Odd Rattle Noise Under Load

So here's the deal I have a 96 gt with 87k, and I have this very bizarre rattling like noise that only shows up when the engine is warm and at 1900 up to about 3k (it may continue after this but its hard to tell as the car gets too loud to completely verify). It happens best with a load on the engine as I can typically not recreate the noise sitting there. I do believe that it is internal. Also important to note I have been hearing this noise since the middle of the summer but just thought it was a loose header bolt. Since then I have re checked all of the header bolts, installed a new transmission, clutch, flywheel and transmission mount (throw out bearing died so I went crazy and replaced it all while I was there) so you can cancel those out as being part of my noise. I installed LT's, new engine mounts and did a PI swap (new heads) last winter so any of that can be cancelled out as well. As far as how the car has been treated? I got the car with 73k miles on it and I have beat on it but never more than it was made for and never any track days. Also I have always changed the oil on time. However I have no idea how the previous owners were on it.

I have my suspicions of what it is but I don't want to sway the opinion of this thread so I figured I'd wait for some fresh thoughts before we go down the path that im thinking. Currently I have the car sitting with the oil drained. I've cut open the oil filter (pics will be posted soon) strained the oil that came from it and will strain the oil from the pan soon.

Here's the oil filter pictures and the last one is the paper towel I strained it through. Also the magnet on my oil drain plug was no dirtier than normal.