2016 was a year full of wild twists and turns. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series, a reality TV star won the presidency, and the internet collectively mourned the death of a gorilla. I remember it like it was yesterday, and yet it was nearly a decade ago now. As memorable as these global events was the metal that served as an accompanying soundtrack, courtesy of veterans and newcomers alike. In fact, one newcomer made such an impression that they stormed all the way to the top of our list, and have since gone on to carve a fruitful career amidst the underground. Who, you may ask? Find out in our Top 10 Metal Albums of 2016.
10. Flotsam and Jetsam – Flotsam and Jetsam
After absolutely dominating the late ’80s with two back to back masterpieces in 1986’s Doomsday for the Deceiver and 1988’s No Place for Disgrace, Flotsam and Jetsam lost the plot. Subsequent output ranged from mediocre to downright dismal, reaching an all time low in 2014 with an ill advised rerecording of No Place for Disgrace. It seemed the band would never reclaim their past glory…that is until 2016’s excellent self titled album. Flotsam and Jetsam felt like a reboot of sorts, taking the band back to their early power-thrash roots while still remaining fresh and relevant as ever. It’s a creative high that they’ve been riding ever since, giving Overkill a run for their money in the old school thrash revival category.
9. Darkthrone – Arctic Thunder
After unleashing a string of albums that lie at the crossroads of crust punk, speed metal, and black ‘n’ roll, Darkthrone said goodbye to their studs and leather, entering their ongoing blackened doom era with their 16th studio album, Arctic Thunder. The album, while radically different from anything Darkthrone had released before, was still purely Darkthrone. The Hellhammer undertones that had riddled their early ’90s output had now become overtones, dominating the now lengthy compositions, spine-tingling riffage, OUGHs, and all. It was the introduction to an older, dare I say wiser Darkthrone, who seem determined to carry out the rest of their days forging metal that’s slow and foreboding…for now.
8. Pretty Maids – Kingmaker
Pretty Maids are one of those bands who never truly went away, but they sure had a hell of a time navigating the barren wasteland that was the ’90s and ’00s. To say these were harsh times for a band of Pretty Maids’ nature would be an understatement. However, the band persisted, weathering the storm long enough to take a victory lap with 2010’s Pandemonium. This was subsequently followed by the equally compelling Motherland (2013) and this here album, Kingmaker. Albeit emboldened by modern production and tropes, the band was still cranking out top shelf melodic metal, going toe to toe with Eclipse, H.E.A.T, or any other euro newcomers of the day.
7. Ripper – Experiment of Existence
When Ripper emerged out of seemingly nowhere, the underground took notice. All you need to do is revisit our 2014 retrospective to know that. The rightful heirs to Sepultura’s throne continued to dominate in 2016 with their anything but a sophomore slump, Experiment of Existence. Admittedly, the musical technicality is slightly more pronounced on this album than its predecessor, but that doesn’t change the fact that for a little over 45 minutes, Ripper absolutely devastates the masses with truly brutal death/thrash from start to finish. Their nonstop attack makes one wonder what went wrong for not just Sepultura, but the similarly natured Kreator. Speaking of things that went wrong, it’s been almost 9 years boys! Where’s album #3?!
6. Attacker – Sins of the World
In a world where their peers had largely abandoned their ancient traditions or folded altogether, Attacker continued to fly the banner of US power metal high and mighty. If your knowledge of these cult heroes begins and ends with 1985’s Battle at Helm’s Deep, boy, am I sorry for you. This is a band who, against all odds, have never disappointed, managing to crank out top tier traditional metal even through the 21st century. Sins of the World is no exception. The vocals are soaring, the twin guitars are completely locked in, and the songs themselves are impactful, boasting the same character as the band’s ’80s heyday. When the Attacker is called, they deliver!
5. Ranger – Speed & Violence
A gloved hand wielding a bloodied knife. Haven’t I seen this before? Yes, you have. Even if you haven’t heard Ranger’s sophomore album, Speed & Violence, you likely have. It is, and I mean this in the most complimentary manner possible, an amalgamation of Exciter, early Razor, Whiplash, and Bonded by Blood era Exodus…and it absolutely rules. Everything from the riffs and the drumming, to the production and those ear piercing shrieks, sound straight out of 1985. Hell, even the song titles are retro in nature. “Lethal Force”, “Night Slasher”, “Satanic Panic”…oh yeah, your neck is in for a workout!
4. Asphyx – Incoming Death
Looking for metal of death? You got it! With an album title like Incoming Death, you can’t say Asphyx didn’t warn you. The Dutch barbarians struck again in 2016, pummeling metallists with their tried and true blend of hellish dirges (“Division Brandenburg”, “Subterra Incognita”, “Death: The Only Immortal”) and maniacal flesh rippers (“Candiru”, “It Came From the Skies”, title track). MvD sounds feral as ever, spitting absolute venom over the microphone, while the rest of the band delivers an equally punishing performance, leaving the weak and feeble begging for mercy. Of course, there’s none of that to be found here, but I digress!
3. Tygers of Pan Tang – Tygers of Pan Tang
Lord knows that if Tygers of Pan Tang were 30 years younger, wore Affliction, and had fauxhawk haircuts, their 2016 self titled album would be all over mainstream rock radio and they’d be sharing the stage with the likes of Shinedown. This is mainstream metal/hard rock done oh so right, utilizing the NWOBHM tropes of yesteryear and revamping them for the 21st century. The end result is a collection of gargantuan hard and heavy bangers, guaranteed to shake any arena to its very core. Seriously, “Only the Brave” manages to kick my ass just as hard as “Spellbound” and “Gangland”. No Sykes? No problem!
2. High Spirits – Motivator
Speaking of bands whose name should be on the lips of every self-respecting rocker from here to Timbuktu, High Spirits went for a threepeat in 2016 with Motivator, and boy did they score and then some. “Flying High” to #2 on our list, Chris Black managed to conjure yet another brilliant collection of hard and heavy anthems with enough NWOBHM-esque riffs, singalong choruses, and infectious hooks to last a lifetime. Whether it be the rollicking “Thank You”, lush “Haunted by Love”, or electrifying “Do You Wanna Be Famous”, there’s no filler to be found on the aptly titled Motivator.
- Bewitcher – Bewitcher
It’s no secret how many bands Venom inspired in their wake. Hell, without them, there’s no black metal, and I don’t care what anyone says to the contrary. Come the 21st century, their influence spread even further, as an entire wave of Venom-esque bands started to emerge from all over the globe. Of these, I can count on one hand the bands who came close to touching the magnificence of Cronos, Mantas, and Abaddon themselves. One of them is Bewitcher. That’s right, I said it.
When this power trio burst out in 2016 with their self titled debut, to say they rocked my socks off would be an understatement. Steeped firmly in the tradition of breakneck speed, first wave black metal blasphemy, and good ol’ fashioned sleazy rock n’ roll, Bewitcher was easily the strongest outing of its kind since Midnight’s Satanic Royalty. It rocked hard, sandwiching devilishly delicious riffs, pummeling drums, and filthy lyricism into the space of 9 songs and a little over 33 minutes. Sometimes, that’s all you need, and it’s exactly these tropes, in all their stripped down glory, that make Bewitcher the greatest metal album of 2016.
Honorable Mentions
- Bat – Wings of Chains
- Condition Critical – Extermination Plan
- Deströyer 666 – Wildfire
- Eternal Champion – The Armor of Ire
- Sodom – Decision Day
Kickass list!