that drummer guy's top 100 albums of 2016 part II: 80-61

-Part two of the top 100. This is usually where people start to lose some kind of interest and will just wait for the top 20, because they are impatient and just want the best of the best in my humble opinion, WELL KNOCK IT OFF! These next 20 albums are just as worthy as they other 80 albums on this list. You just never know, your favorite discovery of 2016 may be at number 75 or 63 or 81. Let's find out!

80.) Helmet- Dead To The World
FFO- Alternative Metal

Helmet returns to the recorded format after 6 years with Dead To The World. While there hasn't been too much press about the new album, I can say for myself that having Helmet back with new material is always a good thing. The songs sound inspired and a fresh production. Just a really fun record.

79.) Mechina- Progenitor
FFO- Industrial Metal, Symphonic Metal, Death Metal

Mechina has been steamrolling along with a release at the beginning over every year for the last few years. Progenitor is the band at the most...accessible? There are some songs with no screaming what so ever, including the song Cryoshock, which is just female vocals. Fantastic production, great continuation to their story, and overall, just a great album.

78.) Asphyx- Incoming Death
FFO- Old School Death Metal

The forerunners of OSDM return since their last album, Deathhammer, to release a bit more varied Death Metal album. While it still captures the Asphyx sound, it has much more focus on groove, dynamics and tempos than much of their back catalog. But of course Martin Van Drunen's legendary screams are still in tact. Without question this is my favorite Asphyx album to date!

77.) Dark Funeral- Where Shadows Forever Reign
FFO- Black Metal

In speaking of band's putting out the best material of their career. Dark Funeral has EASILY put out their great album with Where Shadows Forever Reign. Classic black metal with outstanding production and songwriting. When you need your black metal to sound evil, but actually enjoy it from an audio quality point of view as well, this is all you need!

76.) Oddland- Origin
FFO- Progressive Metal

Oddland is an incredible band. With their latest release, Origin, the band really shows off what they are capable of. Mix King Crimson progressions with Tool/Meshuggah tuning and add just a tinge of Pain Of Salvation/Devin Townsend quirks and it makes for an incredible sounding album. You need a not-djent sounding prog album this year don't you? Check this one out!

75.) Tremonti- Dust
FFO- Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Thrash Metal

Mark Tremonti is back with his follow up to last year's album, Cauterize. It is just as catchy and fun as the previous album, but since they were both written at the same time, it gives the impression that these were B-sides, and for that it's not going to rank as high as Cauterize did last year. But that said, they are phenomenal B-sides. Clean, polished and very catchy. Tremonti knocks it out of the park once again!

74.) Dissona- Paleopneumatic
FFO- Leprous meets Symphony X

The description really says it all. It combines the best elements of both bands and creates an outstanding album. It's got the speed and progressions of Symphony X with the prog quirks of Leprous and mixed with their own flavoring. Once these start to catch on, they are going to take over and destroy everything in their path. If this is what they got so far, just wait till popularity starts to take over.

73.) Numenorean- Home
FFO- Blackgaze

One of the most refreshing Black Metal albums of the year. Taking the underground popularity of Blackgaze (or Post Black Metal) and adding much more despair and heartache than you normally hear in the genre with emotionally driven songwriting. Another band that has the possibility of taking over the genre with brute force. I for one hope they do.

72.) Kvelertak- Nattesferd
FFO- Kvelertak

How can you possibly, accurately, describe these guys? Thin Lizzy meets Converge? Queens Of The Stone Age meets Mayhem? The Who meets Emperor? There's not many bands who can the hardcore and black metal spirit but have classic hard rock be in the forefront. With a cutting edge sound, bombastic songwriting and overall, catchy hooks; you can't deny that Kvelertak is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in music. Nattesferd expands upon their already diverse sound and created one of their best releases to date.

71.) Opeth- Sorceress
FFO- Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock

Opeth have finally found a happy medium for most fans that had given up hope after Opeth's watershed (see what I did there?) move to focus their attention on 100% clean vocals. While most of the album is very moody and mellow, there is some moments of heavy brilliance that really makes the album stand out. There are some riffs on the album that are just as heavy as anything Opeth has done in the past, but the focus is still very much on the prog rock side of things. You gotta take that as you will. For me, an absolute step in the right direction.

70.) Fallujah- Dreamless
FFO- Atmospheric Death Metal

Expanding upon the sound they mastered with their previous album, The Flesh Prevails, Fallujah showcases even more of the atmospheric sound to their death metal, more mellow segments, more jazzy, cynic style moments, and incorporation of female vocals in the right moments make this an absolutely stellar album.

69.) Eternity's End- The Fire Within
FFO- Technical Power Metal

What happens when you take 3/4ths of the previous Obscura lineup and put them in a lineup with a clean singer to create power metal? You get Eternity's End! Absolutely insane power metal with that technical edge that makes it stand out among the sea of unicorn tears and cheese you know so well in the genre. It's the thinking man's power metal!

68.) DGM- The Passage
FFO- Progressive Metal, Power Metal

An excellent of prog and power that is catchy as all hell and super fun to listen to. the addition of Tom Englund on the track, Ghost of Insanity, was a fantastic addition (the song even has a classic Evergrey feel to it). A must check out for the prog power fan in all of us.

67.) Gojira- Magma
FFO- Groove Metal, Technical Metal, Progressive Metal

Gojira's most accessible album is almost their most polarizing. With the addition of much more clean vocals, simpler riffs and more mellow moments makes the fans of the early day Gojira albums a bit flabbergasted.For what it's worth, it was a change for the best. A band needs to explore more territory to stay creative and this was a great change of pace. There's still plenty of epic heavy moments throughout the album, just more ear pleasing to more radio rock listeners.

66.) Destrage- A Means to No End
FFO- Spastic Progressive Metal

While again, a much more accessible album, A Means To No End is still technically an insane album from Destrage. There are more riffs that you can comprehend, but there's no shortage of insanity throughout. The band continues to get better and better with every release, just this time, this might catch the ear of the non chaotic prog fans.

65.) Aeonic Impulse- A Night For The Troubled
FFO- Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal

The debut release from California's Aeonic Impulse is a refreshing take on prog. the concept album explores dark, proggy territory with an Alternative rock mindset. Kinda like Dredg meets Fates Warning. The production is something that needs a tad bit of improvement, but as this is a debut album, that can be forgiven. But if this is any indication of what this band is capable of, they are just going to improve and improve and become a stellar name in prog. Just give it time!

64.) Inanimate Existence- Calling From A Dream
FFO- Technical Death Metal, Atmospheric Metal, Progressive Metal

Had I discovered this album sooner, it would have been WAAAAAAY higher on the list. This is mindblowing music. Taking the atmospheric route, much like Fallujah, but adding the progressive route. Kinda like if Between the Buried And Me & Fallujah made a collaboration album. Beyond stellar!

63.) Obsidian Kingdom- A Year With No Summer
FFO- Alternative Metal, Progressive Metal, Post Rock

The fact these guys are not one of the biggest bands around is just stunning to me. A Year with No Summer, combines all of the best elements the band if capable of, and packages it in a eerily calming and hauntingly beautiful package. A great review of the band says "A bit like if Neurosis had copulated with Porcupine Tree." What a fantastic way to put a description of these guys.

62.) John Wesley- ...a way you'll never be
FFO- Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock

John Wesley may be best known as the live guitarist for Porcupine Tree, but he has done so much more than that. Really starting to spread his wings and fly creatively, Wesley created an outstanding blend of prog. An odd but accurate way to describe it is take the heavy side of Porcupine Tree, the melodic goodness of Pink Floyd and add Hansi from Blind Guardian on vocals. BOOM! A magnificent album.

61.) Serpentine Dominion- Serpentine Dominion
FFO- Melodic Death Metal

Cannibal Corpse meets The Black Dahlia Murder meets Killswitch Engage. It happened, and it's as beautifully brutal as you would imagine! Taking the intensity of Corpsegrinder, the insane drumming of Shannon Lucas and the heavy/melody that is Adam D's signature; the trio created one of the best Death Metal albums of the year so catchy, so heavy, and so....perfect.

Next Time: That Drummer Guy's Top 100 Albums of 2016 Part III: 60-41