Metal Insider’s 225 Best Metal Albums of the Decade (2010-2019)

Posted by on December 16, 2019

As each year approaches its end, we share our year-end lists highlighting the best of the best of the year. However, we were taken aback, realizing that not only will 2020 mark a new year, it also marks a brand new decade. It’s true what they say; time flies when you’re having fun, listening to metal. Bands, including Ne Obliviscaris, Deafheaven, and Ghost were unheard of before 2010. Now, all three have made it to many year-end lists, and Ghost managed to support Metallica and Iron Maiden before they booked their first-ever American Arena Tour.

Meanwhile, fans have continued to wait for a new System of a Down record. Towards the end of the 2010s, Tool managed to release their first album in thirteen years while Slayer said farewell. And somehow, Mötley Crüe managed to say goodbye and hello again within five years. We are excited to see which bands will be discovered within the next decade as well as other surprises along the way.

While it’s difficult to narrow down ten best albums per year as well as getting all of Metal Insider to agree on the same records, imagine the challenge it is to make a list for best albums of the decade. Essentially, there are approximately 400-500 metal albums released per year, averaging out to about 4000-5000 records over the last ten years. There will never be a perfect list. However, to create such a comprehensive tally, we went through the history of Metal Insider. The results are based on an extensive spreadsheet, including every single Metal Insider contributor’s year-end list over the last decade, followed by a mix of updated opinions. Therefore, with metal being incredibly diverse, we narrowed it down to 225 records. Enjoy!

 

 

225) Night Verses, From the Gallery of Sleep (Equal Vision – 2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

224) Xandria, Sacrificium (Napalm – 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

223) Ensiferum, One Man Army (Metal Blade – 2015)

 

 

 

 

 

 

222) KoRn, The Nothing (Roadrunner – 2019)

 

 

 

 

 

 

221) Cannibal Corpse, Red Before Black (Metal Blade – 2017)

 

 

 

 

 

 

220) Wintersun, Time I (Nuclear Blast – 2012)

 

 

 

 

 

 

219) Steel Panther, Balls Out (Universal – 2011)

 

 

 

 

 

 

218) Goatwhore, Vengeful Ascension (Metal Blade – 2017)

 

 

 

 

 

 

217) Wilderun, Veil of Imagination (Independent – 2019)

 

 

 

 

 

 

216) Oceans of Slumber, The Banished Heart (Century Media – 2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

215) Slipknot, We Are Not Your Kind (Roadrunner – 2019)

 

 

 

 

 

 

214) Blind Guardian, At The Edge of Time (Nuclear Blast – 2010)

 

 

 

 

 

 

213) Megadeth, Th1rt3en (Roadrunner – 2011)

 

 

 

 

 

 

212) Sirenia, The Seventh Life Path (Napalm Records – 2016)

 

 

 

 

 

 

211) Soen, Lotus (Silver Lining Music – 2019)

 

 

 

 

 

 

210) Watain, Trident Wolf Eclipse (Century Media – 2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

209) Omnium Gatherum, The Burning Cold (Century Media – 2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

208) Paradise Lost, Medusa (Nuclear Blast – 2017)

 

 

 

 

 

 

207) Alice Cooper, Paranormal (earMUSIC – 2017)

 

 

 

 

 

 

206) Marduk, Serpent Sermon (Century Media – 2012)

 

 

 

 

 

 

205) Epica, The Holographic Principle (Nuclear Blast – 2016)

 

 

 

 

 

 

204) Be’lakor, Vessels (Napalm Records – 2016)

 

 

 

 

 

 

203) Anthrax, For All Kings (Megaforce – 2016)

 

 

 

 

 

 

202) Rest Among Ruins, Fugue (Self-released – 2015)

 

 

 

 

 

 

201) Eluveitie, Origins (Nuclear Blast – 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

200) Death From Above 1979, The Physical World (Warner Bros.- 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

199) Insomnium, Shadows of the Dying Sun (Century Media – 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

198) Ulcerate, Vermis (Relapse Records – 2013)

 

 

 

 

 

 

197) ASG, Blood Drive (Relapse – 2013)

 

 

 

 

 

196) The Human Abstract, Digital Veil (eOne – 2011)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

195) Tool, Fear Inoculum (2019 – RCA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

194) Rotting Christ, Rituals (Season Of Mist – 2016)

 

 

 

 

 

 

193) Hoth, Oathbreaker (Self-Released – 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

192) Witherfall, A Prelude to Sorrow (Century Media – 2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

191) Deafheaven, Sunbather (Deathwish – 2013)

 

 

 

 

 

 

190) Baroness, Gold & Grey (Abraxan Hymns – 2019)

 

 

 

 

 

 

189) Belphegor, Totenritual (Nuclear Blast – 2017)

 

 

 

 

 

 

188) Cradle of Filth, Hammer of the Witches (Nuclear Blast – 2015)

 

 

 

 

 

 

187) Nevermore, The Obsidian Conspiracy (Century Media – 2010)

 

 

 

 

 

 

186) Steven Wilson, To the Bone (Caroline – 2017)

 

 

 

 

 

 

185) Torche, Harmonicraft (Volcom – 2012) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

184) Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Wasteland (Rise Above – 2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

183) YOB, Clearing the Path to Ascend (Neurot – 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

182) Earth, Primitive and Deadly (Southern Lord – 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

181) The Night Flight Orchestra, Sometimes The World Ain’t Enough (Nuclear Blast – 2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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