The best albums of the noughties

[Blitzkrieg]

Here is an interesting list compiled by internet metal journalist Chad Bower.

http://heavymetal.about.com/od/bestmetalalbums2000s/tp/bestheavymetalcdsofthe2000s.htm

I think it obviously shows too much of his own personal tastes and fandom (3 Opeth albums and 3 Mastodon albums? Watershed wasn't even very good...) but overall it is interesting and there is a lot I would agree with.

Brave New World anyone? That was unexpected...

 

[Shadow298]

I'm glad Brave New World was on the list.

no need for so many Opeth or Mastadon albums.

King Diamond was a huge surprise to say the least.

 

[Spruce Goose]

You dont like Opeth though Blitz do you?
So was Watershed no good cause you don't like em or did you listen to it and not like it?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I am a passive fan. I rate Ghost Reveries quite a lot, and also agree with Blackwater Park being on there, but Watershed is a crap album for them, and a weak album in general.

 

[Stonewall]

He used to hate Opeth so much and wouldn't give time of day to anything redeeming of theirs that I came across (i'm not much of a fan, but love some songs) that I almost felt betrayed when he started listening to them.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Haha thats a half truth. I didn't used to be able to get into them at all, but would give them a listen to attempt to do so. You don't know you dislike something unless you try right? Anyway, Ghost Reveries was what brought me around. Killer album.

 

[Spruce Goose]

Do you think BNW is better than AMOLAD?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Not at all, hence why I said it was unexpected in my first post. AMOLAD would make my list, BNW would not. BNW as a release was huge for metal this decade and started the snowball effect of an Iron Maiden revival (climaxing with the Somewhere Back In Time tour and Flight 666), but their following 2 albums are better IMO.

 

[Goreripper]

But if you read his rationale, the list is just the top 2 from every year since 2000.

 

[Spruce Goose]

I think BNW shits over Dance of Death (old discussion I know).

But I actually had BNW playing last night while I was cooking dinner and it's a pretty fantastical album.... I would put it over some of the 'classic' Maiden albums (Powerslave, Killers, Self Titled)

 

[Southy]

In this the month of no TV in my bloody house, I have been going back and discovering all the old classics, I should put BNW on tomorrow night

 

[Blitzkrieg]

But if you read his rationale, the list is just the top 2 from every year since 2000.

I actually didn't notice that, so that clears things up a little. To be a proper list, though, he shouldn't have done it that way IMO. Some years are better than others, and this method doesn't reflect that.

I have revisited all of Maiden's back catalogue over the last few weeks, and BNW is pretty inconsistent. High highs, low lows.

 

[Spruce Goose]

What are the low lows?

 

[Blitzkrieg]

The Mercenary is one of their weakest tracks, and the weakest since the reunion.
The Nomad could have been a great epic, but falls short with bad lyrics and a few dodgey melodies.
The Fallen Angel does little for me as well. Kind of like Montsegur (which I prefer), it seems they wanted to go heavy so came up with a big riff and left the rest of the song to write itself. Weak.

I really rate most of the rest of the album with some very high highs as I said, (The Wicker Man should become a staple in their live set IMO) but inconistency runs rampant, even in songs. Ghost Of The Navigator has one of the strongest intro/first versus of any Maiden song, then loses its mojo a bit with the chorus. Still a good song though. I rate Blood Brothers and the title track, but many other fans don't. I like Dream Of Mirrors and OOTSP, but they are a little quirky (which is fine, but also lends to the inconsistencies of the album).

It is for the reasons that I don't rate it as a classic, though I do still really enjoy it. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Goreripper]

I actually didn't notice that, so that clears things up a little. To be a proper list, though, he shouldn't have done it that way IMO. Some years are better than others, and this method doesn't reflect that.

Not only that, but he's only been doing the column since 2006, so the first few years don't even reflect his opinion. Methinks he was being lazy over the holiday period.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Hmm...I have been getting his heavymetal.about.com newsletter for many many years now though...

 

[Goreripper]

Has it always been the same guy though? I know there was a dude before him that did the column back in the 90s.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Yeah pretty sure Chad has been doing it since I have been aware, which would be somewhere between 98 and 2000....I think anyway....

 

[apprentice]

Endgame on the top 20? Maybe out of nostalgia. I'm giving it a quick listen just out of curiosity but I still don't know what the fuss is all about.
This might be my fandom calling, but Silicon Messiah could have a spot on the list, don't you think?

 

[Shadow298]

This might be my fandom calling, but Silicon Messiah could have a spot on the list, don't you think?

never heard of that album.