Top Ten Lists - 2001

1. Neurosis A Sun That Never Sets
2. Hollenthon With Vilest Of Worms To Dwell
3. Sigh Imaginary Sonicscape
4. Green Carnation Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness
5. Virgin Black Sombre Romantic
6. Lux Occulta The Mother And The Enemy
7. Opeth Blackwater Park
8. Dismal Euphony Python Zero
9. Tristania World Of Glass
10. System Of A Down Toxicity

1. Iced Earth The Horror Show
2. Slayer God Hates Us All
3. System Of A Down Toxicity
4. Kreator Violent Revolution
5. Opeth Blackwater Park
6. Megadeth The World Needs A Hero
7. Slipknot Iowa
8. Dimmu Borgir Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
9. Children Of Bodom Follow The Reaper
10. Tool Salival

Personally, the 2001 list below is the best in several years, both before and after 2001. Neurosis and Hollenthon are far ahead of the field and two of the best albums of the last five years at least. 2001 is a marked improvement over 2000, as several other very good albums (by Finntroll, Enslaved, and Manilla Road, among others) barely missed making the list, and would have made either 2000 or 2002's list.

Several surprises here. Kreator had been faltering for years, but Violent Revolution has proven a worthy comeback. Opeth has had underground support for a little while now, and has finally started to received more mainstream notice. Finally, System Of A Down marks a rare nu-metal appearance, also a surprise as nu-metal has typically not been the choice of BNR readers.