1. Opeth - MAYH - Magnificent. So much atmosphere, and a true sense of dispair is exuded from this album. In all of extreme metal, I have yet to hear something so intense, not in a heavy sense, but in the sheer power and honesty in the music. It may be a concept, but it is as if the ghost himself from the story had made this album.
2. Katatonia - Brave Murder Day - The darkest album I have ever heard. After this (not counting the Sounds of Decay EP) they abandoned metal, though still remaining dark, but this is the peak of their metal output.
3. Devin Townsend - Biomech/Ocean Machine - Woah. Devin doesn't approach metal like most, basing most of the songs on dynamics and layering. His vocals on this album are anywhere from soft and euphoneous, to standing in front of a megaphone, kick you in the scrotum loud.
4. EoS - Crimson - So damn epic. How Swano comes up with music of such high quality in such incredible quantities is astounding.
5. In Flames - The Jester Race - So many melodies, but heavy at the same time. A deserved classic.
6. Novembre - Novembrine Waltz - This is a really "warm" album to me, which is kind of strange, considering that it's metal. It just doesn't seem heavy as much as a simply beautiful, ethereal dream. I love it. "Flower" is one of my all time favorite songs.
Runners Up:
Agalloch - The Mantle
Death - Human
In Flames - Whoracle
