#6: KILLSWITCH ENGAGE – THE END OF HEARTACHE
Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 5:00pm by MetalSucksSPECIAL GUEST BLOGGER NICK GREEN OF DECIBEL MAGAZINE
We recently polled a wide array of musicians, managers, publicists, label reps, and writers from within the world of metal to find out what they thought the 21 Best Metal Albums of the 21st Century So Far have been. Eligible albums were released between January 1, 2000 and April 1, 2009. Each panelist turned in a ballot, with their #1 album worth 21 points, their #2 album worth 20 points, and so on and so forth. The ballots are now in and we’ll be counting down one album a day until we reach #1. Today we present the #6 album, coming in with a total of 179 points…
Killswitch Engage, The End of Heartache (Roadrunner, 2004)
Howard Jones – Vocals
Adam Dutkiewicz – Guitars
Joel Stroetzel – Guitars
Mike D’Antonio – Bass
Justin Foley – Drums
Produced by Adam Dutkiewicz
It’s worth noting that Howard Jones devoted almost all of his allotted space in the “thank you” section of the liner notes to apologizing to fans for changing the chemistry of Killswitch Engage on The End of Heartache. His note is sensitive, contrite and nearly as long as the lyrics of “Hope Is…,” which ironically conveys the exact same sentiment with a hint more poetry and obfuscation. Not that he really needed to say “sorry” for anything, since the group’s previous full-length, Alive or Just Breathing, benefited enormously from Jones vocals in a live setting. Still, sometimes it’s nice to have it all spelled out and entered into the ledger, so you can simultaneously focus on the present and shut the door on an uneasy chapter in your own band’s history. So, thanks for that.
Upon its release, The End of Heartache was promoted as the new face of metalcore, but Killswitch Engage hasn’t spawned as many imitators as originally predicted. This may have something to do with the fact that the band’s touring commitments kept them from returning to the studio to record a follow-up for two years and, more importantly, kept Adam D from reproducing the signature sound on other band’s records. The band’s sound isn’t exactly “timeless” – even if its pitch-perfect cover of “Holy Diver” certainly was – but the songs on The End of Heartache offered a perfect mix of technical prowess and emotional heft in a truly commercial vein. That’s no mean feat, considering Cave In tried something similar with Antenna and totally crapped the bed.
Of course, it’s not a perfect album. My own mixtape edit waves “buh-bye” to “A Bid Farewell” and omits “And Embers Rise” (which might as well be the theme for One Tree Hill). But everything else on The End of Heartache packs a punch, and as a song cycle about love, loss and redemption, it definitely tugs at the heartstrings. I guess I’m just a huge pussy for tearing up the last time I heard “Rose of Sharyn” played live, but that song never fails to transport me to a place where I was young and dumb and not even sure where I would wake up in the morning. The record’s charms are simple and supple. And for something that’s so poised on the axis of guilt and regret, it’s surprisingly easy to sit back and just be a “fan.” This was a career-defining moment; it won’t be easy to listen to anything else Killswitch Engage does without prejudice.
-Nick Green
THE LIST SO FAR:
#7 – Lamb of God, Ashes of the Wake
#9 – Gojira, From Mars to Sirius
#13 – Mastodon, Blood Mountain
#14 – System of a Down, Toxicity
#15 – Nachtmystium, Assassins: Black Meddle, Part 1
#16 – Machine Head, The Blackening
#18 – Lamb of God, New American Gospel
#20 – Shadows Fall, The War Within
#21 – Slipknot, Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses
THE PANEL OF VOTERS
Chris Adler, Lamb of God
Dan And, Bison B.C.
Ben Apatoff, Apatoff for Destruction/Metal Injection
Jason Bittner, Shadows Fall
Tim Brennan, Ferret Music/Channel Zero Entertainment
Freddy Cai, Painkiller Magazine
Ian Christe, Bazillion Points
Reverend David J. Ciancio, Yeah! Management
Betsey Cichoracki, Relapse Records
Paul Conroy, Ferret Music/Channel Zero Entertainment
J. Costa, Thy Will Be Done
Dallas Coyle, ex-God Forbid/Coyle Media
Doc Coyle, God Forbid
CT, Rwake
Anso DF, MetalSucks/Hipsters Out of Metal!
Vince Edwards, Metal Blade Records
Charles Elliott, Abysmal Dawn/Nuclear Blast Records
Brian Fair, Shadows Fall
Leo Ferrante, Warner Music Group
D.X. Ferris, author 33 1/3: Reign in Blood/Freelance Journalist
Mike Gitter, Roadrunner Records
Nick Green, Decibel
Matt Grenier, August Burns Red
Anthony Guzzardo, Earache Records
Kevin Hufnagel, Dysrhythmia
Mark Hunter, Chimaira
Steve Joh, Century Media
EJ Johantgen, Prosthetic Records
Kim Kelly, Metal Injection/Hails & Horns/Freelance Journalist
Josh “The J” Key, Psychostick
Jason Lekberg, Epic Records
Eyal Levi, Daath
Bob Lugowe, Relapse Records
Matt McChesney, The Autumn Offering
Jake McReynolds, Psychostick
Marc Meltzer, The Syndicate
Josh Middleton, Sylosis
Matt Moore, Rumpelstiltskin Grinder
Vince Neilstein, MetalSucks
Sammy O’Hagar, MetalSucks
Anton OyVey, MetalSucks/Bacon Jew
Rob Pasbani, Metal Injection
Alex Preiss, Psychostick
Carlos Ramirez, NoiseCreep/Universal Music Group
Brian Rocha, Fresno Media USA
Jeremy Rosen, Roadrunner Records
Axl Rosenberg, MetalSucks
Satan Rosenbloom, MetalSucks/Cerebral Metalhead
David Bee Roth, MetalSucks
Jason Rudolph, Heavy Hitter, Inc.
Amy Sciarretto, Roadrunner Records/NoiseCreep
Carl Severson, Ferret Music/Channel Zero Entertainment
Gary Suarez, MetalSucks/No Yoko No/Brainwashed
Geoff Summers, The End Records/Crustcake
Bram Teitelman, The Syndicate/Metal Insider
Alisha Turull, Heavy Hitter, Inc.
Christopher R. Weingarten, 1000TimesYes/Freelance Journalist
WHAT? I like this album plenty, in fact it’s my favourite of their’s and probably deserved to be on this list, but higher than Ashes of the Wake? The Blackening?
Wow.
I agree. This album might deserve to be on this list, but it’s got nothin’ on Ashes. Does anything, though? lol
Ashes is overrated. It’s kind of boring. I’d easily listen to this record rather than ‘Ashes’. ‘Palaces’ is their best record.
palaces is the best it will be #4
Pretty much what he said.
where the hell is As The Palaces Burn? I found Ashes to be sub-par… like a worse version of Palaces… I WANT PALACES!!!!!!
alright this album owns but i can finnaly agree that ashes of the wake should have been higher than this
I agree too man. In no way does this album stand above the masterpieces below it on this list.
It was/is a fantastic album but it will never live up to either Ashes of the Wake or The Blackening.
Eh. Don’t care for this album at all. Hopefully the top 5 will be better.
Don’t hold out too much hope. They’re running out of picks.
Really poor choice, another let down.
Shit album.
Great record ! good choice.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“The band’s sound isn’t exactly ‘timeless’”
WTF?!? A number 6 record on a countdown of best metal records of the decade better be fucking timeless
QFT
Yeah for real. He actually points out weak tracks on the album. If it’s one of the best metal albums of the 21st century, especially number 6, you really should at least attempt to convince us that it’s a great WHOLE ALBUM.
LOL WHAT THE FUCK.
good album…
OKAY, I GUESS I JUST DON’T LIKE METAL AFTER ALL.
Great CD
Dunno about the placement, but I’ve kinda been viewing the list as a no particular order sort of deal anyway, so it’s whatever.
Agreed. No one is going to take this list and change their metal views anyway, so it’s best taken as “The Top 21 albums of a bunch of people who wrote them”. NOW I’m a huge fan of nearly all of these albums, but is Machine Head’s The Blackening right next to Hatebreed while KsE get to be ahead of TWO Lamb of God albums? But again, that’s my opinion so of course it means nothing to this discussion board. Thanks for something to do while I should be working, Metal Sucks!
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
/looks again
MUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh man, this thread is gonna be great. I’m getting some popcorn.
Good album. But not as good as AOJB so I hope to see that next.
Good CD, but I wouldn’t put it on this list at all. I like alive or just breathing more than this still.
1st?
Apparently not.
Jackass.
Once again, this shit list continues the trend of every one of the ‘greatest’ albums of the decade being available for purchase at your local chain retailer, Best Buy.
Its a very,very bad sign if you can quench all of your musical appetite at Best Buy.
Do any of you people on here besides H20 and Ziltoid and I own ANYTHING not available at Best Buy?
all I hear is crickets guys…c’mon, don’t any of you have diverse taste, or do you not bother digging through the crap to find the true metal gems that aren’t available at stores that sell video games and hannah montana cds?
I own a copy of Prehistoricisms by Intronaut and some early releases of Horse the Band if that makes you feel better.
Thats a start. Is that it???
Pretty sure I bought all my early releases of Horse the Band AT Best Buy…so probably not a good choice. How about Anal Blast – Vaginal Vempire? Does that count? Not a great album, but definitely not found at Best Buy.
Psh, That’s for sellouts. I only listen to underground/extreme/blackened/supersecret/death/grind/power/thrashcore. Now that’s metal. you guys are all pussies.
If Meshuggah’s Obzen doesn’t make this list, I don’t know what will. But I love “best of..” anythings because everyone and their three legged moms have opinions. I like almost all the bands on here except Deftones.
Sinai Beach’s “Immersed” album was a great album from 2003. I know that wont make it on here.
Everyone has their own tastes, it’s like religion and politics
You’d be surprised everything Best Buy sells. I got a Leng T’che CD there and a Genghis Tron CD early February of 2008, before they got really popular. But just because people don’t bitch like little kids who don’t get their way doesn’t mean they don’t have “diverse” tastes. I’m sure i could list off 15 bands right now you’ve never heard of, just like I’m sure you could do the same for me.
So, does that mean that every album sold at Best Buy is shit? Cuz that’s what you’re saying.
Thats not what Im saying at all. What I AM saying, is that if all your musical tastes can be quenched at Best Buy, you are not very well versed in music. Especially not metal. Best Buy only carries about 1/100 of a percent of the metal that is out there….only the big name stuff. Im not saying that if something is popular, its bad by default. Best Buy has plenty of good metal in stock…Opeth, Enslaved, Maiden, Priest, Sabbath, Dio, Motorhead. But if you limit your musical scope to whats on the shelf at best buy, you are really missing out man, big time. Think about it….. how can the 21 ‘best’ albums of the decade all be located for purchase at a major retailer that only stocks 1 of every 1000 metal releases? These “judges” obviously haven’t heard much metal if this is what they think is the cream of the crop. Either they are casual fans, who don’t dig deep for the good stuff, or they are VERY new to metal. Either way, they aren’t the prime candidates for picking the best of the best. Its like they took one spoonful of sand from a beach and said “This is the best sand on the beach” while never even looking at the rest.
So….got anything not available at best buy?
Are you Ziltoid in disguise?
I had a longer reply to your post, but the site keeps crashing, so I’ll paraphrase.
If you would’ve substituted ‘Target’ for ‘Best Buy,’ I would’ve been quicker to defend your elitism. However, the Best Buy in my neighborhood has a better metal selection than I’ve ever seen a big-box retailer have (no, I don’t work there). Having said that, since you wanna see the size of my metal e-penis, I have plenty of stuff you can’t get at BB, like Asphyx, Bolt Thrower, Circle of Dead Children, Defleshed, Enslaved, Exhorder, Fuck the Facts, Gorerotted, Ion Dissonance, Nasum, See You Next Tuesday, Sinister, etc.
Honestly I get most of my music from either Best Buy or the trendiest store of them all…..Hot Topic. I defend the Hot Topic at my mall to the bitter end though, because it’s the biggest (volume) store in the district, and they get a lot of good shit in. They get EVERY Sumerian, Prosthetic, and Metal Blade CD, and they’re always $10 week of release. Also, my Best Buy has gotten some really crazy shit in, stuff I thought for sure I’d be buying on Amazon. Here’s the last couple of CD’s I’ve bought from my local Best Buy: Book of Black Earth – Horoskopus, Broadcast The Nightmare – Twenty Twelve, and 2 Intronaut cd’s Prehistoricisms AND Void. So there.
Wow, if that’s the case, than you can probably get 90% of what I listed at Best Buy now. I haven’t been into one in a while, but that’s because I don’t have to (there’s a mom-and-pop here that has a great metal section).
There’s no Best Buy here, but the music stores here sell their albums more than I’d pay for, except some new releases. But at least here we have surprisingly a lot of choice. Dissection? Mayhem (including dawn of the black hearts)? Darkthrone? Hypocrisy? Nile? Moonsorrow? They sell them and some pretty obscure shit too. Still not mindblowing. Just buy at Relapse, cds are cheap as shipping and great selection. It sures misses things in less extreme metal, ie some renown thrash, heavy, power or even black metal acts, but solid nonetheless, they even have their share of horror and exploitation movies. If not, Metal Disc has one of the best selection I’ve ever seen. It’s just a little more pricey for cds and shipping.
But yeah, the list is still a big joke, my guess, is that it’s not serious at all, it’s Metal Sucks, you never know. But still, these are albums like by the guys so…
NASUM owns all
So, Mr. Biff, what great metal albums of the 21st century can’t be purchased at Best Buy? Not an attack on you, I know there are plenty. I just like to hear people’s opinions beyond “underground shit is better”.
I guess I’m not very well versed in music. … I can live with that. Does this include the Best Buy website, because they have a lot of shit available there that you won’t find in their store.
No, I wasn’t including their website in my rant. I was pointing out the fact that all of these ‘great’ (mostly metalcore/nu metal) albums can be found on the shelf at best buy. Their website has lots more stuff because they will get it from smaller distributers then charge you a ridiculous amount for. Although, there are thousands of things you wont find on their site.
It’s Biff Tannen, fucking jerkoff.
i cant stop laughing at this post. fucking hilarious. get out of the car, old man!!!
I agree, Best Buy has a quite good metal selection.
No no no no no. Where the fuck is AOJB? If any Killswitch album should be on this list, it’s that one.
I’m not the biggest KsE fan, but they have their place, and I was curious when this would grace the list.
Can someone explain how Killswitch is Appealing i’ve tried to like them and i just find it impossible.
Big gay choruses. Their words, not mine.
I’ve never understood the appeal of this band. Its dull formulaic pop metal at its best. How this is higher than Opeth and Gojira and others I’ll never know.
Me either. If you think about what generic metalcore sounds like, you know how KSE sounds even if you have never listened to one of their albums. They’re bland, inoffensive tripe. The Matchbox 20 of extreme music basically.
It’s more mainstream metal…something more for the teens to dijest on their way to becoming legitimate metalheads.
I agree, no WAY should this have been higher than either Opeth or Gojira.
I’ll buy that for Slipknot at #21, but this high up that just doesn’t cut it. I’d feel a lot better if The War Within had gotten this slot, and KsE had picked up #20, but, you know, it’s not my list.
Unfortunately that’s exactly how it beat Gojira and Opeth, KsE is generic mugg-a-chuggs with a bunch of squeebily doos in between (As said by Adam D). They’re music is out there to capture a grand audience of anyone with a slight ear for metal, not horns growing out of their heads. That’s why all these CEOs and critics picked them, because KsE is metal enough for metal but commercial enough for the Target crowd. I like them, but not in a #6 of this decade way…
Biff, I wasn’t aware Nachtmystium was available at Best Buy. For that matter, upon their release, I wasn’t aware that Mastodon and Lamb of God’s debuts, Gojira and In Flames were either. Guess I don’t spend as much time in Best Buy as you do so as to be so well versed in their CD selections.
All of those bands are well distributed at Best Buy….. on the new release shelves/endcaps as well. Mastodon is even in their sales flyers. (I used to work there, thats how I know).
Well, thats just like, your opinion, man.
My point was, and forgive me for not making this more clear, that Mastodon, Lamb of God, In Flames, etc. were not always available at Best Buy. They toured their asses off, sold some records, got larger fan bases and THEN their albums started becoming available at Best Buy. It wasn’t like Best Buy deemed them worthy of shelf space because they were “popular” right out of the gate. Most bands, metal or otherwise, strive to get their product into Best Buy so that more of their fans can easily obtain the CDs. You don’t think Wolves In The Throne Room or Withered wouldn’t love to be selling enough records to be taking up shelf space at a big chain like that?
And Nachtymystium being “well distributed” at Best Buy is debatable.
Shomer fucking shabbos!
i had a hard time finding the blackening at a best buy. and i looked for it at more than one.
Thank you for that statement. I think a lot of people don’t realize that popular bands put in a shitload of work. Most non-metal, pop, mainstream artists get selected by an A&R person to be “the next big thing” and get marketed out the ass as soon as their first record is released. This is not the case for metal bands. If a metal band is popular, it’s not because some label immediately threw a shitload of money towards marketing them. It’s because they worked their asses off from the demo tape stage, touring shitty clubs and sloooooooooooooowly climbing the ladder to recognition before A&R people even consider attending their shows. Even when they get signed to a major label, metal bands have to seriously fight to get the kind of marketing and support that other popular artists do. Except for a lot of those identical shitty metalcore bands who were chosen because of a fad. But bands like Mastodon, Opeth, Lamb of God etc. put in some serious blood, sweat, and tears to get to where they are today.
Yes. Great choice. Great album top to bottom.
I like Kse, but they never struck me as a band that had done anything that was “great.” I haven’t had a problem with anything on this list to this point, but it just seems that there have been so many more creative and better sounding albums on it. I fail to see how this album ranks ahead of Ghost Reveries, Remission, Lateralus, Toxicity or pretty much anything else on here.
wow. seeing this is like ripping out my eyes with rusty nails. killswitch had 1 good album, then it went the way of a somewhat heavier my chemical romance. its all MACHINE FUCKING HEAD FTW!!!
I’m anxious to see what the fate of Facebook commenters will be here at MetalSucks. If it’s the same fate that’s befallen Facebookers at Deadspin, it won’t be pretty.
cave in crapped the bed? are you hinting at 10000 days tomorrow?
BOOOOOOOOOO.
agree with all of yall: this should be like #17 tops, not FUCKING SIXXX
sorry reviewer, but you are an emo pussy asshole.
This is the first band on the list that I havn’t lsitened to before so I guess I’m going to have to check them out, I take it this is their strongest record?
All their albums are equally sleep inducing. Don’t bother with them, there’s so much better music out there.
Depends on what you like, like it harder? Go AOJB. I prefer As Daylight Dies tbh
No, Alive Or Just Breathing is their best. But this the best with their new singer.
I Agree, Daylight Dies was not a good CD, and I dont like their new one much either. This is the best with Howard, but AOJB takes the cake pretty easily in my book. I dont like seeing this on the list one bit.
Best Buy sure is getting a lot of unpaid advertising though…
I dont envy someone having to put together a top 21 list of Metal CD’s, that would be really hard. Most of it had been pretty good so far (if you look at it as just a list and in no particular order) This was also the most poorly written review or whatever yet. “but the songs on The End of Heartache offered a perfect mix of technical prowess and emotional heft in a truly commercial vein” Whoever wrote this is a pussy, I am not a great guitar player but I can play this entire CD without much difficulty. Jesse’s singing on AOJB was much better than this and was much more sparse. I got sick of howards clean vocals pretty quickly
Prepare for Opeth, Mastodon, LOG. Death Magnetic had better not be fucking on here
Not such a huge surprise that this is so high, personally liked Alive or Just Breathing but whatever. My moneys on Levithan, As the Palaces Burn, and Blackwater Park making an appearance soon.
As the Palaces Burn will, of course, make it based on the fact that New American Gospel made it.
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA
Anyone that isn’t convinced the panel and this website are a bunch of fucking trendy faggots has their proof now.
holy shit who the fucking made up this crap fucking list. trendy ass faggots must have. why is necrophagist nowhere on this list. queers!!
Epitaph would have been their only vaild record, Onset came out in ‘99 I think, great album but no chance of being on this type of list
i agree, its because this list was made by trendy losers.
who the fuck”
sorry typed in a fit of rage. *smashes keyboard*
This is my favorite Killswitch album and definitely in the running for best metalcore album ever made. I love the new KSE album too though but End Of Heartache is just that pinnacle work in my eyes. Funnily enough I also like it more than any other album on this list. And I love Tool.
Let me suggest a few other bands for you then man…
My Chemical Romance
Saosin
Destroy the Runner
These bands would also be right up your gay ass alley
And no true Tool fan would ever admit to liking a killswitch engage album over Lateralus
Hey, I’ve sucked Maynard’s actual dick before so take that. And MCR is for fags not gays. Get it straight.
Affirmative action puts them higher.
Can ass alley please be the new euphemism for buttcrack?
Eh.
This list grows increasingly boring and predictable with each addition, at least the Deftones, being as shit-tacular a band as they are, were a surprise.
Yes!!!
great band great album
not that good
the number one will probably be metallica
theres nothing on this list that isn’t shit
O-ver-ray-ted!
(clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)
O-ver-ray-ted!
(clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)
I am one of the apparently extreme minority that is okay with this choice. Killswitch is cool, stop bitching, people.
THIS basically.
There is no fucking way that this album is better than Ashes of The Wake.
Great album. Definitely deserves to be #6 in my opinion even though it’s not necessarily as good as The Blackening or some of LoG’s stuff.
What aload of fucking shit, this list is full on bullshit, this type of metal sucks…………………….
Why not just add Brittney Spears while you’re at it MS. This list is so fucking weak.
Killswitch definitely deserves this spot.
Finally. I record I can fully agree with.
Good Job.
But I do agree with a few of the other replies.
Where’s Necrophagist?
And if BDM isn’t on here, i’m probably going to be upset.
But then again, this isn’t OUR list.
Oh well.
Please don’t fuck the rest of the list up MS dudes.
Thanks.
I’m starting to worry about this list…
Blackwaterpark
Leviathan
As the Palaces Burn
RUUN
Vertebrae
and only 5 spots left…
BTW: Ashes of the wake is way better than #6….
Why list two Lamb of God and Mastodon albums? How about a little fucking diversity? There is definitely a lot more out there. Is this really the best they could think of? As for KSE, that’s just a complete load of shit.
MS is in a perfect position. They host the list, and get the hits, but they can blame any of the controversial picks on the judges. And yet, they more than likely won’t release a detailed list of who voted for what. That would be letting us behind the curtain, so to speak.
its clear the panel was composed of voting blocks. a bunch of metalcore meatheads and a bunch of pandering hipsters. this is why we get a bunch of shitty boring albums in a row, and then a bunch of good but totally predictable albums in a row.
ahmadinejad is gonna win again.
I think there were some rules and regulations placed on the voting to make sure that only pre-approved albums could make the list. I think the list was possibly made from a bigger list. I seriously doubt that everyone on this panel voted exclusively for mainstream releases. Nothing wrong with the mainstream, I just think that if you truly got a bunch of metal professionals together and said “vote on whatever metal albums you want to”, you would end up with at least one or two sleepers amidst the obvious picks. So far there have literally been none, and I can’t see it happening in the top 5.
Jeez; how much incentive(IE: beer, strippers, coke) are the MSbloggers receiving from Roadrunner?
Why don’t you just call this list Roadrunner’s Contribution To Metal?
I have to agree that there’s more out there than what you can buy at WalMart or BestBuy.
Though, I can’t help but wonder if that means that a high percentage of the music buying public is located in rural bum-fuck small towns….’cause that’s scary.
Not sure how this ended up higher than anything Mastodon or Lamb of God has done. Not horrible or anything. IF THE HAUNTED DON’T MAKE THIS LIST I WILL BE SERIOUSLY PISSED!
I love it how Nick Green begrudgingly found something positive to say about this record.
Translation:” it’s not that good, but it’s probably the best KSE will ever do.”
Great album, glad to see it here. The title track is a fucking monster.
21 Best Metal Albums of the 21st Century… So Far
#1: METALLICA – ST. ANGER
————————————–
Seriously guys, it’s going to happen, I just know it. Let’s flee while we still have the chance.
rofl. wow. just wow.
No, it’ll probably be 311-Evolver, or Creed-Weathered.
My dream band is Mark Tremonti (creed/alter bridge guitarist) with a bad ass drummer and someone who can scream their fucking head off. You wouldnt think it, but he is a better guitarist than most of the ones who contribute to this list. Dude can shred and write riffs (when he isnt in creed) with the best of them.
Yeah dude, Mark Tremonti is sick when he wants to be.
Need some The Black Dahlia Murder up in this bitch, Unhallowed should be at least top 5
I’d say Miasma.
I’d be interested to see how this list correlates to the top 21 highest-selling albums of the 21st century. Not even any Dimmu Borgir yet? They’re about as commercial as extreme metal gets. Where’s Follow The Reaper?
that’s what is strange to me…
the list is supposed to be “the best”
not the most influential
not the highest selling
I’m just curious what criteria was considered in compiling the list…
BTW-this album kinda blows
If it was the best, Beyond The Permafrost would be on here
fully agreed.
Where is everyone? Did they all turn blue and pass out from their fits of rage and disbelief?
This album isn’t as bad as everyone is making it out to be. Popular, yes. … Mainsteam, ditto. … But, as others have alluded to, just because it is less than underground, it shouldn’t be discredited. At least there haven’t been multiple Killswitch albums on the list. Besides, Howard Jones is a great singer, and better than Blythe, Flyn, and all of the dudes from Mastodon put together.
‘Less than underground’ isn’t the problem. I think the biggest problem is that they’re boring and predictable. Also, ’singing’ isn’t a qualification for how good a metal band is.
Jones is a good singer, agreed, but he couldn’t hold a candle to Randy Blythe. Me thinks you should revisit Wrath. Just the opening line and it’s delivery, leave Jones and co. way behind in the dust.
“A sacred cash coooooow! With sickly tiiiiiiits!” That shit is fucking killer.
Heartache is tired and cliched, and was a major influence in the metalcore epidemic. That said, I’m really digging their new shit.
How anyone can justify putting this above The Blackening, Mars To Sirius or Ghost Reveries is truly fucking baffling.
L.B.: I respectfully disagree. I can’t argue that you find them boring and predictable, because that’s your opinion. But I do think that good singing is a necessary qualification, because it is important for a metal frontman to be able to exhibit more than one vocal style. When an album is filled with nothing but someone screaming “AHHH”, “RAHH”, and “OOO”, I find that to be boring and predictable.
O.D.: Blythe has good stage presence and charisma, but he is not blessed with good range or vocal command (from too much drinking and smoking, perhaps). He’s improved over time, but I wouldn’t assert that he’s a far superior vocalist to Jones. Without question, though, Lamb of God’s musicians are far superior to Killswitch’s. And yes, this album should not have been placed higher than those you mentioned. The only justification I can think of is that The End of Heartache was released before them.
I concur with Sin regarding Lamb of God. Great band, extremely tight, heavy songs, but Randy isn’t a very good/screamer-singer. He has a very small range, even for a guy that screams the whole time and his vocal parts lack creativity at times. Live he is certainly the most animated and captivating member of the band, but he’s not great singer. A lot of his better vocals parts on the albums have quite a few effects. Nonetheless, they are a very good band.
album blows…band blows…if ziltoid was here he’d be going into coniption fit right now…and i’d have to agree with him
and that would truly be the biggest shame of all…
Calling this crap better than Ghost Reveries is criminal. Maybe it belongs on the list somewhere, but throw it back there with Shadows Fall and Hatebreed and all those other Headbangers Ball metalcore bands.
Yes, how the fuck is this better than Opeth and Gojira? This list is terrible
Call me immature, but I listen to metal to hear about cool things like Satan, death, war, suffering, pain, brutality, violence, fire, monsters, and all-around depravity and evil…not broken hearts and breakups. That’s what I have Taylor Swift for.
pretty much, except I very much prefer Demi Lovato over Taylor
Swift.
She’s much edgier though…Taylor Swift balls her little funny looking eyes out while she rakes in the millions, Demi is a little more harcore…she listens to Job For A Cowboy and Dr. Acula after all
*hardcore
I lol’d…
Remember when Death Magnetic came out and everyone was totally blowing Metallica? Almost every review from “the industry” I read was about how good the album was and it was a “return to form”. Well, those people are pretty much the same people writing this list, so it’ll be no surprise to me to see Death Magnetic up there above Blackwater Park, Crack The Skye, and The Way of All Flesh. This week is gonna suck lol.
At this point, I was wondering if this record was going to make the list at all. I think its great, but probably shouldnt be in the top ten. Especially considering that we all know that Alive or Just Breathing has yet to be listed, and will certainly be in the top 5 if not top the list at #1 (which I think it rightly deserves). Tracks 1 through 7 on thie end of the heartache are outstanding, then it turns to shit and thats prettty much where the band has stayed ever since.
Holyyyyyy shiittttttttt. I come here to check the list, becuase I enjoy reading it and think it was cool idea. I did not even complain about the inclusion of the Deftones, or Slipknot. But this is a fucking joke, this is not even this bands best fucking album! It’s not even close. AOJB is soooooo much better than this. Boo! Boo I say!
But really this list just shit the bed, pick some better voters next time
Cue people bitching…
Quel surprise!…
good but not #6
Yes; I also fear that the Metallica/St.Shit will be on here, but there’s something all have overlooked:
As far as I can opine; the single most ripped-off(influential) Metal band around hasn’t been suggested or mentioned….
Where The Fuck Is SLAYER?
They haven’t released anything ‘relevant’ in this decade. And I say that as an enormous Slayer fan. Christ Illusion had its moments, as did God Hates Us All, but people don’t think of those albums when they think of Slayer. So in that respect, this ‘best of the decade’ is already one strike against classic bands like them.
Now having said that, watch St. Anger show up this afternoon.
OK; I’ll give you that, even though I dig those albums.
Still Reigning could have been the only DVD on the list?
That IS the shit.
This is better than Doritos !!!
This has got to be a joke. There are far better picks then half the albums mentioned in this list. And slipknot is 100 ranks too high on this list.
And to the guy who said Europe has no good metal? Guess where KSE and As I Lay Dying, and the black dahlia murder (whom I BET won’t even get mentioned knowing the guys you surveyed) get their influences from? Swedish bands like Dark Tranquillity, In Flames, and At The (motherfucking) Gates.
Cool your jets, Janson. Everyone knows At The Gates is fucking awesome. We’re American, if it ain’t American, we hate it. We will bomb you.
Well, this isn’t any better or worse than Slipknot. Just a different kind of shit.
If they cared about accuracy. they should have called the list the Twenty-one Most Popular Metal/Hard Rock/Nu Metal/Mallcore Albums of the Twenty First Century.
I haven’t listened to this album since I was 14 or 15, I feel like I’ve moved on, but seeing this on here immediately took me back to the days of summer on the streets of New York when beer, weed, and sex were all new and exciting experiences. I loved this album back then. So although I’m not into KsE, I can’t lie, I felt a twinge of nostalgia seeing this on here. I do think they’re much much better and more original than anything else called “metalcore”, but I think Alive Or Just Breathing kicked more ass.
5 spots left…
Alive Or Just Breathing and As The Palaces Burn better fucking be on here, and palaces better be #1.
I’ll cry if I see Death Magnetic on this list.
Death Magnetic is no worse than the albums you say “better be on here”.
Surely; you’re joking?
Death Magnetic=pus
St.Anger=pus
‘3 strikes your out’ applied to them with Load.
I also think Slayer should be on this list… I mean COME ON!
As I have skipped over all of the bullshit as to why this album is a credible #6, I am going to say “Booooo.” This list has been way worse than I had anticipated. I had respect for this site, along with Metal Injection, but after reading all of this garbage I give up. I’m sticking to LG for updates. This Metalsucks.
If the Metallica’s Black album would be released in 2000, it would surely be number one … am I correct?
This list is horse shit, but I have to admit that it will be impossible to make a list that, at least 80% of the guys here would agree…. every head is a universe… so fuck it, reading this comments is better than Doritos !!!!
What’s the story with all the MS site crashes today?
If this is Ziltoid’s revenge… I will start being scared immediately.
BULLSHIT. This band is practically unlistenable since Alive of Just Breathing.
Fantastic album. GREAT choice for #6.
whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny
wow just wow this cd should not have been on here at all.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
alive or just breathing will probably be #3. and i knew killswitch would be #6, even though i assummmed it would be alive
I’m prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrretty damn sure I posted a reply to this yesterday and it isn’t here now.
this site is fucking me around
I’m pretty sure I’ve rubbed my balls over guitar strings and made it sound better than this terrible band.
now this is just silly. yes a good album at the time, but no way this could be so high up on this list without even a mention of colours, crack the skye, ire works. I think Thriller should get top spot, just to make this list kickass.
I enjoy reading the dumb comments more then the actual picks. (Cause this list is just that, a list)
In fact i don’t even read what is written about the album cause that is just some dude’s opinion.
But what you guys say to each other with your “I’m more metal then you” is really funny. So I would like to thank you all for making the once cliche true that Metal Guys are unintelligent morons.
Fuckin’ gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.
Now watch Death Magnetic be #1 and St.Anger be #2.
This list is shit.