SlipKnoT - NEW. I love Corey's clean vocals and Clown and Chris' switch to timpani and marching snares sounds so much better to me than someone just banging on trash cans and beer kegs all the time (which I never really got :p). I also love the inclusion of big guitar solos, which is the main thing that I always felt like their music was missing. And, though it seems really odd for a band like them, I actually find their best songs to be their epic ballads "Vermilion, Pt. 2" and "Snuff"; who knew guys in creepy masks could play something so beautiful? I think Corey's songwriting got so much better when he started using it as an emotional release for his divorce, and everything, rather than just screaming "F*ck you!" all the time. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still love the old stuff too. I find their first 2 CDs to be really good for listening to when I'm angry. "Surfacing" and "People=Sh*t" are still my go-to songs when someone p*sses me off. But at 31, over all I'm not quite as angry as I was when I got into them at 19, so I just find myself more drawn to the softer stuff now. I guess I got old and uncool :p.
Arch Enemy - Just discovered them recently. I didn't even know that there was someone before Angela, but I like her, so NEW, I guess.
Metallica - I loved The Black Album (the CD that introduced me to Metallica) so much that I was never able to really get into anything before or after it. But if I have to choose between pre- or post- Black Album, I definitely have to go with the OLD. Sometimes I like softer, sometimes I don't. Go figure :).
Megadeth - Countdown was the only one that I ever heard, but I loved it, so I guess I have to go with middle on that one, since I have nothing to compare it to.
Ministry - I'm only familiar with the newer stuff, but I like it, so NEW.
Mudvayne - I love some of their newer songs like "Not Falling", "Happy?" and "World So Cold", but, over all, my fave CD was L.D. 50 (espcially "Severed"), so OLD.
Mushroomhead - Tough one. Being from the Cleveland area, I loved them since their first CD. But while I miss J Mann, I fell in love with Waylon. He's not quite the screamer that J Mann is, but his clean vocals are amazing. He sings even better than Jeffrey. Can we trade Jeffrey to get J Mann back, but keep Waylon? That would be better than old or current Mushroomhead. Or, better yet, could we have all 3 of them? That would be freaking epic. But if I have to choose, I guess I have to go with NEW Mushroomhead because I really do love Waylon.
Nightwish - I miss Tarja, so OLD.
Pantera - I'm only familiar with "Cowboys From Hell", but I like it, so NEW Groover
I'm not familiar with the others, sorry.