10 Best Debut Rock Albums Of The 21st Century
Undeniable proof that rock is not dead.
In 2014, the ever controversial rock icon, Gene Simmons, landed himself in hot water (for a change) when he declared that rock & roll was dead. This provoked uproar from modern rock and metal fans, but was sadly met with reluctant agreement by others.
The fact of the matter is, rock may seem dead and buried to the outsider as it no longer gets the exposure it rightfully deserves. As for us fans, we know that rock is alive and possibly more varied than it has ever been. The exceptional variety of modern rock means that it surely has something for everyone, to the point where even the most skeptical fans could stumble across a hidden gem.
It seems hard to believe that the arrival of the 21st century happened over 20 years ago now, but this time window has gifted us with some fantastic music. Eternally changing currents in the music industry make it hard for bands and even genres as a whole to stick, which is why an impactful debut is more important than ever. With that being said, here are ten bands who certainly hit the ground running and went on to have amazing careers thanks to the strength of their debut material.
10. Babymetal - Babymetal
Originality isn’t always a good thing as anyone can do anything at any time, but in this particular instance originality is definitely a positive. Babymetal have to rank amongst the most easily recognisable bands ever thanks to their unique combination of heavy metal and Japanese pop music.
Babymetal actually formed in 2010, but 2015 was the first year of the Fox God, thanks to the band’s blistering debut album. If J-Pop metal wasn’t original enough already, then brutal metal songs about eating chocolate (‘Gimme Chocolate!!') should do the trick. Other songs beyond this blockbuster hit include ‘Doki Doki Morning’, ‘Megitsune’ and ‘Babymetal Death’.
Although the Babymetal hype has died off slightly, they are still a huge international touring act with millions of social media followers. Plans for their fourth studio album are in place, but a release date and title are yet to be confirmed.