14. Animist
The Lowdown: New York melodic death metal with a symphonic, progressive element, the band's current bandcamp only 3 song demo, is one of the most refreshing pieces of US metal I have heard in years. Artful, elegant and with teeth, the three lengthy songs on the demo make for over 30 minutes of sprawling, ambitious metal that's easily on par with their European contemporaries yet lacks pretentiousness. This is the kind of forward thinking ambitious metal The End Records were peddling in the late 90s.
RIYL: Opeth, Disillusion, Sculptured. http://youtu.be/mA0jZxwvg7A