Best Metal CDs of 2004

6. Jag Panzer - Casting The Stones (Century Media)
One of the most underrated bands in metal history keeps making great records 20 years after their debut. Jag Panzer is a traditional metal band with power and progressive influences. The guitar work of Chris Broderick and Mark Briody on this album is top-notch, and vocalist Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin is in great form. Casting The Stones is melodic, innovative, complex and gets better with each listen.

5. Amon Amarth - Fate Of Norns (Metal Blade)
The kings of Scandinavian death metal keep getting better and better. Their latest album is more musically mature and still has all the great Viking and Norse mythology entwined in the lyrics. Each song is an epic tale that is constructed to tell a story both musically and lyrically. The tempos on this album are a little slower than some of their previous releases, but they manage to keep the same intensity and brutality they've always had.

4. Anthrax - The Greater Of Two Evils (Sanctuary)
This is a twist on a greatest hits album. Anthrax had their fans vote on their favorite songs from the group's first five albums. They took the results and re-recorded 14 songs from 1984-1990 in a 2 day period. Current singer John Bush does a great job with songs that were originally done by Joey Belladonna. After over 20 years, Anthrax rocks as hard as anybody in the business.

3. Evergrey - The Inner Circle (Inside Out)
I thought Evergrey's Recreation Day was one of the best albums of 2003, so the expectations when I popped this one in the CD player were pretty high. The Inner Circle met and in many cases exceeded those expectations. The song structures on this album are even more complex and orchestrated than Evergrey's previous work. They blend in the traditional progressive metal keyboards and soaring guitars with layered background vocals and some interesting twists like acoustic guitar, female vocals and a string quartet.

2. Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine (Relapse)
It's been five years since their last full-length CD, and in that time the much-lauded band has gotten even better. This is the first recording with vocalist Greg Puciato, who has been with the band for a couple of years. His vocals are outstanding, ranging from hardcore yells to death metal growls

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