You are right, MASTER surely do deserve mention as one of the pioneers of death metal. For me, it was a case of difficulty compiling the death metal titles I did rank as best of all time, there will also be others who couldn't be listed, as even the extended list of best 20 death metal albums only allows so many titles to be listed.

No, this does reek of underground wannabe bullshit. Abominations of Desolation is the album that Morbid Angel didn't want released because they thought it sucked. Altars of Madness should have its place.

Haha....all right, I can understand people who say 'Altars Of Madness' should be ranked higher than 'Abominations Of Desolation', but remember firstly, these are just my own best death metal album rankings, if you disagree with them, no problems, publish your own here, that's what this thread is all about.

As for the 'Abominations...' album, I still stand by what I said. Its unique dark, ancient, underground atmosphere is amazing. Part of that is Mike Browning's diabolically charismatic dark evil vocals. Listen to classic songs like 'Demon Seed' & 'Angel Of Disease' [which are not on 'Altars'...], as well as ripping raw versions of other classics like 'Unholy Blasphemies', 'Chapel Of Ghouls', & others, all given the treatment of that amazing dark atmosphere & the dark evil vocals...if that all doesn't steal your soul, then you don't have an ear for truly underground death metal.

Basically, I like these two Morbid Angel albums equally, just for different reasons. Consider also, that I was a Morbid Angel fan from their demo days, so I got to hear 'Abominations...' before 'Altars...'. Most Morbid Angel fans today went the opposite order, which is then difficult to appreciate 'Abominations...' for the album it was. Also, yes, the band didn't want the album released for many years due to the recording not meeting their expectations, then in '91 I was surprised to hear they agreed to Earache Records releasing it. The reason was, they were sick of all the bootlegs of it circulating in the underground, & preferred for the fans to hear the proper recording rather than inferior bootleg versions.

top 10:

10- Miasma - Changes
09- Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines
08- Cryptopsy - None So Vile
07- Napalm Death - Harmony Corruption
06- Entombed - Left Hand Path
05- Death - Symbolic
04- Autopsy - Mental Funeral
03- Dismember - Like an Everflowing Stream
02- Carcass - Necroticism
01- Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness

My personal Top 25 - Note that only the first ten are in actual order. I need more brainstorming time to organize the rest...

1) Nocturnus - The Key
2) Bolt Thrower - Realm of Chaos
3) Death - Human
4) Brutality - Screams of Anguish
5) Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
6) Incantation - Onward to Golgotha
7) Massacre - From Beyond
8) Suffocation - Pierced from Within
9) Asphyx - The Rack
10) At the Gates - The Red in the Sky is Ours

11) Death - Leprosy
12) Sinister - Cross the Styx
13) Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding
14) Unleashed - Where No Life Dwells
15) Edge of Sanity - Unorthodox
16) Carcass - Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious
17) Dismember - Like an Everflowing Stream
18) Hypocrisy - Penetralia
19) Malevolent Creation - The Ten Commandments
20) Demilich - Nespithe
21) Pestilence - Consuming Impulse
22) Deicide - Deicide
23) Autopsy - Severed Survival
24) Cancer - Death Shall Rise
25) Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

There's an awful lot of thrash in there for a death metal list.

Meh, probably someone trying to sound "TROO METIL" and try to sound angsty. There are several people like that on this site :/ Metal fans I tell yeah, internet vikings!

Anyway, here is my list. No particular order.

1.) Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
2.) Massacra - Enjoy the Violence
3.) Sleep Terror - Probing Tranquility
4.) Destroyer 666 - Unchain the Wolves (Yeah, I know, only part death metal but I love this album too much to leave it out lol)
5.) Obituary - Slowly We Rot
6.) Death - Scream Bloody Gore
7.) Bolt Thrower - The IVth Crusade
8.) Cryptopsy - None So Vile
9.) Autopsy - Severed Survival
10.) Deicide - Deicide