In the 2000s, metal bands explored themes beyond just fantasy and horror – many even explored national identity and religious beliefs.
After the symphonic weight of Mother Earth, Within Temptation made their dramatic mark with Midian. This groundbreaking debut pushed the limits of symphonic metal music and took inspiration from avant-metal pioneers Neurosis and Isis.
Black Fucking Sabbath
Black Sabbath have seen it all. From Ozzy Osbourne’s quad bike accident to Tony Iommi’s lymphoma diagnosis, the Birmingham quartet have come close to death numerous times over its existence.
Their legendary sound transformed heavy metal during the 70s, inspiring generations of fans – it is truly remarkable that they’re still performing today!
Their comeback album 13, produced by Rick Rubin, was an astounding success. Their riffs have been given new life that will delight veteran Sabbath fans while remaining accessible to those born decades after first recording their songs on vinyl. 13 is an impeccable masterpiece that cements Sabbath as originators of heavy metal; their live performance was one of my favourite shows this year with an enthusiastic crowd that was truly memorable.
Bullet For My Valentine
BFMV are one of the finest modern British metal bands! Combining heavy riffs with clean vocals, their debut album Poison is an outstanding example. Beginning with an orchestral intro (provided by Finnish cello masters Apocalyptica) before transitioning into heavy distorted guitars that can’t be denied!
BFMV also produces more experimental songs such as Curses and its title track, which combine soft guitar harmony with intermittent singing – though these don’t compare as favourably with their heavier material.
BFMV’s second album, Scream Aim Fire, was much faster and more aggressive than their debut, leaning more towards thrash metal than metalcore and produced by Colin Richardson. However, their most successful effort yet – Gravity – saw them return to their signature sound with heavy solos and muscular riffs for maximum impact; making this their most successful effort thus far.
Blackwater Park
Blackwater Park by Swedish progressive metal outcasts is the album that solidified their place as a formidable force. A spectacular blend of heavy metal riffage and delicate acoustic passages, Blackwater Park is truly epic in scale.
Akerfeldt’s vocal melodies flit between soprano and bass tones, with her songwriting techniques used on tracks like The Drapery Falls allowing ferocious climaxes to puncture repetitive structures with purposefully long melodic structures and repetitive structures containing purposely repetitive structures. Even Patterns In The Ivy, an acoustic instrumental opener track, stands out with its dynamic power and moving piece that showcases Akerfeldt’s talent for delicate harmony over sparse guitar arrangements.
Blackwater Park features many songs that address human suffering in one way or another, including Funeral Portrait, Harvest and Dirge For November. But its songs also contain soothing muzak bridges that allow listeners to escape from its pain.
Angel Of Retribution
After completing their reunion tour, the band entered the studio to create Angel Of Retribution; it marked Rob Halford’s first album since 1990’s Painkiller.
This album was an impressive metal effort reminiscent of classic Priest sound. Filled with mid-paced bangers featuring twin guitar leads and Scott Travis double-kick fed drums. Songwriting was solid with several ballads that highlighted Halford’s range as a vocalist.
Modern production set this reunion album apart from the nu-metal trend at the time, giving its songs an air of modernity that gave the impression they had been recorded more recently than decades earlier – particularly songs such as the hard hitting “Demonizer” and soulful “Worth Fighting For”. Overall it proved an effective comeback that laid down a firm foundation for future success.
Anthems Of Rebellion
Songs about rebellion convey the essence of defiance against authority and social norms, be they political or personal. Rebellious music can encourage change by giving voice to people’s dissatisfaction with authority figures.
Arch Enemy’s debut album features all of their signature elements: crushing riffs, incredible solo’s and incredible musicianship. But there are also more atmospheric moments such as “Marching on a Dead End Road”, as well as dark melancholic songs like ‘Exist to Exit’ with Michael and Chris Amott’s guitar melodies providing soothing respite from their melodic guitar playing.
Although Angela Gossow’s unique grunt and voice are absent from this album, it still manages to deliver. Though lighter in sound than their previous release Wages of Sin, Wrath of Angels contains all the essential components for fans of melodic death metal music and more importantly offers plenty of melody that makes each tune truly captivating and captivating.
City Of Evil
Orange County band Avenged Sevenfold have made waves with their major label debut City of Evil, abandoning emo/hardcore music for an all-out brand of heavy metal. This record features fiery twin guitar assaults from Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates but it stands out for its bold change in vocal styles from frontman M. Shadows; from his previous metalcore recordings to power metal wails and even some glam-influenced snarls on earlier records, as he explores new territory in his voice experimentation he experiments with various styles in his vocal delivery on previous recordings with impressive results.
Songwriting on this album also markedly improved, with songs like “Bat Country” focusing on an individual whose family had been murdered and how they vow to take revenge in life. Furthermore, “Strength of the World” features some symphonic metal parts; since its release A7X have never looked back; now selling over half their total records!
Hybrid Theory
Hybrid Theory was an instantaneous hit upon its release. From “One Step Closer” and its follow up “Crawling,” both tracks quickly rose up the charts to reach number two on Billboard 200 chart as well as receiving certification by RIAA as 12x Platinum album.
Hybrid Theory stands out from mainstream rock albums with its profound lyricism and emotional resonance. From its lyrics covering inner demons (Crawling) to dealing with society pressure (“Papercut”) and relationships (“In the End”), Linkin Park’s songs struck an emotional chord among an entire generation searching for authenticity and connections.
The music of Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda’s duo exudes raw energy, seamlessly interweaving vocals by Chester Bennington with Mike Shinoda rapping. Their sound draws upon various sources for inspiration while seamlessly merging different genres into a unique sound that draws upon all their members’ backgrounds and cultures.
Metallica
Metallica’s first album with producer Bob Rock proved a career-defining triumph. Packed with powerful thrash anthems like “Enter Sandman,” as well as experimental progressive tracks such as the hauntingly beautiful “Nothing Else Matters,” Metallica showed their music could go beyond mere headbanging.
James Hetfield’s signature growl-style vocals and lyrics that explore themes of apocalyptic destruction have long been part of Metallica’s sound, while drummer Lars Ulrich’s precise riffing keeps their music grounded.
“Phantom Lord” highlights the breadth and depth of this record and its ability to transcend metal’s traditional confines to reach a wider audience. The stately instrumental finale “The Grand Conjuration” proves metal is much more than simply blasting distortion into ears; it is an art form worthy of praise – metal at its finest!
Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge was formed by former members of Creed in 2004, and their debut album One Day Remains was released that same year. They quickly saw more favorable reviews on Blackbird – some even consider it as being where they hit their stride!
Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti form the cornerstone of Alter Bridge. With their melodious voices and transcendent guitar solos, they epitomize modern stadium rock soundscape. Alter Bridge has cemented this sound into their very being and will likely remain relevant long into the future.
Alter Bridge has continued their signature sound with the recent release of Pawns and Kings, an album full of hard riffs and synthy elements that creates an urgent soundtrack. They have also been touring extensively to promote it – allowing fans an incredible opportunity to witness them perform live!
Judas Priest
Judas Priest helped transform Heavy Metal from its roots as Blues-Rock music of the 1960s into its international phenomenon of today. Alongside Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath, they are one of the most influential bands ever; their music has inspired numerous other groups; their lead singer Rob Halford’s signature leather-and-studs stage outfit is instantly recognisable as an indicator of Judas Priest.
After several lineup shifts (bassist Ian Hill and guitarist KK Downing both left in the 1970s, and Richie Faulkner replaced Les Binks on drums), their current classic lineup came together in 1974. Since then they have released fifteen studio albums and two live recordings, all earning various degrees of critical and commercial success; their latest offering being Redeemer of Souls released in 2014.