Islander's Mikey Carvajal - My Five Favorite Alt-Metal Albums

Islander vocalist Mikey Carvajal is here with his picks for his five favorite alt-metal albums of all time.

Of course, alternative metal encompasses a myriad of different sounds beneath its wide umbrella. It's the more freewheeling quality that has made it such an enduring subgenre and one with consistent appeal that welcomes fresh sounds to the fold.

Bands lean more heavily into certain styles than others, which is what gives alt-metal a range that not many other subgenres in heavy music enjoy. There is also tremendous crossover appeal, serving as a gateway to rock and metal for those are more into the hip-hop, reggae and other stylistic flavors.

We'll get to Carvajal's favorites in a moment, but first...

What You Need To Know About Islander

From: Greenville, S.C.

First Album: Violence & Destruction (2014)

New Album: Grammy Nominated

Islander were formed in 2011 in Greenville, South Carolina and, among the original lineup, only Carvajal remains.

The band's story is one of commitment as Carvajal navigated several personnel changes before finding a sticking point in 2017 with guitarist Erik Shea and his brother Chris on keyboards. Chris later took up bass in the band starting in 2021 as well, right when the band tabbed Tyler Armenta as their live drummer.

Grammy Nominated, the band's fourth album, follows 2022's It's Not Easy Being Human and is out now, led by a handful of singles, including the big hit "Witch."