The Top 10 Heavy Metal Albums of 2026...so far

Metal here is an overarching banner to cover anything that is not one of the other sub-genres of metal. So everything from thrash, to power metal, to nu-metal.  I have already received promos for albums dropping as far out as August in my inbox, so they are really going to need to bring it to compete with the top five albums on this list. No matter the genre,  darkness trumps speed when it comes to heavy, so these bands reflect that sentiment. These albums provide a fitting soundtrack to the demise of the US.  I have included links to full reviews if you want to check these out, and with all that said, here are the Top 10 Metal albums of 2026 so far. 

10-Kreator - "Krushers of the World"

Before checking back in on the band for 2017's  "Gods and Monsters,"  the last album I liked by these guys was "Coma of Souls." In its day, this was a change for the band after "Extreme Aggression" had hooked me in. This time around, they are locked into a more rapid, furious form of modern thrash that works better than what they did on their last album. It sztill takes some getting used to when it comes to how Mille Petrozza approaches his vocal delivery that borders more on singing than his once scathing snarl. He also uses more anthem accents on the choruses

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/01/kreator-krushers-of-world.html

 

>9-Savage Master / Mystic Storm-"The Power / Wandering Time"

The split mini-album from these two bands is set firmly in the days of yesteryear. Savage Master is no stranger to us here, as I really enjoyed the last album, "Dark & Dangerous," that found them moving in a darker direction, but it was my first time checking out Mystic Storm. Who impressed me even more. They made me want to search out their other music and dive deeper into who they are.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/heavy-maytal-savage-master-mystic-storm.html

8-Evergray- "Architects Of A New Weave"

Swedish progressive power metallers Evergray have been at this for some time now. Their 2004 album "Inner Circle" was the last I gave a listen to, and it was a little too bogged down in the conventions of the genre to keep my interest, but things have changed. The guitar tone has grown denser to compete with the sound of modern metal. The singer and keyboardist are the only two members left over from those days as they now have the drummer from Shining, and Bassist from Therion in the fold, as well as the guitarist from Scar Symmetry. There is a heavier double bass attack bridging things, and the vocals might still be dramatic, but keep things in a more melodic and brooding direction.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/evergray-architects-of-new-weave.html

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7-Moonspell- "Far From God"

 The Portuguese band's newest album finds themalmost dropping the metal altogether with a more organic rock sound, and the sung baritone vocals being the dominant. That said, it's also a great song, so I am not complaining about it. There is a more Sisters of Mercy-like bass line to the title track. Though the vocals try to capture more of a Peter Steele-like resonance.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/06/moonspell-far-from-god.html

 

6-Lex Legion- "s/t"

When the King is away, the kids will play. This vocal is comprised of the top tier of King Diamond's band members. Pete Blakk and Andy LaRocque on guitars is worth the price of admission alone. But wait, there is more. Mikkey Dee took a break from the Scorpions to play on this album. Hal Pinto is covering the bass duties as well. Pagan's Mind vocalist Nils K LaRue joins the Swedes, bringing some Norse vocal power to things. His power metal style of vocals works well over things; there is clearly a King Diamond influence on what he is doing as he leaps up into falsetto. He is not King Diamond, but this will at least hold over even die-hard fans like myself. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/06/lex-legion-st.html

5-Metal Church- "Dead to Rights" 

The 14th album from the legendary thrash project helmed by Kurt Vanderhoof, who is the sole original member, now features an all-new line-up, including former Flotsam & Jetsam drummer Ken Mary, who also played on Alice Cooper's "Raise Your Fist and Yell" album, along with Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson. For what they are doing, you can't ask for a better backbone to drive these songs. The opening track is pretty impressive and delivers what you want from them. This is the 6th album that guitarist Rick Van Zandt has played alongside Kurt, so he knows the deal. Wayne and Howe are dead, so this sounds as muh like Metal Church as we are going to get, so they excelled at keeping it going

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/heavy-maytal-metal-church-dead-to-rights.html

4-Dimmu Borgir- "Grand Serpent Rising"

One of Norway's biggest bands, and one of my faves, they have picked up where they left off with the last album. This is better than the last album and delivers what they know fans want. Even if it feels a little formulaic in this regard,This one grew on me with each listen. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/heavy-maytal-dimmu-borgir-grand-serpent.html

3-Megadeth- "s/t"

Here we are at the last Megadeth album. Better to hang it up than besmirch their legacy.  I used to love these guys, but "Youthanasia" was the last album I got into. The opening track feels like they are pretty focused on the kind of thrash that works best for them. I think they are the epitome of a band who struggle to find themselves when the creative head of the band got sober. Let's face it, these guys are pretty much just the Dave Mustaine show. He knocks it out of the park almost 100 percent of the time here.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/01/megadeth-st.html

2- Venom - "Into Oblivion"

The 16th album in the career of this project, which now counts Cronos as the sole original member. Things have not changed a great deal thanks to Cronos's voice that finds him belting it out with the same throaty zeal that drove their earlier. In fact, this album is more metal and less punk than what people would call Venom's most classic work.  https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/heavy-maytal-venom-into-oblivion.html

 

1-Rob Zombie - "The Great Satan"

It has taken me a decade to resign myself to the fact their is little difference between where Rob left off with White Zombie and his solo work, which is almost as good. It seems he is eager to recapture his more classic sound, as this album opens with a heavier edge. his album is fucking fantastic, and shows that just because you came out in the 90s it does not mean you have to forsake your sound when you can just perfect it.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/02/rob-zombie-great-satan.html

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May's Top 10 Albums

May is now two days out the door, so jsut catching up on this as I was trying to get ahead of kicking off June's Death Metal month, and life was being life, so now I am getting caught up, so let's get you abreast of new releases. This might help you, casual readers, with what you might have missed.  I am not doing little blurbs on them, just linking the reviews. This helps me organize my lists for the end of the year by listing the album's genre. This does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my in-box that won't come out until August, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of how much I have listened to them. This month, leaned more on heavy stuff ranging from New Wave to Doom, so perhaps you will find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for May of 2026.

10-Metal Church- "Dead to Rights." 

Thrash

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/heavy-maytal-metal-church-dead-to-rights.html

9-Iceage-"For the Love Of Grace & the Hereafter" 

Indie Rock 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/iceage-for-love-of-grace-hereafter.html

8-Truck Violence- "the Weathervane is my body." 

Noise Rock

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/truck-violence-weathervane-is-my-body.html

7-Venom - "Into Oblivion." 

Heavy Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/heavy-maytal-venom-into-oblivion.html

6-Dimmu Borgir - "Grand Serpent Rising." 

Symphonic Black Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/heavy-maytal-dimmu-borgir-grand-serpent.html

5-Tori Amos-"In Times of Dragons" 

Alternative

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/tori-amos-in-times-of-dragons.html

4-Astari Nite,- "Medications in Bloom." 

Goth / New Wave

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/astari-nite-medications-in-bloom.html

3-Genghis Tron-"Signal Fire" 

Prog Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/genghis-tron-signal-fire.html

 2-Frozen Soul-"No Place of Warmth." 

Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/frozen-soul-place-of-no-warmth.html

,1- Warning-"Rituals of Shame." 

Doom

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/heavy-maytal-warning-rituals-of-shame.html

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Heavy Maytal - Metal Church : "Dead to Rights"

The 14th album from the legendary thrash project helmed by Kurt Vanderhoof, who is the sole original member, now features an all-new line-up, including former Flotsam & Jetsam drummer Ken Mary, who also played on Alice Cooper's "Raise Your Fist and Yell" album, along with Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson. For what they are doing, you can't ask for a better backbone to drive these songs. The opening track is pretty impressive and delivers what you want from them. This is the 6th album that guitarist Rick Van Zandt has played alongside Kurt, so he knows the deal. 

This leaves vocalist Brian Allen from Vicious Rumors having to step into the path previously tread by some great singers like David Wayne and Mike Howe. He kind of splits the difference between the two, which on the second song causes them to sound more like Exodus, though he does give an impressive, well-rounded dynamic performance on the title track. So far, it does not feel as dark as the early years; it does feel like they move in a Megadeth direction at times, perhaps due to Ellefson's involvement. The first time this comes to mind is on "Deep Cover Shakedown".While Allen goes into his higher register on this one and it is driven by a headbanging chug, it does not feel as catchy as the previous song, and the lyrics are not the best. 

"Feet to the Fire" is a workable balance between heavy drive and melody. The vocals juggle a raspy snarl with soaring croon. The best lyrics so far are on the thrashing "The Show". It's a fitting commentary on the world today. "Heaven Knows" is on the more Megadeth side of the thrash gallops with an Accept-tinged power metal flying over it. 'No Memory' goes over onto the more power metal side of things, which is not as effective as when they lock into a more Megadeth-like groove on 'Wasted Years".  They are touching on things like Big Pharma that more bands need to be doing. "My Wrath" feels less like Metal Church and more like Exodus jamming with Megadeth, so a hybrid thrash. Wayne and Howe are dead, so this sounds as muh like Metal Church as we are going to get, so they excelled at keeping it going. I will give this album a 9.5. 

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Heavy Maytal - Gus G : "STEEL BURNER"

If it were not for the fact that I am dedicating this month to more traditional metal, I might have let Gus's new solo album fly under my radar. But that would have been a shame because he is obviously metal as fuck, having played with Ozzy and Firewind. He brings in some guest vocalists like Doro Pesch, who is a legend, but they have only added more grit to her pipes. Unlike one of my favorite metal singers who lends his pipes to the track 'Dancing With Death", the motherfucking incredible Matt Barlow.  Who sounds awesome, and this is going to be a tough song for them to beat. It sounds like he just stepped out to the goddamn "Darksaga" sessions to lay these vocals down, unbelievable. 

Then it's back to the instrumentals. I braced myself for the shredding, which is not normally my thing, but he used a manner of restraint on "Advent." His playing is pretty melodic here. If you are a guitarist under 40, chances are you are going to be all up in this. "What If" moves a more synth-wave-like groove before succumbing to the need for shredding. He brings on Ronnie Romero for "Frenemy". Which works well enough, it has a rock shuffle to it, and Romero's voice sounds rooted more deeply in the 80s. 

Dino Jelusick from Whitesnake tackles the vocals on "No One Has to Know." It is easy to understand why he is doing backing vocals for Whitesnake, as he sounds just like Coverdale. I imagine he sounds better than Coverdale does these days. 'Confession" is the obligatory blues instrumental, which is very tasteful and works well. It does build up into a more metallic solo, but remains pretty melodic. "My Premonition" finds Ronnie back to tackle a more Tony Martin-era Sabbath power ballad. "Closure is the kind of instrumental you expect from him, but very well done and not as over the top as I feared. I will give this album a 9.5, as when it comes to shredding metal, he does a great job of it.

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R.I.P - Mike Howe of Metal Church

 Mike Howe died at the age of 55. He most recently appeared on Metal Church's 2018 album "Damned if  You Do" a full review of it can  be found here...

Abysmal Hymns: Metal Church : "Damned If You Do"

I gave the album a 9, meaning I thought it was great, I think iffy production was the only thing that held it back, but Mike's singing was the strong suit. He joined Kurt as the only other long time member of the band so I would hope it serves as their swan song. While Howe was not the original singer, having to replace Wayne whose was another stellar vocal talent who passed in 2005, Howe not only filled the shoes left by his predecessor well, but he gave the band both a heavier edge in his snarl, but also a more accessible feel as he could shift into a more straight forward rock style of singing that opened new sonic doors for the band with each album. 

"Blessing in Disguise" is a fucking classic that holds up against their first two album's, it was a more compact thrash attack and one of my favorites in my early teen years. I caught the band three times on that tour and meet Mike who not only took the time to connect with me like a older brother, as he remember my name and even gave me a shirt the fourth time I saw the band later on the "Operation Rock n roll Tour" where they held their own opening for Motorhead, Alice Cooper and Judas Priest. He had a great stage presence+ and a powerful dynamic voice. I saw him a total of four times and he never disappointed. This was not a loss I expected as he seemed youthfully healthy when they released the last album with him. In a world where thrash singers at the time stayed with the respected box of the genre, Mike stepped out of it and did his own thing for this he will be missed as he is a truly irreplaceable front man. 

The Top 50 Thrash Albums of All Time 30 -21

Digging deeper into the countdown of what is the most influential sub-genre of  metal . It opened the door for bands to play louder, harder and faster thus spawning Death metal, black metal, grind core etc.. yeah doom stayed on it's own path. The bands that came out of it are now considered the biggest bands in metal...I mean Metallica and Slayer, come one end of debate. Normally I try to limit it to one album per artist. There are some artists that had much more of an impact so they might get another entry or two. There is thrash ranging from proto-death metal to hard core to power metal bands that evolved with the times. I grew up during the rise of thrash and listened to it through out highschool so some of this is determined by which albums did I listen to the most as they came out and which have endured the test of time. Lets face it none of your Toxic Holocausts or Revocations can touch these bands. They are pretty much tribute bands in comparison

30- Vio-Lence -"Eternal Nightmare"

1988 Two of this band's members went on to form Machine Head. The punkvocal approach set these guys apart along with the very sharp hooky riffing.


 


29- Coroner- " Punishment for Decadence" 1988

 1988 was a good year for thrash the genre had it's legs under it enough to begin experiementing. This Swiss band was highly technical but still cared about writing songs.



28- Nuclear Assault - "Survive" 1988


Three in a row from 1988. Dan and John were both former members of Anthrax. Lilker's bass playing propels this album along with the commanding howl of Connelly.


   



27-Voivod -"Killing Technology" 1987 


 Still rooted in thei more punk sound, they just began to cross over into a more spacey prog form of thrash. Way ahead of their time.



 



26- Fear of God - "Within the Veil" 1991


 In 1991 women in metal were rare. Women fronting band's this heavy unheard of. The late Dawn Crosby was capable of harsh snarls and clean vocals , this album is wonderfully dark.


 


25- Metal Church - "Blessing In Disguise"- 1989



1989 Their previous efforts with David Wayne are great ,but lean more toward power metal. Here the attack is more fine tune and Howe's voice is less flashy, and he focused his grit to serve the songs.


 



24- Sanctuary- "Refuge Denied" 1987

 Produced by Dave Mustaine the guitar has that Megadeth bite but with soaring vocals that still carry menace ratherthan just being operatic for the sake of being operatic.



 



23- Overkill- "Under the Influence"



1988 I am sure many of you want to see "Taking Over" here instead , but guess what this is my list, go make your own, the songs here are better.



 



22- Power Mad- "Absolute Power" 1989 



 One of the best metal bands you have not heard. They did make it into Lynch's " Wild at Heart" movie which is their claum to fame, but they were froward thinking when it came to song writing.



 


21-Sacred Reich - "the American Way"


 These guys were ahead of the curve when it came to how metal was about to change. There is enough groove here to transcend thrash .



 

the Top 10 Thrash Albums of 2019

It's that time of year again, to sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, then use them, to compile the top 10 albums of the year. Next month I am making the top 10 lists for the decade, though to be blunt this is the decade's weakest year for music; Especially when it comes to new artists. There are only 3 on this one.  but Thrash is a sub-genre that is rooted in the 80s.  I am; giving a brief explanation as to why these albums stand over their peers in lower positions on the list. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more.


After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No, I do not care what you think about it.;I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list. There are links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Thrash albums of 2019.

10-Indestructible Noise Command-"Terrible Things"  


hese guys are a band whose name I remember from the 80s , but don't recall every actually hearing them. They are very high energy like a more hard-core version of Testament. They use a catchy yet repetitive formula most of the time . Would not say they are cutting edge in terms or originality the energy and precision they put into these songs is impressive. This earned them a spot here.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/03/indestructible-noise-command-terrible.html

9-Sacred Reich -"Awakening"


This classic thrash band from Arizona Two members of this line up played on "Ignorance". The drummer played on "Independent" . As far as bands reforming I guess that is pretty acceptable. Their sound has both changed and stayed the same. I think some of it is Rind's vocals are smoother in some places where they used to be gritty. This gives it a more rock n roll feel than thrash. A similar change as say Metal Church, who made the transition a little more gracefully in terms of songwriting. Not as aggressive glory days, it does grow on me.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/08/sacred-reich-awakening.html

8-Overkill- the Wings of War"

 I used to love these guys in the late 80s. The opener finds the bands returning where I left off with them in the early 90s before the coming of grunge threw thrash bands a curve ball along with them scrambling to make their own "Black Album".It might not be as good as there classic material which this album made me want to go and search for , but far far as post "Horrorscope" albums go it fits nicely. Recalling more of their classic sound than Sacred Reich's latest did.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/08/overkill-wings-of-war.html

7-Metal Church-"Damned if You Do"

 Mike Howe and Kurdt Vanderhoof are the only members from the "Blessing In Disguise" era of the band, which is not the original line up, but a great incarnation of the band that I accept . Howe's voice sounds just as great as it did on "XI". There is a darker and more melodic tone, their song writing might not be as aggressive as it once was but Howe's vocals give them the ability to do more than Overkill

.https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/metal-church-damned-if-you-do.html

6-Bestial Lord<- br=""> - "Black Mass Wedding" 

At times they come across like a more metallic version of Acid Witch. Their riffs have a great deal of groove to them that gives things a more musical quality than what death metal would become. Perhaps this is because it pays more homage to a time when death metal first splintered off from thrash. It's a solid homage to old school metal, that holds more hook than Metal Church this time around, 
<- br="">
<- br="">https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/07/bestialord-black-mass-wedding.html

5- Haunt- "If Icarus Could Fly"

 I like Beastmaker, but I also grew up in the 80s when this kind of metal was big. So I have a mixed relationship with this sort of thing as I was already listening to Judas Priest and Iron Maiden in 1983. The first song starts off a little heavy on the guitar solos. The chorus is a little happy. Church's vocal is more in the Diamond Head range, perhaps a little lower and more laid back. The guitar harmonies feel more Priest than Maiden to me. His voice is not aggressive, so it gives a mellow vibe atop this. If you are smoking a bunch of pot you may not even notice. If I did a sub-list of best proto thrash this would win it. Since there is no such thing it takes 5th place.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/03/haunt-if-icarus-could-fly.html

4- Flotsam & Jetsam - the End of Chaos" 

 Picking up where they left off on "No Place For Disgrace" . I liked " When the Storm Comes Down", but the production was odd like they were trying to sound like "And Justice For All..." Truth be told this band was a casualty of the 90s as grunge  displaced real metal and the bands did not know what to do. Few were able to hang touch like Slayer . I guess at the time I assumed Eric AK could no longer hit the high notes , rather than he was conforming to the times and operatic singing was not cool anymore. His voice sounds better than the bulk of his peers. He is not jumping up into his falsetto screams. But he does hit higher notes in chest voice. He also has ample amount of grit . Their grit puts them over Haunt.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/01/flotsam-jetsam-end-of-chaos.html

3- Death Wolf- "Come the Dark" 

y time I say this album really surprised me then spoiler alert  that mean I like what I am hearing. I have learned to go into most albums with low expectations to spare me from disappointment. I review so many albums , just think how depressed I would be if I went into every album hoping it was going to be the best thing ever. These guys used to have a more punk slant to their sound , not that has gone more in a thrash direction. The thing that is great about this band however is that they are darker than your average thrash band. The darker sound elevated them above the competition.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/10/death-wolf-iv-welcome-dark.html

2 -Death Angel- "Humanicide" 

It was the fact that their 1988 album "Frolic Through the Park" found the band diverting from the thrash sound every open  else had already latched onto, that made me drawn to them. Since reforming I do not hear as much of that coming from them. Instead they are straight up thrash. Like death metal the genre can become one dimensional, but as the album progresses the add the other shades I grew up loving. It's this signature that puts them over Death Wolf.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/05/death-angel-humanicide.html

1-Exhorder- "Mourn the Southern Skies" 

If you are a fan of Pantera, then you need to know these guys. Having formed in 1985, this New Orleans band played a big part in why Pantera went from power metal and hair spray to the Cowboys from Hell that they became. They start off the album with gritty thrash that gives you the middle finger. They kill trend of Southern grooves with "Asunder" and write Slayer caliber riffs. The vocals are mean yet hold melody like another singer we know. They are relentless and continue to hit you with sharp riffs and barbed melodies. They are a step ahead of every other band on this list, though it was a tough call between this and Death Angel.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/09/exhorder-mourn-southern-skies.html

Metal Church : "Damned If You Do"

So Mike Howe and Kurdt Vanderhoof are the only members from the "Blessing In Disguise" era of the band, which is not the original line up, but a great incarnation of the band that I accept . Howe's voice sounds just as great as it did on "XI". There is a darker and more melodic tone to "the Black Things" which is more original than the more straight forward opener. "By the Numbers" lives up to it's name and is pretty much by the numbers what you expect from these guys, straight head proto thrash. It's the more somber and melodic moments like those on "Revolution Underway" that feels like the are in the right spot, despite the chorus perhaps not being their strongest. Production wise it lacks some of the heft "Blessing in Disguise" with the more organic sound from the late 80s.

"Guillotine" chugs along a middle ground with out the aggression that drives " Rot Away" , while it also adheres to the bounds of 80s thrash it feels more alive. They could stand a little denser and more biting guitar sound, as every thing is almost too clean here. They back up into the more melodic nuances with "Into the Fold" which still manages to thrash forward with a renewed energy. This is the album's strongest chorus so far, and perhaps the best song on the album, until proven otherwise, though they have raised the bar pretty high for themselves here. "Monkey Finger" opens with a very 80s metal riff, that could have almost come from a Ratt album.It also gives Howe a chance to really sing so I am not complaining. The chorus is more like a Judas Priest song.

"Out of Balance" is more up tempo, but doesn't seem to have the same bite as some of the other songs even at this speed , which is more of a production issue. The chorus is a little dialed in as well. "the War Electric" has the heft that the previous song lacked. This album is not their best, but it is better than expected and shows a sense of melody and songwriting younger bands with thrash aspirations could learn from and the only problems seem to be production points that could have made it kick harder so I'll round it up to a 9.

The Top 10 Mainstream Metal Albums of 2016

This could almost be the top 10 Hard rock albums of 2016, as many of these bands ride the line between what is metal and what is not. These are the band's you are much more likely to hear on your Sirrus Radio or any air waves that venture into metal like KNAC. Some of these are veterans who are back in fighting shape and the very fact that they are mainstream means they have already paid their dues in the clubs at the very least. These are no the kind of bands sites like Cvlt Nation would cover, but are more likely to be found in the few print sources at their so if you have still not figured out how we are defining mainstream then go back to sniffing glue, here are your top ten mainstream metal albums of 2016.


10-Flotsam and Jetsam -s/t

It's been a good year so far for the legends of metal, both Anthrax and Metal Church returned with strong albums lets see if Arizona's thrash lords can do the same. Granted their first three albums were their best, they did not have as long of a prolific run as Anthrax. Shadows Fall drummer Jason Bittner is on the throne for this one, but three of the original members are still intact. Eric AK's voice has taken some wear and tear. It's still powerful, but gone are the yodels that once rivaled King Diamond's upper range. King Diamond still has it so I expect to hear him attempt one. They can still thrash with authority on the opener and don't slow down for better or for worse

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/flotsam-jetsam-st.html

9-Daniel Lioneye- "Vol. 3"


The solo band of H.I.M guitarist Linde Lindstorm, takes out the bulk of the cheese that was stinking up the later H.I.M albums. Said to have been more influenced by black metal than his work with H.i.M, I'll say it's heavier but not black metal. The vocals are baritone croon, not far from what Vile did in H.I.M, just less gasped and over accented. It's right at the border of metal and hard rock for me. H.I.M often referred to their sound as "love metal" which was another way for saying we make music for girls and sissy boys. This is not as sissy boy as Linda former band, but if you are a regular reader here then chances are this won't cut it as metal for you regardless of how many times they opened for Cradle of Filth. Judged on it's own merits as hard rock, its pretty decent.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/08/daniel-lioneye-vol-3.html

8-Metal Church- "XI" 

The Metal gods of yesteryear are coming back strong this year.Things have changed since  Metal Church's electric steeple was held high. While well written I don't think "Killing Your Time" is actually metal and falls on more the the hard rock side of the coin. Chances are if this is your idea of metal you too have failed to change with the times. The strum of an acoustic guitar starts of the more aggressive attack of "No Tomorrow". When "Blessing in Disguise" came out the band as actually thrashing, but here they are only marginally heavier than W.A.S.P.
Mike Howe's voice sounds great. He has a good blend of grit and singing actual notes. His melody on the chorus of "No Tomorrow" couldn't be more solid. "Signal Path" has more of a classic metal vibe, that most of us think of us power-metal these days.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/metal-church-xi.html

7- Moonsorrow-" Jumalten Aika" 

 It's been five years since the Finnish overlords of pagan metal left us with "Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa". The album opens with folk instruments creating a ritualistic aura.After a  minute and a half of this they storm into the kinda of  larger than life metal you have come to expect from them. The black metal side of what they do is toned down on this album.They have more in common the more epic side of folk metal. Holding true to their mission statement this does have a commanding viking feel, without inspiring you to go into a jig with your drinking horn. They wait is in some part due to the ambitious production value this album was crafted with.  The drums have enough thunder to make Thor jealous. Production wise this might be their biggest drum sound yet. This drummer might have always been a monster, but this albums really shines a spotlight on the fact.

6- Red Fang - "Only Ghosts"


 In the past when I heard them I thought they were a little derivative of Kyuss. While they are not re-inventing the wheel here, and are arguably taking more inspiration from the more hooky direction Torche went in back in 2008 on "Meanderthal", the songs are well written and by the time the vocals switch over into the hook, I am enjoying myself.  The riff to "Cut It Short " owes more to Devo's "Girl You Want" or Kiss' "Rocket Ride" than any Black Sabbath song. Ross Robinson did a good job here. I like the production on the vocals and there is a great bass tone this album. I am not sure this is what I would call metal as is rocks about as hard as the Foo- Fighters or Queens of the Stone-age.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/red-fang-only-ghosts.html

5-Deftones- "Gore" 

 The Deftones are the last nu-metal band standing that changed in their house of flies enough to remain relevant as the years have passed them by. Sergio Vega from Quicksand continues to fill in on bass making this his 3rd album with the band. The album opens with the moody "Prayers / Triangles" that benefits from one of Chino's smoother melodies that fits like a velvet glove on the groove. A more trip hop layer of  atmosphere leads into "Acid Hologram". It swells into a Mogwai like drone. With very emo tinged vocals giving a fey croon that sounds like something more fitting of My Chemical Romance or Coheed & Cambria. The heavier "Doomed User" is the second single from the album. It is much more in your face metal, with a riff that reminds me of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". Chino's vocals are all over the place on it until finding a smoother hook. The intro "Geometric Headdress" fakes like they are taking a darker turn until the more chugged riff comes. Chino throws in some his old screams. It feels like Slipknot getting more melodic and if it wasn't for the way the riff resolves itself then I would think this is an April Fools joke and someone slipped some Mudvayne in on me. It's unapologetic nu-metal. They earn their place, bu still writing some good songs and being heavier than expected. 

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/deftones-gore.html

4- Alcest- "Kodama"

 It seems the French purveyors of what was once hailed as black gaze have decided to at least try to be a rock band. The title track has more of a Pink Floyd like jangling drone to it. While this is far from black metal it is a more suitable extension of growth than their previous album which had little in the way of balls to it. They do flirt with blast beats on the second song, but it smooths out into the more fey touched indie rock. In some ways this is closer to what they once did than the title track, however my initial impression is that the title track is better even though harshly screamed vocals re-surface.  I respect this since between Opeth and the Used, this seems to be something many singers are unwilling to re-visit, which I think is as much of a cop out as only relying on screaming.There are some pretty awesome guitar tones on this album. While there is little by way of soloing, I think the tones are impeccable. They do have plenty of the older shoe gazey epic guitar lines soaring over the fairy forests for you. I don't need Alcest to re-make their first two albums. I just want to hear that they are still the band that I used to love and not abandon their metal roots altogether, along with writing good songs. This album tends to fall within those bounds. They do eventually revert back to almost full blown black metal, the only thing keeping them from it is the guitar sticks to dreamier sonic scope.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/alcest-kodama.html 

 

3-Rob Zombie- "Electric Warlock Acid Witch" 

 I love me some White Zombie, I was on for the ride the more Stooges like "Make them Die Slowly" so when "La Sexcisto" came out I was confused as to why they sounded like Metallica. The band hit their stride during the peak of my drug summer when "Astro-Creep" came out. I have caught Rob a few times live since the band broke up, but never caught on with his solo work cus I wanted White Zombie, the last of the Demons Defeated "Satanic Cyanide/ the Killer Rocks On" slows down and has more rock to it than the more electronic thump I associate with his solo work. Overall the songs can become rather infectous here if you are just on for some big dumb fun, much like his movies.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/rob-zombie-electric-warlock-acid-witch.html

2- Katatonia- 'the Fall of Hearts" 

 The gloomy Swedes have pretty much become a prog band at this point. The Opeth like cadence that builds the opener when the distortion is stomped on makes sense considering the acrobatics the guitars have already engaged in leading up to that point. "In Absentina" ear Porcupine Tree might also come to mind. This is not to say there is not plenty of the band's own DNA all over this song. Jonas' vocals are unmistakable.The album is very crisp from a production stand point, which lightens the shade of gray cast over these songs. Jonas doesn't have the same melancholic desperation fueling his vocals, yet he doesn't stray from his style. He sounds more hopeful, though lyrically the same themes seem to be present. The guitar work on this album is stunning. I am not sure how much of that owes thanks to Roger Ojersson from Tiamat who is another new addition to the band. If you are going to do prog-rock, this is the way to go as songwriting and melody have more value than showcasing chops or trying to create some kind of obtuse sonic puzzle. Their new drummer Daniel Moilanen, does't make me go "Damn, Daniel", but he does play very tastefully around the more progressive part to create more jazz influenced passages. This is a surprise knowing he comes from Heavydeath and other more extreme Swedish acts.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/katatonia-fall-of-hearts.html

1- Anthrax- "For All Kings"

 Anthrax used to be one of my favorite bands and to this day "Among the Living " is without a doubt one of the best metal albums ever with "Spreading the Disease" not too far behind. I hung tough with the band for the first six albums, even liking Jon Bush's first album. Then we grew apart.  "Worship Music"  saw the return of singer Joey Belladonna, but I never gave it a shot. I am giving them a chance here and while Belladonna might be 55, but I just reviewed the new David Bowie, and he is 69 so no body is slipping by due to age. Age might have helped Anthrax here , because with age Belladonna's voice is lower than even on "Persistence of Time" , but it gives him more aggression, which might have helped on albums like the almost too happy "State of Euphoria". There is younger blood injected in the band as Jonathan Donais from Shadows Fall is now in the band. They a surprisingly melodic section into the middle of the opener before thrashing back into it. They do not let up on the heavy with "Monster at the End", though it has a smoother groove allowing Belladonna's vocals to coast into a hookier chorus. A little less thrash and closer to mainstream metal, it's still a solid headbanger .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/anthrax-for-all-kings.html

The Top 10 Metal albums of 2016...so far

Ok, this one took longer than our pop/rock list. One or two of these bands could have crossed over into that list, but they have enough balls to be here. These are ranked by what I have listened to the most weighed against the impact of the album and how it scored here at the blog. But it could have been a master piece , but if it didn't inspire me to listen to it a ton then an album I listened to more would be better. Keeping up? Then lets move on to the best Metal albums that the year has offered us so far. If you want to hear more there is a link to each full review with media.

10- Metal Church - "XI"

 This one made it over to the iPod and got more listens than Ihsahn whose album certainly should get an honorable mention here. It's perhaps not had the staying power that some of the other albums ranked higher have. They came closer to the top of the heap than many of their peers who have come back this year to make it feel more like 1988 than 2016.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/metal-church-xi.html

9- Abbath- st

Immortal has been slugging it out longer than Queensryche over who owns the rights to their name leading guitarist and front man Abbath Doom Occulta decided to just release this album under his own name enlisting Creature aka Kevin Foley who is Benighted's drummer to pound along with Gorgoroth bassist King ov Hell. So a Immortal / Gorgoroth super group is what we are looking at here. It is though the material on this album are the songs that were written as the follow up to the 2009 full-length "All Shall Fall". It is currently not in rotation on my iPod, but I will give it another shot as the album captures this kind of aggression well and the time I did spend with it colored my black heart impressed.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/abbath-st.html

8- Howls of Ebb - "Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows"

 This project out of San Francisco is bringing some of the wonderment back to death metal. Death metal all too often defaults to re-hashing what Incantation and Morbid Angel have already done. Little time is wasted digging into the meat of the metal on this one. The helter skelter sense of groove and trippy atmosphere that make this band so awesome are all intact.Overall this albums brings to life everything I could want from them. More progressive than just death metal loaded up on a ton of drugs. The bass playing is some of death metal's best this side of Cynic, who lets face it are off in the land of elves with Rush at this point in time. The experimentation is tempered with aggression, though it's not just a monochrome brutality. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/howls-of-ebb-cursus-impasse-pendlomic.html

7- Eight Bells - "Landless"

 Things have changed for this band since "Captain's Daughter". I felt they had potential on that one and here they have fully realized. The drumming shows vast improvement as they open with the doomy "Hating" . The title track finds the band taking on more of a trippy post- metal ambiance to a  riff that feels like it spirals down before ebbing down into a softer sung section.The vocal melodies are stronger on this album as well and more love and care went into the song writing. Any doubts as to the metallic nature of this band is put to rest by the blast beat section this song hangs on with the vocals taking on more of a harsher growl when it slows into more of a punk beat.The song does drone me out a little though I got sucked into the black hole of the inner webs reading about the whole Phil Anselmo thing just when they hit the section of minimalist ambiance.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/eight-bells-landless.html

6-Voivod - "Post Society"

 Voivod has always been light years ahead of their time. Since "Target Earth" the band has locked into a sound that takes the classic tones from "Dimension Hatross " and pushes it forward in a modern production. This ep is the quality of both songwriting and production as "Target Earth" in fact the arrangements might be even more progressive,  like the surreal breakdown on the title track that kicks the ep off. They have always been able to shift in a very organic manner from one movement to the next . What amazes me more upon hearing this is how true they are to their legacy even though half of the original members are not on this recording. Chewy and Rocky did comprise the live band on their last pass through the states with Napalm Death and both really do justice to the Voivod legacy.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/voivod-post-society.html

5- Anthrax-"For All the Kings"

 Anthrax used to be one of my favorite bands and to this day "Among the Living " is without a doubt one of the best metal albums ever with "Spreading the Disease" not too far behind. I hung tough with the band for the first six albums, even liking Jon Bush's first album. Then we grew apart.  "Worship Music"  saw the return of singer Joey Belladonna, but I never gave it a shot. Age might have helped Anthrax here , because with age Belladonna's voice is lower than even on "Persistence of Time", but it gives him more aggression, which might have helped on albums like the almost too happy "State of Euphoria". There is younger blood injected in the band as Jonathan Donais from Shadows Fall is now in the band.They exceeded my expectation and this album is still in rotation.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/anthrax-for-all-kings.html

4- Graves At Sea- "The Curse That is "

 I had been waiting for these guys to drop a full length as the splits and eps were great, but wanted something more to sink my doom hungry jaws into. Doom begs to be questioned here right from the eleven minute title track that opens the album.  It's an odd evolution that includes the bigger production value this album has. It finds them thundering into your ears with something more akin to a stoner rock version of "Through Sliver and Blood" era Neurosis. Some evolution an be expected considering the line-up changes that have yo-yoed the band about. The vocals are still mean in their ample grit coated screams. The guitar has warmed up a bit. Perhaps it is the time they took in the studio to perfect their tone versus previous releases which have had a rawer, angrier sound.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/graves-at-sea-curse-that-is.html

3- Katatonia- "the Fall of Hearts"
 The gloomy Swedes were almost sent to the pop rock list, but have enough metal on this to make here even though they have pretty much become a prog band at this point. The Opeth like cadence that builds the opener when the distortion is stomped on makes sense considering the acrobatics the guitars have already engaged in leading up to that point. "In Absentina" ear Porcupine Tree might also come to mind. This is not to say there is not plenty of the band's own DNA all over this song. Jonas' vocals are unmistakable.The album is very crisp from a production stand point, which lightens the shade of gray cast over these songs. Jonas doesn't have the same melancholic desperation fueling his vocals, yet he doesn't stray from his style.It's weird as it's not as dark as previous releases, but packs more of a punch.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/katatonia-fall-of-hearts.html

2-Nails- "You Will Never Be One of Us"

I have predicted 2016 as the year grind-core  and power-violence breaks through into the metal mainstream. What Weekend Nachos failed to deliver is being jack hammered into your face by this band.  Their guitar tone is as nasty as you can get and still play riffs that hold together actual songs. Even then when I used the word songs here I am describing sharp bursts of anger. Grind-core has never been my forte, typically because of the genre's limited range of dynamic expression. Coloring with only the red crayon of anger can limit what you do, this band from Southern Los Angeles colors with this crayon so well, I know what I'm in for and can hold on for the jolting ride.The heaviest album on the list for sure.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/06/nails-you-will-never-be-one-of-us.html

1-Tombs-"All Empires Fall"

 What happens on Tombs new album should not come as a surprise considering how they have evolved with each album. The last album might not have been as dark as the previous, but Mike Hill and company continue to evolve. With the inclusion of Fade Kainer into the fold on "All Empires Fall" it made me think the industrial influence that has lurking under the surface would rise like Godzilla. This is not the case. They make it clear the metal isn't going anywhere. They kick the fucking door down with a neck crushing riff.The only thing wrong with this release is the fact it's an EP rather than a full length, because it leaves me still wanting more.
 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/tombs-all-empires-fall.html