MMA Collaborator's Top Albums of 2013

5. (166 Points)

Kayo Dot - Hubardo (Avant-Garde Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/kayo-dot/hubardo

"HUBARDO, the seventh album by the avant-chamber-rock/experimental metal band Kayo Dot, is the ultimate evidence that music is boundless. It's one of those rare pieces of art that are so unique and passion driven, that any attempt to analyze and deconstruct it backfires on the reviewer."

- bartosso (MMA Collaborator)

6. (165 Points)

Black Sabbath - 13 (Traditional Heavy Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/black-sabbath/13

"Only the test of time will tell the end results, but I'm pretty positive that we can add a seventh album to the string of Ozzy Sabbath classics. Welcome back and farewell, gentlemen!"

- Pekka (MMA Collaborator)

7. (164 Points)

Fates Warning - Darkness In A Different Light (Progressive Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/fates-warning/darkness-in-a-different-light

"We are definitely dealing with a successful comeback, and I particularly enjoy the combination of simple grooves and technical rhythms. Not all tracks on the album appeal to me equally much, but overall we are dealing with, for my money at least, the best Fates Warning release since “A Pleasant Shade of Grey”."

- Time Signature (MMA Admin and Collaborator)

8. (153 Points)

Thought Chamber - Psykerion (Progressive Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/thought-chamber/psykerion

"Psykerion stands as one of 2013's high quality progressive metal releases, even going as far as to blow field leaders Dream Theater and their latest self-titled effort out the water."

- adg211288 (MMA Admin and Collaborator)

9. (150 Points)

Dream Theater - Dream Theater (Progressive Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/dream-theater/dream-theater

"Love 'em or loathe 'em, Dream Theater still has the power to make the rock world wake up and take notice."

- AtomicCrimsonRush (MMA Metal Reviewer)

10. (149 Points)

Carcass - Surgical Steel (Melodic Death Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/carcass/surgical-steel

""Surgical Steel" is upon conclusion a high quality comeback for Carcass and it´s not audible for a second that they have been gone from the scene for so many years (or that they are not twenty anymore). The songwriting is top notch and the delivery is convincing and passionate."

- UMUR (MMA Admin and Collaborator)

10. (149 Points)

Cult of Luna - Vertikal (Atmospheric Sludge Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/cult-of-luna/vertikal

"The three Cult of Luna albums I'd heard preceding this - the run from Salvation to Eternal Highway - had all presented enjoyable post-metal soundscapes, but I'd always felt that there was the potential for them to raise the bar a little, and on Vertikal they had just done that."

- Warthur (MMA Metal Reviewer)

12. (140 Points)

Intronaut - Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones) (Atmospheric Sludge Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/intronaut/habitual-levitations-instilling-words-with-tones

"I´d mention acts like Cynic, Baroness, Helmet and Tool as references at various points on the album, but Intronaut have crafted quite a unique sound on "Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones)" and deserve to be judged on their own."

- UMUR (MMA Admin and Collaborator)

13. (133 Points)

Exivious - Liminal (Progressive Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/exivious/liminal

"Liminal is through and through a brilliant release. The musicianship are on a high level (these guys sound at ease with playing the technically challenging sections. Everything just sound very natural and never forced), The sound production is very strong and the songwriting intriguing and powerful. There is nothing in this world that can hold me back from giving Liminal a deserved 4.5 star (90%) rating."

- UMUR (MMA Admin and Collaborator)

14. (123 Points)

Leprous - Coal (Progressive Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/leprous/coal

"It's pretty incredible how much a band can change in four years. From "Tall Poppy Syndrome" to this, the level of ambition and left-field wizardry has increased with each step. Although it will be some time before I'll truly know where "Coal" stands in comparison to the rest of the band's work, Leprous have delivered one of the most musically compelling experiences of the year thus far."

- Conor Fynes (MMA Collaborator)

15. (116 Points)

Tesseract - Altered State (Progressive Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/tesseract/altered-state

"In conclusion, this new direction for the band on this album is pretty mind blowing at times. I do prefer a lot of tracks to others, and it's the tracks that are more different are actually my favourites. Which makes me believe that whatever this band decided to do next will be the real triumph. I predict that this is only the beginning of something which could be something huge for the metal community in years to come."

- arcane-beautiful (MMA Metal Reviewer)

16. (107 Points)

Voivod - Target Earth (Progressive Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/voivod/target-earth

"Voivod have always challenged their listeners, and they continue to do so do on this album. If you are not already a fan of progressive and quirky music, you might not be able to handle this album, but fans of progressive and experimental music should definitely give Voivod's latest effort a spin, and fans of the band need not fear that Target Earth does not sound like Voivod - in fact, I think that d'Amour would be proud of the way the band carries on the Voivod spirit."

- Time Signature (MMA Admin and Collaborator)

17. (103 Points)

Hell - Curse & Chapter (Traditional Heavy Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/hell/curse-and-chapter

"This is simply not to be missed if you are a fan of heavy metal in any shape or form. It betters Human Remains by the fact that the songs aren't too drawn out with narration, allowing them to get to the point hell of a lot quicker with no falloff between them. The material is faithful to their sound on Human Remains, but sounds honed by experience in comparison. Saying it is powerful doesn't even begin to cover it. With this they firmly cement their reputation as a top tier band."

- adg211288 (MMA Admin and Collaborator)

17. (103 Points)

Motorpsycho - Still Life With Eggplant (Hard Rock)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/motorpsycho/still-life-with-eggplant

"Their diversity is one of their strengths though and I wouldn´t have it any other way and enjoy most of their output however "different" some of it are. "Still Life With Eggplant" might be one of their more "safe" efforts but but it´s still a very strong release."

- UMUR (MMA Admin & Reviewer)

19. (95 Points)

Queensrÿche - Queensrÿche (Traditional Heavy Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/queensryche/queensryche

"As long as you aren’t preprogrammed to hate it regardless of what it actually sounds like, the passion, energy and quality of this album should win you over. Sure, its not the best thing ever released under the Queensrÿche name, but it’s not just passable either, its a damn good album for Queensrÿche in 2013."

- Kingcrimsonprog (MMA Collaborator)

20. (94 Points)

Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance (Traditional Heavy Metal)

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/album/darkthrone/the-underground-resistance

"The Underground Resistance comes across as a celebration of classic black metal - not the Norwegian wave of which Darkthrone were themselves pioneers, but the first wave in the 1980s which served as their inspiration."

- Warthur (MMA Metal Reviewer)