Rankings

As we do every year, Metal Nation will unveil its Top 50 Hard Rock and Metal Albums list at the end of the year. Likewise, many of our staff will serve up their own Top 10 Lists, because we all have different perspectives on metal. As with…

It is difficult to write a top ten anything, but when it comes to music, it feels impossible. My Top 10 Hard Rock and Metal List for 2018 will be more unconventional probably then most. I have been able to review some incredible albums this…

Hailing from New Jersey, Symphony X have been on the scene since '94 writing some of the most engaging melodic prog metal to grace my ears. To say they are symphonic metal may be misleading, but they do employ symphonic elements very…

In the annals of heavy metal history, perhaps no more deserving band has been more undervalued and overlooked than Saxon. The South Yorkshire quintet led by founders Biff Byford (vocals) and Paul Quinn guitar) were part of the big three of…

This winter, Dave Mustaine and Dave Ellefson are back in the studio recording Megadeth album number 16. The record will mark the second for guitarist Kiko Loureiro (Angra) and the first for new drummer, Dirk VerBeuren (Soilwork, Bent Sea).…

Behold, my friends, my list of Mastodon albums, ranked in order from great to Herculean. While these lists are entertaining to make and discuss, they also present their own unique challenges. In order to create this list I had to come up…

With each passing year, as the realms of heavy music became vastly wider in scope, culling together the Top 50 list becomes more difficult. Just take a spin through the various Top 10 lists from our own writers and you'll see not a single…

As the year is winding down, we can’t help but reflect and observe the awesome music that has been created during 2017. Regardless of how terrible the rest of the year was, these albums got us through to the bitter end, and gave us a…

Metal Gods by the numbers The mighty Judas Priest is the stalwart of traditional heavy metal. Known as the “Metal Gods”, the U.K. based quintet has made an indelible mark on the face of heavy rock music. Some of the most epic and classic…

Iron Maiden has long been one of heavy metal’s most impressive bands. The group, which released its debut self-titled album in 1980, has made an indelible mark on the genre. The band originally surfaced from the New Wave of British Heavy…