Welcome to Metal Power Rankings: Our weekly rankings take a number of factors into account: newsworthiness, record sales, internet buzz, word of mouth and overall importance in the genre. Ultimately, it’s subjective, but if a band generates enough buzz, they’ll wind up on the list. The wheels are in motion for a new Lamb of God album, and that’s enough to catapult them up to the top of this week’s Power Rankings.
1) Lamb of God (from 6)
They’re working on a new record! The countdown only adds to the excitement.
2) Refused (from 1)
The interview they did with Rolling Stone just keeps the excitement riding high. Refused’s profile transcends heavy music now, and we’re expecting the atmosphere around them to be one of breathless anticipation for the next few weeks until Freedom releases.
3) Faith No More (from 7)
Under two weeks until Sol Invictus hits! If you’re going to their NYC shows, we’ll see you there.
4) Slipknot (from 5)
Jim Root’s already working on new music with .5: The Grey Chapter still on Billboard’s charts, and the excitement around Lamb of God will help their tour together to be metal’s biggest this summer.
5) Clutch (from 8)
Please give us new studio tracks. Please give us new studio tracks. Tell you what, we’ll just come watch you play a bunch of new stuff on tour with Mastodon. That’s a pretty cool trade, right?
6) Mastodon (re-entry)
Even if Clutch is fittingly stealing a little blood and thunder from this tour with the new music that’s sneaking out, Mastodon’s still out there preaching their gospel to the masses right now, and that’s always a very good thing.
7) Metallica (from 4)
It speaks volumes when a band can do basically nothing in a week (unless you count Giants night) and still have its catalog outperform a lot of other bands’ new albums.
8) Between The Buried and Me (re-entry)
The more we hear about Coma Ecliptic, the more it seems like a potential watershed release for a band that hasn’t seemed this hungry in the press since 2007’s Colors.
9) Kamelot (from 14)
This feels like it’s about to have a huge release week.
10) Veil of Maya (re-entry)
If Kamelot was the star of last week’s release schedule, Veil of Maya is the star of this coming week. With Matriarch as their first album with new singer Lukas Maygar and a headlining tour with Revocation on deck, this could be a big moment for the road-tested Sumerian mainstay.
11) GWAR (re-entry)
The Vulvatron blowup this week seems to be playing out in GWAR’s favor, as the excitement for the character continuing overpowers Kym Dilla’s time in the costume. Awesome move keeping the character, which has been energizing to fans and lends legitimacy to the post-Dave Brockie era.
12) The Dillinger Escape Plan (debut)
A new video for a two-year-old song shouldn’t be half as exciting as it is, but DEP is brilliant at that stuff. Now we just need new music! Come on guys, pretty please?
13) Babymetal (re-entry)
The North American re-release of their debut has been a long time coming.
14) Vattnet Viskar (debut)
“Settler” and “Colony” are both completely awesome new songs, and even though Settler doesn’t hit until June 16, the Christa McAuliffe-featuring album cover is creating an unusual amount of chatter. This feels like it could pull a Deafheaven and turn into a monster sophomore release.
15) Stone Sour (re-entry)
When you have a covers EP cracking the top 50, even as more of a rock band, that’s pretty amazing stuff. It’s also worth noting the reciprocal relationship that Corey Taylor’s other band always seems to have with Slipknot excitement.
