10. Avenged Sevenfold- The Stage- Released with no advertising and as a completed surprise to both media and fans, Avenged Sevenfold's TheStage sold far less than the band's previous releases. Which is a shame because this album is a bold and exciting move for the band. Going for a more progressive sound, the songs are long and technically amazing. This isn't as great as Nightmare, but it still ranks among their finest work. It certainly is their most risk taking work. Songs like "God Damn" rank among my favorite songs of theirs, and the closer, "Exist" is the most epic tune they have ever written.
9. Testament- Brotherhood of the Snake- The absolute finest album Testament have put out since Formation of Damnation, Brotherhood of the Snake is a monster of a thrash album. A full throttle thrasher, this is Testament destroying all in their path. While, many older bands kind of just rely on their laurels, these guys are still giving it their all, which just happens to be filled with fury and speed.
8. The Pretty Reckless- Who You Selling For- The third release from The Pretty Reckless is a great album with wonderful mix of various styles, influences, and songs. This is the hard rock album of the year, for sure. Some songs rock with a headbanging groove, others with a real blues feel, and, yet others are beautiful ballads. The blusey "Take Me Down" is one of my favorite singles of the year, one that I cannot stop listening! Whatever the song may sound like, they are all united by Taylor Momsen's voice which as beautiful as is.
7. Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas- Mariner- The sleeper hit of the year, Mariner, is an album that exceeded my expectations and delivered one of the most beautiful, complex, and unforgettable music experiences of 2016. This collaboration between Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas will go down in history as one of the greatest, and most original, between artists in the history of metal music. My full review: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2016/03/cult-of-luna-and-julie-chirstmas.html
6. Anthrax- For All Kings- Filled with a classic metal sound and their thrash speed For All Kings, has Anthrax showing that they still are masters of the style of metal that they play. This one will have you banging your head at a continuous, breakneck pace, throwing up the horns, signing along, and wanting to mosh straight into the pit. The way a great thrash metal album should make you feel! Oh, and "Breathing Lightning" is a modern metal classic!
5. Amon Amarth- Jomsviking- This is straight up THE best album the melodic death metal masters Amon Amarth have put out since With Odin in Our Blood. I've liked a lot of the albums that made post that classic, but none of them ever fully pleased in the way that one had. And, then comes this masterpiece. It reinvigorated my love for the band and never fails to get me pumped up. With its soaring guitars and vocals that sign of awesome and violent viking tales, its the type of metal album that you'll wanna sling a few beers to as you headbang and sign along. And, one more thing, that cover fucking rules!
3. Abbath- Abbath- This is the most fun black metal album ever made. I know that sounds like an odd thing to say, but it really is. Featuring great hooks, driving music, and the right amount of a cold and distant feel, this album has the former Immortal frontman take the best of the sounds from the last couple of albums from his former band and expands on it. By doing so he has birthed the greatest black and roll album of all time. It might inspire a lot of the opposite feelings associated with black metal, but who cares? This is one of my most played albums of 2016!
3. Killswitch Engage- Incarnate- Here is an album that yet again proves that Killswitch Engage are light-years ahead of the bands they inspired. They are without a shadow of a doubt the greatest metalcore band, ever. And, this is the best metalcore album of the year. Heavy and melodic with Jesse Leech's amazing vocals giving much heart to the band's excellent and powerful lyrics. Songs like "Alone I Stand", "Cut Me Loose" and "Hate By Design" have some of my personal favorite lyrics of 2016, which I think is pretty much a trademark of KsE.
2. Metallica- Hardwired... To Self-Destruct- I very much liked Death Magnetic, but this album blows it away. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best Metallica album since ...And Justice For All. And, no this album does not match those first four albums, but hardly any album in this world does. What this album does do is rock and thrash hard. Speed metal lovers will love the title track and the destined to be modern classic "Spit Out The Bone". While other songs like "Atlas Rise" and "Now That We're Dead" pummel and pound the listener. In fact, the later is not just my favorite track of the album, it might be my favorite of the year. Note the words, might be. Anyway, there is some melodic heaviness with songs like "Moth Into Flame". Shit, they even have a song that mentions my lord and master Cthulhu in "Dream No More"! What the fuck more could you ask for?
1. Meshuggah- The Violent Sleep of Reason- This pummeling, driving, merciless, yet intricate and fury filled monster is the album of the year. Meshuggah have delivered a rage creature incarnate in The Violent Sleep of Reason. From the opening track of "Clockworks" to the closer in the form of "Into Decay" this album just beats you into submission till it kills you, then pummels your corpse until nothing is left. Songs like "MonstroCity" are destined to be classics in their sets. It serves as a shining example of how even the best of the bands that Meshuggah has birthed cannot hang with their brutal forefathers. This is truly the Violent aural masterpiece without equal of 2016.
Another great year for heavy rock music draws to an end. This year marked a return of many thrash metal legends, including releases from the 3 of the big 4. The other band from The Big 4, Slayer, released an album last year, marking this the first time in many, many years since all four bands had released an album within a one year period. In fact in many ways, 2016 is the year of thrash metal.
As the music section of this site has grown exponentially, I have expanded my annual list from 10 to 20. This gives more bands and albums a chance to shine and considering how many I got my hands on, this year, it was the only right thing to do.
Anyway, let's not waste anymore time and get to it!
But, first let's start with some:
Honorable Mentions: Witchery- In His Infernal Majesty’s Service Vektor- Terminal Redux Brujeria- Pocho Aztlan Walls of Jericho- No One Can Save You from Yourself Metal Church- XI Epica- The Holographic Principle
20. Whitechapel- Mark of the Blade- While, I think this is definitely not as great an album as the one that proceeded it, Our Endless War, it's a very solid and crunching release, nonetheless. Pummeling with breakdowns and filled with anger, the album stands as a strong example of what deathcore done right sounds like. Songs like "The Elitist Ones" and the powerful "Bring Me Home", which showcases a new level of maturity and change for the band, rank among my favorite tracks of the year.
19. Death Angel- The Evil Divide- I've like Death Angel for many, many years, however, I never loved them. The Evil Divide, though, ranks not only as their best album in the last couple of years, but one of their best overall. It might, in fact, be their actual best album. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. Mark Osegueda is one of the best vocalists in all of thrash metal, and his vocals really shine this blistering ass kicker.
18. Aborted- Retrogore- This brutal and unrelenting release from Aborted serves as splatter worshiping death metal at it's most awesome. With songs like the title the track and "Whoremaggedon", it's really hard to stop listening to Retrogore. As the title implies the lyrics are filled with love for old-school gore flicks. This is accompanied by blastbeats and head smashing crunch, delivering a must own album for fans of blood drenched genre movies and extreme metal. Extra points for having one of my favorite album covers of the year!
17. Korn- The Serenity of Suffering- I haven't cared or particularly liked a Korn since probably See You on the Other Side. Enough so that I had mostly written the band off. So call me beyond pleasantly surprised when I heard this album. It really captures the classic Korn sound and reminds why I used to be obsessed with the band, and their music when I was in college. Filled with catchy hooks and the dark, introspective lyrics that define their best output, this album truly brings back the popular late 90s metal sound.
16. Periphery- III: Select Difficulty- Definitely one of the most talented mainstream metal bands out there, Periphery sum up the best elements of the more popular sounds in heavy rock today. The instruments are played to perfection, while their signer Spencer Sotelo ranks as one of my personal favorite vocalists in modern metal. III: Select Difficulty captures a lot of this with a variety of sounds including really heavy tunes, longer more progressive songs, and softer more emotional tracks. "Marigold" and "Catch Fire" ranks among my most listened to songs of the year.
15. Darkthrone- Arctic Thunder- Another band, I had long written off, black metal legends, Darkthrone returned with not only their finest release in many years, but one of their finest ever. It's a true return to old school black metal with lo-fi production and a distant, cold sound throughout. The title is perfect to describe the album as the feel right the right thing to listen to during these cold winter days. Here then is another album that really brings back the 90s, only in a more underground aspect and does it awesomely.
13. Dark Funeral- Where Shadows Forever Reign- Unholy fuck, what a fuckin' album!! One of my most played black metal releases of this year, this dark, heavy, and deliciously evil album is one of the finest and outright listenable recordings Dark Funeral have ever put out. My full review: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2016/07/dark-funeral-where-shadows-forever.html
12. The Agonist- Five- I've been a fan of The Agonist since their debut album, however, as much I love their old signer, they have really hit their stride with their current signer, Vicky Psarakis, and the last two albums that they recorded with her. A great mix of the driving and pounding, with more melodic elements, and very catchy hooks, Five is an infinitely playable album that gets me pumped up each and every time that I listen to it.
11. Carnifex- Slow Death- Slow Death is unarguably THE best deathcore album of the year. It showcases a band, Carinfex, that is willing to grow and mature as time passes. Incorporating more death metal elements than many of their counterparts, as well as other influences, like black metal in the amazing track "Drown Me in Blood", this album is a heavy and pissed off blast of pure fury. Carnifex are truly leaving many of their peers in this style of metal in the dust.
10. Avenged Sevenfold- The Stage- Released with no advertising and as a completed surprise to both media and fans, Avenged Sevenfold's The Stage sold far less than the band's previous releases. Which is a shame because this album is a bold and exciting move for the band. Going for a more progressive sound, the songs are long and technically amazing. This isn't as great as Nightmare, but it still ranks among their finest work. It certainly is their most risk taking work. Songs like "God Damn" rank among my favorite songs of theirs, and the closer, "Exist" is the most epic tune they have ever written.
9. Testament- Brotherhood of the Snake- The absolute finest album Testament have put out since Formation of Damnation, Brotherhood of the Snake is a monster of a thrash album. A full throttle thrasher, this is Testament destroying all in their path. While, many older bands kind of just rely on their laurels, these guys are still giving it their all, which just happens to be filled with fury and speed.
8. The Pretty Reckless- Who You Selling For- The third release from The Pretty Reckless is a great album with wonderful mix of various styles, influences, and songs. This is the hard rock album of the year, for sure. Some songs rock with a headbanging groove, others with a real blues feel, and, yet others are beautiful ballads. The blusey "Take Me Down" is one of my favorite singles of the year, one that I cannot stop listening! Whatever the song may sound like, they are all united by Taylor Momsen's voice which as beautiful as is.
7. Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas- Mariner- The sleeper hit of the year, Mariner, is an album that exceeded my expectations and delivered one of the most beautiful, complex, and unforgettable music experiences of 2016. This collaboration between Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas will go down in history as one of the greatest, and most original, between artists in the history of metal music. My full review: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2016/03/cult-of-luna-and-julie-chirstmas.html
6. Anthrax- For All Kings- Filled with a classic metal sound and their thrash speed For All Kings, has Anthrax showing that they still are masters of the style of metal that they play. This one will have you banging your head at a continuous, breakneck pace, throwing up the horns, signing along, and wanting to mosh straight into the pit. The way a great thrash metal album should make you feel! Oh, and "Breathing Lightning" is a modern metal classic!
5. Amon Amarth- Jomsviking- This is straight up THE best album the melodic death metal masters Amon Amarth have put out since With Odin in Our Blood. I've liked a lot of the albums that made post that classic, but none of them ever fully pleased in the way that one had. And, then comes this masterpiece. It reinvigorated my love for the band and never fails to get me pumped up. With its soaring guitars and vocals that sign of awesome and violent viking tales, its the type of metal album that you'll wanna sling a few beers to as you headbang and sign along. And, one more thing, that cover fucking rules!
3. Abbath- Abbath- This is the most fun black metal album ever made. I know that sounds like an odd thing to say, but it really is. Featuring great hooks, driving music, and the right amount of a cold and distant feel, this album has the former Immortal frontman take the best of the sounds from the last couple of albums from his former band and expands on it. By doing so he has birthed the greatest black and roll album of all time. It might inspire a lot of the opposite feelings associated with black metal, but who cares? This is one of my most played albums of 2016!
3. Killswitch Engage- Incarnate- Here is an album that yet again proves that Killswitch Engage are light-years ahead of the bands they inspired. They are without a shadow of a doubt the greatest metalcore band, ever. And, this is the best metalcore album of the year. Heavy and melodic with Jesse Leech's amazing vocals giving much heart to the band's excellent and powerful lyrics. Songs like "Alone I Stand", "Cut Me Loose" and "Hate By Design" have some of my personal favorite lyrics of 2016, which I think is pretty much a trademark of KsE. 
2. Metallica- Hardwired... To Self-Destruct- I very much liked Death Magnetic, but this album blows it away. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best Metallica album since ...And Justice For All. And, no this album does not match those first four albums, but hardly any album in this world does. What this album does do is rock and thrash hard. Speed metal lovers will love the title track and the destined to be modern classic "Spit Out The Bone". While other songs like "Atlas Rise" and "Now That We're Dead" pummel and pound the listener. In fact, the later is not just my favorite track of the album, it might be my favorite of the year. Note the words, might be. Anyway, there is some melodic heaviness with songs like "Moth Into Flame". Shit, they even have a song that mentions my lord and master Cthulhu in "Dream No More"! What the fuck more could you ask for?
1. Meshuggah- The Violent Sleep of Reason- This pummeling, driving, merciless, yet intricate and fury filled monster is the album of the year. Meshuggah have delivered a rage creature incarnate in The Violent Sleep of Reason. From the opening track of "Clockworks" to the closer in the form of "Into Decay" this album just beats you into submission till it kills you, then pummels your corpse until nothing is left. Songs like "MonstroCity" are destined to be classics in their sets. It serves as a shining example of how even the best of the bands that Meshuggah has birthed cannot hang with their brutal forefathers. This is truly the Violent aural masterpiece without equal of 2016.
