Moral Fibre is a lifestyle blogging network. Register to start Contributing

Top Metal Albums of 2009

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by Levon Rivers in Blog, Music, featured, metal

Here’s my list of the best albums of 2009 – in alphabetical order. Enjoy, feel free to comment

TOP METAL ALBUMS OF 2009

Architects – Hollow Crown

A pretty awesome British band that @RichardPeirce told me about – if you’re a fan of Bring Me The Horizon, check them out…

Baroness – The Blue Record

A new find this year, I am pretty impressed with these guys – some very different-sounding sludge tunes. Listen to A Horse Called Golgotha to see if its your kinda music.

Behemoth – Evangelion

I first heard Behemoth when their song Slaves Shall Serve came out, and they scared the crap out of me (I’m still new with the black metal) – and now these crazy Polish death metallers have made a truly dark album – be sure to check out their video for Ov Fire And The Void.

Chimaira – The Infection

One of my favourite bands hands-down, Chimaira deliver another solid album – my favourites include Impending Doom and The Venom Inside – but hell, the whole album is goddamn insane – I love it.  Check the video for Destroy and Dominate.

Dethklok – The Dethalbum II

If you haven’t seen the animated series Metalocalypse, you’re missing out on some great metal comedy – cool stuff.  Dethklok’s first album blew me away – Murmaider is still one of my favourite intro songs, brutal. Favourites off this album include Bloodlines and – of course – Murmaider II. Check the video for Bloodlines.

God Forbid – Earthsblood

I first saw God Forbid opening for Devildriver and was waiting eagerly for this album – it’s amazing – pity that Dallas Coyle (guitar and clean vox) has since left the band.  Have a listen to Walk Alone and The Rain.

Heaven And Hell – The Devil You Know

This album was borderline for me, until I remembered that Dio just got diagnosed with cancer… I really enjoyed the opening track Atom and Evil.

Job For A Cowboy – Ruination

One of my favourite, most brutal bands. Check the video for Unfurling A Darkened Gospel.

Killswitch Engage – Killswitch Engage

I’ve loved Killswitch since I got that Freddy Versus Jason soundtrack many years ago (isn’t it awesome how horror movie soundtracks always have such great music!) – this album has been slated pretty badly with people saying how they are sticking with their formula and all that crap – I don’t care, I like it Take a listen to Reckoning, This is Goodbye or Never Again for some awesome tunes, or check out the obligatory slo-mo-running Killswitch video of Starting Over.

Lamb Of God – Wrath

Another highly anticipated album that got slated – but to be honest, when you are comparing something to Sacrament and Ashes of the Wake, you’re asking for trouble! I still thought it was amazing – be sure to listen to Reclamation, In Your Words and Set to Fail. Check out the video for their Grammy-nominated song Set to Fail.

Mastodon – Crack The Skye

A definite contender for my album of the year – all I can say is go have a listen right now for some of the best music around. Fave song is definitely The Czar, but check the videos for Oblivion and Divinations.

Steel Panther – Feel The Steel

These guys came out of nowhere – nothing like some cheese Glam rock! Youtube Death To All But Metal for a taste of what they’re about.

The Empire Shall Fall – Awaken

Jesse Leach, Killswitch Engage’s former singer’s new band. Very activist and hardcore, and still one of the best voices in metal. Voices Forming Weapons is my fave track so far – check out a teaser vid for the album here.

OK, SO THEY AREN’T FULLY METAL, BUT HAVE A LISTEN TO THESE GUYS…

OR maybe they are metal. I don’t care. Screw labels, listen to the music…

Living Colour – The Chair In The Doorway

These guys have been around for ages, but I only got into them this year – funk metal, its pretty awesome!

Muse – The Resistance

I really enjoyed Muse at Cokefest, and their new album is classic Muse – their single Uprising is my favourite though – check the video here…

The Devin Townsend Project – Ki

I’m a freakin’ huge Devin Townsend fan – Ki is part one of a 4 part series he is doing – it is super chilled, with some seriously different stuff going on – I especially like the female singer he gets in for some of the vocals. Have a look at the video for the track Coast.

The Devin Townsend Project – Addicted

…and here is part 2 of the series. Did I mention I love it Have a listen to the title track Addicted and check out the video for Bend it like Bender.

Russian Circles – Geneva

I saw the instrumental band Russian Circles opening for Trivium a few years back in London, and they blew me away – their first full album Enter is still my favourite – but have a listen to Malko off their newest album – I recommend zoning out to it with your headphones on, awesome…

Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures

I am a huge Dave Grohl and Led Zeppelin fan, so I was understandably amped to hear a collaboration of Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). Everyone got in a hissy fit before the CD even came out about, but I seriously enjoyed it – I think it’s got an awesome different sound, and some seriously catchy riffs. Youtube New Fang and see what I mean.

THIS YEAR’S FAILS

Not to say that I didn’t enjoy them – they just weren’t as good as I was hoping!

Caliban – Say Hello To Tragedy

The German masters of the breakdown didn’t really outdo themselves on this new album, definitely not as good as their previous face smashers. Here’s their video for the first single, 24 Years.

Devildriver – Pray For Villains

One of my favourite bands – I have loved every song they have ever done up till this album, but Pray For Villains just didn’t grab me like their other stuff does. Their are some epic riffs and all that, but all in all, it was a big letdown for me. Check out the weird video for the title track Pray For Villains and see if you agree/disagree.

Hurt – Goodbye To The Machine

One of the best unknown bands around, they had a great hit a while back with the song Rapture and yet I struggle to find anyone who has even heard of these guys! Unfortunately, the new album doesn’t seem to have the same crazy angst that the previous ones did – I hope the singer hasn’t worked out his issues, because the lyrics he used to sing included some crazy shit. Rather get hold of one of their previous albums like Volume I or Volume II to hear what I’m talking about. You’ll be glad you did!

Rammstein – Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da

Another of my old favourites – unfortunately I prefer their earlier albums. I would still kill to see these guys live, but I dunno – they seem to be going more for shock value than those awesome simple heavy riffs they used to do so well (check out the video for Pussy - they have blurred out the NSFW bits, not sure where you can get hold of the original video anymore! I guess most bands wouldn’t be willing to do a full on porn shoot as a video, lol)… And here is the just-released video for Ich Tuh Der Weh – its pretty awesome!

Threat Signal – Vigilance

Threat Signal’s debut album Under Reprisal was one of my best albums back in 2006, with the insanely cool song A New Beginning, but they then had some major band member changes, and I don’t think they recaptured that awesomeness of the first album…

YES,  I LEFT THEM OUT…

If I didn’t at least put Megadeth and Slayer on the list, I’d never hear the end of it. Not my favourite bands I’m afraid… So sue me

Megadeth – Endgame

Dave Mustaine is a whiny prick. Its hard for me to get over that and like the music when all I can hear is that whining voice. See the video for their first single Head Crusher if you like Megadeth…

Slayer – World Painted Blood

Another band I never really got into, although I really rate that old song of theirs, Skeletons of Society. I saw them live at Download and thought they were thoroughly outclassed, not to mention Kerry King also irritates the hell out of me. Get over yourself dude, and stop comparing yourself to Dimebag or Zakk Wylde.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

I feel that these 2 are worth a listen – even if its for something different. Always cool to hear your favourite bands screwing around or doing some awesome covers…

Austrian Death Machine – Double Brutal

As I Lay Dying are one of my top 5 bands, so when I heard their singer Tim Lambesis was doing a side project, I was keen. Admittedly, I enjoyed the first album Total Brutal more, but the covers and all that on this album are brilliant. Check the very weird video of I Need Your Clothes, Yout Boots, Your Motorcycle for some ‘Arnold the Governator’ goodness…

Children Of Bodom – Skeletons In The Closet

Skeletons in the Closet is a covers only album from the Finnish metal pioneers, and they do some really different ones – such as Britney Spears’ Oops, I Did It Again. My favourite is definitely Iron Maiden’s Aces High – but the cover of Creedence’s Lookin’ Out My Back Door is pretty damn kiff too!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the list, and found some new music to listen to. Feel free to recommend some of your favourite albums of 09 in the comments, I’m sure I missed out on some great stuff!

Related posts:

1. Metal to look out for in 2009 | A list of the latest Metal Albums
2. Slicktiger’s albums of the year ’09
3. Mellow Metal
4. Heavy Metal Podcast 2009
5. Hatebreed (2009) The Review

Tags: 2009, best metal albums 2009, best of metal 2009, levons metal list, metal, metal albums 2008, metal albums 2009, metal albums I should buy, metal in 2009, metalhammer, Music, South African music