20 Best Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Albums Of 2016

Honestly, how could Metallica not be here? Hardwired… to Self-Destruct is easily the best album to come out of the seminal Californian quartet in 25 years, taking more risks than any other release since their masterful 1991 'Black Album'.

And while a great deal of those risks pay off, a very select handful do fall flat, hence its position towards the middle of this list. As entries like "Spit Out the Bone", "Moth into Flame" and "Halo on Fire" doubtlessly stun, there’s no denying that cuts such as "ManUNkind", "Am I Savage?" and "Confusion" are pretty standard, not sticking out anywhere near as much as the rest of this intensely fantastic record.

Albeit, Hardwired…'s highs are so numerous and purely stunning that fans will doubtlessly forgive the album's few missteps, making this a record that is truly a part of 2016's upper echelon.