Top 20 Heavy Metal CDs Of 2006
Numbers 1 - 10)
2006 was a strong one for heavy metal. Some veterans proved they still have it, some lesser known bands became stars and a lot of talented newcomers burst upon the scene. In 2006 I reviewed nearly 400 CDs for this site, and used that information to compile this list. After multiple listens and the passing of time there are a few CDs that I now think are better than when I first reviewed them, and vice versa, and that's reflected in the list as well. Here are my choices for the top heavy metal CDs of 2006.
1) Mastodon - Blood Mountain (Reprise)On their latest album Mastodon has made the jump to a major label. Did that also make them jump the shark, or do they continue their streak of excellent albums? The latter is definitely the case. Mastodon hasn't lost any of their quirkiness or innovativeness on Blood Mountain.Read the complete Mastodon review
2) Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side (Metal Blade)Amon Amarth's approach on this album was very different than in the past. First they decided to use a producer for the first time instead of just having an engineer. They were also able to quit their day jobs and put in intense songwriting sessions for this album. The result is their most focused and polished release to date. Read the complete Amon Amarth review
3) Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death (Sanctuary)Whenever a legendary band like Iron Maiden releases a new CD there's a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. They've had so many great albums over the years and you hope that this one can at least come close to some of those classics, but know that a band that's been around so long could be on the down side of their career and is just hanging on. In Iron Maiden's case there is no need to put them out to pasture just yet. Read the complete Iron Maiden review
4) Cannibal Corpse - Kill (Metal Blade)Cannibal Corpse delivers under pressure, and their latest release ranks right up there with their best. They don't break out a whole lot of new tricks on this album, they just bludgeon you with what they do best. Devastating riffs, blistering solos and maniacal drums are played with technical precision.Read the complete Cannibal Corpse review.
5) Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse (Inside Out)Evergrey hasn't completely changed their stripes. The songs still have some keyboards and an element of darkness. They've just amped up the melody and the hooks. And as always, Tom Englund's vocals are outstanding. His powerful voice is one of the best in metal.Read the complete Evergrey review.
6) Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies (Roadrunner)With As Daylight Dies Killswitch Engage is ready to take things to the next level. They continue to bludgeon the listener with monstrous and aggressive riffs, but also incorporate even more melody than they have in the past. They've managed to write songs that are catchy as hell, but still brutal enough that metal fans will be able to mosh to their heart's content. Read the complete Killswitch Engage review.
7) Lamb Of God - Sacrament (Epic)This is a CD that starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the end. The dual guitar attack of Mark Morton and Will Adler shreds and solos their way around the rock solid and very underrated drumming of Chris Adler. There are some very memorable and catchy songs, including "Redneck," which seems destined to be a crowd favorite at Lamb Of God concerts.Read the complete Lamb Of God review.
8) Mercenary - The Hours That Remain (Century Media)This carries forward the style Mercenary evolved into on the last album while breaking new ground. The songs are lengthy, with only one clocking in at under five minutes. They combine the complexity of progressive metal and the soaring melody of power metal with the speed and aggression of thrash.Read the complete Mercenary review.
9) Celtic Frost - Monotheist (Century Media)The 2006 edition of Celtic Frost is closer to the 1983 edition of Hellhammer. The songs are dark, plodding and heavy with droning doom metal guitars. Fischer's voice has aged nicely. His baritone is strong and unique, and he throws in some black metal style vocals as well. You'll also hear some female goth style vocals. The songs are flawlessly and painstakingly constructed with layer after layer of music that you appreciate more with each listen.Read the complete Celtic Frost review.
10) Voivod - Katorz (The End)This album has a nice combination of Voivod's trademark chaotic and unusual riffs and more traditional and simpler thrash metal compositions. Michel "Away" Langevin is a superior drummer who is able to add a lot of texture and bombast with his unique style. Piggy's guitar work is as distinctive and skilled as ever, but it's Snake who really shines. His vocals are some of the best he's done, and delivered with range and emotion.Read the complete Voivod review.
11) Deicide - The Stench Of Redemption (Earache)It's as angry and brutal as ever, and the new guitarists breathe new life into Deicide's approach. You might not even notice because of all the blast beats and breakneck riffing, but there are some actual melodies here. They have added a subtle layer of complexity to the band's brutal arsenal, which makes the songs that much more powerful. Read the complete Deicide review.
12) Gorgoroth - Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (Candlelight)Gorgoroth plays black metal with a lot of death metal influences and even some doom metal sounds. It has great grooves and riffs, but also an overriding atmosphere of darkness. Frost (1349/Satyricon) is the drummer on this album, and he simply crushes. Gaahl's vocals are an evil rasp, and the lyrics deliver Gorgoroth's satanic message. This is an album that will leave you musically satisfied, and as with all really good black metal albums will also leave you feeling a bit unsettled.Read the complete Gorgoroth review.
13) In Flames - Come Clarity (Ferret)On their latest album, In Flames has done a great job in keeping with their classic sound while also doing some experimenting and being relevant with today's metal scene. This album is the complete package that's both brutal and melodic. It's diverse in both style and vocals and has everything you want and expect from an In Flames album plus a few surprises.Read the complete In Flames review.
14) Devin Townsend Band - Synchestra (Inside Out)This album is just like Devin Townsend: a little strange but filled with moments of musical genius. Unlike his Strapping Young Lad project, this has a lot more softer parts. Synchestra is so diverse that it is almost experimental. If it had to be categorized, progressive metal would be the closest genre, but it is so much more than that. There are soft acoustic songs, long prog metal influenced tracks, heavy thrash influenced songs and even a polka.Read the complete Devin Townsend review.
15) Napalm Death - Smear Campaign (Century Media)Napalm Death invented grindcore, and of course that is still their bread and butter. But they are also able to dial back the tempo and get into a crushing groove. It's a good balance of lightning fast blast beats and breakneck riffs along with more ominous death metal style playing.Read the complete Napalm Death review
16) All That Remains - The Fall Of Ideals (Prosthetic)All That Remains have broadened their style and on this album you'll hear everything from thrash to death metal to traditional metal to metalcore. The songs have tons of melody and memorable riffs, but also gallop along at maximum intensity. The dual guitars shine with crunchy leads, intricate interplay and creative solos.Read the complete All That Remains review.
17) Vader - Impressions In Blood (Candlelight)On this CD Vader tempers their brutality with some very catchy moments. There are plenty of devastating blast beats and powerful riffs, but also some really groovy riffs and searing solos. They combine breakneck technical death songs with slower, more traditional death metal compositions. Vader also inserts some black metal style intros and interludes that give the whole CD a more epic sound.Read the complete Vader review
18) Strapping Young Lad - The New Black (Century Media)Only a year after the very well received Alien, Strapping Young Lad has managed to equal and in many ways top that CD. The key word to describe The New Black is balance. As strange as that word may seem in describing this band, there really is a great balance between serious and tongue in cheek songs along with a balance of melodic and screaming vocals.Read the complete Strapping Young Lad review.
19) Intronaut - Void (Goodfellow)Intronaut's unique sound blends the brutal and the experimental. At times the songs are doomy death metal with harsh vocals. Then all of a sudden there will be an instrumental break that's progressive and almost jazzy sounding. Then the brutality begins again. Read the complete Intronaut review.
20) Isis - In The Absence Of Truth (Ipecac)Groups like Isis aren't tied down by conventional song structures, which makes them complex and interesting. On the downside, the lack of traditional hooks and choruses makes it harder for songs to be memorable. But with a few more listens you begin to appreciate the depth and complexity of what's going on, and discover that there actually are some very memorable things about this CD.Read the complete Isis review
2006 was a strong one for heavy metal. Some veterans proved they still have it, some lesser known bands became stars and a lot of talented newcomers burst upon the scene. In 2006 I reviewed nearly 400 CDs for this site, and used that information to compile this list. After multiple listens and the passing of time there are a few CDs that I now think are better than when I first reviewed them, and vice versa, and that's reflected in the list as well. Here are my choices for the top heavy metal CDs of 2006.
1) Mastodon - Blood Mountain (Reprise)On their latest album Mastodon has made the jump to a major label. Did that also make them jump the shark, or do they continue their streak of excellent albums? The latter is definitely the case. Mastodon hasn't lost any of their quirkiness or innovativeness on Blood Mountain.Read the complete Mastodon review
2) Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side (Metal Blade)Amon Amarth's approach on this album was very different than in the past. First they decided to use a producer for the first time instead of just having an engineer. They were also able to quit their day jobs and put in intense songwriting sessions for this album. The result is their most focused and polished release to date. Read the complete Amon Amarth review
3) Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death (Sanctuary)Whenever a legendary band like Iron Maiden releases a new CD there's a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. They've had so many great albums over the years and you hope that this one can at least come close to some of those classics, but know that a band that's been around so long could be on the down side of their career and is just hanging on. In Iron Maiden's case there is no need to put them out to pasture just yet. Read the complete Iron Maiden review
4) Cannibal Corpse - Kill (Metal Blade)Cannibal Corpse delivers under pressure, and their latest release ranks right up there with their best. They don't break out a whole lot of new tricks on this album, they just bludgeon you with what they do best. Devastating riffs, blistering solos and maniacal drums are played with technical precision.Read the complete Cannibal Corpse review.
5) Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse (Inside Out)Evergrey hasn't completely changed their stripes. The songs still have some keyboards and an element of darkness. They've just amped up the melody and the hooks. And as always, Tom Englund's vocals are outstanding. His powerful voice is one of the best in metal.Read the complete Evergrey review.
6) Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies (Roadrunner)With As Daylight Dies Killswitch Engage is ready to take things to the next level. They continue to bludgeon the listener with monstrous and aggressive riffs, but also incorporate even more melody than they have in the past. They've managed to write songs that are catchy as hell, but still brutal enough that metal fans will be able to mosh to their heart's content. Read the complete Killswitch Engage review.
7) Lamb Of God - Sacrament (Epic)This is a CD that starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the end. The dual guitar attack of Mark Morton and Will Adler shreds and solos their way around the rock solid and very underrated drumming of Chris Adler. There are some very memorable and catchy songs, including "Redneck," which seems destined to be a crowd favorite at Lamb Of God concerts.Read the complete Lamb Of God review.
8) Mercenary - The Hours That Remain (Century Media)This carries forward the style Mercenary evolved into on the last album while breaking new ground. The songs are lengthy, with only one clocking in at under five minutes. They combine the complexity of progressive metal and the soaring melody of power metal with the speed and aggression of thrash.Read the complete Mercenary review.
9) Celtic Frost - Monotheist (Century Media)The 2006 edition of Celtic Frost is closer to the 1983 edition of Hellhammer. The songs are dark, plodding and heavy with droning doom metal guitars. Fischer's voice has aged nicely. His baritone is strong and unique, and he throws in some black metal style vocals as well. You'll also hear some female goth style vocals. The songs are flawlessly and painstakingly constructed with layer after layer of music that you appreciate more with each listen.Read the complete Celtic Frost review.
10) Voivod - Katorz (The End)This album has a nice combination of Voivod's trademark chaotic and unusual riffs and more traditional and simpler thrash metal compositions. Michel "Away" Langevin is a superior drummer who is able to add a lot of texture and bombast with his unique style. Piggy's guitar work is as distinctive and skilled as ever, but it's Snake who really shines. His vocals are some of the best he's done, and delivered with range and emotion.Read the complete Voivod review.
11) Deicide - The Stench Of Redemption (Earache)It's as angry and brutal as ever, and the new guitarists breathe new life into Deicide's approach. You might not even notice because of all the blast beats and breakneck riffing, but there are some actual melodies here. They have added a subtle layer of complexity to the band's brutal arsenal, which makes the songs that much more powerful. Read the complete Deicide review.
12) Gorgoroth - Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (Candlelight)Gorgoroth plays black metal with a lot of death metal influences and even some doom metal sounds. It has great grooves and riffs, but also an overriding atmosphere of darkness. Frost (1349/Satyricon) is the drummer on this album, and he simply crushes. Gaahl's vocals are an evil rasp, and the lyrics deliver Gorgoroth's satanic message. This is an album that will leave you musically satisfied, and as with all really good black metal albums will also leave you feeling a bit unsettled.Read the complete Gorgoroth review.
13) In Flames - Come Clarity (Ferret)On their latest album, In Flames has done a great job in keeping with their classic sound while also doing some experimenting and being relevant with today's metal scene. This album is the complete package that's both brutal and melodic. It's diverse in both style and vocals and has everything you want and expect from an In Flames album plus a few surprises.Read the complete In Flames review.
14) Devin Townsend Band - Synchestra (Inside Out)This album is just like Devin Townsend: a little strange but filled with moments of musical genius. Unlike his Strapping Young Lad project, this has a lot more softer parts. Synchestra is so diverse that it is almost experimental. If it had to be categorized, progressive metal would be the closest genre, but it is so much more than that. There are soft acoustic songs, long prog metal influenced tracks, heavy thrash influenced songs and even a polka.Read the complete Devin Townsend review.
15) Napalm Death - Smear Campaign (Century Media)Napalm Death invented grindcore, and of course that is still their bread and butter. But they are also able to dial back the tempo and get into a crushing groove. It's a good balance of lightning fast blast beats and breakneck riffs along with more ominous death metal style playing.Read the complete Napalm Death review
16) All That Remains - The Fall Of Ideals (Prosthetic)All That Remains have broadened their style and on this album you'll hear everything from thrash to death metal to traditional metal to metalcore. The songs have tons of melody and memorable riffs, but also gallop along at maximum intensity. The dual guitars shine with crunchy leads, intricate interplay and creative solos.Read the complete All That Remains review.
17) Vader - Impressions In Blood (Candlelight)On this CD Vader tempers their brutality with some very catchy moments. There are plenty of devastating blast beats and powerful riffs, but also some really groovy riffs and searing solos. They combine breakneck technical death songs with slower, more traditional death metal compositions. Vader also inserts some black metal style intros and interludes that give the whole CD a more epic sound.Read the complete Vader review
18) Strapping Young Lad - The New Black (Century Media)Only a year after the very well received Alien, Strapping Young Lad has managed to equal and in many ways top that CD. The key word to describe The New Black is balance. As strange as that word may seem in describing this band, there really is a great balance between serious and tongue in cheek songs along with a balance of melodic and screaming vocals.Read the complete Strapping Young Lad review.
19) Intronaut - Void (Goodfellow)Intronaut's unique sound blends the brutal and the experimental. At times the songs are doomy death metal with harsh vocals. Then all of a sudden there will be an instrumental break that's progressive and almost jazzy sounding. Then the brutality begins again. Read the complete Intronaut review.
20) Isis - In The Absence Of Truth (Ipecac)Groups like Isis aren't tied down by conventional song structures, which makes them complex and interesting. On the downside, the lack of traditional hooks and choruses makes it harder for songs to be memorable. But with a few more listens you begin to appreciate the depth and complexity of what's going on, and discover that there actually are some very memorable things about this CD.Read the complete Isis review
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