The hard rock and metal community have collectively become a rather crowded field this year in terms of new albums. It has made extremely difficult naming the year’s top new hard rock and metal records. There have been that many outstanding records. Metallica’s first album in eight years, Hardwired…To Self–Destruct is just one of the albums that has more than proven deserving of being on that list. The same can be said of Amon Amarth’s latest offering, Jomsviking. It is a rarity for the band, being a concept record. The concept behind the record more than works. And its musical arrangements work just as well. On another note Prong, with its latest offering X – No Absolutes has proven through its overall content (and sales) that it is another success for the band—and more specifically founder Tommy Victor, the band’s only original member. So no doubt it belongs on the list of the year’s top new hard rock and metal albums, too as do so many others. It was not easy for this critic to assemble this year’s list of new hard rock and metal albums considering how many outstanding albums were released in that collective field. But a decision had to be made. That decision is presented below.
As a reminder, the list, as with each of Phil’s Picks year-ender lists, presents Phil’s Picks Top 10 picks for the year’s best plus five honorable mention titles for a total of 15 albums. Honorable mention is not mean in a negative fashion by any means. They were each deserving of being named to the year’s best. It was just that tough assembling a list of the year’s best, so the final list ended as presented here. Without any further ado, here is the Phil’s Picks 2016 Top 10 New Hard Rock and Metal Albums.
PHIL’S PICKS 2016 TOP 10 NEW HARD ROCK/METAL ALBUMS
- Amon Amarth – Jomsviking
- Metallica – Hardwired…To Self–Destruct
- All Hail The Yeti – Screams From A Black Wilderness
- Nonpoint – The Poison Red
- Spellcaster – Night Hides The World
- Wovenwar – Honor is Dead
- Artillery – Punishment By Perception
- Prong – X – No Absolutes
- Anthrax – For All Kings
- Destrage – A Means To No End
- Whitechapel – Mark of the Blade
- Devildriver – Trust No One
- Oni – Ironshore
- Primal Fear – Rulebreaker
- Hatebreed – The Concrete Confesional
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