Best Heavy Metal CDs of the 2000s

Two bands dominate the list of the best metal CDs of the 2000s. Opeth topped the annual list three times in the decade, and Mastodon twice. Each band has three CDs in the decade's top 20. Those annual lists from 2000 to 2009 were used to compile the best of the decade. 2007 and 2008 each contributed three CDs to the list, with many other...

With the turn of the new millennium, it's time to change my lists from the best metal albums to the best metal CDs. The artists at the top of my best of 2000 list had been around for a long time. There are also some up and coming bands on the list, along with some like Angel Dust that faded into obscurity. Here's my list of the best heavy...

2001 was a very strong year for heavy metal. It saw the release of what many think is Opeth's best album along with excellent CDs from artists both new and veteran. Albums that narrowly missed making this list included Kreator - Violent Revolution, Megadeth - The World Needs A Hero, WASP - Unholy Terror and many others. Here are my...

2002's list includes many bands that make repeat appearances throughout the decade, such as Mastodon and Opeth. There's not a one-hit wonder on the list, and most of these artists continue at the top of their game. Here are my choices for the best heavy metal CDs released in 2002.

The bands on 2003's list range from '80s veterans like Iron Maiden and Grave Digger to bands that made their name in the '90s such as Opeth and Katatonia. Then there's King Diamond, whose timeless voice was great in the '80s, '90s and 2000s. Here's our list of the top 10 heavy metal CDs of 2003.

The top ten heavy metal albums of 2005, as selected by the About Guide to Heavy Metal, Chad Bowar.

The top 20 best heavy metal CDs of 2006, as selected by the About.com Guide to Heavy Metal.

This is the third year I've compiled the year end list for this site, and it has been by far the most difficult. Some years there are a few CDs that stand far above the rest, but that's not the case this year. There are at least 20 excellent releases that could have been in the top two or three. After much anguish, repeated listens to the top...

Putting together year end lists is always difficult, and for 2008 there were several strong candidates for the best CD. I picked Opeth's Watershed. Here's what Opeth frontman Mikael Akerfeldt had to say about being number one: "Well, on behalf of the band I wanna say thanks a 1000 for giving us the top spot for album of the year with ...

The best heavy metal CDs of 2009 from About.com Heavy Metal.