United Kingdom Metal & Hard Rock Albums of the 2000s

The comeback record after the long break that followed Mark Gallagher's injuries, and the first place it appeared was Japan, on King Records, on 25 March 2009.

Chutzpah! mixes The Wildhearts’ punk urgency with broad hard-rock melody in a sharp, compact form.

Phoenix reunites the original Asia lineup around grand keyboards, precise playing and memorable melody.

Songs from the Sparkle Lounge condenses Def Leppard’s thick harmonies, shining guitars and instantly memorable melodies into compact songs.

Nostradamus finds Judas Priest building a double-album narrative around the life and myth of the prophet.

In the Midst of Beauty places Michael Schenker’s lyrical lead guitar at the center of a modernly framed classic-hard-rock record.

Stop Us If You’ve Heard This One Before, Vol 1. packs The Wildhearts’ thick guitar, sudden turns and sly melodies into concise songs.

The ninth studio album, issued by Live Wire Records in 2008 as LW024-2. As originally released it ran eleven songs, from "Rock Candy" to "Dark Rider".

Good to Be Bad returns Whitesnake to blues-rooted hard rock, built around David Coverdale’s voice with its mixture of power and sensuality.

Black Rain sets Ozzy Osbourne’s unmistakable voice against thick guitar and hard-edged rhythm.

Born into This compresses the Cult’s thick riffs and airy, psychedelic atmosphere into focused songs.

The Wildhearts packs rough guitar, sudden turns, and sweet melody into a self-titled statement.

Yeah!

A Matter of Life and Death joins Iron Maiden’s multi-guitar harmonies and extended structures to weighty themes of war and belief.

Tales of Rock'n'Roll reunites Michael Schenker with a range of past vocal collaborators and presents his melodic guitar world anew.

Rapture of the Deep lets Steve Morse’s guitar, Don Airey’s keys and Ian Gillan’s voice interact with natural ease.

Angel of Retribution puts thick riffs, sharp twin leads and Rob Halford’s high-voltage voice directly at the front.

Under Cover is best heard not simply as a covers-related entry, but as a record that shows how OZZY OSBOURNE translates outside material into its own

Sunset and Vine layers clear vocals, polished guitar and full harmonies into mature melodic rock.

A live album released by Angel Air Records on 6 June 2005 as SJPCD206.

Silent Nation joins expansive keyboards, polished guitar and melody-rich writing in a mature Asia statement.

Abyss brings together thick guitar riffs, shadowed keyboards and emotionally rich vocals in a focused Lionsheart setting.

Bananas finds Deep Purple working from blues-rooted riffs, Hammond organ and expansive vocals with the conversational ease of a seasoned band.

Dance of Death uses layered guitar harmony, driving bass and Bruce Dickinson’s theatrical voice to tell stories on a large scale.

Arachnophobiac places Michael Schenker’s fluid lead guitar inside a sturdy hard-rock frame.

The Wildhearts Must Be Destroyed packs short, sharp guitar, restless rhythm and twisted melody into concise songs.

A live album recorded in Carlisle, in the north-west of England, and released by Angel Air Records in 2003.

A studio album issued by Communique Records as CMG CD026, the second of the band's second life. Its year is not agreed.

X by DEF LEPPARD: track list, Spotify player, music videos and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Unfinished Business revisits Shy’s strengths in large choruses, melancholy vocal melodies and precise guitar work, presenting the appeal of British melodic hard rock

Aura refines the John Payne-era Asia sound through polished melodies and expansive keyboard textures.

Demolition uses Tim “Ripper” Owens’s wide vocal range as Judas Priest explore several shades of heaviness.

Be Aware of Scorpions puts Michael Schenker’s melodic guitar voice at the heart of every arrangement.

Down to Earth sets Ozzy’s unmistakable voice against Zakk Wylde’s thick, riff-led guitar work and a hard-edged early-2000s production.

Beyond Good and Evil wraps Billy Duffy’s sharp riffs and Ian Astbury’s commanding voice in a dense, hard modern sound.

A live album from the band's 1981 concert at Rock City in Nottingham, issued by Spitfire Records in 2001.

A live album from the band's 1999 appearance at Wacken Open Air, issued by Spitfire Records in 2001.

A studio album released by Z Records in 2001 — the band's first new record since Burning in the Shade in 1987, and the first of their second life.

Brave New World marks Iron Maiden’s renewed momentum with Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith back in the lineup.

Nuclear Cowboy places John Sykes’s cutting guitar tone at the center of a heavy, confrontational solo set.