Flirting with the various different genres, beginning as with most the gateway metal, slowly but surely my ear was shaping what it was to truly fall in love with. Of all years to begin my acquaintance with metal 2005 was one of the absolute best. Join me in nostalgia as we go back to some of the most influential albums of the past decade.
I remember it as clear as day, back in the day of Limewire. Now celebrating its tenth year since its inception. The record will be played front to back at a one off show in London by the eponymous Opeth. Before the side line to Prog the band released one of my all time favourite albums, Ghost Reveries. From the first harp like strokes of “Ghost Of Perdition” I was absolutely hooked never before had I heard such masterful instrumentation. Incorporating elements that painted a beautiful bleak back drop to the bands ominous sound. Spring boarding the already famous band to the status of death metal deities, Ghost Reveries is potentially one of the most important metal albums of the last decade.
Whilst not everything was about murky conjurations 2005 was also the year that metalcore was beginning to come to the fore. With Nu Metal releasing its down tuned grasp to usher in the new era of modern metal As I Lay Dying released Shadows Are Security, Bullet For My Valentine released their sky rocket to fame The Poison. One such band was Devildriver. Having already released their previous effort the band would next put out their cult classic The Fury Of Our Makers Hand. Now labelled as a metalcore classic, this was the first evidence that Fafara and co really were a band to be contended with. Even now, ten years on, the album still has a strong stake in the metal community, with many fans citing it as one of their all time classics. Not to mention the roaring reception that tracks like “Hold Back The Day” and “The Fury Of Our Makers Hand” receive. Combining the early Gothenburg style with a more mainstream and slightly American twang metalcore was most definitely a key player.
It seemed to be a growing trend that 2005 was the year of new beginnings. Now ten years on being potentially one of the biggest and well respected death metal acts, things we re not always that way. Releasing their second effort The Black Dahlia Murder unleashed fantastic Miasma upon the world. Still feeling the growing pains of being a young band, not containing the many strings to their bow as they do now, Miasma was still a frightening example of just what this band was capable of. Unfairly being lumped in with everything else of that year, the band were labelled as metalcore. Having now lost their proverbial milk teeth the band have become a reknown death metal act often compared with the death metal elite.
Even though bands were sprouting left right and centre and releasing some for the best records of the last decade there were some that just did their own thing. Having had a passion fit of that of the Pharaohs death metal heavy weights Nile released Annihilation Of The Wicked. Being arguably their best produced album to date, with Black Seeds of Vengeance sounding muddy and indistinguishable and In Their Darkened Shrines falling slightly short, Annihilation saw the formation of some of Nile‘s true classics. Tightening up their sound, the band was faster, snappier, more technically dazzling and yet all the same. In age that was devoted to the innovative Nile stuck to their guns and released one of the heaviest records in death metal history.
While they might have fallen from grace in most people’s eyes with the very over rated Hail To The King the golden age of Avenged Sevenfold was in 2005. Releasing the now essential City Of Evil, I remember myself intensely hating the band at first. Hearing single Bat Country with Shadows‘s whines sounding juvenile and over done. As the year went on we were all exposed more and more to Synyster Gates and co with more and more singles courtesy of Kerrang! And it finally hit me. City Of Evil was quite like nothing we had heard before, employing theatrical levels of musicianship and song writing the band created a glam metal, stadium rock sized offering. Shaping their sound as a band following the Waking The Fallen era, it was here that the world was beginning to take note of just the potential that Avenged Sevenfold possessed. Now although tragic, the band have the checklist of legendary status. A multi million selling album, a key member dying and now their equivalent of The Black Album the band re poised for legendary status.
Another band that was merely beginning to stretch their creative muscles were the Bayonne eco warriors Gojira. Releasing the absolutely phenomenal From Mars To Sirius. Not quite hearing a band of this magnitude before many people didn’t know what to do with the French effort. Not quite being as rhythmically driven as Meshuggah yet containing a trance like overtone the band were truly unique. With this being a platform for them to begin their worldwide conquest Sirius is one of the most forward thinking metal albums of the last decade.
As I’ve said before in the article 2005 was very much seen as one of the many years of metalcore’s influence. One such band that exploded onto the scene was small Florida outfit Trivium. Ascendancy still to this day will be one of the best examples of a young band taking the entire world by storm. A cohesive, well rounded and simply faultless effort. The only downside to the record is that it seems the band were forever trying to live up to first expectations. Setting the bar so incredibly high for both themselves and bands of their ilk seemed to have a slight advise affect, nevertheless gave us a defining album of the decade. Incorporating old school thrash influences with modern approach the band were unstoppable.
Whilst many bands are innovative none more so than Meshuggah. Releasing my personal favourite album of their infallible discography Catch Thirty-Three a concept album of the paradoxical. Created to (Minds) mirror the idea of one continuous track the band ensnared the listener. Moving in their unequivocal way, snaking through various dissonant melodies creating a blend of anxiety and overall dread culminating in the cacophony of the finale of the record before once more returning to the darkness of nothing. A snapshot of the creative power this band contained that has led the. To a fierce following and creates of an entire genre, making them the beacon of modern age metal that we have now known from 2010 on wards.
2005 was also the year of System Of A Down‘s final two albums. Hypnotize and Mezmerize, the double album saw the band take their experimental Armenian tinged sound to new heights earning them their arena filling status that they so sorely deserve, although their breakthrough might have been Toxicity their stake to all other bands was the one two punch of Hypnotize and Mezmerize. In more of the realm of the macabre this is the tenth anniversary of Akercocke’s Words That Go Unspoken Deeds That Go Undone. A true example of black metal with some out of the box thinking. Garnering rave reviews and attention from critics world wide the London outfit saw this as their finest hour. With the emotive songs on the album creating a morbid beauty, now synonymous with the band and their legacy.
Prior to Loomis‘ latest gig with Arch Enemy the seven string shredder was responsible for one of Nevermore‘s strongest albums before the band decided to call it quits. This Godless Endeavour, featuring some air tight riffing and lavish solo’s the album a real milestone in Nevermore‘s collection. Whilst Dane‘s pipes were booming out we also saw the rise of Arch Enemy, releasing Doomsday Machine an album that definitely solidified their stake in the metal community with melodic sounds from previous Carcass axe man Michael Amott really bringing the metal home. Whilst we also saw the rise of Children Of Bodom becoming ever more popular with the release of Are You Dead Yet? Seeing their typical brand of metal reaching wider audiences and becoming more together the times, we also see this year the anniversary of the absolutely bombastic Clients by The Red Chord. A concept album revolving around singers experiences with the mentally ill, wrapped in the typical Red Chord tongue and cheek the album is quite like nothing I’ve heard since.
2005 was a fantastic year, with different genres all over the metal spectrum creating memorable pieces of work. Some influential in the birth bands we have come to know as classics in modern day, others simply sticking to what they know. It’s hard to believe that it really has been a decade since these albums were first heard. With many of the bands cited having new releases or appearing somewhere this coming year it’s a trend that will be continuing for years to come. Nothing beats a bit of nostalgia!
