#2: LAMB OF GOD – AS THE PALACES BURN

Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 5:00pm by Axl Rosenberg

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asthepalacesburn

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 #2 album, coming in with a total of 247 points…

Lamb of God, As the Palaces Burn (Prosthetic, 2003)
Randy Blythe – Vocals/Guitars
Mark Morton – Guitars
Willie Adler –
Guitars
John Campbell – Bass
Chris Adler – Drums
Produced by Devin Townsend and Lamb of God

I want to talk about what is arguably Lamb of God’s finest hour as a piece of this entire list. Because I could tell you “Oh it’s so brutal and it rocks so hard and it raped my sister and killed my dog,” but whatever. The bottom line is, if you don’t own this album, you really should.

No, I’m much more interested in what As the Palaces Burn represents.

The list is really the result of a poll, and the poll results were relatively populist (I say “relatively” because it’s metal. There is a ceiling to how populist it can ever really be.). I don’t know why this should surprise anyone. So let’s try to understand for a moment why bands like Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage and Mastodon became so popular in the first place.

Ten years ago, there were not a lot of bands that were a) heavy, b) actually knew how to play their instruments, c) had any sense of song craft, and d) connected with more than about fifteen people. And roughly around the time that Metallica released Load, I just kind of stopped buying new metal releases. Sure, every few years you were lucky and Slayer or Pantera or Tool (who are definitely fucking metal) would put something out, but otherwise, those were good times to familiarize yourself with anything old that you’d missed. And because nu-metal fans were less inclined to become new metal fans, any chance of actually making a living in extreme music kind of dried up, and the undergound became buried so far underground that you had to be Indiana fucking Jones to find it.

Around 2002-2003ish, though, there was just something in the air. At that point, Lamb of God and their peers were not headlining rooms of thousands of people. Gold records and Rolling Stone articles and spots on Return of the Rock or whatever the fuck MTV was playing  and sets at Donnington were not really in the cards for these dudes. Not a lot of people were anticipating As the Palaces Burn.

As the Palaces Burn was a perfect amalgamations of metal’s history up to that point. Lamb of God had the evil riffs of Slayer, the precision attack of Metallica, the groove of Pantera. Chris Adler’s drums might have owed a lot to Dave Lombardo, but they probably owed a lot to death metal, too  – as did Randy Blythe’s vocals. Maybe Lamb of God weren’t the tr00est band that ever lived, but they were the truest melting pot of American metal at its finest. Speaking personally, I never gave up on metal, never lost my love of metal or taste for metal – but I had stopped caring about the scene and given up hope that it might ever give birth to something new that I might actually give a shit about.

The top five albums on this list, and the eventual popularity of those albums, were all instrumental (no pun intended) in restoring my faith that there were other people that cared about good metal in the world. It’s interesting to note how at least three of those albums all came out around the same time, and were all the second or third release by the bands in question – because those albums were when the buzz turned into the explosion. It’s when As the Palaces Burn suddenly became populist – and I guarantee you it bolstered the record sales of Cannibal Corpse, Pig Destroyer, and a hundred other bands that deserve the attention, too. Because a portion of those scenester fucks we all find so annoying will become actual, honest to Satan metalheads, and metal will continue to thrive as a result.

I fucking love this record. It is, to my ears, the definitive release from one of the very best American metal bands of the past decade. Devin Townsend’s production is much rawer than anything the band has produced since, but it still sounds massive and somehow inviting. The riffs to “Ruin” and “11th Hour” and especially “Vigil” get my dick hard every time. As the Palaces Burn is brutal, and it rocks so hard, and it raped my sister and killed my dog.

-AR

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THE LIST SO FAR:

#3 – Opeth, Blackwater Park

#4 – Killswitch Engage, Alive or Just Breathing

#5 – Converge, Jane Doe

#6 – Killswitch Engage, The End of Heartache

#7 – Lamb of God, Ashes of the Wake

#8 – In Flames, Clayman

#9 – Gojira, From Mars to Sirius

#10 – Opeth, Ghost Reveries

#11 – Deftones, White Pony

#12 – Tool, Lateralus

#13 – Mastodon, Blood Mountain

#14 – System of a Down, Toxicity

#15 – Nachtmystium, Assassins: Black Meddle, Part 1

#16 – Machine Head, The Blackening

#17 – Hatebreed, Perseverance

#18 – Lamb of God, New American Gospel

#19 – Mastodon, Remission

#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


596 COMMENTS on “#2: LAMB OF GOD – AS THE PALACES BURN

  1. Julian says:

    lolz Mastodon wins!

    • whyowhy says:

      Not really, CtS and Leviathan can’t both make the list, only one, and that sucks

      • AGAIN, this list was compiled before CtS was even released.

        • whyowhy says:

          Quote: “Eligible albums were released between January 1, 2000 and April 1, 2009″

          CtS falls within that time frame

          • Julian says:

            I doubt that anyone had listened to CTS enough at that point to determine if it was one of their favorites of the decade though.

          • Bram says:

            I debated over putting CtS on my list. It had only been out a few weeks by the time submissions were due. Ultimately, since it had been all I’d been listening to for the past month or so, it made my list. At the end of next year, when the inevitable ‘best metal albums of the decade’ lists come out (and they will, trust me), CtS will be on most, if not all of them. I don’t know whether it or Leviathan will be #1 (spoiler alert: i actually do), so you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see.

          • Lord Bling says:

            Interesting. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

            While CtS hasn’t had to withstand ‘the test of time’, since we’re talking about this current decade, I think that’s kind of the point with this list in general. So if it fits the time criteria, I don’t see why you couldn’t put it on there.

    • groverXIII says:

      Blackwater Park.

    • Cat Tyrson says:

      Now wait a minute… Once agin they could stick a Killswitch record up our asses…

  2. Lord Bling says:

    So, Leviathan will be number one. No need to come back tomorrow!

  3. ZapBranigan says:

    So Levithian is #1, excellent! That or Waking the Cadaver.

  4. bradican says:

    what a suprise…. no variation in artists on this list

    • Neek says:

      Look at how the list was made. It wasn’t 1 persons creation… Also, as much as i’d like to see the br00tal shit that nobody has ever heard of on here to, that is not what the list represents.

    • CJ says:

      Yeah douche. What he said.

  5. Andyman says:

    I have no idea what to expect for #1. The fact that two Killswitch albums made it above Ashes makes me wonder if Shadows are Security will make it on here

  6. vincent says:

    I certainly rocked to this many more times than Leviathan, but they’re both fantastic and well-deserving of all accolades.

  7. (required) says:

    bookmark deleted.

  8. Oden says:

    could have been better, could have been much worse. not much to say about this pick IMO.

  9. alfmsklmgs says:

    dude attack attack is way better than lamb of god

  10. Chim-0-Neg says:

    Ha ha! actually the best LOG, but still for fucks sake.

  11. Anthony says:

    I still like Ashes and even Sacrament much better than this.

    • Andyman says:

      yeah i pull out Palaces when I’m in the mood…but ashes never leaves slot 1 in my cd changer…

      • Rik says:

        Ashes just sounds stale and unoriginal compared to Palaces. And Sacrament? You have to be joking.

        • Anthony says:

          The musicianship, songwriting, and production on Sacrament are all miles ahead than that of ATPB.

          Not only are Ashes and Sacrament ahead of Palaces in those regards IMO, but they also did far more for the band’s career in terms of tours, being more accessible in terms of where to find their albums, and just furthering their cause to becoming the biggest American metal band not named Metallica, Slayer, or Megadeth. Yeah, being on a major label helps compared to being on Prosthetic.

          Now I know Palaces was also instrumental in their popularity becoming more widespread, which is why I can see it being chosen, but I just can’t see it being higher than Ashes in any regard.

    • Dlabs says:

      idk man…. palaces has to be one of my alltime favorites……between vigil and ruin and the 11th hour ……. im gonna go listen to LOG

  12. The Mighty Fucking Quinn says:

    WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Toast On A Stick says:

      Does anyone remember the lyrics to the LOG song from Ren&Stimpy?

      • Biff Tannen says:

        Log , Log , its big its heavy its wood!
        Log, Log, its bette than bad, its good !

        It rolls down stairs, alone or in pairs
        It rolls over your neighbors dog

        …Its LOG LOG LOG !!!!

        I think thats all of it…there might be more, but Im not going to cheat and google it.

        From BLAMO !!!

  13. groverXIII says:

    Fuck yes. This is Lamb of God’s best album, and it’s worthy of #2 on this list. Axl, you really hit the nail on the head with this one. Back when this album came out I was listening to shit like Avenged Sevenfold, Soulfly, and Static-X. I heard ‘11th Hour’ via a free download from ThePRP and it scared the hell out of me. At that point, it was the most evil and awesome thing I had ever heard, and I had to have more.

    The production is crap on this album, and that’s kind of a pity, because the songs are killer, front to back. The only other album that could beat this out on this list is Blackwater Park (the rightful number one).

    • Lord Bling says:

      I bought this album the day it came out. Liked their first one, and when I heard Devy was producing this one, I was beyond excited at the potential. The production has grown on me a bit, although yeah, it’s not as good as their newer albums. But this one has some of their best songs on it, and it’s still my favorite of theirs. I can’t speak to how it has influenced all of these other wigger slam and mallcore records, but I’m sure it has to some degree. :)

      But on MY list? Blackwater Park would be number one.

      • groverXIII says:

        Let’s hope that the voters agreed on Blackwater Park as well…

        Although the fact that Cynic’s Traced In Air didn’t make this list is a travesty. Along with… well, there’s quite a few albums I would put higher on this list.

        • Lord Bling says:

          Uhhhh …. you do realize that BWP was already #3, right? So it’s all but a lock now that Mastodon’s ‘Leviathan’ will take the top slot. Also, their weakest album in my opinion, but hey, different strokes for different folks.

          • groverXIII says:

            Fuck me. It’s been a long weekend. I completely forgot.

            Maybe Cynic will be number one… (I’m not holding my breath).

        • Ziltoid says:

          Cynic’s absences from this list is just the last bit of proof needed to deem these voters mentally retarded.

          • Canvas Of Flesh says:

            That should be Cynic’s next album title. “If You Don’t Like Us, You’ve Got Down Syndrome.” Traced In Air definitely deserves #1 spot. It’ll probably end up being Coal Chamber though.

          • Lord Bling says:

            Retarded? No.

            Lacking in appreciation for anything that isn’t sold at Hot Topic? Yes.

            Also, Traced in Air was my favorite album of last year, hands down.

          • Lord Bling says:

            DEVIL DRIVER!!!!

          • g says:

            go away

            nothing from 2008 or 2009 made the list because its too soon to be able to say “traced in air spawned all these other bands and really made an impact on how metal developed over the next few years etc”

            this album is cool except for the mix. im glad devin stopped using shaun thingvold for all his mixes.

          • Ziltoid says:

            DEVIL DRIVER IS SUM SERIOUS SPEED METAL!!!!!!!!

          • g says:

            dez fafara sounds like the name of a cambodian tuk-tuk driver

          • g says:

            im going to call them tuk-tuk driver from now on

          • zmh26 says:

            Actually releases from 2008 made it, Nachtmystism (I don’t care if I misspelled it). As most of us can see, most of the release are near the beginning of the decade.

          • H2O says:

            ha ha ha… so LoG or KSE helped metal develop in the last years? I don’t know why, I never noticed that. And it is a BEST albums list and not most influential.

  14. Biff Tannen says:

    how fucking long have you people been listening to metal? 2 years, tops? This mallcore shit is a blight on society. I bet at least 75% of the people that own this album also own a Disturbed album, and probably a Linkin Park album.

    Ooo wah ah ah ah ah ah ah !!! Jump da fuck up !!!

    • jason says:

      The man has a point…

    • BALLS says:

      Everyone fucking listen to this man.

      • Biff Tannen says:

        Seriously people, be honest now. How many of you that own this album (or any Lamb of God album) also own a Disturbed and/or Linkin Park album?

        Lets see your answers.

        remember….be honest, because if you have a Lamb of God album, you really don’t have much metal credibility remaining anyway.

        • groverXIII says:

          I do.

          Do I listen to them? Not any more. Do I listen to Palaces? You bet your ass.

          • Biff Tannen says:

            Disturbed or Linkin Park or….gasp….both?

            Im trying to keep a tally here at work.
            Im about 100% sure that my 75% projection will be right, if not slightely low.

          • groverXIII says:

            I won’t lie… when they first came out, I was just out of high school, found myself with disposable income, and didn’t have access to a high-speed internet connection. I usually discovered bands by the radio or by who was playing on Ozzfest. And I enjoyed them at the time.

            Needless to say, all of that has changed, along with my taste in music. I haven’t voluntarily listened to Linkin Park in years (except that time I downloaded their last album just to see how it sounded… that was a fucking mistake), and while I usually check out Disturbed when they release a new album, I generally only listen once or twice because, let’s face it, there’s a lot of better shit out there.

          • Biff you think you are proving some crazy point here. I liken my introduction to heavy music to violence on TV/Movies. When I was 11 years old and received Metallica’s Reload for a present I thought it was great, the heaviest thing ever (my parents are not big on rock music so I was not raised on it, therefor had to fend for myself in that department). A friend introduced me to Korn…heaviest thing my ears had heard at the time, and Linkin Park was my first concert when I was 14, and yes I liked Disturbed and still do to a degree. As the years went on I became increasingly desensitized to heavy music and searched for heavier music. Just like violence on TV, when I was a little kid, I couldn’t watch all this R rated shit. Now I can watch someone get their head cut off without batting an eye. Do I realize now that these bands are not all that good? Of course I do, but I still appreciate them as a stepping stone to better music.

            You come off as jealous of people’s youth who did grow up on radio and happened to buy a CD of a band who had a catchy song. I don’t really give a fuck what you say because I have a better life than you, aka I am in college, party all the time and can still fuck 18 year old girls without feeling guilty.

            Go beat off in your basement to an old Slayer record, I will be listening to Palaces and whatever else I want to, and getting fucked up and later fucked (by a chick), without giving a fuck what your old ass says. Enjoy banging your old ugly wife.

            This CD fucking kicks ass!!!

          • Biff Tannen says:

            Douchebag10 – Not liking this trendy, mainstream mall music does not mean that Im an old crusty bitter asshole.I listen to the 70’s and 80’s metal classics, but I also listen to newer stuff just as much. Thats one of my biggest joys in life, discovering great new music and promising young bands. Im only 27, not that old yet. I understand that Korn or whatever was a gateway for you into heavier music, and thats cool….but as you get older, Im pretty sure that you will realize that this stuff really isn’t ‘metal’. Its pre packaged product sold to young kids just getting into music, like you. Im not saying thats your faault, but you will one day have an epiphany where you will say “this isn’t really metal”. After listening to this wonderful, varied genre for many years, you will develop an ear for what is metal, and what is product. Its impossible to describe, but any of the older (reletively) guys and gals on here will tell you the same thing. They just ‘know’ if its metal or not. I know that I sound like a fucking moron argueing, what metal is, but its true and you’ll see that for yourself if you continue going down the metal road. There is SOOOOOOO much more shit out there than this ‘list’ and so much more than what Hot Topic, Ozzfest, or Best Buy tries to sell you. Once you discover that stuff, you will toss away your LOG albums like a three day old diaper.

          • groverXIII says:

            Not necessarily… I have branched out greatly, much as you describe, Biff, and I still consider LoG to be an excellent metal band in its own merit. And I started listening to them before Ashes Of The Wake, before Guitar Hero, before they were extremely popular.

            And, with the exception of Sacrament, they haven’t made any sacrifices with their sound or intensity. They haven’t changed to make themselves more palatable to mass media. (Sacrament just seemed a little flat, but even then, it didn’t seem like an attempt to “sell out”.)

            Everything is subjective, of course, but Lamb of God have made heavy music and still become famous in an era where it’s better to sound like Nickelback if you want to sell albums. And I don’t see myself tossing away their albums any time soon. That would be like putting a screen door on a battleship.

          • You are underestimating how far I have come in the metal genre. If you read more carefully, I do recognize that Korn is not metal. My music taste’s are eclectic to say the least, although metal is where I eventually come back to at the end of the day. I search out new metal everyday and sometimes I get lucky. But my advantage is recognizing something for what it is, regardless of where it came from, what festivals they play at, and who or how many people listen to them. To say Lamb of God is not metal is ignorant. Granted there was a time in high school when yeah Hot Topic was the place to discover some heavy bands. And then came the internet…I will never squash anyone’s taste’s without giving them a good listen first. Of course there is tons more music out there, and not enough hours in the day to find and listen to it all. But do not assume that I sit here in a As I Lay Dying shirt surfing lambgoat all day for the next great, lets see who is on there today…ahh Job For a Cowboy. Actually some pretty solid death metal regardless of what website they are on. Everyone needs to give up on caring about ANYTHING but the music. Good music is good music, if its sold at hot topic, walmart, or on some Norwegian website I have never heard of.

            So to answer your question…I have already found bands that I enjoy more than LOG, but I am not about to “toss” a great CD. But you already talked me out of doing that because I don’t want to become a 27 year old who misses out on some great tunes because of my ego.

            oh and Linkin Park does still have a solid song every once in awhile, there I said it. I don’t give a shit. Enya has some good tunes. LOG have some good tunes. Eminem has some good tunes. Emperer has some good tunes. Cynic has some good tunes. At least I wont be missing out on any of them because I am too high and mighty to give them a chance. I dont even want to bother re-reading all of that to see if it makes sense, fuck it.

        • Canvas Of Flesh says:

          I don’t own any of those albums….but I do own Barry Manilow’s Greatest Hits. I love “Mandy”.

        • Lord Bling says:

          As someone who has had connections to the music industry for over a decade, and receives a lot of free promos, I can say that I have never received or purchased an album from either Disturbed or Linkin Park. My ‘connections’ know better than to pass that shit off on me.

        • Ron McGovney says:

          Palaces? yes. Disturbed, Linkin park? no thank you.

        • ashley says:

          I’ll vouch for your hypothesis. I don’t own any of those bands. And I own a lot of music.

    • 5 says:

      Lamb of god is not a stupid mallcore band
      you’re right about the disturbed(crapy music) coment but their popularity is because they are the decades greatest metal band

      • Biff Tannen says:

        “but their popularity is because they are the decades greatest metal band”
        I get, you work for The Onion, right?

    • Caspar Colderson says:

      what does linkin park have to do with it?

      anyways, come on! lamb of god is some of the best shit out there; Mark Morton easily kicks Kerry king of the throne, Chris Adler hs shown that he’s more than blasting and blues-beats, and as a difference from Chris Barnes, Randy Blythe actually does sound like satan on lsd and jack d. You can’t put something down for being new.

      (and I don’t care if i fail)

      • Biff Tannen says:

        Chris Barnes is a fucking tool anyways, not hard to surpass him, regardless of the arena.

      • H2O says:

        ??? Then you probably don’t listen to much shit.

      • Anselmowitz says:

        Dont own any LoG albums but Ive got the DVDs – never seen Adler do 1 blast beat. Any tracks Im missing cuz his high-thock snare sound could produce sick blasts.

        & on topic, dont own any shit american metal albums like disturbed etc. I got into Metal the mans way, by watching Ace Ventura 1 & going “Holy fuck whats that band, they’re awesome”. Cannibal Corpse baby, never looked back.

    • Johnny Death says:

      Hey B.u.f.f.y. i have to say, I own all of LOG’s albums. I’ve been listening to metal since 1988. I’ve never owned a Disturbed or Linkin Park album. And so you know, when i say Buffy i mean Big Ugly Fat Fuckin Yo-Yo.

  15. Jesse says:

    Lamb of God DESTROYS Mastodon.

  16. Agmkreptile says:

    I STILL think Slipknot’s Iowa is #1

  17. Smokey says:

    THANK YOU! This is definitely my favorite Lamb of God cd EVER

  18. slice two says:

    i love this album so much.

  19. Ben says:

    Shouldn’t this list be called The top 21 Mastodon, Lamb of God, and Killswitch engage records? Cause I’m not seeing much variety here.

  20. Cougar Party says:

    This is not metal.

  21. Biff Tannen says:

    “And roughly around the time that Metallica released Load, I just kind of stopped buying new metal releases” “and the undergound became buried so far underground that you had to be Indiana fucking Jones to find it.”

    Those statements are both retarted. The first one is opinion, I understand that, but if your implying that Load was your most anticipated release at that time, you have very shallow metal taste. The second statement is just pure ignorance, or laziness. Probably both.
    There was a fucking avalanche of GREAT metal albums released in the mid to late 90’s. The quality of metal in that decade was immense. Where were you looking, Best Buy? Walmart? it sure seems like it.

    • Biff Tannen says:

      damnit, I spelled retarded wrong. Let the flames begin.

    • Ziltoid says:

      Once again, I fully agree with you.

      • Biff Tannen says:

        the sad part is that people on here probably think that we are the same person, replying to our own posts…..they just can’t fathom that there are two non-knuckle draggers on this board.

        • Canvas Of Flesh says:

          People were calling me Ziltiod too. Like it’s really that hard to believe that there is more than one person posting on this site that doesn’t listen to complete shit.

          • Biff Tannen says:

            yup, I feel your pain ! Im suprised we haven’t been banned. I don’t even know why the hell I come here anymore to be honest. I found this site a year or so ago when they posted that ‘retarded’ version of Danzig’s “Mother”….. then I started checking back because once and a while there would be something funny. Now its like a fucking car crash….I can’t look away, despite how sick it makes me feel

          • Ziltoid says:

            I completely agree. I came here for the funny pieces (and anything this site posts about Fred Durst or “wigger slam” still makes me laugh), but pretty much all of the music they promote on here is awful, EXCEPT for a random instrumental doom band called BATILLUS. They have their EP up for download (three 10 minute songs), and MS posted it earlier this year. That’s probably one of my favorite releases of 09 (in an admittedly weak year IMO). Otherwise, it is just like a car wreck here.

          • groverXIII says:

            ANd just look… in a few weeks you’re famous around here.

          • Ziltoid I checked out a few bands that I had never heard of on your top 21 list. It made me laugh.

            Everyone go check out Kamelot (one of Ziltoid’s favorite bands) and then go listen to Palaces.
            I mean besides that Palaces is much better I guess the biggest difference is that Lamb of God do not pretend they are in King Arthur’s court as they write their music.

          • groverXIII says:

            I also checked out most of the stuff in Ziltoid’s top 21, in the interest of expanding my horizons, and most of them weren’t bad… but it’s a lot of power metal, which is inherently pretty cheesy.

            Still, I think by now we’ve all learned that Ziltoid is opinionated to a fault. Zilty, old chap, you’d do well to not try so hard to impose your opinions upon everyone else. You remind me of the people I went to church with (this is, of course, back when I was young, before I had a choice).

          • Ziltoid says:

            @IsntaTOTALdouchebag10

            Kamelot plays power metal. Yes, that is an inherently cheesy genre, but the music is infinitely better than crap like Lamb of God. Roy Khan’s vocals are simply godly. Youngblood’s guitarwork is both very tasteful, yet technical and heavy enough for a metal band (both the solos and riffs are very well crafted). Ok, the bass does nothing much, but that’s true with 9/10 metal bands, especially in power metal. The drums keep time well, and occasionally do a few interesting things. Yes, they adhere to a formula, as do most bands, but Kamelot is excellent at writing songs. They add brilliant subtlties to their music that Lamb of God could never do, because they write such basic, bro-magnon, Pantera-derivative, metalcore.

            @grover

            There was certainly some power metal, but my list was very well balanced. For those who don’t remember:

            Kamelot – The Black Halo
            Arcturus – The Sham Mirrors
            Impaled – Mondo Medicale
            Meshuggah – Nothing
            Symphony X – The Odyssey
            Devin Townsend – Accelerated Evolution
            Tyr – Eric the Red
            Mercenary – 11 Dreams
            Strapping Young Lad – Alien
            Mercenary – The Hours that Remain
            Cynic – Traced in Air
            Theocracy – Mirror of Souls
            Anubis Gate – Andromeda Unchained
            Vortech – Posthumanism
            Primordial – To The Nameless Dead
            Amon Amarth – With Oden on Our Side
            Dark Tranquillity – Fiction
            Suidakra – Emprise to Avalon
            Windir – 1184
            Augury – Concealed
            Ne Obliviscaris – The Aurora Veil

            Power metal is certainly present, but not at all a majority of my list, or even a lot of my list.

          • groverXIII says:

            Good point… let me amend my statement by saying that most of the stuff I checked out from your list was power metal because most of the non-power metal stuff I either already had or have listened to previously.

          • H2O says:

            Power metal is great. If you want more “manly” than Lamb of God pm, listen to Jag Panzer. And if power metal sucks to you because it’s not as heavy and br00tal than LoG, then I URGE you to listen to Bolt Thrower, Asphyx, Behemoth, Benediction, Brutal Truth, Entombed, God Macabre, Gorement or any dm and tell me sincerely that LoG KICKS ass. Then I’ll laugh and turn my back.

          • groverXIII says:

            Funny you mention Bolt Thrower, as I’m listening to Those Once Loyal at this very moment.

            Lamb Of God does kick ass to me… but I also listen to some power metal. (Generally in smallish doses, to keep the cheese factor from overwhelming me.) Falconer is personally my favorite power metal band, mainly because their vocalist has a different style than other power metal vocalists.

          • Ziltoid: You are absolutely right about a few things. With using clean vocals, programming, keyboard, and strings you had better fucking be able to add subtleties to your songs. Obviously that is not what Lamb of God is going for here. His vocals? I mean…I know this is Sir Lancelot’s favorite band to rock to while slaying dragons but the vocals sound like he has listened to far too much Dream Theatre. The fact that you described them as godly makes me think you God hasn’t treated you so well.

            H20: I have and do listen to all of the bands you mentioned minus Benediction and Gorment. Some of it does “kick ass” but even that is relative as is this entire list. But please do turn your back and laugh so I don’t have to talk to your dumb ass anymore.

          • zmh26 says:

            @Ziltoid – After going through your list, especially on the power metal topic, are very good choices that aren’t really as cheesy as they could be. Look at some of the mentioned power metal bands previous works, especially Kamelot you;d notice that they’ve in particular have gotten much less cheesy over the years. Symphony X has always been good in my opinion. Good choice on the Primordial pick. Overall very good choices, few I’d change but hey what the hell’s the point of having an opinion if yours isn’t any different than those around you.

            I’d definitely say some of the articles on here definitely make me laugh a lot more during the work day.

            Power Metal is one of those things you like or don’t, its all a matter of finding one that you can stand to listen to.

          • iceman says:

            haha kamelot has a guitarist named youngblood? ironic, because DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER has a son named youngblood.

    • Canvas Of Flesh says:

      Fuckin’ A. The ’90s were a wellspring of awesome metal. If you honestly couldn’t find anything you liked, then you were probably too busy spinning your New Kids on the Block albums. There were so many amazing albums being released….like Nespithe. Not to mention, Indiana Jones isn’t quite such a douche as the guy writing this review.

      • phale says:

        the 90s were a wellspring of awesome metal…outside of usa. apart from the florida death metal scene (including cynic) and the arizona stoner rock scene (including tool), what american albums were good AND influential between the black album and ATPB? dillinger?

        i was a teen then and i was a korn fan. im so glad i discovered sweden.

        • Canvas Of Flesh says:

          The US typically sucks for metal. It’s got some really good bands surrounded by a lot of shit. That’s as true today as it was 15 years ago. If, in the 90s, you were limiting your musical taste to what was available in the US, then you weren’t going to find much. That’s why it’s always a good idea to broaden your horizons, and not just look in one country for music.

        • Noel says:

          dude, sepultura, pantera, skinlab, machine head fear factory, TOOL HELMET the NY death metal scene, acid bath, brujeria, etc. plenty of great 90s metal that is not from Sweden…

    • H2O says:

      Indeed, I mean it’s easier to buy “underground” shit: relapse.com metaldisc.com cmdistro.com or real underground shit: nwnprod.com irontyrant.net iron-pegasus.com

      The principle here, is to browse through the artists, (if there is on you don’t know, just type the name on youtube or search their myspaces, metal-archives.com is also useful) chose and album which you add to the cart and pay. And all you have to do is wait for your things. A couple of clics and no need to go outside to a Hot Topic. It’s that simple really.

      • Ivanhoe says:

        “now this is Sir Lancelot’s favorite band to rock to while slaying dragons” made me lol

      • Biff Tannen says:

        Nuclear War Now! productions…now that is a GREAT label. Hells Headbangers also has a great selection of all types of metal, you’ll find the more mainstream bands (not nu-metal or mallcore of course) and also tons of underground stuff and very,very reasonable prices.
        I don’t do much ordering because I have a great metal store 1 mile from me in Chicago (Metal Haven) So I usually go there and have a bunch of beers and buy shit from the local guy.

  22. SP420 says:

    Disgusting.

  23. Vikingfromhell890 says:

    Have you people forgotten about The Art of Balance?! That album put Shadows Fall on the map and has some of the best songwriting for a metal album. And the album did come out in 2001 so that’s my bet for what Number 1 is. And btw, Palaces is, and always will be, the best Lamb of God album.

    • g says:

      shadows fall sucks and they always have

      they were 2nd rate metalcore before people knew what metalcore was

      • Haha you wish G, Shadows Fall can shred like a mother fucker and wrote some great songs, especially on that CD (before a ton of other shitty metal-core came out). I really wouldn’t even call them metal-core, not many breakdowns, and lots of solo’s. That is a great CD, I would not put it close to number one, but probably in place of their other CD on this list.

      • Nacho Cheese Doritos says:

        I believe Art of Balance should have made the list between 15-21. They totally shred and were one of the original “metal core” bands. There amazing musicians, but I really don’t follow them anymore. As soon as they started releasing their slow songs as singles I was over it. I am soooo hungover today.

  24. 5 says:

    I’m surprised that there are any negative coments toward this album
    Leviathan will be number one but I think Leviathan is more deserving of a spot around 5-3
    I agree with groverXIII that blackwater park is the true number 1

  25. Ziltoid says:

    So of all the great metal to be released this century, KSE and LoG have a combined 5 of the best 21 albums (almost 25%)? Fuck no.

    Then again, I’m not surprised that this site (and it’s “voters”) have picked yet another awful album. Hell, I’ll even criticize Devy’s production here–just an awful job on his part. Nowhere near on par with other stuf he’s done, including his great work on his own material. This is just a genuinely boring and shitty album. The bottom line is, if you don’t own this album, you have good taste.

    And I haven’t really attacked the reviews much here (regardless of the quality or metal-ness of the album, they’ve been ok for the most part), but this is a genuinely awfully written piece of turd that sounds like it was written by a 14 year old kid desperately trying to defend his favorite band for a school newspaper. It spends more time talking about how the writer “gave up on the scene” and whatnot, and doesn’t even really talk about the actual music until the last paragraph.

    But wait, that’s right, you’re cool for saying that “whoa that band is only known by 15 people!” Every few years, you were not lucky for a Slayer or Pantera album (ugh, post-80s Slayer and any Pantera are terrible), and Tool are not and have never been metal. The underground was never “buried” really deep. All it takes is a bit of an open mind to find it. The “lulz only 15 people know of it” argument is not only old as time itself, but also beyond idiotic.

    But as nu-metal was slowly dying out, a new trend needed to be found, and that was metalcore. By a stroke of luck (and a major label backing), Lamb of God has happened to become one of the most poplular metalcore bands out there (not that they’re any more original or “better” than the other countless At the Gates rip-offs out there).

    “As the Palaces Burn was a perfect amalgamations of metal’s history up to that point.”

    That is absolutely incorrect. There is nothing but a lame Pantera influence, and shitty -core stylings. It barely even touches on “metal’s history.”

    This is a pathetic album by a pathetic band that unfortunately helped set the stage for a decade of awful metalcore music.

    • notballs says:

      Another shit pick, but that’s to be expected now.

      No Iron Maiden.
      No Immortal.
      No Decapitated.
      No Nevermore.
      No Amon Amarth.
      No Iced Earth.
      No Nile.
      No Testament.
      No Emperor.

      • bearbomb says:

        Agreed, where the hell is Formation of Damnation??

      • Strep Townsend says:

        Notballs, I agree with you 100%, this list is obviously made up to piss metalheads off and get all the metalcore homo’s to cross swords with each other over finding some validity in a rather dull and irrelivant sub genre.
        Mastodon and Gojira not withstanding….

      • Zombie(really) says:

        No Cannibal Corpse

      • Canvas Of Flesh says:

        With the exception of Decapitated, Iced Earth, and Nile, all of those bands you listed have made Top 21 albums in the last nine years (in my opinion).

      • zmh26 says:

        I agree with most of your picks listed here that probably should be on here, Maiden definitely should have but there stuff from when Bruce returned is easily eclipsed by there material in their prime. Nevermore, Amon Amarth, Emperor, and Immortal are all tragedies suffered as a part of this list and the commercialism present in it. I’m slightly curious though, what Iced Earth album would you have chosen? I enjoyed all of them from 2000 on but i don’t know if I’d say they were top 21 material

        • Biff Tannen says:

          Well, the majority of the post re-union Maiden stuff is not as good as the ‘prime’ period in the 80’s. But newer songs like “Pachendale” is one of the best songs they’ve ever written, definitly the best since the 7th son album. “Ghost of the Navigator” “Brighter Than A Thousand Suns” “Lord of Light” LThe LOngest Day” are also all top tier Maiden songs. Maiden are still putting out solid, if slightly inferior music compared to their ‘classic’ era, but occasionally they drop a great fucking song, like Pachendale.

          • zmh26 says:

            Quite indeed, my opinion might not mean much but I’d easily put any of the 21 century Maiden albums on my top 21 list. My point is when you think of Maiden what instantly pops into mind is their material from the 80’s and not always the later material. I do think they should be remembered for the work they did in the 80’s because lets face it, its hands down some of the best metal out there. But to completely ignore their work from their ‘reunion’ on like Brave New World, I’ll admit I had to look up the year was released, is a tragedy because like you said they’ve made some kick ass stuff. I was expecting to see Brave New World somewhere on this list, possibly Dance of Death but they never came

      • DC says:

        FORMATION OF DAMNATION is one tasty nugget!

      • Chimp-0-Neg says:

        Iron Maiden! – tee hee! notballs, you give me jokes.

    • 5 says:

      God would you just SHUT UP!!

      • 5 says:

        I’m sorry
        shut the FUCK up

        • Ziltoid says:

          I kept quiet for over a week. This is my triumphant return!

          • Haha I appreciate Ziltoid (the devils advocate except he believes what he is saying) being on here, he is well spoken and occasionally funny.

            But ziltoid…up there you said it requires an open mind? That might be one of the most hypocritical things you have said.

          • Ziltoid says:

            I am very open-minded in terms of what genres to listen to, I just happen to hate bad music (regardless of genre). I give things a listen before casting my mighty judgment, but I stand by what I say.

          • groverXIII says:

            Yes, but you assume that your opinion of bad music is everyone’s opinion of bad music, and it’s not.

          • Ziltoid says:

            It’s not everyone’s opinion of bad music, and I fully know that…but it should be =P

          • Haha fair enough. But dude…a lot of your top 21 was just plain…lame? I have pretty eclectic taste when it comes to music. Some of it was great…but giving your almighty opinion, some of it was surprisingly awful.

            Agree to disagree huh?

      • Julian says:

        If you have an issue with a dissenting opinion just don’t read it, retard.

    • Ben says:

      I agree mostly. While I am a metalcore fan, I don’t like lamb of god at all, can’t get into it. The list gets boring when artists show up more than once, especially if it’s 3 times like LOG and Mastodon (probably).

    • Lord Bling says:

      While I don’t agree with everything you said, I don’t take particular exception to any of it either. I own this album, and I like it, but I also recognize the Pantera and At The Gates … uh, well, we’ll just call it ‘influence’. The production is weak compared to other Devy albums, true. And your comment about the tone of the review was pretty much spot-on. It felt to me like part explanation, and part apology.

    • Biff Tannen says:

      Well said. If “Load” made the reviewer lose faith in metal for the mid to late 90’s, that is a pretty damning account of thier limp wristed metal fandom. Although I usually always agree with you, I do -kinda- consider Tool to be metal…… they do have a pretty dark atmosphere, and a decent amount of their material is interesting to me and appeals to my metal brain waves. Im not a huge fan, only owning their first album and having heard bits and pieces ever since.

    • groverXIII says:

      Lamb of God isn’t metalcore. No breakdowns, no gang vocals, no clean vocals… And they don’t sound anything like At The Gates.

      Just because they became popular around the same time that metalcore did does not make them metalcore.

      • notballs says:

        No breakdowns? Are you fucking retarded?

        • groverXIII says:

          Hmmm… I guess upon further thought there are a couple of breakdowns that I can think of… I never really thought of them as breakdowns, so it never really detracted from the music for me. I still don’t consider them metalcore.

          • Their breakdowns are few and far between and for the most part somewhat creative, at least for when this album came out.

          • Anselmowitz says:

            Dude theres at least 1 breakdown per song. That At the Gates guitar riff is not only all through LoG, but all metal since that album came out – its the gallop riff of the 21st century. I agree that they aren’t exactly metalcore cuz even Pantera had breakdowns & Dime ain’t no sucka. LoG = good live, bland on tape.

    • Jesse says:

      No, Lamb of God write riffs that are unmatched by ANY band.

    • Nacho Cheese Doritos says:

      Ziltoid you suck. I was even in a good mood today and removed the I Hate Ziltoid infront of Nacho Cheese Doritos. You can’t say people have good taste for not owning this album. Your back to being a know it all. Can you take another vacation from this site? Maybe for the rest of your life?

    • CJ says:

      Can you go back on hiatus?

      • drumb says:

        As much as I don’t want to be sucked-in to this “Your taste sucks if you own it’ debacle, this is NOT one of LOG’s better albums. Personally, I find Ashes to be the best one. I don’t mind Sacrament and Wrath is OK. Yeah; there’s some clever git riffs on these albums, and the drumming is above-par… but this band is not anything spectacular. They just happen to be the lucky ones as far as building a large fanbase, and selling lots of units.
        Speaking from the experience of playing in bands most of my life; getting popular IS luck
        (and maybe your blowjob skills)

        @Ziltoid;
        Man; there is more to the world of Metal than YOUR opinion. Yeah, I own 3 albums from your list(and they’re not THAT great), but the rest of your list is average mundane crap. I think that if you cast judgment on other people’s taste, you should be able to take the hits for your own… and your taste sucks, Buddy.

        • Ziltoid says:

          So based on three albums (which ones, by the way?), you can make a judgment on the other 18? I doubt you’ve even heard half of them (Vortech? Ne Obliviscaris? You have definitely not heard those, and don’t try to fake it.). I’ve had my list out in the open, free to be criticized, for awhile now. However, if you want to tell me that my taste is so bad, let’s see your list. Let’s see you great and mighty taste. I bet you have the new Chimaira album on your list and stuff like that…

          • Canvas Of Flesh says:

            I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Vortech, but the rest of your list was pretty good. I’m a big fan of Mercenary. I hadn’t heard of Ne Obliviscaris, but found their music to be pretty damned good.

          • drumb says:

            No Chimaira suck.
            Why should I post a list?
            So you can rip on it with your narrowed-vision, right?
            whatever.
            I’m not falling for that shit. I just think you should tone-down your Elitism concerning other people’s tastes. You seem to think that only YOUR taste is Supreme while ripping on others who do not share your views.

          • Troy Rickard says:

            Ne Obliviscaris are amazing and I’m glad someone else here likes them. They put on an awesome show live.

    • Meshuggahhhhh says:

      Wow…..dude….you are definately entitled to your opinions but calling LoG=Metalcore and ATPB=shit….you must be tripping homie……check into rehab…..FASTTTT !

      Peace !

  26. mailuponmysoul says:

    I’ve owned this album for a few years and have probably listened to it a total of three times.With the exception of 11th Hour I find it incredibly boring.

  27. matt says:

    Can’t argue with this. Can’t argue for the inevitable number one pick of Leviathan tomorrow either.

    So I found out the other day that I will be seeing Lamb of God open for Metallica in the fall. That’s awesome!

    • Lord Bling says:

      I can’t even feign excitement for that. You have a great time though.

      Metallica hasn’t received a penny from me since ‘Load’.

      • jason says:

        against my better judgement, I saw them with Down in New Orleans. It was actually a pretty good show, so I was glad that I didn’t listen to my “inner hater”

        • Lord Bling says:

          I’m sure they still put on a decent show, and god knows they can do huge amounts of pyro (as long as James isn’t standing next to one when it goes off, LOL). It’s just that they are so far removed from the band that I grew up with, that it’s a tiny bit depressing. Say what you want about Slayer’s recent albums, but they still stayed true to themselves, and for that, I continue to support them with dollars.

          At least you’re getting Lamb of God and not Linkin Park or Disturbed.

          • jason says:

            They had a laser show that would make Roger Waters envious…and I had never seen Down live, so seeing them play to the hometown crowd was pretty cool.

        • Nacho Cheese Doritos says:

          Good for you. I agree that Metallica isn’t the same band, but I always have fun slamming some beers to loud ass music!

      • Tshitnami says:

        #1 will be either Death Magnetic or St. Anger; and NOT because they are good.

  28. Zoker says:

    Like some guy said: the lack of variety is the main problem of this list. Just to make an example: where are Dark Tranquillity? Slipknot, SOAD and LOG made this list… I can’ t believe not even one of the 21th century albums of DT (Haven, Damage Done, Character and Fiction) was good enough to join the club. And I’m not even starting to talk about Ensiferum (god, they made that little self-titled album on the 21th century…) or Wintersun or Equilibrium or Scar Symmetry… Not even one of those?? Seriously??

  29. rancidcorpse says:

    good album everyone know DROP DEAD GORGEOUS will be number one or ATTACK ATTACK

  30. xXxDarkfoxXx says:

    As Daylight Dies will be #1.

  31. Mancubus says:

    I remember when 11th Hour came up on my Nu Metal Launch playlist (back when Launch.yahoo.com actually had enough artists on there that it was a site worth visiting) and it was the heaviest shit that I’d heard up until that point. Granted, all of the “clean chorus” stuff like KSE and SF made me lost interest in metal for a while but this album and The Oncoming Storm made me regain some faith that in the metal scene even though i only really liked those two bands.

    Then I hit college, discovered the virtues of piracy and youtube and became a born again metalhead, this time free from all the trendy crap out there when I needed to outblast a Slipknot-loving floormate at 2:00 AM with something unbelievably heavy and I discovered Anal Cunt which is still one of the heaviest bands out there. Then guitar Hero hit and the memories of when I first heard Napalm Death’s Twist the Knife from the Mortal Kombat soundtrack at a bowling alley finally returned to me.

    This album kicks ass. Lamb of God rules (except for Sacrament) and soon enough there will be a defining moment that will get every deathcore-lover to look the underground. It just takes an exceptional band to first convince somebody in that state that there may still be new good metal out there once a new trend replaces deathcore. Then you reach out to the dejected former deathcore fan and bring them the gift of REAL metal so that this philistine may rejoice in the glory of Faith No More, Slayer, Morbid Angel, Marduk and other sweet metal bands.

    This album was necessary to my musical development and anyone who doesn’t like it is way too elitist for their own good, similar to the people who hated Morbid Angel once they signed to Earache. Don’t listen to the haters, this is some good shit.

    • Biff Tannen says:

      who the fuck hated Morbid Angel because they signed to Earache?? get the fuck out of here !
      All of their classics are on earache. Alters of Madness. Blessed are the Sick.Covenant.Domination.
      You will not find one metal fan that has heard those albums and doesn’t like them. You fail at metal buddy.
      Go play LOG again, and leave the real shit to the adults.

      • Ziltoid says:

        ALTARS OF MADNESS

        I don’t care what year it was released in, that better be #1. I haven’t found any death metal fan who doesn’t like Morbid Angel.

        • Julian says:

          Altars of Madness is indeed amazing.

        • Biff Tannen says:

          I do love me some altars…its actually the first underground metal album I purchased, way back when…probably 94′ or something. I found it in a used cd store and saw the inverted crosses and pentegrams in the logo and I never looked back !!!!
          I do prefer Blessed….. and Covenant though. I tend to skip around a lot on Altars….a lot of the songs sound the same (all awesome)…so I usually get sick of it and skip to Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.

          • Ziltoid says:

            As long as you don’t skip Chapel of Ghouls…

            GHOULS
            ATTACK THE CHURCH
            CRUSH
            THE HOLY PRIEST
            TURNING
            THE CROSS TOWARDS HELL
            WRITHE
            IN SATAN’S FLAME

            Absolutely amazing song.

          • groverXIII says:

            I’m going to be quite honest… those are the type of lyrics a 16-year-old would write on his notebook.

            Satanism tends to be pretty cheesy.

          • Ziltoid says:

            They lyrics are awful, but very funny at the same time. Also, the song itself has lots of great music. Good tempo changes and such. Highly enjoyable.

            Any “satanism” in metal is really cheesy, though.

          • groverXIII says:

            I can’t argue that.

            It’s not a bad thing, necessarily, that you can’t understand a lot of the vocalists in a lot of metal bands with harsh vocals. (Randy Blythe, however, is actually pretty easy to understand, which is fairly impressive.)

          • Biff Tannen says:

            ATTACK, WITH HATE !!!!
            SATAAAN, IN THE FIRES OF HELL, AWAITS.

            yup, forgot about that track.. probably my fav song on the album. Blasphemies is towards the end, so thats why I skip between chapel of ghouls and it !

        • drumb says:

          Morbid Angel are another band that plays great stuff but their albums are recorded like shit. It doesn’t take big money to make a good sounding album.
          Man; this frustrates me:
          There are so many bands/albums out there that fall into this category. If it sounds like crap, most people who know nothing about music, or how it’s executed will think the music is crap.

          And who cares what fucking label you’re signed to?
          So, I have to agree with the Biffinator.

          • Biff Tannen says:

            “I’m going to be quite honest… those are what a 16 year old would write on his notebook”

            Your exactly right. They were about 16 when they wrote those lyrics. The vocal melody is AWESOME during that part of the song. If you’ve never heard it, it does seem real cheesy. But in the song, it works. Check it out if you’ve never heard it, I bet you’ll be singing along with it in a matter of minutes.

      • Mancubus says:

        I actually know a guy who hates anything that isn’t local and any band who signs with a label and only likes the most extreme grind. He also hates the third and fourth Bathory albums because they were too long and feels that Anal Cunt became worthless when they started making actual songs on Top 40 Hits, not to mention hating anything Gorgoroth put out after their second album.

        People who are that elitist actually exist outside of ridiculous internet personas and are pretty much the only reason why I don’t give Ziltoid crap.

        Oh, and since everyone here misread my post: I DO NOT HATE MORBID ANGEL! Blessed Are the Sick is one of the greatest 90s metal albums ever. I fucking love MA and I’m really anticipating their new album with Dave back in the band.

        • Canvas Of Flesh says:

          I know a few people like that. Every band they say they like always has an (old) in front of it.

          • mediocre says:

            That’s not necessarily the same as being elitist (although it helps). There are a lot of bands that change their sound over the years, and it is perfectly okay to prefer the one over the other.

        • Biff Tannen says:

          the third bathory album is too long? “Under the Sign of The Black Mark” is only 35 minutes !

          Do you (or he) mean the 4th and 5th albums? I could understand “Hammerheart” being criticized for it’s length, but “Blood Fire Death” is not very long either.

          (All the kiddies on here are scratching their heads now….’ who’s Bathory’ ? )

    • Anselmowitz says:

      Tell me your life story dude. Actually I read it & you get major points for mentioning the mortal kombat soundtrack which was & is fucking killer (Minus about half the tracks on it lol).

  32. JustGrimace says:

    The LoG/Mastodon argument is the same one as Priest/Maiden probably were to our parents. Like Priest, LoG figured out a kick ass forumla, and cranking out kick ass albums. Mastodon, like Iron Maiden; are expanding and evolving their sound with every album, creating kick ass albums.

    Moral of the story? They both kick mega ass.

  33. Ender^Wiggin says:

    Heh. Come on. Lamb of God is fun music and all, but #2 album of the whole decade? Give me a break. It seems Americans are so eager to have a classic contemporary metal band that they’re gonna overhype everything. Think the newest God Forbid. It got 10/10 on B-mouth and got praises here, yet not so many people seem to dig it that much.

    Anyway, in what respect is that album better than, say, Blackwater Park which really made a difference in metal world. It’s standard groove/thrash metal. Fun, but not overly original.

    • Biff Tannen says:

      Don’t worry, not all Americans are morons. The real metal fans over hear hate this garbage. Only the kids like this stuff.

    • The new God Forbid was good, for them. I listened to it 3 times, probably wont again for a long time.
      The order here is weird, Blackwater Park is an amazing CD, just listened to it on the way home from class. I think it is hard to compare them to each other though. 2 CD’s for 2 different moods. Both great

  34. trav says:

    This list has been an epic failure – totally predictable and boring. I’d rather see what each of the individuals surveyed selected to come up with this piece of turd, maybe they mentioned some stuff that might be interesting but didn’t get enough votes.

    • g says:

      this would be nice

    • whyowhy says:

      Well, considering there were about forty voters, if each had the same # 1, then it would have 840 points, and #2 800 points. That’s if they were unanamious. now this album received 247 points. Obviously the lists were very varied considering that a complete agreement for a #11 pick woul get about 240 points. Basically, this album could have been the eleventh pick on everyone’s list and it still made #2

  35. seveword says:

    SOMEONE THROW ME A FLOATY, I’M DROWNING IN OPINIONS

  36. bearbomb says:

    I can’t wait for tomorrow!…. When this list will finally be OVER!

    • notballs says:

      But then it’s time for the 21 Worst Metal Albums of the 21st Century featuring Iron Maiden, Nile, Emperor, Immortal, etc. Because those all sound the same and appeal to mallcore kids shopping at Hot Topic.

      • bearbomb says:

        Don’t give them any ideas!

      • 5 says:

        the Iron Maiden of the 21st century is good
        its the iron maiden of the 90s that was bad, but in the 90s you also had stuff like limp biscut

        • Vlad says:

          Oooh man.. the X Factor kicks ANY metalcore ass!!!

          It has been 14 years and dickinson is back… take a listen to that album now, without all the hate of those days and tell me again is a bad album…

          • Canvas Of Flesh says:

            I have yet to find any Maiden album bad. I enjoy each and every one of them on their own merits. Then again, I’m a huge Maiden fanboy.

  37. phatchief666 says:

    I posted this on the Alive or Just Breathing announcement… right at the end so it got a bit lost…

    It has to be said, I really don’t agree with the list at all. Just going through my own music collection these albums are far more deserving.

    Neurosis ‘Given To The Rising’
    Baroness’ ‘Red Album’,
    BTBAM’ ‘Colors’,
    DEP ‘Ire Works’,
    The End ‘Elementary’,
    Celtic Frost ‘Monotheist’,
    Meshuggah ‘Nothing’,
    Starkweather ‘Croaton’
    Strapping Young Lad ‘Alien’,
    Behemoth ‘Demigod’,
    Decapitated ‘Organic Halucinosis’,
    Emperor ‘Prometheous’,
    Pig Destroyer ‘Terrifyer’,
    Burnt By The Sun ‘The Perfect Is The Enemy of The Good’,
    Cursed ‘One’,
    Today Is The Day ‘Sadness Will Prevail’,
    Fantomas ‘The Director’s Cut’,
    Isis ‘Celestial’,
    Old Man Gloom ‘Seminar II’,
    Will Haven ‘Carpe Diem’,
    Botch ‘We Are The Romans’,
    Cephalic Carnage ‘Exploiting Dysfunction’,
    Discordance Axis ‘The Inalienable Dreamless’,
    Drowning Man ‘Rock N Roll Killing Machine’,
    Nasum ‘Human 2.0′,
    Nile ‘Black Seeds Of Vengeance’, …

    Are you really telling me that Hatebreed’s ‘Perserverance’ is a more important metal album than any of those ? Actually, just reading my list makes me realise just how off the mark these chumps are. It should be renamed ‘the most run of the mill metal albums of the 21st century’. Where’s the innovation ? The bands really pushing metal forward. There are four records in there I agree with, Mastodon Gojira, Converge and Machine Head… the rest… couldn’t be anymore ‘mehtal’ if they tried.

    Just a whole load of wrong.

    • notballs says:

      The people compiling the list are a bunch of trendy idiots who only searched through the Billboard Charts since 2000 to find albums and vote for them. “Monotheist” decimates everything on this shit list.

    • jason says:

      I think you and I have pretty similar tastes …at least 50% of the time.

    • Lord Bling says:

      Terrifyer over Prowler? No way man. Prowler all the fucking way.

      Otherwise, some good shit on that list.

    • Nick says:

      can’t agree with celestial being better than panopticon or oceanic

      • Panopticon was much better than celestial I thought. Some pretty good stuff on there, Old Man Gloom though? It was just decent I thought. And I didnt get into Monotheist at all, thought it was kind of boring.

        • Lord Bling says:

          Add me to the list of those who would vote for ‘Oceanic’ over ‘Celestial’. As a debut, it’s strong, but ‘Oceanic’ destroys it in so many ways.

    • Dr.J says:

      The End’s Elementary was terrible. Maybe I should go re listen to it…

    • Chimp-0-Neg says:

      Best list I’ve seen on here in a while. Look at that – you even give Carpe Diem a look in. Top album that.
      No complaints with anything on there at all. All of it – great picks.

  38. bucketochicken says:

    Axl, I’m guessing we’re about the same age and/or have a similar metal fan pedigree, because you described exactly where my head was at regarding metal and the metal scene at that time. Well done.

  39. jason says:

    OK….so this list doesn’t exactly capture what most here would dub the “best metal albums”…that much is obvious. What about the great non-metal albums of 2000-2009?

    I’ll go first…
    Big Business-here come the waterworks
    Dax Riggs-we sing of only blood or love
    Jesu-silver
    Planes Mistaken for Stars- Mercy
    Ulver-Shadows of the sun

    • Ziltoid says:

      Ulver–Blood Inside

      One of the most amazing albums I’ve ever heard. SotS was good, but disappointing in comparison.

      • jason says:

        This may be the one and only time I ever agree with you, but blood inside was indeed an incredible album

        • battles – mirrored
          boards of canada – music has the right to children
          the octopus project – one ten hundred thousand million
          om – variations on a theme & conference of the birds
          deltron 3030 – deltron 3030

      • Biff Tannen says:

        I love all ulver…except Metamorphosis…I can tolerate it, but don’t ‘love’ it.
        Blood Inside is my favorite of the decade, with Perdition City/ William Black being my faves.

      • jason says:

        The Neurosis/Jarboe collab was pretty awesome too…

    • Lord Bling says:

      Jesu-Silver was technically an EP, but I sure do love it all the same.

    • groverXIII says:

      If we’re going non-metal, I’m going to go with:

      Everything Clutch has released this decade
      QOTSA – Songs For The Deaf
      Primus – Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People
      Johnny Cash – American III
      Dog Fashion Disco – Adultery
      Bad Religion – New Maps Of Hell
      HORSE The Band – The Mechanical Hand
      Saul Williams – S/T
      Pitchshifter – PSI
      The Living End – State Of Emergency
      Optimus Rhyme – School The Indie Rockers
      Five Horse Johnson – No. 6 Dance
      Celldweller – S/T
      Gogol Bordello – Super Taranta!
      Jesse Dangerously – Verba Volante

      Among others.

      • jason says:

        How could I have forgotten “songs for the deaf”? Shame on me.

        • jason says:

          and ASG-win us over!!!

          • Lord Bling says:

            Against my better judgment, I’ll join in on the non-metal love:

            VAST — Music For People (or Nude)
            Devin Townsend Band — Accelerated Evolution
            Silversun Pickups — Swoon
            The Gathering — if_then_else (Souvenirs has grown on me though too)
            Muse — Absolution (and Origin of Symmetry)
            Ween — White Pepper
            Thievery Corporation — The Mirror Conspiracy
            Clutch — From Beale Street to Oblivion
            dredg — El Cielo
            As Tall As Lions — Lafcadio
            Handsome Boy Modeling School — White People
            Mars Volta — Deloused in the Comatorium
            Massive Attack — 100th Window
            Tomahawk — Mit Gas
            Beck — Sea Change
            Silverchair — Diorama
            Buddy Guy — Sweet Tea
            Devin Townsend — Infinity
            Zero 7 — Simple Things
            The Cure — Bloodflowers
            On — Shifting Skin
            Sunny Day Real Estate — The Rising Tide

            When I want something other than metal, these are usually what I reach for (of the recent stuff).

          • groverXIII says:

            There’s nothing wrong with listening to music that isn’t metal… too many metalheads tend to be narrow-minded.

            Personally, on your list, the only ones I listen to are Clutch, Devin Townsend, and Ween, plus the occasional Muse song, but variety is the spice of life!

          • Lord Bling says:

            I love Muse, in spite of my original opinion of them when I first heard ‘Showbiz’ …. ‘Total fucking Radiohead wannabes!’ They’ve now become a Radiohead / Queen cross, and live, they completely own. Arena rock is back! :)

            Most of what I listed is stuff I got promos of, and I’ll give almost anything an honest spin (as long as it’s not boy-bands, Toby Keith, or bling-bling rap). If I don’t like it, it goes back (or gets passed on to someone else). However, I pay for Devy, every time. He deserves the money.

          • jason says:

            Variety is a great thing indeed. Man CAN subsist on metal alone, but most metal can be appreciated more when you’ve cleansed the palate, so to speak. Plus,any of these albums are a hell of a lot better than having to listen to the killers when I’m in the car with my girlfriend.

          • Lord Bling says:

            ‘Cleansed the palate’ … I like that.

            My girlfriend only listens to NPR, which I can only take talk radio in small doses, so I try to drive as much as possible. I typically don’t ‘torture’ her with metal, although she’s now said she’s tired of Jeff Buckley, so I’m at a loss. :)

          • groverXIII says:

            Urk… The Killers make me want to shoot myself. They’re a big part of the reason that I don’t listen to the radio if I can at all help it (along with the myriad Nickelback clones that seem to keep sprouting up everywhere).

          • Lord Bling says:

            BTW, she’s going to continue to be tortured by metal, as Rock Band has some great DLC coming this week (Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse, BDM, etc.). She always plays the drums, so she’s gonna HATE me for downloading those, LOL

          • Bling you have some great pics on there for sure.

            alexisonfire – Watch Out!
            Some Mars Volta
            Mattafix – Signs of a Struggle
            Porcupine Tree – in absentia
            Kings of Leon – only by the night
            Open Hand – You and Me
            People in Planes – Beyond the horizon
            Thrice – Vheissu

            Just a few I would throw in off the top of my head

      • bucketochicken says:

        Clutch – any/all
        Devin Townsend – Terria, Infinity, Accelerated Evolution, Synchestra, Ki
        Zappa Plays Zappa – Live box set thingy
        Ian Moore – And All the Colors, Luminaria, To Be Loved
        Fleet Foxes – ST
        Mike Keneally & Beer for Dolphins – Live in Japan
        Motherfucking WEEN!!! – Live in Chicago, La Cucaracha
        David Cross – Shut Up You Fucking Baby!, It’s Not Funny
        Patton Oswalt – Werewolves & Lollipops
        Amon Tobin
        Muse – Absolution
        Radiohead – Hail to the Thief
        Toadies – Hell Below Stars Above
        Anyone – ST
        At the Drive-In – Relationship of Command
        Melvins – Senile Animal
        QOTSA – Songs…
        Hellacopters – By the Grace of God
        Jellyfish – Fan Club Box Set
        Led Zeppelin – How the West Was Won
        Medeski Martin and Wood – End of the World Party
        Porcupine Tree – any/all
        Prince – The Rainbow Children
        Sound of Urchin – The Diamond
        These Arms Are Snakes – Tail Swallower & Dove
        Frank Zappa – Wazoo!, Buffalo, Imaginary Diseases
        George Carlin – Complaints & Grievances
        Bill Hicks – Flying Saucer Tour
        My Morning Jacket – Okonokos
        Primus – Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People
        Public Property – Movement
        The Roots – Phrenology

      • Randy... I AM the liquor says:

        Not Metal, but genius all the same:

        B.Lustmord & Robert Rich/ Stalker
        Lustmord/ Rising 06.06.06
        Fantomas/ Suspended Animation
        Allan Holdsworth/ All Night Wrong
        Billy Cobham/ Spectrum 2001RM re-issue
        Bozzio Levin Stevens/ Situation Dangerous
        JSBX/ Jukebox Explosion
        Shellac/1000 Hurts
        Bohren und Der Club Of Gore/ Delores

        Now there’s a fucked-up selection for ya.

        Some that didn’t quite make the 2000 mark, but too good to ignore:

        Jonas Hellborg, Buckethead and Micheal Shrieve/ Octave Of The Holy Innocents
        Trans Am/ st 1st album
        Nomeansno/ One Down And Two To Go

        • Anselmowitz says:

          Suspended Animation & Amenaza al mundo are metal as fuck.

          These non-metal lists lack Prodigy.

          • Randy... I AM the liquor says:

            I agree, but the Elitecore Cvlt don’t/won’t think Fantomas is Metal. It’s too ‘out there’ for them. The funny thing is that John Zorn has been doing the Fantomas style ADD thing for years.
            The 3 Ambient and 4 JazzFusion picks are deliberate, as I think more Metaloids would appreciate how dark & brooding the Ambient stuff is, and the Jazzoid stuff is way above the technicality of most Metal players.
            Everyone should check out the Octave Of The Holy Innocents album; it shreds BIG TIME.
            Nomeansno are a old-school Punk-Metal hybrid. As can be expected; the older stuff is more punishing. The album Wrong is their peak, and will get you evicted from your apartment for sure.

    • Jesse says:

      I fucking loved Dax Riggs in Acid Bath.

    • Canvas Of Flesh says:

      I see that no one has yet mentioned Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus would rank in the top 10 of my favorite releases since 2000.

    • Slunt says:

      Big Business did rule; WTF happened with the new album w/Toshi?
      I can’t stand it…

  40. \m/Eluveitie\m/ says:

    Whoop de doo

  41. Andres Ruiz says:

    “I just kind of stopped buying new metal releases. Sure, every few years you were lucky and Slayer or Pantera or Tool (who are definitely fucking metal) would put something out, but otherwise, those were good times to familiarize yourself with anything old that you’d missed.”

    What the fuck are you talking about?
    Seriously? During the 90’s, POPULAR metal was absolute shit, like Korn, etc., but there were LOADS of great bands in the ‘underground’, Children of Bodom, In Flames? They were at the time releasing the records of their careers, how the fuck can you say there was nothing worth getting? Cryptopsy, Cannibal Corpse, Cradle of Filth? I mean, by no means do I like all of those bands, specially the last three I’ve mentioned, but there are thousands of others who do and who believe they released the best records of their careers during this decade. I suppose the fact that the people who made this list are industry ‘insiders’, it makes sense that you wouldn’t pay any attention whatsoever to anything other than what the mainstream record labels push out, but seriously, FUCK this list.

    I propose that after having royally fucked up what could have been a great list, Metalsucks should do a new series after this one, and let the Metalsucks READERS decide on what they think the best album of this decade so far have been. Listen to what the PEOPLE like, not what the industry insiders think people like.

    For fuck’s sake.

    • 5 says:

      Yes!!
      I want to vote

    • phatchief666 says:

      I’ve listened to metal since 92 or so, and there was not one period of my life where I wasn’t buying at least five records a month. There was so much good stuff in the mid 90s.

      Strapping Young Lad, Carcass, Entombed, Fear Factory, Crowbar, Paradise Lost, Misery Loves Co, Pitchshifter, my favourite Napalm Death period, Cathedral, Face Down, Godflesh, Ministry…. the list goes on.

      • Sean Pulatie says:

        HOLY SHIT. Someone else actually listened to Pitchshifter in the 90’s. I seriously thought I was the only one.

      • groverXIII says:

        I fucking love Pitchshifter. I personally like their later stuff more than their earlier stuff, but I think Infotainment? bridges the gap very nicely.

      • Double D says:

        The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste is brilliant.

        • quivering piss-flaps says:

          I pumped the shit out of that Ministry album, back when it came out. That and Einsturzende Neubauten.

  42. Bo says:

    The article say’s it all.I agree 100%.Would have been my #1.This album took it all to the next level.

  43. scene kid says:

    Really? 3 LoG albums in this list?

    • bradican says:

      whether you like them or not, your fav. modern metal band would possibly be non-existent if not for these guys

  44. Maigaard says:

    ALL HAIL THE LAMB!!!

  45. Steve says:

    Fucking bravo. Glad you reminded all the fucktards out there that it isnt a list picked by 5 people, its a poll, and the top of the list had to be high enough on enough DIFFERENT peoples ballets to make it on the top of the list. i fully agree this is Lamb of God’s best release to date, and that they blend the metal lines to form a more across-the-board metal sound. Great album, great pick, and cant wait for the final pick…or the shitstorm after.

  46. Randy Blythe's Illegitimate Child says:

    Thank you Axl for the explanation… people just want their deathcore to shine on this countdown and they neglect to think how deathcore was born…. Lamb of God, KSE, and ya even though i HATE them, Converge BELONG on this countdown because they formed what is today. I was also VERY happy with the voters when it came to Tool. Oh and by the way…. i would laugh my ass off if number 1 came out to be All That Remains “The Fall of Ideals” because i would probably be happy with that even though im not a fan of metalcore that much and just to read comments from guys like Biff who have to find something on the internet that makes them so angry that they rant about it for hours

    • bradican says:

      a rational well thought-out post? what the fuck is this?

    • Jesse says:

      Awesome name.

    • Tim Ledin says:

      Ya i know I actually thought about what to post before i just say uuuggghhh people who like this shit are stoopid deeerrr gay douchebag cumguzzling fanny bandit deeeerrr.. but seriously, dont get me wrong… i like some deathcore.. but people got to stop being mad that iwrestledabearonce isnt on here (sarcasm). and thanks Jesse!

      • Randy Blythe's Illegitimate Child says:

        Ok…. so connecting to Facebook was a bad idea…. but ya…. any predictions for #1???

        Id really like to see Reinventing the Steel come out of nowhere (came out in 2000)

  47. andrea says:

    no one ever agrees with me on this, but….. Death Cult Armageddon by Dimmu Borgir is the best album ever. it’s fucking EPIC!

  48. Aaron Cooper says:

    I whole-heartedly fucking agree! Amazing album.

    My only hope is that #1 goes to Arsis – A Celebration of Guilt. I’m not sure its popular enough but it sure as hell rocked the metal scene when it was released.

  49. Tom says:

    ashes of the wake > as the palaces burn

  50. lkgf09 says:

    it would be pretty funny if Death Magnetic were #1. this place would go apeshit.

    I love Palaces and I think LOG are definitely one of the best bands of the decade.

    As for thw whole list it is gonna leave out a lot of great metal albums for the likes of Tool and the Deftones and that is just disgusting.

  51. Price says:

    I still think Ashes of the Wake was much more influential (and also a better “album” overall) than As the Palaces Burn. That being said, I’ll never forget popping this thing in my car for the first time and almost killing everyone on the road because it was so damn brutal.

  52. alex haskett says:

    this list is full of such complete and utter wank, i dont like a single band on this list.

  53. Joey C says:

    Guys take this list with a grain of salt considering who voted, fuck this list though. Most of these bands are boring and make no impact on me at all.

  54. Janson says:

    The Black Dahlia Murder – Nocturnal, eats this album and spits it out.

  55. dick? says:

    LOG can suck it.
    most of this list can suck it.
    Arsis FTW

  56. Devastator says:

    In my personal opinion I wouldn’t mind this list so much if it was about the top metalcore/mainstream metal of the 21st century but seriously, this list has has only some worthwhile albums on it. For Lamb Of God, I don’t mind that they chose those albums, but two in the top ten is ridiculous, personally I like Wrath the best, but that’s beside the point. Here is my list in no particular order of some of my absolute favorite releases from the 21st Century.

    After Forever-After Forever: My favorite Symphonic metal act, their last album was phenomenal for symphonic metal
    Amon Amarth-Twilight Of The Thunder God: Do I really need to comment, The Hero, Title Track, Guardians Of Asgaard, Live For The Kill, Embrace The Endless Ocean, heck the entire album is amazing.
    Arch Enemy-Rise Of The Tyrant: Debatable, but I like it.
    Behemoth-Demigod/The Apostasy: One or the other or both, the face remains that those two albums demolish everything put on the list, some argue that those albums only have a few good songs, but I like them as a whole, Slaves Shall Serve, Evangelion 2009, going to be epic out of proportions.
    The Black Dahlia Murder-Nocturnal: need I say more
    Cannibal Corpse-The Wretched Spawn/Kill: So good they can’t be comprehended
    Celtic Frost-Monotheist: One of my all time favorites, experimental, heavy, and absolutely amazing
    Children Of Bodom-Hate Crew Deathroll/Follow The Reaper: Arguably the two best Bodom CDs
    Cryptopsy-Once Was Not: Again Debatable, but I loved
    Cynic-Traced In Air: One word Cynic
    Dark Tranquillity-Fiction: One of the best albums ever made, some people don’t like it, but it ruled.
    Decapitated-Really anything They did :)
    Dethklok-The Dethalbum: Die For Dethklok
    Devourment-Butcher The Weak/Unleash The Carnivore: br00tal beyond belief, makes other death metal look tame in comparison
    Dimmu Borgir-Deathcult/In Sorte-Innovative and Epic
    Cradle Of Filth-Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder-Really their best album since Dusk
    Dream Theater-Octavarium: The Title Track Alone makes this album on the list. but as a whole it’s fantastic
    Dying Fetus-Destroy The Opposition/War Of Attrition: Amazing
    Emperor-Prometheus: it’s emperor
    Eluveitie-Slania: My favorite folk album
    Enslaved-Below The Lights: Viking/Black metal at its finest
    Evoken-Antithesis Of Light: it slowly melts your brain until you get owned
    Gorgoroth-Twilight/Incipit/ Ad Majorem: Fantastic Black
    Iced Earth-Horror Show: An album that slayed others
    Immortal-Sons Of Northern Darkness: One By One
    Mayhem-Chimera/Ordo Ad Chao-The two best by the band De Mysteriis is overrated, although it would be the best of all time if Dead lived long enough to record on it
    Meshuggah-Obzen/Nothing (re-release)/Catch 33, owns everything on the list
    Necrophagist-Epitaph: STABWOUND
    Nevermore-Enemies Of Reality (Remix)/This Godless Endeavor-Progressive Amazement
    Nile-Darkest Shrines/Annihilation/Ithyphallic-Can’t decide but at least one on the list
    Origin-Antithesis/Echoes/Informis-One a debate, but definitely Antithesis
    Scar Symmetry-Holographic Universe: Amazing the entire way through
    Sigh-Imaginary Sonicscape/Hangman’s Hymn-So great they bend your mind into submission
    Strapping Young Lad-Alien/The New Black
    Soilwork-Natural Born Chaos
    Suffocation-Suffocation/Blood Oath-Awesome Records
    Summoning-Oath Bound: Land Of Dead, and everything else
    Symphony X-Paradise Lost-pure progressive power
    Vital Remains-Icons Of Evil: Listen to the titled track, get completely decapitated, then listen to the rest of the album and pick up your brain off the floor from headbanging so much

    So those are picks for the best albums of the 21st century, If anyone agrees follow up on this post,

    Metal For Life
    Devastator

    • Devastator says:

      As a note, I left out some albums that are already on the list, I wholeheartedly agree with

      Gojira
      Opeth
      Machine Head (The Blackening #16 WTF)
      Mastodon-Really Crack The Skye is their best, the other albums are great but compared with the other albums of the 21st century, their other albums fall in the niche of great but not fantastic.

    • groverXIII says:

      I agree with quite a few of these… Amon Amarth, Cynic, Dream Theater, Eluveitie, Necrophagist, Scar Symmetry, and Strapping Young Lad, mainly. A few years back I probably would’ve agreed with Arch Enemy and Children of Bodom as well.

      Also, for Enslaved I’d either go with Isa or Vertebrae. Still you’ve got some good stuff on here.

    • Ben says:

      I agree with about half your list, which is a WHOLE lot more than the MS list, considering the only pick I like on the list would be Converge.

      • Devastator says:

        I have to admit I like some the albums more than others, and some albums I felt were really strong records from the band, not best in the 21st century, if you like what’s on the list I would like to hear which ones you liked or disliked, I won’t mind the one’s you dislike, it’s just good to get feedback, hit me back.

      • Malacoda says:

        fuck you.

        I agree with most of this stuff, however I have a few debates:

        Cynic and Necrophagist are amazing, but I wouldn’t put them on this list. There’s just too much other stuff, and “Traced in Air” was actually a weak return from Focus, IMO. Symphony X is good, but I’d put Octavarium over it since we’re going for prog metal. I also would not put COF on here, but I agree with the majority.

        Here’s my list:

        Meshuggah – Nothing
        Killswitch Engage – the End of Heartache
        Opeth – Blackwater Park
        The Ocean – Precambrian
        Between the Buried and Me – Colors
        Nile – Annihilation of the Wicked
        Behemoth – Demigod
        Animals as Leaders – Self Titled
        Cannibal Corpse – Kill
        Dream Theater – Octavarium
        In Flames – Clayman
        Cephalic Carnage – Anomalies
        Cattle Decapitation – The Harvest Floor
        Sigh – Imaginary Sonicscape
        Animosity – Shut it Down
        All Shall Perish – The Price of Existence
        The Faceless – Planetary Duality
        Decapitated – NIhility
        Machine Head – the Blackening
        Dark Tranquillity – Fiction
        Strapping Young Lad – Alien

    • Biff Tannen says:

      Pretty good list man, it appears your taste is better and more varied than everyone of these voters. Although, I have to disagree with you pick of Mayhem’s “Chimera” that is the ONLY Mayhem I do not love. It is the only album where they ceased to innovate. They put out a run of the mill, polished, by the numbers black metal album. I do not think De Mysteries is overrated….when I first heard it 14 years ago, I did, but man oh man does that album grow on you. Seriously, but on some head phones, turn of your phone/tv/computer and crank it up. Let it absorb you. The atmosphere on it is incredible. You don’t like Attila’s vox on it? Really? I think they are great. Seeing them in Chicago last month play the entire album (except ‘funeral fog’ wtf?) was a dream come true.
      Have you heard Deathspell Omega’s “Si Monumentum Requires Circumspice” ? I bet you would absolutely love it, given your taste in black metal. Also, Cobalt’s “Gin” is a masterpiece and only came out a few months ago. They are an amazing duo out of Colorado. Check it out, you get get it from Profound Lore’s website for only $11, shipping included. Its great, you’ll love it.

      • Canvas Of Flesh says:

        Deathspell Omega is some good stuff. My favorite Mayhem album will always be “Live In Leipzig” though. It’s just so damned awesome. De Mysteriis is a great album too.

  57. derp says:

    this list needs more Opeth
    and Blackwater Park should have been #1 its defiantly better than any lamb of god
    and pretty much any other album ever

  58. Limmy Killmiester says:

    Entombed – Serpent Saints
    Testament – The Formation Of Damnation
    Celtic Frost – Monotheist
    Death Breath – Stinking Up The Night
    Kreator – Enemy Of God
    Satyricon – Now, Diabolical
    Darkthrone – F.O.A.D

    These are far more greater metal records released around the same time, and some should def be on this list. But hey, what do I know? I’m just an old metalhead from Sweden… Now, let’s enjoy som “real metal” from Disturbed.

  59. Sean Pulatie says:

    Quite possibly the best metal album I own, PERIOD.

    LOG is the only band to appear more than once on this list. Think about that. Out of the thousands and thousands of metal bands to release music over the last decade, Lamb of God appears on this list THREE times.

    I would be interested to see a Metalsucks posters list like this. It’d be a pain in the ass to put together, but it’d be worth it.

    • Ziltoid says:

      KSE appears twice. So does Mastodon.

      You fail at math. Then again, your “best album” is by Panjtera ripoffs Lamb of God, so that’s not really a surprise

      • Jesse says:

        Except Lamb of God is better than Pantera…by a fucking mile.

        • Ziltoid says:

          Umm…no.

          They’re both equally awful pieces of musical shit.

        • Nacho Cheese Doritos says:

          Not a chance. Pantera live shows were fucking intense!!!! I love me some LoG, but the circle pits during the Far Beyond Driven tour were amazing. I can still picture them perfectly. Show was in Indianapolis at the Pepsi Colesium (sp?). Good times, but that was a cold ass night.

          • Jesse says:

            I’m not trying to trash Pantera, they’re one of my favorite bands. I’m just saying I like Log more, probably due to the fact that I got into them before Pantera.

    • Rik says:

      “LOG is the only band to appear more than once on this list.”

      Um… look again.

  60. bearwizard says:

    Wow, I guess I’m not as metal as I thought I was.

  61. Oldernes says:

    When did Randy Blythe start playing guitar in the band??

  62. Jewers says:

    I have had about enough of all these elitists.

    I only listen to shit that has never been popular or cool, therefore my taste is better than yours because I’m a loner who doesn’t like new or even remotely catchy stuff because I don’t play by society or popular opinion’s rules. I’m just oh so out there…By not listening to anything that has been on the radio or that is not ungodly repetitive and low quality, I’m soooo much better than you and your trendy mallcore bs (aka everything that has come out in the past ten years that doesn’t adhere to a strict death metal formual).If you’re younger, you have no taste in music because you didn’t start out listening to Slayer and shit and therefore cannot call yourself a metalhead. I’m pretending that I have a valid point but really I’m just old and setting my ways. I’m gonna judge everything by genre, instead of quality or cultural impact, because if its not tr00 then why waste all my precious kvlt time on it.

    Give me a break you fucking tools, you’re pathetic.

    • Nacho Cheese Doritos says:

      Hahahaha!!! Awesome comment. You nailed it!

    • H2O says:

      You understand nothing. There are TONS of more… “underground” bands that are catchy, well produced and all. “Strict death metal formula”? They are quite hate because they do not try something original. Your post is but pure ignorance. And hell, while I wouldn’t agree with Ziltoid’s list as I don’t really like all the bands he likes, there was like NO death metal and some cheesy power metal. Elitist metal is more original and NOT following the same formula than any -core or groove metal. “Society or popular opinion”, you understand that’s a completely stupid comment? No? With such a argument, you can’t dislike Britney Spears because it’s popular therefore it must be good. “quality or cultural impact”, you understand we say shit about LoG because we think it sucks therefore we talk about its quality or lack of? And are saying LoG had a cultural impact? Beside spawning tons of shitty bands, I fail to see what it brought on beside lifeless, sterile and uninspired metal. Groove metal is barely half-assed thrash. -core metal barely have any hardcore influences. Deathcore is just being “br00tal” for the sake of it, and metalcore just some “holy shit that’s good (when the clean vocals or breakdowns get in)” for the easily impressed.

      “Elitist metallers” are faaaar more creative than any of those mainstream bands copycating themselves. Sure there were and will be always bands trying to play like the good ‘ol ones, or the strict formula, but there’s just so many bands trying something, merging several genres and making fantastic albums. From the perspective of someone who is heavily drawn into any good metal, who has heard hundreds and hundreds of different, special, [insert any adjective describing how good and creative the album is] albums, it is hard to understand why such straightforward “metaaaawl” is so revered popular by people who have the power to broaden their horizons (they go on the internet of all places). Sure I listen to tons of more straightforward and “metaalw” albums or bands, but that’s because the riffs are good, they create a certain mood and/or have THAT energy and attitude that just makes you want to bang the shit out of your neck or just drink. Those bands just put too much emphasis on their lacklustre songwriting in their production and all to be remotely enjoyable,

    • H2O says:

      my old list which I modified:

      1. Bolt Thrower – Those Once Loyal (death metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwsbJXpnaW0&feature=related
      2. Drudkh – Forgotten Legend (atmospheric black metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVK3il62Fxg
      3. Ensiferum – s/t or Iron (viking/folk metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4-SXOnDzxg
      4. Hypocrisy – Virus (death metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e1UBsanpPQ&feature=related
      5. Kreator – Enemy of God (thrash metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64K00Uamjn0
      6. Metalucifer – Heavy Metal Bulldozer or Heavy Metal Chainsaw (heavy metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syMpnsu-Tbc
      7. Moonsorrow – V: Havitetty (folk/viking/black metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arAkTYsfbTs
      8. Obscura – Cosmogenesis (technical death metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLX-0TAqOdQ&feature=related
      9. Quo Vadis – Defiant Imagination (technical death metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep_9S9WH8TI
      10. Reverend Bizarre – In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend (doom metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CibxhxngDzs&feature=related (not from the album)
      11. Sabbat (Jpn) – Karmagmassacre or Satanasword (thrash) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muWkwj1xUmw
      12. Sigh – Imaginary Sonicscape (?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgCfWKblFHE&feature=related
      13. Sodom – s/t or M16 (thrash) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa6cINHLqRc
      14. Toxic Holocaust – An Overdose of Death (thrash/punk) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jzd4JujfSU
      15. Absu – s/t (black/thrash) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b_3a2fn0aQ
      16. Holy Moses – Agony of Death (modern thrash) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUkcRKh6TmI
      17. Dark Tranquillity – Damage Done (melodic dm) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cx0WMH24J0&feature=related
      18. Coffins – Mortuary in Darkness (doom/death) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuRd_Q43TT8
      19. Destroyer 666 – Phoenix Rising (death/black) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax7cdHiZ010
      20. Magane – Mortes Saltantes (japanese back/folk) http://www.myspace.com/maganeyomimetal (Tsavulafi)
      21. Hellveto – Zmierzch (orchestral pagan metal) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3XLZiuZ5H0

      • Canvas Of Flesh says:

        Good shit. Those Once Loyal raped my face when I first heard it.

      • Biff Tannen says:

        H20 – Great post as usual. Have you heard the new Destroyer666 yet??? I’ll be swinging by the record shop to pick up my copy today, I can’t wait !!!! I’ve heard great things about it…..sounds like they haven’t changed one bit !!!

        Its been 7 loooonnng years!

        • H2O says:

          No, though they played a new track at MDF, will probably get it some day. I think I took out the Napalm Death album and one I can’t remember for Holy Moses and Hellveto. I just recently got into Hellveto… Damn it’s good. What I can’t wait, is Sodom’s next album and Sabbat (Jpn) first album in 7 years which is supposed to be out early 2010.

          I hate how all those guys here think that anything beside mainstream metal is so underground and all that almost nobody listen to them. That’s why there’s metal festivals all over the world and Wacken attracts 60-70 thousands metalheads. That’s why tons of these bands live with their music, because nobody knows them, they’re not popular and don’t sell. I’ve been to Hellfest last year, and Morbid Angel are so unpopular they made everyone sing during Chapel of Ghouls. Carcass were so unpopular that after 12 or 13 years of being split up, they have no problem doing tons of successful tours and getting everyone crazy on the front row.

        • Canvas Of Flesh says:

          Defiance is coming out today?!?! Hell, I’m going to have to hit the record store on the way home tonight.

  63. Troy Rickard says:

    Metalsucks should post a collaborated MS user poll.

    After Opeth was posted at number three and everyone was commenting on how it’s between Leviathan and Crack The Skye and As The Palaces Burn. I thought there’s no way that those albums were going to make it on the remaining two. I’m finding it hard to believe that they were genuinely voted there and not just posted there to placate the majority.

    When this list was started I kind of presumed it would only permit the highest voted release of a band to be admitted, I mean with this being of the decade surely each of the placings were way too precious for multiple entries by a band.

    • groverXIII says:

      A user poll would be great… maybe a bit difficult to pull off, but it would probably make people happier.

      It’d be nice to see some of the individual lists, too… if nothing else, at least the lists from the guys who run the site.

      • drumb says:

        From reading these comments etc. a compiled reader’s list will suck too.
        Why don’t you just post your list right now, and get insulted that not everyone agrees with it, and you’ll be bummed that there are so many fucking idiots out there and go fly a plane into a building in protest. You see?

        I am interested in an MS site blogger’s list, however.

      • Lord Bling says:

        A user poll wouldn’t make people happier. Opeth would probably finish at # 3 on ours too, and then we’d be even more pissed off …. ‘what’s wrong with you people?!?’

        LOL

  64. SonOF says:

    Now that this shit is basically over, I think it’s pretty weak that the following artists weren’t represented, all of which I consider to be at the forefront of the American heavy metal at the moment:

    Chimaira
    God Forbid
    Unearth
    The Red Chord ( “Jane Doe” is 5 and “Clients” isn’t on the list?! That album was on plenty of people’s top lists the year it came out..even in the top 3 or 5)

    Basically, regardless of how good they are (and some of them are basically classics in my eyes), some albums aren’t “metal” and shouldn’t have really been included: “White Pony,” “Lateralus,” and “Toxicity;”
    Nachtmystium’s album is good but not worthy of this list, Killswitch doesn’t need to be on here twice, and if “Leviathan” is one, Mastodon being on here THREE F’N TIMES is at least one too many as well…

    With those adjustments, we would have 5-6 new free spots, and think we could have got those artists I mentioned above on there…
    That’s how I would change the list, but I’m not going to bash it either..these things never make everyone happy.

    • Ziltoid says:

      Those are all awful suggestions. Whoop-dee-doo. Just what this shitty list needs–more metalcore!

      • lolwut says:

        whos the red chord to youtube!

      • SonOF says:

        You have some uber-obscure suggestions that are much cooler?

        Isn’t the term metalcore dead yet? Yes, they are metal bands that include breakdowns in their songs, whoop-dee-doo,…it works.

        Nevermind, I don’t know why I am commenting. I went back and looked at your posts and see that you are “that guy” that hates everything and everyone. Enjoy your trolling.

        • Ziltoid says:

          Is a Dark Tranquillity album to much to ask for? How about an Immortal album? Maybe Ensiferum? Those aren’t obscure bands.

          • Canvas Of Flesh says:

            DT’s Haven was pretty melodic and I’m sure it would appeal to quite a few people on this list. I imagine if they were American the pollees would have heard of them by now.

      • Nightrain says:

        Seriously how that would be so shocking! Considering most of the popular metal bands of the decade have been *gasp* metalcore. Just because you don’t like what bands like Killswitch, Chimaira, Unearth, Shadows Fall, etc, etc are doing doesn’t make it any less metal than a bunch of other less known bands that people keep repeating over and over. This is a popular list (meaning things that have showed up the most will end up higher on the list).

      • Ryan says:

        It would likely be best for us all if you shot yourself

      • Slunt says:

        This list needs more Ziltoidcore(TM).

        • I Hate Ziltoid aka Nacho Cheese Doritos says:

          Ziltoidcore is priceless!!!!!!!!!! Why didn’t I think of that.

          • Slunt says:

            Dude;
            you forgot the Registered Trademark insignia.
            In fact; I think it’s Patent Pending…

  65. Jesse says:

    All credit goes to Jewers for this one.
    I couldn’t have said it better myself.

    I have had about enough of all these elitists.

    I only listen to shit that has never been popular or cool, therefore my taste is better than yours because I’m a loner who doesn’t like new or even remotely catchy stuff because I don’t play by society or popular opinion’s rules. I’m just oh so out there…By not listening to anything that has been on the radio or that is not ungodly repetitive and low quality, I’m soooo much better than you and your trendy mallcore bs (aka everything that has come out in the past ten years that doesn’t adhere to a strict death metal formual).If you’re younger, you have no taste in music because you didn’t start out listening to Slayer and shit and therefore cannot call yourself a metalhead. I’m pretending that I have a valid point but really I’m just old and setting my ways. I’m gonna judge everything by genre, instead of quality or cultural impact, because if its not tr00 then why waste all my precious kvlt time on it.

    Give me a break you fucking tools, you’re pathetic.

    • Jewers says:

      thank you sir

    • H2O says:

      and my answer above (check my list too)

      You understand nothing. There are TONS of more… “underground” bands that are catchy, well produced and all. “Strict death metal formula”? They are quite hate because they do not try something original. Your post is but pure ignorance. And hell, while I wouldn’t agree with Ziltoid’s list as I don’t really like all the bands he likes, there was like NO death metal and some cheesy power metal. Elitist metal is more original and NOT following the same formula than any -core or groove metal. “Society or popular opinion”, you understand that’s a completely stupid comment? No? With such a argument, you can’t dislike Britney Spears because it’s popular therefore it must be good. “quality or cultural impact”, you understand we say shit about LoG because we think it sucks therefore we talk about its quality or lack of? And are saying LoG had a cultural impact? Beside spawning tons of shitty bands, I fail to see what it brought on beside lifeless, sterile and uninspired metal. Groove metal is barely half-assed thrash. -core metal barely have any hardcore influences. Deathcore is just being “br00tal” for the sake of it, and metalcore just some “holy shit that’s good (when the clean vocals or breakdowns get in)” for the easily impressed.

      “Elitist metallers” are faaaar more creative than any of those mainstream bands copycating themselves. Sure there were and will be always bands trying to play like the good ‘ol ones, or the strict formula, but there’s just so many bands trying something, merging several genres and making fantastic albums. From the perspective of someone who is heavily drawn into any good metal, who has heard hundreds and hundreds of different, special, [insert any adjective describing how good and creative the album is] albums, it is hard to understand why such straightforward “metaaaawl” is so revered popular by people who have the power to broaden their horizons (they go on the internet of all places). Sure I listen to tons of more straightforward and “metaalw” albums or bands, but that’s because the riffs are good, they create a certain mood and/or have THAT energy and attitude that just makes you want to bang the shit out of your neck or just drink. Those bands just put too much emphasis on their lacklustre songwriting in their production and all to be remotely enjoyable,

  66. Vlad says:

    SO…

    Should I have to end all hope to see RAGE’s “SoundChaser” on this list, uh? (that album is what heavy metal is all about BTW).

    Seriously guys (and no offence by any means), all of you must have to start to hear some metal made in other places outside US!!

    Believe me.. there’s a lot more quality bands who are not Mastodon…

  67. Devin says:

    No Protest The Hero or Between The Buried And Me on the list so far and only one spot left?! I am very disappointed in the MS staff right now.

    • groverXIII says:

      Well, bear in mind that this isn’t the MS staff’s list… this is a list taken from a large number of people. I’m sure if we saw the staff list it would be pretty different.

  68. Slayerific says:

    it’s funny there was an interview with Goatwhore about how metal is about the devil just last week, yet Metalsucks has three albums in this list from a band that named themselves after jesus

  69. Johnny says:

    how the fuck was this not #1

  70. lolwut says:

    lets play the guessing game of #1 even though we all know itll be Mastodon lets throw some WILDCARDS out there of if we could who ud like to see my #1 would of ben BWP or UtP

  71. Phillip says:

    FUCK. YES.

  72. Kye says:

    OH NOEZ I IZ TOO SURPRIZED

    Seriously though, I actually am, I didn’t think it could possibly be this predictable.

  73. Axolotl says:

    No. Fucking NO. The list has Gojira but no Meshuggah, 2 Killswitch engage albums, THREE fucking Lamb Of God albums. You have taken away from the sweet victory that would have been seeing Leviathan as #1 album. I wouldn’t have even put Remission or Blood Mountain on this list. I didn’t expect to see black metal bands or anything, but seriously this top 10 is closer to the top metalcore albums of the decade. One or two BANDS per oversaturated trend genre is more than enough. I wouldn’t mind seeing Lamb Of God at #2 but seriously 3 fucking albums in the list?!? They sound the fucking same! Makes you wonder what Chris Adler’s top 3 albums were. And even worse, 2 Killswitch Engage albums that manage to sound exactly the same despite changing their singer from a normal white dude to a huge black dude?!? There’s more differences between any 2 Meshuggah songs in the same album. Why not just rank them according to sales? Way more objective.

    To anyone hating on elitists, metal is about being different not making songs according to a formula. I agree with about 30% of this list. I do NOT agree with bands having multiple albums in it. And give me a damn break, Slipknot made the list. A band so unoriginal they managed to distinguish themselves with a gimmick stolen from another band. And at least 3 band members who contribute nothing to the music.

    Metal Sucks, this list was entertaining. I wouldn’t be surprised if Leviathan wasn’t #1 after all. At least Converge got a decent spot. Your list, lame or not, was definitely a hit. Still a fan…

    • Malacoda says:

      I agree… Metalsucks didn’t fully make the list, just look at that voting panel (it’s not wonder we had 3 LOG albums) so I’m still a Metalsucks Maniac.

  74. B-dizzle says:

    This deserves this spot.

    • Randy Blythe's Illegitimate Child says:

      You are right B…. the cast of voters said that this album was the second greatest album of this millenium so far… and its true.. without this album i dont see metal coming back as strong as it has….. and to cut off Biff and Ziltoid again…. fans of Lamb of God are not “kids” im fucking 20 years old and listen to ALL metal… metalcore is not my favorite sub genre but its deffinatly helping metal get “above ground” again….

      • Axolotl says:

        Metal is not supposed to be “above ground”. This is why people who listen to Lamb Of God are not representative of the true spirit of metal. Or of music in general.

        • Nacho Cheese Doritos says:

          The true spirit of metal is to enjoy awesome music. If it’s good…jam it. If it sucks…don’t listen to it. I bet your wardrobe consists of only black trench coats.

          • Axolotl says:

            Yes. Defend your metalcore listening poser kid stereotype by pigeonholing me into some sort of elitist black metal corpse paint wearing asshole. Brilliant. Well done!

        • Dr.J says:

          This sounds like sometihng a angsty 15 year old would write.

        • Biff Tannen says:

          “Metal is not supposed to be “above ground”. This is why people who listen to Lamb Of God are not representative of the true spirit of metal. Or of music in general.” EXACTLY !!!

          Lamb of God/KSE fans are the same douches wearing backwards ball caps, and jumping up and down at concerts. Metal fans should CRINGE at people jumping up and down at a show.

          Randy Blythe said ” without this album i dont see metal coming back as strong as it has”
          Metal NEVER WENT AWAY. Where the fuck were you???? you mean coming back as strong as it has to Walmart, Hot Topic, and Best Buy?? That is a BAD thing you nit wit.

      • Malacoda says:

        and 20 is a kid

  75. Fritz! says:

    No Dillinger? Hmm…. Oh well.

  76. blakmetal says:

    AWESOME AN ALBUM FULL OF REJECTED TESTAMENT RIFFS PLACES AHEAD OF ANYTHING NEUROSIS HAS EVER DONE

    SHIT LIKE THIS IS EXACTLY WHY PEOPLE DON’T LISTEN TO METAL

  77. Strep Townsend says:

    I’m starting to think that metalsucks.net really does actually hate metal.
    I have been reading posts from different threads for the last couple of days, being new to this forum, but I haven’t seen much in the way of metal debate, although I did see a cool thread about Insomnium.
    It seems to be mostly just a bunch of replicant bands that really have nothing to do with metal, this list is a clear example of that.
    I listened to As the Phallus Burns when it came out, and there was nothing significant I could take away from it, but then again, I listen to shit like Nevermore, Dream Theater, Grave, Keep of Kalessin, Forefather, Negura Bunget and 9489438503 others.
    Maybe the fact that I believe those bands to be more metal than Lamb of God is what dilutes the “core” genres
    Maybe I just like to bitch about shitty bands.

    • Troy Rickard says:

      “As The Phallus Burns” fuck I LOVE intelligent, crafty remarks like that. Only by love I mean find totally unnecessary.

      The best source of metal on this website is the reviews section, dude. I spend hours reading that shit. You’ll find every style of metal in there.

      • Biff Tannen says:

        Nice hair cut Troy. Fucking homo.

        • Troy Rickard says:

          Yeah. I grew it myself.

          In no order:

          Insomnium: Above The Weeping World.
          Vital Remains – Dechristianize.
          Obscura – Cosmogenesis.
          Behemoth: Apostasy.
          Rosetta: The Galilean Satellites.
          Serpent: xGodx.
          Tool: Lateralus.
          Into Eternity: The Incurable Tragedy.
          Gojira: From Mars To Sirius.
          All Shall Perish: The Price Of Existence.
          Unearth: The Oncoming Storm.
          The Faceless: Akeldama.
          Testament: The Formation Of Damnation
          Nile: Annihilation of the Wicked.
          Protest The Hero: Fortress.
          Quo Vadis: Defiant Imagination.
          Absu: S/T.
          Kreator: Enemy Of God.
          Sylosis: Supreme Oppressor.
          Eluveitie: Slania.
          Amon Amarth: With Oden On Our Side.

    • Biff Tannen says:

      Negura Bunget…… awesome band. “Om” is definitly one of the best of the decade without a doubt.

      • Axolotl says:

        That album could’ve been on the list but nooooooo everyone who voted likes their metal in English, with breakdowns, and with any shred of originality watered down through downtuned guitars.

  78. Randy Blythe's Illegitimate Child says:

    You are right B…. the cast of voters said that this album was the second greatest album of this millenium so far… and its true.. without this album i dont see metal coming back as strong as it has….. and to cut off Biff and Ziltoid again…. fans of Lamb of God are not “kids” im fucking 20 years old and listen to ALL metal… metalcore is not my favorite sub genre but its deffinatly helping metal get “above ground” again….

    And for people like STREP TOWNSEND…..

    This wasnt METALSUCKS it was a CAST OF VOTERS.. jesus h. christ

    And blakmetal…. im pretty sure ALOT of people listen to metal… or some sub genre of it

    Look at the Billboard Top 200 every week a metal cd comes out…ITS SELLING… ya you may think SLipknot or Metallica is “gay”.. but enough people in the US bought their albums to be #1 and LOG’s “Wrath” was #2 only to Taylor Swift…


    ..

    Taylor Swift… why are all of us fighting eachother??

    Why dont we rise up and fight gay shit like green day? and 30 seconds to mars? and the jonas brothers?

    This is METAL… were all brothers and sisters here why are fighting?? FUCK THE PUSSY BANDS LIKE FALL OUT BOYS AND GYM CLASS HEROES

    • Ziltoid says:

      Fans of LoG might not be “kids,” but the certainly have the intellectual capacity of them.

    • Biff Tannen says:

      “This is METAL… were all brothers and sisters here why are fighting?? FUCK THE PUSSY BANDS LIKE FALL OUT BOYS AND GYM CLASS HEROES”

      Thats what you don’t get…. the REAL metalhead here find LOG and KsE etc,etc to be THE PUSSY BANDS.

      • Biff Tannen says:

        I don’t care about the Jonas Brothers or any of those other bands because they don’t pretend to be metal…they are so far removed that it doesn’t bother me at all. However, LOG and KSE are FAKES

  79. Sin and Death says:

    ANOTHER Lamb of God album? Lame, just totally lame.

  80. The Great Danton says:

    Personally I think CtS is the best album, but I guess it wasn’t out for long enough. Oh well, Leviathan’s awesome too. Another thing I don’t understand is, why are Mastodon compared with Lamb of God all the time? The two seem to go and in hand , yet they sound completely different.

  81. AxeRipper says:

    St. Anger is #1

  82. Sin and Death says:

    The fact that either Meshuggah or Between the Buried and Me or any other noteworthy band was left off the list for ANOTHER LoG album is just ri-god-damn-diculous. I’m baffled, Jeffy.

  83. Andres says:

    What the hell is CTS?

  84. luisl says:

    Mastodon will be first or this will suck xD

  85. d.o.g.o.b.g.y.n. says:

    #1 HAS to be Reinventing The Steel.

  86. Watty says:

    Don’t know if anyone saw this…but:

    “annoying will become actual, honest to Satand metalheads,”

    After all that rhetoric, a simple misspelling hurts the review a lot, especially when it concerns such a lame topic. Don’t bring God-hating into the musical equation. There is no God, there is no Satan; there is, however, music. Don’t we metalheads hate it when a band defines themselves as Christian? Why do we do the same when it’s assumed that metal is the music of the devil…hypocritical nonsense…

    For one moment, let’s consider the two albums that have just been announced, BWP and AtPB. Looking at only these two, which should rated higher? Did these panelists actually pick it that way?!? The day that LoG puts out a better release than Opeth is the day I lose faith in music entirely…Come on guys, not good.

    Don’t get me wrong, I like me some LoG, but there’s no way in hell that they deserve to have three of their albums on the list LET ALONE two in the top ten. These guys are a good band, but releasing a solid album every year and a half or so doesn’t make you the best thing ever. Next time MS, pick a panel of voters that won’t be so biased (i.e. Chris A). They represent the quality of music that tentative metalheads enjoy, nothing too extreme, catchy beats and riffs that make you want to headbang ’til your head falls off; but is that really enough to make them better than Opeth or Gojira (i.e. the only bands that really qualify as better…man this list is bad)? As Ziltoid mentioned earlier, almost 25% of this list is dominated by LoG and KSE, which is heartbreaking as hell, considering they have no business getting that much praise. Mastodon is also taking up wayy to much of the limelight.

    The fact that they are a riff factory doesn’t make them insanely good, and last I checked compositional talent was one of the many go to arguments in favor of metal being better than everything else. For instance, the recently reviewed Leoprous album was insanely well written, and yet something like Slipknot somehow managed to make this list instead. This isn’t “The Top 21 Most Commercial metal albums of the 21st Century,” so let’s try and broaden the playing field a bit. For all those commenting that reside in countries other than America, know that the majority of us Americans DO NOT agree with most of these picks and would like to see more of a Scandinavian predominance in the choices…

    I propose that MS should make a user poll that is graded on the same premise as this one to settle the matter, after all, the opinion of the consumer is more important…Though perhaps we should separate it by genre as there have been so many comments that have been praising -core metal and I would hate for the list to be polluted. Honestly, how many spots were taken up by non-metal bands (Slipknot, Tool, Deftones, KSE) or plain bad picks (Shadows Fall, Converge) and repeats (Each band should have one pick – their best)?

    Some of the albums that deserve, at the very least, an honorable mention (in my opinion):

    Fortress – Protest The Hero
    Above the Weeping World – Insomnium
    Holographic Universe – Scar Symmetry
    Systematic Chaos – Dream Theater
    Silhouettes – Textures
    Tall Poppy Syndrome – Leoprous
    Lazarus – Hacride
    RUUN – Enslaved
    Fiction – Dark Tranquility

    …etc….

    • groverXIII says:

      Good suggestions… and I’m listening to Leprous right now, which makes twice that someone has posted the band I was listening to when I read their comment.

    • Canvas Of Flesh says:

      I don’t mind if a band identifies themselves as Christian. There are a few good christian metal bands out there. As long as the music is good I don’t really care as long as it’s not overly preachy.

    • Meshuggahhhhh says:

      SC was a pretty good album…..

      Ruun was awesome too……….i wonder why Vertebrae didnt make it on this list…..or for that fact any Meshuggah………serioulsly no meshuggah………..?????????

    • Nightrain says:

      KSE isn’t metal? What. I would definitely consider their post Alive or Just Breathing albums softer, but still metal. Either way, this is a POPULAR LIST. Meaning an album could have showed up at number 10 for every reviewer, but combined with how the points work, would end up a lot higher than that.

  87. Matt Smith says:

    A lot of these bands and albums really suck. I guess you have to respect metal core to understand this list… and I don’t. SOAD, Tool, Mastodon are great bands. Opeth and Lamb of God are OK, but 5 albums combined? …out of 21? I don’t know.

    • Nightrain says:

      Yeah, I think that is one of the major gripes many people are having with this list. I myself am a huge metalcore fan and I’m perfectly cool with many of the choices on this list. My only gripe is I’d think Machine Head’s The Blackening would be a lot higher (at least top ten), but other than that I can understand why a lot of the albums ended up where they did.

  88. lolwut says:

    Lamb of God should only have one album on this list but I’d definitely take them over some shitty ass power metal any day

  89. scrivener says:

    This is a brilliant write-up. I haven’t heard this album yet (yeah, yeah. shoot me) but the write-up alone is enough to get me to purchase it.

  90. Mark G. says:

    I like fucking metal. That’s it. Metal. As The Palaces Burn is a metal album, and one I like at that. How dare you compare this to “mallcore” shit like The Devil Wears Prada, or The Black Dahlia Murder? Just because more than 30 people know about a band doesn’t mean they suck. Lamb of God may not be the best metal band out there but there’s a reason they’re the leaders in modern metal, and they put on a really really fucking good live show.

  91. brookh says:

    anyone else think The Way of All Flesh should have made the list?

  92. Mancubus says:

    Leviathan is #1. I’m calling it early.

  93. Jim Flames says:

    5 observations on the list

    1.It would have made much more sense to only allow one album per band (the highest scoring album obviously) and just include a nod to their other albums in the write-up just to allow for some more diversity in bands.

    2.According to this list, pretty much every American band on here was responsible for the death of nu-metal/the rebirth of proper metal/the curing of all STD’s etc yawn. A bit of diversity in the quality of writing and not having to resort to “blah blah blah this album is br00tal” would have been nice.

    3.Ever listen to any European bands much? This whole metal was dead in the 90’s thing is tiresome because there was quality albums released right up until the mid 90’s in America and all throughout the 90’s in Europe – i guess everyone was looking the other way when in flames, at the gates, dark tranquillity, the haunted, arch enemy, carcass, napalm death, cathedral, opeth and about a million other bands were making seminal albums.
    People were listening to something instead of just crying about nu-metal surely?

    4. People actually crying about the bands on the list because they’re too popular/not tru-metal enough/not a band you like in particular really need to grow up. This list isn’t gospel and you don’t have to listen to these bands exclusively for the rest of your life once the list is done. Get over it, this is just a bunch of peoples opinions. You know if you asked a different website about the best albums of this decade..shock horror…some of the bands might not even be metal!!!!111

    5. Not that i give a shit because i personally rank these bands as amazing and important anyway but it is odd Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan and Poison the Well didn’t make the list because they produced some really influential albums.

    ah fuck it, i like all the bands on this list anyway.

    • Lord Bling says:

      I like your point about having a rule for only allowing one album from a band. I wonder how different this list would’ve been, and if more European bands would’ve made it on here.

      Or maybe it would only allow Papa Roach and Nickelback to squeak in under the wire.

  94. Martin says:

    Seriously? I’m not one to jump on the shit wagon, but seriously. FUCK this.

    Why don’t they just put up the both of the LOG and KSE discographies up here and call it a day. I think a lot of really good albums were overlooked. This list is bulllshit, I expected this shit from blabbemouth.

    So by the way it’s going to far, I’m taking it that St.Anger made #1?

    • Ziltoid says:

      I would fully support St. Anger for #1 just for the laughs that would ensue.

      • Hi-Def Piss Jugs says:

        More like a riot or revolt.
        It might be wise to shut the site down after that.

      • Lord Bling says:

        St. Anger would be epic lulz. So would Death Magnetic, since most of the press fellated them after that came out. “OMG it’s like old Metallica!” Yeah right. Keep telling yourselves that.

  95. Malacoda says:

    Meshuggah – Nothing
    Killswitch Engage – the End of Heartache
    Opeth – Blackwater Park
    The Ocean – Precambrian
    Between the Buried and Me – Colors
    Nile – Annihilation of the Wicked
    Behemoth – Demigod
    Animals as Leaders – Self Titled
    Cannibal Corpse – Kill
    Dream Theater – Octavarium
    In Flames – Clayman
    Cephalic Carnage – Anomalies
    Cattle Decapitation – The Harvest Floor
    Sigh – Imaginary Sonicscape
    Animosity – Shut it Down
    All Shall Perish – The Price of Existence
    The Faceless – Planetary Duality
    Decapitated – NIhility
    Machine Head – the Blackening
    Dark Tranquillity – Fiction
    Strapping Young Lad – Alien

    (No particular order)

    • notballs says:

      Harvest Floor was fucking amazing, but 99% of the slack-jawed imbeciles making this list wouldn’t have voted for it.

      • Canvas Of Flesh says:

        Cattle Decap’s music isn’t too bad, but I have a hard time listening to metal from a bunch of pussies. They don’t eat meat?! Seriously, what the hell? How the hell can you trust someone that won’t eat a burger. And, how the hell can you listen to DEATH metal made by fairies that refuse to eat a steak? They should have kept that to themselves.

        • Lord Bling says:

          You act like you can understand what he’s saying in their songs. I personally don’t care what the lyrics are about, as long as the music destroys. I’m agnostic, but I listen to Satan stuff, and I have some Christian death metal too. It’s just an opinion. Plus, not all of their lyrics are about being vegetarian.

          And to notballs, I like The Killing Floor more than any of their earlier albums, but I don’t like it enough to make a top 20 list for the decade. Also, my jaw is rather tight.

          Malacoda, of your list, I agree with:

          Opeth – Blackwater Park
          Between the Buried and Me – Colors
          Nile – Annihilation of the Wicked
          Behemoth – Demigod
          Cannibal Corpse – Kill
          In Flames – Clayman
          Decapitated – NIhility
          Strapping Young Lad – Alien

          CC’s Kill is the best post-Barnes album of theirs. And I cannot wait for the new Behemoth.

    • Jackson says:

      for listing our top albums you might want to actually make sure you got the albums right, it’s Animosity- Empires, Shut It Down just happens to be one of the best tracks on it

  96. Malacoda says:

    Oh, another thing I’m noticing – where the fuck are all the European bands? This list seems to be getting raped and gang-banged by patriotism. Let’s count the European bands on this list:

    Opeth (X2)
    Gojira
    In Flames

    That’s a really poor crop, especially considering how much better (in general) European metal has been compared to a lot of American crap. European deathcore? Ever heard it? Didn’t think so. 9 of the bands on my list (see above) are foreign, and that’s how it should be at the very least.

  97. ryan says:

    in my opinion, this is the number 1 album
    i dont give a fuck what any of you guys think

  98. FreedomThirtyFive says:

    True music lovers enjoy a variety of different genres\sub-genres of music. Just because I love Transylvanian Hunger doesnt mean I cant love As The Palaces Burn as well.

    • notballs says:

      True music lovers do enjoy a lot of different genres/sub-genres. But that doesn’t make them have good taste. Just because you name-checked Darkthrone doesn’t give you any cred.

      • FreedomThirtyFive says:

        So in your opinion someone who probably likes most of the same shit that you do, but also likes other music as well, doesnt have good taste?

      • my name is Richard, but you can call me Dick says:

        Just because you’re an asshole doesn’t give YOU cred.
        You & Ziltoid should go play Barbies together.

    • Johnny Death says:

      I think true music lovers don’t have to enjoy a variety of different musical styles but you do have to respect what others do. There is very good music out there that isn’t metal and theres a lot that isn’t very good. But i still respect what others do regardless. it helps to understand the objective is for any band is to be successful and to write music that is meaningful to themselves and their fans.

  99. -gODGRINDER- says:

    3 LOG’s on this list? Geez.

  100. Me says:

    This album has some good songs but overall it is boring compared to Ashes, Sacrament, and Wrath. I think those albums are a lot better from the perspective of memorable songs that are all unique compared to one another. That’s kind of why I was suprised to see New American Gospel. For Lamb of God to steal two slots with their earlier albums is an insult to BTBAM’s “Colors”, Mastodon’s “Crack The Skye”, Nevermore’s “Dead Heart In a Dead World”, etc. (because only one of them can be number 1). Of course I can name albums that I love by God Forbid, Unearth, and other bands that I will get slammed for listing, but for albums that are respected by elitist metalheads, many more worthy albums were left off.

  101. Ja5oN says:

    I’m surprised that Meshuggah has not been on the list thus far, or for that matter As I Lay Dying, Arsis, Soilwork, All That Remains, Nevermore, Necrophagist, The Faceless, Strapping Young Lad, The Black Dahlia Murder,,Darkest Hour, Scar Symmetry, Dimmu Borgir, Enslaved, The Absence, Amorphis, Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, Becoming The Archetype, Between the Buried & Me, Chimaira, The Haunted, God Forbid just to name a few off the top off my head. Also kind of find it strange that I don’t recall anyone mentioning Opeth’s Deliverance. IMO it’s their best album to date. I thought this list was called the 21 Best Heavy Metal Albums of the 21st century…so far? Most on this list deserve to be on here, but some of the bands/albums are very mediocre. Where the hell is the variety at? To me an album that would meet the criteria of “being the best” of the 21th century…(so Far) would be an album you listen to as a whole, not just a few good songs/singles.

    • Justin says:

      Hell Yeahhhh! Why haven’t we seen any All That Remains!!!! I know #1 is probably gonna be Leviathan but I hope It’s The Way of All Flesh. Or ATR!!

    • Me says:

      I agree. I guess the problem is the way the point system works. Because each person makes their own list without collaboration with the other voters, we get a lot of bands that are repeated (even though each person might not have three bands taking up half the albums).

    • gibberish says:

      Becoming the Archetype… nice

  102. James says:

    This has always been my favorite LOG cd, a lot of people love New American Gospel but this is the one that does it for me, Blood Junkie is my favorite song they have ever done everything about that song is amazing and the breakdown is evil.

  103. Callum says:

    FUCK!!! not more lamb of god!!! thats 3 albums!!! 3!!! and their not even the right ones!! Dont get me wrong, I love LoG, not as much as I love Chimaira or Mastodon, but ive still got everyone of their albums. But now it pisses me off that the list is dominated by LoG. And anyway, I think sacrament was a better album than ashes of the wake or new american gospel. But yes; as the palaces burn was better than sacrament. But who cares… I want a band i like on the list; Chimaira, daath, Misery index (notice how so far they all have/had Kevin Talley in them?), Trivium (dont really care tho), Avenged Sevenfold or even fucking Devildriver!!

    So thats what i reckon, and if you dont like it. why do you listen to what vince and axl have to say?

  104. Mark G. says:

    If Deftones and Tool could make the list, where was Porcupine Tree?

  105. Jimmy says:

    This is bullshit.

  106. Chris says:

    Ive been trying to figure this out since i baught this album 3 years ago, wtf is the cover of? does anyone no?

  107. Bullhead says:

    #2? are you serious? this has become a big Lamb Of God advertisement.

  108. F says:

    This has got to be the most close-minded list I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t be surprised now if the #1 of this list is Leviathan with Mastodon, cuz that album has gotten a lot of attention.

    Opeth at 2 places, Lamb of God at 3, KsE at 2. This is ridiculous.

    As The Palaces Burn is the second best album of the entire 21st century? You gotta be shittin’ me. I’ve listened to it a couple of times, and yes it is good but certainly not among my top albums of this century. As Bullhead said, “this has become a big Lamb Of God advertisement”.

  109. Z says:

    #1 is gonna be Sacrament… goddammit. It totally isn’t.

  110. Fail. Too much Lamb Of God

  111. TheHardG says:

    geez, its only 21 damn albums for crying out loud. im sure if it was the top 50 people would still complain like crazy. this was a good list though….number 1 is a two way tie between Gojira’s from mars to sirius and Mastodon’s leviathan….nuff said

  112. This Site Fucking Blows says:

    3 Lamb of God albums?! This list is a fucking joke! MS definitely can’t be taken seriously now.

  113. Nacho Cheese Doritos says:

    I just wanted to be comment #400.

  114. Classy Metal says:

    The fact that Meshuggah is nowhere on this list when at least 3 of the bands on it (LOG included) blatantly rip them off, is fucking criminal.

    Sure this is the best LOG record imho but too many great records were overlooked, since many i love were already mentioned here are ones I didn’t see get any love….

    Mayhem-Chimera
    Emperor-Prometheus
    Satyricon-Volcano
    Bloodbath-The Fathomless Mastery

    At least Opeth is here twice….

    • Dutchguy says:

      “The fact that Meshuggah is nowhere on this list when at least 3 of the bands on it (LOG included) blatantly rip them off, is fucking criminal.”

      Well, there’s still one to go, but I think it won’t be Meshuggah. Criminal indeed. If it wasn’t for Opeth, In Flames and Gojira, this list could very well be “The American Top 21 American metal albums of the American 21st Century”. Don’t get me wrong, I like Killswitch, Mastodon and Tool as much as the next guy, but there have been top-notch releases from other countries in the last 10 years, from Strapping Young Lad (Canadian eh), Meshuggah, Amon Amarth to Ayreon and Porcupine Tree.

      3 bands have 2 albums in the top 10. A little variety would be nice.

      Three LOG albums??? I wonder how many sexual favors Chris has offered to the other voters on the panel…

  115. Centurion says:

    This list has way to many albums from the same band on it. There’s little to no variety in it.

    And how come if Deftones and Tool can make this list Agalloch or Ulver can’t?

  116. Swine says:

    I’m going to say Sacrament or Leviathan for two reasons: 1. Wrath and Crack The Skye are simply too new/recent to warrant serious consideration and 2. all of Lamb Of God and Mastodon’s other albums are already on here so you might as well “collect the whole set” with one of them.

  117. LilalCFH says:

    Fuck Lamb Of God. Comma. Fuck This List. Comma. STEEL. Period.

  118. himynameismark says:

    How much you want to bet MS pulls a Jethro Tull and legitimately goes with Brokencyde or some shit like that?

    BUT IT HAS TEH BR00TAL VOCALS GO LISTEN TO COLDPLAY AND PRAISE UR NEW GODS IWRESTLEDABEARONCE

  119. broken says:

    Where is BLOODBATH?

  120. Shiv says:

    So where the fuck is Zao’s “(Self-Titled)”?

  121. MASTERJAKE5000 says:

    Fukkin Ziltoid is one of those pale guys playing World of Warcraft in his moms basement who jacks off 5 times a day wishing he cood one day find a girl (or man) that is interested in pretending to be viking warriors. Complete fucking nerd who makes metalheads look bad. If u dont like the site fucking leave. At least LOG represents real life not some king arthur loser bullshit. Your fucking PATHETIC.

    • Ziltoid says:

      With your clever and original insults, you have restored a good image to the metalhead tribe.

    • I Hate Ziltoid aka Nacho Cheese Doritos says:

      You forgot pimply, trench coat wearing, 7 x a day (not 6) and loves filming himself playing guitar hero on expert and then posting on youtube. Good call on the World of Warcraft! You know he be jamming his Kamelot while he believes he is the character in the game!

    • I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen anyone spell “could” as “cood”. Pretty awesome.

  122. Frampler says:

    Much as I love Mastodon, Lamb of God and Killswitch, and would say that they are probably the three best metal bands of the decade, it does seem excessive and myopic to have so many of their albums on this list, whilst overlooking the likes of Colors (god I hate the American spelling of that word), Ire Works, and Obzen to name but a few

    LOG are an amazing live band, with a large catalogue of awesome songs. However, I don’t think they have yet made an exceptional album – they have reached a level of ‘very good’ and stayed there. I hope they will one day produce something as awesome as Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood, Vulgar DIsplay of Power or Slaughter of the Soul, but I fear that over-congratulating them for their output thus far may see them rest on their laurels and continue to put out solid, but not spectacular albums of the Wrath and Sacrament genus.

  123. Phillip says:

    See You On The Other Side for #1!

  124. antitoxidote says:

    This list of rants takes forever to fully load on dial-up.

    MS;
    What’s the highest number of comments ever posted?
    I bet #1 will have 1000…

    • Lord Bling says:

      LOL @ ‘dial-up’

      You’re reading a list of the Top 21 Metal Albums of the 21st Century, and your internet is still stuck in the 20th Century.

      hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

      • antitoxidote says:

        I’m stuck in bumfuck nowhere for another 2mos, and that’s all that is available here.
        The local phone company doesn’t feel it’s worth their while to install hi-speed.

  125. Randy... I AM the liquor says:

    I bet the site will crash from being overloaded.

  126. braincake says:

    i think some of you would bitch and moan and argue about the color of an orange.

    • Callum says:

      no we wouldnt, we’d try and find something that rhymed with orange… or purple

      • Pity Da Fool says:

        Orange & purple would be very Halloweenish, and Rob Zombie eats his own cum.
        If you try to put orange down on your car insurance, they’ll tell you it’s red, so I’m going with that.

  127. Biggus Dickus says:

    YES!
    This list is working out perfectly!
    When Wrath shows up as #1, the list will be complete!
    Fuck Off all you Lamb Of God haters!

    • Anselmowitz says:

      Lol @ ur name. Stwike him Centuwian, Wery Woughly.

    • Damotello says:

      Wrath won’t be number one man, that’s not bashing LoG, I fucking love As The Palaces Burn and I got it the week it came out when I was 12 or 13, but there are better albums then wrath. I’d be very surprised if it’s not Leviathan at number one.
      Aside from that, I’m sad Ire Works, Fortress or Colours didn’t chart, like many others it seems. There should be a Metalsucks top 21 readers poll to go along with this. That’d be interesting I think.

      • lolwut says:

        i fail to see whats so great about fortress to me they sound like any other shity band i dont listen to and regret hearing

  128. Chimp-0-Neg says:

    yada yada yada ZILTOID SUCKS DICK, yada yada, LOG & KSE IMO, la la la la, NOT METAL, blah blah, #1! ftw! something, something, comments, commments, fuckyoufuckfyoufuckyou… WTF, leave the real shit to the adults, Wanking the Cadaver, bullshit bullshit bullshit, Leviathan, fucking LIST. Trendy listcore bands, for hipsters, yawn yawn, satan, Whatever, friggun list…

  129. Jackson says:

    Kind of off topic but, one album I feel that gets over looked a lot and I dont think I ever saw pop up in any comments is Circel Takes the Square- As the Roots Undo, by far one of my favorite albums of all time. I realize its “metal” credibility might be questionable but damn that cd is amazing, sends chills up my spine every time I listen to it.

  130. GamlaSonn says:

    My fav LoG album.. but too much metalcore on the list

  131. mr lun says:

    does anybody who is complaining actually understand how the list was compiled?

    • Ziltoid says:

      We all do. Hence why we think that all 58 or so of them are idiots.

      The problem with this “random sampling” is that MS didn’t put much variation into their sample pool. It’s all industry people, blog people, or people from bands of similar genres (i.e., someone from LoG, two from Shadows Fall, and one from Chimaira). Frankly, I think the industry people were unnecessary, since their bias is pretty obvious. The blog people, however questionable their taste may be, are fine for such a poll. But if you’re going to poll musicians, poll ones from completely different genres. Get a black metal guy, a power metal guy, one metalcore guy, a death metal guy, etc. That would have definitely provided a much more accurate result.

      • mr lun says:

        fair enough. just seems that people are getting mad worked up and complaining about how the list sucks when in reality, the complaints should be more like the one you just made. “You guys suck, this list sucks” implies that no real understanding of this “random” sampling, as random or unrandom as it may be.

      • Jackson says:

        Actually there are a couple of those on there they are just out numbered considerably

      • Chimp-0-Neg says:

        Having said that, I’d be pretty interested in knowing what CT from Rwake chose.

        I’d bet his were very different choices from all those Roadrunner Relapse types.

  132. iceman says:

    COLORS!
    COLORS!
    COLORS!
    COLORS!
    COLORS!
    COLORS!
    COLORS!
    ^that fuckin album better be #1

  133. uLy says:

    My fav lamb of god album and it definitely deserves to be here at number 2, or could have been number 1. And it sucks that Crack the Skye wont make this list, it’s truly the best Mastodon CD which has changed the bands future forever.

  134. bananakid says:

    I totally get it about the voting system and all, but why the fuck were these guys hyping it so much? Why can’t it be a single post about how they polled a bunch of wankers from the industry which shows the entire corresponding list. Why the fuck do they have to count it down and make a big deal about it when half of the choices on here are absolutely fuckin pathetic. Ok guys, listen : There’s still a way to redeem yourself. Put Arsis’ A celebration of guilt as no.1 and instantly regain all your metal cred. Hell, even Dethklok’s dethalbum smokes every single album on this list. School sucked ass for the last couple o’weeks and I was totally looking forward to checking out some cool new bands from this list. So…major dissapointment, ’cause I totally dig this site.

    • Ziltoid says:

      Simple: they want website hits. Dragging this over 21 days brings in much more traffic, more ads are clicked, etc.

      • Chimp-0-Neg says:

        I didnt know you were such a cynic Ziltoid.

        • Ziltoid says:

          I’m quite the cynic. Plus, what I said is completely correct.

          • bananakid says:

            Although i dont approve of your particular brand of elitism, you’ve got a point there. You’re not half as bad as they make you out to be, dude.

            BUT Tool = Metal as fuck.

  135. Glorious Johnson says:

    “and it raped my sister and killed my dog”

    should it be more like killing your mother and raping your dog?

  136. Frank says:

    You know, I picked up Traced In Air on hype alone (I had never heard of Cynic before. I know I know how dare I call myself a metalhead blah blah). I didn’t like it at first, but I’ve been listening to it recently, and it’s really freaking good. I’d re-arrange some of this list to include it on there….maybe replace Toxicity or Perseverance with it.

    Oh BTW, As The Palaces Burn is interchangeable in my own top 3 with Blackwater Park and Leviathon so……

    • Lord Bling says:

      That’s cool. I’m glad someone else joined the ‘cult’ of Cynic! They deserve all the attention they can get.

  137. rob-209 says:

    where is alaska or bbts – soundtrack to the personal revolution

  138. griffo110 says:

    btbam ftw

  139. Meta says:

    As the Palaces Burn is a good album…. but the production is SO BAD!!! Remaster plz

  140. Carl says:

    PANTERA – REINVENTING THE STEEL

    crushes any album on this list, and should be number 1.

    • American Hate says:

      False. I love pantera but that record does not “crush” gojira lamb of god or opeth.

      Stop being a foolish, i doubt you ever attended a pantera concert and you were in high school dime got shot.

      Fanboy.

  141. The Greys says:

    I like quite a few of the albums the panelists picked, but overall, I’d say this is a pretty lazy list. There aren’t many surprises here – the only dark horse pick is Nachtmystium.

    I’m not saying they should’ve selected only the most “kvlt” albums ever … more diversity would have been nice. But maybe I’m just bitter that they didn’t include any High On Fire.

    • Meta says:

      I saw High on Fire once. Think they were opening for Opeth. I figured they had to be high on something to make music that shitty.

  142. Cyclic says:

    wtf!!!! no colors on the list!!!???

  143. Meshuggahhhhh says:

    Can anyone tell me what does the cover of this album represent…..i mean what is it?

  144. CJ says:

    Wrath is better.

  145. mount moshmore says:

    SACRAMENT!!!

  146. suetracy says:

    I found some sweet live cds and dvds at http:www.bidtunnel.com are these guys opening for Metallica for the USA tour?

  147. u know what there are several albums missing on this list
    killwitch engage should be on that list gojira ? a really >>

    slipknot ??? no way
    hatebreed ??? really ? best of the decade ? what a shitty list they only thing i can say is that at least it recognizes as the palaces burn and blackwater park …….

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