First of all, my apologies for the lateness of this thread. As a reviewer, I've had to listen to so many albums in 2008 and it has taken such a long time to get through them all.
I know other people have posted their top whatever of 2008 and all of them have been great. Now, here is mine and I hope you enjoy it and hopefully get something from it.
OK, here we go. This is my top 45 metal albums of 2008. Before I start, this list is based on metal which are my favourite genres, particularly power metal, traditional metal and gothic metal. I’m sure there has been some top releases in the other metal genres, such as prog metal, black and death; but they will not be in this list.
Overall, despite 2008 being the year of many classic metal and hard rock bands releasing new albums (Metallica, AC/DC, Testament, Judas Priest, etc), I must say that 2008 was a little down on previous years as a whole in terms of really good quality releases.
I’ll start with my four
worst albums of 2008:
#4: Edenbridge – Myearthdream
After some decent previous releases from Edenbridge, Myearthdream was a step in the wrong direction. Soulless and boring songs featured heavily on this release. Let’s hope they do better with their next album.
#3: Dreamtale – Phoenix
New singer, slight change of style, big step backwards. I really liked Dreamtale’s previous album, but this is really bad. The new singer is not very good and their songwriting had dropped considerably.
#2: Into Eternity – The Incurable Tragedy
Not being the biggest fan of this band, their first few albums did seem refreshing and good. But after another album of the same style with nothing new to express; Into Eternity’s latest effort really missed and missed badly. Their ship which once sailed nicely has now sunk.
#1: Power Quest – Master Of Illusion
Wow, where do I start with Power Quest’s latest album. Terrible! This band needs to grow balls and fast. You call this power metal? Please...I’ve heard heavier girls garage bands than these guys. Their style is cheesier than “happy metal”. Quick, someone give these guys a massive dose of testosterone before it’s too late. Either that or replace the lead singer for a guy who has a somewhat deeper voice.
And now, here is my top 45 metal albums of 2008, starting with #45 - #41:
#45: ReinXeed- The Light
#44: Cradle Of Filth- Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder
#43: Judas Priest – Nostradamus
#42: Testament – The Formation Of Damnation
#41: Blaze Bayley – The Man Who Would Not Die
I was pretty disappointed with Judas Priest’s Nostradamus. Being a big fan of the Priest, it was hard for me to rank them in 43rd place. The main reasons being that there were just too many slow and dull songs, which went for about 4-5 minutes too long. Secondly, I feel that Judas Priest were not the band to tackle a concept album such as this. It may just be me, but I felt that it just didn’t fit and didn’t truly sound like Judas Priest. Both Testament and Blaze Bayley were also slight disappointments, but also fairly expected.
Now, #40 - #31
#40: Steel Attack – Carpe DiEnd
#39: Metalium – Incubus- Chapter VII
#38: Before The Dawn – Soundscapes Of Silence
#37: Scream Silence – Apathology
#36: Iced Earth – The Crucible Of Man
#35: Assailant – Wicked Dream
#34: Revolution Renaissance – New Era
#33: Human Fortress – Eternal Empire
#32: Grand Magus – Iron Will
#31: Driver – Sons Of Thunder
I expected more from Iced Earth with the return of the prodigal son, Matt Barlow. Again much like Framing Armageddon, there were a few slow tracks which really didn’t capture your interest. Scream Silence’s new album was down on previous releases, while Human Fortress was a surprise with the massive change in style. Despite some great tracks, overall it was fairly disappointing. The same can be said about Timo Tolkki’s Revolution Renaissance, while the others were where I expected them to be.
Next, #30 - #21:
#30: End Of You – Mimesis
#29: Seventh Avenue – Terium
#28: Soulfly – Conquer
#27: Cryonic Temple – Immortal
#26: Cavalera Conspiracy – Inflikted
#25: Rage – Carved In Stone
#24: Ari Koivunen – Becoming
#23: Battlelore – The Last Alliance
#22: Saint Deamon – In Shadows Lost From The Brave
#21: Firewind – The Premonition
Seventh Avenue’s latest album was actually quite decent, but the amount of times they said Terium got pretty annoying after a while. Soulfly’s latest release was down from their previous album “Dark Ages”, as was Cryonic Temple, who had replaced most members of the band since their last album. Max Cavalera’s other band, Cavalera Conspiracy had a few gems, but still slotted in just outside the top 25. Battlelore’s newest effort was a pleasant surprise, improving from their sub-par release in 2007. Saint Deamon was also a nice surprise while Firewind released one of their more consistent albums in a while.
Now, #20 - #11:
#20: Dawn Of Destiny – Rebellion In Heaven
#19: Sinner – Crash & Burn
#18: AC/DC – Black Ice
#17: Poisonblack – A Dead Heavy Day
#16: Edguy – Tinnitus Sanctus
#15: Serenity – Fallen Sanctuary
#14: Stormwarrior – Heading Northe
#13: Brainstorm – Downburst
#12: Evergrey – Torn
#11: Leverage – Blind Fire
Dawn Of Destiny’s new album was very good and they should really take off very soon. Again, Sinner released another solid album worthy of being in my top 20. One of my all-time favourite bands, AC/DC released their first album in 8 years and was indeed worth the wait. Black Ice is very good and slotted in at the #18 spot. Poisonblack’s third album was pretty good, but possibly down from their previous two. Edguy’s Tinnitus Sanctus was also down from their previous efforts, but still good enough to hold onto 16th place.
Both Serenity and Stormwarrior were surprises, and good ones at that. Brainstorm had a wonderful album right at the start of 2008, one of their best in my opinion. Evergrey returned to form after a somewhat disappointing “Monday Morning Apocalypse”, while the relatively unknown Leverage was the biggest surprise, with their second album landing them in 11th position.
And now, my top 10 metal albums of 2008:
#10: Pyramaze – Immortal
Let’s get something clear. If it wasn’t for Matt Barlow on vocals with this album, it never would have gotten this high on my top 45. Granted, musically the album is great, but with Barlow steering this ship, it would have been somewhere in the mid 20’s. Fortunately for Pyramaze, now everyone has heard of them and still should pay close attention to them despite not having Barlow as their vocalist anymore. Immortal is an awesome album, really how Power Metal should be.
#09: The Eternal – Kartika
Aussie band from my neck of the woods, Melbourne, have released their best album to date, with “Kartika”. Any gothic metal/rock fans out there should spend a great deal of time tracking this album down as you will not regret it. Heaps of emotion and eerie darkness that comes with gothic metal has been poured into this release and for me a wicked surprise too, as I had never heard them before. 3 cheers for hard working Aussie metal bands.
#08: Silentrain – Wrong Way To Salvation
Sliding into #8 spot is chameleon band, Silentrain. This band plays many different genres on this album, including melodic metal, gothic metal and also power metal. Such a surprise for a band to be able to do that, and to do it well. I also just wrote a review for this album on Metal CD Ratings, that can explain more, but Silentrain has made immediate impact with this release.
#07: DragonForce – Ultra Beatdown
Same old again for DragonForce? Hell no. Despite some people saying that Ultra Beatdown is exactly the same as their previous two albums, I tend to disagree. If you listen close enough, DragonForce have changed their style considerably. It’s still really fast, yes, but it’s slower than their previous two. Plus there are more slower parts in breaks during many of the tracks. I found their songwriting structure on this album to be their most consistent. Saying that, I feel that Ultra Beatdown is DragonForce’s best album to date.
http://www.angelfire.com/music5/metalcd ... EVIEW.html
#06: Metallica – Death Magnetic
‘Tallica are back, baby! Those Metallica boys have returned to form from that terrible nightmare called St. Anger, released 5 years ago. Death Magnetic is exactly what true Metallica fans could have hoped for, delivering a mix of new and old, with powerful songwriting and a renewed spirit. It’s been a longtime coming, but a lot of metalheads, both old and new are boastfully grinning that Metallica finally redeemed themselves.
#05: Secret Sphere – Sweet Blood Theory
Now here is a pleasant surprise, with Italian power metal band, Secret Sphere, delivering such and awesome album, which I did not see coming. Previous Secret Sphere albums have been decent, nothing special; so when Sweet Blood Theory was released I just expected an album worthy of maybe mid 20’s in a top 50. Boy was I wrong. Sweet Blood Theory is the best album Secret Sphere has ever done. They have become heavier and more aggressive, with more melodic and structured songwriting. Every track is a winner and very deserving of the #5 spot.
http://www.angelfire.com/music5/metalcd ... EVIEW.html
#04: Kiuas – The New Dark Age
Another massive surprise is the third album from Kiuas, called The New Dark Age. From start to finish, this album kicks ass and has officially put Kiuas on the metal map. Delivering fast aggressive and technical power metal, The New Dark Age blew me away when I first heard it and lucky enough to review it. With no weakpoints on the album, Kiuas slots in at #4 and all eyes will be on them when they release album number 4.
http://www.angelfire.com/music5/metalcd ... EVIEW.html
#03: Circle II Circle – Delusions Of Grandeur
An album that not many people would expect, but Circle II Circle released a beauty of an album in 2008, with Delusions Of Grandeur. This album has it all, perfect vocals from Zak Stevens and emotional and powerful music. Amazing riffs and hooks with every track as powerful as the next. Definitely Circle II Circle’s best release to date.
http://www.angelfire.com/music5/metalcd ... EVIEW.html
#02: Avantasia – The Scarecrow
Tobias Sammat has done it to me again, releasing the third Avantasia album, The Scarecrow. The amount of effort gone into this brilliant album, I can understand how Tobias’ Edguy’s latest album felt a bit rushed and a tad down from previous releases. The Scarecrow has killer track after track, with no poor songs whatsoever. With guest vocalists including the great Alice Cooper, The Scarecrow has so much variety and appeal. The Metal Opera albums were good, but The Scarecrow beats them hands down.
#01: Orden Ogan – Vale
Without a doubt, the best metal album of 2008 is Orden Ogan’s Vale. I could not believe my ears and still to this day, of the greatness and impact this album has. Pure melodic metal brilliance, every track is full of wicked riffs, emotional vocals and bursting with creativity. If you haven’t heard of this band, you will be doing yourself a disservice if you do not track it down. A great mix of power, melodic and even prog and celtic elements, Vale is the blueprint of what a melodic metal album should be. Right after I heard this album, I knew that nothing else would beat it for the remainder of the year.
http://www.angelfire.com/music5/metalcd ... EVIEW.html
