The 20 best metal albums of the year, PopMatters choice

What PopMatters appreciates about metal is "this livid energy that continues to push the genre in different directions, be it through monolithic drone, otherworldly psychedelia, lavish shoegazing, crust infusions, post-metal applications, or anything else they find interesting", so they made list with that perspective. Waste of Space Orchestra on No. 1 spot proves that point.