My Favourite Heavy Metal Albums of 2015
Written by Casey Douglass
2015 is almost over, thank fuck for that! As the nights draw in and the temperature strangely stays quite mild, I thought I would write a brief post about some of the fantastic heavy metal albums I have listened to this year. Some of the albums may be from 2014 too, I'm that much of a maverick you see. It won't be in depth, it might not even be to your own taste, but on the other hand, it just might send you scurrying to wherever you buy your music in the hope of listening to more. Who knows!
In no particular order:
Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun
I tried to get into Mastodon years ago but didn't really take to them. Roll on January this year and I heard a track on the Metal Hammer CD and quite liked it. I swiftly bought Once More 'Round The Sun and it has become my most listened to album this year. Mastodon have created an album that is both at once an echoing vocalled paradise and also a glorious mash of guitar riffs and solos. They also have a knack for making some truly crazy and strange videos. Check out the video for Asleep In The Deep below:
In This Moment - Black Widow
I bought Black Widow at about the same time I picked up Once More 'Round The Sun. I'd seen Big Bag Wolf on YouTube and fancied catching some more of Maria Brink and In This Moment's ear-worming brand of metal. You can check out Big Bad Wolf below:
Coal Chamber - Rivals
Coal Chamber were probably one of my most listened to metal bands when I was at college. I loved their brand of heavy as hell metal and Dez Fafara's gravelly vocals. I also had the chance to see them live just before Rivals was released. Sway almost brought the Norwich Waterfront's roof down, such a great song. Check out I.O.U Nothing below (it's quite bloody, in a comic way):
Ghost BC - Meliora
Another band discovered by virtue of Metal Hammer magazine's cover CD. A sinister Satan-infused style of music that is interesting to listen to, intricate and has a great sound that seems to demand attention. I'd love to go and see them live one day. Watch From The Pinnacle To The Pit below:
Fear Factory - Genexus
Another band that I enjoyed a lot while at college. Genexus, their latest album is just more Fear Factory, their own dark vision of a technological future writ large by Burton C. Bell's vocals. Check out Soul Hacker below, one of my favourites:
Not an exhaustive list by any means but one that details what I have been listening to the most this year, when it comes to my metalhead tendencies anyway. Cheers for reading and feel free to comment below, whether to call me a nu-metal newb or to suggest bands I might like to check out, I'm not fussed which.