10 Most Underrated Hard Rock Albums Of The 2000's

10. Death Magnetic - Metallica

During the late 2000's, not too many people were expecting much out of Metallica. With their last effort being the mediocre St. Anger, many metalheads were convinced that the thrash band we knew and loved had permanently faded from view. Even though Death Magnetic was a return to form, it still seems to get slept on by the metal community.

The one thing that is a bit dodgy about this record is the production, which seems overdone in order to make every song an epic. However, albums like And Justice for All included the same kind of structure and is known as one of the band's classic records. Rather than being another bold departure for the band, this is a record that has everything great about Metallica, from the balladry of "The Unforgiven III" to the high speed fury of "My Apocalypse."

This may not have been the band at their absolute peak, but this record got Metallica back in their old form as kings of classic thrash metal. Also the return of Kirk Hammett playing solos and a more even drum sound didn't hurt its chances either. While there may be more adventurous sides of Metallica's catalog, Death Magnetic may be the one record that has a little something for every stripe of metal fan.