United States Metal & Hard Rock Albums of the 2000s - Page 2

Systematic Chaos brings complex meter, heavy guitar, and detailed keyboard work into a single large-scale flow.

The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A pushes Exodus’s thrash attack toward an extreme through slicing riffs and relentlessly accelerating rhythm.

The Way of the Fist introduces Five Finger Death Punch through low chugging guitar, heavyweight breakdowns, and Ivan Moody’s raw voice.

Great White's tenth studio album, released by Shrapnel on 17 July 2007, was its first in eight years, made after the band reunited in January 2007.

Ghost Opera combines heavy guitar, classical keyboard color, and Roy Khan’s shadowed voice on a grand scale.

Untitled combines low, coiling riffs, electronic noise, and Jonathan Davis’s urgent voice.

Red Planet Boulevard uses rich keyboards, fluid guitar, and Lana Lane’s soaring voice to sketch a cosmic sense of space.

Waters Rising by LILLIAN AXE: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Minutes to Midnight moves beyond Linkin Park’s earlier reliance on rap and heavy riffing toward direct rock songs and quieter emotion.

The Blackening joins massive riffs, complex structures, and Robb Flynn’s urgent voice into a unified flow.

United Abominations connects political frustration to intricate guitar work with a renewed sense of attack.

Ministry's eleventh album, out on 18 September 2007. It includes a reading of the Doors' Roadhouse Blues.

Municipal Waste's third album, issued by Earache Records in 2007. It was inducted into the Decibel Hall of Fame in 2020.

Hole in the Sun finds Night Ranger returning to melodic rock with a contemporary outline.

Overkill's fourteenth album, from October 2007 on Bodog Music, which reunited them with Jon and Marsha Zazula of Megaforce; Lamb of God's Randy Blythe guests.

Poison'd! finds Poison recasting rock, power-pop, and Southern-rock favorites in the band’s bright, easygoing hard-rock language.

Pride of Lions' third studio album, from 2007. Jim Peterik described its twelve songs as a return to the commercial AOR of the debut and of Survivor's Vital Signs; Nexus issued the Japanese edition on 21 February.

Queens of the Stone Age's fifth album, from June 2007 and their last for Interscope. Josh Homme called the sound dark, hard and electrical.

Take Cover is a covers album on which QUEENSRYCHE recasts songs by artists as varied as Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel in its own sound.

Threads of Life gathers rough riffs, fluid lead guitar, and Brian Fair’s roar into a forceful whole.

The Serpent combines electronic texture, hard guitar, and emotional vocals into a dark metalcore frame.

Paradise Lost joins complex riffs, symphonic keyboard work, and Russell Allen’s commanding voice to a darker, heavier sound.

Real to Reel is a covers album on which TESLA takes up the 1960s and 1970s rock classics at its roots and plays them in its earthy, bluesy sound.

Nocturnal fires terrifyingly fast riffs, cutting melody, and Trevor Strnad’s roar in one concentrated burst.

Velvet Revolver's second and last studio album, produced by Brendan O'Brien and released on 3 July 2007, entered the Billboard 200 at number five.

Dominator uses W.A.S.P.’s dramatic heavy-metal language to emphasize pressure and anger.

Wolves in the Throne Room's second album, issued by Southern Lord in 2007. The recording makes almost no use of digital effects or manipulation.

The Fall of Ideals packs All That Remains’ chugging guitars, breakdowns, and Phil Labonte’s harsh-to-clean vocal contrast into dense, sharply focused songs.

A Death-Grip on Yesterday compresses Atreyu’s sharp riffs, breakdowns, harsh vocals, and melodic singing into tighter songs.

Shot to Hell builds Black Label Society around Zakk Wylde’s thick guitar, low rolling rhythm, and rough vocal style.

Black Stone Cherry's debut album, issued by Roadrunner Records on 18 July 2006. Three singles were taken from it.

Eagles of Death Metal's second album, released in the United States on 11 April 2006. Every song is by Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme.

The Open Door centers Amy Lee’s strong yet delicate voice within piano, strings, and heavy guitar.

IV gathers Godsmack’s low, rolling guitar riffs, tight drumming, and Sully Erna’s rough vocal character into a concentrated record.

The fourth album, released by Roadrunner Records: thirteen songs including "Destroy Everything".

The eleventh album, out on 14 March 2006. Its closing track, Crowd Chant, became a fixture in North American arenas.

As Daylight Dies connects Killswitch Engage’s hard riffs, tight breakdowns, and Howard Jones’s powerful voice.

Sacrament combines Lamb of God’s precise guitar chug, twisted rhythms, and Randy Blythe’s raw voice.

Loudspeaker takes Marty Friedman’s sharp metal-guitar voice deep into melodies shaped by Japanese pop and kayōkyoku sensibility.

The third studio album, and the band's first for the major label Reprise. "Colony of Birchmen" was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 49th Grammy Awards.

A Light in the Dark centers Metal Church on cutting riffs, low heavy rhythm, and strong vocal presence.

Ministry's tenth album, out on 2 May 2006, and one of the records their biography places in its political run.

My Chemical Romance's third album, from October 2006. It is a concept album about a man with terminal cancer known as The Patient.

Get Out of My Yard makes Paul Gilbert’s guitar the central voice in a fully instrumental setting.

Operation: Mindcrime II returns Queensrÿche to the story begun in 1988, turning its characters’ conflict and resolution into dramatic metal.

Rehab finds Quiet Riot moving toward unadorned hard rock built from blues-rooted guitar, thick rhythm, and Kevin DuBrow’s distinctive voice.

Army of One centers Riot on sharp twin guitars, forceful beat, and expansive vocal lines.

Livin' It Up! finds Sammy Hagar using thick guitar, lively beat, and an open vocal to make relaxed hard rock.

Revolutions per Minute finds Skid Row using thick guitar, rough rhythm, and urgent vocals for a harder punk- and hardcore-leaning metal sound.

Christ Illusion puts Slayer’s cutting riffs, accelerating drums, and Tom Araya’s furious presence in the foreground.

Come What(ever) May gathers heavy guitar riffs, introspective vocals, and wide-open ballad feeling into a broader Stone Sour statement.

Sunstorm centers Joe Lynn Turner’s powerful, smooth voice within bright keyboards, full guitar, and polished harmonies.

Tool's fourth album, released on 2 May 2006: self-produced, a Billboard 200 number one, in a Grammy-winning package with stereoscopic lenses.

Falling in Between joins Toto’s polished pop instinct to hard-rock weight and progressive construction.

The Crusade pushes Trivium toward more classic thrash and heavy metal through rapid chugging, twin guitars, and hard rhythm.

A Twisted Christmas is a covers album on which TWISTED SISTER plays standard Christmas songs in the language of heavy and glam metal.

Live & Learn brings Vixen’s large choruses, clear guitar work, and melody-supporting rhythm into a reunion-era melodic-hard-rock setting.

Born Again returns Warrant to direct hard rock built from thick guitar, lively beat, and instantly singable chorus.

IV reunites Winger around precise rhythm work, intricate guitar, and Kip Winger’s expansive vocal.

Witch's debut album, issued by Tee Pee Records in 2006. J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. plays the drums.