Big fan of Opeth here,don't get me wrong,but Akerfeldt's last metal album was 2008 Watershed. 12 years ago. The man himself seem to be bored by metal these days....
I think the last great heavy metal album was Iron Maidens Fear of the Dark. You'll never hear great heavy rock/metal again like we had in the 70s and 80s. Not that bothered i have more music than i can ever play. I don't get bored of listening to Black Sabbath Deep Purple MK II Led Zep Hendrix Cream UFO AC/DC Iron Maiden Anthrax Judas Priest Metallica Rainbow Whitesnake Guns N Roses Many others...
I hate to sound like a dinosaur but it all sounds the same to me and I can't tell one from the other. The stuff I'm thinking of probably came out in the 90s and just got worse and more extreme over time. Too abrasive on my ears. Give me classic Priest and Maiden any day over that crap. But that's just me.
The first nine, then the last. The last is quite good, almost on the same level as Pale Communion for me, but of course inferior to the others (first nine). I still remember listening to Opeth for the first time (Morningrise previews on some late radio) in the car one night on my way home, still see in my mind the dangerous turn at the south entrance to my city... Fear Of The Dark is underrated like Hell ! No filler and I count this album in their Top 5. I'm a Classic Death Metal fan, but I like understand the lyrics without some crappy booklet. So, I prefer Sepultura, Morbid Angel (Altars of Madness), Death (Symbolic) to Cannibal Corpse, etc. This is more raspy vocals than cookie monster singing. So, never listen None So Vile (1996) from the canadian Cryptosy. It's the Monument of Brutal Death, a stage to pass, tribal initiation !
No it did not. For me personally it has not because I grew up with metal in the 00's (not the then-popular stuff though) and although I really love Led Zeppelin, appreciate Black Sabbath for their solid stoner rock and like a track of Iron Maiden once in a while, it just isn't the same as the extreme metal that developed from the 90's onwards. There is so much to discover if you can look past the mostly low audiophile standards (which, in all honesty also hurt me sometimes, but it's not any worse than most contemporary pop music). E.g. this is one of the most acclaimed albums released in 2020: Also, and again yes it is loud and it is acquired taste, Mgła's Exercises in Futility (2015) is a gem. This song has drum riffs that make some of the most accomplished jazz drummers drewl and the songs structure is brilliantly built around the rhythm section: Mgla - Exercises In Futility V (lyrics OS) - YouTube These are just two examples, there is a world of great stuff to discover in 21st century metal.
Just a brief recommendation of one of my favourite metal albums of the past ten years The Oath - The Oath Incredible riffs and songwriting, little bit doomy, fans of Black Sabbath would enjoy this I think.... A two female band that proves women can definitely rock as hard as men One of the band went on to form the band Lucifer which I also thoroughly recommend They have three albums that move from Doom Metal to Hard Rock/Metal
Let's suppose that the premise of the thread is true and that the best metal albums were released in the 90's. Why does that would mean that metal is dead?
There are always exceptions and there is music I like from any time frame... .... but yes, relatively speaking, music died for about a decade starting in the mid 90s. Genres that bucked the trend included Celtic, New Wave, and maybe Progressive Metal.
I’m a huge fan of rock/metal & I was getting a bit bored. ...but then Poppy (I Disagree) pulled me back in. That album is bat**** crazy.
Metal just carries on, as it always had done. True, the '80s & '90s was the era when metal was defined, from traditional heavy metal to thrash and black metal. But I consider in particular the first decade of this millennium the period when metal branched out, way beyond its initial limits. So many different influences are incorporated in today's metal; post-rock, shoegaze, hiphop, drone, folk, electronica, etc., stretching the boundaries of the genre so far that some of the results can best be described as "post-metal". Not so long ago I made a list of favorite metal albums from the last 20 years. And while my taste veers more towards the underground and extreme subgenres, many of these inclusions are indicating there's still enough adventurous metal out there, full of innovation. Some names and albums might be unknown, so I added You Tube links of the music, and short blurbs, nicked from reviews of the RYM site (apologies to the reviewers for not crediting them by name..). 100. Isis - Oceanic (2002) "The ambient nature of this record, even at it's most harsh, is what keeps me coming back after years of listening. The guitar tones, even when in full on overdrive distortion, are stunning, but there's also a surprising amount of subtle melody as well". Rudolph's Pick: The Other 99. Nae' Blis - Sketches Of Reality (2007) "One of the strengths of the album is its ability to use different styles of black metal. There is a darkness to it that gives it an edge, but the whole while it is a record that delivers atmosphere. Instead of dragging, you often find yourself further into the album than you thought". Rudolph's Pick: Distorted Mind 98. Warforged - I: Voice (2019) "Incredibly complex and extremely difficult to fully dissect (you would probably need ten or more listens, maybe), this is nevertheless one of the most commendable musical efforts I’ve listened to this year. It’s like a Proustian death metal novel". Rudolph's Pick: We've Been Here Before 97. Maudlin Of The Well - Leaving Your Body Map (2001) "This album swings through sounds with ridiculous ease; from quiet, introspective instrumentals to throaty growling, guitars and kick drum abuse to soft acoustic pieces backed by horns or strings - trading in and out instruments like breathing air. Not a note feels out of place". Rudolph's Pick: Stones Of October Sobbing 96. Nadja - Corrasion (2007) "If you like your drone rock intelligent and prettily intense then Nadja's goo is what you should adhere to your eardrums. Some of the very few half-whispered vocals here make it feel like black metal. This album hits you like a overwhelming avalanche". Rudolph's Pick: You Are As Dust 95. Genghis Tron - Dead Mountain Mouth (2006) "Being a big fan of experimental metal, I really enjoyed this. Never have I heard metal so well intertwined with electronic music. The beats are relatively fast and actually pretty technical, but never do they seem overwhelming. Very melodic, even for a cyber-core album". Rudolph's Pick: The Folding Road 94. Ghost - Meliora (2015) "Ghost took its immaculate sound from the eerie underbelly to candy coloured choruses and launched that f#ckr into the stratosphere. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost". Rudolph's Pick: Spirit 93. Thy Catafalque - Róka Hasa Rádió (2009) "What makes this latest album from Hungarian avant-metallers Thy Catalfaque so amazing is the strength of the songwriting; the band combines ferocious metal with trip-hop, eastern european folk music and elements of prog rock. This masterpiece of an album makes me want to learn Hungarian". Rudolph's Pick: Molekularis 92. Sólstafir - Svartir Sandar (2011) "Sólstafir are swimming in deep waters, as usual. Latest release Svartir Sandar is spacey, eccentric, and above all, heartfelt. Thick riffing and a melancholic atmosphere, it is a combination which works extremelly well for them, so much that it is barely noticable that this is a double album". Rudolph's Pick: Ljós í Stormi 91. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of Natural History (2004) "An album that sounds like an evil circus. The absolute insanity of "The Donkey Headed Adversary Of Humanity"...Frenetic twangs of the guitar slowly become increasingly fast paced and chaotic, further accentuated by the demented vocal performance that goes on". Rudolph's Pick: The Donkey Adversary Of Humanity 90. Primordial - To The Nameless Dead (2007) "The monolithic "Empire Falls" rolls ominously into view like it's hewn from a cliff face, with Pól MacAmlaigh singing with all the cold authority of Moses shouting the ten commendants from the peak of Mount Sinai. The riffs aren't fancy, they are simple but full of energy. Raw and breathtaking". Rudolph's Pick: Empire Falls 89. Elder - Reflections Of A Floating World (2017) "Reflections of a Floating World is deservedly hailed as one of the most important albums of the year. A curious blend of heavy psych and the girth, crunch and heaviness of stoner metal, interlaced with a progressive mindset, quickly made them a sensation in the metal underground". Rudolph's Pick: The Falling Veil 88. Bell Witch - Four Phantoms (2015) " The sonic minimalism is really where Four Phantoms nails it. It successfully fuses the funeral doom elements of crushing oppression and hopeless nihilism with serene beauty. There are few albums that make me feel genuinely melancholic, but this one does it most effectively". Rudolhp's Pick: Judgement In Fire: I 87. Panzerballett - Hart Genossen Von ABBA Bis Zappa (2009) "Hart Genossen Von ABBA Bis Zappa is at the same time one of the sickest, but also one of the most mind intriguing things I have ever heard. The main genre is "Technical Progressive Jazz Fusion Metal" otherwise known as "Just What The F@CK Is Going On Here?". Rudolph's Pick: The Simpsons 86. Electric Wizard - Dopethrone (2000) "So I have a bunch of burnout metalhead friends from high school that I meet at the bars from time to time, seeing how they're doing...you know usual stuff. But I always wonder what kind of metal they would make if they had the motivation to pick up an instrument. This is that kind of metal". Rudolph's Pick: I, The Witch Finder 85. Kvelertak - Kvelertak (2010) "Black 'n' roll"? A style of Black Metal that incorporates elements of Hard Rock, Glam and Heavy Metal. It retains most aspects of its BM roots whilst being generally "lighter". Catchy or groovy melodies are also a common factor. Yup, that description fits Kvelertak like a glove". Rudolph's Pick: Blodtørst 84. Menace Ruine - The Die Is Cast (2008) "Nico sings in a band full of depressive metal and neo-folk/martial-industrial, all disguised under a fat layer of Sunn0)))-esque droning. The effect is both terrifying and transcendent. I could basically listen to those vocals sing over that sound palette for hours and be happy". Rudolph's Pick: This Place Of Power 83. Power Trip - Nightmare Logic (2017) "The top of the modern thrash hierarchy. I’m sure Power Trip's energy alone would be enough to make them be able to blow anybody else off stage. Crushing, without-compromise, hardcore-oriented thrash album, wiping its ass with all the over-produced soulless metal. Go for it!". Rudolph's Pick: Soul Sacrifice 82. Ulver - Perdition City (2000) "How can it be that one the greatest electronic albums was made by a bunch of guys whose previous artistic output consisted of a couple of black metal albums, and a darkwave industrial interpretation of William Blake's poetry? Displaying a kind of multidisciplinary ease that would make Da Vinci proud". Rudolph's Pick: Lost In Moments 81. Van Canto - Hero (2008) "Van Canto may be the most unique group of all time. Van Canto has no musical instruments in the band at all, except a drummer. Everything else is done by the power of their voices alone. The guitar and bass parts? All Vocals. It makes for an extremely unique sound. You'll die laughing". Rudolph's Pick: Kings Of Metal 80. Ufomammut - Snailking (2004) "A reality-distorting acid trip across a desert on an unknown planet, through a tundra in a distant universe and then brain-first into a black hole...It's just the perfect mixture of stoner/sludge and space rock. Long live the unindentified flying mammoth!" Rudolph's Pick: Hopscotch 79. Opeth - Deliverance (2002) "Deliverance can be considered one of the most “metal” albums released by the band. However, the progressive side of Opeth wasn't forgotten here, since all the songs are going through lots of different sections and segments. On the songwriting level, Deliverance probably is the best Opeth record out there". Rudolph's Pick: Wreath 78. Pig Destroyer - Terrifyer (2004) "What can I say? From the second that Terrifyer takes off, the album goes hard as hell. It's excessive in every possible way, whether its speed, intensity, abrasive tone, or the frenzied shrieks from J.R, Hayes. Terrifyer solidifies itself as one of my favorite grindcore albums of all time". Rudolph's Pick: Carrion Fairy 77. Igorrr - Hallelujah (2012) "This is the result of somebody trying to cram as many odd genres into the same song, and yet somehow coming off in the end with a coherent style. I hear breakcore, classical music and black metal, all dumped into one steaming stew. Feels like the Frankenstein's Monster and is equally as scary". Rudolph's Pick: Lullaby For A Fat Jellyfish 76. System Of A Down - Steal This Album! (2002) "What's really noteworthy about this album is that it takes every musical idea System Of A Down has and will covered, and they make something amazing out of it. The band don't repeat themselves here at all, which makes Steal This Album! more diverse then previous releases". Rudolph's Pick: A.D.D. 75. Om - Conference Of The Birds (2006) "The format consists of epic, slow doom metal based on the rhythms and cadence of traditional Tibetan meditative chants, but this time around there's more of a groove to the proceedings and the band succeed much more at crafting compositions which manage to retain the listener's interest". Rudolph's Pick: At Giza 74. Longing For Dawn - A Treacherous Ascension (2007) "The first bars sets the tone for the album; it prepares your mind for a journey so dark you'll be depressed for a week afterward. Have some happy music on hand to lighten your spirits after this musical journey. I am waiting for deep and long winter nights to listen to it on repeat". Rudolph's Pick: Discidium 73. Mastodon - The Hunter (2011) First listen: "meh, what a letdown" Second listen: "ok, maybe I was wrong the first time" Third listen: "holy sh@t, what an absolute monster of an album". Rudolph's Pick: Black Tongue 72. Warning - Watching From A Distance (2006) "Funny for a record that's so highly vaunted mainly among fans of doom metal how little this has in common with actual traditional doom. It lays heavily on the "doom" aspect, with little in the way of actual riffs. It instead relies on alt. rock chords, driven through a foggy echo. This is something else entirely". Rudolph's Pick: Watching From A Distance 71. Panopticon - Roads To The North (2014) "Modern black metal album with way more variety than we have come to expect from the genre. From blistering Atmospheric BM to bluegrass banjo picking to acoustic ballads, this is an album of real contrasts and a very welcome addition to an, at times, over-conservative genre". Rudolph's Pick: Chase The Grain 70. The Angelic Process - Come Waering (2003) "Pitched between drone metal and shoegaze, hidden in a thick layer of distortion. But this album is pretty damn good. It's way over-the-top dramatic, like a soundtrack to the apocalypse in some hellish alternate dimension blockbuster action movie. It's Angelic Process' strongest project". Rudolph's Pick: My Blood Still Whispers 69. Mgla - With Hearts Towards None (2012) "While any music discussion that starts and ends with "the riffs" doesn't hold much water in any context, it would be equally shameful to go without noting how strong polish band Mgla are at creating powerful earworms. This is what "catchy" extreme metal sounds like when it's played with passion". Rudolph's Pick: With Hearts Towards None, Pt. III 68. Terror 2000 - Slaughterhouse Supremacy (2000) "Can't go wrong with a good portion of trustworthy brutal thrash from up north, played with the sheer adrenaline of hardcore punk. This album makes me want to do something really metal, like punch a wall or something. I'd probably break my hand though". Rudolph's Pick: Terror 2000 67. Minsk - The Ritual Fires Of Abandonment (2007) Minsk is a thoroughly captivating and seriously heavy example of atmospheric & psych sludge metal. Many of the tracks build to huge crescendos & walls of noise. They slowly drag you in until you find yourself jumping around in a rage of excitement. Not for the faint-hearted". Rudolph's Pick: White Wings 66. Linkin Park - Meteora (2003) "Linkin Park's strength is lies within the combination of the nice rapping and the aggressive singing and screaming by Chester Bennington. Despite Hybrid Theory having better individual tracks, Meteora works better as a whole. Both are among the few important Nu Metal releases". Rudolph's Pick: Somewhere I Belong 65. Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet (2005) "As far as Folk Metal goes these guys are far and beyond everyone else. This is one of the rare examples where the metal and folk parts are in perfect balance. Combined with the grandiose song structures you just know that you'll get nothing but greatness from this album". Rudolph's Pick: Karhunkynsi 64. Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Piñata (2012) "Diablo Swing Orchestra makes avant-metal experimentation accessible and wildly fun. Much more than a gimmick, Diablo's Swing Orchestra's idiosyncratic fusion of metal, big band and sweeping orchestral music is more explosive than ever on Pandora's Piñata". Rudolph's Pick: Voodoo Mon Amour 63. Baroness - Red Album (2007) "Stylistically, the music on the album is progressive sludge/heavy metal featuring both clean, raw, and shouting vocals. There are a lot of southern, blues, and roots elements in the music as well. The powerful, organic production brings out the best in the material on Red Album". Rudolph's Pick: Rays On Pinion 62. Officium Triste - Reason (2004) "This album makes me want to run into the woods at night wearing a cloak. Very gloomy funeral metal with much detailed attention for the arrangements (synths, piano), casting a spell at crawling pace, until Officum Triste come to a grinding halt in ultimate downer mode on A Flower in Decay". Rudolph's Pick: A Flower In Decay 61. Tengger Cavalry - Ancient Call (2014) "I always wanted a good Chinese folk metal band and now I can say there is one. An interesting mixture of death metal and mongolial throat singing, conjuring images of the Far East. Anyone keen on horse-riding in a rice field and killing each other? Cause I am". Rudolph's Pick: Galloping Towards The Great Land 60. Audioslave - Audioslave (2002) "Successful collaboration between Soundgarden's Chris Cornell (R.I.P.) and RATM (minus vocalist Zack De La Rocha). The hybrid of alt. metal and stoner grooves does wonders on the self-titled debut. Both counterparts of this super group sound more inspired than they did for years". Rudolph's Pick: Light My Way 59. Asunder - A Clarion Call (2004) Asunder for the most part take the funeral doom metal approach, offering a selection of epic compositions whose riffs glide over you like glaciers, waging a slow war on your cerebellum. Alex Bale-Glickman's cello is an interesting addition, which gives the music a melancholy feel. Rudolph's Pick: Twilight Amaranthine 58. Møl - Jord (2018) "A more groovy and more melodic Blackgaze act. The requisite elements are all present here: blast beats, understated fairy synth and nonstop lacerated vocals. The light, the dark, the delicate ghostliness, the belligerent attack, the sharp agility, a finely attuned take on Blackgaze by this danish band. Rudolph's Pick: Storm 57. Neurosis - A Sun That Never Sets (2001) "One October night I was going for a walk at 2 A.M. with my iPod on shuffle. The streets were dark and quiet while the wind blew the fallen leaves around. Not a single living person other than myself was going down this road. All of a sudden, Neurosis' “The Tide” kicks in. Bam! The perfect soundtrack". Rudolph's Pick: The Tide 56. Maximum The Hormone - Buiikikaesu (2007) Sounds like a japanese alt.metal act being stalked by a "screamo-rap death ska" psycho. The spastic speed, the unapologetic change from style to style, the maddening pace that somehow never seems tiresome. The energy is beyond electric, this is FUN with a purpose". Rudolph's Pick: ブラック￥パワーGメンスパイ 55. Orange Goblin - The Big Black (2000) "Everything about Orange Goblin is "Big". Big, bloated Sabbath riffs. Big groove. OTT cartoonish image and Big melodies. Theres no room to breath and just when you think a riff can't get any better, it changes, speeds up, and the intensity goes up another notch". Rudolph's Pick: Scorpionica 54. Torche - Meanderthal (2008) "A very very heavy sound with very very melodic vocals and tunes. It's just the sort of thing I like from heavier bands (the combination of sweet and sour), and Torche do it so well. They have the potential to release one of the best metal-related records of this millennium". Rudolph's Pick: Grenades 53. Deafheaven - New Bermuda (2015) "The primary reason Deafheaven garnered so much attention was that they brought something fresh to the Blackgaze format. On the new album the band have upped the extremity of every element in their music. The post-rock is more post-rock, the metal is much heavier, the dreampop is dreamier...You get the idea". Rudolph's Pick: Brought To The Water 52. Lye By Mistake - Arrangements For Fulminating Vective (2006) "There's a ferociously experimental medley of barkin' mad ideas bursting in my ears, like a thunderous roar. Lye By Mistake restlessly changes its music from aggressive mathcore to sensational jazz fusion, bossa nova, country and even latin jazz. There's a lot to unpack here". Rudolph's Pick: Dream As I May, I Feel It, And It's So Wrong 51. Sólstafir - Ottá (2014) "Ottá is a brilliant piece of art in itself, but it's difficult to categorize. The tracks are all perfectly crafted and very pretty, and although it does dwell in the darkest of sorrows, it's hard to decide if it is still metal at all. This record has a unique vibe and takes its time to unfold its secrets". Rudolph's Pick: Lágnaetti 50. Cult Of Luna - Somewhere Along The Highway (2006) "Almost poetry. Raw and still beautiful. Love the athmosphere. The album is split between passages of sludge metal mayhem and gentler sections of music more reminiscent to post-rock. But the whole album smells like a forest and bleeding hearts". Rudolph's Pick: Finland 49. Sigh - Imaginary Sonicscape (2001) "Imaginary Sonicscape is bat-sh!t bonkers and on paper should have turned out a complete joke, but it manages to be cohesive and grounded. Some songs have winds, strings, keyboard parts, while others have prog rock and jazzy interludes. So tough to pull off, but I embrace this thing wholeheartedly". Rudolph's Pick: A Sunset Song 48. The Ruins Of Beverast - Foulest Semen Of A Sheltered Elite (2009) "One-man project by Alexander von Meilenwald, this is the 3rd album recorded by him that is just out of this world. Blending of Black, Death and Doom, and I understand that Alexander literally just gets drunk in his studio to record the vocals. But if it gets results like this, more power to him". Rudolph's Pick: God's Ensanguined Bestiaries 47. Batushka - Litourgiya (2015) "Let's get right to the crux here, shall we? Everything about this album boils down to one thing and one thing only, and Batushka's not fooling anyone here. The incorporation of Byzantine chanting in their black metal is gimmick. But surely a gimmick of the highest order". Rudolph's Pick: Yekteniya I 46. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works (2007) "Difficult to put into words exactly what makes this album so entertaining. Maybe it's the variety on display, with songs ranging from atmospheric electronic music to alternative rock to jazzy metalcore, this is a rollercoaster ride that manages to surprise at every turn". Rudolph's Pick: Fix Your Face 45. Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain (2006) "I found it hard not to headbang my way through this album, although it does have some songs that are just sheer beauty. It does sound cold, with harsh vocals, but at the same time there are very melodic guitar passages and I can feel some hope in here. Either way it is a brilliant release". Rudolph's Pick: Limbs 44. Ephel Duath - Pain Necessary To Know (2005) "This is industrially furnished, sludgy, screamy music with some really fascinating songwriting. Isolated fragments of songs are drifting by, and sometimes everything comes to a nervous halt. The album practically reflects the darker side of urban life in its frenetic, stressed-out, polluted guise". Rudolph's Pick: New Disorder 43. Vektor - Terminal Redux (2016) "Vektor extends the thrash metal aesthetic in ways that make it superior to its forbears. Their latest album make "And Justice For All" sound amateurish in comparison. That said, I recently saw a picture of the band. They were all dressed as if they were a thrash band in 1986". Rudolph's Pick: Charging The Void 42. Clutch - Blast Tyrant (2004) "This is the badass fuzzbox hardrock with clever hooks Clutch is famous for. Hard hitting southern swag in both vocals and guitar, every song is like a back woods hillbilly anthem or war cry and it's friggin' awesome. Bigger, craftier, louder". Profits Of Doom 41. Origin - Antithesis (2008) "Apparantly recorded within the bowels of an active volcano. This is an agressive record, excessively brutal for the sake of brutal. Origin blast and sweep their way through 10 tracks of hyper-tech death metal. It comes at you so violently, and yet what Origin play is highly complex". Rudolph's Pick: Algorithm 40. Waste Of Space Orchestra - Syntheosis (2019) "In the temple of black psychedelia, 10 Finnish musicians are the ministers of a liturgy. The metamorphosis induced by the sound vortex is tangible. Cosmic storms beyond the boundaries of dissonance, alternating with swaying melodies. At the end of the ceremony nothing will be the same". Rudolph's Pick: Seeker's Reflection 39. Slipknot - Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses (2004) "Slipknot are kind of the rock equivalent to Eminem - shocking and profane midwesterner(s) achieving massive popularity at the turn of the century from a style that begs you to hate it but is undeniably entertaining. Infamously produced by Rick Rubin". Rudolph's Pick: Duality 38. Beyond Creation - The Aura (2011) "The Aura is a showcase of how I enjoy the technical death metal genre the most. Extreme, but with much thought put into the compositions and a lot of skill on offer from the band members. The fretless bass work is incredible. With no dud tracks, this is a highly recommended album!" Rudolph's Pick: The Aura 37. Alcest - Souvenirs D'un Outre Monde (2007) "In the post-metal world Alcest further distance themselves from the metal, and move more towards shoegaze and dream-pop. So, despite the wall of guitars on tracks like "Le Iris", Souvenirs D'un Outre Monde is slowly but decisively bending towards soaring shoegaze bliss". Rudolph's Pick: Le Iris 36. Igorrr - Savage Sinusoid (2017) "When it comes to insane artists with genre fusions, Igorrr is often an artist that I'll mention. A combination of breakcore, baroque, classical music, metal and even Swing? Totally ridiculous of course, and Igorrr's sound is wáááy over the top. But that's sorta the point of this band". Rudolph's Pick: ieuD 35. High On Fire - Blessed Black Wings (2005) "High On Fire is the kind of potent, 100-percent pure form of metal that proves to me that there is such a thing as being born to be in a metal band. HoF leader Matt Pike is Mr. Metal as far as I'm concerned. He sounds like Motörhead and Slayer rolled in one". Rudolph's Pick: Devilution 34. Gojira - The Way Of All Flesh (2008) "Gojira is not metal for the simple minded and one quick listen won't do it justice. Gojira fans will be expecting this complexity and they will also tell you that's exactly what they love about them. I think this album is where they really hit their straps. After 30 or 40 listens you're still not bored". Rudolph's Pick: Oroborus 33. Darkane - Insanity (2001) "A nice blend of swedish thrash, and death metal to make a very strong CD. "Emanation Of Fear" is well worth the price of admission, with its angry and energetic sound. The only two interludes on the album serve as breaks from the onslaught of melodic death with thrash. A great release". Rudolph's Pick: Emanation Of Fear 32. Thou - Magus (2018) "Thou's slugfest is equal parts haughty grandeur and building majesty just to ultimately dole out a primal gut punch. Featuring a wailing madman professor at the helm, these guys growing must have been thought loons by the locals and they in turn committed their visceral disdain to records". Rudolph's Pick: Inward 31. Oranssi Pazuzu - Vährätelijä (2016) "Weird, insane, terrifying, freakish, chilling in every way possible, Oranssi Pazuzu without doubt are traversing completely new territories when it comes to black-ish metal, pushing the boundries farther then what was ever thought possible. A hallucinatory mass of mixed euphoria and dread". Rudolph's Pick: Havuluu 30. Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale (2008) "Esoteric is the real thing in (funeral) doom metal, they're deliverin' exactly what it says on the can. Listening to The Maniacal Vale is an absolutely crushing experience. The monolithic slow-mo rhythms and dirge-like grunts are of a disturbing heaviness. The sound of mating dinosaurs'. Rudolph's Pick: Beneath This Face 29. Shining - Blackjazz (2010) "Blackjazz is what we call a "tour de force". It manages to mash together death metal, jazz and trance into a single track. The riffs are excellent, the songs are extremely complex and full of twisted, original ideas and the production is insanely heavy but also very clean". Rudolph's Pick: The Madness And The damage Done, Pt. 1 28. Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites (2005) 'Take the best atmospheric sludge metal, iron out all the kinks, package it all up nicely and then eject the whole thing into outer space. The soundtrack of stars and planets colliding, and then being sucked into the black hole. The Galilean Satellites is an enthralling journey". Rudolph's Pick: Départe 27. BABYMETAL - Babymetal (2014) "J-Pop on steroids. Take for instance "4 No Uta"; It starts with ultra agressive metal blasts, followed by a big Girlgroup chorus, and then descends into an echoey reggae rhythm (!). If only all metal albums had as much variety as Babymetal has in one song!" Rudolph's Pick: 4 No Uta 26. Fantômas - The Director's Cut (2001) "The intense dark circus returns. Fantômas is offering a concept of demented cover versions from favorite film score themes. It's of course wonderfully executed, and I absolutely love Mike Patton’s vocals. Wish I had more to say, but honestly, this album leaves me rather speechless". Rudolph's Pick: Charade 25. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - Feed The Rats (2017) "Psychedelic stoner riff mania. It's pretty much 36 minutes of gigantic doomy riffs being hammered into the ground, and some guy shouting into the eternal void. One-dimensional much? But then again, I bet when in the future they decide tinkering with their formula, that's when they start sucking". Rudolph's Pick: Sweet Relief 24. Dozer - Through The Eye Of heathens (2005) "Up-and-coming stoner metal dudes from Sweden, with a suprisingly fresh sound. Not often do I find Stoner to be serious, conceptual, thematic, and musically interesting, but this Dozer CD pulls it off. It takes all the best parts of the genre and turns it into a playful, yet serious brick of an album". Rudolph's Pick: Drawing Dead 23. Tool - Lateralus (2001) "Lateralus solidifys Tool as the greatest prog metal band of this generation. While it's true that Tool probably takes themselves too seriously, they matured a lot and morphed into this galaxy brain enlightened oneness. This album is best listened to as a whole and from beginning-to-end". Rudolph's Pick: Reflection 22. Yakuza - Samsara (2006) "Metalcore and jazz sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. I've read somewhere Yakuza being a cross between Neurosis and John Coltrane. Well I can't claim the saxophone player is a match for Coltrane, but still, it's great, aggressive and atmospheric stuff, and they merge the styles better than you'd expect". Rudolph's Pick: Cancer Of Industry 21. The Body - I Have Fought Against It, But I Can't Any Longer (2018) "The Body have been on quite a journey since they started as a sludge metal unit. Nowadays they are genre-shredding artists, playing around with samples, noise, electronics and industrial bits & pieces. Vocalist Chip King's high-pitched screech is genuinely disturbing". Rudolph's Pick: Nothing Stirs 20. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine (2004) "Miss Machine is the most ripping and brutal punk-metal mindf**k. Imagine the craziest, most complex and chaotic music you can, multiply the heaviness by about fourteen, throw in technical proficiency and a ton of weirdness and even then you're still not close". Rudolph's Pick: Setting Fire To Sleeping Giant 19. Finntroll - Jaktens Tid (2001) "You're sitting in your house at night and suddenly a raid of robust, hairy men burst in and steal all your beer and begin dancing around you, singing, and playing accordion. And then they pull out the guitars and latch onto a sick black metal groove. That's pretty much what listening to Finntroll is like". Rudolph's Pick: Jaktens Tid 18. Converge - Jane Doe (2001) "The trademark of the wronged man is the anguished wail, frustration and hopelessness converging in the heart and giving quivering, uncontainable breath to the lungs. That's the sound that percolates down through the depths of "Jane Doe". As "hardcore" as Metalcore can be". Rudolph's Pick: Fault And Fracture 17. Mastodon - Crack The Skye (2009) "Mastodon, Leviathen, Monsterous, Mammoth whatever, its all here on Crack The Skye, a huge album of biblical proportions. Its got power, melody, depth and diversity, it's heavy, soft, slow, fast, hyper, proggy, inteligent, interesting, quintessential and truly outstanding". Rudolph's Pick: The Last Baron 16. Zeal & Ardor - Devil Is Fine (2016) "Like many I presume, morbid curiosity drew me towards Zeal & Ardor. The genre tags alone: Avant-Garde Metal, Spirituals, elements of Blues, Gospel and even some Hiphop? Granted, sometimes the fusion of the styles feels jarring, but ya won't find many albums more unique than "Devil Is Fine". Rudolph's Pick: Devil Is Fine 15. Cobalt - Eater Of Birds (2007) "When I imagine this Colorado duo writing the music for this album, the image of two mad scientists in a labratory mixing two of metal's most chaotic genres comes into view. Thats what it is. Its bludge metal, or slack metal or whatever you get when you perfectly mix the two genres. And god is it ever good". Rudolph's Pick: Ulcerism 14. Boris - At Last: Feedbacker (2003) "It's easy to see why Feedbacker is many people's favorite Boris release. It combines most of what they do best into one 45 minute song cycle, fusing ambient, drone, hard rock, noise, metallic, and even post-rock elements. But beware, this beast might also be the band's less accessible release". Rudolph's Pick: Feedbacker 13. Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi (2020) "As someone who literally never listen to metal, this is mind-melding. It's so delicately composed, without losing any of the dark, surreal energy. The atmospheric parts are incredibly tense & sombre, all suspension built up for the riffs' outbursts. A vulgar display of power from Oranssi Pazuzu". Rudolph's Pick: Uusi Teknokratia 12. Vektor - Black Future (2009) "A darkening force, the unfathomed realm reborn / Worlds of nothing, chaos forlorn / A blinding light made from distraction / It burns your eyes out if you get too close"...This album is what modern day technical thrash should be. Black Future is the thrashterpiece of all modern thrashterpieces". Rudolph's Pick: Oblivion 11. Korpiklaani - Tervaskanto (2007) "The listener is treated with an all-out folk metal sonic assault right from the start. If you believe that folk-metal is lyrics about booze and nature, fast-paced rhythms and lots of folk instruments to amplify the fun, then Korpiklaani is the number one band for you". Rudolph's Pick: Tervaskanto 10. System Of A Down - Mesmerize (2005) "The best thing about SOAD is their ability and fearlessness toward experimentation. But also the fact that they don't give a f@ck if you agree or are on board with them ideal wise or music wise. It is both refreshing and bold to try and push the boundaries any way they can". Rudolph's Pick: B.Y.O.B. 09. Wolves In The Throne Room - Black Cascade (2009) "Everyone's favorite environmentalist Black Metal band is back, and with the massive following they've gathered, this release is sure to make a stir in the underground. With four songs spanning over 50 minutes, it's obvious that we're dealing here with a serious case of musical black plague". Rudolph's Pick: Ahrimanic Trance 08. Cult Of Luna - Vertikal (2013) "Oh man. Oh yes. Okay... calm down... breathe...Vertikal contains some of the heaviest, most crushing sludge metal there is, made with slow, plodding riffs that build up into a dense and oppressive atmosphere. Cult of Luna have long been the kings of this genre for me". Rudolph's Pick: The Weapon 07. Mgla - Exercises In Futility (2015) "Uncompromising in their resolve, Mgla are determined to prove modern extreme metal can be tightly produced, atmospheric, challenging and melodic all at the same time. Exercises in Futility is one of the most cohesive metal albums to come out this year". Rudolph's Pick: Exercises In Futility II 06. Poison The Well - You Came Before You (2003) "Listening to Poison The Well is like detonating a bomb and then staying around to watch the shrapnels flying by. So, the brutal passages are as good as you'd expect from a metalcore/post-hardcore album. But what really sets this record apart is that the band actually also can write great catchy tunes". Rudolph's Pick: Ghostchant 05. Deftones - White Pony (2000) "WOW. What a release by these guys. Very well mixed, processed, and the lyrics are amazing, and true to heart. You can feel the pain, love, anger, confusion, dismantling, embrace, and all the emotions that come with their music. One of those albums that you don't just hear but "experience". Rudolph's Pick: Elite 04. Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology (2018) "This is a band that delivers it all: long proggy passages of twinkling guitar prowess, storming heavy riffs, multiple changes, lights and darks, clean and growly vocals, bad slug puns… It’s wonderfully complex, but Esoteric Malacology grabs the listener by the throat and doesn’t let go". Rudolph's Pick: Crop Killer 03. Jesu - Jesu (2004) "I was holding my mom's kitten while listening to this album and it felt like I was clinging to a tire in an ocean full of toxic waste. Coming from Birmingham's industrial wastelands, Jesu’s self-titled debut grinds with the meticulous, machine precision of British steelwork. The ultimate in Drone Metal". Rudolph's Pick: Man / Woman 02. Kayo Dot - Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue (2006) Devastating, soul-destroying avant garde orchestral metal being sucked into the darkest hole in Kayo Dot's astral plain. In fact, this album is so spooky and weird, full of discordance, terrifying shrieks and, err, clarinets...it's difficult to slap a label on it. Hearing is believing". Gemini Becoming The Tripod 01. System Of A Down - Toxicity (2001) "One of the best, most original, strangest metal albums I own. From start to finish it's nothing but musical ecstacy, not a dull moment. Fun where it should be funny, and touching where it should be touching. Forget about the Alt.Metal tags, this is a must-have". Rudolph's Pick: Toxicity
Haha, it somehow feels good to see that someone put the two albums I mentioned just earlier as examples of great metal on #7 and #13 in a top-100 list for the past 20 years. Maybe my taste in extreme metal has gone mainstream? Or maybe we are both right and they're very good albums.
Yes, Metal is dead. Potato chips have lost their flavor. Everything is fuzzier than it used to be. Our basement steps are steeper and longer. It couldn't be me could it?
I thought the same thing about metal being dead. Until a coworker turned me on to Godsmack and especially Disturbed around 2008. That killed that thought.
I'm impressed by the amount of work that went into that list but he picked Opeth's not best effort and put it below Linkin Park and Slipknot, so I just don't know.
Anyone looking for metal on the Hot 100 would make me think they don't know anything about metal. If you're going to look for metal on the charts, you look to the album chart. We Are Not Your Kind went number one across-the-board (US, UK, Canada, Australia). But we're in a pure pop era and metal is rock's most underground genre. Fear Inoculum, Hardwired, Immortalized, Hail To The King, etc. are going to be too commercial for folks raised on extreme. And when you have to OP's mindset of "Ain't metal" and "they're all clone bands", why bother to begin with? Just listen to the tried-and-true and be done with it.
So in looking back, I decided there was at least enough good stuff to top a solid podium: 1995 Gold: Flotsam and Jetsam - Drift Silver: Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons Bronze: Monster Magnet - Dopes to Infinity 1996 Gold: Tool - Ænima Silver: Lemur Voice - Insights Bronze: Opeth - Morningrise 1997 Gold: Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade of Gray Silver: Helmet - Aftertaste Bronze: Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy 1998 Gold: Monster Magnet - Powertrip Silver: Godsmack - Godsmack Bronze: Nightwish - Oceanborn 1999 Gold: Engine - Engine Silver: Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory Bronze: Aghora - Aghora
You don't have to look far in 2020 to find multiple examples of every sub-genre of Metal ever created. There's hardly any on major labels, Hell there aren't many major labels period.
It doesn't matter if he looks or not. He's just gonna dismiss it as either "it ain't metal" or "they're just another clone band".
Until I heard Ghost and Volbeat, I didn't know that they made that kind of commercial "metal" in Scandinavia.
I still go and see Maiden and Schenker each time they tour but my active interest waned around a decade ago. Dio's untimely demise may have had something to do with that. When the artists I follow are no longer recording or touring then my link to the whole scene they come from tends to wither. Last non Maiden metal albums I bought were probably "Heavy Crown" and "This Is Your Life" which goes to prove the point. I'd probably go see a Purple Mk 3 tour and would definitely buy an album from that line up though the chances of either of those happening are slim to none. I have been to see Ghost and Baby Metal in 2019 / 2020.
Following DIO's career makes me a DIO fan, it doesn't necessarily make me a metal-head. Following metal makes me a metal-head, regardless of what scene they came out of.
You have to ask legends to know if a band is metal or not : Iommi, Ozzy, Halford, Harris, Lombardo, Trey, Udo, Dorrian, Stainthorpe...
