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The Best Heavy Metal Album
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Through many a' trial & tribulations, it appeared NWOBHM-loving Canucks 3 Inches Of Blood were waiting for their doom. Upon the release of their 4th effort, this band of brothers cast aside any doubts with a thick, organic tapestry, showcasing elements of some of metal history's finest moments - throwing in plenty of aggressive, modern twists along the way. Like Deep Purple on copious amounts speed, the flawless chemistry of the Hagberg-Clark duo blaze through intense, yet catchy riff-fests, with Cam Pipes letting out his signature Halford-esque shrieks all the while. 3 Inches invite you to rock in hell with this balls-to-the-wall slab of undiluted heavy metal.
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| Amorphis are one hard band to pin down, elements from all across the board being pulled together in such a flowing, majestic form makes this possibly one of the most riveting albums of the year. Skyforger is a fine balance of power, progressive, and of course heavy metal. Though an album like this may have even been appropriate and any of those 3 categories (and been worthy of the prize), Amorphis seem to put value on the juicy riffs above everything else; not of being the most epic, or the most technically proficient at all times, but rather just heavy music built to move you - and isn't that what heavy metal is all about in the long run? |
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2009 saw Sweden's Bloodbound release their third album, welcoming back to the fold their original singer Urban Breed. And this is one hell of a solid heavy metal release! With its catchy, up-tempo metal anthems and also those more melodic songs, its Gothenburg-inspired riffs and fantastic vocals, this release is sure to make you bang your head (a lot).
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Slap any tag or name you want on it, metals finest duo of Tony Iommi & Geezer Butler are incomparable to pretty much anything anyone can achieve within this genre. Top the ridiculously heavy guitar work off with some of Ronnie James Dio's more haunting vocal tendencies and what you've got is a heavy metal dream team. Possibly the heaviest of the heavies released this year, once again this metal super-group exceeds all high expectations with a piece that almost defines what heavy metal is.
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Old Season - Archaic Creation
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Melodic, catchy and really f'ing epic, that's exactly what Archaic Creation is about. It doesn't matter if you're into epic heavy metal, classic rock or even doom metal, Old Season make the most out of all three styles, forging them into a beautiful album with simply amazing vocal work. And this is their debut, who knows what they could do on a follow-up!
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| Seamlessly combining traditional British heavy metal, the American thrash of the eighties and the European power metal of the nineties, the US band has created a heavy metal album that feels modern and nostalgic at the same time. |
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I don't think these legends need to be introduced. They've been around for the last thirty years and still going strong. After all these years the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal still isn't over for these guys and Into The Labyrinth is a testament to the pure spirit of both rock and roll and the classical heavy metal that they helped in making what it is today. Heavy metal is not going to die anytime soon and this album is proof of it.
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| Old school heavy metal as heavy metal is supposed to be played. No frills, just boundless energy inspired by the likes of Thin Lizzy. No showing off, just pure unadultered heavy metal with the best sense of melody this side of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Having started started some odd twenty years ago Slough Feg just keeps on going from strength to strength perfecting their sound with every album and currently culminating on album number seven. A true ape uprising. |
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As the old adage goes "no rest for the wicked", Blackie and the boys return as strong as ever with the heavy-hitting Babylon. Hailed as one of their best in close to 2 decades, Babylon caters to fans of any W.A.S.P. era; anthem chorus', blood-pumping riffs, all counter-balanced by in-depth lyrics dealing with the oh-so-uplifting theme of the apocalypse. Such a fist-pump worthy album is one that cannot be ignored by those with a taste for genuine heavy metal.
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Wolf - the name really says it all doesn't it? Aggressive, mean heavy metal, straight-forward, no bullshit rock n roll. Take the catchiest hooks imaginable (think Iron Maiden catchy here, people), put them behind some unforgettable lyrics sung by Viper Stålvind (a man who rivals Rob Halford from time to time) and what you've got is Wolf's 5th studio release Ravenous. Wolf prove that old school is new school in what is truly a beefed up delivery of NWOBHM's finest qualities.
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