30 metal albums that turn 20 this year (2023)

Releases

Feb 20

2003…the year the US decided it was a good idea to invade Iraq; Dan Brown published the Da Vinci Code; Apple’s 3rd generation iPod loses the mechanical scroll wheel (yes, kids, that’s how we listened to music back then); and launched their iTunes store for the first time while they were at it; Britney Spears and Madonna kissed on stage; and Tesla, Android, LinkedIn and Skype were launched.

2003 was also a big year for me, as it would be for any teenager in the Netherlands turning sixteen that year: it meant I was officially allowed by law to drink my face off. Good times.

Far more important, of course, for metal fans all over the world it was an equally big year, both for the good and for the bad.

2003 was the year that Pantera and Immortal officially disbanded; Metallica thought they had a new hit album on their hands with St. Anger (if only they knew…); Heavy metal legend Rob Halford returns to the fold at Judas Priest; and we saw the foundation of bands like Born of Osiris, Powerwolf, August Burns Red, Parkway Drive, Wintersun, Ne Obliviscaris and Job Oliva’s Pain. Also, as you will see below, a few major household bands released their debut album in 2003, kickstarting their rise to stardom.

If you consciously remember the metal albums that will turn 20 this year, listed below, know it is absolutely fine to feel nostalgic (or old?) about it. If anything, you have been a loyal metal fan for at least two decades. For that, I commend you.

For your convenience, for each entry in the list I added a link to the Spotify album, so you can take that trip down memory lane while you go through the list. And no, I do not earn any commission for that unfortunately.

Metal bands that released their debut albums in 2003

2003 saw the release of a few debut albums by bands that would become giants in their own genre. Evanescence will end up filling stadiums; DragonForce’s insane version of power metal will show the world there is no such thing as speed limits; Epica will help define the female-fronted metal scene for years to come; The Black Dahlia Murder will carve out a cult status in the metal community; Trivium will release another nine albums to date and be nominated for multiple awards, among which a Grammy nomination for best metal performance in 2019.; and lastly Galneryus will help put Japan on the map as a true metal nation.

The Black Dahlia Murder | Unhallowed

Release date: 17 June 2003

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Label: Metal Blade Records

30 metal albums that turn 20 this year (2023)

Metal bands that released their debut albums in 2003

The Black Dahlia Murder | Unhallowed

DragonForce | Valley of the Damned

Epica | The Phantom Agony

Evanescence | Fallen

Galneryus | The Flag of Punishment

Trivium | Ember to Inferno

Noteworthy metal releases in 2003

Apocalyptica | Reflections

Arch Enemy | Anthems of Rebellion

Children of Bodom | Hate Crew Deathroll

Darkthrone | Hate Them

Dimmu Borgir | Death Cult Armageddon

Dream Theater | Train of Thought

Iron Maiden | Dance of Death

Kamelot | Epica

King Diamond | The Puppet Master

Korn | Take a Look in the Mirror

Lamb of God | As The Palaces Burn

Limp Bizkit | Results May Vary

Linkin Park | Meteora

Lost Horizon | A Flame to the Ground Beneath

Machine Head | Through the Ashes of Empires

Melechesh | Sphynx

Metallica | St. Anger

Morbid Angel | Heretic

Nevermore | Enemies of Reality

Opeth | Damnation

Spawn of Posession | Cabinet

Sonata Arctica | Winterheart’s Guild

Stratovarius | Elements, Part 1

Stratovarius | Elements, Part 2

Metal releases of June 2023

Why do I love extreme metal?

Follow me on social!