Arghoslent was mentioned which is of course a shining example. Even their demos are amazing. Arsenal of Glory might be my favorite release of theirs.

I think the sister band (in my mind) Grand Belial's Key has to be mentioned. Not as extensive of a discography but still nearly flawless. There was a time when I thought Kosherat didn't live up to the first two but I've recently seen the light.

Octavarium was the one I started from, and it's responsible for my world turning upside down basically. I've always found I&W overrated though...


Yeah, and I think that's kinda another proof of their consistency. They pretty much don't have any albums that are universally disliked. I used to believe Systematic Chaos is, but that was the result of hanging around too prog forums, as apparently the consensus here is 180 degrees different. They just don't do weak albums, everything is at least solid.

I want to procrastinate a little and since I'. Dream Theater is an highly divisive band, I personally like all their albums to a certain degree and I would probably vote for them for this thread. If I wasn't so lasy, I would creaate a poll but I don't really want to read the negative comments and read how Zelkiiro is wrong about everything. I don't really know why Falling Into Infinity gets some hate, it's a very good, poppier album, it wasn't really surprising after I&W really but Awake was really dark and heavy.

Here's a rundown. Yes, no albums beneath 80%, I know, I know!
WDaDU: 83%
I'm not a fan of Dominici's vocals but that's a very cool record and a good basis for their sound.

I&W: 100%
One of my favorite albums of all time, perfect. Fuck you TheLib

Awake: 96%
Very dark and mesmerizing, has some of their best songs and doesn't quite have the criticized technicality of their later works.

FII: 87%
SFAM: 96%
Fuck you Zelkiiro. one of the best concept albums of all time, it features the right amount of technicality and emotions. I really don't get the naysayers of this album, it's the DT album.

6DOIT: 90%
It doesn't work all the time and it has what the Double Album Syndrome (aka, it would be better as a single album) but there's some really great gems on it like The Great Debate

ToT: 85%
Really heavy and groovy, a good reinvention of their sound but I'm happy they left this groovy prog metal realm even if produced great songs

Octavarium: 85%
Great songs (The Root of All Evil, self titled) but there's some clutter here and there, it's also overrated a little.

Systematic Chaos: 89%
I think that's the 3rd DT album I heard after Awake and I&W and it's still pretty damn good in my opinion. The long songs are pretty fucking great but the shorter ones are a little forgettable at times. The "In the presence..." saga is one of my favorite song the band ever did.

BCaSL: 83%
Fuck Mike Portnoy. Okay, there's some great parts but it has their worst lyrics ever especially in the latest track, The Count of Tuscany.

ADToE: 86%
A good return to a softer sound, kind of a mix between Octavarium and FII, it's a safe DT album but a good one, a bit too cheesy at times though.

Those ballads on the last album are all really lame. Drags down what was otherwise a very solid offering, with a really killer tune in "Bridges to the Sky."

You too j/k. Basically I definitely like it, but for me it still feels like the band "getting there". The songwriting still needs some work at times and especially the metal side of the band still needs a lot of development (which happens on Awake, which I consider the first "Dream Theater at their 100%" album and it's fucking awesome). I've encountered a lot of people saying "I&W BEST ALBUM EVER SAYING OTHERWISE IS WRONG AND YOUR FACE IS A CACTUS" and I just... dunno.

(Btw, you missed SFAM on the list)


Actually I love them with passion and I hope for at least 2 on the new album. Far From Heaven is "awesome minimalistic DT piano ballad" to the core, and as for Beneath The Surface, I could probably write 2 A4 pages about everything I love about that song and why, it's one of my favourite songs they've ever done.

I hate basically all their ballads, so absolutely nithing the band has done is worth more thqn about a 75% for me. Six Degrees probably has my favourite tunes on it, and Systematic is probably the closest I have to one I can say is solid throughout. Metropolis and Train of Thought are really the only two I'd say are awful and ToT has a few really great songs to make up for the terrible chugga chugga riffs. The one following Systemattic is another one I.could consider awful plausibly, but I haven't listened enough to be confident in my hatred.

Dismember.

Even their "bad" album, Hate Campaign, is enjoyable, if not exactly very riveting compared to their output before and after. But not many other bands have a claim of 8 solid to amazing records.

Zyklon-B

I'll second Death (even though I'm not overtly keen on 'Symbolic', but it is still a great album), and I'll add The Exploited and Haemorrhage.

C'mon, bud, elaborate!

The Exploited? We are talking metal here, dude, and I can't say I like their more metallic stuff, anyway. Beat the Bastards has nothing on classics like Troops of Tomorrow.

Oh well, Exploited are featured on the Archives so...
My least favourite would have to be 'Horror epics' but I find myself going back to it more often these days, and my top album without a doubt is 'The massacre', man I fucking love that album

DAWN [Swe] - I really worship all their relics! The early demos showed a real display of Swedish Death Metal excellence, which was also re-released as a split CD with the band Pyphomgertum. Then changed music style on their next releases: 1994's full length Nær Sólen Gar Niþer For Evogher, 1996's EP Sorgh på Svarte Vingar Fløgh and finally the 1998's Slaughtersun (Crown of the Triarchy) [most probably the last release of this highly respected band] - which are all superb Melodic Black/Death Metal releases!

Votes go out to Sleep, Witchfinder General, Faustcoven, Eyehategod, Mercyful Fate, Symphony X, WASP, and plenty of bands that only put out one or two albums that are regarded as classics.

I don't quite agree on Symphony X. The vast majority of their discography is pristine, but the debut was in my opinion severely lacking. The songwriting was okay, but the recording quality and the vocals didn't live up to their later albums.

I enjoy their debut quite a bit, can see what you say about vocals, but they certainly have a large discography that is pretty solid i would say.

Coroner.
Every album they put out was, in my opinion, better than the one before. Even the few new songs on the self titled compilation album was very good.

Does anyone actually like/care about their reunion album? I was under the impression that everyone just ignored it/or tried their best to forget about it. WFG should just hire Christian Lindersson and get him to do a Zeeb Parkes impression (seeing as Phil Cope can't work with him after he did something "unforgivable" in the early 1980s).

I mean, being honest, outside of Masquerade it seems as though that isn't even considered a proper Symphony X album, but yeah, it's the only bad mark on the band's output.

Someone said Eyehategod and that is a good example. Every album is a bit different but equally good.

Excruciating Terror is another example. A few 7"s, splits and 2 full lengths and probably the most consistent sound for a band.

D.R.I.'s discography is near flawless too. I prefer the punkier stuff to their thrash stuff but it's still very good.

I will also chime in for the boys in Eyehategod. They can do no wrong; I have immense respect for them. Not just as musicians, but human beings. Darkthrone are another one for me, I love the new albums, the in between ones, and of course the old albums. Who can forget Fenriz' female vocals on Goatlord!!!

I'd go with Helstar on this one. Burning Star through Nosferatu, just pure flawless songs. Hell, even the Scorpions cover rips. Ever since I heard The King is Dead years ago, try as I might I can't find a single thing wrong (though I do get a bit nit-picky that the first 3 seconds of The Curse Has Passed Away sounds a bit off) with the first 4.

And yes I know, Multiples of Black does exist...and from what I read in reviews, it'll stay far away from my collection.

The only band I can offer with conviction that has a solid discography is Bal-Sagoth. They've shown a lot of evolution over the years, beginning with a chaotic, lo-fi slab of symphonic death metal, and ending their hexology of albums with the crisp and grandiose The Chthonic Chronicles. The Maudling brothers have a writing style all their own and Byron Roberts' made-up words and massive vocabulary somehow get stuck in your head with his storytelling. I love this band to death. I'm really excited about The Apocryphal Tales coming out next month. Hearing their demo material will be very interesting, as I've always liked the style of their first album.

I want to give an honorable mention to Darkthrone, but I don't actually own all of their full-lengths. I would also add Blind Guardian, my favorite band, but I think they mucked it up a bit with their last album. The sterile production aside, the songwriting was too inconsistent for me and disappointingly I almost never listen to the album. I wish they continued searching for new sounds and styles like they did with ANatO and ATitM, the latter of which I actually love and put on rotation pretty regularly. I did take a good six months to sink in but the songs eventually clicked magically one day. I can't say the same about At the Edge of Time... Still, if they stick to their schedule BG should have another album out next year, and I'm looking forward to that.

i know this might be unpopular but mastodon(to me) hasnt written a bad song nor has sabaton

[2] and Even their more recent albums ,like Hornets of the Pogrom . Evoluted , yet powerful instrumentals .


Dimmu Borgir as well . they make the same great music until today although i´m not very familiar with their last and first 2 albums .

Yeah, Z-B are consistently good over the course of THREE WHOLE SONGS and even that remix!

Honestly I can see why people ignored this album, it is a little more edged to hard rock and most don't like the vocals. I have been listening to it since it released (actually have it on vinyl), its grown on me quite a bit, very nice throwback to the old school style while keeping it fresh. The lyrics also are pretty subpar on the new album, but fun to sing along to. The first two albums are just so spectacular, WFG is a staplemark doom band to me, cant really go wrong by them. And yes id be completely fine with Linderson giving it a shot, huge CoD, and Storm Warning fan, although most of his stuff is top notch.

Manilla Road-- just stellar across the board, in my book.

Pain Of Salvation-- prog metal at its best, in my mind.

I would also consider Thy Infernal here as both their releases "Satan's Wrath" and "Warlords Of Hell" are 2 of the most solid black metal releases in the late 90's and early 00's!

Mournful Congregation is one that really sticks out as having a flawless discography. From the early demo years spilling out raw melancholic funeral doom, to their additions of atmospherics and such because of access to better studio equipment in later years - flawless! The 15+ minute long epics, the shorter, more traditional doom songs, and the short interludes, intros and outros... all of them flawless! For the most part. Nothing is perfectly perfect, the rawness of the early demos can turn people off if they are used to the soothing growls of The Monad Of Creation.

Crowbar. Every. Single. Album. Massive. Riffs. Do I need to elaborate? Yes? Well, I'm not going to. ,,!,, (it's 1:40 AM, I just got back from seeing Saxon and I want to play some Skyrim before I pass out on my pillow)

I might elaborate later, and I know I have some other bands in mind (I totally second Esoteric, Eyehategod, Therion and Bolt Thrower by the way!)

I don't second Zyklon-B - no doubt the THREE WHOLE SONGS are solid, hateful black metal, but that is the easiest thing to do in comparison to 20 or 30 year careers. I'll bet if Zyklon-B were to reform and record a full length album somehow, it might even be a let down... or it could be a longer version of Blood Must Be Shed.

My best example of this would be Guns N' Roses. I do realize that this band is not a metal band per-se but I feel they are close enough to be worthy of including here.

Appetite for Destruction is a classic album without a single weak track. Great rock n roll and amazing for a debut album. Lies followed this up by a fake live A side and a (semi-)acoustic B-side. Representing raw energy, humour and passion all in one album. This is then followed by the more epic and grand Use Your Illusion double album. These albums feature my favorite tracks by the band and despite their long playing time they never ever gets boring. The band dares to try new things and they work out all the time - with the exception of My World perhaps. And then the debated Chinese Democracy which follows in the vein of UYI. Grandiose songs, many piano driven and lots of emotion. I feel this album is overlooked because of the circumstances and because of who played on the record. I happen to love it.

The second would be Anaal Nathrakh for me. Not the typical band I should like, I'm not into grindcore at all for example, but they do have something special that always manages to capture my attention. The span of albums from The Codex Necro until, and including, In the Constellation of the Black Widow is simply amazing. For me the peak came with Hell is Empty and all the Devils are Here but every album here is great to excellent. The two latest has failed to live up to these 5 albums but without being bad in any way. Few extreme metal bands holds this kind of quality throughout.


Worthy of a mention are Megadeth. Yes, I am a fanboy and no not every record is solid but thinking back they have released 14 albums out of which I value 8 as very important to me, a couple as disappointing and the rest and solid and good releases. The span from Peace Sells... But Who's Buying until Youthanasia is pretty much untouchable. In this I'd like to include Hidden Treasures as well. Amazing compilation of B-sides, soundtrack songs etc. The next span would include The World Need a Hero, The System Has Failed and United Abominations. I know this is controversial, especially in regards to TWNaH but I have come to love that album even though I didn't feel any magic at the time I first bought it. TShF was a most amazing return to form and I love the shit out of UA as well. I never like Glenn Drover as a permanent Megadeth member live but I think his solos brought something really nice and melodic to Megadeth on this record on which he played.

The debut album was good but in general I feel that a lot of the debuts from the soon to be big bands from the early thrash scene are overrated (this goes for Metallica, Anthrax and Testament for example). Not bad at all though. I thought Endgame really grew on me after first not finding it especially interesting. Cryptic Writings is solid and has lots of good tunes but there is something about this album which makes me reserved about including it in the top and I'm never even sure of what that might be. I love the shit out of the individual songs but somehow the whole doesn't do it all the way for me.

Risk was indeed a risk that didn't pay off. Even though it shouldn't bear the name Megadeth I find that it has some great tunes. I like Insomnia, Prince of Darkness, The Doctor is Calling, Wanderlust and the Time duo for example. I find the album is overlooked even though I understand why people don't like it.

Unfortunately the two latest albums haven't captured my imagination much. Both Thirteen and Super Collider lack something - a fire under the ass of Mustaine. I have no idea what the reason for this might be but I am entertaining the thought that it might have to do with group dynamics since Elleffsson came back. I might be totally off base, and don't get me wrong I think Jr is a solid bass player, I do however find the general feeling of the band to be similar to what I felt around the time of Cryptic Writings and Risk when the band fell apart.

Very interesting input from all, including some baffling nominations.

My picks would have to be :

Rotting Christ - Immaculate pristine discography that stands apart. Plus each album is different (and ususally a step forward) from the one before.

SepticFlesh - Just like above. Yes, even Revolution DNA.

Type O Negative - as stated before, including Carnivore , just an amazing body of kick-ass timeless music. Also, the uniqueness is very very hard to copy.

Neurosis - debatable i know, but the worst ones are still at least above average.

Napalm Death - love each and every release / era of this band. Trailblazers !

Bolt Thrower - as many already stated, a solid body of work that brooks no argument.

Mindrot - very unknown, and only 2 albums plus and EP and demo, but quite simply, masterpieces of gothic death/doom/sludge with industrial touches.

DRI - as previously mentioned, great from punk to crossover to thrash.

Fields of The Nephilim - yeah they arent metal per se, and not on the archives, but basically the foundation of gothic metal. All albums old and new (including the Zoon side proj) are very high quality (songwriting, playing , performance), even the one that was released without theri consent. And at least 50 % of the songs can be considered some kinda gothic/dark/doom metal.

Faith No More - Yes, its not your brother's metal, but amazingly consistent discography. Each album is different and balances darkness, sarcasm and humour wonderfully.

Strapping Young Lad - Yes, even The New Black. Bands wish they could write these songs.

I wish i could mention someone like Helstar or even QR, CG or Vicious Rumors, but alas the dips in quality have been too many. Malice could be mentioned though (incl. the last album).

I need to hear more Totenmond , as what I heard (thanks his royal zerness) was pretty tight.

I'd extend this to say Devin Townsend in general. He hasn't put out a single album I've disliked.

Almost completely agree here. Bal-Sagoth has a very unique and epic sound, and their songwriting is pretty boss. For some reason though I never really got into A Black Moon Broods over Lemuria.

God Dethroned. Took me awhile to appreciate The Toxic Touch, but I did in the end. My least favorite but still a good, solid album. Everything else ranges from great to brilliant in my eyes.

My Dying Bride. For Lies and Like Gods are the weak spots in their catalogue but still good albums.

Bethlehem. If you don't include that train wreck of a Suizid re-recording....

I feel like Bal-Sagoth stumbled a bit on Power Cosmic and Atlantis Ascendant. The production on PC is a little flat and has Byron oooooooveeeeerrrr ennuuuuuuuunciaaaaatiiiiing eveeeeeerythiiiiiiiiing (you'll notice on all the other albums he speaks dramatically while still pacing himself properly.) And Atlantis Ascendant seemed like an attempt to capture the more ethereal sound of Starfire Burning, but nothing on it it really jumps out at me and I find myself listening to it the least often of their albums. Plus Byron's shrieks had gotten pretty weak on those two. Nothing bad, by any means, just not up to the lofty standards set by the first trilogy and The Chthonic Chronicles.

Absolutley INCREDIBLE band. Also in the not quite officially metal side of things: Killing Joke, Swans and The Cult.

also agree with anyone that mentioned Type O Negative, Motörhead, Vader and Enslaved.

They also crossed my mind, although even though I think they haven't released any weak albums, the quality... varies. From TPE1 and Scarsick that I could write long paragraphs of worship about, to the Road Salts which are definitely interesting and good, but inconsistent as hell. Possibly one of the best examples of a band which has balls of steel in terms of experimenting and does it really well, but some occasional side effects are inevitable.

I second this. With "Toxic Touch" as the least favorite album following "Into The Lungs Of Hell"

I can see what you mean. I guess I never really thought about it, other than the production which I had also noticed. I really like the songwriting on Atlantis Ascendant though

Are 'Mein Weg' and 'Schatten aus der Alexander Welt' really that good? I've been apprehensive about checking those out. I love the first three albums though.