Metal Reviews

...and need help from you guys to let me know what the best albums of the year so far have been. I know i'm being lazy but i'm working full time atm so don't have enough time to search for them myself. Any help would be much appreciated!

Because you posted this here do I assume you only look for that kind of metal? Well anyway here are some of mine in no order. This year started slow but now is probably the best in years. Lots of good stuff came out and I barely heard half of it.

Prog:
Threshold - Dead Reckoning
Pagan's Mind - God's Equation
Vanishing Point - The Fourth Season (though I hardly consider this prog)
Symphony X - Paradise Lost
Xystus - Surreal

Heavy/Power:
Therion - Gothic Kaballah
Lion's Share - Emotional Coma
Astral Doors - New Revelation
Machine Men - Circus Of Fools
Helloween - Gambling With The Devil
DGM - Different Shapes
Kamelot - Ghost Opera
Primal Fear - New Religion
Thunderstone - Evolution 4.0
Allen/Lande - The Revenge

Other:
Korpiklaani - Tervaskanto
Finntroll - Ur Jordens Djup
Samael - Solar Soul (you gotta hear this)

No death and stuff but I haven't heard much anyway. The new Ensiferum and Turisas you'll probably like if you haven't heard them already. I'm drawing a blank here so if i remeber anything else i'll let you know.

You legend thanks a lot!! and yeah its only power metal i'm after really. but i do like viking/folk stuff so the new turisas interests me a lot. And i've always meant to check out Astral Doors, now i have no excuse not to lol.

Thanks again!

for prog/power metal I'd recommend new Helloween, DGM, Redemption and Devin Townsend.

If you're into trad metal then check out Holy Martyr (great riffing although their singer has kinda silly italian accent and broken English) or Slough Feg (not as heavy as their last albums but they can still write beautifully retro guitar parts)

I got Ness to thank for Astral Doors. Their new album is kickass and so far the only one i've heard from them. I've been on a Nils Patrick Johansson listening streak since I discovered Lion's Share. If you like his singing you should check it out...some heavy sounding shit a la Tarot with some 80's influences.

You can sample the whole album here: http://www.fanbay.se/buy/index.asp?movi ... pany_id=39

Symphony X-Paradise Lost
Iced Earth-Framing Armageddon
Manticora-The Black Circus Part 2
Kamelot-Ghost Opera

HAHA! Funny thing is I've heard very little Astral Doors, but I feel Nils is one of the best out there.

Anyway -

Prog
Crcus Maximus - Isolate
Spheric Universe Experience - Anima
Symphony X - Paradise Lost
I know there is more

Power
Manticora-The Black Circus Part 2
Helloween - Gambling With The Devil
Elvenking - The Scythe
Bloodbound - Book of the Dead
There is more

Other
Devin Townsend - Zltoid
Korpiklaani - Tervaskanto
Finntroll - Ur Jordens Djup

These are bands closest to the selected forum. Check them out.

just got the new helloween and turisas albums. sound good after the first listen, thanks for the recomendations guys. be buying more soon. I also got agalloch pale folklore and the new amorphis album. fingers crossed they're both good too as i not listened yet.

Pale Folklore rules.

My favorite CD of the year (and the only one I've rated 5/5) is the Keldian debut, but I'm not sure if it fits your tastes.

Here's my full review:
http://www.angelfire.com/music5/metalcd ... EVIEW.html

Later!

Clint

NP: Twisted Tower Dire - The isle of hydra

Dimension F3H - Does the Pain Excite You?
Drudkh - Estrangement
Amorphis - Silent Waters
Spheric Universe Experience - Anima
Rotting Christ - Theogonia
Ulver - Shadows of the Sun
Symphony X - Paradise Lost
Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters
Limbonic Art - Legacy of Evil
Kamelot - Ghost Opera
Porcupine Tree - Fear of A Blank Planet
Behemoth - The Apostasy
Mithras - Behind The Shadows Lie Madness
Sigh - Hangman's Hymn
Moonsorrow - V: Havitetty
Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli
Dark Tranquillity - Fiction
Winds - Prominence and Demise

Power/Prog/Heavy metal:

Manticora- The Black Circus Part II
Symphony X- Paradise Lost
W.A.S.P.- Dominator
Saxon- The Inner Sanctum
Helloween- Gambling With the Devil
Circus Maximus- Isolate
Kamelot- Ghost Opera
Slough Feg- Hardworlder

Thrash:

Mekong Delta- Lurking Fear
Dekapitator- The Storm Before the Calm
Bywar- Twelve Devil's Graveyards
Overkill- Immortalis
Agent Steel- Alienigma

Other:

Ensiferum- Victory Songs