Welcome to the second round of the March Metal Madness 2014 Devil Horn Region. We're one step closer to determining the best metal album of the 21st century, as determined by your votes.

The first entry in this matchup is Black Sabbath and their 2013 effort '13.' The disc bested High on Fire's 'Blessed Black Wings' to advance to the second round. The '13' disc was the band's first release since 1978 with Ozzy Osbourne on vocals and did a great job of blending old school touchtones with modern metal inflections. Led by Grammy-winning single 'God Is Dead?' and featuring such solid cuts as 'End of the Beginning,' 'Loner' and 'Age of Reason,' Black Sabbath proved they are as strong as ever.

They square off against Lamb of God, one of the most consistent metal acts of the 21st century. The band's 2004 effort, 'Ashes of the Wake' bested Gojira's 'From Sirius to Mars' to advance to the second round of the Devil Horn Region. The disc yielded the standout songs 'Laid to Rest,' 'Now You've Got Something to Die For,' the title track and 'The Faded Line,' among other powerful cuts.

So, will you choose Black Sabbath's '13' or Lamb of God's 'Ashes of the Wake'? Vote for your favorite 21st Century metal album in this March Metal Madness 2014 matchup in the poll below.

(This poll will end on Sunday, March 16 at 11:59 PM EST. Fans are able to vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure your favorite album wins!)

 

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