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Best heavy metal albums

Heavy metal is the genre's classic core: riff-led songs, virtuosic guitar solos, and commanding vocals, codified by Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Its iconography and album-length ambition shaped every extreme style that followed.

According to Riffiter listeners, the best heavy metal album is Reign in Blood by Slayer, rated 4.6/5 by 32 listeners.

Heavy Metalalbums & artists →

  1. Reign in Blood cover№ 1Reign in BloodSlayer · 19864.4Weighted score4.6 avg · 32 ratings
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  1. 2Battle Cry coverBattle CryJudas Priest · 20164.3 score · 4.4 avg · 17 ratings
  2. 3Pale Communion coverPale CommunionOpeth · 20144.2 score · 4.5 avg · 14 ratings
  3. 4Cowboys From Hell coverCowboys From HellPantera · 19904.2 score · 4.3 avg · 196 ratings
  4. 5Ride the Lightning coverRide the LightningMetallica · 19844.2 score · 4.3 avg · 163 ratings
  5. 6The Lost Children coverThe Lost ChildrenDisturbed · 20114.2 score · 4.3 avg · 28 ratings
  6. 7Death on the Road coverDeath on the RoadIron Maiden · 20054.2 score · 4.4 avg · 22 ratings
  7. 8Paranoid coverParanoidBlack Sabbath · 19704.2 score · 4.3 avg · 28 ratings
  8. 9Dealing with Demons I coverDealing with Demons IDevilDriver · 20204.2 score · 4.4 avg · 13 ratings
  9. 10Rust in Peace coverRust in PeaceMegadeth · 19904.2 score · 4.2 avg · 241 ratings
  10. 11Master of Reality coverMaster of RealityBlack Sabbath · 19714.2 score · 4.3 avg · 21 ratings
  11. 12Van Halen coverVan HalenVan Halen · 19784.2 score · 4.3 avg · 26 ratings
  12. 13Master of Puppets coverMaster of PuppetsMetallica · 19864.2 score · 4.2 avg · 328 ratings
  13. 141984 cover1984Van Halen · 19834.2 score · 4.3 avg · 21 ratings
  14. 15Diary of a Madman coverDiary of a MadmanOzzy Osbourne · 19814.2 score · 4.3 avg · 21 ratings
  15. 16=1 cover=1Deep Purple · 20244.2 score · 4.3 avg · 30 ratings
  16. 17Hail to the King: Deathbat (Original Video Game Soundtrack) coverHail to the King: Deathbat (Original Video Game Soundtrack)Avenged Sevenfold · 20154.2 score · 4.3 avg · 13 ratings
  17. 18Screaming for Vengeance coverScreaming for VengeanceJudas Priest · 19824.2 score · 4.3 avg · 13 ratings
  18. 19Digital Noise Alliance coverDigital Noise AllianceQueensrÿche · 20224.2 score · 4.3 avg · 13 ratings
  19. 20Painkiller coverPainkillerJudas Priest · 19904.1 score · 4.2 avg · 59 ratings
  20. 21Seasons in the Abyss coverSeasons in the AbyssSlayer · 19904.1 score · 4.2 avg · 37 ratings
  21. 22Ace of Spades coverAce of SpadesMotörhead · 19804.1 score · 4.3 avg · 14 ratings
  22. 23Blood Mountain coverBlood MountainMastodon · 20064.1 score · 4.3 avg · 11 ratings
  23. 24Rock the Night: The Very Best of Europe coverRock the Night: The Very Best of EuropeEurope · 20044.1 score · 4.3 avg · 12 ratings
  24. 25The Number of the Beast coverThe Number of the BeastIron Maiden · 19824.1 score · 4.2 avg · 36 ratings
  25. 26Defenders of the Faith coverDefenders of the FaithJudas Priest · 19844.1 score · 4.2 avg · 27 ratings
  26. 27Under Cover coverUnder CoverOzzy Osbourne · 20054.1 score · 4.3 avg · 10 ratings
  27. 28Distance Over Time coverDistance Over TimeDream Theater · 20194.1 score · 4.2 avg · 28 ratings
  28. 29Vulgar Display of Power coverVulgar Display of PowerPantera · 19924.1 score · 4.1 avg · 294 ratings
  29. 30Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium coverLive at the Grand Olympic AuditoriumRage Against the Machine · 20034.1 score · 4.2 avg · 17 ratings
  30. 31Among the Living coverAmong the LivingAnthrax · 19874.1 score · 4.2 avg · 27 ratings
  31. 32Ceremony And Devotion coverCeremony And DevotionGhost · 20174.1 score · 4.2 avg · 13 ratings
  32. 33Rite Here Rite Now (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) coverRite Here Rite Now (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)Ghost · 20244.1 score · 4.2 avg · 19 ratings
  33. 34Train of Thought coverTrain of ThoughtDream Theater · 20034.1 score · 4.1 avg · 81 ratings
  34. 35City of Evil coverCity of EvilAvenged Sevenfold · 20054.1 score · 4.1 avg · 146 ratings
  35. 36Brave New World coverBrave New WorldIron Maiden · 20004.1 score · 4.2 avg · 20 ratings
  36. 37Meliora coverMelioraGhost · 20154.1 score · 4.1 avg · 36 ratings
  37. 38Divine Intervention coverDivine InterventionSlayer · 19944.1 score · 4.2 avg · 16 ratings
  38. 39The Ultimate Sin coverThe Ultimate SinOzzy Osbourne · 19864.1 score · 4.1 avg · 28 ratings
  39. 40Machine Head coverMachine HeadDeep Purple · 19724.1 score · 4.1 avg · 272 ratings
  40. 41Greatest Hits: The Atlantic Years coverGreatest Hits: The Atlantic YearsP.O.D. · 20064.1 score · 4.1 avg · 30 ratings
  41. 42CMFT coverCMFTCorey Taylor · 20204.1 score · 4.2 avg · 12 ratings
  42. 43Rewind, Replay, Rebound: Live in Deutschland coverRewind, Replay, Rebound: Live in DeutschlandVolbeat · 20204.1 score · 4.2 avg · 14 ratings
  43. 44Holy Diver coverHoly DiverDio · 19834.1 score · 4.1 avg · 21 ratings
  44. 45Around the Fur coverAround the FurDeftones · 19974.1 score · 4.1 avg · 365 ratings
  45. 46A Real Live Dead One (Live; 1998 Remaster) coverA Real Live Dead One (Live; 1998 Remaster)Iron Maiden · 20134.1 score · 4.1 avg · 22 ratings
  46. 47Giants & Monsters coverGiants & MonstersHelloween · 20254.1 score · 4.1 avg · 23 ratings
  47. 48Metal Works '73-'93 coverMetal Works '73-'93Judas Priest · 19934.1 score · 4.1 avg · 38 ratings
  48. 49Black Wind, Fire and Steel: The Atlantic Albums 1987-1992 coverBlack Wind, Fire and Steel: The Atlantic Albums 1987-1992Manowar · 20204.1 score · 4.1 avg · 17 ratings
  49. 50Blood of the Saints coverBlood of the SaintsPowerwolf · 20114.1 score · 4.1 avg · 18 ratings

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