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Your Album Picks 2000 – 2009
Ever see those lists for album of the year, well let’s knock it up a notch and make this interesting with your album picks from 2000 – 2009. There are no limits as to how many albums you can add, but please do tell us a bit about the album and why it is in your list.
Iron Maiden – A matter of Life and Death – 2006
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Brave New World was a top contender to make my list, but honestly I feel that A Matter of Life and Death is such a positive evolution of the band that it is more than worthy to be in my list. What sets this, the 14th album, from the rest of Maidens masterful discography is that it was recorded without any mastering of the songs. What you hear from the album is what you would hear in the studio and it plays a major role in establishing this album as one of their best yet. With three main guitarists, on paper you could say that is far too many, but what blasts out of the speakers is a harmony between the three which creates a sound that is truly incredible, with a mix of blisteringly fast and melodic sound and it all harmonized beautifully. Each song takes its time to tell its story well, with some of the more epic titles like “For the Greater Good of God” breaching the 9 minute mark with ease, these tracks manage to paint a picture in your mind that is so vivid and strong that to even consider for a second that these tracks are too long would be madness. Brave New World was masterful, A Matter of Life and Death is simply epic and shows a great maturity, not just in sound but in content from one of the best in the world and that is why it makes it into my list.
Mastodon – Blood Mountain – 2006
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Mastodon certainly made an impact on the metal world with their previous albums, particularly Leviathan and with Blood Mountain they were brilliantly able to take charge and create another masterpiece. From the opening “Wolf is Loose” and “Crystal Skull” they supercharge the album with some solid heavy riffs, heavy yet upbeat tempo and vocals with brilliant range from short fire growls to long-winded notes. “Sleeping Giant” slows the pace somewhat and can easily be said to be one of the most beautiful tracks on the album, with great tempo changes and some truly inspiring guitar work. “Colony of Birchmen” however is a real stand out with sensational drumming, memorable lyrics and an ace riff that is impossible to forget. Blood Mountain makes it as one of my picks for this decade as it truly is a unique, wonderful, surreal and supercharged take on metal music. Truly refreshing.
Heaven and Hell – The Devil You Know – 2008
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It was 1992 since the last original work came from Ronnie James Dio, and with the news that he was reforming with his metal brothers from his Black Sabbath days, no doubt they were going to cook up something special, and by god they have. This is about as old school as you can get in the metal world as the whole album is brilliantly composed with licks reminiscent of the 70’s, but masterfully reinvigorated with years and years of experience gained from the god like Iommi, with solid and heavy riffs that dive in and out from being beautiful to just throw the devil horns epic. Dio may be allot older from his last outing, and his voice has matured noticeably, but what he has crafted is nothing short of excellent with notes and harmonies that are truly wonderful to hear. This makes it into my list as it is such a throw back to the days of yonder where metal was being forged from brutal hard work, and it is an album that should not be missed for metal fans.
Ever see those lists for album of the year, well let’s knock it up a notch and make this interesting with your album picks from 2000 – 2009. There are no limits as to how many albums you can add, but please do tell us a bit about the album and why it is in your list.
Iron Maiden – A matter of Life and Death – 2006
Brave New World was a top contender to make my list, but honestly I feel that A Matter of Life and Death is such a positive evolution of the band that it is more than worthy to be in my list. What sets this, the 14th album, from the rest of Maidens masterful discography is that it was recorded without any mastering of the songs. What you hear from the album is what you would hear in the studio and it plays a major role in establishing this album as one of their best yet. With three main guitarists, on paper you could say that is far too many, but what blasts out of the speakers is a harmony between the three which creates a sound that is truly incredible, with a mix of blisteringly fast and melodic sound and it all harmonized beautifully. Each song takes its time to tell its story well, with some of the more epic titles like “For the Greater Good of God” breaching the 9 minute mark with ease, these tracks manage to paint a picture in your mind that is so vivid and strong that to even consider for a second that these tracks are too long would be madness. Brave New World was masterful, A Matter of Life and Death is simply epic and shows a great maturity, not just in sound but in content from one of the best in the world and that is why it makes it into my list.
Mastodon – Blood Mountain – 2006
Mastodon certainly made an impact on the metal world with their previous albums, particularly Leviathan and with Blood Mountain they were brilliantly able to take charge and create another masterpiece. From the opening “Wolf is Loose” and “Crystal Skull” they supercharge the album with some solid heavy riffs, heavy yet upbeat tempo and vocals with brilliant range from short fire growls to long-winded notes. “Sleeping Giant” slows the pace somewhat and can easily be said to be one of the most beautiful tracks on the album, with great tempo changes and some truly inspiring guitar work. “Colony of Birchmen” however is a real stand out with sensational drumming, memorable lyrics and an ace riff that is impossible to forget. Blood Mountain makes it as one of my picks for this decade as it truly is a unique, wonderful, surreal and supercharged take on metal music. Truly refreshing.
Heaven and Hell – The Devil You Know – 2008
It was 1992 since the last original work came from Ronnie James Dio, and with the news that he was reforming with his metal brothers from his Black Sabbath days, no doubt they were going to cook up something special, and by god they have. This is about as old school as you can get in the metal world as the whole album is brilliantly composed with licks reminiscent of the 70’s, but masterfully reinvigorated with years and years of experience gained from the god like Iommi, with solid and heavy riffs that dive in and out from being beautiful to just throw the devil horns epic. Dio may be allot older from his last outing, and his voice has matured noticeably, but what he has crafted is nothing short of excellent with notes and harmonies that are truly wonderful to hear. This makes it into my list as it is such a throw back to the days of yonder where metal was being forged from brutal hard work, and it is an album that should not be missed for metal fans.
