2009 Metal & Hard Rock Albums

UFO's 2009 album, first out in Japan on 20 May, was made without founding bassist Pete Way, who was being treated for a liver condition.

Lacuna Coil's fifth studio album, released in April 2009, was their first with producer Don Gilmore and reached number 16 on the Billboard 200.

Great White's eleventh album, out in Europe on 13 March 2009, introduced bassist Scott Snyder and was Jack Russell's last studio album with the band.

A rapid debut built from Swedish Idol 2009 performances and the winning single “Higher,” capturing Grönwall’s range, stage instinct and rock identity at the moment of his breakthrough.

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

Sepultura's eleventh studio album, from January 2009, a concept record built on A Clockwork Orange.

Kreator's twelfth studio album, from January 2009 and the first since Pleasure to Kill recorded live in the studio.

Saxon's eighteenth album, released on 9 January 2009. It reached six on the UK Rock & Metal chart and twenty-three in Germany.

Baroness's second album, issued by Relapse Records on 13 October 2009. It scored 87 on Metacritic, in the range the site calls universal acclaim.

Heaven & Hell's only studio album, from April 2009. It is the last studio record Ronnie James Dio made before his death.

Kylesa's fourth album, issued by Prosthetic Records on 17 March 2009. The band plays it with three singers and two drummers.

Sunn O)))'s sixth album, issued by Southern Lord in 2009. It took two years to make and carries a long list of guests, brass and choir among them.

Paradise Lost's twelfth album, out on 25 September 2009. Jens Bogren produced it, with Peter Damin on drums.

Church of Misery's fourth album, issued by Rise Above Records in 2009. Every title carries the name of a murderer with it.

Rammstein's sixth album, out on 16 October 2009. Germany placed it on the index of media harmful to minors, and an edited version followed a month later.

Outrage's tenth album, out on 25 November 2009. It is the first after Naoki Hashimoto's official return, and it was recorded at Studio Fredman.

Shining's sixth album, issued by Osmose Productions in 2009. This is Swedish depressive black metal, led by Niklas Kvarforth.

The ninth Praying Mantis studio album, released by Frontiers on 5 June 2009 after a six-year gap — the first with Andy Burgess in Dennis Stratton's place. King Records issued the Japanese edition on 23 July with one extra track.

The Everlasting is the twenty-second Loudness album, released on 27 May 2009. It was completed using drum tracks Munetaka Higuchi had recorded before his death the previous year, with his successor Masayuki Suzuki playing on some songs.

An eighteen-song covers album working through the band’s hardcore and metal roots — Slayer, Metallica, Misfits, Black Flag and more.

The self-titled fifth album, fourteen songs, released by E1 Music in September 2009.

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.

The fourth studio album, a seven-song concept record whose narrative runs through Tsarist Russia and Rasputin.

A studio album released in 2009.

The third album folds organ and choir into the structure itself and produces “Werewolves of Armenia” — the point where the band's language settles.

Unholy keeps Altaria rooted in traditional heavy metal while letting bright Scandinavian melodies ring out.

Show Your Colors is a turning point for Amoral, retaining heaviness while bringing clean vocals and strong melodies to the front.

Skyforger blends Amorphis’s heavy guitars with a distinctly northern sense of melancholy.

The Root of All Evil revisits familiar material through the voice, production weight and arrangement sense of its recording period.

Congregation of the Damned connects Atreyu’s shadowed atmosphere to rough, forceful metalcore.

Utopia adds bright keyboards and dramatic atmosphere to Axxis’s direct melodic-metal style.

The Circle pairs Bon Jovi’s arena-scale melodies with a more mature point of view.

Gather the Faithful is Cain’s Offering’s debut construction of dramatic power metal around grand keyboards and soaring vocals.

Chickenfoot’s debut channels the experience and distinct personalities of its members into unpretentious hard-rock energy.

Skeletons in the Closet gathers covers CHILDREN OF BODOM recorded over a long career, each translated into the band's own sound.

Revolve packs Danger Danger’s strengths—quick riffs and huge choruses—into a focused melodic-rock record.

Autumnal fuses Dark Moor’s classical elegance with the lift of power metal in a romantic style.

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.

Black Clouds & Silver Linings gathers Dream Theater’s intricate structures, virtuosic playing and dramatic vocal melodies on a grand scale.

Bring the Thunder is Dynazty’s youthful hard-rock debut, driven by immediate energy.

Design Your Universe layers orchestra, choir and metal riffs with great precision, creating an immense sonic space for Epica.

Last Look at Eden shows Europe moving beyond simple 1980s nostalgia toward a tougher modern hard-rock sound.

Aura presents Fair Warning’s refined melodic-rock character with calm confidence.

War Is the Answer connects Five Finger Death Punch’s enormous riffs and heavy groove to choruses that land immediately.

Can't Slow Down is a useful way to hear FOREIGNER from a different angle within the 2009 catalogue.

Need to Believe pairs Gotthard’s weighty hard rock with a mature gift for emotional balladry.

Beg for It combines Hardcore Superstar’s glam flash with rough hard-rock aggression in a volatile balance.

Leaving the End Open layers a polished AOR feel over Hardline’s firm hard-rock foundation.

Beautiful Mess by JEFF SCOTT SOTO: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Killswitch Engage balances the band’s metalcore weight and melodic strength with confident consistency.

Sonic Boom finds KISS returning to its fundamentals after a long gap between studio records.

Wrath uses Lamb of God’s massive riffs and biting rhythms to unleash overwhelming aggression.

Dreamcatcher delivers Last Autumn’s Dream’s Scandinavian melodic-rock melancholy with an intimate warmth.

Circus Colossus joins Leverage’s classic hard-rock instincts to a symphonic sense of scale.

Sad Day on Planet Earth keeps Lillian Axe rooted in melodic hard rock while reaching for a more shadowed emotional tone.

Tokyo Jukebox opens MARTY FRIEDMAN's cover series, translating Japanese pop, anime and game classics into his own singing guitar sound.

Endgame reconnects Megadeth with speed, intricate riffs and high-level ensemble playing.

Fireangel joins Mystic Prophecy’s dark atmosphere to an aggressive power-metal drive.

16.6 balances Primal Fear’s speed-metal thrust with the weight of traditional heavy metal.

American Soldier turns the experiences and emotions of soldiers into a highly narrative Queensrÿche album.

Retribution integrates the cutting edge of thrash metal with metalcore’s heaviness at high density.

World Painted Blood condenses Slayer’s long-developed language of violent thrash metal into a sharp late-career statement.

The Days of Grays takes Sonata Arctica beyond speed and immediate catchiness into a more symphonic, intricate world.

Feel the Steel is Steel Panther’s debut celebration and send-up of 1980s glam metal.

Polaris finds Stratovarius opening a new chapter while returning to the essence of its power-metal sound.

House of Dreams presents Sunstorm’s polished AOR and melodic-rock strengths through finely detailed arrangements.

Deflorate sharpens The Black Dahlia Murder’s mix of melodic-death-metal speed and dark beauty.

Clash of the Elements pushes the clarity of The Poodles’ Scandinavian melodic rock through stronger full-band performances.

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

Dominator by U.D.O.: track list, Spotify player and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Babylon channels W.A.S.P.’s apocalyptic and religious imagery into heavy riffs and theatrical vocals.

W.E.T. brings together seasoned melodic-rock musicians with an unmistakable focus on song strength.

Karma makes clear that Winger is more than a pop-metal memory; it is a hard-rock band with serious musical power.