Definitely one of metal's greatest years. It was painful picking favorites all the way down to #30 or so.
List so far:
1. Adramelch - Irae Melanox
2. Realm - Endless War
3. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
4. Anacrusis - Suffering Hour
5. Holy Terror - Mind Wars
6. Hexenhaus - A Tribute to Insanity
7. Deathrow - Deception Ignored
8. Pestilence - Malleus Maleficarum
9. Morbid Saint - Spectrum of Death (Lock Up Your Children, same thing)
10. Mekong Delta - The Music of Erich Zann
Voivod - Dimension Hatröss
Absolute Zero - Piracy
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II
Spectral Incursion - Nowhere Fast
Rage - Perfect Man
Target - Master Project Genesis
Nasty Savage - Abstract Reality
Heathen - Demo with Paul Baloff
Metallica - ...And Justice for All
Masque - The Dead of Night
Arrakis - Demo 1988
Glacier - Demo Tape
Coroner - Punishment for Decadence
Helstar - A Distant Thunder
Doom - Complicated Mind
King's X - Out of the Silent Planet
Death - Leprosy
Mephisto - Mephisto
Brocas Helm - Black Death
Piranha - Big Fucking Teeth
Sanctuary - Refuge Denied
Crimson Glory - Transcendence
Secrecy - Like Burning One's Boats
Drive - Characters in Time
Deadly Blessing - Ascend From the Cauldron
Infernäl Mäjesty - Nigresent Dissolution
Heathen's Rage - Demo
Bulldozer - Neurodeliri
Doom - Killing Field
Living Death - Worlds Neuroses
Desacrator - 111mzd
King Diamond - "Them"
Pantera - Power Metal
Flotsam and Jetsam - No Place for Disgrace
Grinder - Dawn for the Living
Genocide - Black Sanctuary
Lestregus Nosferatus - Demo '88
Deranged - Premonitory Nightmare
Final Prophecy - Beyond Reality
Iron Warrior - Thy Deadly Illusion
Living Colour - Vivid
Have Mercy - Morbid Reality
Demolition Hammer - Skull Fracturing Nightmare
Fates Warning - No Exit
Aftermath - Don't Cheer Me Up
HYD - Sanctuary Lost
KAT - Oddech wymarlych swiatow
Paralyser - Demo
Judas Priest - Ram It Down
Stone - Stone
Hades - If at First You Don't Succeed
Vio-Lence - Eternal Nightmare
Razor - Violent Restitution
System - Demo
Arpia - Resurrezione e Metamorfosi
Num Skull - Ritually Abused
Avant Garde - Demo #2
Syrant - Syrant
Testament - The New Order
Whetstone - Ancient Metal
Terrahsphere - Demo
Heretic - Breaking Point
Ice Age - Demo 88
Gargoyle - Gargoyle
Slayer - South of Heaven
Child Saint - Child Saint
Nomenclature Diablerie - 888
Danzig - Danzig
Scanner - Hypertrace
Xandril - Perfect Darkness
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Riot - ThunderSteel
Dreadnot - Welcome To Planet Doom
Coven - Blessed Is the Black
Wotan - Welcome to the Asgard Kingdom
Flaming Anger - Fall of Pnom Penh
Vicious Rumors - Digital Dictator
Smokescreen - Demo
Sinister - Up From the Abyss
Ydra - Last Land
Liege Lord - Master Control
Megadeth - So Far, So Good... So What!
Angel Beast - The Transition
Savage Steel - Do or Die
The Accüsed - Martha Splatterhead's Maddest Stories Ever Told
Lazarus Sin - Intracranial Mass
S.D.I. - Sign of the Wicked
Virus - Force Recon
Armoros - Pieces
Myramainz - Demo
Hexx - Quest for Sanity
Invocator - Genetic Confusion
Deadly Aggressor - Demo 1988
Bulldozer - IX
Beyond - Framed Insanity
Chastain - The Voice of the Cult
Jason Becker - Perpetual Burn
Mania - Wizard of the Lost Kingdom
Lord Crucifier - The Focus of Life
Kruiz - Kruiz
Solar Eagle - Charter to Nowhere
Dark Quarterer - The Etruscan Prophecy
Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today
Ludichrist - Powertrip
The Unsane - Inverted Crosses
Solar Eagle - Solar Eagle
Sadus - Illusions
Hydra Vein - Rather Death Than False of Faith
Despair - History of Hate
Blood Spill - Demo
Protector - Golem
Bathory - Blood Fire Death
Siren - Financial Suicide
Angel Dust - To Dust You Will Decay
Forbidden - Forbidden Evil
Cynic - Demo '88
A.R.G. - Heathenism in Penitentiary
Sabbat - History of a Time to Come
Leeway - Born to Expire
Assault - Slow Painful Death
Wargasm - Why Play Around?
Mutilated - Psychodeath Lunatics
Drifter - Nowhere to Hide
Nuclear Assault - Survive
Vendetta - Brain Damage
Running Wild - Port Royal
Deathwish - Demon Preacher
Saxon - Destiny
Pariah - The Kindred
Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force - Odyssey
Pariah - Take a Walk
Virgin Steele - Age of Consent
Sword - Sweet Dreams
Blind Illusion - The Sane Asylum
Blind Guardian - Battalions of Fear
Alchemicon - Witness to the Afflicted
Process Revealed - Process Revealed
Atrophy - Socialized Hate
Shark - Shark
Rigor Mortis - Rigor Mortis
Necromancer - Demo I
Sanctus - Accept the Blessings
Cloven Hoof - Dominator
Demonic Force - Demo
Hittman - Hittman
Proud Existence - The Trial
Hobbs' Angel of Death - Hobbs Angel of Death
Sacred Reich - Surf Nicaragua
Death Angel - Frolic Through the Park
Viking - Do or Die
Attacker - The Second Coming
Rampage - Veil of Mourn
Black Shepherd - Immortal Aggression
Hallows Eve - Monument
Incubus - Serpent Temptation
Mandator - Initial Velocity
Darkness - Defenders of Justice
Omen - Escape to Nowhere
Bloodcum - Death by a Clothes Hanger
Leader - Out in the Wasteland
Celtic Frost - Cold Lake
Manilla Road - Out of the Abyss
Toxic Shock - Change From Reality
Manowar - Kings of Metal
Exodo - The New Babylon
Raven - Nothing Exceeds Like Excess
Necronomicon - Escalation
Vengeance - Human Sacrifice
Violent Force - Unreleased Second Album
Candlemass - Ancient Dreams
Screamer - Target: Earth
Airdash - Thank God It's Monday
Sieges Even - Life Cycle
Meliah Rage - Kill to Survive
Last Descendants - One Nation Under God
Torment - The Apparition
Fuck Off - Another Sacrifice
Paralysis - Trivial Round of Life
Ozzy Osbourne - No Rest for the Wicked
Akilla - As for Me, As for You
I.N.C. - The Visitor
Anthrax - State of Euphoria
Have roughly 40 more pending to add which I may or may not include depending on how much I feel like listening to lower-tier metal from 1988 this weekend. I think I will give Under the Influence a fair relisten though, I have it at 0.5 stars on RYM but I think it would be at least a 2 star or so album for me today.
EDIT: Fuck, forgot Morbid Saint which means I have to keep Mekong Delta out.