The 10 Best Metalcore Albums of 2004-2013 By Year: A Discussion

We asked manager and host of ‘Waldman's Words’ on idobi Radio, Scott Waldman, to take on the challenge of ranking the 10 Best Metalcore Albums From 2004-2013. He enlisted friend and fellow musician Dan Picarel to help him out. See what albums topped their list below:

Metalcore is a word that simultaneously triggers many across the scene and planet with smiles, scoffs, screams and bleghs. Dan Picarel of famed Metalcore (KIDDING; THEY ARE POP AS FUCK) duo The Underclassmen may surprise you with his expansive knowledge of said genre that you probably hate (because you are reading this). Spin these ten albums and make it an evening to remember:

1. Killswitch Engage – The End of Heartache (2004)

SW: The start of headache.

DP: Haha.

SW: I kid, I kid. You see what I did there. I see what I did there. KSE is a sterling band to start this sterling piece.

DP: The band sure did breathe life to metalcore.

SW: Breathe me to life.

DP: Declaration: This is NOT about Evanescence.

SW: Can you stop fixating on the darkness?

2. Avenged Sevenfold – City of Evil (2005)

DP: I believe in a thing called love. (pauses) I love Avenged Sevenfold.

SW: Girl, same.

DP: I am not a harlot.

SW: True. You a beast.

DP: Oh shoot.

SW: Don’t feel betrayed.

DP: I don’t.

SW: This band shreds. Mainstream metalcore at its finest.

DP: City of Evil was the first metal album that I listened to. It planted a core seed.

SW: And now you write pop songs! Pop means popular!

3. Atreyu – A Death-Grip on Yesterday (2006)

DP: Like Avenged Sevenfold and many before and after, Atreyu’s sick story is from the county of oranges.

SW: I love No Doubt.

DP: Boy, same.

SW: NOTHING SHAMEFUL ABOUT THAT, AMIRITE?

DP: You right. We stand up together in support of this wonderful album.

SW: Lots of creatures agree!

DP: It was a public war.

SW: Brutal screams from the frontman and bassist/backup vocalist, and beautiful melodies from a drummer who hits the skins as hard as the tears fall down my cheeks from listening to his vocal prowess… Atreyu is my I told you so.

DP: Oh’s > Ex’s

4. Every Time I Die – The Big Dirty (2007)

SW: Pigs = Pigs

DP: I see what you did there. No comment.

SW: You’re from Upstate New York, too! Every Time I Die is from Upstate New York, too!

DP: THIS IS NOT WHAT WE BARGAINED FOR!

SW: Rebel WITH applause.

DP: Talented rebels with their skilled performances and stuff.

SW: Must’ve taken cities and years to get to that level of proficiency.

DP: PREACH, SIR! PREACH!

SW: (stands on stage)

DP: BRING ME THE TONGUE!

SW: (walks off stage)

DP: In closing, the guitar tone on this record is almost as chunky as I feel after scarfing tons of Buffalo wings in my gullet.

SW: You ravage those wings like a we’rewolf. (pauses for 2007 seconds) YOU DON’T LIVE ‘TIL YOU’RE READY TO DIE!

5. Escape the Fate – This War Is Ours (2008)

DP: I’ll escape my fate and live, as I am not in fact ready to die.

SW: You’ll escape your fate until you don’t.

DP: Scott, you are so beautiful.

SW: Danny, baby, you make me feel so alive.

DP and SW: (screams together) I’VE GOT PURPOSE ONCE AGAIN.

SW: Sounds like emo nite here, amirite?

DP: You right. You are so beautiful.

SW: YOU SAID THAT but I ain’t mad.

DP: Fun fact: Something about this band that you may or may not know is that the “Ashley” in question was a “Gabby”. Gabby isn’t as catchy.

SW: On to the next one!

6. A Day to Remember – Homesick (2009)

DP: If it means a lot to you, we can start now.

SW: It means a lot to me. We can start now.

DP: Thanks for having faith in me to do this piece together.

SW: I’m glad that ADTR had faith that pop punk and hardcore could blend so well together in an easy(core) fashion.

DP: OOOO! AHHH!

SW: (Da da da de da da da da da da da da)

DP: LET’S GO!

SW: K. I’m feeling homesick. Can we come back home?

DP: If it means a lot to you.

SW: (proud smile)

7. Bring Me the Horizon – There Is a Hell Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let’s Keep It a Secret. (2010)

DP: Glad I could bring you the smile.

SW: Around you it is always on the horizon.

DP: I still haven’t read this album’s entire title.

SW: I’ll wait to comment further once that is on the horizon.

DP: (reads for a second and stops) BETTER PREPARE FOR MY MEMORIAL, SCOTT! YEAH. BECAUSE I’LL NEVER GET TO THE END!

SW: It never ends.

DP: FUCK!

SW: You.

DP: I’ve had visions recently that indicated that BMTH started its journey into the mainstream with this record.

SW: Melody isn’t a bad thing. Glad the scene didn’t blacklist BMTH. Onto a literary comparison of rodents and homo sapiens…

8. Of Mice & Men – The Flood (2011)

DP: Blegh!

SW: Blegh!

9. Crown the Empire – The Fallout (2012)

DP: Imagine if Linkin Park merged with a blegh, there you have CTE.

SW: Love that. I have many memories of a full heart listening to this record.

DP: Same. No fallout here.

SW: We’re all children of love. I saw this band play the Ernie Ball stage to not that many people at a Warped Tour earlier this decade. The singer was wearing a huge sombrero. He still rocked.

DP: Not same. Fallout here.

SW: Sorry.

DP: OH, CATASTROPHE!

SW: I SAID SORRY!

DP: Danny’s revenge.

10. The Devil Wears Prada – 8:18 (2013)

SW: FACTS. This is the last album that we are talking about in this piece. Love at last sight.

DP: Eerie album, bro.

SW: I feel the same way in (my) heart.

DP: My clock is frozen at 8:18.

SW: AM or PM?

DP: I don’t care more one way or the other.

SW: That was rude. Let’s not end on a war.

DP: Fair. Let’s end with a sailor’s prayer.

SW: You’re just a little late.

DP: It’s like the same thing.

SW: AND WE ARE DONE!

Remember, before you blegh in our general direction: We only listed one album per year. If you’re still screaming mad that we missed the mark on (insert shitty band here), kill that switch and engage in your own list. Speaking of lists, here’s a playlist below featuring one song that Dan PERSONALLY picked from each record. It’s true. He did it all by his lonesome. Bring it a listen.

The 66 Best Metal Albums of the 2010s