25 Best Metal Albums Of The Decade

12. Rivers Of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name (2018)

Signposting tech death's bright, bold future are Pennsylvania's Rivers of Nihil, who blew the metal world apart with the career-best Where Owls Know my Name in 2018.

Writing the non-traditional saxophone and mellotron use off as gimmickry trivialises how well they are melded with the core sound. Those adventurous songwriting flurries help define the album on tracks like "The Silent Life," though the album's simpler moments are just as effective. "A Home" was 2018's most powerful metal single and "Old Nothing" a straight-forward slapper designed to crush skulls and level buildings. Both hit hard thanks to weighty, precise production, serving as perfect hooks to reel you in for the wilder moments.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.