Chamberbelain's Top 50 Albums of the Decade...
...in no particular order.
This was stressful, as one can imagine. I can’t even begin to order them in some sort of hierarchy so here it is in no order. The summaries were written in a rush so it’s hardly the most eloquently worded piece I’ve ever created and the only rule I set myself was to limit the list to one release per artist.
Shout outs to “Mass VI” by Amenra, “Rare” by Hundredth, “Firepower” by Judas Priest, “Abandon All Life” by Nails and Arktis. by Ihsahn.
Happy New Year and all that. Start it positively by listening to Brutus. |
| 1 |  | Anna von Hausswolff
Dead Magic
Anna’s voice is absolutely stunning. I struggle to think of any other vocalists who are able to create an atmosphere with their voice without need of other instrumentation. Spoke to her when she supported Sunn O))) this year and she’s a genuinely lovely person too.
Listen to: 'Ugly and Vengeful' |
| 2 |  | Ancient VVisdom
A Godlike Inferno
About as underground as underground can be. When I listen to this record it makes me feel as if I’m sat around a campfire with a few others doing nothing but sharing the silence and watching the flames.
Listen to: 'The Opposition' |
| 3 |  | Behemoth
The Satanist
Extreme metal’s crowning achievement. Bands like cannibal corpse and Death may be popular but one of the strongest features of this album is that there is no shock value. Its honesty and sincerity towards Nergal’s beliefs force people to focus on the quality of this album rather than be repulsed by its content. Not to mention the fact he nearly fucking died before/during the making of this album.
Listen to: ' O Father, O Satan, O Sun' |
| 4 |  | Boss Keloid
Herb Your Enthusiasm
a. Not the only band from Holy Roar to grace this list. Boss Keloid are still in their infancy but their talent is about as high as they were when they wrote this album. The singer has a wonderful voice too. One of the best stoner albums around in my opinion, better than anything the titans of stoner have ever done, with the exception of Dopethrone.
Listen to: 'Hot Priest' |
| 5 |  | Black Moth
Condemned To Hope
a. Black moth is one of my favourite bands and it really broke me that they decided to call it quits. They weren’t one of those decade-defining bands but they had so much potential and literally everyone liked them. Realistically could have been as big as a band like Electric Wizard in my opinion. Riff In Peace, Black Moth.
Listen to: 'Tumbleweave' |
| 6 |  | Brutus (BE)
Nest
I discovered Brutus on a whim. I was at 2000trees festival waiting for another band to come on stage and decided to stall some time by watching this trio called Brutus while Svalbard set up. Thank God I did wander off to another stage because Brutus became one of my favourite bands that afternoon. Their debut had been out for just under a year by then, I bought it immediately and had it on constant rotation until Nest was released. Incredible talent. Brilliant live. I love this band so much.
Listen to: 'War' |
| 7 |  | Chelsea Wolfe
Hiss Spun
I Didn’t discover Chelsea Wolfe until Hiss Spun was released. What a fool I am. It’s intimately atmospheric and crushingly heavy at the same time. She’s such a versatile artist. I genuinely think that across her career she will have created a piece of music that everyone can appreciate and identify with.
Listen to: '16 Psyche' |
| 8 |  | Clutch
Earth Rocker
I feel sorry for people who haven’t heard Clutch. I could just leave this summary at that but I just don’t understand how Clutch absolutely enormous? They’ve not made any albums that are less than a 7/10 in my opinion. I mean I hadn’t heard of them before Earth Rocker but then once I listened to it I was like ‘this is exactly what I need and exactly what I didn’t know I wanted.’ If I need cheering up, I put on this album.
Listen to: 'Earth Rocker' |
| 9 |  | Carcass
Surgical Steel
I didn’t really know Carcass before this album was released but I saw everyone kept banging on about them. I knew they popularised melodic death metal, which I was a fan of at the time, so I checked it out and it totally flattened me. How Carcass are able to be so thrashy and heavy and punky all at the same time whilst churning out so many melodic hooks is beyond me. Jeff’s dry stage presence live is hilarious too.
Listen to: 'Thrashers Abbatoir' |
| 10 |  | Code Orange
Forever
a. Whether you like it or not or, like me, you like parts of it, there’s no denying this album was meteoric. It was so exciting to feel ripples in the metal scene because of this band. Before this album, I remember seeing them as a last-minute addition to a tour that had Morbus Chron, Tryptikon and At The Gates. They played to about 20 people and no one liked them. Now, look at them. I still believe the sheer amount of hardcore bands materialising is down to Code Orange’s ascension.
Listen to: 'Ugly' |
| 11 |  | Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas
Mariner
The emotional highs on this alum are skyscraping. I don’t know if you count it as a Cult of Luna album or collaboration but this is my favourite thing Cult of luna have put their name too. I still play Cygnus semi-regularly and the climax at the end still blows me away. I got to see it performed live in full at Damnation Festival and it was a defining moment of the year for me.
Listen to: 'Cygnus' |
| 12 |  | David Bowie
Blackstar
I know fuck all about Bowie. I will never claim to be a big fan, not even a casual fan. I listened to this album because the circumstances of his death and revealed illness were all people were talking about. I am and so undereducated in Bowie that I’m not even going to describe why this album is on the list, but all I know is that it sounds incredible and the fact it was written when he was dying its heartbreaking.
Listen to: 'Black Star' |
| 13 |  | Deafheaven
Sunbather
The album that made everyone decide that they needed to voice their opinion over the internet. Ironically, here’s mine: I think Sunbather is brilliant and some of the highs on this album are untouchable. I’m a sucker for a bit of tremolo and this album is mostly that. This album is on this list because of it definitely a decade-defining album for me and less of a personal inclusion.
Listen to: 'Sunbather' |
| 14 |  | The Dillinger Escape Plan
Dissociation
What do you do when you want to retire your band? Put out the best album of your career. Dillinger ended it all with a bang. I barely knew them before this record and it soared to the top 10 spots of the year as soon as I heard it. Still sends my head spinning. When bands split up they don’t usually end it all with their best album.
Listen to: 'Limerant Death' |
| 15 |  | Emma Ruth Rundle
On Dark Horses
One of my favourite discoveries this year has been bands that are more singer-songwriter-y. I love this scene of folky gothic, death gospel thing that’s going on right now. Finally got to see her perform live after missing her tour the UK 3 times in a row. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone command such silence in a crowd without even doing anything.
Listen to: 'Light Song' |
| 16 |  | Employed to Serve
The Warmth Of A Dying Sun
[customary Holy Roar Records compliment]
I prefer this to their most recent album because it’s far less staccato. I feel like I could just replace my summary on the Conjurer album and replace the band names but simply put, this is yet another upcoming band that is destined for greatness. Heavy as balls and I like my hardcore with comprehensible singing.
Listen to: 'The Warmth of A Dying Sun' |
| 17 |  | Ghost (SWE)
Prequelle
a. When people discuss who the next Metallica or Maiden will be, I usually say that there will never be a band to take their spot. Times are different now. Ghost are never going to be as big as those bands but I do think that they are ‘the next big thing’. And let’s face it, this album has more hooks than a really big coat stand.
Listen to: 'Danse Macabre' |
| 18 |  | GOLD
Why Aren't You Laughing?
I really wanted to write a review for this but I spent so long thinking about it that I lost the motivation to start writing. It went completely under most people’s radars and that really disappoints me. The lyrics on this album and the way that they are delivered by the singer’s beautifully passive voice is so powerful. It’s like black metal without the gimmicks and goth in the sun.
Listen to: 'Why Aren't You Laughing' |
| 19 |  | Gojira
L'Enfant Sauvage
This decade belongs to Gojira.
Look at how far they’ve come and how well they’ve done. When someone tells me they like Gojira I actually feel quite proud of them because I’ve witnessed the rise of one of my favourite bands from small technical death band to the festival-headlining titans that they are today. And the best thing is that they truly deserve the praise they receive.
Listen to: 'The Gift of Guilt' |
| 20 |  | Hell (UK)
Human Remains
Do you like metal? You’ll like this album then. Aside from the technical ability, the dramatic persona and the catchiness of the songs on this album, the true standout for me is the actual songwriting. It’s difficult to describe what I mean but the easiest way is through the cliché that each song takes you on a journey. The directions this album takes are all meaningful and naturally progressed. It’s pretty much a perfect classic metal album.
Listen to: 'On Earth as it is in Hell' |
| 21 |  | Heilung
Futha
Heiliung’s albums are classics in their own right. Technically, they deserve to be #1 on everyone’s list because they are utterly peerless. Who else sings in an ancient language while performing shamanistic rituals, using ancient Scandinavian instrumentation to create music about Norse mythology? And if there are bands that do this- do they do it as well and as authentically as Heilung? The atmosphere they produce is outstanding. A band that somehow is still in the underground scene but everyone knows about them.
Listen to: "Othan" |
| 22 |  | Katatonia
Dead End Kings
There’s got to be a word that defines catchy and melancholic. I don’t know it, but I know that this album got a lot of attention when it was released and then kind of just fizzled out until another album came out. The thing about Katatonia is that what they do is so simple and once it’s done you wonder why no one else thought of that.
Listen to: 'The Racing Heart' |
| 23 |  | letlive.
Fake History
I hated this band when I first heard them. It took a year of ignoring them to realise what I was missing. I don’t what it took for all the pieces to magically fall into place but once they did, I finally understood all the hype. Seeing them live only solidified that they were peerless, at the time Day 54 still gets constant plays and Jason Butler’s lyrics on this album are absolutely fantastic.
Listen to: 'Day 54' |
| 24 |  | Killswitch Engage
Disarm the Descent
Again, hardly decade-defining content but when one of your favourite teenage bands loses their incredibly identifiable vocalist after a short fun of middling albums, you start to worry that they’ll simply stop. Luckily, they reach out to their original vocalist who single-handedly saves the band from collapse and creates the best album they released in 9 years.
Listen to: 'The Hell in Me' |
| 25 |  | Lingua Ignota
Caligula
I was desperate to review this album but I know I will never do it justice. This is the heaviest album I’ve ever heard. This musical heaviness makes Sunn O))) look like they’re taking a bubble bath, the conceptual heaviness utterly unrelatable unless you’ve been what she’s been through. Consequently, I’ll never truly understand this album. She has laid her life out so honestly that a part of me feels uncomfortable when I listen to it because I feel like I’m being invasive. This album stands alone, be it in a dark corner, in front of a cracked mirror or on the throat of its oppressor. A classic.
Listen to: 'BUTCHER OF THE WORLD' |
| 26 |  | Machine Head
Unto the Locust
Not my favourite Machine Head album, not the best Machine Head album and it contains maybe 1 or 2 of the best Machine Head songs. My first ever band gig was Machine Head on this album and it blew my mind. Robb Flynn noticed me at the front and centre and threw me his guitar pick which some other prick caught. This inclusion is purely personal. It didn’t signify much within heavy metal, but it is the beginning of the time in my life where I really started paying attention to heavy metal.
Listen to: "I am Hell" |
| 27 |  | mol
JORD
Hello again, Holy Roar Records. So nice of you to release yet another debut album that gives a band a ridiculously high platform to work from. Sometimes, JORD is like warm water freezing, otherwise, it’s ice melting. They blend together so many dualities and make it seem simple. My concern is that they’ve backed themselves into a corner with their sound, but with this level of talent, I trust them not to repeat the same album twice.
Listen to: 'Bruma' |
| 28 |  | Marmozets
The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets
Annoyingly, this band only seems to generate the attention they deserve when they release new music. I think they should be one of the next big deals, myself. This is an explosive debut album that dances across metal, rock, punk and pop. I think if people gave them more consistent attention then they would serve as a fantastic ‘gateway band’ into heavy music because of their mainstream potential. This is the album I invasion people saying ‘I got into punk or metal through this album’
Listen to: 'Move Shake and Hide' |
| 29 |  | Mastodon
Emperor of Sand
Mastodon was becoming a bit tame for my personal tastes before this album was released. I prefer the elephantine weight and the dizzying dynamism of Mastodon more than the proggy, uplifting side of them. Emperor of Sand was a brilliant balance of the two. If you want to get confused, there are songs on here that will do that, if you want to headbang, there’s plenty of moments to do that if you want to sing along, there are an abundance of hooks. Not my favourite record by them, but this album IS Mastodon.
Listen to: 'Jaguar God' |
| 30 |  | Myrkur
Mareridt
Remember when it seemed like the whole world despised Myrkur? People were sending her death threats over accusing her of tarnishing black metals pvre lineage. It was so rewarding to hear the naysays drowned out by the success of Mareridt. It seems like she has absolutely nailed her sound of binding Norse folk, with black metal and I love the fact that the album is not solely dependant on her astonishing voice.
Listen to: "The Serpent" |
| 31 |  | Napalm Death
Apex Predator - Easy Meat
The anti-political, anti-capitalism, anti-everything nature that Greenway expresses on this album, and every live show, ironically summarises Napalm Death’s career: Nothing’s fucking changed. Absolutely relentless. I tend not to care too much about the topics the songs are directed at but their humanitarian view is something I can get behind. No one is better than another, we’re all equal. Stop being pricks to each other.
Listen to: "Metaphorically Screw You" |
| 32 |  | Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
Skeleton Tree
Similarly, to Bowie, I know next to nothing about Nick Cave. I will never claim to be a big fan, not even a casual fan. I listened to this album because the circumstances of his son’s death and it received a lot of attention on this site. I checked it out and it broke my heart. Since then I’ve made a point in expanding my Nick Cave knowledge and I think he is an artist in every sense of the word. He can put visions in my mind through his lyrics and conjure feelings in my heart through sound. I can’t think of many artists like that.
Listen to: 'I Need You' |
| 33 |  | Pallbearer
Heartless
Most doom albums I hear sounds similar to one another. What Pallbearer managed to do for me was let in a little light. This is heavy-sounding music but it’s not crushing or smothering or outright violent. It just sounds impending, but from a distance or like someone despairing in full daylight. Difficult to explain. Great songwriting though.
Listen to: 'A Plea for Understanding' |
| 34 |  | Nicole Saboune
Miman
Utterly underappreciated when it was released. I think Nicole should realistically be as popular as Chelsea Wolfe, especially since the comparisons you can draw between them are rather obvious. A bleak and beautiful songwriter. She also did a great cover of Frozen by Madonna. A perfect album for long drives and dark rooms.
Listen to: 'Bleeding Faster' |
| 35 |  | Purson
The Circle and the Blue Door
I’m really glad that Rosalie has her solo project now because I was gutted when Purson became no one. It was so different from what was being released at the time. Perhaps that’s why not many people jumped on their magic bus… it’s an album out of another time.
Listen to: 'Leaning on a Bear' |
| 36 |  | Rolo Tomassi
Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It
If I were forced to make this list from best to least best, I think this album would be in the company of 1 or maybe 2 albums fighting for the top spot. It is outstanding. I still play it regularly and it still puts me in awe. This is Rolo Tomassi’s crowning achievement, Holy Roar Record’s crowning release, 2018’s AOTY and one of my favourite albums ever. They’re playing it in full at ArcTangent 2020. Look for a tall guy crying- it’ll be me.
Listen to: 'A Flood of Light' |
| 37 |  | Shape of Despair
Monotony Fields
a. Patience is a virtue. It’s also a necessity in drone metal. I approached this album very cautiously when I first read how great it was. I knew it was going to be a long ride and I might have to dig deep to find what others unearthed themselves. After the first listen I was transfixed. The atmosphere is totally enveloping and it made me want to dive into the drone scene. Didn’t find anything that came close though.
Listen to: 'Reaching The Innermost' |
| 38 |  | Skindred
Union Black
If you’re at a party and Skindred isn’t on, are you really at a party? Such a feel-good album and it is the definitive Skindred album. Sounds pretentious to say that because they’ve backed themselves into a corner but no one can mimic Skindred without people noticing that they’re being mimicked. If you want to move, put this album on.
Listen to: 'Warning' |
| 39 |  | Iron Maiden
The Book of Souls
No, this album is hardly a detour from anything the band have ever done in their extensive career, nor is it experimental, nor does it contain any pioneering abilities. It’s the product of a band who all qualify for free bus passes who haven’t lost their touch at all. Slayer is dead and Metallica lost ‘it’ decades ago. Iron Maiden still have it and they are very much alive.
Listen to: 'The Red and The Black' |
| 40 |  | Slipknot
We Are Not Your Kind
I struggle to come up with a definitive answer when people ask me what my favourite band is. It seems to change every other week, or I find an artist like Brutus or Rolo Tomassi that demands my attention for weeks on end, so they are technically classed as my favourite at the time. However, Slipknot have been my favourite band since I was a teenager. I’m very biased but not ignorant of their flaws, of which there are many. This is the best album my favourite band have made since 2004 and that’s why it’s in my list. Can’t wait to see these songs live.
Listen to: 'Solway Firth' |
| 41 |  | Solstafir
Otta
a. Solstafir became an underground sensation when this was released, and rightly so because it’s fucking gorgeous. Delicate, expansive, intense and seamlessly created, Otta illustrated the subtle ways that Solstafir could weave metal into their post rock soundscape. It’s an incredibly atmospheric album. I’ve never been to Iceland but this album paints a good picture for me.
Listen to: 'Otta' |
| 42 |  | Svalbard
One Day All This Will End
Svalbard sill continues to suffer some backlash over their bravery to confront topics no one wants to talk about. This is ridiculous in my opinion and I hope that the band do not become discouraged from delivering the messages people need to hear through the music they create. Anyway, I love Svalbard and they became one of my favourite bands this decade despite the fact they only have 2 albums. Holy Roar strikes again.
Listen to: 'The Damage Done' |
| 43 |  | Tool
Fear Inoculum
Whether it was shit or not, Tool releasing this album was going to end up on a decade-defining list no matter what. It is the biggest release of this decade by far for me, not the best nor the most rewarding but certainly the most anticipated. Luckily, I also think it’s great.
Listen to: 'Invincible' |
| 44 |  | Zeal and Ardor
Devil is Fine
Just when you think metal has run out of ideas, Zeal and Ardor crop up from apparently nowhere and amaze everyone no only with a truly original style, but also one of the best albums of the decade. Their take on metal and slave-era American gospel already felt so coherent on this album that all they needed to do on their next album was iron out any slight creases. Very interested to see where the band takes it next.
Listen to: 'Devil is Fine' |
| 45 |  | Kendrick Lamar
To Pimp a Butterfly
I don’t listen to rap or hip hop. I have no idea what I’m talking about, I have barely scratched the surface regarding the concepts behind this album but even for a total novice, this album has a stern meaning and serious intent. I like it, even though I don’t, and probably never will understand it.
Listen to: 'Alright' |
| 46 |  | Devin Townsend Project
Epicloud
a. To me it feels like Devin Townsend has really made this decade his own. He remains one of the most versatile artists I’ve ever heard of. Certainly, the most adventurous and arguably the most bonkers. His palate is so colourful and so extensive that there’s a Devin song for everyone. Epicloud just happens to be the perfect feel-good album. Sing it loud.
Listen to: 'Save Our Now' |
| 47 |  | Royal Thunder
Crooked Doors
a. I never know how to describe Royal Thunder. They’re definitely rock, but there’s this bluesy, soulful shade to them that gives Royal Thunder such a chilled-out vibe. I always envision the weather to be sunny when I listen to them, even during the sad songs. In some songs, it almost feels like there’s no riffs, just melodies that evolve into something else until it all falls into piece. Incredible vocalist too.
Listen to: 'One Day' |
| 48 |  | True Widow
Avvolgere
You’re new favourite band. Such simplistic songwriting that it’s a wonder no one else hasn’t already thought of it. It sounds like it wraps you in a big warm blanket and I’m okay with that. So easy going that even if you find fault in it, you can’t be bothered to address them. An album that just slows you down.
Listen to: 'Theurgist' |
| 49 |  | Vektor
Terminal Redux
a. I’m still really proud of my summary for the review I wrote on this album on this website. Shameless plugging, I know. This album fucking floored me when it was released. The technicality of it sent me cross-eyed, and the coherency of it all sent me into a crisis. How the fuck can they do this, let alone do it so well. Fucking futuristic technology, I say.
Listen to: 'Recharging the Void' |
| 50 |  | Conjurer (UK)
Mire
Conjurer is going up in the world. At a violently kinetic rate. I’m from the UK and I think our upcoming bands scene is really strong right now. Conjurer is definitely at the forefront *cough Holy Roar are great cough*of those bands and with Mire it’s easy to see why. In the metal scene it’s been widely accepted as one of the best debuts of that year and to that acclaim, I think it deserves a spot as one of the best in the past 10 years. |
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