TCOM'S "Best of 2015"
- Dec 12, 2015
- 3 min read
TOP 20 METAL ALBUMS OF 2015
2015 turned out to be another solid year for heavy metal all over the planet. While 2014 was utter insanity (a total of thirty-five albums got a nod last year in my “Best of 2014” list), 2015 seemed to be more subdued, and yet, there were still plenty of excellent releases this year, at least one or two every month. Indeed, this year’s “Best of 2015” list includes only five less nods than last year with a total of thirty between the Top 20 and the Honorable Mentions – I’d venture to reason that that constitutes another fine year for heavy metal, indeed.
Thank you to every band I’ve worked with this year, to all of my readers, and to every metal band, producer, engineer, writer, promoter, and venue out there that’s working hard to keep their respective heavy metal communities strong and stoic. All of us around the world, bonded together by our love for extreme music, are what keep metal alive and thriving.
I’m looking forward to what 2016 will bring, and I’d like to wish anyone reading this a very Happy and Heavy Holiday season and a killer New Year, and don’t ever forget to Keep it Metal! \m/ \m/
Geoff Teach
Owner & Editor
Teach’s Criterion of Metal
Honorable Mentions: Black Fast (St. Louis, MO, U.S.) – Terms of Surrender (eOne Heavy), Melechesh (Jerusalem, Israel/Germany, EUR) – Enki (Century Media), Thy Art is Murder (Blacktown, NSW, AUS)– Holy War (Nuclear Blast), Kataklysm (Montreal, QC, CAN) – Of Ghosts and Gods (Nuclear Blast), Battlecross (Detroit, MI, U.S.) – Rise to Power (Metal Blade), Narcotic (Chicago, IL, U.S.) – To the Pyre (Independent), Bloodstrike (Denver, CO, U.S.) – In Death We Rot (Redefining Darkness), Scientist (Chicago, IL, U.S.) – 1010II0101 (Independent), Stigmata (Colombo, Sri Lanka, ASIA) – The Ascetic Paradox (M Entertainment), Pavlov3 (Chicago, IL, U.S.) – Curvature-Induced Symmestry…Breaking EP (Independent)
#20 – Abiotic (Miami, FL, U.S.) – Casuistry (Metal Blade)
#19 – Iron Maiden (London, U.K., EUR) – The Book of Souls (BMG/EMI)
#18 – Eschaton (CT/MA, U.S.) – Sentinel Apocalypse (Unique Leader)
#17 – Arkaik (Anaheim, CA, U.S.) – Lucid Dawn (Unique Leader)
#16 – Elder (Boston, MA, U.S.) – Lore (Armageddon)
#15 – Kossuth (Lafayette, IN, U.S.) – Mictlan EP (Independent)
#14 – Dawn of Azazel (Auckland, New Zealand) – Tides of Damocles (Independent)
#13 – Epitasis (Chicago, IL, U.S.) – Decimation of Gaia EP (Independent)
#12 – Scale The Summit (Houston, TX, U.S.) – V (Prosthetic)
#11 – Vukari (Chicago, IL, U.S.) – En to Pan EP (1859)
#10 – VOLA (Copenhagen, DEN, EUR) – Inmazes (Independent)
#9 – Lamb of God (Richmond, VA, U.S.) – VII: Sturm und Drang (Epic)
#8 – Frosthelm (Minot, ND, U.S.) – The Endless Winter (Black Work)
#7 – Jungle Rot (Kenosha, WI/Chicago, IL, U.S.) – Order Shall Prevail (Victory)
#6 – Sadistic Ritual (Atlanta, GA, U.S.) – Edge of the Knife EP (Unspeakable Axe)
#5 – Kastasyde (Chicago, IL, U.S.) – Gnosis (Independent)
#4 – Obsequiae (Minneapolis, MN, U.S.) – Aria of Vernal Tombs (20 Buck Spin)
#3 – Ghost (Linkoping, SWE, EUR) – Meliora (Loma Vista)
#2 – Gorod (Bordeaux, FRA, EUR) – A Maze of Recycled Creeds (Unique Leader)
And the #1 album of 2015 as selected by TCOM is...
Between The Buried and Me (Raleigh, NC, U.S.) – Coma Ecliptic (Metal Blade)
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