Metal Awards

Khelek's Top 15 albums of 2009

  1. Amorphis - Skyforger
    One of my favorite bands of all time releases another excellent album, building on the strengths of their previous releases with Tomi Joutsen on vocals
  2. Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue
    I honestly wasn't sure if the band could come together and write another good album without Layne Staley, but they surpassed all my expectations. New vocalist William DuVall is very talented, just a great breath of fresh air for the band. Can't wait to hear what they come up with next.
  3. Katatonia - Night Is The New Day
    Another favorite band of mine. This album is slower and less catchy than the previous one, but still a very enjoyable dark journey.
  4. Priestess - Prior To The Fire
    I still listen to Priestess's debut on a regular basis, this is an excellent follow-up with some added complexity.
  5. Autumn - Altitude
    Excellent mixture of gothic and alternative metal.
  6. Karnivool - Sound Awake
    Still a relatively unknown band, but this second album proves they really know their stuff.
  7. Nightrage - Wearing A Martyr's Crown
    While not as good as some earlier albums in my opinion, I still found this to be quite enjoyable.
  8. Behemoth - Evangelion
    The death metal juggernaut never lets me down.
  9. Luna Mortis - The Absence
    This is a young band with a lot to offer to fans of melodeath and power metal, as strange as that sounds. They have an excellent ability to bring in different styles and create a distinct sound.
  10. Thy Catafalque - Róka Hasa Rádió
    The first album I have listened to by the band and it blew me away - extremely atmospheric and heavy, not to mention unique.
  11. Insomnium - Across the Dark
    Dark, atmospheric melodeath that crushes.
  12. God Dethroned - Passiondale (Passchendaele)
    I enjoy almost every album this band releases, and Passiondale is a great return to a bit of a harder style then the last few.
  13. Goblin Cock - Come With Me If You Want To Live
    A quirky album, but it has a lot more structure than their first attempt and is a very enjoyable listen
  14. Dream Theater - Black Clouds and Silver Linings
    Not even close to their early releases but still an enjoyable album.
  15. Heaven And Hell - The Devil You Know
    A fun yet dark heavy metal album from guys who have been around for so long.
Khelek's Top 5 surprises of 2009

  1. Seance - Awakening Of The Gods
    Great comeback from a classic death metal band.
  2. Leaves Eyes - Njord
    Was not familiar with the band until this album but I will definitely be checking out their earlier work.
  3. This Ending - Dead Harvest
    A solid second album from a young melodeath band that I had never heard before.
  4. Gorod - Process Of A New Decline
    Groovy, crushing death metal.
  5. Obliteration - Nekropsalms
    Doom-laden, catchy death metal from Norway.
Khelek's Disappointment(s) of 2009

  1. Marilyn Manson - The High End Of Low
    Too long and monotonous for me, could not get into more than a few songs.
  2. Lamb of God - Wrath
    Usually I enjoy what these guys have to offer, but I felt this one just lacked the emotion and intensity of the previous albums.
  3. God Forbid - Earthsblood
    This album bored me due to what I felt was a lack of effort and originality in songwriting.
  4. Darkest Hour - The Eternal Return
    A good album, but a step down from their previous work in my opinion.
  5. Woods of Ypres - Woods IV: The Green Album
    A disappointing effort from a band that definitely has potential.
Khelek's Joke(s) 2009

  1. Milking The Goatmachine - Back From The Goats
    Need I say more?
Khelek's words about 2009
  1. It may have been a somewhat disappointing year for a melodic death metal aficionado, with a bunch of bigger bands releasing new material that was good but not great (I'm looking at you DevilDriver and Darkest Hour). However there was still a lot of great stuff released as you can see from my list. Overall it has been an enjoyable year of listening and reviewing. Looking forward to 2010!