 | Blog author: Alex Stojanovic You know, looking back at your past is always a wild feeling. It doesn't matter if it's 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, etc. You reflect on what was going on in your life and the type of person you were at a specific point in your life. |
You then think about what's going on in your life now and the type of person you are currently. You then realize how much has changed and how much you've grown as a person. At the same time, you think "Damn, has it really been that long? Where has the time gone?" For me, that's always what I think about when I look back at certain points in my life and think about all the ups and downs I went through, and that happens a lot when I listen to music. Like I said at the top, it's always a wild feeling because I feel like I'm right back in that point in time. It just goes to show the power of music.
This year marks 10 years since 2008. Damn! It feels like it was just a few weeks to maybe a year ago, I was walking around high school, listening to the new Bullet For My Valentine, Metallica, Trivium, Disturbed and Testament albums at the time (all of which are featured down below).
Looking back, 2008 was a great year for metal with so many killer releases. AC/DC released their first album of new material in 8 years since Stiff Upper Lip with Black Ice. Testament released their first album of new material in 9 years since The Gathering with The Formation Of Damnation, which also saw the return of Alex Skolnick and Greg Christian. The year also saw some reformations of bands like At The Gates, Carcass, Forbidden, Krokus and Living Sacrifice, but there were also some disbandments like Byzantine, Still Remains, Celtic Frost, and Ministry. Some of these bands would reform a few years later and are still going today.
Time for another trip down memory lane. Get ready to feel old. I know I do. Down below are my 10 favourite albums turning a decade old this year.
This year marks 10 years since 2008. Damn! It feels like it was just a few weeks to maybe a year ago, I was walking around high school, listening to the new Bullet For My Valentine, Metallica, Trivium, Disturbed and Testament albums at the time (all of which are featured down below).
Looking back, 2008 was a great year for metal with so many killer releases. AC/DC released their first album of new material in 8 years since Stiff Upper Lip with Black Ice. Testament released their first album of new material in 9 years since The Gathering with The Formation Of Damnation, which also saw the return of Alex Skolnick and Greg Christian. The year also saw some reformations of bands like At The Gates, Carcass, Forbidden, Krokus and Living Sacrifice, but there were also some disbandments like Byzantine, Still Remains, Celtic Frost, and Ministry. Some of these bands would reform a few years later and are still going today.
Time for another trip down memory lane. Get ready to feel old. I know I do. Down below are my 10 favourite albums turning a decade old this year.
10. UNEARTH - The March
By the time I was introduced to Unearth, III: In The Eyes Of Fire was already out for a few months. After familiarizing myself with some of their songs, I was looking forward to their next release. At the time in 2008, I was unaware that there was a new album coming out until I went to their Myspace page and the music player started playing "My Will Be Done". I was then intrigued to check out The March and I enjoyed several other tracks like "Hail The Shrine", "Grave Of Opportunity", "Crow Killer", "We Are Not Anonymous" and "Truth Or Consequence". This is also the only album to feature drummer Derek Kerswill. I don't listen to Unearth as much anymore, but my favourite album would be Darkness In The Light. The March also has some great tunes on it and Buz McGrath and Ken Susi are killer guitarists.
By the time I was introduced to Unearth, III: In The Eyes Of Fire was already out for a few months. After familiarizing myself with some of their songs, I was looking forward to their next release. At the time in 2008, I was unaware that there was a new album coming out until I went to their Myspace page and the music player started playing "My Will Be Done". I was then intrigued to check out The March and I enjoyed several other tracks like "Hail The Shrine", "Grave Of Opportunity", "Crow Killer", "We Are Not Anonymous" and "Truth Or Consequence". This is also the only album to feature drummer Derek Kerswill. I don't listen to Unearth as much anymore, but my favourite album would be Darkness In The Light. The March also has some great tunes on it and Buz McGrath and Ken Susi are killer guitarists.
09. DEATH ANGEL - Killing Season
This is where I first discovered Death Angel. After I went on several hunts online for old-school thrash bands, I came across a ton of bands. Death Angel came on my radar through the Get Thrashed documentary and I decided to check out their stuff. Usually, when I discover a band for the first time, I check out their latest release, then go back and discover their back catalog. At the time of discovering Death Angel, Killing Season was their latest release. This album obviously doesn't measure up to the greatness of the last three albums with the current lineup, but it's the best of the two albums the band made after reuniting with Andy Galeon and Dennis Pepa. I wasn't too big on The Art Of Dying in all honesty. This would also be the last album to feature Andy and Dennis before they left the band. Some of the album's high points are "Lord Of Hate", "Sonic Beatdown", "Buried Alive" and "Dethroned".
This is where I first discovered Death Angel. After I went on several hunts online for old-school thrash bands, I came across a ton of bands. Death Angel came on my radar through the Get Thrashed documentary and I decided to check out their stuff. Usually, when I discover a band for the first time, I check out their latest release, then go back and discover their back catalog. At the time of discovering Death Angel, Killing Season was their latest release. This album obviously doesn't measure up to the greatness of the last three albums with the current lineup, but it's the best of the two albums the band made after reuniting with Andy Galeon and Dennis Pepa. I wasn't too big on The Art Of Dying in all honesty. This would also be the last album to feature Andy and Dennis before they left the band. Some of the album's high points are "Lord Of Hate", "Sonic Beatdown", "Buried Alive" and "Dethroned".
08. SLIPKNOT - All Hope Is Gone
I'm don`t really consider myself a Slipknot fan, but I do have an appreciation for them and everything they've done, and I do enjoy a few songs, but All Hope Is Gone was a damn good listen. "Gematria (The Killing Name)" is without a doubt my favourite Slipknot song. Some people didn't like this album for whatever reason. Maybe because they felt it's not as heavy as the first album or Iowa, but I did. If I had to take one Slipknot album to a desert island with me, it would be All Hope Is Gone. That's just me. Some of the other tracks I enjoyed were "Sulfur", "Psychosocial", "Dead Memories" and "Vendetta" and "This Cold Black". This would also be the last Slipknot album with Joey Jordison.
I'm don`t really consider myself a Slipknot fan, but I do have an appreciation for them and everything they've done, and I do enjoy a few songs, but All Hope Is Gone was a damn good listen. "Gematria (The Killing Name)" is without a doubt my favourite Slipknot song. Some people didn't like this album for whatever reason. Maybe because they felt it's not as heavy as the first album or Iowa, but I did. If I had to take one Slipknot album to a desert island with me, it would be All Hope Is Gone. That's just me. Some of the other tracks I enjoyed were "Sulfur", "Psychosocial", "Dead Memories" and "Vendetta" and "This Cold Black". This would also be the last Slipknot album with Joey Jordison.
07. WARBRINGER - War Without End
It wasn't until 2011 that I started listening to Warbringer, but after I became a fan of the band on Worlds Torn Asunder, I went back and checked out War Without End and Waking Into Nightmares. They really captured the old-school thrash sound on War Without End. The production is a huge testament to that. I remember when I first heard "Total War" and "Shoot To Kill", for some reason, I had Sepultura's Beneath The Remains in my head because the production sounded kind of similar to me. John Kevill's voice is just deadly and is suited for thrash. Since the band played the album in its entirety in 2013 to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the album, do you think they will do the same this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary? Post your thoughts in the comments.
It wasn't until 2011 that I started listening to Warbringer, but after I became a fan of the band on Worlds Torn Asunder, I went back and checked out War Without End and Waking Into Nightmares. They really captured the old-school thrash sound on War Without End. The production is a huge testament to that. I remember when I first heard "Total War" and "Shoot To Kill", for some reason, I had Sepultura's Beneath The Remains in my head because the production sounded kind of similar to me. John Kevill's voice is just deadly and is suited for thrash. Since the band played the album in its entirety in 2013 to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the album, do you think they will do the same this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary? Post your thoughts in the comments.
06. DRAGONFORCE - Ultra Beatdown
After being exposed to DragonForce through Guitar Hero in late 2007 and constantly playing "Through The Fire & Flames", I was looking forward to the release of Ultra Beatdown. I enjoyed this album much more than Inhuman Rampage because it had more variety, whereas Inhuman felt more linear with fast tracks all the way through. There's still the fast songs like "Heroes Of Our Time", "The Fire Still Burns", "The Warrior Inside" and "Inside The Winter Storm", but there's also slower tracks like "A Flame For Freedom" and the summation track, which is "The Last Journey Home", because it provides a complete picture of what is encompassed in this album. I put that song up with "Seasons", "Operation Ground & Pound" and "Fury Of The Storm" as one of DragonForce's top songs. This would also be the first album to feature Frederic Leclerq on bass, but the last album to feature ZP Theart on vocals.
After being exposed to DragonForce through Guitar Hero in late 2007 and constantly playing "Through The Fire & Flames", I was looking forward to the release of Ultra Beatdown. I enjoyed this album much more than Inhuman Rampage because it had more variety, whereas Inhuman felt more linear with fast tracks all the way through. There's still the fast songs like "Heroes Of Our Time", "The Fire Still Burns", "The Warrior Inside" and "Inside The Winter Storm", but there's also slower tracks like "A Flame For Freedom" and the summation track, which is "The Last Journey Home", because it provides a complete picture of what is encompassed in this album. I put that song up with "Seasons", "Operation Ground & Pound" and "Fury Of The Storm" as one of DragonForce's top songs. This would also be the first album to feature Frederic Leclerq on bass, but the last album to feature ZP Theart on vocals.
05. DISTURBED - Indestructible
I first started listening to Disturbed on Ten Thousand Fists when that album first came out. However, I would have to say that Indestructible is my favourite Disturbed album. It contains the better collection of songs like "Indestructible", "Inside The Fire", "Deceiver", "The Curse", "Torn" and "Divide" just to name a few, with all due respect to the other albums that came before and after it. Apparently, "Perfect Insanity" and "Divided" were written way before The Sickness was even released. "Inside The Fire" is without a doubt one of the heaviest songs on the record, not just musically, but subject-wise as well, as it deals with the traumatizing past experience that David Draiman went through after finding out his girlfriend committed suicide. The video for that track is really heavy as well.
I first started listening to Disturbed on Ten Thousand Fists when that album first came out. However, I would have to say that Indestructible is my favourite Disturbed album. It contains the better collection of songs like "Indestructible", "Inside The Fire", "Deceiver", "The Curse", "Torn" and "Divide" just to name a few, with all due respect to the other albums that came before and after it. Apparently, "Perfect Insanity" and "Divided" were written way before The Sickness was even released. "Inside The Fire" is without a doubt one of the heaviest songs on the record, not just musically, but subject-wise as well, as it deals with the traumatizing past experience that David Draiman went through after finding out his girlfriend committed suicide. The video for that track is really heavy as well.
04. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE - Scream Aim Fire
More people may lean towards The Poison as Bullet For My Valentine's crowning achievement. While it's great musically, I can't get into the lyrical themes. There may be a couple of moments in that same lyrical vein on Scream Aim Fire, but this is without a doubt Bullet's crowning achievement. There's some better lyrical topics and with the thrashier direction, it beats The Poison by quite a few notches. Some hardcore Bullet fans will argue with me on that one, but I don't care. Listening to this record these days gives me many flashbacks to my high school days because that's when I was going through a heavy metalcore phase before getting more and more into the old school bands, which I lean more towards today. It's also worth noting that Bullet on the Scream Aim Fire tour was my very first metal show. I'm not as hardcore of a fan of Bullet today as I was back then, but I still listen to them. I'll still go see them live when they come through town, and this record definitely takes me back.
More people may lean towards The Poison as Bullet For My Valentine's crowning achievement. While it's great musically, I can't get into the lyrical themes. There may be a couple of moments in that same lyrical vein on Scream Aim Fire, but this is without a doubt Bullet's crowning achievement. There's some better lyrical topics and with the thrashier direction, it beats The Poison by quite a few notches. Some hardcore Bullet fans will argue with me on that one, but I don't care. Listening to this record these days gives me many flashbacks to my high school days because that's when I was going through a heavy metalcore phase before getting more and more into the old school bands, which I lean more towards today. It's also worth noting that Bullet on the Scream Aim Fire tour was my very first metal show. I'm not as hardcore of a fan of Bullet today as I was back then, but I still listen to them. I'll still go see them live when they come through town, and this record definitely takes me back.
03. METALLICA - Death Magnetic
As I've stated many times before, Death Magnetic was the first Metallica album I was anticipating for release after becoming a fan in 2004. Sure, the production is a slight issue with the distortion levels set to overkill, but that doesn't take away anything from the amazing songs like "That Was Just Your Life", "Broken, Beat & Scarred", "All Nightmare Long", "Cyanide", "The Unforgiven III" and "My Apocalypse". After a 20-year absense from their thrash roots, they finally returned to that sound on Death Magnetic. I remember when "The Day That Never Comes" premiered on rock radio, it didn't grab me right away, until it got to the middle of the song. It took a few listens to really get into it, but the rest of the record grabbed me instantly after one or two listens. Awesome record!
As I've stated many times before, Death Magnetic was the first Metallica album I was anticipating for release after becoming a fan in 2004. Sure, the production is a slight issue with the distortion levels set to overkill, but that doesn't take away anything from the amazing songs like "That Was Just Your Life", "Broken, Beat & Scarred", "All Nightmare Long", "Cyanide", "The Unforgiven III" and "My Apocalypse". After a 20-year absense from their thrash roots, they finally returned to that sound on Death Magnetic. I remember when "The Day That Never Comes" premiered on rock radio, it didn't grab me right away, until it got to the middle of the song. It took a few listens to really get into it, but the rest of the record grabbed me instantly after one or two listens. Awesome record!
02. TRIVIUM - Shogun
Ask any die-hard Trivium fan and they will tell you that Shogun is the band's Master Of Puppets. With so many gems on this record like "Kirisute Gomen", "Down From The Sky", "Into The Mouth Of Hell We March", "Throes Of Perdition", "Insurrection", "Of Prometheus & The Crucifix", "Like Callisto To A Star In Heaven" and the epic closing title track "Shogun", it's just impossible not to name this album one of the best releases of 2008. After many people got their panties in a bunch over The Crusade sounding too much like Metallica to them, they really started to develop their own sound on Shogun. Now on The Crusade, there was just that one riff in "Unrepentant" that sounded inspired by "Through The Never" and a couple of moments where Matt Heafy sounded like early James Hetfield in his vocals, but THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE ENTIRE RECORD SOUNDS LIKE METALLICA! JESUS CHRIST, PEOPLE! That's the thing that annoys me to no end. One guy writes an opinion, and everyone runs with it, saying it's the truth. If you still think that entire record sounds like Metallica, all I can say to you is that you could not be more wrong. As we sit here at the start of 2018, just 2.5 months after the release of The Sin & The Sentence, many people felt that the new record has dethroned Shogun for the best Trivium album. For me, they're paralleled, but if I had to pick one, I would go with Shogun just because of the impact this record had on me. Lot of good memories with this one.
Ask any die-hard Trivium fan and they will tell you that Shogun is the band's Master Of Puppets. With so many gems on this record like "Kirisute Gomen", "Down From The Sky", "Into The Mouth Of Hell We March", "Throes Of Perdition", "Insurrection", "Of Prometheus & The Crucifix", "Like Callisto To A Star In Heaven" and the epic closing title track "Shogun", it's just impossible not to name this album one of the best releases of 2008. After many people got their panties in a bunch over The Crusade sounding too much like Metallica to them, they really started to develop their own sound on Shogun. Now on The Crusade, there was just that one riff in "Unrepentant" that sounded inspired by "Through The Never" and a couple of moments where Matt Heafy sounded like early James Hetfield in his vocals, but THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE ENTIRE RECORD SOUNDS LIKE METALLICA! JESUS CHRIST, PEOPLE! That's the thing that annoys me to no end. One guy writes an opinion, and everyone runs with it, saying it's the truth. If you still think that entire record sounds like Metallica, all I can say to you is that you could not be more wrong. As we sit here at the start of 2018, just 2.5 months after the release of The Sin & The Sentence, many people felt that the new record has dethroned Shogun for the best Trivium album. For me, they're paralleled, but if I had to pick one, I would go with Shogun just because of the impact this record had on me. Lot of good memories with this one.
01. TESTAMENT - The Formation Of Damnation
2005 saw the original Testament lineup reunite for what was supposed to be one show, but then it turned into a full-blown world tour that just kept getting bigger and bigger over the next couple of years, and all of a sudden, it turned into a resurrection. After a multitude of successful shows and good vibes between the guys, the situation was right for them to record a new album with the original lineup (minus Louie Clemente), and boy is this record a monster. The Formation Of Damnation can proudly sit alongside the first five Testament records, as it's already an instant classic. The same can be said about the album's two successors: Dark Roots Of Earth and Brotherhood Of The Snake. The songwriting is back to the style from the early records, while it still contains the aggressive style of The Gathering. Not one bad song here. I got into Testament at the start of 2009 and "More Than Meets The Eye" was the first Testament song I ever heard. I then heard the title track a few weeks later, and I just went: "Where have you been all my life?" The record is so hook-laden and it contains some of the heaviest riffs I've ever heard. The band is just firing on all cylinders. Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick unleash massive riffs and majestic solos. Chuck Billy sounds as brutal as ever vocally. Greg Christian's bass is pounding and Paul Bostaph's drumming is top-notch. I believe this is Bostaph's best performance of his career. The guitar tone on this record happens to be one of my favourite tones ever. The album even won the Album Of The Year award at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. While we're on this subject, something I just need to get off my chest real quick. Awards shows are popularity contests for the most part, so I could care less about them. Shortly after I got into Testament, I read a past article that the album won the award, and needless to say that I was elated. With all due respect to the other bands that were also up for the award that year, The Formation Of Damnation was most deserving of the award. Without a doubt, the best album of 2008. Testament forever!
2005 saw the original Testament lineup reunite for what was supposed to be one show, but then it turned into a full-blown world tour that just kept getting bigger and bigger over the next couple of years, and all of a sudden, it turned into a resurrection. After a multitude of successful shows and good vibes between the guys, the situation was right for them to record a new album with the original lineup (minus Louie Clemente), and boy is this record a monster. The Formation Of Damnation can proudly sit alongside the first five Testament records, as it's already an instant classic. The same can be said about the album's two successors: Dark Roots Of Earth and Brotherhood Of The Snake. The songwriting is back to the style from the early records, while it still contains the aggressive style of The Gathering. Not one bad song here. I got into Testament at the start of 2009 and "More Than Meets The Eye" was the first Testament song I ever heard. I then heard the title track a few weeks later, and I just went: "Where have you been all my life?" The record is so hook-laden and it contains some of the heaviest riffs I've ever heard. The band is just firing on all cylinders. Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick unleash massive riffs and majestic solos. Chuck Billy sounds as brutal as ever vocally. Greg Christian's bass is pounding and Paul Bostaph's drumming is top-notch. I believe this is Bostaph's best performance of his career. The guitar tone on this record happens to be one of my favourite tones ever. The album even won the Album Of The Year award at the 2008 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. While we're on this subject, something I just need to get off my chest real quick. Awards shows are popularity contests for the most part, so I could care less about them. Shortly after I got into Testament, I read a past article that the album won the award, and needless to say that I was elated. With all due respect to the other bands that were also up for the award that year, The Formation Of Damnation was most deserving of the award. Without a doubt, the best album of 2008. Testament forever!
HONOURABLE MENTIONS (No Order)
| Children Of Bodom Blooddrunk  | AC/DC Black Ice  | Destruction D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.  |
| All That Remains Overcome  | Amon Amarth Twilight Of The Thunder God  |
I know some of you are going: "Where the hell is Opeth's Watershed or Meshuggah's obZen?" I'm not really a fan of either of them, but I respect them like hell for what they do. What were/are YOUR favourite releases of 2008?
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