Shadows
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Reviews 89
Approval 89%

Soundoffs 28
News Articles 27
Band Edits + Tags 138
Album Edits 32

Album Ratings 474
Objectivity 95%

Last Active 10-12-09 9:43 pm
Joined 06-27-04

Review Comments 2,530

Average Rating: 3.12
Rating Variance: 1.04
Objectivity Score: 95%
(Very Balanced)

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5.0 classic
Children of Bodom Follow the Reaper
If anyone ever wants to define the extreme Finnish power metal sound, Follow the Reaper is it. Full of cold, atmospheric keyboards, musical virtuosity from all angles, and guitar/keyboard shredding that could turn Jesus into a pagan, Children of Bodom took their third album as the time to really refine their signature style. Musicianship and production are cleaner than ever with the melodies are as unique and memorable as ever. Alexi's voice sounds savage without crossing the line to completely indecipherable. From start to Finnish (yes, pun) the album makes you bang your head while inspiring legions of guitarists to grab their axes and shred until winter and heavy metal reign supreme.
Children of Bodom Hate Crew Deathroll
After three albums of pure power metal virtuosity, the Finnish pentet decided to take thier sound in a different route. This time, Laiho decided it was time to get back to heavy metal's roots: riffs. And riffs he delivered. The entire album is nearly an hour full of fast, brutal, hammering riffs backed by their traditional keyboard atmospheres and Alexi's intense vocals. The album is essentially a cross between power metal and extreme death/thrash. Keyboard and guitar shredding have not been spared at all. In fact, this may be Alexi and Janne's finest soloing album to date. With some old style influences and a brand new sound, Hate Crew Deathroll is undoubtedly a chaotic metal experience.
Children of Bodom Hatebreeder
Alexi Laiho may have tried to kill himself right around the time this album was released, but the quality didn't suffer at all. Brutality and keyboard soloing take a backseat to guitar shredding and Mozart in this neoclassical extreme metal classic. Alexi's vocals veer into the black metal realm as his piercing shrieks are backed by gut-wrenching drums and bass complete with gothic keyboard atmospheres. The licks and solos here must've made Malmsteem cry into his Fender as Laiho's searing tones leave no survivors from this dark, classical-influenced extreme power metal record. Absolutely essential for those interested in extreme Finnish power metal.
Mirrorthrone Carriers of Dust
With godlike writing skills and instrumental talent beyond measure, it would be fair to say that if Mozart had been alive today, he’d have made something like Carriers of Dust. It is exceedingly difficult to single out specific instances of exceptional writing on an album such as Carriers of Dust. At its core is indeed brutal black death metal, as the album plainly displays with the opener A Scream to Express the Hate of a Race. Vladimir immediately displays his affinity for extreme metal vocal ability, putting forth black metal shrieks and beastly growls that could force Mikael Akerfeldt into submission. While the drums rage on and the guitars are layered with monstrous riffs, definite melody shows through at all times. Mirrorthrone may very well be the very first to seamlessly blend epic, melodic, technical, brutal, atmospheric, and experimental features with classical-influenced black/death metal.
Opeth Blackwater Park
Opeth’s music can most accurately be compared to snowflakes. Every snowflake is unique; diverse; one of a kind. Each one has something special about it. On its own it symbolizes the advent of something beautiful and captivating, while as one of a flurry it falls serenely, forming a picturesque scene so stunning it defies words. Just like snowflakes, every Opeth song is special in its own right. Within an album, the music is like a flurry ensnaring the senses with emotionally charged progressive. Given the excellent structures and production values of Blackwater Park, the tidal waves of emotionally epic metal crash down harder than ever. Words cannot describe the beautiful pain inflicted by such progressive metal.
Shadows Fall The Art of Balance
Beware the new fucking age of thrash metal. Shadows Fall has written some of the fastest, most technical riffs and the most melodic, shredgasmic solos in existence. 80% of them are right here on their third album. It's no surprise that this became the first Century Media album to ever break the 100,000 sales mark. The Art of Balance was a wakeup call for the world to get the hell off their asses and realize that heavy metal isn't dead and never will be. Guitar harmonies are fast, brutal, technical, yet melodic - a metal axemurderer's dream come true. Jon Donais easily tops today's supposed "guitar gods" with his style alternating between shred madness and steady, melodic ballads. Make no mistake - Shadows Fall's third album is a ride that will show you the depths of hell and gates of heaven.
Shadows Fall Of One Blood
The Art of Balance may have grabbed listeners' attention mercilessly, their second album Of One Blood remains the unsung hero of Shadows Fall's collection. Ranging from thrash to death metal and Gothenburg, no band has released an album quite like this. Riffs are again unique, technical, and harmonized to percfection. Jon Donais shreds his best solos ever in songs such as Of One Blood and The First Nobel Truth. Other tracks list Pure and Revel in My Loss are savagely brutal with a raw atmosphere. Only two albums into their careerm Shadows Fall had already mastered the art of covering both the insanely heavy and technical and the beautifully melodic ends of the spectrum.

4.5 superb
Arsis A Celebration of Guilt
Arsis may only have one album so far, but they are already well on their way to becoming the best modern extreme metal band in existence. It's almost disgusting how well these guys can write and perform, especially considering there's only two of them. James Malone, a total fucking musical virtuoso, handles all of the punishing riffs and multiple harmonized solos as well as the basslines and the best melodic death vocals ever. Mike Van Dyne relentlessly pounds away with his lightning speed double ba Full of ss and blast beats with a dark-sounding low end drum tone that creates a menacing feel. Full of catchy and unique riffs and bursts of insane shredfests, Arsis sounds like no other band in the world and have already redeemed America's otherwise dying heavy metal scene.
Arsis A Diamond for Disease
There's almost no journalist in the world who could efficiently describe Arsis's first EP and first release after their debut, A Diamond for Disease. The release is centered entirely around the title track, a 13 minute technical melodic death epic track with more guitar layers than any shredder could comprehend. Every second is packed full of brutal riffs with melodic harmonies raging over the top with James Malone's combined high shriek and death growl vocal styles. Together, Malone and Mike Van Dyne are truly musical prodigies of the modern metal age. to boost the length up to 20 minutes we also have an extreme Alice Cooper cover with a re-recorded demo track, The Promise of Never, a blazing riff-fest that pummels listeners at 400 bpm. Overall, A Diamond for Disease is an incredible showing of technical proficiency and perfectly honed songwriting.
Autumn Leaves Embraced by the Absolute
Autumn Leaves As Night Conquers Day
Behemoth Demigod
There really is no death metal quite like new Behemoth. After traveling to many exotic places around the world and putting part of themselves into each piece of music they wrote, the band managed to produce powerful yet meaningful extreme metal with Demigod. Inferno's drums and Nergel's voice come together to hit listeners like a Polish death metal sledgehammer. The riffs and solos, while not overly technical, show a strong proficiency towards piecing together thousands of riffs with unusual techniques to achieve an overall sound. The eastern influence in the music only helps Behemoth differentiate themselves even more from other death metal. Songs like Sculpting the Throne ov Seth are loaded with vengeful vocals and technical, mind-boggling riffs while Slaves Shall Serve and Demigod are full-blown crushing metal tracks scientifically designed to allow Behemoth to display their awesome synchronized hair whipping skills.
Blind Guardian Somewhere Far Beyond
Blind Guardian's fourth album is one their many releases considered their best to date. Embodying the band's transition from speed metal to a more epic power metal, Somewhere Far Beyond features chaotic chorus chants with memorable guitar melodies and vocal harmonies. Speed and melody are blended beautifully to metal perfection. It would be tough to find a better power metal band than Blind Guardian, and this album is a perfect testament as to why. Tracks such as Time What Is Time and Journey through the Dark encompass thashing speed metal rhythms while songs like Ashes to Ashes and Somewhere Far beyond deliver epic, melodic masterpieces. Truly the pinnacle of this metal genre.
Blind Guardian A Night at the Opera
Blind Guardian A Twist in the Myth
If any metal band can be called the single most reliable, consistent, creative, and all-around best band ever, Blind Guardian is it. Their progressive experimentation on each album is what keeps their 22 year reign exciting through every move they make. After doing the speed metal, power metal, symphonic metal, and throwing in progressive elements here and there, A Twist in the Myth comes along as a sort of musical blend of everything, including Blind Guardian's mastery of symphonic and epic arrangements. A Twist in the Myth is also arguably the most hard-edged Blind Guardian album yet, featuring powerfully heavy songs such as Another Stranger Me and The Edge, both boasting sing-along metal choruses and epic climaxes topped with the much-needed Andre Olbrich guitar solos.
Burzum Hvis Lyset Tar Oss
Children of Bodom Something Wild
It's tough to summarize an album like Something Wild. Children of Bodom has gone on to achiev metal success, but it would be a crime to forget where they started. Their first album, while a mere 7 songs and 32 minutes, was a very interesting combination of neoclassical power metal and atmospheric melodic black metal. Laiho's voice at the time is topped in quality only by his skill on a guitar, despite his apparent sloppiness at the time. Still, songs such as Deadnight Warrior and Lake Bodom have become Children of Bodom classics, and the range of elements present on the album makes for a very interesting, exciting listen.
Children of Bodom Tokyo Warhearts
Children of Bodom Are You Dead Yet?
There's no doubt that Children of Bodom has changed over the years. Are You Dead Yet? isn't the dark neoclassical voyage that their first albums were. Instead, the Finnish kings of power metal have served up a buffet of well-rounded metal ass kickings, complete with the brutal riffs and screaming solos. The keyboards provide a very unusual atmosphere for some very thrashy riffs, which almost makes it sound like extreme metal with a vague industrial overtone. The one thing that hasn't changed is the intensity of the band; there's no doubt that this album is fucking metal, and Alexi Laiho isn't backing down. As usual, every song features a trademark Laiho shredgasm. Don't let the sudden change in style and brutal riffs fool you - Children of Bodom is as good as ever.
Cradle of Filth Midian
Cradle of Filth Dusk... and Her Embrace
Cradle of Filth Damnation and a Day
Dark Angel Darkness Descends
Dark Tranquillity Character
Darkthrone A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Demigod Slumber of Sullen Eyes
Dissection Storm of the Light's Bane
Emperor Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Insomnium Since the Day It All Came Down
Iron Maiden Powerslave
Kreator Coma of Souls
Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails The Fragile
Opeth Orchid
There's something about Opeth's first two albums that hits me unlike any other music I've ever heard. It's difficult to put into words how and why. Each song encompasses a whole spectrum of emotions into an intense constellation of progressive riffs. If extreme metal could ever be "spiritual" in a positive, non-religious way, Orchid will be the album that those bands model themselves after. The production was rough back then - the guitars were overly crunchy, the bass was a bit prominent, the drums were poorly mixed, and Mikael's voice was not yet at its peak. But listening to the sheer genius of the songwriting that went into the making of Orchid, those things quickly become mear minor technical difficulties. For well over an hour it's almost impossible not to enjoy the Swedish melodic metal harmonies, incredible folk acoustic guitars, and versatile vocal performances on the debut of a band that would later change the face of extreme metal.
Opeth Damnation
Damnation is the perfect title for Opeth’s seventh album, an experimental record delving into the band’s interest in 70’s progressive rock. Damnation is the musical embodiment of the feelings one experiences while shunned in such a way. Throughout the gloomy clean guitar riffs and melotronic effects, lyrics dealing with seclusion, rejection, and depression echo eloquently amidst the music. No artist has ever created such a beautiful yet hauntingly perfect incarnation of a terrible emotion.
Opeth My Arms, Your Hearse
Opeth Ghost Reveries
Never straying from their self-beaten path of one-of-a-kind extreme progressive metal, Opeth took their latest album, Ghost Reveries, in somewhat of a "road less travelled". The introduction of keyboardist Per Wiberg opened up a whole new realm of ambient electronic effects and melancholic atmospheres to compliment the usual array of brutal metal sections and soft, clean passages. Featuring some of the band's most rhythmic metal moments (The Baying of the Hounds), shred-tacular guitar playing (Beneath the Mire), and somber ballads (Atonement), Ghost Reveries enabled a revolutionary musical act to shatter the boundaries that they themselves had previously pushed.
Orphaned Land Mabool (The Story of the Three Sons...)
Pestilence Testimony of the Ancients
Shadows Fall The War Within
Shadows Fall Somber Eyes to the Sky
Shadows Fall Threads of Life
The Absence Riders of the Plague
Vital Remains Dechristianize
Windir Arntor
Windir 1184
Windir rapidly became more and more intricate as time went on. Prior to Valfar's death, their once raw style of black metal became a rather enchanting display of cultural black metal. With vocals performed in the band's native north Norwegian dialect, heavy synth work, and folk-themed guitar riffs, 1184 can easily be considered Windir's crowning achievement. The flowing sweep guitar melody of Todeswalzer precedes the heavy nordic-sounding Dance of Mortal Lust. Songs such as the crushing Spiritlord and tribal-esque Destroy offset the mix, adding a viking feel to the already unique brand of Norse black metal. Though Windir's second album, Arntor, can be argued as their finest, 1184 features the finest blend of extreme metal, fancy musicianship, folk themes, and clean production that the band would achieve in their four-album career.
Wintersun Wintersun
While a little-known two-man act may been seen as monopolized by garage rock bands and kvlt black metal bands, the essence of extreme metal seems to be captured intelligently by any number of people anymore. Finland's Wintersun has succeeded in creating their own unique style while retaining influences from past projects and experiments. After departing from folk metal band Ensiferum, Jari Maenpaa combined folk/viking themes with an affinity for guitar-driven power melodic death metal. The Scandinavian feel combined with the heavy use of synth atmosphere creates an incredibly epic production while Jari's instrumental virtuosity is bound to inspire legions of aspiring metal shredders. Wintersun's debut is an incredibly impressive display of musical and songwriting talent, full of catchy melodies, multiple vocal performances, fast, riveting metal passages, and an overall powerful arrangement of unique extreme metal that no metal fan should pass up.

4.0 excellent
1349 Hellfire
Aborted Goremageddon: The Saw and the Carnage...
Agalloch The Mantle
Agalloch Pale Folklore
Akercocke Words That Go Unspoken...
Amon Amarth Versus the World
Apocalyptica Apocalyptica
Arch Enemy Stigmata
Arch Enemy Black Earth
At the Gates Slaughter of the Soul
At the Gates Terminal Spirit Disease
Autopsy Severed Survival
Bathory Blood Fire Death
Behemoth Zos Kia Cultus (Here and Beyond)
Behemoth The Apostasy
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath
Blind Guardian Nightfall in Middle-Earth
Blind Guardian Imaginations from the Other Side
Blind Guardian Tales from the Twilight World
Burzum Det Som Engang Var
Burzum Burzum/Aske
Cannibal Corpse The Wretched Spawn
Cannibal Corpse Kill
Carcass Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious
Carcass Heartwork
Children of Bodom Trashed, Lost & Strungout
Children of Bodom Chaos Ridden Years - Stockholm Knockout
Cradle of Filth Nymphetamine
Cradle of Filth Vempire or Dark Faerytales in Phalluste
Cradle of Filth Cruelty and the Beast
Cradle of Filth Thornography
Cryptopsy Blasphemy Made Flesh
Cryptopsy Whisper Supremacy
Darkestrah Embrace of Memory
Darkthrone Transilvanian Hunger
Death Symbolic
Deathchain Deathrash Assault
Decapitated Winds of Creation
Deicide The Stench of Redemption
Destruction The Antichrist
Destruction Inventor of Evil
Dimmu Borgir Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
Dimmu Borgir Enthrone Darkness Triumphant
Dimmu Borgir In Sorte Diaboli
Dismember Like an Ever Flowing Stream
Dismember The God That Never Was
Dismember's first album, Like an Ever Flowing Stream, will forever be remembered as a Swedish death metal classic. Since then, the band has continued to produce their own brand of raw, violent death metal, but nothing stood out like the aforementioned record. Well over a decade later, they're back with another astonishing album. The God That Never Was combines the familiar Dismember death metal sound, raw and aggressive, while adding the timely harmonized guitar solos and melodic riffs. Creating a perfect balance of melody and brutality, Dismember has convinced many that Like an Ever Flowing Stream may not be their crowning achievement anymore. The God That Never Was is an excellent staple in the accomplishments of old-school death metal bands in the modern times.
Dissection The Somberlain
Emperor In the Nightside Eclipse
Emperor Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire...
Entombed Left Hand Path
Epheles L'ombre de la Croix
Epheles Souviens-Toi
Falkenbach Heralding - The Fireblade
Falkenbach Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty
Fragments of Unbecoming Sterling Black Icon: Black But Shining
Gorod Neurotripsicks
Technical death metal has been an underrated genre. There are bands that are capable of taking its unending chaos to new levels while still creating intricate, listenable music. Gorod breaths new life into a world where many were getting bored waiting around for the new Necrophagist album. With sickening vocals, chugging riffs, and mind-blowing lead guitar, Gorod is a fucking intensely brutal band. They also throw in elements of melody that compliment the brutality in such a way as to create images of prison rapes and bar brawls. You'd never guess such an extreme band would have a female drummer, but it just goes to show that women are always welcome in extreme metal.
Hypnosia Extreme Hatred
In Flames The Jester Race
Insomnium Above the Weeping World
Into Eternity The Scattering of Ashes
Iron Maiden Brave New World
Iron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Kataxu Hunger of Elements
Kreator Pleasure to Kill
Kreator Extreme Aggression
Lacuna Coil Unleashed Memories
Lacuna Coil Karmacode
Lamb of God Ashes of the Wake
It's pretty much unanimous that Lamb of God's second album, As the Palaces Burn, is their best. However, it wasn't until their third album, Ashes of the Wake, that they really broke through and garnished the recognition they have to day. Taking a close examination it's no surprise why. Ashes of the Wake featured the cleanest, most refined sound Lamb of God had at the time. The band had always prospered in Morton and Adler's affinity for brutal groove riffs, and this is where they shine the brightest. Every song is packed full of hair-whipping thrashy groove metal riffs with gut-wrenchingly powerful drum patterns. The technicality of the music increased dramatically since As the Palaces Burn. Though Ashes of the Wake may not be the common pinnacle, it's more than deserving of a close second. Just listen to those fucking riffs.
Lamb of God As the Palaces Burn
Mirrorthrone Of Wind and Weeping
Morbid Angel Altars of Madness
Nightwish Century Child
Nightwish Oceanborn
Nile Annihilation of the Wicked
Norther Mirror of Madness
Opeth Still Life
Opeth Morningrise
Opeth Deliverance
Opeth Lamentations
Pestilence Consuming Impulse
Pestilence Malleus Maleficarum
Psycroptic Symbols of Failure
Sacramentum Far Away from the Sun
Satyricon Nemesis Divina
Shadows Fall Fallout From The War
Slayer Reign in Blood
I don't profess to be a thrash afficianado, let alone one of metal's many Slayer fanatics. Their third album, Reign in Blood, is considered the most essential thrash album written. While it is obviously a staple in extreme music, it is no without flaws. At roughly 28 minutes, it is not for casual listening. The songs are played at such high speeds that Slayer is able to cram a full 4-5 minute song into the span of 3 minutes or less. Structures and predictable patterns are out the window here - Slayer brings balls-to-the-wall brutality and unrelenting thrash metal. Every riff demands attention, every blast beat causes an infant to explode. While the mid-section of the album consists entirely of 2 minute songs, it will be the most neck-breaking session of headbanging a metalhead can endure. Be sure to check out Angel of Death and Raining Blood, some of thrash metal's best songs.
The Red Chord Fused Together in Revolving Doors
Through the Eyes of the Dead Bloodlust
Ulver Kveldssanger
Vader The Art Of War
Vader Impressions In Blood
Warmen Accept The Fact
Weird Al Yankovic The Food Album
Yyrkoon Dying Sun

3.5 great
1349 Beyond the Apocalypse
Aborted Engineering the Dead
Aborted The Archaic Abattoir
Aborted Slaughter & Apparatus: A Methodical Overture
Aeon Bleeding the False
Aeon Dark Order
AFI Sing the Sorrow
AFI Decemberunderground
Agalloch Ashes Against the Grain
Akercocke The Goat of Mendes
Akercocke Choronzon
Amon Amarth With Oden on Our Side
Anaal Nathrakh The Codex Necro
Arch Enemy Doomsday Machine
Arch Enemy Wages of Sin
Arch Enemy Burning Bridges
Arghoslent Incorrigible Bigotry
At the Gates With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness
Atheist Elements
Behemoth Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)
Behemoth Satanica
Between the Buried and Me Alaska
Blind Guardian Follow the Blind
Blind Guardian Battalions of Fear
Bloodbath Resurrection Through Carnage
Burzum Hlidskjalf
Cannibal Corpse Gore Obsessed
Cannibal Corpse Bloodthirst
Cannibal Corpse Tomb of the Mutilated
Cannibal Corpse The Bleeding
Carcass Reek of Putrefaction
Coroner No More Color
Cradle of Filth The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
Cradle of Filth Bitter Suites to Succubi
Cryptopsy None So Vile
Cynic Focus
Dark Angel Leave Scars
Dark Tranquillity Damage Done
Darkestrah Sary Oy
Daylight Dies Dismantling Devotion
Death The Sound of Perseverance
Death Human
Decapitated Organic Hallucinosis
Deicide Once Upon the Cross
Deicide Deicide
Dekapitator We Will Destroy...You Will Obey!
Demigod Shadow Mechanics
Demolition Hammer Epidemic of Violence
Destruction Metal Discharge
Dimmu Borgir Death Cult Armageddon
Dimmu Borgir For All Tid
Dimmu Borgir Stormblåst
Dimmu Borgir Stormblåst MMV
DragonForce Sonic Firestorm
Emperor Emperial Live Ceremony
Ensiferum Iron
Enslaved Ruun
Fear My Thoughts Hell Sweet Hell
Fragments of Unbecoming Skywards: A Sylphe's Ascension
Gorgoroth Twilight of the Idols
Gorgoroth Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion I
Hate Eternal I, Monarch
HIM Razorblade Romance
Immortal Sons of Northern Darkness
Immortal At the Heart of Winter
In Flames Come Clarity
Insomnium In the Halls of Awaiting
Into Eternity Buried in Oblivion
John 5 Vertigo
Kalmah The Black Waltz
Kamelot The Black Halo
Katatonia Viva Emptiness
Lacuna Coil Comalies
Lamb of God Sacrament
Leviathan The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide
Mayhem Live in Leipzig
Metallica Ride the Lightning
Metallica S&M
Necrophagist Onset of Putrefaction
Nightwish Wishmaster
Nile In Their Darkened Shrines
Nine Inch Nails With Teeth
Norther Dreams of Endless War
Norther Death Unlimited
Norther Till Death Unites Us
Psycroptic The Scepter of the Ancients
Satanic Warmaster Carelian Satanist Madness
Sauron (USA-MI) Thrash Assault
Slayer Show No Mercy
Slayer Hell Awaits
Slayer Christ Illusion
Slipknot Vol.3: The Subliminal Verses [Reissue]
Sodom M-16
Sonata Arctica Ecliptica
Spawn of Possession Cabinet
Hailing from Sweden, Spawn of Possession can be seen as a brutal Necrophagist on steroids. Instead of high, spastic lead guitar riffs, we have a flurry of brutal, pummeling, 7-string wankfests played at absolutely blinding speeds. The vocals are roared so fast and so deeply that they sound more inhuman and indecipherable than ever, while the drums are everything one could come to expect from a technical death metal outfit. Swarm of the Formless features a rolling tremolo attack backed by savage onslaught of double bass, and is merely one of many extreme mind-grinding experiences contained within the album. Featuring plentiful shredding and ear-raping vocals, Spawn of Possession has shown a promising future with this debut.
Summon Fallen
Tenacious D Tenacious D
Torture Squad Pandemonium
Unearth III: In the Eyes of Fire
Vesania God the Lux
Vintersorg Cosmic Genesis
Winds The Imaginary Direction of Time
Witchery Dead, Hot and Ready
Wormed Planisphaerium

3.0 good
1349 Liberation
Anaal Nathrakh When Fire Rains Down From the Sky...
Arcturus The Sham Mirrors
Arsis United in Regret
At the Gates The Red in the Sky Is Ours
Atheist Unquestionable Presence
Behemoth Pandemonic Incantations
Between the Buried and Me Between the Buried and Me
Between the Buried and Me The Silent Circus
Borknagar Empiricism
Bullet for My Valentine Bullet For My Valentine EP
Carcass Swansong
Cellador Enter Deception
Celtic Frost Monotheist
Control Denied The Fragile Art of Existence
Cryptopsy Once Was Not
Dark Angel Time Does Not Heal
Dark Angel We Have Arrived
Dark Tranquillity Haven
Dark Tranquillity Projector
Darkthrone The Cult Is Alive
Darkthrone Soulside Journey
Darkthrone Goatlord
Demiricous One (Hellbound)
Demonoid Riders of the Apocalypse
Dissection Reinkaos
DragonForce Valley of the Damned
Elvenking The Winter Wake
Emperor Scattered Ashes: Decade of Emperial Wrath
Ensiferum Ensiferum
Exodus Tempo of the Damned
Fragments of Unbecoming Bloodred Tales
Gory Blister Art Bleeds
Green Carnation The Acoustic Verses
Guns N' Roses Use Your Illusion II
HIM Dark Light
Himsa Courting Tragedy & Disaster
Himsa Hail Horror
Hypocrisy Virus
In Flames Whoracle
Kataklysm In the Arms of Devastation
Katatonia The Great Cold Distance
Light This City Facing The Thousand
Local H As Good as Dead
Lykathea Aflame Elvenefris
Mayhem De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Megadeth Rust in Peace
Naglfar Sheol
Nevermore Enemies Of Reality
Nevermore Dreaming Neon Black
Nevermore This Godless Endeavor
Nightrage Sweet Vengeance
Nile Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka
Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine
Origin Echoes of Decimation
Pearl Jam Vs.
Pelican The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon...
Pestilence Spheres
Porcupine Tree Deadwing
Seether Karma And Effect
Seether Disclaimer
Slayer Seasons in the Abyss
Slayer Haunting the Chapel
Slipknot Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses
Stone Sour Stone Sour
Stratovarius Elements, Pt. 1
Superjoint A Lethal Dose of American Hatred
The Absence From Your Grave
The Amenta Occasus
The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream
This Ending Inside the Machine
Vio-Lence Eternal Nightmare

2.5 average
All That Remains The Fall of Ideals
Arcturus La Masquerade Infernale
Arcturus Sideshow Symphonies
Behemoth Grom
Bloodbath Nightmares Made Flesh
Cradle of Filth From the Cradle to Enslave
Cryptopsy And Then You'll Beg
Disarmonia Mundi Mind Tricks
DragonForce Inhuman Rampage
Dream Theater Train of Thought
Emperor IX Equilibrium
Exodus Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Falconer Northwind
God Forbid Determination
Godsmack Godsmack
HIM Love Metal
In Flames Colony
In Flames Clayman
Kataklysm Shadows and Dust
Mastodon Blood Mountain
maudlin of the Well Bath
Meshuggah Contradictions Collapse
Metallica Master of Puppets
Morbid Angel Formulas Fatal to the Flesh
Morbid Angel Gateways to Annihilation
Napalm Death Scum
Pelican Australasia
Quo Vadis Defiant Imagination
Roadrunner United The All-Star Sessions
Slayer South of Heaven
Slipknot Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.
Testament Low
The Axis of Perdition The Ichneumon Method
The Black Dahlia Murder Unhallowed
The Black Dahlia Murder Miasma
The Devin Townsend Band Synchestra
Thine Eyes Bleed In the Wake of Separation
Unearth The Oncoming Storm
Weird Al Yankovic Poodle Hat
Yngwie Malmsteen Rising Force
Zyklon World ov Worms
Zyklon Aeon

2.0 poor
All That Remains This Darkened Heart
Audioslave Audioslave
Battlelore Sword's Song
Bleeding Through This Is Love, This Is Murderous
Burzum Daudi Baldrs
Chevelle Point #1
Converge No Heroes
Danzig Danzig
Deicide Insineratehymn
Dimmu Borgir Spiritual Black Dimensions
Dissection Maha Kali
Dream Theater Images and Words
Dream Theater Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Dream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
Dream Theater Octavarium
Green Carnation Light of Day, Day of Darkness
Imperanon Stained
Iron Maiden The X Factor
Kreator Enemy of God
Meshuggah I
Metallica Reload
Metallica Metallica
Mnemic Mechanical Spin Phenomena
Morbid Angel Heretic
Mors Principium Est The Unborn
Seether Disclaimer II
Slayer Divine Intervention
Slayer Diabolus in Musica
Slipknot Iowa
Soilwork The Chainheart Machine
Spiral Architect A Sceptic's Universe
Staind Dysfunction
The Agony Scene The Agony Scene
The Agony Scene The Darkest Red
The Dillinger Escape Plan Calculating Infinity
The Sawtooth Grin Cuddlemonster
Zao Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest

1.5 very poor
As I Lay Dying Shadows Are Security
blink-182 Take Off Your Pants And Jacket
Cannae Gold Becomes Sacrifice
Chimaira Chimaira
Combatwoundedveteran I Know A Girl Who Develops Crime Scene Photos
DevilDriver The Fury of Our Maker's Hand
Devourment Butcher The Weak
Godsmack Awake
In Flames Reroute to Remain
In Flames Soundtrack to Your Escape
Job for a Cowboy Doom
Killswitch Engage As Daylight Dies
Lamb of God New American Gospel
Metallica ...And Justice for All
Metallica Load
My Chemical Romance Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
Papa Roach Getting Away With Murder
Slayer God Hates Us All
Stone Sour Come What(ever) May
Terror One With The Underdogs
The Red Chord Clients
Tim McGraw Live Like You Were Dying
Trivium Ascendancy
Full of catchy riffs and flashy playing, Trivium's outer appearence is one of the most attractive in the modern metal scene. Unfortunately for the band, taking a closer look reveals generic, recycled riffs and arguably the worst vocals to ever receive praise. With 12 songs featuring only miniscule differences, the only valuable aspect is the soloing throughout the album, despite the fact that the shredding shows nothing above the hundreds of other metal guitarists around today. Trivium may have the physical ability, but their songwriting is the epitome of underdeveloped.
Trivium Ember to Inferno
Ulver Nattens Madrigal

1.0 awful
As I Lay Dying Frail Words Collapse
Atreyu Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses
Atreyu The Curse
blink-182 Blink-182
Chevelle Wonder What's Next
Godsmack Faceless
Godsmack The Other Side
Khanate Things Viral
Korn Korn
Korn Take a Look in the Mirror
Korn Issues
Korn Life Is Peachy
Korn Follow the Leader
Korn Untouchables
Limp Bizkit Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water
Linkin Park Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park Meteora
Linkin Park Reanimation
Metallica St. Anger
Words cannot describe how insanely bad this album is, so I won't waste anyone's time making them up. Metallica, 20 years after solidifying themselves as one the most essential metal bands ever, has been reduced to redundant, obnoxious garbage. Yes, hope is lost completely for a once respected metal band. No unique riffs, no solos at all, and vocals dripping with nu metal angst. Music stores worldwide must've found themselves overstocked with frisbees after this abomination was released.
Metallica Some Kind of Monster
Metallica The Unnamed Feeling
P.O.D. Satellite
Psyopus Ideas of Reference
Although music has obviously become more and more extreme over the years, a line has to be drawn somewhere. Not ever band sounds like Iron Maiden anymore - extreme music has gotten faster, heavier, louder, and it's no surprise that most of it comes off as noise to our older generations. However, I've still become an avid extreme music listener. Fortunately, I haven't lost all sense. Music is music; Psyopus is not. At the risk of sounding closed-minded or whatever else people may think, Psyopus is undoubtedly the most garbled, incoherent piece of crap ever to be distributed in worldwide music stores. The musicianship may be mind-blowing, but the writing is nothing more than worthless noise.
Psyopus Our Puzzling Encounters Considered
Puddle of Mudd Life On Display
Puddle of Mudd Come Clean
Satyricon Volcano
Six Feet Under 13
Slipknot Slipknot
Smile Empty Soul Smile Empty Soul
Staind Break The Cycle
Sunn O))) Black One
Sunn O))) White2
Sunn O))) White1
Trivium The Crusade
The Crusade runs invariably dry on memorable content just as quickly as the album starts. The only songs that actually stick out for positive reasons are To the Rats and Tread the Floods, both of which feature sufficiently interesting riffs. That is, until once again, the music is flooded with derivative Metallca riffs and melodies, so much so that the listener is virtually beaten aurally until the decent riffs are completely forgotten. It almost sounds as if Trivium was desperate to write a long instrumental song, as The Crusade features dozens of completely unrelated riffs thrown together in a rather haphazard manner. While perhaps good in very small doses, The Crusade is not at all the technical thrash metal masterpiece that media sources hailed it.
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