My Top 21 Metal Albums of the 21st Century

Sun, 9 Aug 2009 22:03:05 +0000

Warning: Likely requires further proofreading, but is otherwise complete. Furthermore, I am completely aware that this list is 100% subjective; if you really feel that I should have included album X or Y, make your own list.

As of July 14th 2009, the semi-reputable heavy metal news site MetalSucks.net finished their list of they deem to be the top 21 albums of the 21st century. To create this list, they created a panel of music “experts” who they polled for their top picks; based on the number of people who voted for the album, it would accumulate points; the more points an album had, the higher up in the list it would place. Unfortunately for MetalSucks, their first mistake was that their panel consisted of people from questionable backgrounds, including members of pseudo-metal bands (Lamb of God, God Forbid, Shadows Fall, etc) and questionable labels (Ferret Music, Warner Music, Century Media, etc); the remainder were from a smorgasbord of websites and blogs, which, these days, doesn’t get you all that far in the credibility department now that any halfwit with a computer and internet access can start up their own site/blog. Of course, there were some promising-looking individuals in the panel, but their opinions seem to have been overshadowed.

Now that the list is over with, MetalSucks posted a slew of other albums that were nominated, but didn’t quite make it. Among these were some decent picks (Isis, Watain, Baroness, High On Fire, Nevermore, etc.), and it is likely that the panelists with the background in quality, underground metal were the ones who chose these. There were also nominations that made me have a lolacaust: Death Magnetic, Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia, Trivium albums, even more Slipknot than was already on the list, and so on. Anyways, MetalSucks slowly posted the entries on the list over the course of several weeks, and almost each entry was a joke as they all were commercially successful releases and/or belonged to bands that were borderline metal (neither of which are prerequisite for good music). There were also multiple entries from one band, which I don’t think is warranted either. Each entry was preceded by a “disclaimer” which delineated how MetalSucks weren’t directly responsible for selecting each entry due to the panel format (even though the editors of the site were included on the panel). Following each posting, record numbers of comments and site traffic were attracted. Some posters agreed with the entries, while the vast majority included moaning at how joke-like some of the selections were, replete with a multitude of questions as to how the panel could possibly believe that these releases are the greatest of this still-young century. Of course, we must keep in mind that MetalSucks holds no sway over the way that the majority of their readers think or act (hopefully), so, in the end, this list holds no real impact on our daily lives or musical tastes. Perhaps this list might be helpful for someone new to metal who wants to get into heavier music, as it provides a quasi-decent portal into modern metal, but for a seasoned metalhead above the age of 20 who has been listening to metal before the turn the century, this was a pretty useless attempt for the site to garner traffic and ad revenue. The grand lolocalypse came when MetalSucks posted an update that informed all readers that all the entries on the list will be available from The Omega Order distribution for a whopping 12% off. This led many of us to conclude that this list was pretty much just a ploy for them to line their pockets and nothing more, as no great impact came as a result of this list otherwise. Interestingly enough, as of today (8/9/09), MetalSucks doesn't really provide much in the way of direct links or advertising for the list, and one either has to find the tag in a related post, or do a related term search, in order to find the list that they spent so much time compiling. So what was the point of all their hard work? Who the hell knows - and take that as you will.

Throughout the course of the list, I was one of the readers that questioned how at least 80% of the entries made it that far (most of which I would never think to nominate in the first place). As such, I have decided to make my own list of my top 21 metal albums from the 21st century, in hopes that Last.fm users will appreciate this more than I appreciated the MetalSucks version. Obviously, this is not an easy task, as there has been a plethora of great releases in the past 8.5 years. I have included “honourable mentions” – albums which are great, but I either ran out of room in the list, or just lack the sheer timelessness or replay value of the entries. At the moment all entries are solely in alphabetical order and remain unranked.

1. Anaal Nathrakh – Hell Is Empty, and All the Devils Are Here (2007)
Although at this point the British blackened grindcore duo already had a couple albums under their belts, with Hell is Empty… their formula, which had been getting a bit tired at this point, was revitalized. On their first couple of releases, clean vocals were nowhere to be seen, and facetious rumours even began to emerge which claimed that AN likely had no lyrics to speak of, as the vocals were so incomprehensible and the band refused to publish lyrics. This changed on the solid When Fire Rains Down From the Sky, Mankind Will Reap as It Has Sown EP, and the two full lengths which followed, where we witnessed the introduction of clean vocals amidst a cleaner production sound. This mutation came to fruition with Hell is Empty… when the duo decided to utilize clean vocals to an ever greater extent. This resulted in several songs with very epic, catchy choruses, while maintaining the level of sheer brutality that we expect from an AN album.

2. Arcturus – The Sham Mirrors (2002)
If there was ever such thing a perfect album (and I don’t doubt that there is), the prog-metal supergroup’s masterpiece The Sham Mirrors would definitely be up there. Although I never really got into the full-lengths that preceded and followed this album, I did like the bands earlier melodic black metal material. What a great surprise when Arcturus returned with another progressive metal album which completely blew everyone that heard it away. Regardless of whether or not you’re a black metal fan, or if you can appreciate the background of each band member, any self-respecting fan of music can admit that this album is fan-fucking-tastic. Garm’s vocals and Steinar’s keyboards are legendary. The music itself is quite cosmic in nature with lots of the "space pirate" imagery that comes to mind when you think of this band.

3. Cobalt – Eater of Birds (2007)
Although many bands have recently started to experiment and introduce progressive aspects into their music in the past couple of years, none have done it as well as Cobalt. Although their debut EP was straight-up brutal war metal, Eater of Birds saw a huge change in style as the band brought in their other influences to the music. In particular, we can see the influence of bands like Neurosis and Swans. There is a large tribal/sludge influence on a lot of the music, and especially on the drumming. Large sections of drumming will become hypnotic in a ritualistic tribal manner. Additionally, not only does the band bring in their experimental influences from bands like Swans, but Jarboe herself makes an appearance on a couple of the songs. There are recurring ritual-based themes throughout the album, and several very dark instrumental interludes which act as a gentle buffer between the sheer chaos that is this album.

4. Darkspace – Dark Space III (2008)
This entry is one that I came across quite recently, but since I was introduced to the Swiss trio, I’ve been hooked. The band plays a hypnotic style of space/atmospheric/ambient black metal that can be summed up as a mixture of Leviathan, Limbonic Art, Kataxu and Lurker of Chalice, while at the same time sounding nothing like any of those bands. For starters, the average Darkspace song clocks in around 11 minutes. This can be trying for modern music fans who expect each song to be packaged and shoved down their throats in 4 minutes or less. Each song has a beginning, middle and end that is meticulously crafted and executed. Using a drum machine that is buried in the background, the band focuses on the guitar, bass and the odd keyboard to produce a hazy, trance-inducing style of metal that is quite impressive. Not all the songs are 11 minutes of blasting though: some have a more marching and pounding pace to them, and the final track on the album (3.17) has a brilliantly drawn out intro and outro. The band doesn’t publish lyrics (though they are pretty sparse in such long songs), and they label all their tracks and albums in ascending numerical patterns, which add a tinge of mystery and intrigue to the already mysterious music

5. Deathspell Omega - Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice (2004)
For the new sound of DSO, it’s not easy to choose between this album and Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum, as both are brilliant written progressive black metal albums that revolve around intermingling concepts of God, the Devil and Man – and how the three interact. For the sake of this list, I have decided to go with Si Monvmentvm, as I still remember hearing it for the first time and expecting something along the lines of Inquisitors of Satan. Instead, we got Mikko Aspa (who should need no introduction) on vocals and a massive change in the overall sound, atmosphere, and concepts of the band, who, at this point, had already established themselves quite well within the black metal scene. Gone were the higher-pitched vocals, the high-range tremolo and riffing, tinny production, and the superficial Satanic themes; now present was thick production, sludgy low-end riffing, abnormal time signatures, deep throaty vocals, and orthodox theistic themes. On first listen, this album was kind of hard to get into for someone who was used to their old material. But now, it’s like there were two completely different bands with the name Deathspell Omega. Of course, most would agree that the “newer” DSO is superior, as it much more mature and introspective, while still pleasing black metal and experimental/progressive fans alike.

6. Enslaved – Vertebrae (2008)
This is another relatively recent entry for this list, but is also, by far, Enslaved’s best album of their long, prolific career. Whereas their last few albums illustrated a slow but steady foray into progressive elements, they still retained the Viking imagery and aggressive edge of their older releases. With Vertebrae, the transition to progressive metal is nearly complete, and the Viking metal influences are slowly fading. Sure, there are still growled vocals, but the clean vocals are equal to, or possibly surpassing, the frequency of the growls. This is another near-perfect album as well, and pretty much every song is incredible. The band is able to show how much they have matured, and do so without sacrifice or compromise. The album is rife with melodic passages, vocals, and keyboards, but all of this adds up to an record so breathtaking, that is had to believe that there are people out there that don’t like this.

7. High on Fire – Death Is This Communion (2007)
This is the first entry that will address the fate of the now-defunct stoner metal legends Sleep. And it is a fantastic fate at that! Following Sleep’s demise, Matt Pike went on to form High on Fire, where he took on guitar and vocal duties. Their debut album The Art of Self Defense was a fantastic slab of sludge/stoner metal, and, while it had a couple incredible songs (Fireface, in particular), it lacked the consistency that one would have liked, which has made it fall to the wayside in the last couple of years. Since their debut, HoF has released two more albums which suffered the same fate as the debut. But everything changed with Death is This Communion. Here we see the band shifting gears, and writing songs that are meant to be memorable, and not necessarily sludgy-as-fuck for the sake of being such. This album had a lot more catchy hooks strewn throughout, and strong tribalesque overtones, which are especially found in the drum-based instrumental tracks. Although clocking in at less than 3 minutes, the song Rumors Of War is likely one of the best, and heaviest, metal songs of all time. If that song doesn’t get your headbanging or your feet stomping, you’re probably dead.

8. Isis – In the Absence of Truth (2006)
Isis is another band which created a bit of a conundrum when it came to selecting their strongest album. Since the majority of their “post-metal” discography was released in the 21st century, I had several to choose from. Don’t get me wrong, Celestial and the Mosquito Control EP are classic sludge albums, but once Aaron Turner and crew decided to switch to a more atmospheric sound, everything clicked, and so began the influx in the popularity of this music. Both Panopticon and Oceanic have their fair share of great songs, but it wasn’t until In the Absence of Truth that Isis blew my fucking mind. Perhaps I’m just a sucker for clean vocals amidst a flurry of growls and snarls, but it was on this album that the band showed their ability to sing cleanly, and man was it good. Like any band in the post-metal vein, the songs follow a pretty similar formula: soft start, slow climb, epic climax, soft end. One might think this gets repetitive after a while, and that may be true for some Isis clone bands, but on In the Absence of Truth, nothing is stale. Even the quirky instrumentals have their own personality which adds to the greatness of this record.

9. Judas Iscariot – Dethroned, Conquered and Forgotten (2000)
At the time of the release of Dethroned, Conquered and Forgotten, JI already had several releases out. So why, you might ask, does this EP stand out above everything to come before and after it, leading up to the dissolution of the band? Well, if you’re familiar with JI’s discography, you will recall that up until this release, Akhenaten was handling all instrument duties on top of vocals and writing. It was on this EP that Cryptic Winter was added as a session member. “Cryptic Winter” is the pseudonym for Duane Timlin, the well-established drummer from many bands, including Dying Fetus, Sarcophagus, Krieg, and many others). Basically what he added was consistent, ultra-fast blast beats to perfectly compliment the Akhenaten’s song writing. This took the pace of JI’s music to kind of fast, to over-the-top, break-your-neck speed. Pair this with some of JI’s best songs and a great re-recording of an already classic JI track, and you’ve got one hell of a black metal release.

10. Keep of Kalessin – Armada (2006)
Leading up to the release of Armada, Keep of Kalessin had already recorded a bunch of fantastic black metal records. Having already switched vocalists a couple of times, the last album leading up to this one was a legendary EP recording with none other than Attila Csihar on vocal duties. There was a 3-year silence which followed this EP, which was a time that we fans were unsure about the future of the band due to silence and lack of updates on the band’s behalf. Three years later, KoK reemerged a different band. Like Deathspell Omega before them, they put out a new album which saw a marked change in their sound. Compared to the cold, cryptic black metal that we were used to with their other releases, Armada seemed to have swapped darkness for technicality and speed. With Thebon taking over vocal duties, the vocals did return to a sound more reminiscent of their old material, but that’s where the comparison ends. His yells have a gripping, almost desperate, war cry nature to them, which worked well with the strong Spartan overtones. This is particularly true on a couple tracks – such as The Wealth of Darkness – where you can almost feel the pre-war atmosphere, as it is laid on so thick. Though there were some technical portions on the older material, Obsidian shines on Armada, as the guitar becomes a major focal point for the new direction. This is backed by ultra-fast drumming, some sampling, and an overall overwhelming atmosphere of ancient Greek warfare. There are also some acoustic sections, which also help to contribute to said atmosphere. Overall, this is an amazing album, with its breathtaking leads, breakneck speed, and a chillingly epic atmosphere.

11. Mastodon – Crack the Skye (2009)
Respectably enough, #1 on MetalSucks’ list was Mastodon’s epic Leviathan. While this was definitely a great album, there were a couple inconsistent parts, which is exactly why it only made it to my honourable mentions. However, the band completely blew the collective mind with Crack the Skye (though I’m sure there will be some that will argue that they miss the aggressive sound of the band). Gone is pretty much most, if not all, of the sludge influence that the band had, which was slowly depleting album by album – from the full out assault of the Lifesblood EP, to the sprawling, progressive Blood Mountain, the aggressive edge of the band was being lessened with each passing year. On Crack the Skye, all we are really left with is progressive metal with lots of passages that could be argued to be more [hard] rock than metal. This would be valid, as CtS is quite tame in comparison, but still the pinnacle of the band’s writing – both lyrically and musically. Again we get a concept album, but this time it is focused on a central idea that I find more interesting to begin with: Grigori Rasputin. Though consisting of only 7 songs, the album clocks in at a whopping 50 minutes, with a couple of the songs basically being several shorter ones coalesced into mini-monoliths. This album also sees much more versatile vocals and vocal ranges, as Brann adds vocal duties to his already busy job as the drummer of a progressive band that relies heavily on complex time rhythms and fills. Personally I think he has the best voice of the band, but that’s a moot point. The addition of yet another layer of vocals only acts to improve the music by increasing the sheer complexity of it. So although it lacks the power and force of their earlier works, what you are left with is an awe-inspiring slab of progressive music that is just so impressive that it’s hard not to love it.

12. Nachtmystium – Instinct: Decay (2006)
The first decent entry on MetalSucks’ list was Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1. Although I did thoroughly enjoy that album, I opted to go with Instinct: Decay instead. As interesting and captivating as Blake and company’s newfound experimentation is, with Instinct: Decay they were able to shed a lot of the stereotypes that weighed their earlier works down, and evolve into something…different. This is not to say that Demise wasn’t a strong album either (it was some great, melancholic black metal), but it was still held back by its clinging to certain clichés that many bands suffer as a result of. With Instinct: Decay, though, Blake shed the stereotypical black metal look and sound, and released a slab of filthy, noisy, terrific metal. I:D is still black metal at heart, but the whole album is shrouded in a thick layer of dirty noise. It is tremendously chaotic in nature, and a full listen though just blows you back like a Japanese bullet train. Yet it still quite sonically pleasing, and Blake’s talents at writing in some hooks show on a couple of the tracks. As such, this album is more important to me than Assassins, as it paved the way for the band to hone their craft and begin to dabble in psychedelia (eventually to be the first black metal band that I know of to incorporate a saxophone into their music). Although the Doomsday Derelicts which followed Assassins showed a bit of regression towards the sound on I:D, I think that most of us fans are hoping that the next full-length continues to exhibit the slew of influences that evidentially shaped Blake’s musical projects throughout his life.

13. Negură Bunget – Om (2006)
Here we have another entry for a list of perfect albums. I have been a fan of Negură Bunget for quite a long time, and as solid as all their previous works have been – and how different each one was from the one that preceded it – there was always something missing (for a lack of a better word) from their music. Now some might argue that it was a glockenspiel, but I don’t think that’s all it takes to make good folk/black metal. With Om, the band created (or “birthed”) a record that is so unified, so focused on brilliance that it manages to achieve sheer perfection in the process. The atmosphere is so vivid and developed on the album, that you can almost imagine yourself wandering though Transylvanian forests and caves, only stopping to meditate and achieve inner peace. More than ever, the band uses several folk instruments (whether all are native to Romania is beyond me) that add the air of authenticity to the music. Linking several of the songs are instrumental and/or ambient pieces, which makes the album melt together as one, without any pesky gaps between songs to break the hypnotic trance that the album can easily create as the music is so engaging in that way. This is one of those albums which are going to be hard to top, as the band slowly honed their music over the years. Again, this is a band to keep on eye on, and to eagerly await their next musical endeavour to see where they can go from here.

14. Neurosis – A Sun That Never Sets (2001)
Finally we have another band on the list that has been around for at least 10 years and who has multiple releases in more than one decade. Neurosis have had several releases since the start of the decade, and their first to be eligible for this list is also their best in my opinion. Though this album is overlooked and underrated by many, it was the beginning of the band’s newer sound. This album also boasts some of their finest songs they have ever done, including: The Tide, A Sun That Never Sets, Falling Unknown, From Where Its Roots Run, and Stones From the Sky. Here, Neurosis marked their rebirth with a much more mellow sound, which has continued through to their most recent releases. The music itself is still aggressively sludgy, but there are much more quiet parts as well. Interestingly enough, the band brought in some interesting recurring themes throughout the duration of the album (though this isn’t typically new for them). The most prominent example is on From Where It Roots Run, which clocks in around 3 minutes (ridiculously short for a non-instrumental Neurosis track) and consists of fantastic, tribalesque music paired with several recitations of the Runic alphabet. It adds a very primitive, archaic element to the longer songs, and acts as an intermission as well. Stones From the Sky is the epic closer on ASTNS, and it is truly a great piece of music. Amusingly enough, many people thought that the distortion at the end of the song was the fault of the record, but it was actually cleverly added in by the band in the final mix (listen to the song in its entirety and you will understand how well it works). This album is probably one of the last tribal-themed albums in their discography as well, since their sound has changed to a more ambient/metal style.

15. Nevermore – Dead Heart In A Dead World (2000)
Dead Heart in a Dead World holds a epical place in my heart as it was one of the first metal albums that truly blew my mind. I have been listening to metal for a couple of years when this album was released, but I didn’t end up hearing Nevermore until a little while later. Boasting a sound that few other bands could be related to, it’s basically a hybrid of classic heavy metal mixed with prog metal, and the results are dark and delicious. There are some of metal’s best songs of all time on this record, including a great cover of The Sound Of Silence. The vocals are pretty much clean for the entire album, which works out to their benefit with audible lyrics that discuss topics such as the American government, the prison system, self-destruction and alienation. Nevermore is also quite adept at going from a raging fast, blazing song, to a very slow, melancholic and melodic one (e.g. The River Dragon Has Come, The Heart Collector, etc) Due to the prog metal elements found in the music, the riffage is everflowing and technical, with some great leads and solos. Overall, quite a solid album, and am impressive following after 1999’s Dreaming Neon Black, which is also a stellar album that is hard to follow up.

16. Om – Conference of the Birds (2006)
Though technically I wouldn’t consider Om to be metal, some people like tagging this music as doom metal, and this album is so amazing, that I felt I could get away with including an entry by them on this list. Following the end of Sleep, Om is where the other two members went to. Since Sleep was a three-piece band, you may be thinking that this means that the only instruments left when Matt Pike is taken out of the equation are bass and drums. That is indeed correct. This adds to the supremely unique element to the music. If you take Sleep, remove the guitars from the music, and leave the tribal rhythm section: This = Om. Following a pattern very similar to Tibetan chanting and music, the bass and drums mingle to produce a very hypnotic sound. Though CotB consists of only two songs, it clocks in at around 34 minutes. Because of this choice of extended structure, each song is created as its own entity, and consists of a distinct beginning, middle and end, similar to many post-rock bands, but with the ever-looming absence of guitar feedback. Also, because of the stripped down instrumentation, the drum/bass combination creates a very upbeat rhythm for the most part, that is very danceable, though more so in the around-the-fire ritual sense than a dry-hump-a-stranger-in-a-dark-room-with-Oompa-Loompas-surrounding-you sense. As I mention before, this is very hypnotic experience, and one that is borderline transcendental (though if you paired some psychotropics with it, the experience is pushed beyond borderline). Om also provides a very nice and intriguing contrast, contextually, to the sludgy beatdown that High On Fire have gone on to create. It seems like each member the aspect that they enjoyed the most from Sleep, and took that to create their own unique projects.

17. Peste Noire - La Sanie des siècles - Panégyrique de la dégénérescence (2006)
From the filthy streets of Avignon, France emerged a black metal band with a sound so different from other bands at the time, that they managed to grab the attention of many people. After releasing a couple of demos in the early 2000’s, PN kind of dropped off the radar for several years, leaving many with an intense craving for more of their filthy, yet technically melodic sound. Covering themes such as French culture, genocide and urban disillusionment, the band’s 2002 demo Macabre Transcendance... was pretty much the last that was heard from the band until 2006 (this is not counting their super-limited Phalènes Et Pestilence demo). Finally, the brains behind the band – La Sale Famine de Valfunde – shuffled his line-up and released his first full-length entitled La Sanie Des Siècles - Panégyrique de la Dégénérescence. This album still featured the same raw, filthy sound of PN’s demos, but was still substantially cleaned up a lot in terms of listenability. Also still in place are Valfunde’s incredible guitar work, and the epic leads he writes. The music still falls into the black metal category, but manages to go above and beyond that with sprawling tracks that managed to maintain their credibility over the course of 5 to 11 minutes. Valfunde also likes to use a lot of samples in his music – taken from a variety of sources – in order to build a lot of the twisted, mysterious atmosphere that the final product holds. His vocals are also somewhat unique from a lot of other black metal bands. Though some clean vocals are used intermittently, the rest are all growls, shrieks, cries and groans that send shivers down your spine. Neige (of Mortifera, Alcest, Amesoeurs, Forgotten Woods, etc) also provides both instrumentation and vocals on the album, and his trademark shrieks can be heard on a couple of the songs. There is an underlying dark, melancholic feel throughout the album, which goes extremely well with the music that Valfunde and crew were album to create here. The riffing and leads have a fantastic melodic tinge to them, which is one of the reasons why this album is so great and so powerful.

18. Týr – How Far to Asgaard (2002)
Although all of Týr's discography has been in the 21st century, and their first 3 albums were mindblowing, I chose to pick their debut for the sake of this list. This is mainly because the album is so unbelievably consistent from start to end, and there is hardly a track that I would consider to be mediocre, let alone bad, that, compared to the four full-lengths that have since followed it, deserves a place on this list. How Far to Asgaard is eight tracks of solid Viking metal from a band that hails from the obscure Faroe Islands (off the coast of Denmark, about halfway to Iceland). Right there you know they are going to be legit. Also contributing to the legitimacy of their music is the use of lyrics in Faroese (and English), and many borrowings from traditional folk music (both lyrically and musically). The music itself falls more into the progressive realm similar to modern Enslaved, though pretty much of Týr’s vocals are clean and beautifully sung. Though more true to their earlier works, the band did incorporate some progressive song structures into their music, though this has somewhat dissipated on their more recent works. What did remain from their beginning are great riffs with well-written and well-executed leads from their two guitar players. Unfortunately their last 2 releases have declined sharply in quality and replay value, but the first half of their discography will always remain classics.

19. Urfaust – Geist Ist Teufel (2004)
It is quite difficult to choose a favourite from this band, as, in just 5 or so years, they have released some of today’s most original music. What sets Urfaust apart from other transgressive bands is their use of unique clean, operatic vocals paired with mid-paced and upbeat - almost folkish - riffing and drums. This is their most typical style, though the music can shift to instrumental orchestral portions and then back to blast beats and piercing shrieks. The duo that Urfaust consists of has garnered much attention within the metal community as a result of their powerful and original art. Their countless number of side-projects is quite impressive as well. This album was the band’s first full-length following a couple demos which were produced by just one of the members, and which were solely the orchestral instrumentals that were still included once the band shifted to metal. Urfaust area in no rush with their songs, and they can easily reach lengths of 15 minutes, though the longer ones tend to be instrumentals. Their upbeat style actually makes for really fun listening, while the Dutch/German vocals focus on dark topics such as the works of Goethe and the evil formations of the soul. This contrast only heightens the listening experience. The clean vocals are chilling as well; they are drenched in melancholy while being paired with music influenced by numerous styles – in particular black metal, folk, punk, classical and ambient. Though this album may not necessarily be their strongest work per se (though this is a moot point), it is important to 21st century metal because it is the band’s first output and shows that many influences can come together in a truly impressive fusion of styles.

20. Watain – Sworn To The Dark (2007)
Up to this point, with each release, Watain’s sound was shifting from a raw, filthy black metal style, to one incorporating more heavy metal and rock influences. With the birth of the “black n’ roll” genre that is becoming increasingly popular as bands fuse other styles into the repertoire, we are presented with music that is definitely classifiable as black metal, but which has riffs and song structures that are very similar to rock. On Sworn to the Dark, the band finally completed the shift they were alluding to over their previous couple of releases, and the results are fantastic. This results in orthodox black metal that is not afraid to utilize choruses and hooks to its advantage. Historically, black metal has transcended these musical expectations and strove to create music so ugly and unattractive to the idiotic majority. But that avoidance is gone as bands feel the need to go beyond the norm and create music that is more original and not just a regurgitation of everything that has come before it. SttD features a lot of tempo changes, “catchy” hooks, and underlying tinges of melody which make the music much more that it seems. To finish off the album, the incredible Stellarvore is an 8-minute behemoth that is one of the best album finishers I have ever heard.

21. Windir – 1184 (2001)
My final installment in this list is one from Norway’s mighty Windir, and the second last album in the legacy of Valfar (the main creative force behind the band from its inception to its dissolution after his premature death). Although the album Arntor is slightly stronger overall, it being released in 1999 means it’s not eligible for the list. On 1184, Windir’s sound has been fully honed to their trademark folk/Viking sound, chock full of epic melodies (courtesy of both guitar and keyboard), and Valfar’s fantastic vocals and song-writing capabilities. Among the album’s duration are some of Windir’s best tracks, including: Todeswalzer, The Spiritlord, Destroy, and the epic 9.5-minute closer Journey to the End which utilizes some interesting electronic portions to create a drowning, melancholic song which almost foreshadows Valfar’s death. Along with Kong Hydnes Haug, this is one of my favourite Windir songs, and it never fails to send shivers down my spine. All of 1184 is drenched in a great, epic atmosphere, and the keyboards are used efficiently – not in the way that most melodic black metal bands aim for, but in a way that gives the music a strong folk feel to it. Pair that with lyrics about mythology, Vikings, ancient war and the like, and you’re left with a breathtaking album from a band that had to call it quits long before they were due.

Highly Honourable Mentions:
- Aborym – Fire Walk With Us
- Absu – Tara
- Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue
- Amesoeurs – Amesoeurs
- Bathory – Nordland I
- Battle of Mice – A Day of Nights
- Behemoth – Evangelion
- Behemoth – Thelema.6
- Beherit – Engram
- Black Hole Generator – Black Karma EP (fucking brilliant)
- Boris – Akuma No Uta
- Deathspell Omega – Inquisitors of Satan
- The Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works (not really metal)
- Falkenbach – Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty
- Funeral Mist – Salvation
- Killing Joke – Killing Joke (2003)
- Lifelover – Konkurs
- Marduk – Rom 5:12
- Mayhem – Chimera
- Mgła – Groza
- Pest – Dauðafærð EP
- Primordial – The Gathering Wilderness
- Ruins of Beverast – Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite
- Shining – Within Deep Dark Chambers
- Urfaust – Einsiedler EP
- Wolves in the Throne Room – Two Hunters

Honourable Mentions:
- Absu – Absu
- Abyssic Hate – Suicidal Emotions
- Agents of Oblivion – Agents of Oblivion
- Akitsa – Sang Nordique
- Anaal Nathrakh – In the Constellation of the Black Widow
- Baroness – Red Album
- Behemoth – The Apostasy
- Blacklodge – >SolarKult<
- Bloodline – Hate Procession
- Bloodline – Werewolf Training
- Cobalt – Gin
- ColdWorld – Melancholie²
- Deathspell Omega – Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum
- The Dillinger Escape Plan & Mike Patton – Irony Is a Dead Scene EP (not really metal)
- Diabolicum – The Dark Blood Rising: The Hatecrowned Retaliation
- Drudkh – Blood in our Wells
- Frostkrieg – Majestätic eines kalten Elements
- Funeral Mist – Maranatha
- Genghis Tron – Board Up the House
- Godsmack – Awake
- Gorgoroth – Incipit Satan
- Graveland – Creed of Iron
- Honor – In Flames Of The Rising Power
- Isis – Oceanic
- Leviathan – The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide
- Made Out of Babies – The Ruiner
- Marduk – Plague Angel
- Mastodon – Blood Mountain
- Mastodon – Leviathan
- My Dying Bride – For Lies I Sire
- My Dying Bride – The Dreadful Hours
- Melvins – A Senile Animal
- Moonblood – Dusk Woerot
- Morrigan – Celts
- Nagelfar – Virus West
- Neurosis – The Eye of Every Storm
- Primordial – To The Nameless Dead
- Profanatica – Collection
- Secrets of the Moon – Privilegivm
- Shining – V: Halmstad
- Summoning – Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame
- The Berzerker – The Berzerker
- Tool– 10,000 Days (not really metal)
- Týr – Eric The Red
- Urfaust – Auerauege Raa Verduistering
- Wolves in the Throne Room – Malevolent Grain EP

Seen Live

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:32:54 +0000

> Doesn't include bands that played that I didn't go, or care, for
> If you can fill in the dates that are currently listed as "???" let me know

Nov 26, 2011 @ Warehouse
- Mastodon [5] / The Dillinger Escape Plan [2]

Aug 3, 2011 @ Phoenix
- White Lies

May 21, 2011 @ Warehouse
- Arctic Monkeys [2]

Oct 3, 2010 @ Lee's Palace
- Swans

Sept 18, 2010 @ Molson Amphitheater
- Alice In Chains / Deftones / Mastodon [4]

July 17, 2010 @ Opera House
- High On Fire / Priestess

June 19, 2010 @ Y&D Square
- The Stooges

June 5, 2010 @ Rivoli
- This Will Destroy You / Slow Six

May 7, 2010 @ The Docks
- Massive Attack

Apr 1, 2010 @ Phoenix
- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club [2]

Nov 22, 2009 @ Wreck Room
- Marduk / Nachtmystium [2]

Oct 26, 2009 @ ACC
- Metallica

Oct 23, 2009 @ The Docks
- Mastodon [3] / Dethklok / Converge (missed High on Fire)

Sept 29, 2009 @ Warehouse
- Arctic Monkeys

August 5, 2009 @ Molson Amphitheater
- Tool [2]

June 30, 2009 @ Opera House
- Behemoth [2]

June 18, 2009 @ Wreck Room
- Absu / Rumpelstiltskin Grinder

June 14, 2009 @ Opera House
- Mayhem / Eclipse Eternal [2] / Panzerfaust (Can)

June 2, 2009 @ Molson Amphitheater
- Nine Inch Nails / Jane's Addiction / Street Sweeper Social Club

May 18, 2009 @ Wreck Room
- Wolves in the Throne Room / Krallice / Thrones / A Storm of Light

May 5, 2009 @ Opera House:
- Mastodon [2] / Kylesa

May 4, 2009 @ The Docks:
- Enslaved / Opeth

March 23, 2009 @ Opera House:
- Týr [2] / SuidAkrA

December 22, 2008 @ Spaceland (Los Angeles):
- The Movies (US)

December 2, 2008 @ Opera House:
- ohGr / American Memory Project

October 3, 2008 @ Opera House:
- Watain / Eclipse Eternal

September 25, 2008 @ Warehouse:
- My Bloody Valentine

September 19, 2008 @ Lee's Palace:
- A Place To Bury Strangers

August 13, 2008 - Metal Masters Tour @ Molson Amphitheater:
- Motörhead / Heaven and Hell / Judas Priest (missed Testament)

August 11, 2008 @ Mod Club:
- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

August 8, 2008 - Rockstar Mayhem Festival @ Downsview Park:
- Mastodon / Machine Head

August 2, 2008 @ Kathedral:
- Peste Noire / Akitsa / Sombres Forêts / King (Can)

July 14, 2008 @ Lee's Palace:
- Boris / Nachtmystium / Torche

June 4, 2008 @ Phoenix:
- She Wants Revenge

May 12, 2008 @ The Docks:
- The Mars Volta

April 25, 2008 - Paganfest @ Opera House:
- Týr / Ensiferum / Turisas

April 2, 2008 @ The Docks:
- Behemoth / Keep of Kalessin

Dec 2, 2007 @ Opera House:
- The Dillinger Escape Plan / Genghis Tron

June 7, 2007 @ Guvernment:
- Interpol

March 20, 2007 @ Opera House:
- Isis [2] / Jesu

Sept 23, 2006 @ Molson Amphitheater:
- Tool / Isis

June 8, 2006 @ Warehouse:
- Ministry / Revolting Cocks

???, 2005 @ Zen Lounge:
- Combichrist

Sept 20, 2003 - Pastperfect DJ Tour @ Zen Lounge:
- VNV Nation

July 25, 2003 @ Zen Lounge:
- Funker Vogt / Terrorfakt

June 21, 2003 - Northern Lights Festival @ Club Rockit:
- Summon / Anhkrehg / Woods of Ypres / Averse Sefira / Eclipse Eternal

Nov 9, 2001 @ Warehouse:
- Slayer

???, 2001 @ Opera House:
- Death by Stereo / Good Riddance

May 4, 2001 @ El Mocombo:
- Agnostic Front / No Warning

March 23, 2001 @ Warehouse:
- Lagwagon

March 11, 2001 @ Phoenix:
- Dropkick Murphys / Swinging Utters / Lars And The Bastards / Reach The Sky

Nov 4, 2000 @ Warehouse:
- Rancid / AFI

mutiilator's Last.fm Journal

My Top 21 Metal Albums of the 21st Century

Seen Live