10. Warbringer- War Without End
- I love seeing thrash metal (still the best sub-genre of 'em all) making a revival, but of all of the new thrash bands none are more brutal and ass kicking than Warbringer. America's answer to old school German thrash bands like Kreator, Destruction, and Sodom, these guys are fast as fuck and, this masterpiece of a debut album feels as vicious as World War III.
9. Disturbed- Indestructible
- Disturbed deserve a lot of credit for continuing to mature, change, and grow in each of their albums. Heavy, melodic, and catchy this is their best yet. And, to that is saying a lot. From the title track to such totally killer tracks like "The Night", "Criminal", and the first single "Into the Fire" totally stick with you upon just the first listen.
8. Light This City- Stormchaser
- Goddamn! It is such a shame this band broke up, because this is their best album, yet. A masterpiece of American melodic death metal, this is a blistering album with thrashy, fast guitars, blastbeats, and the awesome growl of beautiful lead signer Laura Nichol make this an underrated album from an underrated band that simply has to be part of your collection. For added awesomeness checkout Testament's Chuck Billy doing guest duet vocals on the track "Firehaven". Please, get back together guys, we metalheads need more work from you guys!!!!!!!!
7. Metallica- Death Magnetic
- Man, I really doubted could that Metallica could ever have another great album, but they proved me wrong. After horrendous attempts at being alt-metal (Load and Re-Load) or nu-metal (St. Anger), they came back to their thrash metal roots with this fast, heavy, and ass kick-releasing. It has all you could ask for in a Metallica album: technically sound, long, heavy songs, and killer ballads like the magnificent "The Unforgiven III". Songs like "All Nightmare Long" and "My Apocalypse" rank among the best tracks of the whole fucking year. By and far the best comeback album in ages.
6. Bleeding Through- Deceleration
- This is the finest metalcore album of the year and one of the heaviest and best the sub-genre has ever produced. Brandan Schiappati screams and signs with the best of them and the brutal breakdowns and blistering blastbeats combine with the lovely Marta's keyboards for a vicious music experience that will rip your face right off and then stomp all over it.
5. Slipknot- All Hope Is Gone
- It's amazing how good these guys keep getting. But, what is even scarier is that this is their BEST work, yet. A great combination of heavy and pissed-off tracks like "Gematria" combine with catchy, but still brutal, songs like "Psychosocial" or slower songs like "Dead Memories" to make an almost, if not in fact, perfect album. The song "Sulfer" is easily one of the top three songs I have heard released this year.
4. Arsis- We Are the Nightmare
- Technically savvy and heavy this melodic death band have given the metal world one of the best albums the sub-genre has heard in some time. Awesome lyrics, clear but heavy vocals, fast riffs, blastbeats, and some of the coolest death metal songs I have ever heard all add up to an album that people who like their death metal to have melody in it should not be without.
3. Testament- The Formation of Damnation
- They are back, better than ever. The best straight up thrash metal album of the year, this album proves to all that Testament still fucking matter. Chuck Billy once again proves to be one of the best signers in the entire thrash world. And, he accompanies himself with a band that has the legitimate talent to be seen as gods of their brand of mayhem. Easily ranks with the best work that they, or any other thrash band, have ever put out.
2. Trivium- Shogun
- While I enjoyed their last album, The Crusade, it lacked something. There is nothing that this album lacks. By combining technically superior thrash metal riffs with metalcore screaming Trivium have found their sound. No longer trying to be Metallica, Trivium have released their own classic. The songs are long, fast, heavy, and aggressive and make you wanna thrash around your room or office (though I suggest you avoid doing that at work). Fuck the naysayers, Trivium fucking rules.
1. Children of Bodom- Blooddrunk
- Debuting at an amazing 22 on the Billboard 200 (the second highest ever for a death metal, beaten only by Dethklok's Dethalbum) this ranks as one their best works, yet. The amazing guitar work, kick ass keyboards (yes, i fucking said it, the keyboards kick ass), the speed, the heaviness, the lyrics, the changing tempos, man everything on this one just fucking works. These guys deserve all the props they get. Signer/ guitarist Alexi Laiho is a fucking guitar metal god. Blooddrunk is an awesome, horns up, headbanging, killer album to get drunk, party, and just plain fucking rock out. To me, this is unquestionably the year's best work. All hail Children of Bodom!!!!!!
There are tons more of great albums released this year, but I wanna give the following honorable mentions (although there were more good metal albums released in 2008):
AC/DC- Black Ice
Cradle of Filth- Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder
Sister Sin- Switchblade Serenades
Death Angel- Killing Season
All That Remains- Overrcome
Amon Amarth- Twilight of the Gods
In This Moment- The Dream
Origin- Antithesis
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Now playing: Metallica - The Day That Never Comes
via FoxyTunes
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