50 Most Underrated Albums of the 2000's (So Far): #17

                                    17.Hatebreed-The Rise of Brutality (2003)

Since their inception, Connecticut hardcore group Hatebreed have been churning out relentlessly heavy and passionate records dealing with themes of depression, substance abuse and overcoming any obstacle life throws at you. Despite all their records following pretty much the same blueprint, none of their records are as inspiring, emotionally resonate and consistently hard-hitting as their 2003 LP The Rise of Brutality. What makes The Rise of Brutality stand out amongst the rest of Hatebreed and the sea of other similar hardcore bands is the anthematic quality that every song has. The massive sound of the album hammers home the power of the messages vocalist Jamey Jasta lays out in the lyrics. While the sheer scope of the songs makes The Rise of Brutality a standout hardcore record, Hatebreed would not be such an earth-crushing force without Jast leading the charge. Jasta is quite possibly the most energetic, passionate and honest frontman in heavy music today. Every time he opens his mouth, it resonates with the listener. He's overcome some serious adversity in his life and uses his platform as a musician to provide hope and spread love to people that are battling serious internal issues. In a genre that is built around honesty and raw emotion, Hatebreed are the gold standard. Some people may write off The Rise of Brutality as generic crap that's exclusively for the hxC-bro crowd, but if you dig beneath the chugging guitars and constant breakdowns, you'll find one of the most profound and unforgettable records to be released since the dawn of the new millennium.

Standout Tracks

1.Doomsayer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccR6hAthfmI

2.Live for This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTEyp7YHSyM

3.Tear It Down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmFmESt-j40

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

50 Most Underrated Albums of the '2000s: #46

46.3 Inches of Blood-Fire Up the Blades (2007)

Canadian defenders of traditional heavy metal, 3 Inches of Blood, go so far into their vintage-inspired sound that a lot of people don't take they're music seriously. The cheesy lyrics and unrivaled enthusiasm for all things metal may be ridiculous, but that doesn't mean that their music isn't absolutely killer. Their 2007 record, Fire Up the Blades,saw 3 Inches of Blood incorporating more thrash elements into their music- which gave their sound more of an edge- and lead to some of the best riffs of their career on tracks like "Forest King", "The Goatrider's Horde", "Trial of Champions" and "God of the Cold White Silence". 3 Inches of Blood is a fun band with a ton of memorable riffs so naturally their most fun and riff-based record is also their best.

 

Standout Tracks

1.The Goatrider's Horde

2.Trial of Champions

3.God of the Cold White Silence   

50 Most Underrated Albums of the '2000s: #47

47.Animals as Leaders-Weightless (2011)

 

Weightless- the second full-length from instrumental prog metal act Animals as Leaders- lives in the shadow of their self-titled debut and I'm not quite sure why. Weightless saw the addition of live drums and a second guitarist to back up Tosin Abasi's virtuoso guitar playing, not to mention better songwriting and cleaner production. Abasi's playing on this record is also improved; focusing less on solely showing off his technical ability and more on song structure and memorable melodies to balance out his awe-inspiring leads. Weightless was the album where Animals as Leaders really came into their own as the go-to name in instrumental metal.

 

Standout Tracks

1.Cylindrical Sea

2.An Infinite Regression

3.Earth Departure

 

50 Most Underrated Albums of the '2000s: #49

49. Big K.R.I.T.-K.R.I.T. Wuz Here (2010)

When Outkast went on hiatus in 2006, southern hip-hop lost the leading voice and real spokesmen for the scene. After years of lacking a true leader, Mississippi MC Big K.R.I.T. (King Remembered in Time) filled the void that Outkast left in southern hip-hop when they stopped making music with his breakout 2010 mixtape K.R.I.T Wuz Here. K.R.I.T.'s music embodies everything that southern hip-hop is supposed to- catchy hooks, infectious confidence from the artist and beats that will shake the living shit out of any subwoofer. K.R.I.T. spends the entire 73-minute duration of the tape not only coming out as the new voice of the dirty south scene, but showing his incredible versatility as an artist. K.R.I.T. Wuz Here features everything from anthematic odes to all things southern (the infectious "Country Shit") to brags about his rapping ability ("See Me on Top") to heartfelt and insightful looks at growing up poor and how that environment effects the people who live in it ("Children of the World"). In an age where trap rap has taken over the south, it's refreshing to see a guy like K.R.I.T. not giving in to the trends and sticking to the roots of old-school southern hip-hop.

 

Standout Tracks

1.Country Shit

2.Children of the World

3.Viktorious    

50 Most Underrated Albums of the '2000s: #50

50. All Shall Perish-This is Where it Ends (2011)

(Note: This list is my picks for the 50 most underrated albums of the '2000s. These aren't exactly in order of how much I enjoy them, but instead how much they are overlooked overall by the music community and general public. The list kicks off with All Shall Perish's most recent album, This is Where it Ends, below. Hope everyone enjoys and I encourage any and all comments whether you agree with my opinion or not.)

This is Where it Ends was the record where All Shall Perish really started to break their mold as a deathcore-based act. Eddie Hermida stepped up his vocal game with a more sinister edge to his screams, new guitarist Francesco Artusato was a better fit and somehow an even stronger musician than previous guitarist Jason Richardson and above all, the band start experimenting with melody and employing the use of piano and strings to accompany certain tracks. The experimentation and melodic edge being brought into the fold without sacrificing any of the brutality or technicality they had become known for on their first three albums made this record the most satisfying and polished effort of their career. Unfortunately, this will be the last All Shall Perish record to feature Hermida and founding member/primary songwriter Ben Orum. Hermida left to join Suicide Silence while Orum left to spend more time with his family. At least this incarnation of All Shall Perish went out on top with This is Where it Ends.

Standout Tracks
1. In this Life of Pain
2.Procession of Ashes
3.The Past Will Haunt Us Both