Number 7, War of Ages, "Fire From The Tomb" this is the album that got me into Metalcore. Before that, I thought Metalcore was only about screaming loudly and breakdowns. The melodic solos and tight dual guitar playing sold me instantly.
Number 6, Breakdown of Sanity "Perceptions" oh geez. So beefy and melodic. This one makes me want to break stuff, the heavy vox are borderline Deathcore, and the music takes a heavy dose of Djent to mix with their Modern Metalcore sound. So. GOOD.
Number 5, Zao "Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest" this is where it gets tough to name albums. Zao's third album is absolutely amazing.
It's First Wave Metalcore and is the definition of angst. Each track has such an oppressive aggression that it drips off of each scream and riff. Even though it's only in Drop C, this album, in my opinion is one of the heaviest ever written, lending credence to the idiom "Tuning low does not equal heavy."
The atmosphere provided by this album is unequaled. The final track, "Violet" is a seven minute piano instrumental that lets you catch a break from the intensity, yet at the same time, you'll wonder "uh...when is it going to hit me again?"
Number 4, Killswitch Engage "Disarm the Descent" this one's all about the lyrics. Jesse and Adam's lyricism about remaining strong and pulling through bad times hits me close to home. The guitar work is phenomenal too, great riffs and solos. Simply easy to listen to over and over again.
We're in the endgame now...so close to the end.
You knew it was coming. No surprise if you've seen my posts throughout this thread xD
Number 3, August Burns Red, "Phantom Anthem" why ABR? Musicianship. Hands down. These boys can play, and each album tops the last in my opinion. Though I had to pick either Phantom Anthem, or Leveler, it was a close choice. It all came down to writing and those melodic solos. By now, you'll see that MELODIC PLAYING is Dragonsparking's favorite. Phantom Anthem is a gorgeous album chock full of beautiful passages.
Oh boy...NUMBER 2!
You've lost toOUUCH! rrr-yyeaaaAAAAHH!
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
As I Lay Dying "Shaped by Fire" this one is INSAAAAANE. After Tim Lambesis was an idiot and got 6 years in prison he came back. This album is both an apology and a statement of the process of his dealings in huge mistakes and the following redemption and aftermath.
First off, this album comes across as incredibly genuine and heartfelt. Tim's already my favorite screamer and the emotions wrapped up in his situation only make them stronger. His range is so good and the entire band pairs so perfectly with it. The song above is my favorite off the album and has some incredible aggression, and like three different micro-breakdowns.
Of course the melodic section is incredible too.
Runners up... These are all good too and tie for the number 10 slot.
Parkway Drive "Reverence"
Unearth "Extinction(s)"
Bury Tomorrow "Black Flame"
Convictions "Moros EP"