50 Most Underrated Albums of the 2000's (So Far): #18

                                                   18.All That Remains-The Fall of Ideals (2006)                              
Metalcore became the hot shit genre in metal in the mid-2000's. While they were a number of bands responsible for the genre's breakout success, Massachusetts acts Killswitch Engage, Unearth and Shadows Fall were at the forefront of the movement. In 2006, All That Remains followed the path laid out by their Massachusetts counterparts and became the next big thing in metalcore with their second full-length, The Fall of Ideals. The Fall of Ideals offered up similar thrills as other metalcore albums with plenty of affective melodic choruses, breakdowns and quality riffage, but what made this record really stand out is the heavy melodic death metal influence throughout. Phil Labonte's screams are absolutely beast-like on tracks like "The Weak Willed", "Become the Catalyst" and "Six"- which is easily the most well-known track on the album thanks to Guitar Hero II. There is practically no one in the genre that can match up to the sheer power of Labonte's growls and high-screams. Adding to the melo-death influence here is the remarkable drumming of Shannon Lucas. Lucas-who went onto drum for The Black Dahlia Murder and Battlecross after he left All That Remains in 2007-steals the show from the other talented musicians in the band. There is no doubt in my mind that the drumming on this record was the primary reason The Black Dahlia Murder hired him almost immediately after he quit All That Remains . Unfortunately, All That Remains music took a huge nose dive in quality after this record came out; which is a damn shame because this record seemed like the perfect launching point for the band to become metalcore juggernauts.All That Remains may descended into the wasteland of radio hard rock with their recent material, but the impact and brilliance of The Fall of Ideals will never be forgotten.

Standout Tracks
1.The Weak Willed https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2RUU-AVvlQ
2.Whispers (I Hear You) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzv9MV79qSU
3.Six http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0pYWGjECLE

50 Most Underrated Albums of the 2000's (So Far): #24

24.Revocation-Existence is Futile (2009)

In late 2009, the music video for Revocation's "Dismantle the Dictator" went viral in the metal community. The video captivated the masses thanks to the virtuoso guitarwork from vocalist/guitarist David Davidson and their unique sound that was an equal blend of death, thrash and progressive metal. The success of the video for "Dismantle the Dictator" served as the catalyst for Revocation becoming one of the most popular bands in modern extreme metal over the past several years. While "Dismantle the Dictator" got plenty of attention, the album it's featured on, Existence is Futile, did not. Existence is Futile is loaded with tracks that feature the same technical wizardry and infectious ferocity that made "Dismante the Dictator" such a breakout hit. The high-flying solowork, crunching riffs and soaring melodies of "Pestilence Reigns", "Deathonomics" and "Leviathan Awaits" are further proof that Davidson is the most gifted guitarist of his generation, while instrumental tracks "Enter the Hall" and "Across Forest and Fjords" focus more on the impressive dynamic Revocation has as a group. The most overlooked aspect of Existence is Futile is the fact that Revocation was only a three-piece at the time this was recorded. Having a band that makes music that's this complex and powerful with only three members is a huge accomplishment. Revocation went onto to add a second guitarist during the touring cycle for Existence is Futile and went onto sound even more immense after doing so, but I'll never stop being impressed by how big of a sound they were able to achieve as a trio on this record. Existence is Futile is the record that laid down the blueprint for Revocation to become one of the biggest forces in modern extreme metal.

Standout Tracks
1.Pestilence Reigns http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPFsBWPPu-Q
2.Leviathan Awaits http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-EaVzXvZL0
3.Dismantle the Dictator http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmg3jr7Bhfo

50 Most Underrated Albums of the 2000's (So Far): #30

          30.Machine Head-Unto the Locust (2011)                                                                              

The turnaround Machine Head has made after their mid-career nu-metal meltdown in the late '90's/early 2000's is remarkable. The band not only got its groove back, but started to pump out the best material off their entire career starting with Through the Ashes of the Empire in 2004 and continuing with their 2007 masterpiece The Blackening. Their most recent release, Unto the Locust, showed just how far Machine Head has come as a band as they followed up the most-acclaimed album of their career with another powerhouse record. Unto the Locust took the epic scale and unfiltered aggression of The Blackening and refined it a bit by adding more melody and experimentation to the mix. The willingness to experiment with things like acoustic guitars, strings and even a children's choir, gave Machine Head a variety to their sound that they never had in the past. From slow operatic build-ups that descend into all-out bedlam ("I Am Hell") to tender ballads with a heavy edge to them that let vocalist Robb Flynn show off his clean singing skills ("Darkness Within") to typical Machine Head groove fests ("Be Still and Know"), Unto the Locust encompasses almost the entire musical spectrum in its nearly 50-minute runtime. Unto the Locust lives in the shadow of the behemoth that is The Blackening, but it has more than enough power to stand out on its own.

Standout Tracks

1.I Am Hell (Sonata in C#) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJt_Uh2uI9E

2.This is the End http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyZTqzZFtG8

3.Be Still and Know http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw96olokWPE