2015 Metal & Hard Rock Albums

An early album that turns the attention around “Thrill” into a stronger and more defined rock direction.

Radiant A turns Aldious’s speed, vivid twin-guitar work and soaring vocal melody into a stronger sense of forward motion.

The Order of Things balances All That Remains’ heavy riff pressure with clean-vocal melodies that stay in the ear.

Under the Red Cloud gathers Amorphis’s heavy riffs, Nordic melody and folk-like color into dense melodic metal.

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

Shadowmaker binds Apocalyptica’s signature cello sound tightly to heavy-rock riffs and dark vocals.

Captivity & Devourment frames Armageddon’s melodic-death urgency with sharp riffs and fluent guitar melody.

Long Live brings Atreyu’s heavy riffs, cutting shouts and expansive clean vocals together with direct momentum.

Four by Four compresses Backyard Babies’ punk roughness, sleazy rock ’n’ roll and memorable choruses into one burst of energy.

Burning Bridges retains Bon Jovi’s broad melodies and rock foundation while revealing a more settled shade than pure spectacle.

Rock ’n’ Roll lays out Buckcherry’s blunt guitar riffs, dry groove and provocative vocals with little unnecessary decoration.

Stormcrow combines Cain’s Offering’s clear vocals, shining keyboards and guitar lines that sing alongside the melody.

I Worship Chaos preserves Children of Bodom’s fast riffs, neoclassical keyboard flair and sharp vocals while presenting a darker, tighter character.

Woman gathers Cyntia’s bright, extended vocals, technical guitar work and sparkling keyboards into accessible melody.

Project X uses Dark Moor’s symphonic keyboards, classical-leaning melody and refined vocals to create power metal rich in narrative feeling.

The self-titled Def Leppard revisits the band’s stacked harmonies, polished guitar sound and buoyant rhythm with a contemporary feel.

Immortalized puts Disturbed’s weighty riffs, stamping rhythms and large emotional vocal turns at the center of a powerful return.

Armageddonize binds Eclipse’s sharp hard-rock guitar attack to choruses built for repeated singing at unusually high density.

War of Kings puts Europe’s thick classic-hard-rock riffs, bluesy guitar voice and commanding vocals in the foreground.

Got Your Six unites Five Finger Death Punch’s low, thick riffs, stomping beats and choruses made to be shouted with a crowd.

Heroes and Villains builds FM’s British melodic rock around warm vocals, smooth guitar and polished chorus work.

Under the Force of Courage builds Galneryus’s fast twin guitars, precise rhythm and soaring high vocals into a large-scale drama.

HCSS mixes Hardcore Superstar’s sleazy rock ’n’ roll attitude with contemporary heaviness.

My God-Given Right fills Helloween’s power metal with racing riffs, bright melody and a touch of playful humor.

The Book of Souls pours Iron Maiden’s heavy riffs, three-guitar melody and dramatic vocals into large, narrative-like structures.

Haven connects Kamelot’s dark symphonic-metal atmosphere, detailed guitar work, melancholy melody and dramatic vocal expression.

VII: Sturm und Drang uses Lamb of God’s low-slung groove, cutting riffs and raw vocal edge to create sustained tension.

Again & Again is a useful way to hear LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM from a different angle within the 2015 catalogue.

Paintings uses Last Autumn’s Dream’s warm vocals, smooth keyboards and lyrical guitar to draw the comfort of Scandinavian melodic rock.

Endless Forms Most Beautiful overlays Nightwish’s symphonic-metal grandeur with a gaze toward nature, life and science.

Condition Hüman brings Queensrÿche’s progressive-metal tension forward through heavy riffs, alert rhythms and shadowed melodies.

The self-titled Revolution Saints debut condenses the pleasure of classic melodic rock around powerful vocals, bright keyboards and rising guitar lines.

Devil’s Dozen layers Royal Hunt’s grand keyboards, hard guitar riffs and dramatic vocals to explore a classical-metal world in depth.

Return to Forever brings Scorpions’ sharp guitar riffs, expansive vocals and memorable ballad sense together with the natural breathing of a veteran band.

Threat to Survival combines Shinedown’s thick guitar riffs, electronic texture and emotionally forceful vocals into modern hard rock.

Repentless puts Slayer’s merciless riffing, raw vocals and cutting lead guitar at the front of a stripped-down thrash assault.

The Ride Majestic moves freely between Soilwork’s heavy riffs and harsh vocals, and the lyricism of clean singing and spacious arrangement.

Eternal presents Stratovarius’s power-metal tradition through charging beats, shining keyboards, soaring vocals and thick choruses.

Underworld connects Symphony X’s progressive-metal rhythm complexity and traditional heavy-metal weight to dramatic vocal melody.

Abysmal packs The Black Dahlia Murder’s vicious speed, sharp blasting and vivid guitar melody into an extreme-metal rush.

Devil in the Details uses catchy choruses, polished vocals and tidy guitar arrangement to deliver refined melodic rock from The Poodles.

Cult layers To/Die/For’s dark gothic-metal atmosphere, lyrical guitar and melancholy vocals.

Toto XIV uses Toto’s refined ensemble work, rich chord sense and dependable melody to portray mature rock and AOR at their best.

Silence in the Snow places Trivium’s sharp heavy-metal riffs beside strong, fully sung clean vocals.

Human Era delivers Trixter’s bright guitar, sunny choruses and positive rock ’n’ roll spirit directly.

Decadent drives U.D.O.’s traditional heavy metal through hard guitar riffs, steel-like vocals and direct rhythm.

Golgotha layers W.A.S.P.’s heavy guitar riffs, dramatic vocals and dark storytelling into theatrical heavy metal.

The Purple Album reinterprets material from the Deep Purple era through Whitesnake’s current heavy guitar sound and mature vocals.