This past St. Patty's day, I had the luck to attend the second of two straight days of the mighty Megadeth's NYC dates at Terminal 5. They have been one of my personal favorite bands since I was a young teen, but this was my first time seeing them in concert. And, I can honestly say that the show fucking ruled!
The first band I got to see their full set was another one, I had wanted to see perform live for ages, Finnish melodic death metal masters, Children of Bodom! They played a couple of songs off of their latest release, I Worship Chaos, including the kick ass title as well some classics. Among those was a blistering live performance of one my favorite songs of theirs: "In Your Face". That song is so fucking badass! Their performed amazingly on this night. CoB are such a technically awesome band, with talent that just drips out of every instrument that they touch. And, their signer/ guitarist Alexi Laiho, has long been one of my heroes.
Up next is the only band, I had seen before live, coincidentally at the very same venue a couple of years back: crossover thrash metal legends Suicidal Tendencies! From the first song, the classic "You Can't Bring Me Down" to the closing song, "Pledge Your Allegiance" (one of my favorite songs, of all time!), they killed it onstage!! And, there is no denying that front-man Mike Muir is the fucking man. He spent the whole show running and moving around from one side of the stage to the other. Not to mention he said some pretty cool/ inspirational things between songs. Former Slayer and legendary drummer Dave Lombardo played for them about a song or two into the set. It was AWESOME to see him with ST!! They'll be back for a headliner show, in the fall, I think he said. I hope to be there!
Soon it was time for one of the greatest metal bands of all time, a member of The Big Four: Megadeth!! The set opened with the technically awesome "Hanger 18", while alien autopsy footage played in the background. They ran some cool video images with all their songs. The set-included songs of off their awesome new album Dystopia, including the title track, "The Threat Is Real", my favorite track off the album- "Post American World", and others. Of course, they played classics, too, like "Trust", "Wake Up Dead", "Sweating Bullets", "In My Darkest Hour", and more.
They closed off the night with "Holy Wars... The Punishment Is Due". Throughout the whole, they proved that they are one of most technically amazing bands in all of rock and metal, and that they are just so amazing live. My only complaints are that they never played the last part of "Peace Sells", instead going right into the aforementioned "Holy Wars", and that they didn't play something off of Youthansia. Alternately, thank God they played nothing off of the preceding two albums (TH1RT3EN and Super Collider) or Risk. Anyway, the point is they are metal gods and played as such that night. A great tour, that if you can catch, you simply have to!
140. Dio- Master of the Moon- The tenth and final solo album by Dio has a very awesome fantasy inspired cover with a demon holding a moon.
139. Iron Maiden- Fear of the Dark- The first of many Maiden albums to make this list is the first Maiden cover to be done by Melvyn Grants, and it's a doozy! Eddie is presented as some sort of zombie tree creature, and in being that it makes for a very cool and suitably creepy drawing.
138. Anthrax- Worship Music- A bunch of zombies try to grab the Anthrax pentagram in this album marking the return of Joey Belladonna to being their frontman. One of the best albums of their entire career is marked by this cool artwork.
137. Arch Enemy- Doosmday Machine- My favorite of the Swedish melodic death group's albums has some very cool artwork by Joachim Luetke. I love how the the semi circle usually used in the Arch Enemy pentagram, instead has a skull seemingly connected to it.
136. Children of Bodom- Relentless Reckless Forever- The CoB grim reaper gets some cool green autumnish colors in the seventh album by the Finnish melodic death metal masters.
135. Dark Funeral- Angelus Exuro pro Eternus- The fifth album by Swedish black metalers, Dark Funeral has a very cool and, suitably, evil looking cover with Satan appearing in a cloud over a hellish world. I think this is not only their best album artwork, but also their best album to date.
134. Deicide- To Hell with God- The tenth album by the world's most evil death metal act has an amazing cover with a Christ-like figure standing tall in a hellish world where skeletons are rising from a inferno pit and reaching for him.
133. Death Angel- Relentless Retribution- The sixth album by this thrash metal band has fucking kick ass artwork in which some sort of demonic wolf stands over a mountain of his slain prey, while two others are behind him (part of his pack, I assume).
132. Disturbed- Indestructible- The next album by Disturbed to make the list might be my favorite album of theirs. The cover, featuring art once again by David Finch, has The Guy looking badass as fuck with flames on and around him.
131. Heaven & Hell-The Devil You Know- Ronnie James Dio book ends this part of the list with his final studio recording. This album with his Black Sabbath mates has a very cool looking demon with three tongues holding up what appears to be some sort of demonic crucifix while a crucified figure is in the background of this hellish world (a lot of that in this section of the list, huh?).
Another year has passed us headbangers by and, man, have we seen the release of some killer albums! As has been the case, for a long time this is not an easy list to make by any stretch of the word. It takes a lot of thinking and fidgeting. But, in the end this list is what I came up with. As always, I do hope that this list is indicative of my varied taste in hard rock and metal, and will cause some discussion among you guys and gals. Your opinion is always welcome.
10. Deicide- To Hell with God- Ihave loved the last few Deicide albums, but this album marks the band at their decidedly most evil best. Heavy, brutal, and as anti-God and Satanic as ever. The title track has a great pounding opening and the whole song will just pummel you, straight to hell!!
9. The Pretty Reckless- Light Me Up- Gorgeous Taylor Momsen ranked in at number 40 of my top 70 Hottest Babes of 2011, and with good reason. But, the leggy bad girl also put out one hell of a hard rock album. With a voice far beyond her young age Momsen shines in the vocal department. I know Europe got this album last year, but we here in the states didn't get till this year. And, I honestly listen to this one a lot, so there was no way it wasn't gonna make the list. Plus, "Zombie" is one of my personal favorite tracks of the year.
8. Children of Bodom- Relentless, Reckless, Forever- CoB have long been one of the my favorite melodic death metal acts, and their lead signer one of my fav front men in all of metal. Their latest offering is fast, technically savvy, and instantly recognizable as another great work from them. As always few bands can shred like these motherfuckers!!
7. Warbringer- Worlds Torn Asunder- It never ceases to surprise me just how good these guys are. I always call these guys the American answer to Kreator and Sodom, because that's what best describes them. This album is finely crafted, fast, angry, and super-heavy thrash metal that will make you feel as if your getting the ass whooping of a lifetime.
6. Amon Amarth- Surter Rising- While I liked the last album they put out, Twilight of the Thunder God, this is a much better album and a more solid return to form. While, it still is not on the level of the classic With Odin on Our Side, this is still heavy and pounding viking melodic death metal at it's best, crafted by the kings of it. The cover is also one of the year's coolest!
5. A Pale Horse Named Death- And Hell Shall Follow Me - This late addition (I only heard it this week!), is dark, brooding, and heavy. Featuring Sal Abrucasto, former drummer of Type O Negative and Life of Agony, on vocals and guitar, it has to be one of the most exciting debuts I have heard in many a moon. Fellow fans of Type O take heed this is the real deal. And, let me say this, had I heard this earlier in the year, it may have ranked even higher as, the more I hear/ think about it, the more I like it!
4. Machine Head- Into the Locust- Machine Head continue to produce some of the best albums of their career. After, the mighty The Blackening, I and many others wondered where could they go from there? After all, that album was called their Master of Puppets. And, then comes this one, with songs that even longer and more complex. Mixing the groove and thrash metal sounds Machine Head are carrying the flag for real metal high. And, that horror movie style cover is fucking cool as hell!!!
3. The Black Dahlia Murder- Ritual- Unquestionably one of my favorite death metal acts, these guys are fucking heavy but are also incredibly fun to listen to. There horror and geek love are forever. Pummeling fast riffs, super killer blastbeats, and some of my favorite cookie monster vocals manage to seal the awesomeness of this band and this album.
2. Chthonic- Takasago Army- My favorite black metal act release what is unquestionably my favorite black metal album of the year. This is a band just continues to get better with each and every album. I mean think about how much I loved their album, Mirror of Retribution, which ranked in at number 4 in 2009, well this one is even better than that one!!!!
1. Anthrax- Worship Music- While, I said picking the order and albums to appear this list was not easy, one pick was: this one. No album I heard this year was on the level of near perfection that this one was. It is not the best album of the year, but also the comeback of the year. And, the band's very best since Persistence of Time. It's heavy as fuck and proves that these members of the big four have not lost a step despite the years it has been since making an album, let alone one with Joey Belladonna. And, let me tell you this, Belladonna sounds better than ever! Everything in this album works and kills it. There are so many amazing, close to perfect, and perfect songs. And, "I'm Alive" is unquestionably my favorite song of the year. Raise those fucking horns, cause one of my all time favorite bands are back better than ever!!!
Honorable mentions: Five Finger Death Punch- American Capitalist Skeletonwitch- Forever Abomination Evanescence- Evanescence
This has been a killer year for metal and hard rock. So many good bands put out great shit, and some even returned after super long breaks (though none longer than Guns N' Roses). This was not an easy list to make, but I hope you guys enjoy it. And, most of all I hope this gets you to get a hold of the albums from this list that you don't already own.
10. Warbringer- War Without End- I love seeing thrash metal (still the best sub-genre of 'em all) making a revival, but of all of the new thrash bands none are more brutal and ass kicking than Warbringer. America's answer to old school German thrash bands like Kreator, Destruction, and Sodom, these guys are fast as fuck and, this masterpiece of a debut album feels as vicious as World War III.
9. Disturbed- Indestructible- Disturbed deserve a lot of credit for continuing to mature, change, and grow in each of their albums. Heavy, melodic, and catchy this is their best yet. And, to that is saying a lot. From the title track to such totally killer tracks like "The Night", "Criminal", and the first single "Into the Fire" totally stick with you upon just the first listen.
8. Light This City- Stormchaser- Goddamn! It is such a shame this band broke up, because this is their best album, yet. A masterpiece of American melodic death metal, this is a blistering album with thrashy, fast guitars, blastbeats, and the awesome growl of beautiful lead signer Laura Nichol make this an underrated album from an underrated band that simply has to be part of your collection. For added awesomeness checkout Testament's Chuck Billy doing guest duet vocals on the track "Firehaven". Please, get back together guys, we metalheads need more work from you guys!!!!!!!!
7. Metallica- Death Magnetic- Man, I really doubted could that Metallica could ever have another great album, but they proved me wrong. After horrendous attempts at being alt-metal (Load and Re-Load) or nu-metal (St. Anger), they came back to their thrash metal roots with this fast, heavy, and ass kick-releasing. It has all you could ask for in a Metallica album: technically sound, long, heavy songs, and killer ballads like the magnificent "The Unforgiven III". Songs like "All Nightmare Long" and "My Apocalypse" rank among the best tracks of the whole fucking year. By and far the best comeback album in ages.
6. Bleeding Through- Deceleration- This is the finest metalcore album of the year and one of the heaviest and best the sub-genre has ever produced. Brandan Schiappati screams and signs with the best of them and the brutal breakdowns and blistering blastbeats combine with the lovely Marta's keyboards for a vicious music experience that will rip your face right off and then stomp all over it.
5. Slipknot- All Hope Is Gone- It's amazing how good these guys keep getting. But, what is even scarier is that this is their BEST work, yet. A great combination of heavy and pissed-off tracks like "Gematria" combine with catchy, but still brutal, songs like "Psychosocial" or slower songs like "Dead Memories" to make an almost, if not in fact, perfect album. The song "Sulfer" is easily one of the top three songs I have heard released this year.
4. Arsis- We Are the Nightmare- Technically savvy and heavy this melodic death band have given the metal world one of the best albums the sub-genre has heard in some time. Awesome lyrics, clear but heavy vocals, fast riffs, blastbeats, and some of the coolest death metal songs I have ever heard all add up to an album that people who like their death metal to have melody in it should not be without.
3. Testament- The Formation of Damnation- They are back, better than ever. The best straight up thrash metal album of the year, this album proves to all that Testament still fucking matter. Chuck Billy once again proves to be one of the best signers in the entire thrash world. And, he accompanies himself with a band that has the legitimate talent to be seen as gods of their brand of mayhem. Easily ranks with the best work that they, or any other thrash band, have ever put out.
2. Trivium- Shogun- While I enjoyed their last album, The Crusade, it lacked something. There is nothing that this album lacks. By combining technically superior thrash metal riffs with metalcore screaming Trivium have found their sound. No longer trying to be Metallica, Trivium have released their own classic. The songs are long, fast, heavy, and aggressive and make you wanna thrash around your room or office (though I suggest you avoid doing that at work). Fuck the naysayers, Trivium fucking rules.
1. Children of Bodom- Blooddrunk- Debuting at an amazing 22 on the Billboard 200 (the second highest ever for a death metal, beaten only by Dethklok's Dethalbum) this ranks as one their best works, yet. The amazing guitar work, kick ass keyboards (yes, i fucking said it, the keyboards kick ass), the speed, the heaviness, the lyrics, the changing tempos, man everything on this one just fucking works. These guys deserve all the props they get. Signer/ guitarist Alexi Laiho is a fucking guitar metal god. Blooddrunk is an awesome, horns up, headbanging, killer album to get drunk, party, and just plain fucking rock out. To me, this is unquestionably the year's best work. All hail Children of Bodom!!!!!!
There are tons more of great albums released this year, but I wanna give the following honorable mentions (although there were more good metal albums released in 2008):
AC/DC- Black Ice
Cradle of Filth- Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
Sister Sin- Switchblade Serenades
Death Angel- Killing Season
All That Remains- Overrcome
Amon Amarth- Twilight of the Gods
In This Moment- The Dream
Origin- Antithesis
The first band I got to see their full set was another one, I had wanted to see perform live for ages, Finnish melodic death metal masters, Children of Bodom! They played a couple of songs off of their latest release, I Worship Chaos, including the kick ass title as well some classics. Among those was a blistering live performance of one my favorite songs of theirs: "In Your Face". That song is so fucking badass! Their performed amazingly on this night. CoB are such a technically awesome band, with talent that just drips out of every instrument that they touch. And, their signer/ guitarist Alexi Laiho, has long been one of my heroes.
years back: crossover thrash metal legends Suicidal Tendencies! From the first song, the classic "You Can't Bring Me Down" to the closing song, "Pledge Your Allegiance" (one of my favorite songs, of all time!), they killed it onstage!! And, there is no denying that front-man Mike Muir is the fucking man. He spent the whole show running and moving around from one side of the stage to the other. Not to mention he said some pretty cool/ inspirational things between songs. Former Slayer and legendary drummer Dave Lombardo played for them about a song or two into the set. It was AWESOME to see him with ST!! They'll be back for a headliner show, in the fall, I think he said. I hope to be there!
Soon it was time for one of the greatest metal bands of all time, a member of The Big Four: Megadeth!! The set opened with the technically awesome "Hanger 18", while alien autopsy footage played in the background. They ran some cool video images with all their songs. The set-included songs of off their awesome new album Dystopia, including the title track, "The Threat Is Real", my favorite track off the album- "Post American World", and others. Of course, they played classics, too, like "Trust", "Wake Up Dead", "Sweating Bullets", "In My Darkest Hour", and more.
proved that they are one of most technically amazing bands in all of rock and metal, and that they are just so amazing live. My only complaints are that they never played the last part of "Peace Sells", instead going right into the aforementioned "Holy Wars", and that they didn't play something off of Youthansia. Alternately, thank God they played nothing off of the preceding two albums (TH1RT3EN and Super Collider) or Risk. Anyway, the point is they are metal gods and played as such that night. A great tour, that if you can catch, you simply have to!
