Autothrall's Best Metal Albums of 1994

The Top 20 Metal Albums of 1994

01. Emperor (Norway) - In the Nightside Eclipse
02. Darkthrone (Norway) - Transilvanian Hunger
03. Amorphis (Finland) - Tales from the Thousand Lakes
04. Soundgarden (USA) - Superunknown
05. Tiamat (Sweden) - Wildhoney
06. Enslaved (Norway) - Frost
07. Burzum (Norway) - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
08. Helloween (Germany) - Master of the Rings
09. Samael (Switzerland) - Ceremony of Opposites
10. Edge of Sanity (Sweden) - Purgatory Afterglow
11. Septic Flesh (Greece) - Mystic Places of Dawn
12. Prong (USA) - Cleansing
13. Running Wild (Germany) - Black Hand Inn
14. Skyclad (UK) - Prince of the Poverty Line
15. Mercyful Fate (Denmark) - Time
16. Incantation (USA) - Mortal Throne of Nazarene
17. Headhunter (Germany) - Rebirth
18. Brutality (USA) - When the Sky Turns Black
19. Forgotten Woods (Norway) - As the Wolves Gather
20. Helmet (USA) - Betty

Norwegian black metal was in full session this year, with a good number of releases that would carve their names into legend. I realize De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is a sacred cow of the genre, but to be honest I've never enjoyed it quite so much as some of its peers. Great to see a comeback from Helloween with their then-new singer Andi Deris, and several bands put out their best work in this year: Skyclad and Edge of Sanity in particular. There were also a number of 'growers', especially in the black metal spectrum. Emperor's full-length debut easily wins the year, a staggering display of symphonic tyranny which would prove immensely influential to whole scenes of the genre in later years, but Transilvanian Hunger was also a spotless exercise in rabid darkness.

UPDATED FOR 2021