Top 10 Best Album Runs in Metal History

1. Black Sabbath (1970-1975)

   

   - Black Sabbath (1970)

   - Paranoid (1970)

   - Master of Reality (1971)

   - Vol. 4 (1972)

   - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)

   - Sabotage (1975)

   - Black Sabbath

   - Paranoid

   - Master of Reality

   - Vol 4

   - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

   - Sabotage

   Again, one of the best runs in metal history, classic after classic.

2. Metallica (1983-1991)

   

   - Kill 'Em All (1983)

   - Ride the Lightning (1984)

   - Master of Puppets (1986)

   - ...And Justice for All (1988)

   - Metallica (1991)

3. Iron Maiden (1980-1988)

   

   - Iron Maiden (1980)

   - Killers (1981)

   - The Number of the Beast (1982)

   - Piece of Mind (1983)

   - Powerslave (1984)

   - Somewhere in Time (1986)

   - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)

   - Iron Maiden

   - Killers

   - The Number of the Beast

   - Piece of Mind

   - Powerslave

   - Somewhere in Time

   - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

   Definitely the best run of albums in metal (and music too), classic after classic.

   That's a bold claim that it is the best run of albums in music history. Not saying it's necessarily untrue though.

4. Megadeth (1986-1992)

   

   - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? (1986)

   - So Far, So Good... So What! (1988)

   - Rust in Peace (1990)

   - Countdown to Extinction (1992)

5. Death (1987-1998)

   

   - Scream Bloody Gore (1987)

   - Leprosy (1988)

   - Spiritual Healing (1990)

   - Human (1991)

   - Individual Thought Patterns (1993)

   - Symbolic (1995)

   - The Sound of Perseverance (1998)

6. Pantera (1990-2000)

   

   - Cowboys from Hell (1990)

   - Vulgar Display of Power (1992)

   - Far Beyond Driven (1994)

   - The Great Southern Trendkill (1996)

   - Reinventing the Steel (2000)

7. Project 86 (1998-2012)

   

   - Project 86 (1998)

   - Drawing Black Lines (2000)

   - Truthless Heroes (2002)

   - Songs to Burn Your Bridges By (2003)

   - ...And the Rest Will Follow (2005)

   - Rival Factions (2007)

   - Picket Fence Cartel (2009)

   - Wait for the Siren (2012)

8. Opeth (1998-2008)

   

   - My Arms, Your Hearse (1998)

   - Still Life (1999)

   - Blackwater Park (2001)

   - Deliverance (2002)

   - Damnation (2003)

   - Ghost Reveries (2005)

   - Watershed (2008)

9. Motorhead (1977-1986)

   

   - Motörhead (1977)

   - Overkill (1979)

   - Bomber (1979)

   - Ace of Spades (1980)

   - Iron Fist (1982)

   - Another Perfect Day (1983)

   - Orgasmatron (1986)

10. Anthrax (1984-1993)

    

    - Fistful of Metal (1984)

    - Spreading the Disease (1985)

    - Among the Living (1987)

    - State of Euphoria (1988)

    - Persistence of Time (1990)

    - Sound of White Noise (1993)

The Newcomers
11. ?

    In Flames (1994-2000)

    

    In Flames is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden, formed in 1990.

    Currently active members include Anders Fridén (vocalist), Björn Gelotte (guitarist, formerly drummer), Niclas Engelin (guitarist), and Peter Iwers (bassist). As of 2025, the band features Tanner Wayne as... read more

12. ?

    Corrosion of Conformity (1994-2000)

    

    - Deliverance (1994)

    - Wiseblood (1996)

    - America's Volume Dealer (2000)

The Contenders

13. Judas Priest (1976-1980)

    

    - Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

    - Sin After Sin (1977)

    - Stained Class (1978)

    - Killing Machine (1978, also known as "Hell Bent for Leather")

    - British Steel (1980)

14. Alice in Chains (1990-1995)

    

    - Facelift (1990)

    - Dirt (1992)

    - Jar of Flies (1994)

    - Alice in Chains (1995)

15. Slipknot (1999-2019)

    

    - Slipknot (1999)

    - Iowa (2001)

    - Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) (2004)

    - All Hope Is Gone (2008)

    - .5: The Gray Chapter (2014)

    - We Are Not Your Kind (2019)

16. Agalloch (1999-2014)

    

    - Pale Folklore (1999)

    - The Mantle (2002)

    - Ashes Against the Grain (2006)

    - Marrow of the Spirit (2010)

    - The Serpent & The Sphere (2014)

17. Slayer (1985-1990)

    

    - Hell Awaits (1985)

    - Reign in Blood (1986)

    - South of Heaven (1988)

    - Seasons in the Abyss (1990)

18. Dream Theater (1999-2009)

    

    - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999)

    - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002)

    - Train of Thought (2003)

    - Octavarium (2005)

    - Systematic Chaos (2007)

    - Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009)

19. Deep Purple (1970-1974)

    

    - Deep Purple in Rock (1970)

    - Fireball (1971)

    - Machine Head (1972)

    - Who Do We Think We Are (1973)

    - Burn (1974)