Best Heavy Metal CDs of the 2000s

The Metal Opera was the debut album from Avantasia, created by Edguy's Tobias Sammet. It features an all-star lineup of musicians including Michael Kiske (Helloween), Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation), Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray) and many others. It's an epic symphonic power metal concept album that's sometimes over the top, but always compelling.

There is absolutely no filler on With Oden On Our Side. The riffs range from solid to memorable, and there are some very catchy hooks and choruses. The production of Jens Bogren is very crisp and allows both the brutality and the melody of the the band's melodic death metal style to come through. Amon Amarth vocalist Johan Hegg has a deep, death metal delivery, but his vocals are also completely understandable, an added bonus in my book. This is simply a crushing death metal album.

After being a regular fixture on our year-end lists in the '80s with Mercyful Fate and his solo material, King Diamond makes his mark in 2003 with The Puppet Master. Every King Diamond album has his distinctive high-pitched vocals and engaging subject matter, but what helps this one stand out is the quality and consistency of the songwriting. From slow creepy dirges to fast intense metal, it's a diverse album with a pretty disturbing storyline. "Blood To Walk" is one of the best song on the CD and fully display's King's vocal prowess.

Death Magnetic isn't a nostalgia trip, but Metallica does embrace some of the elements that made their early albums so good. Kirk Hammett is one of the best guitarists in metal, and his full repertoire of classic riffs and shredding solos is on display. There's a nice amount of diversity as well. Old school, balls-out thrash, mid-tempo groovy jams and slower songs like "Unforgiven III" show a lot of range and versatility. And in the vein of previous songs like "Orion" and "The Call Of Ktulu," Metallica has an instrumental on Death Magnetic, the 10-minute epic "Suicide & Redemption."

The guitar virtuosity of Alexi Laiho and Roope Ukk Latvala is front and center on this album as they show exceptional technical skill. It's traditional metal flavored with some power and thrash influences. Children Of Bodom are melodic and polished, but don't let the keyboards fool you. There are still plenty of rough edges and aggression on Are You Dead Yet.

To The Nameless Dead is an epic combination of Celtic, pagan, folk and black metal. Primordial takes the listener through sparse and majestic melodies, steady and powerful riffs, and intense black metal. The songwriting is outstanding, with layers of thick guitars and subtle atmosphere that ties together the lightness of Celtic/folk metal with the majesty of pagan metal and the bleakness of black metal. To The Nameless Dead is one of those albums that draws you in and envelops you, making you feel like you're listening from the inside out instead of the other way around.

For their sixth studio CD Damage Done, Dark Tranquillity return to a more traditional sound after a more experimental Haven. The Gothenburg sound pioneers expertly combine intensity and melody. Catchy riffs are contrasted by the harsh vocals of Mikael Stanne. From the powerful opener "Final Resistance" to the instrumental finale "Ex Nihilo," Damage Done solidifies DT's place in the melodeath elite.

The songs on Death Is This Communion are thundering sludge/stoner metal with thick riffs and slicing guitar solos. Everything is heavy, but High On Fire speeds up the tempo on several tracks and really get the groove going. They also are able to ease up on the throttle and crank up the intensity with crushing doom metal. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Pike is the star of the show with his excellent guitar work and raspy vocals, which have really improved over the course of High On Fire's career.

Megadeth’s career arc has been on the rise the past few years, and Endgame cements the legendary thrash band’s current relevancy. Mustaine never seems to run out of riffs or anger, and this CD is packed with both. “Dialectic Chaos” kicks off the album, a shredding instrumental setting the stage for what’s to come. What follows are guitar heavy thrash tunes that are unmistakably Megadeth. Songs like “44 Minutes” and “This Day We Fight” are intense, groovy, catchy with multiple guitar solos. Endgame has some old-school moments, but also modern ones.

Mastodon's 2002 debut introduced a band on the rise, but Leviathan cemented their status as a force to be reckoned with. They roar out of the gate with "Blood and Thunder," and the music ebbs and flows like waves, which is appropriate since the lyrical concept is based on Moby Dick. The songs are ever changing in tempo, texture, emotion and intensity. Leviathan can be complex and progressive, but is also accessible enough for wider consumption, which of course will always draw criticism from those who want to keep it all underground.