Band: OpethCountry: Sweden
Subgenre: Death Metal
Date of First Release: 1995
Band: Opeth
Country: Sweden
Subgenre: Death Metal
Date of First Release: 1995
Had I been writing this editorial during the time when Deliverance and Damnation were released, I might have thought twice about including Opeth in my top ten. But with the subsequent releases of Ghost Reveries and Watershed, Mikael Akerfeldt and Co. have proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that they remain at the top of not just the death metal subgenre, but metal as a whole. Akerfeldt’s remarkable musicality and creativity (fueled by a fascination with 70s-era Prog Rock) mean that, even after thirteen years, the best might still lie ahead for these Swedes.
Band: Enslaved
Country: Norway
Subgenre: Black Metal
Date of First Release: 1993
Can it be that 15 years have now passed since Enslaved’s legendary split with Emperor? Very often in our beloved genre, you will hear reviewers criticize bands by stating, “great technical ability, but songwriting is lacking.” A mastery of both those elements is really what sets Enslaved apart. There is no excess in their approach, no “masturbation” if you will, and their ability to capture melody within a black metal framework is incredible. Not unlike Opeth, they went through a period where they experimented with progressive rock elements (to include visual imagery) in order to forge and perfect their current sound. In my mind, Ruun is their best effort yet.
Band: Arsis
Country: United States of America
Subgenre: Death Metal, Technical Metal
Date of First Release: 2004
This two-man outfit from Virginia Beach has hoisted the banner once held by Chuck Schuldiner of Death and elevated the entire death metal subgenre. It’s hard to believe they are still relatively new to the scene—Arsis’ first full-length, A Celebration of Guilt, was released in 2004. And yet, in just four years, they have seemingly mastered the art of technical death metal, creating three brutal and beautiful albums that are painstakingly consistent in their level of quality. The talent level of this duo is so high that the sky is the limit on future releases.
Band: Madder Mortem
Country: Norway
Subgenre: Doom Metal, Gothic Metal
Date of First Release: 1999
Let me just state this outright so there is no confusion: Madder Mortem’s Agnete M. Kirkevaag is the best female vocalist in metal, period. Picture what you might get if you combined the voice of Grace Slick with the mad inspiration of a Warrel Dane. The subgenre here is hard to classify, because Madder Mortem are fearless and embrace few if any conventions. There is a doomish quality, however—the songs are heavy, emotionally pungent and stick with the listener. One of the most interesting and intense bands in metal, with a style all their own.
Band: Zero Hour
Country: United States of America
Subgenre: Progressive Metal, Technical Metal
Date of First Release: 1999
Zero Hour first caught my attention with their standout 2001 release, The Towers of Avarice, a brilliant concept album that carved out an entirely new sound within the progressive metal subgenre. Since that time, Zero Hour has largely been in search of its soul, and vocalist. In 2006, they found their man in Chris Salinas of Power of Omens fame. But they failed to utilize his talents properly on Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond, engaging in too much banal Fates Warning-esque droning. On their latest, Dark Deceiver, this problem has been remedied. Salinas and the band attack from minute one and set a new standard for progressive metal bands with technical aspirations. Troy Tipton’s basswork on this one is the best the genre has seen since A Sceptic’s Universe.
Band: Orphaned Land
Country: Israel
Subgenre: Death Metal, Folk Metal
Date of First Release: 1994
It might seem odd to include a band on this list that has produced only one full-length in the last twelve years, but Orphaned Land deserve the honor. Their 2004 release, Mabool, is arguably the most original metal release of the last decade. Employing traditional (and sometimes ancient) Middle Eastern instruments, singing in numerous languages, and exploring compelling religious and spiritual questions (in a manner that embraces all the world’s great religions), Orphaned Land has brought metal into glorious new pastures. Stunning proof that the genre still has many roads left to travel as it is embraced by different cultures around the world.
Band: Akercocke
Country: United Kingdom
Subgenre: Black Metal
Date of First Release: 2000
A band with an image as intriguing as it sound. These Satanic English black metallers have eschewed corpse paint and apocalyptic outfits for impeccable business attire (As frontman Jason Mendonca puts it, “The suits are just like a visual representation of our discipline …We’re smart guys, we’re gentlemen.”). Their music is consistently brilliant, an organic mixture of progressive and black elements. It can be as strikingly futuristic as Rush’s Permanent Waves one minute, as brutally devastating as Carpathian Forest’s Strange Old Brew the next. Akercocke’s mastery of sound (sampling and programming) is also not to be understated.
Band: Mithras
Country: United Kingdom
Subgenre: Death Metal
Date of First Release: 2002
Can you combine spacey trip rock with bludgeoning death a la Morbid Angel? Mithras have somehow found a way. Their albums must be heard to be believed, with the guitars not only churning out riffs, but also manufacturing surreal soundscapes that transport the listener into the band’s science fiction odysseys (picture Australia’s Alchemist on PCP). To think that just two men are responsible for all this wonderful noise is even more impressive. The heir to Nile’s throne (i.e., brutal death king with an artistic edge)? With each new release, the answer is becoming a resounding yes.
Band: Ayreon
Country: The Netherlands
Subgenre: Progressive Metal
Date of First Release: 1995
Dutch Renaissance Man Arjen Lucassen might not be the most original or creative songwriter in the progressive metal subgenre. But his concept albums bring the best of metal’s vocalists together on a regular basis in a series of stunning rock operas. When we as fans engage in fantasized conversations about metal “supergroups,” we might as well be talking about Ayreon albums—the line-ups are that good. Bruce Dickinson, Mikael Akerfeldt, Anneke van Giersbergen, Devin Townsend, Jorn Lande, Hansi Kursch...the interactions between such artists are dreams come true. Lucassen as a man and musician also represents what is best about our genre—incredibly passionate about his craft, he is also one of the nicest guys in the business (and never fails to respond to emails from fans).
Band: Biomechanical
Country: United Kingdom
Subgenre: Thrash Metal
Date of First Release: 2002
Vocalist John K. was faced with a dilemma after the release of Biomechanical’s last album, 2005’s Empire of the Worlds—his entire band walked away. No problem; he proceeded to put a new group together and release an album that will absolutely rip your face off, Cannibalised. It is near impossible to categorize Biomechanical. There are clear influences from Metal Past: Pantera and Judas Priest most noticeably. But the group’s sound is decidedly modern, and somewhat theatrical. Biomechanical's three albums are tied together in concept and tell a sci-fi story about man’s attempt to suppress his instinctually violent nature. Truly one of the unique acts in metal—what Painkiller might have sounded like had it been recorded in 2150.
Honorable Mentions: Mastodon, The Devin Townsend Band, November’s Doom, Wolves in the Throne Room, Darkane
By: Ladd Everitt
