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April 2008 Best Heavy Metal CDs

By Chad Bowar, About.com

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For the second straight month there was only one CD that got a 4.5 out of 5 rating. So far it's been a year with a lot of excellent releases, but only a few outstanding ones. Arsis stood above the masses this month, but a great comeback from Testament and solid new releases from Children Of Bodom, The Sword and Boris also made my top five releases of April, 2008.

1. Arsis - 'We Are The Nightmare' (Nuclear Blast)

Arsis - We Are The NightmareNuclear Blast Records
Arsis' technical mastery has never been in doubt, and they continue that on We Are The Nightmare. The songs are complex, with great guitar riffs and impressive solos. My biggest complaint with their last album was the lack of hooks. That has been remedied here. In addition to their impressive musicianship, Arsis has made the songs on this CD very catchy and memorable.

Subtlety and extreme music don't really go together, but there is a surprising amount of nuance and subtlety here that you'll notice upon repeated listens. James Malone adds variety by using both angry, high pitched screams and ominous death metal growls. I don't know if progressive technical melodic death metal is an actual genre, but it describes this CD pretty well.

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2. Children Of Bodom - 'Blooddrunk' (Spinefarm/Fontana)

Children Of Bodom - BlooddrunkSpinefarm/Fontana Records
Blooddrunk doesn't deviate much from past Children Of Bodom CDs, with thrashy riffs, shredding guitar solos, prominent synths and melodic hooks. The songs are heavy and dark, thickly constructed with layers of guitars and keyboards and plenty of solos from each. Alexi Laiho's guitar wizardry hasn't diminished at all, and he puts on some dazzling displays.

Laiho's trademark raspy vocals are unmistakable, and delivered with a lot of energy and emotion. Children Of Bodom expertly blend extremity and intensity with melody and catchiness. Blooddrunk isn't one of their all time best albums, but it's another solid effort that will continue Children Of Bodom's ascent to being one of the most popular metal bands in the world.

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3. Testament - 'The Formation Of Damnation' (Nuclear Blast)

Testament - The Formation Of DamnationNuclear Blast Records
On Formation Of Damnation Testament has taken their old school experience and familiarity with each other along with renewed energy and passion to create a CD that's both mature and modern. The return of Alex Skolnick has added an extra dimension to the band's sound. His guitar wizardry and searing solos propel the songs which are intense and heavy, but also have plenty of melody.

Chuck Billy's vocals are aggressive and edgy, whether he's singing or growling. There's been a lot of anticipation for this CD, and if you've never been much of a Testament fan this won't convert you. But for fans and thrash lovers, The Formation Of Damnation is an imperfect but ultimately satisfying release.

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4. Boris - 'Smile' (Southern Lord)

Boris - SmileSouthern Lord Records
Smile is another ambitious effort, combining noise and drone with stoner metal, doom and psychedelic rock. Some songs are pretty traditional with a lot of groove and melody, others are more dissonant and experimental. This is a thick and heavy album, driven by Wata's excellent guitar work.

Usually Boris doesn't have vocals on every track, but this time around they do. Smile is by no means a mainstream album, but when it comes to Boris, it's probably one of their most accessible. It has enough melody and riffs that those not into noise and drone can enjoy it. Because their music is so challenging and experimental, they will always be underground, but discerning metal fans know exactly where to find them.

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5. The Sword - 'Gods Of The Earth' (Kemado)

The Sword - Gods Of The EarthKemado Records
The Sword has really stepped it up on Gods Of The Earth, their second full-length. Their core sound is fully intact, with plenty of thick, heavy Black Sabbath riffs. The major thing that has improved on this CD is the songwriting. There is much less repetition than on their debut, more diversity, and the songs are catchier with better hooks and more memorable riffs.

Another thing The Sword does on this CD is up the thrash factor. There are many more thrash riffs and influences, which combined with the doomy parts and retro vibe makes for some crushing songs. Gods Of The Earth is a definite progression for The Sword, and has something for fans into newer doom/stoner groups like High On Fire, or those who like the classics like Sabbath.

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