Ben Schlichter complied this list-

Votes for Album of the year. Each person was given 5 votes, and there were a few situations where there were vote dumps for 1 album, none others in quick succession that were de-duped. #1 Stryper – When We Were Kings / To Hell With Amps (Votes – 209)
#2 Whitecross – Fear No Evil (Votes – 127)
#3 Convictions – The Fear of God (Votes – 115)
#4 POD – Veritas (Votes – 112)

#5 Skillet – Revolution (Votes – 102)
#6 Saint – Immortalizer (Votes – 101)
#7 Impellitteri – War Machine (Votes – 70)
#8 Flood – Ripped Into Exile (Votes – 67)
#9 Human Code – Break the Silence (Votes – 66)
#10 Ben Baruk – Cosmogony (Votes – 63)
#11 Project 86 – OMNI (Votes – 62)
#12 Seventh Day Slumber – Fractured Paradise (Votes – 62)
#13 Project 86 – OMNI, Pt 2 (Votes – 61)
#14 Motivik – Renouncement (Votes – 60)
#15 America Inc – America Inc (Votes – 52)
#16 Spoken – Reflection (Votes – 52)
#17 Shining Force – Spiritual Warfare (Votes – 51)
#18 Perpetual Legacy – Teodrama (Votes – 50)
#19 Slechtvalk – At Death’s Gate (Votes – 50)
#20 Allos – Strong Delusion (Votes – 45)
#21 Kalamity Kills – Kalamity Kills (Votes – 40)
#22 All for the King – Darkest Before Dawn (Votes – 35)
#23 Exodus Rising – The Book of Life Pt. 1 (Votes – 34)
#24 The Brave – Carnival of Sins (Votes – 32)
#25 Antidemon – Convergence (Votes – 30)
#26 UnWorthy – This Present Darkness (Votes – 30)
#27 Heal the Hurt – Heal the Hurt (Votes – 29)
#28 Lightworker – Beautiful Decay (Votes – 27)
#29 Mohler – Above All (Votes – 26)
#30 Harpazo – The Crucible (Votes – 24)
#31 InnerWish – Ash of Eternal Flame (Votes – 22)
#32 Teramaze – Eli: A Wonderful Fall from Grace (Votes – 22)
#33 Symphony of Heaven – Ordo Aurum Archeia (Votes – 21)
#34 Cleansing of the Temple – The Devil Knows My Name (Votes – 20)
#35 Desolate Tomb – Scorned By Misery (Votes – 20)
#36 FaithHead – The Horror of Things to Come (Votes – 20)
#37 Leah – The Glory and the Fallen (Votes – 19)
#38 Millennial Reign – World on Fire (Votes – 19)
#39 My Epic – Loriella (Votes – 18)
#40 Trebuchet SDG – Through The Dark Ages (Votes – 17)
#41 Meadows – Familiar With Pain (Votes – 16)
#42 Opus Irae – Into the Endless Night (Votes – 16)
#43 Immortal Souls – Cold Sounds (Votes – 15)
#44 Islander – Grammy Nominated (Votes – 14)
#45 Warlord – Free Spirit Soar (Votes – 14)
#46 Glae – Human Condition (Votes – 13)
#47 Sunbomb – Light Up the Sky (Votes – 13)
#48 ANETTE OLZON – Rapture (Votes – 12)
#49 Karv – What the Dunes Have Hidden (Votes – 11)
#50 Not Of This World – I Am With You (Votes – 11)
#51 TAKE – Time Bomb (Votes – 11)
#52 Tierra Vacia – Rumble (Votes – 11)
#53 At The Cross – Sword Of The Spirit (Votes – 10)
#54 Shamash – Done With Misery (Votes – 10)
#55 The Forerunner – Deceptions (Votes – 10)
#56 Hell’s Enemy – Hymns of Eternal Victory (Votes – 9)
#57 Afflicted Truth – The Seeking of Redemption (Votes – 8)
#58 Duister Maanlicht – Woud Van De Kwade Geest (Votes – 8)
#59 Pneuma Coffer – Garden of Wither (Votes – 8)
#60 Xaphon – Heights Of The Far North (Votes – 8)
#61 His Name Alone – Multiple Albums (Votes – 7)
#62 THOMAS THOMPSON EARTH PROJECT – Resurrection (Votes – 7)
#63 Dawnbreaker – Banisher of Unlight (Votes – 6)
#64 Fire from Heaven – Multiple Albums (Votes – 6)
#65 Lordchain – The Chastisment of Our Peace (Votes – 6)
#66 Tortured Conscience – One Law, One King (Votes – 6)
#67 Warpriest – Gloombreaker (Votes – 6)
#68 Brad Smith – Broken Bones & Bullet Holes (Votes – 5)
#69 Connor Payne – Repent! For The Kingdom Of Heaven Is At Hand (Votes – 5)
#70 Eonia – Passing (Votes – 5)
#71 Extinction of Ba’al – Entering Ancient Ages of Idolatry (Votes – 5)
#72 One King (Votes – 5)
#73 TRANSCENDENT – Awaken (Votes – 5)
#74 Bloodcrown – Sound of Flesh and Bone (Votes – 4)
#75 Bond of Iniquity – Let Us Go (Votes – 4)
#76 Eternal Gaze – Winter’s Womb (Votes – 4)
#77 Grave Forsaken – Moment In Time (Votes – 4)
#78 Herfstdood – Lijdensweg (Votes – 4)
#79 Our Blessed Hope – Flames of Fire (Votes – 4)
#80 That We May Die With Him / Revelation Metal (Votes – 4)
#81 Gnadenthron – Verhei​ß​ung (Votes – 3)
#82 Iron 501 – Thin Blue Line (Votes – 3)
#83 Latter Reign – Order to Chaos (Votes – 3)
#84 LEGACY – Hello (Votes – 3)
#85 Legend Revisited – From the Lord (Votes – 3)
#86 New World (Votes – 3)
#87 Within Power – The Eclipse of Worlds (Votes – 3)
#88 Discriptor – Vainglory (Votes – 2)
#89 Embers of Eternity – The Voice Of Fire (Votes – 2)
#90 Givre – Le Cloître (Votes – 2)
#91 Holy Devastation – Holy Devastation (Votes – 2)
#92 A Sight in Veracity – Trivial Imagination (Votes – 1)
#93 At Hand – This Sickness Is Not Unto Death (Votes – 1)
#94 Gory SDG – Multiple Albums (Votes – 1)
#95 My Darkest Time – Fragile (Votes – 1)
#96 Victual Flesh – Multiple Albums (Votes – 1)

EP Of the Year Voting:
#1 Bloodlines – Holiness Cries (Votes – 150
#2 Leviticus – MMXXIV (Votes – 108)
#3 Brotality – It Feeds / Bones of God (Votes – 68)
#4 No Treaty – Sound the Trumpet (Votes – 66)
#5 Burial Extraction – Expelled (Votes – 60)
#6 Saved by Skarlet – Creation and Crisis (Votes – 46)
#7 Diamonds to Dust – Temporary Affliction (Votes – 44)
#8 REFORMED – Thus Saith The Lord (Votes – 32)
#9 Taking the Head of Goliath – Futility of the Flesh (Votes – 30)
#10 Majesty – Exaltation I-IV (Votes – 18)
#11 A Secret Ending – Hell Quakes: Chapter II (Votes – 16)
#12 Celestial Chaos – Divine Retribution (Votes – 16)
#13 Cannibalistic – Ascension (Votes – 12)
#14 Every Thought Captive – Eternal Conscious Punishment (Votes – 12)
#15 This Surrender – Echoes (Votes – 10)
#16 Altarheart – Creatures Here Below (Votes – 8)
#17 I Am the Pendragon – Revisionist History (Votes – 6)
#18 Before there Was Rosalyn – Hypocrites / As Far as The (Votes – 4)
#19 Classic Disaster – Too Blind to See (Votes – 4)
#20 Daygraves – Upstate Tape (Votes – 4)
#21 Forfeit Thee Untrue – Gather The Broken (Votes – 4)
#22 Strixskog – Through the Raging Seas / Slaughtered (Votes – 4)
#23 Anathoth – Eternidad (Votes – 2)
#24 Enduring Revery – Staring Into Light (Votes – 2)
#25 GratitudeTX – Reap & Sow / Thorn (Votes – 2)
#26 Zebulon – Desolation I (Votes – 2)

Top 10 Christian Extreme Metal Albums

Horde – “Hellig Usvart”

“Hellig Usvart” by Horde is a pioneering Christian black metal album that pushes the boundaries of the genre. Drawing influences from Norwegian black metal bands like Mayhem and Darkthrone, Horde infuses their music with intense aggression and dark atmospheres. The album’s blend of raw, blistering black metal and unapologetic Christian lyrics challenged the conventions of the genre and paved the way for other Christian black metal bands.

 

Paramæcium – “Exhumed of the Earth”

“Exhumed of the Earth” by Paramæcium is a doom/death metal masterpiece. With crushing riffs, atmospheric passages, and deep growling vocals, the album’s mournful and introspective sound captivates listeners. Paramæcium’s influences, such as bands like My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost, are evident in their ability to blend the brutality of death metal with the melancholic beauty of doom metal. The album’s theological and spiritual themes contribute to its significant impact on the Christian metal scene.

Who The Album Influenced:
Crowned In Sorrow

 

Believer – “Extraction from Mortality”

“Extraction from Mortality” by Believer is a landmark album in Christian thrash metal. Combining aggressive riffs, intricate song structures, and thought-provoking lyrics, Believer’s technical prowess shines through. Drawing influence from bands like Megadeth and Testament, Believer’s unique blend of thrash metal and progressive elements sets them apart. “Extraction from Mortality” helped establish Believer as one of the pioneering bands in the Christian metal scene.

Who The Album Influenced:

Living Sacrifice

 

Embodyment – “Embrace the Eternal”

“Embrace the Eternal” by Embodyment is a significant album in the early days of deathcore, known for its technicality and strong biblical lyrics. As one of the pioneers in the genre, Embodyment delivered a relentless onslaught of aggressive death metal elements. The album’s intricate musicianship, including complex guitar work and intense drumming, showcases their technical prowess. With its unyielding sound and powerful biblical themes, “Embrace the Eternal” left an indelible mark on the Christian metal scene, helping to pave the way for the development of deathcore.

 

Mortification – “Scrolls of the Megiloth”

“Scrolls of the Megiloth” by Mortification is a classic Christian death metal album. With its aggressive guitar riffs, blistering drumming, and growling vocals, the album showcases Mortification’s mastery of the genre. Their influences from bands like Death and Possessed are evident, but Mortification infuses their music with strong Christian messages, tackling topics like spiritual warfare and faith. “Scrolls of the Megiloth” solidified Mortification’s place as one of the premier Christian death metal bands.

Who The Album Influenced:

Afflicted Truth

 

Vengeance Rising – “Human Sacrifice”

“Human Sacrifice” by Vengeance Rising is a groundbreaking Christian thrash metal album. The album’s aggressive and blistering sound, characterized by rapid guitar riffs, thunderous drums, and intense vocals, solidified Vengeance Rising’s place in the metal scene. Influenced by bands like Slayer and Kreator, Vengeance Rising’s uncompromising approach to both music and faith made “Human Sacrifice” an influential release in Christian metal history.

 

Impending Doom – “The Serpent Servant”

“The Serpent Servant” by Impending Doom is a crushing Christian deathcore album that combines bone-crushing breakdowns, blistering guitars, and guttural vocals. The album’s dark and relentless sound, inspired by bands like Whitechapel and Behemoth, reflects Impending Doom’s uncompromising approach to both their faith and the extreme metal genre. With its heavy and aggressive nature, “The Serpent Servant” became a standout release in the Christian metal scene.

 

ZAO – “Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest”

“Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest” by ZAO is a landmark album in the metalcore genre with a strong Christian message. The album showcases ZAO’s ability to seamlessly blend aggressive metalcore riffs with melodic passages and emotional intensity. Influenced by bands like Converge and Norma Jean, ZAO’s raw and cathartic sound, combined with introspective and spiritually-charged lyrics, made “Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest” a standout release in both the Christian and metalcore scenes.

 

Living Sacrifice – “Inhabit”

“Inhabit” by Living Sacrifice is a seminal Christian death/thrash metal album that showcases the band’s technicality and intensity. With its blistering guitar solos, aggressive drumming, and dynamic song structures, the album exemplifies Living Sacrifice’s ability to deliver a relentless sonic assault. Drawing influence from bands like Sepultura and Slayer, Living Sacrifice’s commitment to their faith shines through in their powerful lyrics. “Inhabit” solidified Living Sacrifice’s status as one of the leading bands in the Christian metal scene.

Who The Album Influenced:

Hope Deffered
Embodyment

 

Extol – “Burial”

“Burial” by Extol is an innovative Christian extreme metal album that defies genre boundaries. With its blend of death metal, black metal, and progressive elements, Extol created a unique and captivating sound. The album’s intricate musicianship, atmospheric passages, and powerful vocals set it apart. “Burial” is a testament to Extol’s ability to push the boundaries of extreme metal while incorporating their faith into their music.

Who The Album Influenced:

Monothiest
Lamentations
Diatheke

Has any of these albums influenced you as a musician? Leave a comment