Top 10: Metal Albums of 2005

We’re officially halfway through the 00s! While most metal lists chronicling this era and through the early ’10s are likely by hipsterized “metal” and wimpcore, ours is bound to look a little, well, different. Despite the so-called NWOTHM being nearly a decade away, there was still no shortage of killer traditional metal albums in 2005, many of which make up this list. There’s also some proggy freakouts, manic thrashin’, and the return of 2 metal legends, both of which you know from past Top 10 lists. Who are these mystery bands? Find out all that and more in our Top 10 Metal Albums of 2005.

10. Insane – Wait and Pray

I’m positive I’ve said it on here before, but I’ll say it again. If Show No Mercy was the only album Slayer ever released, they’d still go down in metal history as legends. How many albums can stake the claim of inspiring entire bands to form and subsequently make careers of worshipping said album? Not many, but Show No Mercy is one. Although Italy’s Insane was a one and done band, their sole outing, Wait and Pray, gives us a glimpse of what could’ve been had Slayer NOT taken the black eye makeup off. In the mold of the album it pays homage to, Wait and Pray is rife with unholy high speed thrashers, each one boasting nods to the NWOBHM, early hardcore, and of course, Venom. Even the song titles and lyrical content takes straight from the SNM necronomicon (i.e. “Sacrificer”, “Four Magicians”, “Death by Command”). It’s an unabashed clone album, yes, but a damn fine one which easily earns a spot on this list.

9. Toxic Holocaust – Hell on Earth

2 years after taking the underground by storm with their debut onslaught, Evil Never Dies, the one-man black/thrash militia known as Toxic Holocaust returned lethal as ever with their sophomore album, Hell on Earth. Granted, in the 2 years between Evil and Hell, Toxic Holocaust released a slew of splits and singles, further honing their craft and intensifying their attack. On Hell, Joel Grind injects a nasty crossover attitude into the already savage first wave black metal blitz, coming off at times like early D.R.I. being assaulted by In the Sign of Evil era Sodom. In other words, mosh to this bad boy at your own risk. You just might open up a portal to the underworld, unleashing true Hell on Earth!

8. Judas Priest – Angel of Retribution

15 years after kicking the entire metal genre in the ass yet again with the groundbreaking Painkiller, Judas Priest were BACK. Well, that’s a lie. Priest hadn’t gone anywhere, continuing to tour and record with archetypal rags to riches tribute singer Tim “Ripper” Owens in place of the Metal God, Rob Halford. Realizing that virtually nobody cared about them without the voice that made them famous, Priest and Halford made amends a decade after their acrimonious 1992 split. The result was a triumphant run of reunion shows and the subsequent reunion album, Angel of Retribution. Is it Painkiller? No way. In fact, I’d argue it’s not even Halford’s Resurrection. It is, however, an incredibly strong traditional metal album for the era and I’m tired of pretending it isn’t. Yes, there are some duds on here. The last thing we needed was 13 and a half minute doom metal dirge about the Lochness monster, but I digress. There’s no way a true headbanger can’t get down to the likes of “Judas Rising”, “Deal with the Devil”, and “Hellrider”.

7. The Lord Weird Slough Feg – Atavism

Although this was their first album under the simplified moniker of “Slough Feg”, The Lord Weird Slough Feg remained weird and lordly as ever on their fifth album, Atavism. Just like on past efforts, these underground barbarians continued to scramble the brains of headbangers the world over with a dizzying blend of bloodthirsty US power metal, pastoral Wishbone Ash inspired proto-folk metal, aggressive thrashing, and muscular Thin Lizzy-esque twin guitars. The songs on here aren’t nearly as lengthy as past release, many clocking in between 1 and 3 minutes. However, they still pack that primal Slough Feg punch, even albeit their abbreviated structures.

6. Sigh – Gallows Gallery

After 15 years of pushing black metal as far as it could possibly go and then some, Japanese cult legends Sigh shed their corpsepaint and gauntlets for their sixth full length, Gallows Gallery. What can best be described as a twisted avant-garde spin on dark traditional metal à la Mercyful Fate and Angel Witch, this album is seldom discussed by maniacs, even in the context of Sigh’s catalog. Perhaps it’s too out there even for Sigh fans? Make no mistake, had Sigh existed in the early 80s, they would’ve made a hell of a traditional metal band, schizophrenically fusing the no BS approach of the NWOBHM with the gusto of Mk. II Deep Purple and adventurism of progressive rock, and doing so with ease. Is your head spinning yet?

5. Opeth – Ghost Reveries

Sigh wasn’t the only 90s extreme metal band hopping further down the prog rabbit hole in 2005. So was Opeth, who also turned a deeper shade of Purple on their eighth album, Ghost Reveries. This was Opeth’s first album with a full time keyboardist (Per Wiberg). For a band who genuflected at the altar of all things progressive, it’s incredible they made it this long without such a player in their ranks. As a result, lush keys and intricate musical passages play a pivotal role in the architecture of this album, while those early death metal tropes have since been reduced to undertones. It was a sign of things to come for these spunky Swedes, but also a masterclass in prog metal wizardry.

4. Manilla Road – Gates of Fire

It’s rather incredible to think that Gates of Fire is the second best Manilla Road album with the word “Gates” in the title (The best being 1984’s Open the Gates, of course.) Nearly 30 years since their formation, the epic metal pioneers remained valiant as ever on this outing which consists of 3 lengthy trilogy suites. The raw production gives this album a very “kvlt” 80s feeling, but even more impressive is founder Mark “The Shark” Shelton’s ongoing quest to create enthralling, fantastical metal of the highest order. Like every Manilla Road album before and after, the lyrics and music are a force to be reckoned with: Power and passion unchained.

3. Crashdïet – Rest in Sleaze

When Crashdïet hit the scene with their debut album, Rest in Sleaze, it took damn near everyone by surprise. A balls-out celebration of all things hedonistic and big haired? Yeah, even in the wake of The Darkness’s glam flavored debut, Permission to Land (2003), this was not on anyone’s 2005 bingo card. What was even more incredible is that Rest in Sleaze didn’t come off as some half hearted novelty. These dudes adhered to the ethos of Mötley Crüe’s Too Fast for Love, Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction, and W.A.S.P.’s self titled debut, and it shows. Rest in Sleaze lives up to its name: 10 slabs of nasty, brooding, sleaze metal mania. Just cuz they wore makeup doesn’t mean they couldn’t kick your ass! Unfortunately, the album’s title became only more ironic when founding singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Lepard committed suicide less than a year after its release. He was only 25, but left an indelible mark on glam metal with this monolith of an album, which rightfully sits among the top 3 of ’05.

2. Deceased – As the Weird Travel On

Calling all weirdos! 20 years since King Fowley founded this band of miscreants, Deceased continued to prove that there was far more to “death metal” than guttural vocals, gravity blasts, and try-hard brutality. The band remained deadly as ever while continuing to expand their sonic palette beyond the realms of most folks comprehension on the incredible As the Weird Travel On. Like Supernatural Addiction (2000) and Fearless Undead Machines (1997) before it, Weird combines ghastly lyricism with old school metal heroics and punishing death/thrash devastation. The entire album is terrifically terrifying, playing like the soundtrack to an obscure horror film. Many consider this to be the band’s finest hour, and while I don’t particularly agree (Fearless forever), I don’t take offense to such branding either.

Candlemass – Candlemass

Behold! The Messiah has come again! By “Messiah”, I’m referring to Messiah Marcolin, the bellowing, cassock-clad frontman who put Candlemass on the map as Scandinavia’s premiere epic doom mercenaries in the late 80s. 16 years since their last album, Tales of Creation (1989), the band put aside their differences for one more go-around in their self titled album. After a series of outings that were good, but not great, Candlemass took the band back to basics, emphasizing crushing riffs, thrilling musicality, and arcane lyricism delivered with operatic grace. Marcolin’s voice remained untouched by time, while the rest of Candlemass brought the doom like it was 1987 all over again. Unfortunately for us, a full blown reunion this was not to be. Just as quickly as Marcolin returned, he departed, leaving Candlemass to flail in the wind until the 2018 return of Epicus Doomicus Metallicus vocalist, Johan Längquist. Let’s just be glad they held it together to give us the greatest metal album of 2005.

Honorable Mentions