20 Best Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Albums Of 2016

20. Lost Society - Braindead

Beginning the cream of 2016's crop is Finnish thrashers Lost Society and their third album, Braindead.

Musically, this was an immense record for the up-and-coming quartet, abandoning the "speed and thrash 24/7" approach of their previous two releases, making for something much more diverse. While entries like "Hangover Activator" and "Rage Me Up" remain insanely quick, the mid-paced "I Am the Antidote" and "Only (My) Death Is Certain" doubtlessly make up Braindead's highlights, demonstrating a Lost Society that is eager and hungry to evolve.

If the band continues in this direction for their next album, the metal world will be Lost Society's oyster.