Rock and Metal Musicians Pick Their Top Albums + Songs of 2013

We've already put out our Best of 2013 lists, but as an added extra, we asked some of rock and metal's biggest bands to throw in their own two cents. In this post, you'll see several Best Albums and Best Songs lists from some of your favorite artists, and you may be surprised by their choices.

Members of acts such as Anthrax, Sevendust, Between the Buried and Me, Five Finger Death Punch + many others sent in their personal lists. Some are ordered, some are not, some offer detailed explanations and others stick to the simple countdown. Delve into the minds of these musicians and the music they surrounded themselves with in 2013!

Scott Ian (Anthrax):

Motörhead, 'Aftershock'
Dethklok, 'The Doomstar Requiem: A Klok Opera Soundtrack'
Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals, 'Walk Through Exits Only'
Volbeat, 'Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies'
Rush, 'Clockwork Angels Tour' (Live)
Death Angel, 'The Dream Calls For Blood'
Brian Posehn, 'The Fartist'
The Winery Dogs, 'The Winery Dogs'
The Beatles, 'Live At The BBC'
Anthrax, 'Anthems'

Charlie Benante (Anthrax):

Lorde, 'Pure Heroine'
Ghost, 'Infestissumam'
Noctum, 'Final Sacrifice'
Death Angel, 'The Dream Calls for Blood'
Deafheaven, 'Sunbather'
Johnny Marr, 'The Messenger'
The Winery Dogs, 'The Winery Dogs'
Nirvana, 'In Utero' 20th Anniversary Edition

Dan Briggs (Between the Buried and Me):

1. Steven Wilson, 'The Raven That Refused To Sing'
2. Haken, 'The Mountain'
3. Ghost, 'Infestissumam'
4. Pity Sex, 'Feast of Love'
5. Queens of the Stone Age, '…Like Clockwork'
6. Steven Brodsky, 'Hit or Mystery'
7. Diamond Youth, 'Orange'
8. Jaga Jazzist, 'Live with the Britten Sinfonia'
9. Ihsahn, 'Das Seelenbrechen'
10. Candy Claws, 'Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time'

Clint Lowery (Sevendust):

1. Nine Inch Nails, 'Hesitation Marks' - Trent's always breaking new ground sonically.
2. Alice In Chains, 'The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here' - Comes very close the the vibe of Dirt, Jerry has found a stride.
3. Nothing More, 'Nothing More' - New band out of Texas that simply has some of the best vocal and musical moments caught on a record, truly love this band.
4. Queens Of The Stone Age, '…Like Clockwork' - If there was ever a band I would LOVE to play for, it's this band. So fresh and haunting.
5. Clutch, 'Earth Rocker' - As solid as it gets.
6. Alter Bridge, 'Fortress' - Myles is incredible, Tremonti can simply play guitar
7. Pearl Jam, 'Lighting Bolt' - One of their best records to date in my opinion, Brendan O' Brien is good for this band.
8. Tesseract, 'Altered State' - Wolfie Van Halen turned me on to this band, crazy talented.
9. Korn, 'The Paradigm Shift' - Brian is back, very sincere Korn record. That swag is back.
10. Dead Letter Circus, 'The Catalyst Fire' - Good to hear bands like this that are disciplined and dedicated to being great at playing their instruments/vocals

Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust):

1. Black Sabbath, '13'
2. Alter Bridge, 'Fortress'
3. Motorhead, 'Aftershock'
4. Alice In Chains, 'The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here'
5. Sevendust, 'Black Out The Sun'
6. Stone Sour, 'House Of Gold And Bones - Part 2'
7. Ghost, 'Infestissumam'
8. Five Finger Death Punch, 'The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 1'
9. Avenged Sevenfold, 'Hail To The King'
10. Asking Alexandria, 'The Death Of Me'

Pepe Clarke (Kyng):

1. Clutch, 'Earth Rocker'
2. Karnivool, 'Asymmetry'
3. Alice in Chains, 'The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here'
4. Red Fang, 'Whales and Leeches'
5. Carcass, 'Surgical Steel'
6. Kvelertak, 'Meir'
7. Queens of the Stone Age, '...Like Clockwork'
8. Lightning Swords of Death, 'Baphometic Chaosium'
9. Battlecross, 'War of Will'
10. The Black Dahlia Murder, 'Everblack'

Tony Castanada (Kyng):

Queens of the Stone Age, '...Like Clockwork'
Kill Devil Hill, 'Revolution Rise'
Clutch, 'Earth Rocker'
Black Sabbath, '13'
Pearl Jam, 'Lightning Bolt'
Karnivool, 'Asymmetry'
Daft Punk, 'Random Access Memories'
David Bowie, 'The Next Day'
Phillip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, 'Walk Through Exits Only'
Red Fang, 'Whales and Leeches'

Eddie Veliz (Kyng):

1. Clutch, 'Earth Rocker'
2. Pearl Jam, 'Lightning Bolt'
3. Queens of The Stone Age, '...Like Clockwork'
4. Sound City, 'Real to Reel'
5. Monster Truck, 'Furiosity'
6. Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats, 'Blood Lust' (2013 U.S. Release)
7. Black Sabbath, '13'
8. Fuzz, 'Fuzz'
9. Deafheaven, 'Sunbather'
10. Vista Chino, 'Peace'

Jeanne Sagan (All That Remains):

Deafheaven, 'Sunbather'
Alice In Chains, 'The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here'
Nails, 'Abandon All Life'
Carcass, 'Surgical Steel'
Paramore, 'Paramore'
Chelsea Wolfe, 'Pain Is Beauty'
Shai Hulud, 'Reach Beyond The Sun'
Balance and Composure, 'The Things We Think We're Missing'
Bring Me The Horizon, 'Sempiternal'
Russian Circles, 'Memorial'
Soilwork, 'The Living Infinite'

Ryan Leitru (For Today):

Stray from the Path, 'Anonymous'
My Epic, 'Behold'
Dustin Kensrue, 'The Water & The Blood'
Fit For An Autopsy, 'Hellbound'
Northlane, 'Singularity'

Chris Kael (Five Finger Death Punch):

1. Bring Me The Horizon - 'Sempiternal'
2. Norma Jean, 'Wrongdoers'
3. Nails, 'Abandon All Life'
4. The Dillinger Escape Plan, 'One Of Us Is The Killer'
5. Hatebreed, 'The Divinity Of Purpose'
6. Bad Religion, 'True North'
7. Terror, 'Live By The Code'
8. Gemini Syndrome, 'Lux'
9. Living Sacrifice, 'Ghost Thief'
10. Byzantine, 'Byzantine'

Jeremy Spencer (Five Finger Death Punch):*

1. Gemini Syndrome, 'Stardust'
2. Ghost, 'Secular Haze'
3. Puscifer, 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
4. Kvelertak, 'Bruane Brenn'
5. Nine Inch Nails, 'Came Back Haunted'

*Top 5 Songs

Jon Markson (Such Gold):

1. A Wilhelm Scream, 'Partycrasher' - This is definitely our collective favorite album of the moment. A tactical strike of intense musicianship, arrangement, thrash, and melody. Somehow the whole record rips as hard as 'Career Suicide' and sings as righteously as 'Ruiner.' A succinctness in musicality every band should strive for, regardless of style. (Favorite Track: 'Hairy Scarecrow')

2.  A.M. Overcast, 'Pellow' - Bill from Living With Lions turned me onto this is band/solo project out of Winnipeg, Canada. Incredibly dynamic, intense, yet strangely sweet math-rock. Reads a lot like a Rob Crow (Pinback, Thingy, The Ladies, etc..) project. With virtually zero internet footprint, it was awesome to discover 8 releases on his bandcamp. It's been hard to listen to much else. (Favorite Track: 'Violet by Fireglow')

3. Self Defense Family, 'Try Me' - A seriously engaging listen. Music that is at once (relatively) slow in pace and lively in exploration, thick in harmony but reduced in texture. Heady and ready to be digested, 'Try Me' also positions their own interview with porn actress Jeanna Fine (Angelique Gauthier) as equal import to the musical material. We'll leave it at that. (Favorite Track: 'Turn The Fan On')

4.  Tera Melos, 'X'ed Out' - This phenom of a record catches Tera Melos at their most exploratory while still exhibiting the melodic styling they had been working with on 'Patagonian Rats.' They are easily one of my favorite bands I've ever seen live. Through passages of intense improvisation they are able to stay true to their material. I wait in anticipation to hear how they are able to develop their musical language in the coming years. (Favorite Track: 'Bite')

5.  Baths, 'Obsidian' - When I heard Baths's last full length 'Cerulean,' I knew this was an electronic producer to pay attention to, though it was a bit to bright for my taste. On this 2013 follow up, Will Wiesenfeld presents an incredibly dark, textured, and groovy musical scape that is as organic as it is synthesized. "Obsidian" invites you in and elaborates on lyrical and musical territory most acts take years to reveal. (Favorite Track: 'Phaedra')

Sworn In:

Bring Me The Horizon, 'Sempiternal'
Danny Brown, 'Old'
Kanye West, 'Yeezus'
Drake, 'Nothing Was The Same'
Villains, '10 Code'
Justin Timberlake, 'The 20/20 Experience Part 2'
Theblackandthewhite, 'Futures'
Phoenix, 'Bankrupt!'

Dennis Lyxzen (Refused / INVSN):

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, 'Push The Sky Away'
Ghost, 'Infestissumam'
MF/MB, 'Colossus'
Fukushima, 'St 7'
Hara Ball, 'Sleep Tall'
Sabbath Assembly, 'Ye Are Gods'
The Julie Ruin, 'Run Fast'
Wax Idols, 'Discipline + Desire'
Glasvegas, 'Later... When the Television Turns to Static'
Vulkano, 'Live Wild Die Free'