Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
These are my picks for the best albums from 20 different metal subgenres — from the raw fury of thrash to the crushing weight of doom, the chaos of mathcore, and everything in between. Each of these records represents what I feel is the essence of its respective style — no filler, just pure metal greatness. Whether you’re new to heavy music or a long-time headbanger, this list is packed with classics and hidden gems that define the sound of metal across the decades.
00:00 Intro
00:09 Thrash Metal
Metallica - Ride The Lightning
01:17 Groove Metal
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
02:11 Death Metal
Death - Individual Thought Patterns
002:57 Melodic Death Metal
Dark Tranquillity - Damage Done
03:42 Blackened Death Metal
Behemoth - The Satanist
04:30 Black Metal
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
05:22 Nu Metal
Slipknot - Slipknot
06:10 Doom Metal
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
06:58 Power Metal
Rhapsody (Of Fire) - Legendary Tales
07:47 Heavy Metal
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance
08:25 Symphonic Metal
Nightwish - Once
09:04 Progressive Metal
Opeth - Blackwater Park
09:44 Metalcore
Converge - Jane Doe
10:31 Mathcore
The Number 12 Looks Like You - Worse Than Alone
11:21 Deathcore
Suicide Silence - The Cleansing
12:11 Post Metal
Godflesh - Pure
12:52 Sludge Metal
High On Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis
13:34 Industrial Metal
Skinny Puppy - Too Dark Park
14:22 Grindcore
Pig Destroyer - Terrifier
15:02 Folk Metal
Ensiferum - Ensiferum
Buy Metal Trenches MERCH (Sick design by CurlyArt): metaltrenches.bigcartel.com
Grow YOUR OWN YouTube Channel with vidiq.com/METAL
Join us on DISCORD! discord.gg/7QTAesh5Pp
Become a Supporter!
patreon.com/metaltrenches
subscribestar.com/metal-trenches
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: eepurl.com/dogQCD
Connect:
metaltrenches.com
minds.com/metaltrenches
facebook.com/metaltrenches
metaltrenches.bandcamp.com
twitter.com/MetalTrenches
instagram.com/metal.trenches
I do not own the rights to any of the featured song clips on this video. All credit to the artists and labels with specific permission granted. These fall under fair use based on sufficient transformation for the purpose of review, promotion, and commentary.
These are my picks for the best albums from 20 different metal subgenres — from the raw fury of thrash to the crushing weight of doom, the chaos of mathcore, and everything in between. Each of these records represents what I feel is the essence of its respective style — no filler, just pure metal greatness. Whether you’re new to heavy music or a long-time headbanger, this list is packed with classics and hidden gems that define the sound of metal across the decades.
00:00 Intro
00:09 Thrash Metal
Metallica - Ride The Lightning
01:17 Groove Metal
Pantera - Vulgar Display Of Power
02:11 Death Metal
Death - Individual Thought Patterns
002:57 Melodic Death Metal
Dark Tranquillity - Damage Done
03:42 Blackened Death Metal
Behemoth - The Satanist
04:30 Black Metal
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse
05:22 Nu Metal
Slipknot - Slipknot
06:10 Doom Metal
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
06:58 Power Metal
Rhapsody (Of Fire) - Legendary Tales
07:47 Heavy Metal
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance
08:25 Symphonic Metal
Nightwish - Once
09:04 Progressive Metal
Opeth - Blackwater Park
09:44 Metalcore
Converge - Jane Doe
10:31 Mathcore
The Number 12 Looks Like You - Worse Than Alone
11:21 Deathcore
Suicide Silence - The Cleansing
12:11 Post Metal
Godflesh - Pure
12:52 Sludge Metal
High On Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis
13:34 Industrial Metal
Skinny Puppy - Too Dark Park
14:22 Grindcore
Pig Destroyer - Terrifier
15:02 Folk Metal
Ensiferum - Ensiferum
Buy Metal Trenches MERCH (Sick design by CurlyArt): metaltrenches.bigcartel.com
Grow YOUR OWN YouTube Channel with vidiq.com/METAL
Join us on DISCORD! discord.gg/7QTAesh5Pp
Become a Supporter!
patreon.com/metaltrenches
subscribestar.com/metal-trenches
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: eepurl.com/dogQCD
Connect:
metaltrenches.com
minds.com/metaltrenches
facebook.com/metaltrenches
metaltrenches.bandcamp.com
twitter.com/MetalTrenches
instagram.com/metal.trenches
I do not own the rights to any of the featured song clips on this video. All credit to the artists and labels with specific permission granted. These fall under fair use based on sufficient transformation for the purpose of review, promotion, and commentary.
