Best Metal Albums Of The Year

November 20, 2008

Best Metal Albums Of The Year • We provide Mr. Stosuy space to indulge the outer realms of his aural palette, but you can find a complete rundown of his favorite metal records from 2008 in this month's Show No Mercy column. (Topping the spread: Nachtmystium, Torche, and Krallice.) Any item from that list would make an unforgettable stocking stuffer for Mom and Dad. \m/

Posted at 10:27 AM

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7 Comments

It's also a list of best band names of 2008.

Posted by: Scott

at 11/20/08 12:09 PM | Reply
Score = 0

A whole list of Black Metal bands, weak. I'm liking Torche in there but wheres the love for Gojira, album of the year IMO, taking it to the next level.

Posted by: Louie at 11/20/08 5:55 PM | Reply
Score = 0

I thought that Gojira album definitely had its moments, but wasn't album of the year material, at least not for me. Btw, the top 10 isn't all black metal: Dead Congregation, Hammers Of Misfortune, Disfear, and Cynic are clearly not black metal. And, at this point, Enslaved can hardly be considered straight-up black metal either ... same goes for Nachtmystium. And 11-20 is pretty mixed as well. Anyhow, just splitting hairs!

Posted by: brandon

in reply to Louie's comment at 12/11/08 12:36 PM | Reply
Score = 0

Metal freaks me out. I was a metalhead in the early to mid 80's but moved on as my teen years petered out. The metal of today is so lost on me. I remember somebody, it might have been Trent Reznor, saying "If there's no soft then the hard loses all it's power" Sometimes I'm up late and Headbanger's Ball comes on and I sit transfixed in front of my tube. The differentiation between bands is so minute it's puzzling. It's as if ONE vocal style took over metal. All the bands sound like a sped up version of Metallica or Slayer circa 1998. It kinda reminds me of reggae. If you vary too much from the "Marley Model" you aren't reggae anymore.
This isn't a diatribe against metal. I'd really like to hear something heavy that isn't so damn boring. Any suggestions out there?

Posted by: Blochead at 11/21/08 12:07 AM | Reply
Score = 2

I have to agree with you to a point man, Opeth is definately one to try for the "soft" especially the albums Watershed and Damnation. If you're looking for something not of the same vocal style try Nevermore on the This Godless Endeavor and Dreaming Neon Black, vocal style takes some getting used to but it isn't the more prevalent death growling.

Posted by: Jeff in reply to Blochead's comment at 12/25/08 1:50 AM | Reply
Score = 0

well this list has a lot of nice variety of vocal styles. give torche and opeth a try. their new albums are amazing and have lots of "soft parts" as well

Posted by: mtstabwell at 12/15/08 10:33 PM | Reply
Score = 0

headbangers ball is the wrong place to get a taste of metal today. faggy metalcore and maybe all that remains videos? blahgkk. No hard without the soft? ok, so listen to a Low record and then put on Immolation. Listen to 18 other genres for the soft. Metal should be frightenting, self-indulgent and unrelenting. (Dont get me wrong, I like Agalloch and Katatonia...but the soft parts are heavy if you listen closely, not nickelbackian)

Posted by: mars at 12/26/08 4:56 PM | Reply
Score = 1