The Best Metal Albums Of 2013

Well, here we are. I'm sure you know the drill come the end of any given year. It's time to look at 2013 in review. The following list is the best 20 metal albums I reviewed in 2013. I decided to make it 20 this year because that is more or less the number of albums I felt were really worthy of a mention here. Basically, 20 through 11 are honorable mentions. Very good albums, but perhaps with a little something holding them back from being quite the best or ones that were just edged out. 10 to 1 of course are the really great stuff 2013 had to offer. This wasn't my most prolific year in terms of album reviews, but I also told myself I'd be more laid back in this blog format and not spend all my time doing it. This is just a hobby after all. If you want more, you can feel free to pay me of course. At any rate... On to the countdown of the top 20 metal albums of 2013.


20. Running Wild - Resilient
"Basically, if you liked Shadowmaker or any of their more recent mid-paced album this isn't bad. It sounds like Running Wild and it has that fun, epic pirate quality about it."

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19. ReVamp - Wild Card

"Listening to this one, the basic formula remains intact. This is female fronted gothic material mixed with a nice dark/aggressive edge and backed by some symphonic elements."

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18. U.D.O. - Steel Hammer

"For a straight ahead, no nonsense album, I definitely like this overall. It does a pretty good job of getting you pumped and both the vocals and music have a nice heavy edge."

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17. Amorphis - Circle

"What Circle brings to the table is a somewhat familiar formula at this point of melodic, gothic music and deep vocals mixed with earlier death metal vocals and influences."

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16. Tarja - Colours In The Dark

"I can say as a fan of Tarja, that this album is worth it for fans and still a well above average release. Really, this brings some good new songs for the live stage and a lot of above average/good songs to back it."

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15. Stratovarius - Nemesis

"I guess the best word for Nemesis is uneven. This is about on par with the past couple Stratovarius albums, but with better highlights and more lackluster deep tracks. I'd say this album is worth it for Stratovarius fans and general power metal fans may find it worth it for the strong highlights."

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14. Huntress - Starbound Beast

"Basically, this shows the growth and more consistent energy that I was hoping for out of the band. It's an improvement and this is the kind of sophmore album you want to see. Starbound Beast shows me that Huntress has room to grow and they have the ability to do so."

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13. Queensryche - Queensryche

"I'm not sure the band could have picked a better replacement for Tate than Todd La Torre. The guy sounds like a young Tate vocally, but one who loves Queensryche's metal music and has the passion to make it. This is just a complete rebirth and the band sounds young and hungry."

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12. Timo Tolkki's Avalon - The Land Of New Hope

"This just sounds like a good ensemble of musicians that complement each other well and it makes me want to sing along. All in all, I think this kind of metal opera project suits Tolkki and is a very worthy comeback by him."

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11. Lingua Mortis Orchestra - LMO

"All in all, this is a very good album for Rage fans. It's still pretty much Rage, but there are by far worse things to be. This is a strong classically inspired album from the band."

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Top 10 Metal Albums of 2013

10. Memory Garden - Doomain

"Overall, this has some damn fine songs on it and everything holds up pretty well. The highlights are amazing and even the lesser tracks are good stuff. I'd recommend this to fans of bands like Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus or anyone who likes their doom metal with epic, melodic wails and some more upbeat moments."

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9. Ashes Of Ares - Ashes Of Ares

"It's not often I write about every track on an album, but barring maybe the single, everything is worth writing about. This is damn fine straight up heavy metal that recalls a very traditional style mixed with the power that power metal should have. Barlow's range is in full force here and it's a pretty perfect album for a superior frontman to be at the helm of."

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8. Motorhead - Aftershock

"Aftershock is just the kind of album that hits the bands strengths and runs with it. There's nothing fancy here, everything's just extremely headbangable. The energy and hooks on Aftershock are just damn great. It's loaded with blues rock hooks, the songs are mostly short and to the point, and everything just rocks. "

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7. Hell - Curse And Chapter

"If you like dark, heavy straight up metal than there is absolutely no reason I can see to like this. The vocals have personality and attitude, the music is involving and energetic, and the album just never relents. If you like NWOBHM music, Mercyful Fate, Venom, Coven, etc this is a must hear."

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6. Avatarium - Avatarium

"Often the music will alternate between punishing doom riffs and lighter fare, which all paints a very somber picture. This is interesting stuff that carries a really bleak feel to it. Vocalist Jennie-Ann Smith is also the perfect choice for this as she's capable of wailing out some powerful projections above the heavier riffs and also brings it back nicely for the mellower passages."

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5. Gloryhammer - Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife

"The band just has total fun with all the things that are in fact really fun about this kind of power metal. This sounds epic and glorious as hell and the songs stick with you. It's hard not to like something with this much energy and catchiness. Gloryhammer basically just indulges in fully nerding out on D&D metal and it completely works."

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4. Trouble - The Distortion Field

"The Distortion Field is simply more than I could have hoped for. Trouble really bring their A game here and this is the classic Trouble I remember. I have to give it to the entire band, but once again I have to give a special mention to Kyle Thomas for staying true to the Trouble sound, but at the same time bringing his own touch."

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3. Poisonblack - Lyijy

"This one hit me hard from the start and never really let go. The sound here is nothing particularly new for Poisonblack, but the material is extremely good with songs that are just loaded with hooks, an energetic pace, and lots of headbangable riffs. Every song from fist pumping opener Home Is Where The Sty Is to the beyond great ballad Maybe Life Is Not For Everyone is noteworthy."

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2. Avantasia - The Mystery Of Time

"This album seems to have found a good delivery method for Tobias and I like that this feels happy and majestic. It actually takes me back to what I liked about early Edguy though this is not exactly the same sound. What The Mystery Of Time is is some very engaging music that keeps my attention with good melodies."

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1. Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell

"What's not to like here? Not a damn thing. This could seriously be a guide on how to do power metal of some kind. Nice energy and melodies can be found throughout Straight Out of Hell and the songwriting is top notch. Throughout this album Helloween seems to find just the right balance between heaviness, catchiness, and the 'happy' moments that have kind of defined the band's career."

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The Worst Metal Albums Of 2013

It's that time again folks. 2013 is just about at an end and I've wrapped up my reviews. That means list time. Before getting into all the great albums of this waning year I've got some other albums to highlight. The cream of the crap. This is pretty much my second chance to warn people away from these disasters or just have a little fun st the expense of albums worthy of mocking. It is sort of a masochistic process as I inevitably end up listening to these trainwrecks again to write about them, but what are the holidays without some discomfort and disappointment? Let's get on with it. The following at the worst 5 albums I had the misfortune of hearing in 2013.


5. Oliva - Raise The Curtain

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What is that glare? My computer screen? Ohhh I can feel the glare of Jon Oliva fans right through my screen. Neat. Yes Oliva fans I completely loathed this album. You know that artist that you used to love back in the day and for some reason keep checking out their new stuff? That musician you used to love and for some reason have this sliver of hope they'll make something you like again? Yeah. That is Jon Oliva in a nutshell for me. I keep trying to like his new albums and end up with a musical Cleveland steamer every time. All I want is a hard hitting, raw, straight up metal album and all I get is this wacky, goofy, sometimes incredibly cheesy experimentation. It's just fucking sad. Jon Oliva's screams over aggressive heavy metal was Amazing back in the day. Now he's just farting around with anything weird he can throw into his music to make it sound as experimental as possible. No Jon Oliva... I said to make me a metal album and Hold the jazz. Just fucking shred and scream and be metal damn you. I should probably get it through my head there is not going to be another early Savatage style album, but damn it I want one and I keep listening. I'm in an abusive relationship with an obese man. Please help me.


4. Sacred Oath - Fallen

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This one is just particularly sad to write. Sacred Oath used to be sort of a point of local pride. These guys hail from my home state of Connecticut and I've always liked them.  I honestly have no idea what happened here. It's sort of puzzling. They had been on a perfectly good run of well constructed, straight ahead metal albums with good screams and riffs and then... This happened. This album just sounds purely amateur. The band doesn't even sound like they're on the same page at times. It's almost like the band suddenly and intentionally decided to make an album with the refinement of Billy Milano on meth. Sort of a St. Anger type scenario. The fact that this album comes from a singer/songwriter who owns a music studio and has many years experience in the business is just mind boggling. This is the kind of contrived raw crap that can only be made intentionally. From spoken/rap-ish vocals to the musical chaos of everyone seemingly playing a different song, this one just sounds like something a group of teenagers with a bunch of angst, but little grasp of their instruments would come up with.


3. Giant X - I

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I can't really say this one was entirely unexpected. I mean did you guys hear Rolf's other attempt at a side project Toxic Taste? That one was a glam rock train wreck that failed so hard Rolf had to pretty much reconsider and reform Running Wild. Based on that I can't say I was really expecting anything good from Giant X, but there was the hope Rolf had learned something from the experience. Well... nope. Not a thing. The more Rolf tries to branch out, the more I realize that he should probably be using the letter Rrrrr a lot as he sings about buried treasure and ships. The guy has a great flare for the epic sea tunes, but for some reason he keeps wanting to make shitty 80s arena rock. I can't say I really understand it. If this is really the sort of music Rolf would rather be making, that is kind of disappointing. I can understand his desire to do something different after singing about pirates for so many damn years, but how about a straight up metal album? Maybe something like the first couple Running Wild albums? This album just sounds dated and awful. I didn't know that X was a euphemism for a dump in Germany.


2. Geoff Tate's Queensryche - Frequency Unknown

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This is probably one of the most satisfying bad albums I've ever heard. After all Geoff Tate's pretentious douchebaggery he finally drove Queensryche to tell him to get the fuck out. Then, like the spoiled cunt he is, he ran off to make his own Queensryche album. Because obviously he should own the band name instead of... all the other band members combined. If ever it was time to put up or shut up, this was it for Tate. He had sole control and he had to prove the other members needed him more than he needed them... and he fell flat on his smug face. The real Queensryche put out a great album that got back to the progressive Metal with a vocalist who can soar like Geoff Tate was Once able to do. And what did Geoff Tate do? He put out some alt rock garbage in much the same vein as his solo stuff. Geoff made it perfectly clear hear he's not interested in metal, never really has been, and if he had his say the band would be making this shit. Geoff Tate may have had value to Queensryche in the past, but in 2013 he proved the band is much better off without him now. You've gotta love when a total shithead just gets what's coming to him.


1. Phillip H. Anselmo & The Illegals - Walk Through Exit Only

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I'm not going to beat around the bush here. This isn't even a music album. This is an album of noise. There is nothing musical about this. This is chaos and screaming and then it's over. Ever seen the part in Event Horizon where everyone is going insane in the hell dimension? Where they rip their eyes out and shit because of what they've seen? Yeah... this auditory discord is pretty much the album version of that. Total fucking chaos. Just everyone playing their own song at the same time while Phil does his best to sound tough and bad ass. You're trying too hard little Philly... too hard. It's become pretty obvious to me that most of Phil's success has come on the backs of other, more talented, musicians. Either that or he just bought into his own image (and drugs, lots of drugs) too much.