| |
|
|
|
|
|
Best Metal Albums of 2009:
Live-Metal.net
writer RYAN MAVITY
Live-Metal.net
writer/photographer GREG MAKI
Live-Metal.net
Editor-In-Chief JEFF MAKI
It's that time again, time to take a look back at the best
that rock and metal had to offer in the previous year. The
lists are broken down by each staffer here at Live-Metal.net.
Take a look at some obvious, surprising and even forgotten
choices of 2009. (Click the "Year in Review" image
above to return to the 2009 main page and view more lists.)
2009, we hardly knew you. Barrack Obama became president
of the United States. Patrick Swayze and Michael Jackson passed
away. Lady Gaga became the most popular person in the world.
The record industry continued its rapid decline. And computers
and technology advanced to places once only thought of in
science fiction movies. Want metal? Well, there's an app for
that, too. Heavy metal continued its strong, relentless life.
Metal and its diehard fans once again proved it is one of
the only musical genres that can survive decades of trends
while still building and expanding with each new style or
breakthrough artist that comes along.
Veteran metal acts like Megadeth and Slayer (who even toured
together), Cannibal Corpse, Kreator and Obituary released
albums, while the current crop of extreme metal acts, including
Lamb of God, Arch Enemy, God Forbid, Shadows Fall, Between
the Buried and Me, The Black Dahlia Murder and Behemoth, released
strong efforts, continuing their ascent to the metal throne.
Alice in Chains released its first
album since the passing of vocalist Layne Staley and first
since 1995, and a damn good one at that.
Ronnie James Dio was diagnosed with stomach cancer and has
received treatment, while we lost Evile bassist Mike Alexander
and Avenged Sevenfold drummer "The Rev."
Live-Metal.net's own writer/photographer, Greg "Snake"
Maki, got married and we all got drunk. Then he swam with
dolphins.
Yes, the year was an eventful one, not only for the metal
world, but for Live-Metal.net. We rang in the new year with
the mighty Metallica
live at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., on the
World Magnetic tour and wrapped things up interviewing Max
Cavalera of Soulfly while my car was getting towed away
at their show in Towson, Md.—$220 and two hours of sleep,
and somehow, that night was worth it, thanks to the interview
and the bizarre
live show from grindcore openers Cattle Decapitation.
Everyone should one day be able to tell their kids that they
once saw Cattle Decapitation.
There were no Ozzfest or Sounds of the Underground
tours, but there were still the Warped Tour and Rockstar
Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, which was the high
point of the year for us. Aside from the stellar lineup, we
met and interviewed members of Behemoth,
Trivium,
Cannibal
Corpse, God
Forbid, Whitechapel,
Bullet
for My Valentine and The
Black Dahlia Murder, one of the busiest days in Live-Metal.net
history. We also found out Marilyn Manson has gotten a little
thick in the waist.
Other standout shows were the Nine
Inch Nails farewell tour, In
Flames, Dream
Theater's Progressive Nation Tour, the 10 for $10 hardcore
tour (featuring Madball, Terror, Poison the Well, Trapped
Under Ice and more), Judas Priest's British Steel
30th anniversary tour, the Black Label Bash (with Black Label
Society, Sevendust and Dope), Music as a Weapon IV (with Disturbed,
Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil and Chimaira) and Shadows
Fall tearing the roof off of Baltimore's Bourbon Street Ballroom
opening up for Five Finger Death Punch.
2009 was our biggest year yet for interviews. Zakk
Wylde, Ace
Frehley, Epica,
Arch
Enemy, Disturbed,
DevilDriver,
Dope,
Five
Finger Death Punch, Cannibal
Corpse, Soulfly,
Behemoth,
Dream
Theater, In
Flames, Flyleaf,
Terror
and Shooter
Jennings were just a few of the artists we had the chance
to meet and/or chat with.
What will 2010 bring? Probably lots of new shitty reality
shows. Probably an app to brush your teeth and drive you to
work. Probably some badass metal records. Maybe even a wakeup
call or two.
But if there's one thing that everyone is asking, it's gotta
be, "Where's that new goddamn Morbid Angel record!?"
®2010 Live-Metal.net
|
