The late ’00s roll on with the year that saw the return of Carcass and Emperor, the disbandment of Strapping Young Lad, and the unthinkable reunion of the brothers Cavalera after a decade long feud. It was also the last year of my life before I became fully consumed by heavy metal. I’m talking of course about 2007. Looking over this year’s list, it’s a rather even fight between the newcomers and old schoolers, the latter getting the slight edge if only because A. My self-admitted bias and B. Even in their later years, these bands were still cooking. Some of them still are! Find out who in our Top 10 Metal Albums of 2007.
10. U.D.O. – Mastercutor
Although most hardly remember now, the classic lineup of Accept briefly got back together for a string of shows in 2005. After splintering initially in ’87, and going belly up again in ’97, the band must’ve thought third time was the charm. Considering this reunion ended just as quickly as it started, it proved to be anything but. I can’t help but think frontman Udo Dirkschneider was frustrated by the constant turmoil in the Accept camp. These feelings of anger and rage boil to the forefront of his first album after this latest failed reunion, Mastercutor. Everything about this album, from the riffs and lyrics to the production and Dirkschneider’s vocal performance, sounds pissed off, making for one masterful slab of Teutonic metal.
9. Skeletonwitch – Beyond the Permafrost
Looking back, it’s not surprising that Skeletonwitch was one of the premiere extreme metal bands of the late ’00s and early ’10s. The band took the term “crossover” to a new level, bravely melding the ferocity of thrash, twistedness of death metal, and darkness of black metal to create a style that was uniquely their own. Throw in a healthy dose of melodic hooks and it all comes together on their sophomore blitz, Beyond the Permafrost. From a musical viewpoint, this was the sound of a band firing on all cylinders. The twin guitars are perfectly in synch with each other, the drumming is maniacal, and frontman Chance Garnette’s vicious growls are a force to be reckoned with. Vengeance was theirs!
8. Sigh – Hangman’s Hymn
When we last heard from Japanese cult legends Sigh, it was just two years earlier in 2005 when they tried their hand at traditional metal with Gallows Gallery. Never ones to repeat themselves, the band took a total 180, going back to a black metal sound for their anticipated follow up album, Hangman’s Hymn. Wait, did I say black metal? Pardon me. I meant to say symphonic black metal. As far as I’m concerned, in the scope of this genre, Hangman’s Hymn rivals only Emperor’s output. Sigh add their signature demented avant-garde twist to symphonic black metal hymns that emphasize the grandiose, making for an outing that’s morbidly spellbinding.
7. High on Fire – Death Is This Communion
Nearly a decade since he formed High on Fire out of the ashes of Sleep, and guitarist/vocalist/human cannabis nugget Matt Pike was gladly enjoying his status as the Lemmy of the stoner metal scene. High on Fire was proving to be as impactful as his prior band, spawning a sea of stoner/doom/sludge imitators to follow in the late ’00s and early ’10s, for better or worse. Their ripping brand of stoner-speed reached new heights on their fourth album, Death Is This Communion. This outing took the band’s abrasive attitude and ungodly heaviness, upping them tenfold on classic cuts like “Fury Whip”, “Rumors of War”, and the title track. To this day, it is probably the HoF album I return to the most.
6. The Lord Weird Slough Feg – Hardworlder
The sixth album in their catalog, Hardworlder continued Slough Feg’s reign as the bizarro kings of traditional metal. For this outing, SF returned to the sci-fi themes that dominated one of 2003‘s finest, Traveller. The listener is treated to the saga of a cyborg hitman (“Hardworlder”) set to a soundtrack that can only be described as prime Thin Lizzy meets valiant US power metal and prog metal at its most schizophrenic. Faithful covers of Horslips’ “Dearg Doom” and Manilla Road’s “Street Jammer” make this album all the more memorable, considering most traditional metal bands play it safe with the obligatory Priest or Maiden cover.
5. Primordial – To the Nameless Dead
Maybe it’s just me, but black metal was in a rather odd place during the latter half of the ’00s. The so called glory days of the ’90s were long over and its resurgence wouldn’t arrive for a few more years, leaving the genre floating around in a musical purgatory of sorts. This isn’t to say there weren’t releases that filled this void. Take the aforementioned Sigh album for example, or Primordial’s To the Nameless Dead. Expanding upon the ’90s explorations of Bathory and Enslaved, To the Nameless Dead is a colossus of epic black metal with nods to the pagan and folk strands of the genre. Both the music and lyrics are alluring, running circles around your average corpsepaint clad clowns.
4. Hardcore Superstar – Dreamin’ in a Casket
Hardcore Superstar is a great hard rock band. They’re an even better metal band. After five albums of swaggering sleaze, everyone’s favorite Swedish hedonists kicked their guitars and attitudes into overdrive on album number #6(66), Dreamin’ in a Casket. For those who had abandoned ship by the time Skid Row released Subhuman Race (1995), this was the follow up to Slave in the Grind (1991) that never was. Granted, I’d be doing Hardcore Superstar a massive disservice by dismissing them as mere Skid Row worshippers. However, one can’t help but hear the similarities in the riffs, song structures, and Jocke Berg’s snarling vocals. As far as I’m concerned, Dreamin’ is of the same caliber as the Skids at their finest, unapologetic arena metal with a take no prisoners approach.
3. Onslaught – Killing Peace
Like many bands of their era, Onslaught met their demise come thrash’s downfall in the early ’90s. They lay dormant for the better part of 13 years before reuniting in 2004 for the obligatory run of the festival circuit. It wasn’t long after that the time came for these English veterans to prove themselves in the studio, and boy did they do so. Similar to ’80s thrashers Destruction and Exodus with The Antichrist (2001) and Tempo of the Damned (2004) respectively, Onslaught made the aughts their own with the bloodthirsty Killing Peace. Intended to be the follow up to The Force (1986) that never was, Killing Peace pairs the brutality of the ’80s with modern production tropes, making for one lethal blow of an album. You’ll need a neck brace after this one!
2. Saxon – The Inner Sanctum
Following 2004’s power metal flavored Lionheart, Saxon were absolutely on fire. It had been nearly 30 years since their debut album and they were playing with the youthful vigor and unbridled confidence as a band of youngsters. It’s this spirit that guided the band on their 17th studio album, The Inner Sanctum. Whereas Lionheart felt like a response to the euro power metal scene of the era, The Inner Sanctum comes off as everything great about classic Saxon in one album. Proto-thrash fury? Prepare to bang to “Need for Speed” and “Let Me Feel Your Power”. Pseudo-prog adventurism? Immerse yourself in the ambitious “State of Grace” and “Atila the Hun”. Denim and leather clad fun? Raise your voices to the glory of “I’ve Got to Rock (To Stay Alive)”. The Inner Sanctum has it all and more.
- Candlemass – King of the Grey Islands
The bad news? Despite singing on the best metal album of 2005, it wasn’t enough for Messiah Marcolin to stay behind the mic for Swedish epic doom pioneers Candlemass. The good news? The rest of the band remained determined to keep their arcane fire burning, doing so with none other than Solitude Aeturnus vocalist, Robert Lowe. Considering SA were essentially the American Candlemass, it’s no surprise Lowe handles the material on King of the Grey Islands so well. Without trying to sound like Marcolin or original singer Johan Längquist, he fit the band’s mold, and on perhaps their darkest outing to date. Maybe it’s just the raw production, but there’s something downright terrifying about cuts like “Emperor of the Void”, “Devil Seed”, and “Clearsight”, just to name a few. No doubt, Candlemass were the Kings of the Grey Islands and the kings of 2007.
Honorable Mentions
- Immolation – Shadows in the Light
- Nifelheim – Envoy of Lucifer
- Tales of Medusa – Triumphant Serenade
- Type O Negative – Dead Again
- W.A.S.P. – Dominator