Album of the Decade!

[MGZT]

Spawn of Possession - Incurso.

[Pedrito]

Judas Priest: Firepower was immense.
Bölzer: Hero
Howling Sycamore debut
Gunship s/t
Solstice: To Sol a Thane ep
Stargazer: A merging
Vektor: Outer Isolation and Terminal
Sacral Rage: Illusuions in the infinite void
Eternal Champion: Armor of Ire
Cynic: Kindly Bent & Carbon Based
Graven Rite: The Summoner's Pit

Hard to pick one..all class

[heyjoe]

Albums:

Inglorious - Inglorious I
Avantasia - Mystery of Time
Avantasia - Ghostlights
Judas Priest - Firepower
Iron Maiden - Book of Souls

Tours:

Iron Maiden - Maiden 88 / 7th Son History Tour
Iron Maiden  - Book of Souls
Avantasia - Mystery of Time

[Scáthach]

I've been (over)thinking about this, but I would maybe go with
Rebirth of Nefast, Tabernaculum
Bölzer, Hero
For the scope, density and artistic ambition and execution.
Destroyer 666, Wildfire, because it's heavy metal as fuck.

[Slaughterday]

Been thinking about this the last few days and I keep arriving at the same conclusion. Macabre Omen - Gods of War at War. Vision, creativity, songwriting, musicianship, lyrics - it can't be beaten. An epic album in every sense of the word, and a true classic.

In a scene where incredible albums are released every month it can be hard to pick true classics, but this one is set in stone.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Been thinking about this the last few days and I keep arriving at the same conclusion. Macabre Omen - Gods of War at War. Vision, creativity, songwriting, musicianship, lyrics - it can't be beaten. An epic album in every sense of the word, and a true classic.

In a scene where incredible albums are released every month it can be hard to pick true classics, but this one is set in stone.

I've never spent time with this, but I really should.

[Slaughterday]

It works very well when paired with the Nocternity album mentioned earlier in this thread too.

[Panopticon]

Been thinking about this the last few days and I keep arriving at the same conclusion. Macabre Omen - Gods of War at War. Vision, creativity, songwriting, musicianship, lyrics - it can't be beaten. An epic album in every sense of the word, and a true classic.

In a scene where incredible albums are released every month it can be hard to pick true classics, but this one is set in stone.

Been aware of this band in name but never checked  them out - thought it was a PM band for some reason. Just threw this on and it sounds amazing a few songs in. Nice one Aaron

[Grim Reality]

Never got into that Macabre Omen. It seemed to get plaudits across the board at the time. Nothing about it grabbed me. Maybe I will revisit it and try and discover what I've evidently been missing.

[Cryptic Stench]

Iron Maiden - Book of Souls

Dreadful album. How it could be on anyone's album of the decade list beggars belief. There really is some absolutely horrific material on there even by maidens standards. I will give that the earlier part contains some cool tracks, Eternity, Great unknown etc although the better tracks only serve to remind you of former glories. Tears of a clown is catastrophic, toe curling to the extreme, Empire of the clouds completely insufferable- those two alone negate it being on any end of year list.

[Pentagrimes]

Mine is Column of Heaven's "Mission From God". Pretty much nailed everything I like about various forms of extreme music in one place, set the blueprint for what Full of Hell are doing now in the process.

[ResidentOfBok]

That Macabre Omen is unreal. It was in my MI top 3 of the year when it came out. Perfect combination of epic era Bathory and Greek BM.  I don't know if I'd say it's the best album of the decade but it's well worth checking out if you've never heard it.

Tribulation - Formulas of Death is a good shout. I think a lot of us in Ireland had a good vantage point into that record being such a leap forward for the band, what with the Invictus connection. It's just a great, atmospheric, well-rounded album.

Other ones that stand out for me:

Vektor - Terminal Redux (the ultimate rebirth of technical thrash?)
Artificial Brain - Infrared Horizon (a high water mark of brutal, technical, ambitious deathgrind in the 2010s)
Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle (gorgeous, epic metal with literary inspiration only topped by Summoning back in their prime)
Altar of Plagues - Mammal (sounding completely out on its own)
Mourning Beloveth - Formless (possibly their best record coming almost 20 years after their forming)
Castevet - Mounds of Ash (one of the most cathartic records ever written in that style).

I'm forgetting loads but honourable mentions to Funeral Presence - The Archer Takes Aim and Funeral Mist - Hekatomb for great twists on the orthodox BM front too.

COH's 'Mission from God' is pinnacle stuff in that style. Even the length of the record is pretty much perfect.

[heyjoe]

Iron Maiden - Book of Souls

Dreadful album. How it could be on anyone's album of the decade list beggars belief. There really is some absolutely horrific material on there even by maidens standards. I will give that the earlier part contains some cool tracks, Eternity, Great unknown etc although the better tracks only serve to remind you of former glories. Tears of a clown is catastrophic, toe curling to the extreme, Empire of the clouds completely insufferable- those two alone negate it being on any end of year list.

Horses for courses. I loved BNW and BOS whereas AMOLAD and TFF did absolutely nothing for me. BOS also brought a great Eddie with a classic stage set. All in all a great package.

[Cryptic Stench]

I'd have more time for BNW, some great stuff on it, they sounded somewhat rejuvenated on that album. Everything else has been a go through the motions affair.

[heyjoe]

I'd have more time for BNW, some great stuff on it, they sounded somewhat rejuvenated on that album. Everything else has been a go through the motions affair.

There is an argument that BNW is the most important metal album of the decade ... a reunion with Bruce and Adrian, a return to form, the start of Ed Force One, it kicked off a decade of history tours and studio albums. Sure there are better albums, but to reunite and kick off the decade ahead it was a brilliant statement.