Ever purchased an album because either your buddy, an editor from your favorite metal magazine or a few random people on a message board raved about it being so awesome, yet that certain album didn’t click with you as you imagined? Of course! I think that has happened to all of us. Well, here are 7 albums that fit that description perfectly, in my humble opinion. Why 7? Why not a top 10 list you ask? Because today is not Friday, you silly goose.
Make the jump for the 7 most overrated albums of the 2000s.
#7 Mnemic – The Audio Injected Soul
No one talks about Mnemic anymore, but there was a time when you couldn’t help reading comments on music forums, comments along the lines of “this band is so original, the future of metal” or “they sound like Fear Factory and Meshuggah!” They’re simply a nu-metal band with a hint of metalcore. I really can’t see the resemblance of Fear Factory or Meshuggah. They suck and were overrated at one point.
#6 Meshuggah – Nothing/Catch ThirtyThree/ObZen
Distinct sound? Check! Technical musicians? Check! Repetitive and predictable? Check! Anytime Meshuggah release an album, it tends to make anyone’s top 10 lists for the year. Like I said, these guys can play, they can play quite well actually. However, I just get somewhat annoyed listening to them because I feel every song sounds exactly the same. They have songs that stand out and rock, like Combustion, This Spiteful Snake and Future Bread Machine (yes, I’m aware that was released 1995, I’m listing it because it’s their best song), then you have roughly 90% of the rest of their catalog, where each song sounds the same. Let’s hope their lead singer calls out the title of each song before they perform them.
#5 Tool – 10,000 Days
It doesn’t matter what Tool releases, their fan boys and critics will rate it as if it’s a masterpiece — regardless of how good it is. 10,000 Days has a couple strong tracks like Jambi and Vicarious, but you also have a ridiculous amount of filler throughout the album that aren’t even proper songs. Just stick with the first 3 albums, okay? Good.
#4 Metallica – St. Anger
Yes, I know what everyone is thinking: “Wait a minute! St. Anger? It’s the most hated metal album of all time! How could it make an overrated list?” Well, some of you guys might have a short term memory. Months prior to the release of St. Anger, critics were raving about it. Dan Epstein of Revolver claimed St. Anger was “loud, complex, unremittingly brutal and the band’s most purely metallic offering since …And Justice For All” and Blabbermouth editor Don Kaye gave it a 8/10 rating, calling it a success. Countless other magazines hyped it as a future classic. All that early hype was good enough to make the top 7.
#3 Anything by Serj Tankian and/or Daron Malakian
Steal this album, Mezmerize and Hypnotize are absolutely horrible albums. But sadly that didn’t stop positive reviews coming in. KERRANG! gave Mezmerize 5 stars and Allmusic gave both Mezmerize and Hypnotize 4.5 rating , basically stating they’re the strongest metal albums of 2005. I’ve never heard any Scars On Broadway or Serj Tankian solo work, however, I decided to add those to the list because I imagine they’re just as bad as the System Of A Down albums.
#2 Slipknot – Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses
How come people think that when a “metal” band softens up, they automatically become more mature and also become better songwriters? That’s what the majority thought with Slipknot‘s third major label album. It’s not like Slipknot are that bad, to be quite honest. A lot of my hate towards them is more specifically towards that “unbelievable” front man, Corey Taylor. No, I don’t hate him as an individual — I hate his singing voice, his growls, his stage presence and especially his lyrics. He just makes the band so juvenile and amateur sounding. Anders Colsefini, where are you!?
#1 Metallica – Death Magnetic
Is this a better release than St. Anger? Yes, yes it is. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s the most overrated metal album over the last ten years. The thing is, can you blame Metallica for trying to reinvent themselves? The average Metallica fan cried, cried and cried for years for them to record an album identical of their 80s era. And considering St. Anger was a joke to everyone after it was released, it made sense for Metallica to release an album to prove the metal world wrong, that Metallica is a superrrrrrrrr-fast thrash band!
What drives me the crazy are comments like “this album should have been released after …And Justice For All” or “it’s the best Metallica album in 20 years.” Trash me all you want, but the Load albums are really good hard rock albums! To me the quality of songs are better than most of Death Magnetic (except This Was Just Your Life). Death Magnetic is a good album, not great, not amazing, not a classic, not the best Metallica album (I heard someone say before, haha), just a good release.
