Bolt Thrower - Warmaster (Earache Records, 1991)

Bolt Thrower has never released a bad album in their 23-year career, but this is largely due to the fact that they haven't really written a new song since their classic Warmaster was released in 1991.This album covers all the bases for the band and the genre as a whole, with sludgy opening salvos that erupt into rushes of double-bass and downtuned guitar sawing. Bolt Thrower harnesses groove without drifting into stoner territory, but they also keep the tempo reigned in to a midpaced gallop akin to their speed metal forebears. The result is a heaving collection of songs that capture both the slog and chaos of war through the ages, along with the ideal components that ensure a reliable and enduring death metal legacy.