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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Motorhead - Aftershock

Heavy Metal
UDR Music
2013








1. Heartbreaker
2. Coup De Grace
3. Lost Woman Blues
4. End Of Time
5. Do You Believe
6. Death Machine
7. Dust And Glass
8. Going To Mexico
9. Silence When You Speak To Me
10. Crying Shame
11. Queen Of The Damned
12. Knife
13. Keep Your Powder Dry
14. Paralyzed

At this point in their career, and my own listening to it, there really isn't a lot of mystery to Motorhead. The band is a total classic and have a very recognizable, patented sound. Not every album of there's has been a home run, but you've always got a general idea of what to expect. What Motorhead pretty much do is no frills metal based in hard/blues rock with plenty of heaviness and a splash of punk attitude. The only question really is if it was one of their great songwriting sessions or one of the ones that just didn't quite have the right spark. I've heard both from the band in recent years.

Well, from the start of Aftershock my head got moving and never really stopped. Really, this album gets just about everything right when it comes to a Motorhead album. It's loaded with blues rock hooks, the songs are mostly short and to the point, and everything just rocks. This album crackles with energy and has the kind of attitude that only Lemmy's gravelly vocaled presence can bring. The songs range from ripping to groovy, sometimes at the same time, and only a couple songs break up the no frills ass kicking in the form of ballads like Lost Woman Blues and Dust And Glass give the listener a breather. They're both good and have nice bluesy atmosphere to them. This is the definition of a metal album just rounded in solid classic & blues rock influences that transcends this era of subgenres. Straight up ass kicking is what this album sets out to do and man it delivers. Picking highlights was the hardest part as pretty well everything is short and to the point, but also succeeds in being memorable.

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. That old bastard Lemmy sure as hell still has it. This is totally worth it for Motorhead fans and really... that should be everyone in my opinion. Just a classic band making good.

Highlights: End Of Time, Heartbreaker, Coup De Grace, Queen Of The Damned, Going To Mexico

Rating - 4.0/5

Motorhead - Motorizer

Heavy Metal
SPV

2008

1. Runaround Man
2. Teach You How To Sing The Blues
3. When The Eagle Screams
4. Rock Out
5. One Short Life
6. Buried Alive
7. English Rose
8. Back On The Chain
9. Heroes
10. Time Is Right
11. The Thousand Names Of God

Motorhead is a band who needs no real introduction as they are certainly one of the big names of metal and one of the originals. At times I've thought this band to be consistent to a fault with their sound being fairly predictable, but they have also made some material that I've really enjoyed over the years. Their last album did little for me and brought out some of my criticisms of the band, but I come into this one hoping for more.

I am happy to say that more is exactly what I get out of this one. More fire, more balls, and more speed. Really this album rips out of the gate in a way I don't remember hearing since 93's Bastards album and that is high praise for me as it is my favorite thing Motorhead has ever released. Runaround Man is pure intensity and many tracks like Teach You How To Sing The Blues, Rock Out, Time Is Right, and Buried Alive follow suit and keep the head banging. When The Eagle Screams is not quite as fast, but is also worthy of mention as a nice heavy tune. Now not all the album is this fast and heavy, but it makes room for other Motorhead signatures like the catchy blues roll of Back On The Chain which is pure catchy fun and Heroes which is a nice slow burn track that builds to an epic sounding, anthemic chorus.

Basically, Motorizer gets that motor running fast again and is top form signature Motorhead with enough energy and force to make it seem fresh. Really this album makes me want to take back anything I've ever said about this band getting a bit tired. Times like this are when I like being proven wrong and I guess Motorhead don't have to fix it if it isn't broken. The only problem I had reviewing this one was narrowing down the list of highlights. All I can hope for out of this band is that they keep doing their patented style so right. This is a pretty short album clocking in under 40 minutes, but I'll call it quality over quantity.

Highlights: Runaround Man, Teach You How To Sing The Blues, Buried Alive, Back On The Chain, Heroes

Rating - 4.0/5

Motorhead - Kiss Of Death

Heavy Metal
Sanctuary

2006

1. Sucker
2. One Night Stand
3. Devil I Know
4. Trigger
5. Under The Gun
6. God Was Never On Your Side
7. Living In The Past
8. Christine
9. Sword of Glory
10. Be My Baby
11. Kingdom of the Worm
12. Going Down
13. RAMONES

Another new Motorhead album is no real shock as we get these things every 1 or 2 years just about. Actually the words shocking and Motorhead rarely go together as you can pretty well count on the same old from these guys from album to album. Not like they're constantly mixing things up in the songwriting.

Maybe I'm feeling particularly cynical, but I can't seem to get into this Motorhead album at all. Despite the past couple also being nothing new I enjoyed them alright but I just can't seem to enjoy this album much. Maybe their lack of ideas and formulatic upbeat, blues based material is finally starting to overstay it's welcome for me. I guess I've reached the point where I'm wondering why I'm listening to material that sounds pretty well identical to the old but not as memorable. The first 5 tracks are so formulatic it's nearly painful and I was honestly getting really bored listening to it. Track 6 though, God Was Never On Your Side, is the definite highlight of the album. Moody little number that starts off slow and soft and actually reminds me a bit of a Johnny Cash song. From there it builds up well into a little more heaviness but retains a sort of moody, dark quality and is just a very good song. Living In The Past is pretty decent as well as it just comes off as a very aggressive crunch number. Nothing new but it hung with me more than the others.

Overall, if you're a Motorhead fanboy this should be familiar and keep you fairly happy if not overly enthused. For anyone else... well if you don't have their other, better albums then get those before considering this one. This album is about as inspired as the album title.

Highlights: God Was Never On Your Side, Living In The Past

Rating - 2.5/5