I've been into metal for about 15 years and my fave bands have remained the same:

Bathory
Mercyful Fate
King Diamond

Quorthon and King Diamond are for me, hands down, the best things that ever happened to metal.

I don't "hate" them, but I never really cared about Slayer and Kreator. Let the bashing begin.

Today:

Manilla Road - Crystal Logic
Arghoslent / Martial Barrage - Bring Forth the Best ye Breed
Black Sabbath - Headless Cross
King Diamond - The Spider's Lullabye
Paul Chain - In the Darkness

From the top of my head...

Bathory
King Diamond
Mercyful Fate
Candlemass
Solitude Aeturnus
Cathedral
Root
Manilla Road
Morbid Angel
Black Sabbath
Saint Vitus
Primordial

Pagan Altar - Highway Cavalier

Pagan Altar - The Time Lord
Grand Belial's Key - Mocking the Philanthropist
Bathory - Blood on Ice
Mercyful Fate - Return of the Vampire

Outstanding band. Epic Doom doesn't get much better than their selftitled cd on Brainticket. They had one of the best vocalists in the genre as well!