Metal Reviews

So how is the year shaping up for your taste in metal? What are some of your top releases this year?

I'm going with;

Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth
Elvenking - The Winter Wake
Cellador - Enter Deception
Into Eternity - The Scattering of Ashes (yeah I'm 8 songs in, but holy shit this rules)
SYL - The New Black
Adagio - Dominate
DTB - Synchestra

random order.

There is more, but those really stick out for me.

2006 has been on of the best years in recent memory!! My list is huge!

THE BEST METAL SO FAR...

Amorphis - Eclipse
Assemblent - Equilibrium
Astral Doors - Astralism
Beyond Fear - Beyond Fear
Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth
Canopy - Serene Catharsis
Canvas Solaris - Penumbra Diffuse
Cataract - Kingdom
Cellador - Enter Deception
Communic - Waves Of Visual Decay
Degree Absolute - Degree Absolute
Edguy - Rocket Ride
Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse
Eyes Of Fire - Prisons
In Flames - Come Clarity
Into Eternity - The Scattering Of Ashes
Jorn - The Duke
Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance
Lacuna Coil - Karmacode
Moonspell - Memorial
Poisonblack - Lust Stained Despair
Prototype - Continuum
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime II
Rage - Speak Of The Dead
Raunchy - Death Pop Romance
Scars - The Nether Hell (EP)
Slayer - Christ Illusion
Strapping Young Lad - The New Black
The Devin Townsend Band - Synchestra
Wastefall - Self Exile

And to go against the grain...

NON-METAL...

Ani Difranco - Reprieve
By Blood Alone - Eternally (EP)
Def Leppard - Yeah!
Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery
Hydrogyn - Bombshell
Keith Caputo - Hearts Blood On Your Dawn
Kottonmouth Kings - Koast II Koast
Luca Turilli - Dreamquest: Lost Horizons
Only Living Witness - Prone Mortal Form/Innocents (2CD Reissue)
Path Of Resistance - Can't Stop The Truth
Priestess - Hello Master!
The Gathering - Home
The Living End - State Of Emergency
The Sword - Age Of Winters
Witch - Witch

ANTICIPATED TO BE ON THESE LISTS...

Alien Ant Farm - Up In The Attic
Black Label Society - Shot To Hell
Canopy - Serene Catharsis
Circle II Circle - Burden Of Truth
Jon Oliva's Pain - Maniacal Renderings *
Machine Head - TBA *
Nappy Roots - The Humdinger
Pro-Pain - TBA *
Stuck Mojo - Southern Born Killers
Suspyre - TBA *
Theocracy - TBA *
Zero Hour - Specs Of Pictures Burnt Beyond

* If they get released in 2006

metal:

Canvas Solaris - Penumbra Deffuse
Hammers of Misfortune - The Locust Years

*big gap*

Devin Townsend - Synchestra
Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
Yakuza - Samsara
Decapitated - Organic Hallucinosis
All Shall Perish - The Price of Existance
Gory Blister - Skymorphosis

The new Mastodon will fall somewhere in there, still looking forward to the new Zero Hour, Psyopus, Martyr, Red Sparrowes and Arsis albums. Also I'm still praying for Neurosis to release something but it doesnt seem likely.

non metal = new Tool, The Paper Chase, Orbit Service, and The Mars Volta all kick ass. Looking at that list I must say I have weird taste in non-metal music lol. I guess its all very proggy in a very strange way.

Krieg - Blue Miasma

Aborym - Generator

Nachtmystium - Instinct:Decay

Drudkh - Blood in Our Wells

Leviathan/Sapthuran split

Korpiklaani - Tales Along This Road

Ihsahn - The Adversary

Enslaved - Ruun

Elvenking - The Winter Wake

Darkthrone - The Cult is Alive

Blood Red Fog - BLood Red Fog

Striborg - Embittered Darkness

Wolves in the Throne Room

Yet to hear.....

Sigh - Hangmans Hymn

Vreid - Pitch Black Brigade

Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain

Celladoor - Enter Deception

Forest of Fog - Abgrunde

Eluveite - Spirit

This year is one of the best I've seen.

BM:

Aborym - Generator
Ibex Throne - Total Inversion
Krieg - Blue Miasma
Darkthrone - The Cult is Alive
Forest of Fog - Abgrunde
Drudkh - Blood in our Wells
Secht - Secht
Frostkrieg - Das Astrale Fenster
Nachtmystium - Instinct: Decay
Besatt - Black Mass
Arckanum - Trulen
Wolves in the Throne Room - Diadem of 12 Stars
Carpathian Forest - Fuck You All!
Jotunspor - Gleipnirs Smeder
Lja - Til Avsky For Livet
Koldbrann - Moribund


Non bm metuhl \m/ :

Napalm Death - Smear Campaign
Mastodon - Blood Mountain
Into Eternity - The Scattering of Ashes
Eluveite - Spirit
Draconian - The Burning Halo
Ministry - Rio Grande Blood
Deicide - The Stench of Redemption
Sodom - Sodom
Zyklon - Disintegrate
Vader - Impressions in Blood
SYL - The New Black
Korpiklaani - Tales Along This Road

and so many more I can't remember right now and some non metal shit like The Mars Volta, Tenhi, Killing Joke...

Woo for 2006!!!

Best metal I listened this year.

Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
Amorphis - Eclipse
Astral Doors - Astralism
Beyond Twiligh - FOR THE LOVE OF ART AND THE MAKING
Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth
Bob Catley - Spirit of Man
Drudkh - Blood in our wells
Elvenking - The Winter Wake
Enslaved - Ruun
Green Carnation - The Acoustic Verses
Kalmah - The Black Waltz
Sodom - Sodom

Metal and Non-metal bests for moi (In no Order):

Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse
Sodom - Sodom
Eternal Tears of Sorrow - Before The Bleeding Sun
TrollfesT - Brakebein
Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance
Evil Masquerade - Third Act
The Devin Townsend Band - Synchestra
Astral Doors - Astralism
Bob Cately - Spirit of Man
Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage
Cellador - Enter Deception
Luca Turilli's Dreamquest - Lost Horizons
Elvenking - The Winter Wake
Blackmore's Night - The Village Lanterne
Brother Firetribe - False Metal
Beyond Twilight - For The Love Of Art And The Making
Saga - Trust
The Gathering - Home
Jon Oliva's Pain - Straight Jacket Memoirs EP (At least till the real deal comes out)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium
Morrissey - Ringleader of The Tormentors
Twilight Guardians - Sintrade

Disappointments so far:

Norther - Till Death Unites Us
Rage - Speak of The Dead
Luca Turilli - The Infinite Wonders of Creation

So far a much better year than 2005. And with Jon Oliva's Pain, Virgin Steele, Iron Maiden, Blind Guardian, and Dio (so I heard) all releasing albums before the year is out, its only gonna get better.

Yeah, there is still a crap load of music to come, but we've had so many amazing releases already. This is a great year.

I dunno why, but this just didnt do it for me.

Rly? I think it might be my album of the year. I usually don't like those fast blasting bm records but this one is a perfect balance between melody and agression.

These three stick out as being the best so for this year for me. I guess it will take something big to knock them out of gold, silver and bronze positions.

Drudkh- Blood in Our Wells
Madder Mortem- Desiderata
Mars Volta- Amputechture

Disappointment of the year has to be the Gathering- Home

EDIT: And Sikth- Death of a Dead Day gets the "pwns but not quite as much as it should do" special award.

So far and in no particular order:

Into Eternity - The Scattering of Ashes
Beyond Fear - Beyond Fear
Cellador - Enter Deception
Edguy - Rocket Ride
Moonspell - Memorial
Drudkh - Blood in our Wells
Ihsahn - The Adversary
Mastodon - Blood Mountain
Bind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth
Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage
Sodom - Sodom

There are probably others that I have forgetten and there is still stuff I have yet to hear but this is what has stood out so far. Great Year.

In no particular order:

Korpiklaani - Tales Along This Road
DTB - Synchestra
Strapping Young Lad - The New Black
Amorphis - Eclipse
Canopy - Serene Catharsis
Zyklon - Disintigrate
Cannibal Corpse - Kill
DragonForce - Inhuman Rampage
Katatonia - The Great Cold Distance

In the "good so far but haven't heard enough to call" category:
Into Eternity - The Scattering Of Ashes
Slayer - Christ Illusion
Sikth - Death Of A Dead Day

In the "haven't heard it yet but have high hopes" category:
Draconian - The Burning Halo
Deicide - The Stench Of Redemption (surprisingly enough)

Add this to my list...

Rhapsody Of Fire - Triumph Or Agony

...because it kicks ass!

There are a few that deserve honourary mentions that I forgot anyhoo. Nortt's Ligfaerd and Place of Skulls' The Black is Never Far Away have illuminated both ends of the doom spectrum. And I do actually like Karmacode despite it being a bit girly.

Better than the last abortion?

CAAANNNIBBBAAAAALLLL COOORRRPPSPSSSSEEEE

Yep. I liked the last abortion, though.

I already mentioned this album in the Heavy/Prog/Power's Now Playing thread.

Anyways for me its a return to form of sorts. Its what I wanted Symphony II to be: Good and fresh.

Best tracks for me so far are: Silent Dream and The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demon Knight.

Agalloch
Tenhi
Elvenking

and i suppose i'll add

Korpiklaani