Hmm, Esoteric's newest album is probably the closest they've been to "traditional" funeral doom. The older records are less accessible and more distorted, if you can imagine that. I haven't followed this band's career very closely, but this is what I've heard from fairly reputable sources.
My favorite Slayer album is Hell Awaits, but their best songs are on RIB. I just am tempted to hit the skip button by some of the lesser tracks on that album.
Judas Priest has been around too long. Their last two decades were definitely not as productive as their first.
Incorrigible Bigotry was the first Arghoslent album to be widely distributed, so of course it gets talked about more than their others. It's a fine album, but I agree not their very best.
Ulver is a strange one. While it is true that Garm is despicable, Nattens Madrigal is judged too harshly by most black metal fans. Ulver was not innovative and they worked within a template established by other bands, but on a strictly compositional level, it's stronger than most albums I see praised. I often see it called a populist effort, but I don't think this criticism holds water musically.
I agree with most of the bands I've seen so far, so carry on.
I suspect that this one will turn ugly, though.
