2000 Metal & Hard Rock Albums

UFO's fifteenth album, released in July 2000 with Michael Schenker back and Aynsley Dunbar on drums, came with the live disc Live USA.

A five-song EP from 2000, the first with guitarist Marco Biazzi, on which Lacuna Coil first tried Italian lyrics and covered Dubstar's "Stars".

Dio's eighth studio album, released by Spitfire on 21 March 2000, was Ronnie James Dio's first concept album and the first part of a planned trilogy.

Overkill's eleventh album, released in October 2000: made as a four-piece with Dave Linsk as the only guitarist, and mixed by Colin Richardson.

The Haunted's second album, released in October 2000, eleven tracks running 35:57.

Dir En Grey's second album, released on 20 September 2000, thirteen tracks running 72:57.

The eighth album, an electronic experiment Satriani himself called completely techno. Out 14 March 2000.

Deftones' third album, out on 20 June 2000. It is the first record with Frank Delgado as a full member on turntables and synthesiser.

Isis's first full-length album, issued in 2000 by Escape Artist and Hydra Head Records.

The Hellacopters' fourth album, released in 2000 and the first studio record with their new guitarist Robert Dahlqvist.

Electric Wizard's third album, issued by Rise Above Records on 25 September 2000. It was recorded in three days.

Queens of the Stone Age's second album, out on 6 June 2000. It is the first to feature bassist Nick Oliveri and the singer Mark Lanegan.

Immortal's sixth album, issued by Osmose Productions in 2000. It is the first record with Iscariah on bass.

Borknagar's fourth album, released in 2000. It was recorded at The Abyss Studios and mixed by Peter Tagtgren.

Cradle of Filth's fourth album, issued by Music for Nations on 30 October 2000 and drawn from Clive Barker's novel Cabal.

Nevermore's fourth album, from 2000. It is their first record made with seven-string guitars, and it includes a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence".

Origin's debut album, issued by Relapse Records in 2000. It was the first label-released death metal album to use the gravity blast.

Ningen Isu's ninth album, from 2000. It is a concept album built on Edogawa Ranpo, whose novels lie under nearly every title and lyric.

The seventh Praying Mantis studio album. Pony Canyon released the Japanese edition first, on 21 June 2000, with nine songs; the international edition followed on 21 November with "Naked" added, for ten.

Released on 15 May 2000, We Are Motörhead includes a cover of the Sex Pistols' "God Save the Queen"; official videos were made for it and for the title track.

Heavy Metal Anthem, released on 21 April 2000, is the project album on which Graham Bonnet sings Anthem songs in English over backing tracks newly recorded by Naoto Shibata, Akio Shimizu and others. It led directly to the band reforming.

A Nuclear Blast-era album that reached number 87 on the German album chart.

A ninth album of twelve songs from the Massacre years, one of which the band later re-recorded and kept.

Stiff Upper Lip strips AC/DC back to the blunt force of its blues-rooted hard rock.

Cult expands Apocalyptica’s cello-led heaviness through more varied and ambitious writing.

Embrace the Mystery places Armageddon’s melodic-metal drama around Jeff Scott Soto’s powerful vocal.

Back to the Kingdom returns Axxis to polished melodic metal with a stronger emphasis on atmosphere and song shape.

Stronger Than Death pushes Black Label Society further into thick riffs, low-slung groove and Zakk Wylde’s southern-metal grit.

…in the dark presents Blindman’s melancholy-rich melodic hard rock in a compact form.

Crush restored Bon Jovi’s gift for arena-sized hooks with a clean, contemporary production frame.

Pleasure to Burn joins Doug Aldrich’s bluesy, full-bodied guitar work to Keith St.

Follow the Reaper sharpens Children of Bodom’s fast, melodic death-metal attack.

Grand Design combines hard, firm riffs with melodic hooks in a direct hard-rock setting.

The Return of the Great Gildersleeves reconnects Danger Danger with its melodic-rock strengths: bright keyboards, instant choruses and Ted Poley’s easygoing vocal warmth.

The Hall of the Olden Dreams drives Dark Moor’s classical power-metal influences with speed, heroic choruses and ornate keyboards.

Haven adds a colder electronic shade to Dark Tranquillity’s melodic death-metal foundation.

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

The Sickness gives nu metal a distinctive center of gravity through bouncing rhythms, blunt riffs and David Draiman’s instantly recognizable delivery.

Sunrise in Eden introduces Edenbridge with graceful vocals, expansive arrangements and a refined symphonic-metal sensibility.

The Savage Poetry revisits familiar material through the voice, production weight and arrangement sense of its recording period.

Four refines Fair Warning’s blend of emotional melody and finely detailed guitar work.

Disconnected deepens Fates Warning’s progressive-metal tension through precise playing and inward-looking songs.

O2 by FIREHOUSE: track list, album artwork and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Awake by GODSMACK: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada introduces Hardcore Superstar with punky roughness, glam-rock color and a taste for immediate hooks.

The Dark Ride darkens Helloween’s melodic-metal palette with heavier guitars, tighter rhythms and a more shadowed vocal approach from Andi Deris.

Clayman balances In Flames’ melodic-death aggression with unusually strong accessibility.

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.

Killswitch Engage’s debut captures the raw collision of hardcore urgency and metal weight that would help define metalcore.

Sons of Thunder connects Labyrinth’s technical playing with accessible, singable choruses.

New American Gospel by LAMB OF GOD: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Secrets of Astrology frames Lana Lane’s warm vocal within progressive structures, layered keyboards and a mystical thematic arc.

Hybrid Theory fuses rap, rock and electronic texture into a debut that captured a generation’s tension and vulnerability.

Hourglass favors refined melodic rock: mature chord movement, smooth choruses and arrangements that let the songs breathe.

New Tattoo puts Mötley Crüe’s rougher rock-and-roll instincts ahead of glam polish.

Furnished Souls for Rent blends Nuno Bettencourt’s guitar imagination with groove, pop instinct and a loose band feel.

Get Over It brings Mr. Big’s four distinct personalities back into a tighter hard-rock setting.

Wishmaster firmly joins Nightwish’s symphonic imagination to fast, melodic metal.

Afterlife crystallizes Nocturnal Rites’ Nordic blend of speed, weight and big choruses.

Reinventing the Steel distills Pantera’s groove-metal force into a final, hard-hitting studio statement.

Alligator Farm by PAUL GILBERT: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Sonic Dynamite pairs Pink Cream 69’s heavy guitar sound with oversized melodic hooks.

Crack a Smile... and More! gathers material that highlights Poison’s most open-hearted qualities: sweet melodies, clear choruses and Bret Michaels’s approachable vocal.

Renegades turns Rage Against the Machine’s influences into material that still sounds like Rage.

Dawn of Victory takes Rhapsody’s cinematic orchestration and fast metal to an unapologetically grand scale.

Ten 13 lets Sammy Hagar lean into the open-road side of his songwriting: muscular guitars, sunny hooks and a voice built to carry a chorus.

Moment of Glory revisits familiar material through the voice, production weight and arrangement sense of its recording period.

Crimson by SENTENCED: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Of One Blood connects melodic-death guitar language with hardcore force in an early Shadows Fall statement.

The Chainheart Machine emphasizes Soilwork’s machine-tight precision and Nordic melody.

Infinite presents Stratovarius at a highly polished peak of melodic power metal.

V: The New Mythology Suite turns Symphony X’s mythic themes into a large-scale progressive-metal narrative.

Mother Earth by WITHIN TEMPTATION: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

War to End All Wars expands Yngwie Malmsteen’s neoclassical vocabulary into a deliberately grand metal spectacle.