Metal Awards

Marty's Top 15 albums of 2006

  1. Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death
    It took a while to get into and I still wish that they had mastered the album but it has some of the best songwriting in over a decade and one of the best Maiden albums since Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son. It got people listening to Maiden again after many years and some for the first time ever!
  2. Jon Oliva's Pain - Maniacal Renderings
    This continues the classic Savatage sound more so than Tage Mahal and even the last couple of Savatage albums.
  3. Rage - Speak Of The Dead
    Despite some people's gripes about the orchestral suite for the first section of the album, I quite like it. The rest of the tracks are vintage Rage with killer heaviness and great melody.
  4. Bloodbound - Nosferatu
    A solid all-round melodic power metal album. I'm not sure of the future for these guys with voclalist Urban Breed leaving the band.
  5. Moonsafari - Doorway To Summer
    If you're looking for a bright, refreshing and cheerful prog band with Beatle-like vocal harmonies, check these guys out!
  6. Cathedral - Garden Of Earthly Delights
    Another soild release by these masters of doom.
  7. Elvenking - The Winter Wake
    With the return of vocalist Damnagoras, they are poised very well to be the kings of folk-influenced power metal.
  8. Beyond Twilight - For The Love Of Art And The Making
    A very ambitious and excellent prog metal release that is one entire song.
  9. Astral Doors - Astralism
    I love this band and they have yet to disappoint!
  10. Cloudscape - Crimson Skies
    One of the best very melodic progressive heavy metal lbums of the year.
  11. Falconer - Northwind
    A great return to the crunching, speedy folky style of the first two albums. Having vocalist Mathias Blad back in the band is just what they needed!
  12. Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth
    Much better than A Night At The Opera but a little too simplistic in spots.....still a solid Blind Guardian album.
  13. Wolf - The Black Flame
    One of the best tradtional/old school heavy metal acts in the business.
  14. Dream Evil - United
    Not quite up to par with The Book Of Heavy Metal or the debut album but still another solid offering from these guys.
  15. Bob Catley - Spirit of Man
    I love his voice and he continues to put out some of the best melodic hard rock.
Marty's Top 5 surprises of 2006

  1. Krokus - Hellraiser
    This is a really solid album!! I had given these guys up for dead!!
  2. Cellador - Enter Deception
    Great speedy and melodic power metal from a U.S. band?
  3. Wolfmother - Wolfmother
    I love the trippy retro 70's feel to this band.
  4. Celtic Frost - Monotheist
    I was never a huge fan of this band but I like this album and they were killer live when I saw them in Toronto!
  5. Def Leppard - Yeah!
    As a rule, I don't really care for entire albums of cover tunes but this one's great!! I love the track selection. This one and Rush's Feedback have been the best of the "covers only" albums in the last few years.
Marty's Disappointment(s) of 2006

  1. Edguy - Rocket Ride
    It's a decent album but with all the mid-tempo stuff, it's missing the typical "Edguy energy".
  2. Angra - Aurora Consurgens
    I like the heavier style but where are the big melodies? Nothing compared to Temple Of Shadows or Rebirth.
  3. Rhapsody of Fire - Triumph or Agony
    Booring.....I used to love this band and now all their music is pure soundtrack stuff with very few memorable songs.
  4. Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime II
    I definitely scored this one a bit high....deserves a low to mid 70's at best. The first half is pretty solid and then just runs out of gas. It has some great moments but pales in comparison to the masterpiece that was the original Operation Mindcrime.
  5. Michael Kiske - Kiske
    I don't mind Michael's mellower side but this one just doesn't have any really decent songs.
Marty's Joke(s) 2006
  1. Axl Rose
    He continues to tarnish the G'N'R legacy. Chinese Democracy will be huge upon it's release then fizzle out. They will then join the ranks of the many other "classic rock" acts that do continuous greatest hits tours (if at all)...sad....
  2. Rock Star Supernova
    The show had some great talent, much better than the "judges" themselves. This is just a flash in the pan and a money grab. I bet Jason Newsted is glad that he wrecked his shoulder so he doesn't have to tour with this abomination of a band! There won't be a second album.
Marty's words about 2006
  1. Well, we've come to the close of another great year for metal and 2007 will mark my 5th anniversary here at MetalReviews. I seem to have less and less time to listen to music with everything else going on in my life but I try to keep up with the new releases although there's a few that I just got around to listening to. Other great albums worth mentioning that didn't quite make my list are Mystic Prophecy - Savage Souls (massive riffs and a killer power metal album), Hammerfall - Threshold (better than the last two but still pales in comparison to the first 2), Warmachine - The Beginning Of The End (A local metal act that combines great old school Megadeth/Metallica style metal), SAHG (solid 70's influenced doom) and Shatterpoint (another local rip-your-face-off thrashy metal band). I'm trying to branch out and sample other metal genres like doom and gothic metal (I haven't quite softened up to death and black metal yet!). I'm also taking quite a liking to band's like Cruachan, Wuthering Heights and others that are offering something just a little bit different than the mainstream. My heart is still in the power/prog/traditional heavy metal genres but I guess there's some hope for me yet!! Once again, I thank the labels and the artists themselves who are invaluable in their efforts in getting us material to review. To the other members of the MR team, we are brethren and part of something that is very special to me...I thank all of you for you contributions. Last but not least, I thank you the readers...I'm not much of a forums person but I do read them and respond once in a while. Without your constant input and enthusiasm, MR.com would not have lasted this long.....2007 is shaping up to be another great year!! Cheers, Marty