Heavy Music Lists
System of a Down’s 10 Best Songs
System of a Down are one of the most eclectic metal bands to achieve massive success. From 1998 through 2005, the Armenian-American group out of California put out a series of acclaimed albums, but then went silent as a recording act for 15 years. Despite the lack of new music (save for a couple of surprise new songs in 2020), System of a Down’s discography rivals that of any heavy group of the past quarter century. Singer Serj Tankian’s unmistakeable voice ranges from frenetic to operatic, while guitarist-singer Daron Malakian’s riffs are catchy and chaotic at the same time. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of bassist Shavo Odadjian and drummer John Dolmayan is as mighty and technically skilled as just about any in heavy metal. Combine those musical sensibilities with lyrics that are both so...
Ranking: Every Mastodon Album from Worst to Best
Welcome to Dissected, where we disassemble a band’s catalog, a director’s filmography, or some other critical pop-culture collection. It’s exact science by way of a few beers. This time, we follow Mastodon’s impressive career, from their 2002 debut, Remission, to their most recent effort, 2021’s Hushed and Grim. Atlanta quartet Mastodon have spent 20-plus years as one of the most daring, dexterous, and delightfully badass metal bands of the new millennium. That’s no small feat considering how many forward-thinking acts are out there. However, it’s hard to disagree given the foursome’s unparalleled knack for channeling influences like Iron Maiden, Neurosis, Pink Floyd, and King Crimson into wholly characteristic concoctions of vibrant sludge/stoner/progressive metal madness. From ...
Slayer’s 10 Best Songs
Few bands epitomize heavy metal better than Slayer. From their Satanic speed metal beginnings to the their legendary thrash masterpieces recorded with producer Rick Rubin, Slayer would come to define metal in iconography, aesthetics, and sound. For many, Slayer have proven to be a gateway band to extreme metal. More brutal, aggressive, and blasphemous than Metallica, Megadeth, or Anthrax, Slayer represent the left hand path. Adorning their albums with Satanic and darkly Biblical artwork by Larry W. Carroll, the band would influence the burgeoning black metal scene in the ’80s and ’90s, as well as achieving commercial success as part of the aforementioned Big Four of thrash metal. Slayer’s core lineup of guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, singer-bassist Tom Araya, and drummer Dave Lom...
Ranking Every Van Halen Album From Worst to Best
It took the death of their iconic guitarist to finally stop Van Halen. For four decades, the band seemed like it could adapt to and survive anything. The arrival and departure of multiple lead singers. The rise of MTV. The births of heavier styles of rock that overtook the hearts and t-shirt collections of fans worldwide. Drugs and alcohol. Health problems. A constant clashing of egos and personalities. Even if they weren’t releasing music. Van Halen seemed destined to limp forward like a rusting muscle car for eternity. But on October 6th, 2020, the linchpin of the band’s sound, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, passed away and closed the book on one of the greatest rock groups of all time. As Wolfgang, Eddie’s son and the band’s latter-day bassist, put it to Howard Stern a month after his dad’s...
30 Most Anticipated Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2021
The year 2020 was a devastating one for not only the music industry, but the entire world. While we’re very much still in the thick of a pandemic, 2021 brings with it new hope, thanks to a vaccine rollout and a new administration in the White House. The new year also promises a plethora of highly anticipated metal and hard rock albums. The albums expected to be released are a combination of works that would have surfaced in 2020 had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic and LPs that had been planned for this year, regardless. It’s fair to say that albums by Mastodon, Megadeth, Evanescence, Gojira, Ministry, The Pretty Reckless, and others would have all arrived in 2020 had those bands been able to tour in support of their latest efforts. Instead, those bands join such noteworthy artists as...
10 Times Lemmy Was the Coolest Man on Earth
While the rock world will never forget the legendary Lemmy Kilmister, late December is an especially poignant time to commemorate his legacy. This year, December 24th marks what would have been the late Motörhead frontman’s 75th birthday, while December 28th marks five years since the passing of one of rock’s all-time great icons. Few rockers were as instantly memorable and recognizable as Lemmy. Whether it be his lifestyle (pushing life to the max via his party-hearty ways), his looks (long hair, facial hair, and signature facial moles), or his music (penning dozens of headbanging classics that have influenced countless other artists, and have only improved with age), there will never be another gentleman like Ian Fraser Kilmister. So, what better way to celebrate the life of the late, gr...
Top 30 Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2020
Our Annual Report looks back upon the strange year that was 2020 and the music, film, and television that came with it. Here, we present our Top 30 Metal + Hard Rock Albums of 2020. In a year we’d mostly like to forget, the world of heavy music brought us many memorable releases. While we wait for concerts to return, we have a treasure trove of new metal and hard rock albums that amplify the anticipation of seeing our favorite bands return to stages. 2020 has been dominated by a worldwide pandemic, and if anything can provide us with a daily distraction from the suffering and uncertainty, it’s good music. Thankfully, dozens of bands decided to release new albums this year, despite not being able to tour in support of their latest studio efforts. As a reminder that life is filled with comeb...
Ranking Every AC/DC Album from Worst to Best
Welcome to Dissected, where we disassemble a band’s catalog, a director’s filmography, or some other critical pop-culture collection. It’s exact science by way of a few beers. This time, we follow the legendary AC/DC’s career, from their 1975 debut, High Voltage, to their most recent effort, 2020’s Power Up. The legacy of AC/DC is one of perseverance. Across their five-decade career, the Australian hard rockers have seen both sides of tragedy and glory, from their rugged ascent playing beer bars to becoming a global stadium rock institution. When charismatic frontman and lyricist Bon Scott passed away in 1980, many wondered if it was the end of AC/DC. Scott’s vivid personality was as much the face of the band as forever-a-schoolboy guitarist Angus Young. After releasing multiple soon-...
Lamb of God’s Willie Adler Talks Coffee, Bill & Ted, and Livestream Shows
Lamb of God’s Willie Adler, photo by Antonio Marino Jr. During a pandemic that’s drastically altered the day-to-day operations of the music industry, Lamb of God have forged ahead. The metal veterans released their new self-titled studio album in June, despite not being able to tour in support of the LP. And the decision brought much-needed joy to metal fans everywhere, as the album ranks among Lamb of God’s finest works. Upon completing the album, the band was then commissioned to write a song for Bill & Ted Face the Music. The film’s music supervisor handpicked the Lamb of God, who delivered “The Death of Us”, a crushing anthem to friendship that cemented 2020 as a veritably productive year artistically for the band. With one full-length and a major soundtrack appearance in the...
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