Best year for metal?

GoD, I'm curious, could you possibly acknowledge a single band of CONSIDERABLE notoriety that you happen to be an admirer of?

Don't interpret this post as derisive or critical, it's merely a matter of curiosity.
 
I'm quite an admirer of Suffocation anyway, I just don't rate them as highly as quite a few other bands of their ilk, yet they seemingly get the most respect.
 
the last 5 years have seen shit loads of ace bands come out that would have been seen as legendary having they'd of come out 10 years ago. I think 2000- 2004 are the best years as music has only progressed for the better and there are a shit load more metal bands of every genre out there now than ever before.
 
1990

Annihilator - Never Neverland
Anthrax - Persistence Of Time
Artillery - By Inheritance
Asphyx - Embrace The Death
Atheist - Piece Of Time
Bathory - Hammerheart
Beherit - Demonomancy
Blind Guardian - Tales From The Twilight World
Carnage - Dark Recollections
Celtic Frost - Vanity/Nemesis
Darkthrone - Soulside Journey
Death - Spiritual Healing
Deicide - Deicide
Destruction - Cracked Brain
Dio - Lock Up The Wolves
Entombed - Left Hand Path
Exhorder - Slaughter In The Vatican
Gamma Ray - Heading For Tomorrow
Hallows Eve - Left For Dead
Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raids 1990 AD
Judas Priest - Painkiller
King Diamond - The Eye
Kreator - Coma Of Souls
Master - Master
Master's Hammer - Ritual
Megadeth - Rust In Peace
Protector - Leviathan's Desire
Rage - Reflections Of A Shadow
Razor - Shotgun Justice
Sadus - Swallowed In Black
Slaughter - Not Dead Yet
Slayer - Seasons In The Abyss
Sodom - Better Off Dead
Stone - Colours
Trouble - Trouble
Vio-Lence - Oppressing The Masses
Whiplash - Insult To Injury