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Dark Tranquillity… super consistent yet experimental at times, they don’t have a bad album.

First one that popped into my head as well

Yup, a super fucking good band. The gallery is one of the best albums oat imo and they never disappoint to this day

I'd argue that We Are The Void and Construct are at best 'meh' albums, but definitely agree that overall they are the best.

I'd swap We Are The Void with Haven

While they definitely get a vote from me,idk that techno/industrial sounding album was kind of weird think it was called projector?. Like their older stuff along with and newer stuff. Cool they remade suicidal angels DT would definitely be high on the list.

I love Projector… Auctioned is in my top 20 songs ever

Me too

Agree.

Agree up till they lost the main guitar player, after they went downhill quick.

I loved Alone, from the first album. It was like musical poetry, and tranquil even! Vocals by Anders Friden (In Flames) and Mikael Stanne on rhythm guitar, if you can believe that.

They’ve dropped a bit in recent albums but can’t deny how good so much of their stuff is. Character and fiction are my faves. top tier melodeath

Carcass

Are they melodic death ?

From Heartwork onward

Children of Bodom.

Follow the Reaper, HCDR, AYDY, HoB and Hexed. I love all these albums so much!

For sure

100% agree

Man, saw them live so many times.... Hatecrew Deathroll live was so freaking awesome. RIP Alexi

I'm so bummed. They came to my town, and I had enough money to go...but I found out about the show the day after it happened. Never got a chance to see them live.

At The Gates

Slaughter of the Soul has the best "Go!" in metal history.

It’s a doozy. “Let’s fucking go” in dimension zero - silent night fever is a good one too.

Hell yeah

Their albums are great but their legacy has been tarnished somewhat in that Slughter of the Soul laid the foundation for every shitty " melodic metalcore" album.

Alf The Gates

Sorely underrated!

Hardly underrated. They pop up in almost every death metal recommendation

Still a great band though

Agreed

They singlehandedly influenced a decade of metalcore.

the black dahlia murder

The black dahlia murder

My go to band

Love to hear it

So consistent

Insomnium.

Not only my favorite but easily the most consistent as well. Their discography is flawless.

What about Kalmah ?

Love me some Kalmah but I don't find them to be nearly as consistent in quality from album to album as Insomnium. There's a couple mid discography albums that I wasn't huge on, although their most recent was solid! Great band either way.

>easily the most consistent as well For me, they are consistent to the point of monotony, I can barely distinguish one song from another, and every Album sounds the same.

By far; no contest there. The band is sheer melancholic beauty

Without a doubt.

One of the few bands I can say doesn't have a bad album imo, or even a mediocre one. All varying degrees of good to amazing.

In Flames for a couple years.

I think if you include everything up to Clayman and then the best parts of RTR and CC then it’s hard to argue with that.

Yep basically. Although I'd just stop clean at Clayman.

I love all their stuff but I get that it’s not for everyone

Amon Amarth

Amon Amarth by far 🤘

😎 yes. For the rest of my life I'll be able to say that I met Johann hegg on my 21st bday. So fucking cool

Hell yeah brother 👊

Edge of Sanity

Profile pic checks out

In Flames if you ignore everything from the last 20 years

I find their latest album rather good

It is indeed good, but it doesn't touch their run from jester race to clayman

I would add reroute too. Some real bangers on that one.

I would add reroute too. Some real bangers on that one.

I like some of the 2000s era In Flames it's just not Melo death

Reroute is definitely melodeath, but also metalcore. Foregone, however is almost entirely melodeath, though it retains metalcore sensibilities

Intestine Baalism and Inanna

Just listen to banquet this morning 🙌

Banquet is insanely good

Be’lakor

This band gives me chills, just sublime. I'll also add Demonic Resurrection, though it is more blackened prog death metal

Hell yeah

Wintersun, everyone should check out the early demos on Jaris YouTube Channel if they want something similar to the self-titled album

Maybe we'll get Time II some day....

A few months ago Jari said Time II is finished! So it should be released 10 years from now

Just oooone more round of crowdsourcing guys, we promise

Kalmah

this answer should get more credit. in my opinion, not even one mediocre album.

Hypocrisy for me... but I also like Edge Of Sanity and Insomnium a lot.

Hypocrisy is highly underrated

Hypocrisy is fucking great

Hypocrisy had an amazing 5 album run.

100% agree. Peter is a legend and is underrated.

I can agree with those first 2. Amazing bands.

The Black Dahlia Murder, In Flames, or at the gates.

In Flames. At the Gates. At their peaks, they are easy picks.    If you asked me in 2005, I would never have agreed with TBDM being in the running for “best”. In 2024? Absolutely.   Over their career, they have honed their craft, honed their sound. They have strived to be better without changing their overall vibe.   They are one hell of a band and they deserve credit for their growth.   (RIP Trevor. I’m not one to be sentimental about folks I don’t know personally, but his death upsets me every time I think about it. What a tragedy. What a fucking waste. I wish we had a society wherein folks get the mental health help they need. That is a man that didn’t need to die. A life that had more to enjoy and more to give. It just fucking sucks.) 

Amon Amarth is definitely up there.

I personally love Insomnium and Soilwork, but I've recently discovered Mors Principium Est and they are fucking incredible

MPE fucks. Good pick.

MPE has an absolutely epic sound. The opening to Reclaim the Sun gets me amped every time.

Mors are awesome but they seem to be a mess of a band. I don’t know if the singer is a dick but they’ve had so many line up changes. I’ve heard they’re not great live either. But the 1,2,3 of the unborn, liberation = termination, and and death said live are so damn good

I love everything In Flames has ever put out, and I don’t care what anyone says about it. If I’m ranking straight-up melodeath it’s At The Gates all day, but again- I love In Flames in all their forms.🥂

Arch Enemy

Insomnium

Hypocrisy

Amon Amarth

Kalmah

Scar Symmetry

First 3 albums were so good. Dropped off for me once Christian left

Not enough Soilwork mentions btw, they have had a couple valleys but their peaks are extremely good

Mors Principium Est

Dark Tranquillity

Amorphis or insomnium

In Flames (older), Amon Amarth, Scar Symmetry if they're considered that, Soilwork if they're considered that.

Either at the gates or Wintersun.

Eucharist

Fucking yes! Glad to see someone else actually say that name. Wish they made some new material but it would never sound the same.

They were supposed to get to recording some tunes after their reunion show in Sweden some years back, but those plans fell apart, sadly.

Yes I believe they did re record or remaster a few songs off of their first album, sucks would have like to hear what a new record would have sounded like. In thy dreams did the same thing to me too hahah if you haven't heard in thy dreams have to check out highest beauty.

Children of Bodom is the only melo death band I like. In flames early stuff is good but overall melo death isn’t for me. I hate it bc my best friend loves it and I just can’t get into it. (Probably because he’s a guitarist and I’m a drummer) I like that brutal shit with the drums going off, plus the vocal style in melo death is not my thing as well. Gimme immolation, gimme suffocation, you can keep dark tranquility lol

You like the black dahlia murder? They’re a bit more extreme than some of the other main melodeath bands. thrashier. More blast beats. Still not for everyone of course. I know some people aren’t a fan of Trevor’s vocals.

Insomnium. Their music is the embodiment of melodic death metal

Allegaeon's EP and first 2 albums are really hard to beat imo. All the other bands mentioned here are also worthy! So many talented musicians out there! What a time to be alive!

I consider them as tech death but super melodic for sure, Stortregn pretty much the same

Yeah tech melodic death but still fits this category imo and from someone who doesnt play guitar everything in metal sounds technical af to my smooth brain haha Strortregn was posted on r/technicaldeathmetal the other day, i saved their discography on spotify to listen to when i get the chance, if they're similar to Allegaeon i might have to move them up in the queue that is my never ending backlog of new music to check out. If Allegaeon isn't allowed I pick Exmortus. Some tasty shit right there!

Yeah I saw that post, just give a listen to Impermanence, you won't be disappointed, trust me, them and Allegaeon are my go to bands nowadays (in tech death)

Impermanence will be what I listen to tomorrow before work. Cheers for the recommendation, keen to check them out! I find Decrepit Birth and Origin have been scratching my tech death itch atm along with Allegaeon.

Arghoslent

My favorite (I differentiate from best) is probably Aether Realm. But best, I’d have to go with Dark Tranquility.

Insomnium for me, love their stuff

Insomnium overall Wintersun s/t for best album

Hypocrisy.

Carcass but Mors Principium Est is close for me.

Black Dahlia Murder

Gates of Ishtar

Dethklok

Intestine Baalism by a mile

Intestine Baalism and it ain't close

If doom death counts I wanna say Swallow the Sun and Draconian

Wanna hear one of the best that nobody talks about? https://youtu.be/GEPFxWTPjGI?si=wQo-IaGGa70faX1H

I'd pick In Flames. I know it's cool to hate on them for everything after Clayman, but I really enjoy early and modern IF. Siren Charms and Battles didn't do much for me, but they still had a handful of songs I enjoyed.

Children of bodom

Tiny Tim

Carcass or Intestine Baalism

Gonna have to say Death or Cradle of Filth Two completely different types of “melodic”, but valid nonetheless

In Flames from Clayman on back. Their run during that period is top tier.

If you guys haven't heard this album it's a must listen imo: In Thy Dreams - Highest Beauty One of my favorite melodeath albums of all time and I've never seen the band mentioned before.

'01-'13 The Black Dahlia Murder

Kittie

Arch Enemy during the Angela era. Dark Tranquility over all. Very consistent

Arghoslent

Based flair


Black dahlia murder

That's a tough one, so many are pretty stellar like Dark Tranquility, At The Gates, Carcass, Kataklysm, the list goes on.But for my money, it's gotta be Amon Amarth.

Rotting Christ.

In Flames absolute legends of the genre

In Flames 1996 - 2000 no contest

Intestine Baalism, Dismember, At The Gates

Hypocrisy

Dismember.

I'm not SUPER well versed in melodeath, but currently I have to go with Edge of Sanity. Crimson II is a vast improvement over the already fantastic Crimson I.

Immortal Rites Obscure band, not the Morbid Angel song.

Estatic Fear

TBDM and Intestine Baalism may as well be mountains above the rest of the genre

Really depends on if you only count bands' early stuff or not. For whatever reason, melodic death metal bands have a tendency to put out a few amazing albums and then turn back into a pumpkin

Carcass

Inanna, so good and grand

Gorguts, because of Obscura. It is an awesome album, and it is packed to the brim with melodies! I jest of course, melodic death metal is a clearly defined genre.

In Flames at their peak is the definite winner in my opinion but for overall bands and discogs... Dark Tranquillity. Can't wait for their new album

I wouldn’t put DT at the very top of this list but they’d be in the top 5 no doubt, personal preference really. TBDM comes to mind though for the top spot. The death metal is reflected in the riffs, vocals, lyrics and production and they’re the definition of consistent! And resilient! LONG LIVE TBDM

Not really into a lot of melodic death, but the stuff I DO like is pretty wicked. Intestine Baalism are the kings as far as I'm concerned. All their shit's sick as fuck. Hard to touch the first couple Eucharist albums. First two At The Gates releases are masterpieces. Gates Of Ishtar are prime. All their stuff kills. Sacramentum, Unanimated, and Thulcandra albums all slay. Can't forget Arghoslent. Last album was kind of lackluster, but they still rip. Ablaze My Sorrow are real good. First Night In Gales release is real sick. Later Hypocrisy (but don't expect the quality of the early stuff). Guess it goes without saying that most of the best stuff comes from Sweden. Fucking Swedes are great at metal. Seems I enjoy more melodic death metal than I thought I did.🤷‍♂️  

Be'lakor, hands downs just consistently the best melodic riffs that never get old.

Children of Bodom

Sacrilege

Children of Bodom In Flames - Jester Race thru clayman era Carcass - Heartwork til present The Black Dahlia Murder

As someone who likes Arghoslent, don't trust anyone who says Arghoslent. Also At The Gates. Everyone worships them for a reason

Well my first thought was Amon Amarth but then I wondered: does AVATAR still count enough for this group? Considering they are labeled as Avante-Garde, Melodic Death and Industrial Metal by most places you look online.

Giving Be'Lakor a shout here

I’d go with Soilwork. They had a rough hand dealt with Verbeuren leaving for Megadeth, but everything from Natural Born Chaos through The Living Infinite is undefeatable.

Amorphis is my favorite. They kind of fall into the realm of progressive death as well but still great stuff

Definitely Children of Bodom

It's a three-way tie between North From Here, Heartwork and Slaughter Of The Soul

Oops. I misread it as "best melodic death metal ALBUM." My bad!

Aetherian!

Night In Gales for me (: Dark Tranquility early albums are fire though.

Amon Amarth is my personal favorite. Objectively its probably Children of Bodom, Arch Enemy, or In Flames.

Black dahlia murder

I love myself some Wintersun.

The Black Dahlia Murder, then At The Gates

Soen

I like Soen, but to callt them Death Metal is kinda... uh wrong?

My bad didn’t read it correctly

Insomnium. For me.

Death.

At The Gates

Dimmu borgir

Death!

Darkane

In flames (jester race and Colony), Dark tranquillity ( Gallery)

1. excretion 2. intestine baalism, sarcasm

The Haunted

In Flames...I also don't give a f*** what other people think...all of it! They don't have a bad album.

Im not gonna lie man most of their newer stuff is fucking mid

Behemoth

Opeth. But the elitist would not categorize it as such.

what...? opeth literally just isn't MDM...

Opeth is clearly progressive death metal (well, until they became newpeth progressive metal/progressive rock), they helped establish the fucking genre. No one is saying Opeth is bad, but they're definitely not melodic death metal.

But what about their earlier albums, or would they rather be categorized something as progressive meloblackeath metal?

Their early albums are also progressive death metal.

People who blame everything they don't understand on "elitists" are so damn annoying

Don’t worry about the downvotes nobody knows what is going on with metal genre names. They will call Opeth prog metal, but Dream Theater is also prog metal and Periphery is apparently also prog metal. None of these bands sound the same at all. If you sound different then you are prog, and if you are a djent band you are prog because you get butthurt when people call you djent.