Barry's Top 25 Of 2000-2009
| Written by: | Baz Anderson |
| Published: | February 11, 2010 |
In 2000 I was 12 years old and had no appreciation of any form of music. It is therefore safe to assume that over the last ten years, things have changed quite a lot. It started with albums like Muse's "Origin Of Symmetry" and then Slipknot's "Iowa" in 2001. I was hooked. Music finally meant something to me. Here in 2010 I can look back at the decade as the one that metal introduced itself to me. I have tried to put together a top 25 albums of the last ten years, but as we all know opinions and tastes change in time, so this could not bear any resemblance to my musical tastes in another ten years. We'll just have to wait and find out.
 | 25 - Benighted - Icon (2007) French brutal death metal with a whole lot of groove. One of my favourite death metal bands, fast, brutal and also catchy. Seeing them live was an experience I will remember for a while. This is their latest album, the future looks good for them. |
| 24 - Macabre - Dahmer (2000) Grind doesn't get funnier than this band. Almost a joke album, this is a well researched concept album on the life of Jeffrey Dahmer. Fast and funny, some songs from this album have produced plenty of in-jokes with my friends. Funny, but still a serious album of music. |  |
 | 23 - Devin Townsend - Addicted (2009) Released only recently, Devin is back and on top form. This is the light-hearted side to Devin and it is a pleasure to hear. Devin always delivers top class music. |
| 22 - Slipknot - Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses (2004) The third album from these men, I remember people didn't know how to handle it at the time because it was so different from the previous album. This is Slipknot at their very best though. Dark, experimental, interesting and hard-hitting. |  |
 | 21 - Keldian - Journey Of Souls (2008) Little-known Norwegian power metal band. This is the second album and a vast improvement over the first, this is a spacey, almost atmospheric power metal album that will have songs stuck in your head for weeks. |
| 20 - Mithras - Behind The Shadows Lie Madness (2007) Mithras took their brutal, spacey death metal further with their third album. An extremely solid piece of work that is both epic and highly impressive in the world of death metal. |  |
 | 19 - Judas Priest - Angel Of Retribution (2005) They were back with Rob and the first album with him since "Painkiller". The band had changed, but the quality remained. Judas Priest back together as they should be, and it is great to hear. This is actually the first Judas Priest album I listened to. |
| 18 - Avantasia - The Metal Opera (2001) Bombastic doesn't start to cover it. A compilation of all the best singers in the power metal world came together for the metal opera. Cheesy stuff, but highly enjoyable. |  |
 | 17 - Rhapsody Of Fire - Power Of The Dragonflame (2002) More cheese with Rhapsody. Perhaps my favourite Rhapsody album of all, this is the fastest and most aggressive album these Italians have put out to this day. |
| 16 - Immortal - Sons Of Northern Darkness (2002) The last album before the break. Immortal had changed their style somewhat with this album, but still managed to deliver a crushing black metal album that was accessible and very memorable. |  |
 | 15 - The Monolith Deathcult - Trivmvirate (2008) Death metal is always best when it is brutal and interesting, and this band did both with this album. Although not so well known, this band deserve credit for this album. Hopefully the band will stay in the direction taken on this album. |
| 14 - Gamma Ray - No World Order (2001) The last great Gamma Ray album, this album has some of the band's best works on it. Extremely solid album of up-tempo, stomping power metal. You can't ask for much more than what this album gives. |  |
 | 13 - Ensiferum - Victory Songs (2007) First album with Petri behind the microphone. A successful return from the band with another catchy album of songs to chant and sing along with. This album will always make me remember my first experience of Ensiferum live in a tiny venue. One of the best shows I have ever seen to this day. |
| 12 - Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris (2000) Unfortunately this band is with us no longer. This is the band's only album, but it is clearly one of the best of the genre. Eastern-sounding, this is crushing death metal but with some extra interesting spices included. It is a shame this band won't be putting anything else out, this album is seriously one of the best death metal albums you can hear. |  |
 | 11 - Sonata Arctica - Silence (2001) The Finn's second album. Straight forward, fast, no questions asked power metal. This album cemented the band's reputation as one of the genre's top dogs. |
| 10 - Equilibrium - Sagas (2008) An extremely long folk metal album of superb quality throughout. Memorable songs, beautiful woodwind instruments bring this earthy album alive. Only the second album from the band, but one of the best folk metal albums ever as far as I am concerned. |  |
 | 9 - Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet (2006) Not a lot of bands are truly unique these days, but Wuthering Heights most definitely are. Mixing power, folk and progressive elements this is the band's most recent album to this date, and definitely their best. These guys deserve more attention for their amazing work. |
| 8 - Ayreon - The Human Equation (2004) Not many albums can evoke emotions like this one. The whole album being a story of a man in hospital and his encounters with his various emotions, who are sang by a range of the top metal vocalists. A long album, but packed with top quality material. This is as good as progressive metal gets from where I am sitting. |  |
 | 7 - Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild (2003) The band's third album might not have been as popular as the first two, but this is probably my favourite from the band. The keyboard makes this album flow so smoothly. This is extremely catchy power metal that has a little more depth than the first couple. Top draw stuff either way. |
| 6 - Helloween - The Dark Ride (2000) Even still, this is the best Helloween have been for many years. Unfortunately the last album with Roland on guitar and Uli drumming, it was apparently their input that took this power metal album into the darker realms. Dark power metal, extremely enjoyable and one of the best the band and the genre has to offer. |  |
 | 5 - Blind Guardian - A Night At The Opera (2002) Perhaps still my favourite Blind Guardian album to date. Many layers comprise this album, it is a little too much for some people, but magic for me. One of the first albums I heard from this band, and I won't forget even now the magic of the last, long and epic song on the album. |
| 4 - Ayreon - 01011001 (2008) Arjen takes Ayreon back towards spacey territory here. This is the album that got me into his projects, eventually that is, it actually took me a few goes to appreciate this. It certainly isn't bite-sized, but this is extremely dense and mind-bending metal. |  |
 | 3 - Emperor - Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire And Demise (2001) Unfortunately all good things have to come to an end, but Emperor decided to give us some true magic before saying their goodbyes. This isn't black metal like they used to play, this is some form of twisted, black, progressive, extreme album of technicality, chaos and brilliance. Emperor were one of the first really extreme metal bands to grab me in such a way, to this day I still have my Emperor wallet, posters, backpack and various other items. |
| 2 - Masterplan - Aeronautics (2005) In a way it was good that Roland and Uli left Helloween, because on their new band's second outing we get this. The best metal voice in the world Jørn Lande completed the Masterplan line-up, and this album is a true masterpiece. This second album is a little further away from the traditional power metal sound of the first, but is still very much a catchy and memorable power metal album. An album bristling with quality, so many power metal bands are satisfied with the same old generic formula and sound, but the members of Masterplan here show just why this should be considered a "super group". |  |
 | 1 - Ensiferum - Ensiferum (2001) In a decade that saw the uncontrollable rise of folk metal, Ensiferum were one of the first to get the ball rolling. Each song on the album is memorable, this is metal to sing along to and drink to and the best of its kind. Ensiferum have something about them that makes them so likeable. The clean vocals, catchy melodies and great choruses make this my favourite album from the last ten years. Thanks! |
So there you have it. I hope you've enjoyed looking through this page.
Comments
Comments: 23
Visited by: 171 users
| HardSide Posts: 381 |
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254  |
Hated folk? No... I'm not a fan of every band, I really don't like Eluveitie for example - but in general I like folk.
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| HardSide Posts: 381 |
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| Ask Posts: 61  |
Interesting list and though I doubt I'd have any of these on mine, I can appreciate how difficult a decade list must be. Have you heard of Myrkgrav? Look into it if you haven't.
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| Paradox0 Unasuming Madnes Posts: 592 |
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| Lucas Mr. Noise Elite Posts: 13427  |
Some surprising albums (Elvenefris? Awesome!  ), some not-so-surprising ones. Your opening paragraph got me thinking too, in 2000 I was... 8. That was even before my Robbie Williams/Christina Aguilera/Shakira-phase, which got cut off by metal in '04/'05 or so. And the two have now merged again somehow, hahaha. Tastes go strange ways.
---- SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?  "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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| Ag Fox Angel No More Elite Posts: 4774  |
Your descriptions of Keldian and Mithras got me hooked. I'm gonna check them out
---- loves 小巫
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437  |
Haha! in 2000 i was also 12 and this was also for me the year that i "started" to listen to music.
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| Met@1lurg Posts: 103  |
Power of the dragonflame??!! I think that Dawn of Victory or Symphony of Enchanted Lands are much better. For me Power... is the worst Rhapsody album. I do not like guitar riffs and drumming in this album. I like only the last song for it Latino/spanish elements. Rain of a thousand flames is better too. "Queen of the dark horizons" give a fuck to all "Power...dragonflame"! As for The Dark Ride. Good, but Rabbit sounds modernly.
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| Promonex Cathemeral Elite Posts: 9720  |
Not too many surprises. In fact "Icon", "Sons of Northern Darkness", "Trivmvirate", "Victory Songs", "The Human Equation" and "Winterheart's Guild" would've made it into my top 25, too
---- All life begins with Nu and ends with Nu... This is the truth! This is my belief! ...At least for now. - The Mystery of Life, Vol. 841 Ch. 26
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| elekctric Posts: 105  |
Written by Paradox0 on 11.02.2010 at 08:19 thought the Chocolate Factory song was funny ....
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| Paradox0 Unasuming Madnes Posts: 592 |
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| elekctric Posts: 105 |
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| Thought. A Dying God Posts: 90  |
I'll make one of these, and just as pretty. I don't have ability to post here yet, so you'll see it up on lj_metal_community, baz. I like your list a lot, but only agree with one or two, and question why you put up Slipknot's Vol.3 over Iowa. Since these are so personal and really fun to think of, i'll show you my taste from the past decade soon!
---- There is no God but the one that dies with me. I have no life but the one I take with me to the grave. We come into this world alone. And we will die on our own. I live. I die. Ain Elohim.
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8669  |
Written by Baz Anderson on 11.02.2010 at 05:41 hey, you are really my man, Baz 
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| Promonex Cathemeral Elite Posts: 9720 |
Written by Ellrohir on 11.02.2010 at 18:46 Somehow this sounded incredibly gay... 
---- All life begins with Nu and ends with Nu... This is the truth! This is my belief! ...At least for now. - The Mystery of Life, Vol. 841 Ch. 26
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8669 |
Well i am not spending too much time among gays, so i dont know how they sound...but maybe you do... 
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep
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| Ag Fox Angel No More Elite Posts: 4774 |
Thanks for recommending Mithras - Behind The Shadows Lie Madness. I'm listening to it right now and finding it incredibly awesome XD
---- loves 小巫
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254 |
Written by Ag Fox on 12.02.2010 at 13:36 Fantastic. Try the first two as well then. The first album is straight up brutal death (and very good), and the second has a lot more atmosphere and spacey-ness (and also very, very good once you're past the 5-minute introduction track).
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| Ag Fox Angel No More Elite Posts: 4774 |
Written by Baz Anderson on 12.02.2010 at 19:40 sure I will I also listened to Keldian. Wasn't as impressed, but still found it really good nonetheless. I would say it's industrial rather than atmospheric, though a bit more spacey than Karelia's "Restless"
---- loves 小巫
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254 |
Written by Ag Fox on 13.02.2010 at 01:49 The Keldian needs a little getting used to. Give it a chance and it'll be one of the best you've heard.
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| Hermann Langke Brahmastra Corps Posts: 471  |
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254 |
Even now, I would probably change this list quite a bit, hahaha,
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