2004 was a year of ups and downs for heavy metal. There were some great albums released, a lot of fantastic tours, and the popularity of the genre kept growing and growing. The year ended on a tragic note with the senseless murder of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, the guitarist for Damageplan. As the editor of the Suite 101 Heavy Metal site and contributor to magazines such as Outburn and Snaggletooth, I had the opportunity and pleasure of listening to dozens and dozens of metal albums this year. A few of them sucked, the majority were average, many very good, and a very few were exceptional. Here's my list of the top 10 of 2004.
10. Probot - Probot (Southern Lord)
Grunge and alt-rocker Dave Grohl has always been a metal fan, and proves it with this very entertaining album. He collaborated with legends such as Lemmy from Motorhead and King Diamond, and other great vocalists like Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly), Mike Dean (Corrosion Of Conformity), Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost) and Cronos (Venom). Yes, this is a vanity project, but it's a great tribute to the type of music Grohl grew up with.
9. Atreyu - The Curse (Victory)
I appreciate a band that has the versatility to be both brutal and melodic. That's exactly what Atreyu does on this album, and they do both equally well. They're a hard band to categorize, because they blend hardcore, death metal, gothic rock and Viking riffs. Having two vocalists also adds to that versatility. One takes care of the hardcore style vocals, the other the melodic. That contrast really works, as does this entire album.
8. Mastodon - Leviathan (Relapse)
This album has been number one on a bunch of year-end lists, and while I don't think it's the best CD of the year, it's really, really good. Leviathan is more polished and more melodic than their debut, but has even more depth and variety. This album perfectly blends the intense and the complex. Plus I'd much rather listen to Mastodon sing about "Moby Dick" than read the book.
7. Megadeth - The System Has Failed (Sanctuary)
After Dave Mustaine's nerve injury in 2002 it looked like he would never be able to play guitar again and Megadeth was finished. Think again. Along with Mustaine, guitarist Chris Poland who played on the band's first two albums is back and in great form. The songs on the album are vintage Megadeth, with crunchy riffs, great grooves and biting political and personal lyrics from Mustaine. This is a great comeback for Megadeth because it has the band's trademark sound while breaking some new musical ground.
Grunge and alt-rocker Dave Grohl has always been a metal fan, and proves it with this very entertaining album. He collaborated with legends such as Lemmy from Motorhead and King Diamond, and other great vocalists like Max Cavalera (Sepultura, Soulfly), Mike Dean (Corrosion Of Conformity), Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost) and Cronos (Venom). Yes, this is a vanity project, but it's a great tribute to the type of music Grohl grew up with.
9. Atreyu - The Curse (Victory)
I appreciate a band that has the versatility to be both brutal and melodic. That's exactly what Atreyu does on this album, and they do both equally well. They're a hard band to categorize, because they blend hardcore, death metal, gothic rock and Viking riffs. Having two vocalists also adds to that versatility. One takes care of the hardcore style vocals, the other the melodic. That contrast really works, as does this entire album.
8. Mastodon - Leviathan (Relapse)
This album has been number one on a bunch of year-end lists, and while I don't think it's the best CD of the year, it's really, really good. Leviathan is more polished and more melodic than their debut, but has even more depth and variety. This album perfectly blends the intense and the complex. Plus I'd much rather listen to Mastodon sing about "Moby Dick" than read the book.
7. Megadeth - The System Has Failed (Sanctuary)
After Dave Mustaine's nerve injury in 2002 it looked like he would never be able to play guitar again and Megadeth was finished. Think again. Along with Mustaine, guitarist Chris Poland who played on the band's first two albums is back and in great form. The songs on the album are vintage Megadeth, with crunchy riffs, great grooves and biting political and personal lyrics from Mustaine. This is a great comeback for Megadeth because it has the band's trademark sound while breaking some new musical ground.
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The copyright of the article Best Metal CDs of 2004 in Heavy Metal is owned by . Permission to republish Best Metal CDs of 2004 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
