2002 Best Heavy Metal CDs

Oceanic is a very atmospheric album. The sophomore effort from Isis delivers heavy guitar riffs along with lengthy ambient instrumental sections. The aquatic theme to the lyrics applies to the music as well, with sonic ebbs and flows washing over the listener like an ocean wave. In addition to Aaron Turner's harsh vocals, female singing is included on a few songs, adding an extra dimension to the music.

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.

A Night At The Opera is an epic and symphonic album from the German band Blind Guardian. The songs are painstakingly arranged, with power metal riffs and walls of atmosphere. The most ambitious track on the album is "And There Was Silence," a 14 minute opus that Blind Guardian pulls off well. The vocals are strong throughout, with backing choirs along with Hansi Kürsch's distinctive high pitched singing.

Their fourth album finds Soilwork's sound continuing to evolve. On Natural Born Chaos, the Swedes increase the quantity of clean vocals, and the music is as catchy as ever. You'll hear plenty of great guitar work from Peter Wichers and Ola Frenning, and new keyboardist Sven Karlsson adds subtle flourishes to the songs. Bjorn "Speed" Strid is able to transition easily between harsh and melodic vocals, especially spotlighted on "Mindfield."

Remission is the full-length debut from Mastodon. It combines a classic doom/sludge sound with a progressive flair. Some songs are thick and heavy, others less intense. It's a dynamic and creative effort, with standout songs such as "March Of The Fire Ants" and "Workhorse." The vocals on this album are very raw, with none of the melodic singing that would appear on later releases.

After topping my year-end list for 2001 with Blackwater Park, Opeth faced a tough task in following up such a definitive album. Deliverance doesn't reach those heights, but it's still a really good CD. They amped up the intensity level, but kept all the complexity and subtle elements that define the Opeth sound. The songs are epic in length, but and creative and diverse enough you don't notice that 10 plus minutes have gone by. My favorite track is "A Fair Judgment."

With Symphony X's The Odyssey, let's begin at the end. The album concludes with the 24 minute title track, a grand opus that showcases and ties together all the elements of the album. The songs on The Odyssey are prog/power metal, with soaring vocals from Russell Allen and outstanding guitar work by Michael Romeo. Memorable hooks along with extended instrumental sections reveal the band's musicianship and songwriting prowess.

The second album from Portland, Oregon's Agalloch is The Mantle. It's a dark and melancholy effort that expertly combines harshness and beauty. Black, folk, doom and other genres of metal blend into an atmospheric mix. The Mantle is a study in contrasts, such electric and acoustic guitars, harsh black metal rasps and clean vocals. The vocals are secondary and sparse, with the music taking the main focus most of the time. The instrumental "Odal" is actually one of the best songs on the album.

Metalcore pioneers Killswitch Engage influenced countless bands, but most that followed were pale imitations. The band's sophomore effort Alive Or Just Breathing was the last with vocalist Jesse Leach. Angry, aggressive, but also very melodic, the album found Killswitch honing their sound with memorable songs like "Fixation On The Darkness" and "My Last Serenade."

In Flames' sixth studio CD Reroute To Remain was a change of pace, as the band used a different producer (Daniel Bergstrand) after Fredrik Nordstrom was at the helm for their previous releases. While keeping their core melodic death metal sound, In Flames wrote songs that were more accessible with catchier choruses. It drew criticism, but expanded the band's fan base without alienating too many of their core fans. "Trigger" and the title track are two of the best songs on the album.