Canada Metal & Hard Rock Albums of the 2000s

Addicted unleashes Devin Townsend’s bright, high-energy side through loud guitars, stacked vocals and huge melodies.

Ki finds Devin Townsend deliberately holding back the usual explosions in favor of quiet tension and spacious sound.

Voivod's twelfth studio album, from 2009: the last to use what Piggy left behind, and the last with Jason Newsted on bass.

Blood Ceremony's debut album, issued by Rise Above Records in 2008. It is occult rock out of Toronto, with a flute in it.

Hope centers Harem Scarem on Harry Hess’s open vocal and Pete Lesperance’s detailed guitar, condensing the strengths of melodic hard rock.

Dark Horse pushes Nickelback’s heavy riffs, dry beat and Chad Kroeger’s grainy vocal toward even larger hooks.

Protest the Hero's second album, out on 29 January 2008. Its ten songs are split into three movements by piano interludes, over about forty-one minutes.

Metal puts Annihilator’s love of heavy metal in the foreground through sharp riffs and changing arrangements.

Ziltoid the Omniscient uses layered guitar, thick choruses, and eccentric narration to create a cosmic story.

Snakes & Arrows brings Rush’s intricate construction and accessible hooks together in a measured sonic frame.

Synchestra lets Devin Townsend combine heavy guitars, stacked choirs, electronic texture, and pop melody with almost excessive freedom.

Human Nature combines Harry Hess’s rich vocal, Pete Lesperance’s fluid guitar, and precise rhythm work.

Voivod's eleventh studio album, from July 2006, built from the guitar and bass tracks Piggy had recorded before he died.

Schizo Deluxe centers Jeff Waters’s cutting guitar around fast rhythm and uneasy melody.

Overload uses polished guitar, emotive melody and detailed harmony to build highly crafted melodic rock.

All the Right Reasons uses heavy riffs, dry rhythm and Chad Kroeger’s grainy voice as a hard-rock foundation.

All for You keeps Annihilator’s cutting guitar work and bold shifts in arrangement while bringing more singable melody to the front.

Accelerated Evolution combines walls of guitar, dense arrangement and soaring vocals to make heaviness and release coexist.

Higher combines delicate melody, thick harmony and tight guitar riffing into refined hard rock.

The Long Road uses distorted guitar, heavy beat and Chad Kroeger’s rough voice to make direct rock with large-scale choruses.

Voivod's self-titled tenth studio album, from March 2003, with Snake back and Jason Newsted newly on bass.

Waking the Fury pushes Annihilator back toward thrash-metal tension with intricate, cutting riffs at the front.

Weight of the World combines Harem Scarem’s detailed harmonies, restrained guitar work and emotional melodies.

Vapor Trails marks Rush's return after a long silence, built from the raw drive of guitar, bass and drums with almost no synthesizers.

Carnival Diablos centers on Jeff Waters’s sharp riffs and technical guitar work while expanding thrash momentum through varied arrangements.

Terria uses heavy guitar, but places atmosphere, silence and scale at the center of Devin Townsend’s writing.

Silver Side Up connects thick guitar riffs and instantly memorable melody with remarkable directness.

Physicist collides Devin Townsend’s enormous sound pressure with introspective, off-kilter melody.