Rolling Stone's 20 Best Metal Albums of 2016

Vintage thrashers, modern mathletes and more: The year in heavy.

Published: December 09, 2016 14:56 Source

# 1

Hardwired…To Self-Destruct by Metallica

Album • Nov 18 / 2016 Heavy Metal

# 2

The Violent Sleep of Reason by Meshuggah

Album • Oct 07 / 2016 Djent Progressive Metal

# 3

What One Becomes by Sumac

Album • Jun 10 / 2016 Atmospheric Sludge Metal Sludge Metal

# 4

Dissociation by The Dillinger Escape Plan

Album • Oct 14 / 2016 Mathcore

# 5

Fires Within Fires by Neurosis

Album • Sep 23 / 2016 Atmospheric Sludge Metal Post-Metal

# 6

Dystopia by Megadeth

Album • Jan 22 / 2016 Thrash Metal Heavy Metal

# 7

Gore by Deftones

Album • Apr 08 / 2016 Alternative Metal Alternative Rock

# 8

Magma by GOJIRA

Album • Jun 17 / 2016 Progressive Metal Groove Metal

# 9

Mariner by Cult Of Luna + Julie Christmas

Album • Apr 08 / 2016 Atmospheric Sludge Metal

# 10

Gold by Whores.

Album • Oct 28 / 2016 Noise Rock Sludge Metal

# 11

Hunted by Khemmis

Album • Oct 21 / 2016 Doom Metal Epic Doom Metal

# 12

You Will Never Be One of Us by Nails

Album • Jun 17 / 2016 Grindcore

# 13

Abbath by Abbath

Album • Jan 22 / 2016 Black Metal

# 14

Orange Mathematics by Frontierer

Album • May 28 / 2016 Mathcore

# 15

Arctic Thunder by Darkthrone

Album • Jan 13 / 2017 Black Metal Heavy Metal

# 16

Pleiades' Dust by Gorguts

EP • May 13 / 2016 Technical Death Metal Dissonant Death Metal Progressive Metal

# 17

The Serpent Only Lies by Crowbar

Album • Oct 28 / 2016 Sludge Metal

# 18

Memento Collider by Virus

Album • Jun 03 / 2016 Experimental Rock

# 19

Wider than the Sky by 40 Watt Sun

Album • Oct 14 / 2016 Slowcore