The Best Heavy Metal Music of 2013
2013 was a great year for heavy metal music, with some truly amazing albums being released. Here are our picks for the best of the best – the top 10 heavy metal albums of 2013!
Introduction
2013 was a great year for heavy metal music, with a wide variety of styles and genres represented. Here are some of the best heavy metal albums of 2013, according to critics.
Best Metal Albums of 2013
This was a great year for metal music, with a number of great albums being released. Some of the best metal albums of 2013 include “Black Gives Way to Blue” by Alice in Chains, “The Paradigm Shift” by Korn, and “Dream Theater” by Dream Theater. These are just a few of the great metal albums that were released this year.
Metallica- “Death Magnetic”
Death Magnetic is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on September 12, 2008 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Rick Rubin, marking the band’s first album since …And Justice for All (1988) not to be produced by long-time collaborator Bob Rock. It is also the first Metallica album to feature bassist Robert Trujillo, and was the last Metallica album to feature songwriting contributions from guitarist Kirk Hammett.
The writing process of Death Magnetic began during the 2003–2004 gig tour promoting St. Anger, and united for the first time since 1983 due to increased tensions during their previous tour where now ex-bassist Jason Newsted did not participate. The recording process spanned more than a year and was marked by a series of delays due to Truckin’s family emergencies and an injury to his arm. Death Magnetic was released to critical acclaim, debuting at number one on more than 27 different charts, including the Billboard 200 in the United States where it sold 490,000 copies in its first week, becoming Metallica’s fifth consecutive studio album to do so.
Slayer- “World Painted Blood”
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They rose to fame with their 1986 release Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the big four thrash metal bands, along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Since 2015, the band has consisted of King (the only remaining original member), guitarist Gary Holt, drummer Paul Bostaph and vocalist/bassist Tom Araya.
“World Painted Blood” is the eleventh studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on November 3, 2009 by American Recordings. It was produced by Greg Fidelman and executive-produced by Rick Rubin. The album artwork was created by Dusty Peterson. Hanneman did not participate in the making of this album due to his recovery from necrotizing fasciitis; he was replaced by Exodus guitarist Holt. This is also the first Slayer album to feature drummer Bostaph since 2001’s God Hates Us All as well as the only album to have Araya playing bass since 1990’s Seasons in the Abyss; he would continue to play bass on future albums.
World Painted Blood received positive reviews from music critics upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 81 based on 12 reviews, indicating “universal acclaim”. In 2011 it was ranked number 548 in Rock Hard magazine’s book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.
Megadeth- “Endgame”
Megadeth’s “Endgame” is easily one of the best metal albums of 2013. It’s a return to form for the band, and it features some of the best musicianship and songwriting that they’ve ever done. The album is full of catchy hooks and riffage, and it’s sure to please fans of all kinds of metal.
Anthrax- “Worship Music”
Anthrax’s “Worship Music” is one of the best metal albums of 2013. It is a return to form for the band, and features some of their best songs in years. The album is full of catchy hooks, powerful riffs, and stellar musicianship. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the band or just getting into metal, “Worship Music” is an essential album.
Lamb of God- “Resolution”
Lamb of God’s seventh studio album, “Resolution”, was released on January 24, 2012 through Epic Records. The album was produced by Josh Wilbur. “Resolution” debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 61,000 copies in the United States. It is the band’s second highest-charting album to date, behind only 2009’s “Wrath”. To date, the album has sold over 200,000 copies in the US. “Resolution” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance at the 2013 Grammy Awards.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Allmusic’s Gregory Heaney gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying that “Lamb of God have delivered an album that stands as not only a return to form, but as one of their best albums to date.” MetalSucks’ Vince Neilstein gave the album a positive review, stating that “If you’re a Lamb of God fan you’ll probably love Resolution. If you’re not, this may not be the record to convert you.” Rolling Stone’s Jon Dolan gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and said that it was “A punishing great”.
“Resolution” was ranked at number 5 on Loudwire’s list of the 10 Best Metal Albums of 2013. In December 2013, Revolver named “Resolution” the Album of the Year.
Best Metal Songs of 2013
Metallica- “All Nightmare Long”
One of the most successful and well-known heavy metal bands of all time, Metallica has been entertaining and shocking fans since 1981. “All Nightmare Long” is a return to form for the band, with its fast pace and aggressive lyrics. The song is taken from the album Death Magnetic, which was released in 2008 to critical acclaim.
Slayer- “Hate Worldwide”
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman. They rose to fame with their 1986 release Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the big four thrash metal bands, along with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Since their debut album in 1983, Slayer has released twelve studio albums, two live albums, a box set, six video albums, thirty-six singles and twenty-two music videos. The band’s musical style involves fast tremolo picking, double bass drumming, riffs in irregular scales and shouted vocals. In the original line-up King, Hanneman and lead vocalist/bassist Tom Araya contributed to the songwriting for the majority of the band’s material.
“Hate Worldwide” is a song by American thrash metal band Slayer. It was released on September 11, 2001 as a single from their 2001 album God Hates Us All. The single peaked at number 30 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
The song was written by guitarist Kerry King and features lyrics about various forms of hatred around the world.
Megadeth- “Head Crusher”
As the first single from their fourteenth studio album, Endgame, “Head Crusher” was released on June 28, 2009. The song debuted at #43 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at #33. “Head Crusher” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2010.
Anthrax- “In the End”
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Danny Lilker. As one of the leaders of the thrash metal movement, Anthrax released several successful albums in the 1980s and early 1990s before dissolving in 1995. The band reformed in 2000 and has released five more studio albums since then.
“In the End” is a song by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It was released as a single on January 28, 2013, from their eleventh studio album, Anthems (2013).
Lamb of God- “Redneck”
Lamb of God’s song “Redneck” is one of the best metal songs of 2013. The song is heavy and aggressive, with a powerful riff and chorus. The lyrics are angry and political, with a message that is relevant to today’s world. “Redneck” is a perfect example of why Lamb of God is one of the best metal bands in the world.
Conclusion
2013 was a great year for metal, with a wide variety of sounds and styles represented. From the progressive to the extreme, there was something for everyone. And while it’s always tough to narrow things down to just a few, we’ve compiled a list of what we think are the best metal albums of 2013.
So without further ado, here are our picks for the best heavy metal albums of 2013:
