into making an order that would sound cohesive but that aspect can falter at points. Still, I think it's pretty well done, and of course it has half of Ceremony on it! I was going to do a Youtube playlist but not all songs are available.

The Black Years:

01- Black Trip
02- Beyond The Nothingness
03- Son Of Earth
04- Rebellion
05- Baphomet's Throne
06- Flagellation
07- Dark Side
08- Earth Country
09- Blood Ritual
10- Morbid Metal
11- Virtual War
12- After The Sepulture
13- Into The Pentagram
14- Ceremony Of Opposites

I'm way too tired and the dawn of a new day is nearly rising, so I'll have to get back on this subject later on with the post for the second disc. At least this way the post doesn't get too long, eh.