2015 Metal & Hard Rock Albums

UFO's 2015 album, produced by Chris Tsangarides in Kent and first out in Japan and Scandinavia on 18 February, was the first with bassist Rob De Luca.

The Darkness's fourth album, from May 2015: produced by Dan Hawkins at his own studio, and opening with "Barbarian", a tale of a Viking invasion.

Paradise Lost's fourteenth album, released by Century Media on 1 June 2015: dark yet melodic, with what Nick Holmes called the death metal edge of their earliest days.

Fear Factory's ninth studio album, from August 2015, and the one where Mike Heller played live drums on several songs.

Cradle of Filth's eleventh studio album, from July 2015: their first for Nuclear Blast and the first outing for a new line-up.

Saxon's twenty-first album, released on 16 October 2015. It reached three on the UK Rock & Metal chart.

The fifteenth album, built around a stage alter ego called Shockwave Supernova. Released 24 July 2015.

A special album of 7 October 2015, built as two sides: covers of seven Japanese rock forebears, and five newly written songs.

Ghost's third album, from August 2015; "Cirice" from it won the 2016 Grammy for best metal performance.

Deafheaven's third album, released by Anti- in October 2015: five songs, all recorded live.

Faith No More's seventh album, from May 2015 and their first in the eighteen years since Album of the Year.

Baroness's fourth album, from December 2015 and the first they made after the 2012 bus crash.

The sixth Panopticon album, from October 2015: one man's black metal with Appalachian folk laid into it.

Blind Guardian's tenth album, from January 2015, made with three choirs and two orchestras.

The sixth album by San Diego's Cattle Decapitation, from August 2015, about what humanity has done to the environment.

Gus G.'s second solo album. He wrote every song himself, and the singers include Elize Ryd, Mats Levén and Jeff Scott Soto. King Records issued the Japanese edition on 22 July 2015 with a thirteenth track: a version of "What Lies Below" sung by Heather St. Marie.

The band's first original single, sold at Comic Market 88 on 14 August 2015. Five tracks: the song itself and four versions of it with the vocal, the guitar, the bass and the drums taken out in turn. Disk Union put it into national distribution on 31 March 2018.

The second original full album, first sold at M3-2015 Spring on 26 April 2015 and put into national distribution by Disk Union on 13 May. Its songs are titled in German and French and its subject is the vampire. The CD holds six tracks, the streaming release five.

The fifth Bullet for My Valentine album, released by RCA on 14 August 2015 and produced again by Colin Richardson, who had made The Poison and Scream Aim Fire. Jamie Mathias had replaced Jason 'Jay' James on bass. The Japanese edition followed on 19 August with seven bonus tracks, for eighteen.

The tenth Praying Mantis studio album, released by Frontiers on 21 August 2015 — the first with Jaycee Cuijpers singing and Hans in 't Zandt on drums. King Records issued the Japanese edition on 26 August with one extra track.

Released on 28 August 2015 and a UK No. 10, Bad Magic is what the band themselves call "the 23rd (and final) studio album". Warner Music Japan issued the Japanese pressing the same day as WPCR-16754.

The first album with Rich Jones in the band, produced by Chips Kiesbye: thirteen songs released by Spinefarm on 9 October 2015.

A covers album made as a reward for the Kickstarter backers who helped fund ExtermiNation; the band's own site files it as a bonus release rather than a studio album.

The thirteenth album, paid for in part by a Kickstarter campaign that took over $27,000, and rolled out across territories through SPV/Steamhammer in April 2015.

A studio album released in 2015.

A self-titled fifth album that cuts its song titles down to single words and strips the arrangements to match.

The sixth album, home to “Army Of The Night” and “Armata Strigoi” — blessing and possession set against each other in the most direct terms yet.

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 section and soaring high vocals into a large-scale drama that keeps its lift even across its longer songs.

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.

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.