My All-Time Top 50 Albums

After around 24 hours of deliberation, I reckon I've managed to get this done. Of course, as with any list of this type, it's a constantly evolving process and there are a number of albums on this list that were released during the last few months. Would they appear on a similar list 5, 10 or even 20 years from now? Maybe, maybe not. It's hard to say for certain as obviously (as with most people) my tastes evolve, I am subject to changes in mood and I go through 'phases' of listening to certain genres. In all likelihood, such a phase is influencing me right now (has the cold and dark of winter made me partial to certain bands/albums?).

But, as it stands right at this very moment in time, this is the finished list. It's predictable in places, surprising (I think) in others, but the most important thing to remember is that these are the albums that have shaped MY life and have made me who and what I am today.

I hope you enjoy looking through my list, comparing it to yours, wondering why THAT album made it in and even, as I hope will be the case, see a couple of highly placed albums that you may not have heard. I hope I can inspire some of you to listen to albums you may not have played in a while. I hope that you will find your memory jogged to rediscover long, lost incidents from the dim and distant past - a night out at your favourite rock pub/club a live show or even just a memory of good times with those close to you in your life.

Music is very powerfully connected to memories and can trigger flashbacks, both good and bad. Each and every album on this list does that for me. Some make me smile, some may make me cry, but they all make me, ME.

50. Killswitch Engage - Alive Or Just Breathing

49. Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

48. L7 - Bricks Are Heavy

47. White Zombie - Astro Creep: 2000

46. Enthroned - Xes Haereticum

45. Down - NOLA

44. Bal Sagoth – Atlantis Ascendant

43. Bifröst - Heidenmetal

42. Solefald - An Icelandic Odyssey Part 1: Red For Fire

41. Mortiis - The Smell Of Rain

40. Fall Of The Leafe – Volvere

39. Biohazard - Urban Discipline

38. Falkenbach - Heralding The Fireblade

37. Obituary - World Demise

36. Iron Maiden - Brave New World

35. Machine Head - The Blackening

34. In Flames - Come Clarity

33. System of A Down – System Of A Down

32. Downer - Downer

31. Satyricon - Now Diabolical

30. Fear Factory - Demanufacture

29. Katatonia - Viva Emptiness

28. Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscapes

27. Judas Priest – Painkiller

26. Raging Speedhorn – Raging Speedhorn

25. Pitchshifter - www.pitchshifter.com

24. Agent Steel  - The Omega Conspiracy

23. Sepultura – Chaos AD

22. Pantera - The Great Southern Trendkill

21. DevilDriver - Pray For Villains

20. Soulfly – Prophecy

19. Skid Row - Slave To The Grind

18. Nirvana - Nevermind

17. Finntroll – Nifelvind

16. Deicide – Deicide

15. Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty & The Beast

14. Skyclad - Irrational Anthems

13. Paradise Lost – One Second

12. Faith No More - Angel Dust

11. Deftones - Around The Fur

10. Kvelertak - Kvelertak

9. Woods Of Ypres - V: Grey Skies & Electric Light

8. Therapy? – Troublegum

7. Alice in Chains - Dirt

6. Thyrfing - De Ödelösa

5. Hell - Curse & Chapter

4. Anaal Nathrakh - The Codex Necro

3. Prodigy - Fat Of The Land

2. Korn - Korn

1. Sparks – Hello Young Lovers