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5 classic

Arsis A Celebration of Guilt

Between The Buried And Me Colors

I've heard a multitude of metal albums this year, and none of them come even close to this. It's got everything a metal album I think should have: incredibly well executed guitar leads, brutal riffs, loads of technicality, and an amazing rhythm section. Not only does it have that, but BTBAM has a knack for writing some rather progressive songs, especially on here. The fact that the album is essentially one giant song makes it really cool and almost impossible to stop in the middle. But wait, there's more! The amount of experimentation on this album is absurd. "Foam Born/The Backtrack" starts off with a crooning soft ballad. "The Decade of Statues" has a short jazz fusion break. "Informal Gluttony" starts off with a long intro including some tribal drumming. "Sun of Nothing" has a quirky, psychopathic break similar to the band Mr. Bungle. "Ants of the Sky" has an entire section dedicated to goofy banjo/guitar folk music. "Prequel to the Sequel" has accordions in it. That's right. Fucking accordions. It sounds absurd, but it's amazing how it's all integrated into the album and never really seems that out of place, even though the genres completely change at a moment's notice. Do yourself a favor and buy this album. Twice.

Botch We Are The Romans

It's quite simple really; you either love this album or you're a gigantic pussy.

Converge Jane Doe

I sit here thinking of the most intense metal albums I've ever heard. You know you've reached a new mark of insanity when the only album that matches you is None So Vile. Congrats, Converge.

Dissection Storm of the Light's Bane

Edge Of Sanity Crimson

Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP

King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King

Metallica Ride the Lightning

Bands always develop and progress in their sound during their careers, be it for better or for worse. Metallica's Ride the Lightning is a perfect example of a band changing for the better, and releasing what is probably the band's best album ever. The band took what they needed to work on from their first major release Kill Em All and did a 180 degree turn on the entire world, creating some very thrashy, emotional, and overall great tracks. Some of the band's most recognizable songs can be found on here like "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "Fade To Black", and "Creeping Death". If you are considering getting some metal albums and don't know where to start, this would be a great one to purchase. It's got a great replay value and will keep you hooked from the acoustic guitars in the intro to the final notes in the band's crushing instrumental "The Call of Ktulu". This truly is a metal masterpiece.

Mudvayne L.D. 50

Just when metal fans out there thought that everything nu-metal had to offer had been brought to the table, along came Mudvayne. L.D. 50 is not only the best nu-metal album of all time, it's one of the best metal albums to come out in the past decade. This album really proved the world wrong that nu-metal bands couldn't play complex music, courtesy of fantastic polyrhythmic drumming and some of the best bass playing ever to grace the metal scene. Chad Grey's vocals are also impressive, accompanied by some lyrics way beyond what the genre had done in the past. If you've never been a fan of nu-metal, give this a chance. It's way beyond what you've ever heard the genre offer before.

Opeth Blackwater Park

Pink Floyd The Wall

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine

No album has ever sounded as funky, as strange, or as pissed off as Rage Against the Machine's self titled LP. The energy on this album is simply unreal courtesy of Zack De La Rocha's flurry of political tirades, or Tom Morello's quirky and innovative guitar leads. Combine these two juggernauts with a downright groovy rhythm section and you've got the makings of the greatest album of the nineties. Oh, and did I metion that "Freedom" might be the greatest song of all time?

The Dillinger Escape Plan Calculating Infinity

Thrice Vheissu

Tool Lateralus

Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

36 Chambers is simply the perfect hip-hop album. It's got the perfect combination of fury, violence, humor and all-around wit. The contrast in vocal styles is also extremely fresh and enjoyable, as each emcee brings something incredibly special to the table. Be it GZA's flawless lyrics and smooth flow, ODB's beyond bizarre delivery or Ghostface Killah's high-pitched maniacal rhymes, it's all just too sick for words. Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk, phony niggas are outlining chalk.

4.5 superb

Arsis A Diamond for Disease

Arsis We Are The Nightmare

Arsis maintain the devastating technicality from United In Regret and decided to throw in a plethora of hooks this time around. The production also has improved by leaps and bounds, making this the most accessible Arsis album to date, despite the constant flurry of fretboard acrobatics. Darren Cesca's drum performance here is also almost too much to take. Almost.

At the Gates Slaughter of the Soul

Melodic Death Metal is now a fairly large genre, but where did it start? None other than Sweden, thanks to In Flames and of course the now legendary At the Gates. This was their last album, and also their best. This album is like a roller-coaster ride from hell, as it never lets up with with its unrelenting speed, aggression, and power. Such songs like "Blinded by Fear", "Suicide Nation" and "Slaughter of the Soul" are worth the full album price alone, but the rest of the thing is practically flawless as well, despite a few moments of repetition. If you're into metal or looking into the death metal scene, this album should be a priority.

Atheist Unquestionable Presence

Between The Buried And Me The Silent Circus

Between The Buried And Me The Great Misdirect

With The Great Misdirect, it seems that Between the Buried and Me have no interest in being associated with the metalcore scene they once dominated. Instead, it seems like they're more interested in being associated with progressive metal giants like Dream Theater and Opeth (who they shared the stage with not one year ago). The Great Misdirect is filled to the brim with guitar solos, time-changes on a dime, and more genre-hopping than Colors, only this time it feels much less forced. While BTBAM's latest isn't quite as ambitious as their previous outing, it's still an incredibly impressive album that just shows the band becoming even more comfortable in their own shoes and realizing just how damn talented they really are. Plus, the drum solo in "Swim to the Moon" is worth just about anyone's attention.

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath

Why yes, this is the album that started it all. Every single metal album is obviously influenced this because it's the one that pioneered the whole genre and began the ever-so epic genre that is metal. This album showcases everyone in the band greatly and and contains some of the band's strongest songs ever written. The album contains what is probably the heaviest song of all time, Black Sabbath. It's slow guitar riffs and overall creepy atmosphere will bring you to your knees alone, but Ozzy's singing takes it to a whole new level. Besides this track alone, the rest of the album remains strong and rarely ever ceases to amaze. If you listen to metal at all, you should have this. If not, get to a record store fast.

Blackalicious Blazing Arrow

Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago

Botch An Anthology of Dead Ends

Burzum Hvis Lyset Tar Oss

Charles Mingus Mingus Ah Um

Children Of Bodom Hatebreeder

Circle Takes The Square As The Roots Undo

Converge No Heroes

The last thirty seconds of "Grim Heart/Black Rose" alone makes the album. Seriously, it's that good.

Converge When Forever Comes Crashing (Remastered)

Converge Axe To Fall

Cradle of Filth Midian

Cradle of Filth Vempire/ Dark Faerytales in Phallustein

Cryptopsy None So Vile

Cynic Focus

Cynic Traced In Air

A perfect and highly anticipated return to form. Cynic have definitely released one of the year's finest in any genre. Yes, it's a little bit too short, but it just makes the journey all the sweeter, and easier to start all over again. Reinert has never sounded more devastating behind the kit and the vocals are a huge improvement from Focus. I couldn't be happier with this album.

Darkthrone Transilvanian Hunger

Death Human

Death Individual Thought Patterns

Dio Holy Diver

Disillusion Back To Times Of Splendor

Dismember Like an Ever Flowing Stream

DJ Shadow Endtroducing

Edge Of Sanity Crimson II

Electric Wizard Dopethrone

Eminem The Slim Shady LP

Emperor In the Nightside Eclipse

Few albums in black metal can truly be regarded as classics, and In the Nightside Eclipse can be called one of them. This album is earth-shatteringly great from the opening sounds in "Into the Infinity of Thoughts" to the closing screams of "Inno A Satana" this album will keep you hooked with its crunching guitar riffs, pounding drums, haunting keyboards, and an overall creepy atmosphere that only a few other albums can compete with. Even if you've never been accustomed to this style of music before, you should really consider giving this a listen.

Emperor Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk

Glassjaw Worship and Tribute

GZA Liquid Swords

Hacksaw to the Throat Wastelands

Disregard the band's ridiculous name, this album seriously gives 2007's progressive metal giants like Between the Buried and Me's Colors and The Ocean's Precambrian a serious run for their money. While Wastelands is deeply rooted in a melodeath sound, it's still easily one of the best examples of effective prog-metal songwriting I've come across in months. Every sputnik member who listens to metal owes it to them to get Wastelands as quickly as possible. A criminally under-covered album on this website. REVIEW SOON!

Herbie Hancock Headhunters

Iced Earth Burnt Offerings

Iced Earth's early days were only up to par, so the band had no where to go but up at this point. After sever lineup changes and the addition of vocalist Matt Barlow, Iced Earth had finally had an incredible band which could only create the band's best album of their careers. Burnt Offerings still remains to be one of the best power metal releases to ever hit the scene because of guitarist Jon Schaffers incredible songwriting being accompanied by some of Barlows finest moments in the band. This album starts strongly and never really lets up for the entire time. This album also contains the most epic power metal song ever, and possibly the most epic song ever concieved, Dantes Inferno. This sixteen minute masterpiece takes the listener through the circles of hell and leaves you breathless by the end. For those of you who are willing to have an album dominate your ears for weeks, maybe even months to come, buy this.

Into Eternity Buried In Oblivion

Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast

Everyone knows essential metal artists like Black Sabbath and Metallica, and Iron Maiden certainly belongs in this category as well. This album is their most popular release to date, but also what I consider to be their best as well. This is the first album to feature the now legendary Bruce Dickinson on vocals and certainly shows off his skills on this album just like he does on every release. Behind these fantastic vocal deliveries are a myriad of headbanging guitar riffs, soaring solos, pounding percussion, and Steve Harris' extremely memorable bass lines. This album also features Hallowed Be Thy Name, which many people consider to be the best heavy metal song ever written. So if you listen to metal or are looking into the genre, this should be on your list of albums to buy first, as it is such an essential release.

Iron Maiden Live After Death

Iron Maiden Powerslave

Jedi Mind Tricks Legacy of Blood

John Coltrane A Love Supreme

Lamb of God As the Palaces Burn

Wow, the New Wave of American Heavy Metal sure does suck, right? For the most part it's rather boring, but Lamb of God's sophomore album really was a ray of light in this dark period of American metal. The band's last album wasn't nearly as strong as it could have been, so these guys really stepped up their game on this release and have released what I think to be one of the strongest metal albums to have come out in the past ten years. This album is heavy from start to finish and barely even features any sort of clean guitars. Amongst the wailing of technical guitar riffs there are very solid drum beats from Chris Adler and some impressive vocal work from Randy Blythe. Some songs like Ruin, 11th Hour, and Vigil will leave you speechless after listening, so get to it. This is a metal album that should not be missed.

Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy

Lye By Mistake Arrangements For Fulminating Vective

Everyone on sputnik should really check out these guys, and soon. Think Calculating Infinity meets Focus meets Spastic Ink-level shredding, with a ton of experimentation to boot. A must have for all listeners of technical, progressive, and psychotic music.

Mastodon Leviathan

Mastodon Blood Mountain

This album really lived up to all of the hype it received this past year. The band has finally harnessed all of their skills to create their strongest album to date. All twelve songs on the album offer something new and exciting to listen to, and follow an epic tale to please any headbanger out there. The guitar work has improved a ton since their past albums, as has the bass work. The drumming has become less chaotic to bring the band closer together, but still packs a really mean punch. I can?t really find anything wrong with Blood Mountain at all. In short, pick it up. It?s well worth your time.

Mastodon Crack the Skye

Imagine if Mastodon took the strongest elements of "Sleeping Giant", "Hearts Alive", and "Pendulous Skin" and made an entire album out of them. Add a terrific (and crushing) vocal performance from Neurosis' Scott Kelly, improved clean vocals from both Troy and Brent, and an overall knack for combining thinking-man's metal with catchy hooks simultaneously. In short, Crack the Skye isn't something you should miss. Inevitably one of the strongest metal releases of the year.

maudlin of the Well Bath

Megadeth Rust In Peace

Metallica Master of Puppets

Michael Jackson Bad

Miles Davis Kind Of Blue

Moonsorrow V: Havitetty

Nas Illmatic

Neurosis The Eye of Every Storm

Opeth Still Life

Opeth Morningrise

Opeth Deliverance

Opeth age like fine wine. Their albums get so much better with age, and this is no exception. While it doesn't quite match up with their last album Blackwater Park, it comes damn close. Featuring five of some of the band's heaviest material of all time, this album barely ever lets up to let you breathe. Every member of the band displays some very advanced musicianship, as there are always some very technical and enjoyable riffs to listen to. Mixed in with the chaotic riffing and incredibly brutal vocals there are lovely acoustic sections with beautiful clean vocals courtesy of metal's finest vocalist, Mikael Akerfeldt. It doesn't matter what you listen to, you need this album.

Opeth Damnation

Orphaned Land Mabool (The Story of the Three Sons...)

Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd Animals

Pink Floyd Is There Anybody Out There?

Primus Frizzle Fry

Protest the Hero Kezia

Protest the Hero Fortress

Can you say maturity? This young Canadian group is well on their way to becoming one of the most important progressive metal groups of the new millennium. Fortress essentially is Protest the Hero maintaining almost all of the catchiness and sing-a-long parts from Kezia and mashing it together with enough shreddy bits to make any guitar hero cringe. Tear her fucking head from her goddamn shoulders!

Public Enemy Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us

Radiohead The Bends

Radiohead OK Computer

Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...

Rage Against the Machine Evil Empire

Rage Against the Machine Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium

Say Anything In Defense of the Genre

Yeah ok this is officially the best break-up album ever. I get it now.

Scar Symmetry Holographic Universe

Scar Symmetry release a modern melodic death metal album that doesn't sound like it's ripping off Slaughter of the Soul the entire time. While that should be enough to get you to listen to Holographic Universe, throw in a solid instrumental performance on all fronts and more vocal hooks than you'll ever be able to remember. The title track might also be the song of the year. A must have for metal in 2008.

Slayer Reign in Blood

Slipknot Slipknot

Streetlight Manifesto Somewhere in the Between

System of a Down Mezmerize

System of a Down System of a Down

The Dillinger Escape Plan Miss Machine

WITHOUT MY EXISTENCE YOU AREEEEEEEEEE NOTHINGGGGGGGG

The Faceless Akeldama

The Mars Volta Octahedron

The Mars Volta De-Loused in the Comatorium

The Notorious B.I.G. Ready To Die

The Ocean Precambrian

One of the must-have metal albums of 2007. Precambrian is almost too epic for its own good. Almost.

The Red Chord Fused Together in Revolving Doors

The Red Chord Fed Through the Teeth Machine

The Red Chord stray further and further away from their hardcore/metalcore influences and take the sounds developed on Prey For Eyes in an even faster, more death metal-influenced direction. The band, despite losing a second guitar player, still sounds as menacing as always, introducing groove in songs like "Hymns and Crippled Anthems" and loads of melody in "Hour of Rats" and "Mouthful of Precious Stones", while still maintaining loads of breakdowns and ugly, dissonant leads that The Red Chord has become known so well for. One of the most badass records of 2009.

Thrice The Alchemy Index: Vols. I and II...

Tool Aenima

Ulver Bergtatt

Underoath Lost In The Sound Of Separation

A few weeks ago I never thought this album would be on here, but man this one is a grower. Underoath have really improved over the past years, and have finally released a truly superb album. LITSOS is just a perfect placement of songs; the slower and lighter songs come at all the right times and the heavy songs will bring you back in with a dissonant, hardcore flurry. Both vocalists are also on the top of the game and always draw me in on a very personal and emotional level. A killer album!

Unearth III: In the Eyes of Fire

Wintersun Wintersun

This album comes so close to being a 5 for me sometimes it's not even funny. I'm pretty confident in saying that this will be one of the best metal albums to come out in this decade.

Wolves in the Throne Room Two Hunters

Yes Close To The Edge

Yes have become one of the most legendary bands in the progressive genre, and this album will always remain to be their best. Don't be fooled by this album only containing three songs, for they are all very long and masterpieces in their own respects. Each member of the band shows that they are true virtuosos at their instrument from start to finish. Close to the Edge will remain to be one of the crown jewels of this genre and should be a staple in the progressive community.

Yes Close to the Edge [Re-mastered Version]

4 excellent

A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step

A Wilhelm Scream Career Suicide

Agalloch Ashes Against the Grain

Agalloch The Mantle

Amon Amarth With Oden On Our Side

Anata The Conductor's Departure

Animal Collective Strawberry Jam

Aphex Twin Richard D. James Album

Arch Enemy Doomsday Machine

Arcturus The Sham Mirrors

Arghoslent Hornets of the Pogrom

omg riffs omg riffs omg riffs omg riffs omg riffs omg riffs omg riffs omg riffs omg riffs omg riffs omg riffs omg riffs

Army of the Pharaohs The Torture Papers

At the Drive-In Relationship of Command

Atheist Elements

Autopsy Severed Survival

Baroness Red Album

This album sounds the same way John Baizley looks. In the words of Channing Freeman: Fucking BURLY.

Baroness Blue Record

Bathory Blood Fire Death

Behemoth Demigod

Between The Buried And Me Alaska

Between The Buried And Me Between the Buried and Me

Between The Buried And Me Colors_LIVE

Black Sabbath Paranoid

Black Sabbath Master of Reality

Black Sabbath Heaven and Hell

Black Sabbath Mob Rules

Blackalicious A2G [EP]

Bloodbath Unblessing the Purity

Bloodbath Nightmares Made Flesh

Blotted Science The Machinations Of Dementia

Borknagar Empiricism

Borknagar Epic

Brand New Daisy

Burst Lazarus Bird

BUS Moving People

Cannabis Corpse Tube Of The Resinated

Carcass Heartwork

Charles Mingus The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady

Children Of Bodom Something Wild

Children Of Bodom Follow the Reaper

Children Of Bodom Tokyo Warhearts

Converge You Fail Me

Converge Petitioning The Empty Sky

Cradle of Filth The Principle of Evil Made Flesh

Cradle of Filth Dusk and Her Embrace

Dark Angel Darkness Descends

Dark Tranquillity Character

Dark Tranquillity Fiction

Darkest Hour Deliver Us

Darkthrone A Blaze In the Northern Sky

In every genre there are some records that pioneer a certain sound that will be repeated and imitated for years to come. In the dark genre of black metal, you can look to the artist known as Darkthrone for the "true" black metal sound. Their unique and often called poor production style adds to the overall atmosphere to the experience of A Blaze in the Northern Sky. The band does not aim for musical technicality or impressive riffs, but aim for a simple, droning, and powerful album. If you're looking for anger and hatred this would be a release that you can't afford to pass up. Every song is loaded with ferocity and a catharsis that will bring you to your knees. This is black metal. This is Darkthrone.

Daylight Dies Dismantling Devotion

Dead Congregation Graves of the Archangels

Death Symbolic

Death The Sound of Perseverance

Death Live in L.A.: Death & Raw

Deathchain Deathrash Assault

Decapitated Winds of Creation

Demigod Slumber of Sullen Eyes

Dissection The Somberlain

DJ Danger Mouse The Grey Album

Dr. Dre 2001

Dr. Dre The Chronic

Dream Theater Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory

Edge Of Sanity Purgatory Afterglow

Electro Quarterstaff Gretzky

Emperor Emperial Live Ceremony

Emperor Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire...

Ensiferum Iron

Enslaved Vertebrae

Every Time I Die The Big Dirty

It's as gritty as it is catchy and as as heavy as it is fun. The Big Dirty is Every Time I Die's most consistent album and one of the better metalcore albums to be released. Combining quality southern-rock influenced riffs with time-signature flipping breakdowns and a great sense of humor, this really isn't something anyone should miss. It's just a great time. Burly dudes playing burly metal for burly fans.

Every Time I Die New Junk Aesthetic

Remember when Every Time I Die wrote really fun songs like "We'rewolf" and "INRihab"? Yeah, that's but a distant memory at this point. New Junk Aesthetic is here to whoop ass, make you want to grow a beard, chug a few PBR's, and maybe start a circle pit with those in your immediate area. And for a short and blistering thirty-one minutes, I couldn't ask for more. Check out "Organ Grinder", "For the Record", and "White Smoke" for top notch Botch-influenced metalcore, "Roman Holiday" for a surprisingly crushing intro track, and "The Marvelous Slut" for just a good time.

Explosions In The Sky The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place

Fightstar Be Human

Gnostic Engineering the Rule

Godspeed You! Black Emperor F# A# ∞

Gordian Knot Emergent

Gordian Knot Gordian Knot

Gorillaz Gorillaz

Gorod Leading Vision

Gorod Process of a New Decline

Heaven and Hell The Devil You Know

Iced Earth Night of the Stormrider

Iced Earth Days of Purgatory

Iced Earth Alive In Athens

In Flames The Jester Race

In Mourning Shrouded Divine

Into Eternity The Scattering of Ashes

Intronaut Prehistoricisms

Iron And Wine The Shepherd's Dog

Iron Maiden Killers

Iron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Iron Maiden Somewhere in Time

Iron Maiden Rock In Rio

Isis Panopticon

Isis Wavering Radiant

Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt

Jedi Mind Tricks Violent By Design

John Coltrane Giant Steps

Kamelot The Black Halo

King Crimson Discipline

King Crimson Red

King Diamond Abigail

King Diamond "Them"

Kiuas The New Dark Age

Korn Korn

Lamb of God Sacrament

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV

Linkin Park Hybrid Theory

Massive Attack Mezzanine

Mastodon Remission

Mastodon Call Of The Mastodon

maudlin of the Well Leaving Your Body Map

maudlin of the Well Part the Second

Maybeshewill Sing The Word Hope In Four-Part Harmony

Metallica ...And Justice for All

Metallica S&M

Metallica Live Sh*t: Binge and Purge

mewithoutYou Catch for Us the Foxes

Michael Jackson Thriller

Mirrorthrone Gangrene

Moonsorrow Verisäkeet

Mos Def Black On Both Sides

Mos Def The Ecstatic

Muse Origin of Symmetry

Necrophagist Epitaph

Necrophagist Onset of Putrefaction

Neurosis Through Silver in Blood

Neurosis Times of Grace

Nightwish Oceanborn

Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral

Obscura Cosmogenesis

Old Man's Child The Pagan Prosperity

Opeth My Arms, Your Hearse

Opeth Lamentations (Live at Shepherd's Bush Em

Opeth The Roundhouse Tapes

Opeth Watershed

Paramore Riot!

Pearl Jam Ten

Pig Destroyer Phantom Limb

Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd Delicate Sound Of Thunder

Porcupine Tree Deadwing

Porcupine Tree Fear Of A Blank Planet

Primus Sailing the Seas of Cheese

Quo Vadis Defiant Imagination

Radiohead Kid A

Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt II

Rage Against the Machine The Battle Of Los Angeles

Rage Against the Machine Live And Rare

Rage Against the Machine The Battle Of Mexico City (DVD)

Rage Against the Machine Testify EP

Red Hot Chili Peppers BloodSugarSexMagik

Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication

Refused The Shape Of Punk To Come

Rise Against The Sufferer and the Witness

Rosetta The Galilean Satellites

Rush A Farewell to Kings

Rush Hemispheres

Satyricon Nemesis Divina

Shels Sea of the Dying Dhow

Slayer Seasons in the Abyss

Slayer South of Heaven

Sodom M-16

Spastic Ink Ink Complete

Streetlight Manifesto Everything Goes Numb

Suffocation Pierced From Within

Sunn O))) Black One

Sunn O))) Monoliths and Dimensions

Symphony X The Divine Wings of Tragedy

System of a Down Toxicity

Tenacious D Tenacious D

The Agonist Lullabies For the Dormant Mind

...and the award for Most Improved Metal Band of 2009 goes to The Agonist. Congrats, fellas.

The Dillinger Escape Plan Irony Is A Dead Scene

The End Elementary

The Faceless Planetary Duality

The Human Abstract Nocturne

These guys are much more than just a metalcore band. Sure, there's breakdowns and the typical catchy chorus, but these guys incorporate many genres besides just your typical metalcore band. Combining technical extreme metal, classical guitars, neo-classical arpeggio sweeping with an almost poppy chorus, this album can almost seem like too much. And it is, but I never get tired of it.

The Lonely Island Incredibad

The Mars Volta Frances the Mute

The Mars Volta The Bedlam In Goliath

The Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death

The Red Chord Prey for Eyes

The Red Chord Clients

The Roots Things Fall Apart

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane

Thrice The Artist In The Ambulance

Thrice The Illusion of Safety

Tool 10,000 Days

I truly think that this is a superb album, despite what many of our regulars here seem to think. The band has obviously matured musically, as this is their most technical album to date. Their atmosphere is also as good as ever, especially in the giant two track power house that is Wings For Marie and 10,000 days. Some of the lyrics may be a bit questionable at times, but I'm sure that the band didn't just put it there for a reason. The only setbacks that I think this album has is that it slowly gets weaker as the album goes on and that this album doesn't have as much replay value as Lateralus does. Otherwise, I really enjoy this album.

Ulver Kveldssanger

Underoath Survive Kaleidoscope

Underoath Define the Great Line

Unearth The Oncoming Storm

Metalcore is a genre that most metalheads look to in shame. I know I have in certain occasions, as it seems awfully commercial at times and there are lots of bands that just bore me to death. But fear not! Unearth has come to save the genre. The band, while still using the qualities of the genre, has improved on the sound quite a bit by including some more advanced riffs, occasional shredding and overall better songwriting than before. This album is great for a broad range of fans, from the fans of hardcore all the way to the fans of maybe even death metal. If you were ever to pick up a metalcore album, make it this one.

United Nations United Nations

Weird Al Yankovic Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al Yankovic Off the Deep End

Weird Al Yankovic Running With Scissors

Wolves in the Throne Room Diadem of 12 Stars

Wolves in the Throne Room Black Cascade

X Japan Art Of Life

Yes Fragile

Yes Tales from Topographic Oceans

3.5 great

Aeon Spoke Aeon Spoke

Ahab Call Of The Wretched Sea

All Shall Perish The Price Of Existence

All That Remains The Fall of Ideals

Amon Amarth Fate of Norns

Amon Amarth Versus the world

Amon Amarth Twilight of the Thunder God

Anata Under a Stone With No Inscription

Animal Collective Feels

Anthrax Return Of The Killer A's

Arch Enemy Anthems of Rebellion

Arghoslent Incorrigible Bigotry

Army of the Pharaohs Ritual of Battle

Arsis United in Regret

Arsis As Regret Becomes Guilt

As I Lay Dying An Ocean Between Us

Assuck Misery Index

Autumn Leaves Embraced by the Absolute

Be'lakor The Frail Tide

Beastie Boys The In Sound from Way Out!

Behemoth Satanica

Behemoth The Apostasy

Behemoth Evangelion

Black Sabbath Dehumanizer

blink-182 Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

blink-182 The Mark, Tom, And Travis Show

Botch American Nervoso

Byzantine ...And They Shall Take Up Serpents

Camel The Snow Goose

Cannibal Corpse Kill

Cannibal Corpse Evisceration Plague

Cephalic Carnage Xenosapien

Children Of Bodom Hate Crew Deathroll

Children Of Bodom Trashed, Lost & Strungout

Chimaira Impossiblity of Reason

Coheed and Cambria Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV...

Coheed and Cambria Good Apollo...No World For Tomorrow

Converge The Poacher Diaries

Cradle of Filth Nymphetamine

Cradle of Filth Cruelty and the Beast

Cryptopsy Blasphemy Made Flesh

Cryptopsy Whisper Supremacy

Cursed One

Darkthrone Under a Funeral Moon

Daylight Dies Lost To The Living

De Liriums Order Diagnosis

Death Leprosy

Decrepit Birth Diminishing Between Worlds

Desultory Into Eternity

Dethklok The DethAlbum

Dimmu Borgir Enthrone Darkness Triumphant

Dimmu Borgir Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia

Dismember Dismember

Dismember The God That Never Was

Disturbed Indestructible

DragonForce Sonic Firestorm

Dream Theater Awake

Dream Theater Dark Side Of The Moon

Eluveitie Slania

Eminem The Eminem Show

Emperor Emperor (EP)

Emperor IX Equilibrium

Ensiferum Ensiferum

Ensiferum Victory Songs

Ensiferum Dragonheads (EP)

Every Time I Die Hot Damn!

Genghis Tron Board Up The House

Grand Belial's Key Judeobeast Assassination

Green Day Insomniac

Harvey Milk Life... The Best Game in Town

Iced Earth Horror Show

Iced Earth Something Wicked This Way Comes

Ihsahn The Adversary

Ihsahn angL

Immortal Sons of Northern Darkness

In Flames Whoracle

In Flames Colony

Into Eternity Dead or Dreaming

Iron Maiden Piece of Mind

Iron Maiden Brave New World

Iron Maiden Dance of Death

Isis In the Absence of Truth

Island Orakel

Iwrestledabearonce It's All Happening

Jedi Mind Tricks Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell

Jeff Loomis Zero Order Phase

John Coltrane Interstellar Space

Kataklysm In The Arms Of Devastation

Kataklysm Serenity In Fire

King Crimson Lark's Tongue in Aspic

King Crimson Lizard

Kiuas Reformation

Kiuas The Spirit of Ukko

Lamb of God Ashes of the Wake

As the Palaces Burn was truly an amazing album, so how would the next one measure up? Ashes of the Wake was made really quickly after AtPB but still manages to impress me with their unrelenting brutality and impressive musicality. This album has also taken the band to a new level of musical skill, where the guitars are starting to play more complicated riffs and starting to solo more. Lamb of God has always been a fun listen and this album still stands as a solid release in their discography.

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti

Lykathea Aflame Elvenefris

Mastodon Lifesblood

Maylene and the Sons of Disaster Maylene and the Sons of Disaster

Megadeth United Abominations

Metallica Death Magnetic

Michael Jackson Dangerous

Mirrorthrone Carriers of Dust

Moonsorrow Tulimyrsky

Morbid Angel Altars of Madness

Municipal Waste Hazardous Mutation

Nevermore Dreaming Neon Black

Nightwish Over The Hills And Far Away

Nightwish Once

Novembre Materia

Off Minor Some Blood

Old Man's Child In Defiance of Existence

Old Man's Child Vermin

Opeth Ghost Reveries

Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Ozz

Pantera Cowboys From Hell

Pelican The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon...

Pig Destroyer Prowler in the Yard

Pink Floyd Meddle

Pink Floyd Echoes (Greatest Hits)

Pink Floyd A Saucerful Of Secrets

Primordial To The Nameless Dead

Primus Antipop.

Psycroptic Ob(Servant)

Radiohead Amnesiac

Rage Against the Machine Renegades

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against The Machine (DVD)

Raintime Flies and Lies

Rise Against Revolutions Per Minute

Rise Against Siren Song Of The Counter Culture

Runic Liar Flags

Rush Moving Pictures

Say Anything Say Anything

Shadows Fall The Art of Balance

Sigh Hangman's Hymn

SikTh Death Of A Dead Day

Skeletonwitch Beyond the Permafrost

Slayer Christ Illusion

Slipknot Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.

Slipknot Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)

Slipknot All Hope is Gone

Soulfly Prophecy

Spawn of Possession Cabinet

Suffocation Effigy of the Forgotten

Symphony X Paradise Lost

Symphony X The Odyssey

Symphony X V: The New Mythology Suite

Talib Kweli Reflection Eternal/Train of Thought

Talib Kweli Quality

Tenacious D Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny

The Absence Riders of the Plague

The Mars Volta Amputechture

The Number Twelve Looks Like You Worse Than Alone

The Roots Rising Down

The Sword Gods of the Earth

The Zombies Odessey and Oracle

These Arms Are Snakes Easter

Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III and IV...

Thrice Beggars

Thrice completely ditch their past influences of melodic-hardcore on the first two records, their past hints of post-metal on Vheissu, and their experimentation on both Alchemy Indexes. While reading this may seem like Thrice has gone in a completely new direction yet again, don't get too excited. Beggars is essentially the band really tightening their alt-rock sound and centering their attention on Dustin Kensrue's great singing. While this certainly isn't my favorrite Thrice record by any means, it's still got some great songs to add to the band's already stellar discography. Check out "In Exile", "At the Last" and "Beggars" for some of the album's strongest content.

Through the Eyes of the Dead Bloodlust

Ulver Nattens Madrigal

Unearth The March

While Unearth's The March isn't exactly anything new and the album art is pretty bad, it's still a really enjoyable metalcore album and a worthy addition to the band's already stellar discography. This album's twelve new songs take the band further away from their once hardcore-oriented sound and more into a groove/thrash metal hybrid, while still maintaining an unhealthy amount of breakdowns. Unearth has never sounded as melodic or as shreddy thanks to Buz McGrath's massive improvement on the fretboard. Sure, it's a slightly less amazing version of III: In the Eyes of Fire, but it's still worthy of any metal fan's attention. One of the must-have metal albums of the year.

Warbringer War Without End

Weird Al Yankovic Dare To Be Stupid

Weird Al Yankovic UHF Soundtrack

Weird Al Yankovic Bad Hair Day

Within the Ruins Creature

This is the album that bands like Born of Osiris and After the Burial wish they could write. Creature is surprisingly fun and very technical simultaneously, though some of the gang chants and spoken word parts are really cheesy.

Wolves in the Throne Room Malevolent Grain

Yes The Yes Album

Yes Relayer

3 good

3 The End is Begun

Abigail Williams Legend

Alestorm Terror on the High Seas (EP)

All That Remains This Darkened Heart

Amorphis Silent Waters

Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion

Animal Collective Sung Tongs

Apocalyptica Apocalyptica

Arch Enemy Wages of Sin

As I Lay Dying Shadows are Security

At the Gates With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness

Audioslave Audioslave

Austrian Death Machine Total Brutal

Basilisk Vintyrhell

Bathory Hammerheart

Bathory Under the Sign of the Black Mark

Between The Buried And Me The Anatomy Of

Between The Buried And Me Alaska [Instrumental]

Black Sabbath Cross Purposes

Black Sabbath The Eternal Idol

Bleeding Through This is Love, This is Murderous

Bleeding Through Portrait of the Goddess

Bleeding Through The Truth

blink-182 Enema Of The State

Bloodbath The Fathomless Mastery

Cancer Bats Hail Destroyer

Cannabis Corpse Blunted at Birth

Cannibal Corpse Vile

Carcass Reek of Putrefaction

Chevelle Vena Sera

Children Of Bodom Are You Dead Yet?

Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

Coheed and Cambria Kerrang! / XFM UK Acoustic Sessions – EP

Converge Caring And Killing

Cradle of Filth Thornography

Cradle of Filth Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder

Cryptopsy Once Was Not

Cryptopsy And Then You'll Beg

Cursive Domestica

Daath The Hinderers

Dark Tranquillity Haven

Dead Man In Reno Dead Man In Reno

Death Scream Bloody Gore

Demons and Wizards Touched by the Crimson King

Destroyer 666 Phoenix Rising

Dimmu Borgir Death Cult Armageddon

Dimmu Borgir Spiritual Black Dimensions

Dimmu Borgir Stormblåst MMV

Dissection Reinkaos

Dissection Where Dead Angels Lie

Disturbed Ten Thousand Fists

DragonForce Inhuman Rampage

DragonForce Valley of the Damned

Dragonlord Rapture

Dream Theater Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Dream Theater Live at Budokan

Dream Theater Black Clouds and Silver Linings

Dream Theater returns with their umpteenth effort, The Bleakest Future. Mike Portnoy plays the drums mega fast and destroys your eardrums with gut-fucking brutal vocals. Everyone else in the band is fucking nutz. They constantly attack with stunning musical imagery coupled with overwhelming technicality. When I heard the first track, called “Overcome With Nightmarish Chug,” I rushed to the kitchen where my mom was making the macaroni and cheese I had ordered her to make twenty minutes earlier, snatched the pot of boiling water from the stainless-steel stove, and threw it into the dining room. My mom said that I needed to respect her more and I told her I wouldn’t until she could shred harder than John Petrucci, which will never happen, because NO ONE can. The most novel aspect of the Dream Theaters music is the subtle flourishes of soca and rhythm and blues that they have adopted. John Myung plays the bass guitar much like a soulful black man would strum on a box outside on a porch in those grand plantation days. He doesn’t sound like that awkward Asian person you see playing the bass. The most progressive musical outfit since Rush, the most aggressive since Nile, the wisest since Slayer, Dream Theater will come at you like a crazy train and run you over and make smush out of your fucking soul.

Enslaved Frost

Eric B. & Rakim Paid in Full

Escape the Fate There's No Sympathy for the Dead - EP

Escape the Fate Dying Is Your Latest Fashion

Evanescence Fallen

Evanescence The Open Door

Every Time I Die Gutter Phenomenon

Firewind The Premonition

Gates of Winter Lux Aeterna

Gorillaz Demon Days

Green Day Dookie

Green Day Nimrod

HORSE The Band Pizza EP

Hyades And the Worst is Yet to Come

Iced Earth Iced Earth

Iced Earth The Blessed And The Damned

Immolation Close To A World Below

In Flames Come Clarity

In Flames Clayman

Insomnium Since the Day It All Came Down

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden A Matter of Life and Death

Isis Oceanic

Iwrestledabearonce Iwrestledabearonce EP

Job for a Cowboy Genesis

Job for a Cowboy Ruination

Kalmah The Black Waltz

Kanye West 808s And Heartbreak

Kataklysm Prevail

Killswitch Engage As Daylight Dies

Korn Issues

Kreator Enemy of God

Lacuna Coil Comalies

Lamb of God New American Gospel

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin I

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II

Linkin Park Meteora

Linkin Park Reanimation

Machine Head The Blackening

Maylene and the Sons of Disaster II

Maylene and the Sons of Disaster III

Metallica Kill Em All

Metallica Metallica

Michael Jackson Off The Wall

Mirrorthrone Of Wind and Weeping

Mr. Bungle Mr Bungle

Nazgul De Expugnatione Elfmuth

Nightwish Century Child

Nightwish Angels Fall First

Nirvana Nevermind

Obituary Cause Of Death

Odious Mortem Cryptic Implosion

Opeth Orchid

Opeth Burden

P.O.D. Satellite

Pantera Reinventing The Steel

Papa Roach Infest

Pink Floyd Pulse

Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Pink Floyd Relics

Pink Floyd Obscured by Clouds

Psycroptic Symbols of Failure

Radiohead Hail To The Thief

Radiohead In Rainbows

Red Sparowes At The Soundless Dawn

Rise Against Appeal To Reason

Rush 2112

Sure, this is one of the most famous progressive albums of all time. But what makes it so good. As far as I'm concerned, only the title track is the only thing worth hearing on this entire album. Sure, it's about half of the album, so it makes at least a good bit of the release an enjoyable experience, but after 2112 finishes up you might as well listen to it again. The other five tracks on here just don't compare to the opening juggernaut of a song. Neal Peart's drumming is impressive, but not as godly as everyone makes it out to be. The guitar riffs are catchy and often pretty impressive. Geddy Lee's vocals annoy the crap out of me, but I guess he fits the band, and his bass playing isn't all that bad. Progressive fans out there should probably already have this, but if you don't it's probably something you should at least listen to because of the importance it has in the rock genre.

Satyricon Volcano

Say Anything ...Is A Real Boy

Shade Empire Intoxicate O.S.

Shadows Fall The War Within

Shadows Fall Threads of Life

Slayer Hell Awaits

Slipknot Iowa

Slipknot 9.0: Live

Staind Break the Cycle

Suffocation Blood Oath

SuidAkrA Caledonia

Summoning Minas Morgul

System of a Down Steal This Album!

System of a Down Hypnotize

Mezmerize is clearly a stronger album than this, mostly because of Daron's more-than-frequent vocal appearances on here. He's great as a guitarist and as a songwriter, but his vocals become incredibly annoying after a song or two. There are still a few memorable tracks on here. For example "Holy Mountains" is one of the most powerful songs the band has ever written, and "Viscinity of Obscenity" is just plain fun to sing along with. This album was decent, but I just expect so much more from this band.

Talib Kweli The Beautiful Struggle

The Absence From Your Grave

The Bled Pass The Flask

The Dillinger Escape Plan Ire Works

The Notorious B.I.G. The Notorious B.I.G. Duets

The Sword Age Of Winters

Tool Undertow

Sure, Tool is one of the most important bands in progressive metal these days, but what were they like at the beginning? This album offers just that, and it's not nearly as impressive as their modern stuff. The riffs and drum patterns aren't nearly as catchy, technical, or memorable as any of their other three releases. This is of course a hard thing to do when their other releases are all of no less than excellent quality, but still. If this wasn't by Tool then I really wouldn't have picked this up, as it just sounds like an average rock record to me. While some songs like "Prison Sex" and "Swamp Song" are enjoyable, I really don't listen to this album that much anymore. You'd be better off with Lateralus or 10,000 Days.

Tool Opiate

Trivium Shogun

Trivium learn a lot from their past mistakes and come back with a (mostly) solid album. The first five songs and the title track are easily the strongest material Heafy & Co. have ever written, though the remainder of the album drags, and Matt Heafy's harsh vocals are just as grating as ever. Over an hour of Trivium is simply too much for all but the most loyal of fans. While I'm still not totally convinced that this band is as great as some would have you believe, I'm starting to see a bit of light. Everyone should at least check out "Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis", it's one of the twenty best metal songs of the year.

Ulver Shadows of the Sun

Vader The Art of War

Vertical Horizon Everything You Want

Victor Wooten A Show of Hands

Vintersorg Solens Rotter

Warmen Accept The Fact

Weird Al Yankovic Even Worse

Witchfinder General Death Penalty

Wu-Tang Clan Iron Flag

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Forever

Wu-Tang Clan 8 Diagrams

2.5 average

A Day To Remember Homesick

Abigail Williams In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns

All Shall Perish Awaken The Dreamers

All That Remains Overcome

Amorphis Skyforger

Amorphis' most recent musical outing is essentially a few fantastic ideas spread out across a sea of mediocrity. While the band does try to delve more into a prog metal sound, Skyforger's eleven songs can easily become stagnant. This wasn't terrible...it just could have been way more interesting.

Arch Enemy Rise Of The Tyrant

At the Gates The Red in the Sky is Ours

Audioslave Out Of Exile

Black Sabbath Forbidden

Blackalicious The Craft

blink-182 blink-182

Born Of Osiris A Higher Place

Cradle of Filth From the Cradle to Enslave

Cryptopsy None so Live

Darkthrone Panzerfaust

Darkthrone The Cult Is Alive

Dawn Slaughtersun

Death Spiritual Healing

DevilDriver Devildriver

Dimmu Borgir Stormbl�st

Dimmu Borgir In Sorte Diaboli

Dream Theater Train of Thought

Edguy Hellfire Club

Empyrium Songs of Moors and Misty Fields

Fall Out Boy From Under The Cork Tree

Fuel Something Like Human

God Forbid Gone Forever

Gorguts Obscura

Guns N' Roses Appetite For Destruction

Hoobastank The Reason

Iced Earth The Dark Saga

Iced Earth Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Pt. 1)

Ill Nino Revolution/Revolucion

Immortal Battles in the North

Iron Maiden Fear of the Dark

Isis Celestial

Jedi Mind Tricks Visions of Gandhi

Kanye West Graduation

Killswitch Engage The End of Heartache

Korn Follow The Leader

Korn Life Is Peachy

Korpiklaani Tales Along This Road

Lacuna Coil Karmacode

Lock Up Pleasures Pave Sewers

Neurosis Enemy of the Sun

Nightwish Highest Hopes

Nile In Their Darkened Shrines

Nile Annihilation of the Wicked

Old Man's Child Born of the Flickering

P.O.D. Fundamental Elements Of Southtown

Parkway Drive Horizons

Five Months and Boneyards are both pretty damn cool but the rest of this album just lacks the fun the two tracks mentioned above possess. An incredibly average listen overall with a few gems in the middle.

Pink Floyd Ummagumma

Pink Floyd Atom Heart Mother

Pink Floyd The Final Cut

Primus Suck On This

Protest the Hero A Calculated Use of Sound

Radiohead Pablo Honey

Rammstein Mutter

Rise Against The Unraveling

Sepultura Chaos A.D.

Skinless Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead

Slayer Show No Mercy

Slayer World Painted Blood

This album would probably be really good if it wasn't 2009 and Reign In Blood, South of Heaven, and Seasons in the Abyss hadn't already been around for ages. World Painted Blood strikes me nothing more than Slayer trying to show their fans that they can still sound the exact same, though I don't understand exactly why they'd want to do that. Sure there's some great riffs to be found in here every now and then, but as a whole World Painted Blood is an underwhelming and completely superfluous album. Oh, and the production blows too.

Smash Mouth Astro Lounge

Stampin' Ground A New Darkness Upon Us

Stone Sour Stone Sour

Story of the Year Page Avenue

The Agonist Once Only Imagined

The Black Dahlia Murder Deflorate

As if I needed further proof that Ryan Knight should have kept playing in Arsis. Deflorate offers a few more dweedles than on past releases, but really does little else to differentiate from Miasma and Nocturnal. Unless you're already a dedicated TBDM fan (and I wouldn't understand why), approach this album with minimal expectations. At least the album art rules.

The Black Dahlia Murder Nocturnal

Through the Eyes of the Dead Malice

To-Mera Delusions

Trivium Ascendancy

Veil Of Maya The Common Man's Collapse

Veil of Maya's The Common Man's Collapse is an album that seriously threatens to be superb but ultimately falls short. This young American group clearly have a voice and vision, but just haven't fully realized it yet. What made this album work in short bursts were the very inventive and often appealing leads. Too bad they're found in a sea of uninspired breakdowns that are much more mechanical than they are menacing the majority of the time. Check out "Mark The Lines", "It's Not Safe To Swim Today" and "We Bow In Its Aura" for grade-A metal, but everything else just isn't worth your time.

Victimizer The Final Assault

War of Ages Pride of the Wicked

Weird Al Yankovic In 3-D

Weird Al Yankovic Polka Party

2 poor

50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin'

Abigail Williams Gallow Hill

AC/DC Back in Black

After The Burial Rareform

Hey guys! Look, I know we're all really capable and talented musicians, but these days...who cares? I kinda get tired of writing actual melodies and riffs, and let's be honest, those take too long to write. And who wants to listen to that shit anyways?! Let's put in a ton of bro-downs whenever we run out of ideas! Sound good to everyone? Ok, cool.

All Shall Perish Hate. Malice. Revenge

As I Lay Dying Frail Words Collapse

Behemoth Grom

Black Sabbath Headless Cross

blink-182 Buddha

Bloc Party Silent Alarm

Born Of Osiris The New Reign

While this album is tremendous in short bursts (and I mean very short), it fails to grab my attention for the entire time. Born of Osiris clearly have the chops to create some quality technical death metal, but really kill the buzz quickly with goofy keyboards and way too much Meshuggah leg-humping. You might want to check out the songs "Open Arms to Damnation" and "The Takeover", but really you should just listen to The Faceless again for a much more rewarding experience with essentially the same sound.

Burn the Priest Burn the Priest

Cannibal Corpse Butchered at Birth

Cannibal Corpse Tomb of the Mutilated

Children Of Bodom Blooddrunk

Painfully average album overall. The only three songs that stand out are "Tie My Rope", "Blooddrunk" and "Roadkill Morning". The rest just sound like b-sides to the band's previous two albums and don't seem original or inspired. I was disappointed by this.

Cradle of Filth Damnation and a Day

Creed Human Clay

Creed Weathered

Deicide Till Death Do Us Part

Dimmu Borgir For All Tid

Disturbed Believe

Disturbed The Sickness

DragonForce Ultra Beatdown

Dream Theater Images and Words

Dream Theater Octavarium

Earth The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull

Eminem Encore

Eminem Relapse

Fall Out Boy Infinity On High

Gojira From Mars To Sirius

Green Day Shenanigans

Hammerfall Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken

Iced Earth The Glorious Burden

In Flames A Sense of Purpose

Into Eternity The Incurable Tragedy

Iron Maiden No Prayer For The Dying

Iron Maiden Virtual XI

Jedi Mind Tricks A History of Violence

Not even Stoupe's frequently stellar beats can save this train wreck. Jus Allah's return to the group, while being positive for the group's morale, is just painful to listen to. Jus' delivery is incredibly awkward and his rhymes are nothing more than nonsensical plays on words that don't do it for me. Vinnie Paz has recycled every last punchline he can on here, almost always referencing boxers, serial killers and religious figures. While it worked quite well on Legacy of Blood, it's far too stale and boring at this point. Something drastic needs to happen on the next record, or Jedi Mind Tricks is going to lose a once loyal fan.

Lamb of God Wrath

With each of their previous releases, Lamb of God brought a new sound to the table while still saying in their niche of "pure American metal". Sadly, they've become too comfortable with their current sound and popularity, and have thus cranked out a lazy, recycled album that strikes me nothing more as a b-sides to Sacrament. Wrath has it's moments, but you'll really have to listen hard to find them.

Linkin Park Live In Texas

Meshuggah obZen

Metallica Load

Mudvayne Lost and Found

Mudvayne The End of All Things to Come

Nickelback Silver Side Up

Nile Ithyphallic

Nile Those Whom the Gods Detest

Nile released another album. They're so cute. But seriously, this album is simply another regurgitation of everything they've made from In Their Darkened Shrines onward. George Kollias is still obnoxiously fast, the solos still make Kerry King look like he knows what he's doing, and Dallas still sounds like a dishwasher. Not to mention the added pseudo-Egyptian clean vocals are some of the most lol-worthy additions to any metal album this year. Every once in a while a riff will come along that absolutely rules, but you won't remember it for long. Overall, it's just Nile shitting out another album just because it's been another two years.

Pantera The Great Southern Trendkill

Papa Roach Lovehatetragedy

Pig Destroyer 38 Counts Of Battery

Primus The Brown Album

Primus Tales From The Punchbowl

Red Hot Chili Peppers By The Way

Sepultura Roots

Slayer God Hates Us All

Sunn O))) Flight of the Behemoth

The Black Dahlia Murder Miasma

The Human Abstract Midheaven

Tvangeste FireStorm

Underoath They're Only Chasing Safety

Unholy Matrimony Love and Death

Vital Remains Icons of Evil

Weird Al Yankovic Alapalooza

Will Smith Big Willie Style

Winds Of Plague Decimate The Weak

Take every metalcore/deathcore cliche imaginable and just beat yourself over the head with it for ten songs. And throw in some "epic" keyboards while you're at it. Oh well, at least Anthems of Apocalypse is a good song.

Winds Of Plague The Great Stone War

1.5 very poor

Alexisonfire Alexisonfire

As Blood Runs Black Allegiance

Avenged Sevenfold City of Evil

Behold... The Arctopus Skullgrid

blink-182 Dude Ranch

Common Universal Mind Control

Cryptopsy The Unspoken King

Dream Theater Falling Into Infinity

Dying Fetus War of Attrition

Gorgoroth Twilight of the Idols (In Conspiracy...)

Green Day Warning

I Killed The Prom Queen Music for the Recently Deceased

Iron Maiden The X Factor

It Dies Today The Caitiff Choir

Job for a Cowboy Doom EP

Korn Take A Look in the Mirror

Limp Bizkit Significant Other

Megadeth Risk

Metallica Reload

Don't get me wrong, I'm actually a huge Metallica fan. That is, pre-Load Metallica. If there ever was a band to sell out, it was these guys. It's not that cutting their hair was a big deal to me, it was the fact that they went from creating some of the most essential pieces of music in heavy metal history to pooping out collections of sub-par hard rock garbage. This album may have "The Unforgiven II", which I do thoroughly enjoy, but other than that I just can't tolerate this album. It's a damn shame to see one of the most important bands in metal history turn to this.

Michael Jackson Invincible

Murderdolls Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls

Nickelback All the Right Reasons

Ozzy Osbourne Black Rain

Panic! At the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

PsyOpus Odd Senses

Red Hot Chili Peppers Stadium Arcadium

I've been a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers for man years now, but this is by far the weakest album that I own by them. I don't care what Flea says, I still like the band despite the fact that this is a poor album. It's got a few enjoyable songs here and there, but overall it's just way too long and sometimes incredibly painful to listen to. There are way too many slow songs on here for my taste. I like it when RHCP blasts out with some funk-rock songs that get you pumped up and not the slower, emotional tracks that seem more like jokes than actual passages of feeling. Even though Warlocks is one, if not the band's best song ever, I just can't listen to this album any more and I'm sick of all the positive press it's getting.

Staind 14 Shades Of Grey

Suicide Silence The Cleansing

Taproot Welcome

1 awful

50 Cent The Massacre

Adema Adema

All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects

Atreyu The Curse

Atreyu Best of Atreyu

Attack Attack! Someday Came Suddenly

Black Sabbath Born Again

Brain Drill The Parasites

Brain Drill Apocalyptic Feasting

Just because you can doesn't mean that you fucking should.

Brokencyde I'm Not A Fan, But The Kids Like It!

Darkthrone F.O.A.D.

Despised Icon The Ills of Modern Man

Divine Heresy Bleed The Fifth

DoomThrone Skeleton Veiled in Flesh

Drop Dead, Gorgeous In Vogue

Green Day American Idiot

Hawthorne Heights The Silence In Black And White

Kid Rock Devil Without A Cause

Korn Untouchables

Limp Bizkit Chocolate Starfish...

Metallica St. Anger

New Found Glory Catalyst

Norma Jean Bless The Martyr, And Kiss The Child

Protest the Hero Sequoia Throne Remix EP

Senses Fail From The Depths Of Dreams E.P

Simple Plan No Helmets, No Pads... Just Balls

Soulja Boy Souljaboytellem.com

Suicide Silence No Time to Bleed

The White Stripes Elephant

Trivium The Crusade

Waking The Cadaver Demo

William Control Hate Culture