50 Most Underrated Albums of the 2000's (So Far): #33

33.Battlecross-War of Will (2013)

 Michigan's newest metal behemoth Battlecross is often written off because they tour frequently and relentlessly pimp their band on social media. Don't let the ridiclous, unjustified backlash against them fool you: Battlecross is not only the real deal, but one of the most promising up-and-coming acts in the extreme metal scene. They play a combination of thrash and melodic death metal that is heavy on killer riffs (of both the fast and melodic variety) and breakneck energy. War of Will serves as a natural progression from their impressive 2011 breakout record Pursuit of Honor. The skeleton of what made Pursuit of Honor special is still present, they've just gotten better at their niche. The songwriting is more polished with a big improvement on their melo-death end of their sound especially and the production is far cleaner than before. The band is also freakishly talented across the board. Guitarist Tony Asta effortlessly rips through fret-melting solos, Don Slater is a rare talent on bass that is actually given ample time to shine and not pushed into the background like a majority of his peers, vocalist Kyle "Gumby" Gunther has a sinister tinge to both his high-pitched and low-pitched screams and session drummer Shannon Lucas (ex-The Black Dahlia Murder and All That Remains) proves once again why he is a modern legend in the scene. War of Will is the work of a band that demands respect in the metal community.

Standout Tracks
Full record link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjmW_Tw-Xh8
1.Wage a War
2.Never Coming Back
3.Get Over It