Canada Metal & Hard Rock Albums of the 2010s

Empath gathers the heaviness, pop instinct, ambience, extreme-metal intensity and humor of Devin Townsend’s work into one large emotional journey.

Line of Fire builds around Harry Hess’s rich voice and pursues the ideal texture of melodic rock and AOR.

Play to Win brings Striker’s speed-metal attack and eighties hard-rock chorus sense into one of the band’s most buoyant balances.

For the Demented centers Annihilator on thrash-metal sharpness while layering Jeff Waters’ intricate guitar work and uneasy melody around it.

United by HAREM SCAREM: track list, Spotify player, music videos and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Feed the Machine pushes Nickelback’s thicker guitars and heavier rhythms to the front, showing a more aggressive side of the band.

The self-titled Striker record joins the band’s speed-metal sharpness with approachable hard-rock hooks in a very concentrated form.

Transcendence lets Devin Townsend move freely between massive guitar sound, layered choirs and quieter emotional expression.

One Step Over the Line builds classic melodic rock around a vocal performance that is both powerful and warm.

Stand in the Fire brings together Striker’s speed-metal guitar attack, energetic beat and memorable choruses.

Suicide Society pushes Annihilator’s sharp thrash picking and memorable songcraft at the same time.

Z² unfolds Devin Townsend’s enormous sound density, pop melody, eccentric humor and deep emotion as two contrasting sides of one project.

Thirteen gathers Harem Scarem’s refined melodies, detailed choruses and hard-edged guitar riffs with impressive control.

No Fixed Address builds on Nickelback’s thick rock-guitar base while reaching toward pop, dance and ballad-like elements.

City of Gold fires off Striker’s sharp riffs, energetic drumming and fist-raising choruses in rapid succession.

Feast is built around Annihilator’s cutting riffs, tense rhythm work and technical guitar playing.

Mood Swings II revisits familiar material through the voice, production weight and arrangement sense of its recording period.

Epicloud fuses Devin Townsend Project’s massive choirs, thick guitars, electronic texture and surprisingly accessible melodies into one wide-screen sound.

Clockwork Angels joins Rush’s precise rhythms, shape-shifting bass, inventive guitar and science-fiction storytelling in a full concept work.

Armed to the Teeth uses cutting twin guitars, speedy drums and big choruses to deliver youthful traditional metal.

Deconstruction packs Devin Townsend’s extreme heaviness, complex turns, humor and unease into one ambitious work.

Ghost uses acoustic guitar, soft vocals and ambient-like sound to create Devin Townsend’s quieter, open-air side.

Here and Now uses thick guitar, heavy beats and instantly memorable choruses to deliver Nickelback’s arena-ready hard rock directly.

Annihilator is a self-titled dose of Annihilator’s cutting thrash riffs, complex rhythm and Jeff Waters’ distinctive guitar spark.

First Signal is a self-titled AOR and melodic-rock debut built around warm vocals, rich choruses and polished keyboards.

Eyes in the Night is Striker’s youthful traditional-metal debut, powered by sharp guitar riffs, racing rhythm and high-reaching vocals.