Metal and heavy music are experiencing a renaissance. Labels and bands, from the majors to the tiniest boutique indies, are actually making money, selling records, and packing venues. There’s a widespread sense of community across scenes. As artists move their music in new directions, combining genres to create new sounds, they are also bringing together the once-segmented metal culture. Go to a Mastodon show, and you’ll see the hardcore kids, the black metal misanthropes, the stoners, the crusties of all ages and genders. To attend a show is to come together in the name of art, and a universal acceptance has set in.
The following 20 albums are by no means the only 20 heavy albums we’re psyched for in 2015, but rather the one’s we’re most excited for. Some aren’t metal by the traditional definition. But the smattering is why it’s so exciting to be a fan of heavy music in our time; expectations have given way to mystery and discovery. Embrace it with an open ear and an open mind.
–Jon Hadusek
Senior Staff Writer
