Ghost, Deftones, Gojira, And Sleep Token Top Metal Hammer’s Best Albums Of The Decade

Six years into the 2020s, the renowned British heavy metal publication Metal Hammer has officially compiled its definitive ranking of the decade’s best music to date. The newly published list, which highlights the top 30 albums released since 2020, features a diverse mix of veteran arena acts and rising modern metal stars.

Taking the highly coveted number one spot is the theatrical Swedish rock phenomenon Ghost with their massive 2022 release, Impera. Trailing closely behind in second place is the alternative metal powerhouse Deftones with their acclaimed record Private Music. French progressive death metal titans Gojira secured the third position with their environmentally conscious epic, Fortitude.

Rounding out the top five are the anonymous, genre-bending sensation Sleep Token with their viral breakthrough Take Me Back To Eden at number four, and British heavy metal pioneers Iron Maiden claiming the fifth spot with their celebrated double album, Senjutsu.

The rest of the top ten showcases the incredibly varied state of modern heavy music. Breakout stars Spiritbox landed at number six with their highly influential debut Eternal Blue, followed by German industrial giants Rammstein with Zeit at number seven. Bad Omens secured eighth place with The Death Of Peace Of Mind, while British metalcore act Architects took ninth with The Sky, The Earth & All Between. The experimental folk collective Heilung closed out the top tier at number ten with Driff.

The 11 through 20 spots feature a massive lineup of heavy hitters, starting with thrash legends Metallica taking number 11 with 72 Seasons. They are followed by Electric Callboy with Tekkno at 12, Avenged Sevenfold‘s highly experimental Life Is But A Dream… at 13, and the Japanese kawaii metal act Babymetal with Metal Forth at 14. Death metal forces Blood Incantation and Lorna Shore claimed 15 and 16 with Absolute Elsewhere and Pain Remains, respectively. The gothic punk act Creeper secured 17 with Sanguivore, hardcore heavyweights Knocked Loose took 18 with You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, while Bring Me The Horizon‘s Post Human: NeX GEn and Judas Priest‘s Invincible Shield rounded out the top 20.

Completing the comprehensive list, the 21 through 30 rankings highlight even more boundary-pushing artists. Poppy landed at 21 with Negative Spaces, ahead of Evanescence with The Bitter Truth at 22, and Slipknot with The End, So Far at 23. Trivium‘s What The Dead Men Say secured 24, followed by Code Orange with The Underneath at 25. Hard rockers Halestorm claimed 26 with Everest, trailing just behind Loathe‘s critically acclaimed I Let It In And It Took Everything at 27. The list concludes with symphonic veterans Nightwish taking 28 with Yesterwynde, Indian folk metal act Bloodywood at 29 with Rakshak, and British occult rockers Green Lung officially opening the countdown at number 30 with This Heathen Land.

Top 30 ranking as selected by Metal Hammer:

30. Deftones – private music
31. Ghost – Impera
32. Gojira – Fortitude
33. Sleep Token – Take Me Back To Eden
34. Iron Maiden – Senjutsu
35. Spiritbox – Eternal Blue
36. Rammstein – Zeit
37. Bad Omens – The Death Of Peace Of Mind
38. Architects – The Sky, The Earth & All Between
39. Heilung – Driff
40. Metallica – 72 Seasons
41. Electric Callboy – Tekkno
42. Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But A Dream…
43. Babymetal – METAL FORTH
44. Blood Incantation – Absolute Elsewhere
45. Lorna Shore – Pain Remains
46. Creeper – Sanguivore
47. Knocked Loose – You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To
48. Bring Me The Horizon – POST HUMAN: NeX GEn
49. Judas Priest – Invincible Shield
50. Poppy – Negative Spaces
51. Evanescence – The Bitter Truth
52. Slipknot – The End, So Far
53. Trivium – What The Dead Men Say
54. Code Orange – The Underneath
55. Halestorm – Everest
56. Loathe – I Let It In And It Took Everything
57. Nightwish – Yesterwynde
58. Bloodywood – Rakshak
59. Green Lung – This Heathen Land