25 Best Metal Albums Of The Decade
13. Pallbearer - Heartless (2017)
2014's Foundations of Burden might be the band's most revered work and 2012's Sorrow and Extinction their most impactful, but stretching Pallbearer's doom metal blueprint into warmer, more progressive territory makes Heartless their most varied work to date.
The melancholy atmosphere found on previous releases is present, correct, and peppered with flurries of experimentation. Tracks like "Dancing in Madness" feature lead guitar work not dissimilar to Dire Straits. The very next song, "Cruel Road," is a sharp detour through sludge country, highlighting the diversity made possible by Pallbearer's subtler, more refined songwriting on a record that's as moody as ever.