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The Best of 2007

Selected by Live-Metal.net's Greg Maki (Writer/Photographer)

1. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH – The Way of the Fist

They had one of the most dedicated fan bases before they even released their first album. The “Knuckleheads” labeled the 5 FDP sound “true metal,” and the band lived to up to that lofty mantle—and then some—on The Way of the Fist. The disc recalls the glory days of metal’s classic acts—Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden—without sounding derivative or dated. You can find bands that are more “extreme,” that play faster and heavier, but few pack the pure power of Five Finger Death Punch.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “The Way of the Fist,” “The Bleeding,” “White Knuckles”

2. BLOODSIMPLE – Red Harvest

Judging by how much I love this album and how often I have been listening to it, No. 2 seems too low a ranking. No. 1b would be more appropriate. From the spoken word of “Ride with Me” and “Whiskey Bent and Hellbound” to the Pantera-style grooves and heaviness of the title track and “Dark Helmet” to the catchy hooks of “Dead Man Walking” and “Out to Get You,” Bloodsimple’s second album is a focused, amazingly cohesive effort. Simply put, it is a masterpiece.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Ride with Me,” “Dark Helmet,” “Dead Man Walking”

3. MACHINE HEAD – The Blackening

Robb Flynn has never sounded more enraged and his band has never sounded better. The Blackening is a daring effort, with two 10-minute songs and two more topping nine minutes. In all, eight songs run 61 minutes. Packed with thunderous riffs, searing soloing, punishing bass lines, relentless drumming and a diverse vocal performance from Flynn, this dynamic album was a hit with fans and the most critically acclaimed metal release of the year.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Aesthetics of Hate,” “Slanderous,” “Halo”

4. CHIMAIRA – Resurrection

This is the album that should solidify Chimaira’s place in the upper echelon of American metal. They make no radical departures here, maintaining the sound with which fans have become familiar. Instead, it feels like this is the album they have been building to throughout the first part of their career. The potential from past releases and the monstrous sound of their live sets collide to make for an unforgettable listen. The high point —of this disc and the band’s recording career, to this point—is “Six,” an epic of nearly 10 minutes.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Resurrection,” “Six,” “End It All”

5. DREAM THEATER – Systematic Chaos

The ninth studio album from the world’s leading progressive metal band is another worthy addition to their prolific catalog. “In the Presence of Enemies,” a 25-minute song split into two parts for sequencing purposes, holds its own with band’s greatest epics. Only “Prophets of War,” which includes a disco beat for part of its length, kept this album from claiming a higher position on this list.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “In the Presence of Enemies,” “Forsaken,” “The Dark Eternal Night”

6. HELLYEAH – HellYeah

OK, so no one is sitting around debating the subtext and lyrical complexity of “Alcohaulin’ Ass.” But if AC/DC is going to keep taking five or six years between albums, we need someone else to help us let loose and have a good time. That’s what HellYeah did in 2007 and will continue to do for at least the early part of 2008. “Alcohaulin’ Ass” was the anthem of the summer. And—oh, by the way—Vinnie Paul is back.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “HellYeah,” “Matter of Time,” “Alcohaulin’ Ass”

7. DOWN – Over the Under

The Phil Anselmo-fronted supergroup made one of the year’s most welcome returns with their third effort. The events of the last few years—Dimebag Darrell’s murder, Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans (the band’s base of operations)—clearly have taken their toll on the band members. Anselmo channels it all into a soulful performance and the band fuses it with a sensibility that is more classic rock than metal. NOLA is still the best thing they have done, and Over the Under has a similar timeless quality.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “On March the Saints,” “Never Try,” “Nothing in Return (Walk Away)”

8. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE – As Daylight Dies (Special Edition)

Normally, I wouldn’t include this type of release on a year-end list, but somehow I didn’t hear the original version of this album, released in November 2006, until early 2007. Plus, the special edition, released in August, comes with a cover of the Dio classic “Holy Diver”—and, more importantly, their video for the song, one of the most entertaining clips I have ever seen—and three more extra tracks. The DVD also includes videos for “My Curse” and “The Arms of Sorrow,” along with behind-the-scenes looks at the making of them.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Daylight Dies,” “My Curse,” “Holy Diver”

9. INVITRO – When I Was a Planet

In addition to having one of the year’s best gimmicks—the tin-foil masks and white lab coats—Invitro showed it has plenty to offer musically with its debut. Featuring former Snot/Soulfly guitarist Mikey Doling, the band effortlessly flits from genre to genre—punk, hardcore, thrash metal, New Wave—and does so with far more coherence than, say, HORSE the band. Though the album is all over the place stylistically, Invitro remembered to write good songs. And you have to look long and hard to find a more entertaining live show.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “When I Was a Planet,” “Stitches,” “Three-D”

10. OZZY OSBOURNE – Black Rain

The first studio album from the Prince of Darkness in six years is his best effort since No More Tears (1991). Zakk Wylde’s stamp is all over the 10 songs, most of which would fit in perfectly on any Black Label Society release, and, in the studio at least, Ozzy can still bring the goods vocally. On Black Rain, he is intent on telling us he isn’t planning to hang it up and that’s a good thing for metal fans everywhere.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Not Going Away,” “Black Rain,” “The Almighty Dollar”