Are we really halfway through the ’10s? Surely, this can’t be…can it? Indeed, it is. 2015 was a peculiar time for metal in hindsight. The ’80s thrash worship, hipster black metal, and Meshuggah-core wankery of just a few years earlier had essentially died out. Despite boasting a co-headline of Slayer and King Diamond, Mayhem Fest, the final mainstay of the major touring mainstream metal fests, went belly up. And most devastating of all, against all odds, Lemmy left this mortal realm on December 28, 2015, at the age of 70. To say 2015 ended on a sour note would be an understatement, but it wasn’t all bad. In fact, here’s 10 shining examples of why the year ruled.
10. Lucifer – Lucifer I
Kicking off our list at #10 is an album that came in at the tail end of the occult rock craze, and in many ways, marked the end of the movement. A supergroup featuring members of Angel Witch, Cathedral, and the recently disbanded The Oath (we hardly knew ye), Lucifer hypnotized the metal masses with their debut album, Lucifer I. Conjuring a wicked musical brew that fused the doom and gloom of Black Sabbath with the breezy mysticism of Fleetwood Mac, Lucifer stood head and shoulders above the largely tired crop of ’70s hard rock devil worshippers that had since clogged the underground. The songs were as memorable as they were magickal, and while subsequent albums would reach even greater (and more accessible) creative heights, there’s no denying that Lucifer I is the beginning of a spectacular journey.
9. Tribulation – The Children of the Night
By the mid ’10s, Tribulation had already earned a reputation as one of the most wildly unpredictable bands in metal, which says a lot for a band who had, at that point, only two albums to their name. 2009’s The Horror was a ripping exercise in Swedish death/thrash, while 2013’s The Formulas of Death saw the band go full Opeth mode. Come 2015, the band shifted gears once again, this time fully embracing their gothic calling with The Children of the Night. An invigorating blend of gothic atmosphere, traditional metal musicianship, black ‘n’ roll outbursts, and even Beatles-esque psychedelia, The Children of the Night perplexed me upon its release. However, as time went on, I’ve grown to appreciate it, and feel they have yet to drop an album that comes close.
8. Raven – ExtermiNation
With wings outstretched and swords to the air, Raven swooped into 2015 with their first album in over half a decade, ExtermiNation. It would be the final album to showcase the lineup of the brothers Gallagher, John on bass and vocals and Mark on guitars, and longtime drummer Joe Hasselvander. And boy, did they go out with a bang. In true Raven, fashion ExtermiNation is an all guns blazing outburst of English speed and unrelenting fury, with aggression bordering on thrash akin to Nothing Exceeds Like Excess (1988) and Architect of Fear (1991). Ironically, it would be another five years until we’d hear from the undisputed champions of “Athletic Rock” again, but ExtermiNation definitely held us over in the interim.
7. Saxon – Battering Ram
Nearly two decades since Saxon regained their footing with 1997’s Unleash the Beast, the premiere bringers of “Heavy Metal Thunder” continued to strike with Battering Ram. By now, metalheads knew exactly what they were going to get, but the end result was brilliant nevertheless. High speed ragers like the opening title cut, “Stand Your Ground”, and “Destroyer” recalled the early ’80s magic of the band’s NWOBHM heyday, while power and prog oriented suites like “Queen of Hearts”, “Top of the World”, and “Kingdom of the Cross” could’ve fit on Lionheart (2004) or The Inner Sanctum (2007). To say Saxon hadn’t lost a hint of power or glory would be an understatement.
6. Motörhead – Bad Magic
Lemmy famously told Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee at his 50th birthday party, “If I die tomorrow, I couldn’t complain. It’s been good.” Following that quote, he proceeded to kick ass and take names for another 20 years, rocking and rolling audiences all around the world until the very end, literally. Before he left us, Lemmy, alongside his old cohorts Mikkey and Phil Campbell, left us with one final full length outing of unadulterated speed, rip-roaring bass lines, gutsy guitar riffs, and undisputed attitude: Bad Magic. Contrary to its title, Motörhead’s 40th anniversary affair was far from a bad album. No, this bad boy kicked as much ass as any Motörhead album before it, and served as a fitting ending to one of the most important bands who ever walked the face of the earth. They were Motörhead, and they played rock n’ roll.
5. Enforcer – From Beyond
Behold: The last truly excellent Enforcer album. Don’t get me wrong, I dug Nostalgia and even the AOR flavored Zenith (sue me now). That said, late ’00s through mid ’10s Enforcer was damn near untouchable, reaching an apex of traditional metal revivalism on their fourth album, From Beyond. Per usual, there was no shortage of savage speedsters. “Destroyer”, “One with Fire”, “Hell Will Follow”: All excellent songs to burn rubber and defy the authorities to. But how about melodic moments like “Undying Evil” and the title track? Channeling the glory days of Scorpions, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and so forth, Enforcer had the traditional metal underground by the balls in 2015, which makes us wonder where it all went wrong. Here’s to hoping they can regain their throne sometime in the future.
4. Division Speed – Division Speed
Division Speed’s self titled debut is the sole album on this list that I didn’t buy or listen to upon its release, simply because I wasn’t aware of it at the time. I’m not sure exactly when or how I stumbled upon this breakneck gem, but I’m sure glad I did. In the tradition of their Teutonic forefathers Kreator, Destruction, and Sodom, Division Speed specialize in absolutely relentless blackened thrash that goes balls to the wall from beginning to end. Couple the absurd speed with war themed lyricism and riffage that tears through flesh like shrapnel, and you’ve got one of the best thrash albums of this century. If listening to this album doesn’t make you want to bench press 350 pounds immediately, you probably shouldn’t be reading this webzine.
3. Queensrÿche – Condition Hüman
With one of the nastiest legal battles in metal history behind them, Queensrÿche moved onward and upward with their new singer, Todd La Torre. After the glorified victory lap that was their self titled 2013 album, they proceeded to follow it with an outing that subsequently blew it out of the water altogether, Condition Hüman. It was as if the US power metal majesty of The Warning, futuristic explorations of Rage for Order, and grandiose delivery of Operation: Mindcrime were fused together into one incredible offering of forward-thinking steel. It would also be the last Queensrÿche album to feature the legendary Scott Rockenfield behind the kit, marking the end of an era for many. Nearly a decade on and Condition Hüman still holds up as perhaps the finest of the La Torre era thus far.
2. Satan – Atom by Atom
Eager to strike while the iron was hot, NWOBHM legends Satan continued to dominate the ’10s with their second reunion outing, Atom by Atom. If 2013’s Life Sentence was the follow up to Court in the Act (1983) that never was, then Atom by Atom was a glorified bonus, expanding upon the brilliance of both predecessors while simultaneously establishing its own identity. Just like the albums before it, Atom by Atom stayed true to the Satan sound, boasting eerie melodies, galloping riffage, old school production, and an aura of cryptic uncertainty. It truly is a beacon of dark traditional metal light, only to be outshined by…
- Iron Maiden – The Book of Souls
As the years go by, I ask myself if my perception of this album is clouded by the memories attached to it. I vividly remember being 16 years old, walking a mile and a half to my local Barnes & Noble after school, to pick this up on vinyl, going to see Lita Ford and Jack Russell’s Great White later that night, and then spinning it once I got home. Then I remembered that I partook in a similar ritual for its predecessor, 2010’s The Final Frontier, which after all these years still hasn’t clicked with me. So after a much needed revisit, I’ve come to the conclusion that, yes, Iron Maiden’s The Book of Souls IS truly that great.
Not only is it that great, but I’d go as far to argue it’s their strongest 21st century outing behind only Brave New World (2000). Modern Maiden has been chock full of hits and misses, with The Book of Souls being not just a hit, but a grand slam. Production qualms aside (that would only worsen on 2021’s Senjutsu), the songs and performances themselves are spectacular, sounding like some sort of time warp between Somewhere in Time (1986) and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988). Whatever Steve Harris was smoking back then, I need him to get back on ASAP, because that magic easily propels The Book of Souls to the top of this list, making it the best metal album of 2015.
Honorable Mentions
- Ares Kingdom – The Unburiable Dead
- Enslaved – In Times
- Europe – War of Kings
- High on Fire – Luminiferous
- Visigoth – The Revenant King
SO agree on the top choice!!