Metal Reviews

K we're half way through the year, i say it's been a pretty good year for metal overall, alot of great albums have come out, especially in the progressive power genre, here's my top 5 so far this year, this of course will change when the year it's over, well maybe .


Top 5

1. Kamelot - The Black Halo (nothing so far has grabbed me right away from the first listen then this great album)

2. Pagans Mind - Enigmatic:Calling (this is close, i could put the new Shadow Gallery here,, both are awesome pieces of music).

3. Shadow Gallery - Room V (These guys sure take forever to release an album, but boy is it worth it, no doubt about it, great follow up to Tyranny, less heavy songs, but more emotional stuff on this one.)

4. Starbreaker - Starbreaker (This is another album that kicked my ass right off the bat, great all star lineup from, members from T.N.T, Last Tribe, Ark, this is some nice hard rock/melodic metal in your face.

5. Rob Rock - Holy Hell (Big fan of Rob's music, even though his lyrical content is not for everybody, his voice is no doubt one of the elite's in heavy metal, i think any stuff that Rob's involved in is gold, and this is no less, add jarzombek to the mix and this album is heavy as "HELL" :twisted:


Im sure others will climb up the latter as the year goes along, k so what's your so far.

My top 5 so far:

1 Secret Sphere - Heart & Anger (can't explain it with few words)

2 Cloudscape - Cloudscape (some heavy prog/power with very catchy songs)

3 Kamelot - The Black Halo (art metal as someone called it - perfect)

4 Raintime - Tales From Sadness (great melodeath/italian heavy metal debut album))

5 Pagan's Mind - Enigmatic Calling (maybe not their best work but still high above the other crap)

I still think the new Lanfear 'Another golden rage' is light-years ahead of everything else. This will end up being my top for the year for sure (and I'm still eagerly anticipating the new Sagga (Holy) and Power Quest).

Other favorites have been the new Kamelot, Freedom Call and Wonderland.
A step lower than that would be the new Thunderstone, Axenstar and Ebony Ark.

This has been an awesome year for power metal in my mind, and I've only listed my absolute favorites of the year. I could easily name 10 other high-quality, solid power metal CDs.

...my thoughts 8)

Great list so far guys, yeah no doubt they'res more music that is coming our way, im gonna have to look into Secret Sphere, ive read some nice reviews on the net so far, and I agree with Lanfear, thx for the heads up CLint, cause after your reviewed it , i went out and got "The Art Effect and Another Golden Rage". I say i cant put the new one in my top 5 because i only heard it like 2 times, but it sounded great, it's in my top 10 for sure.

1- The Mars Volta "Frances The Mute" the best progressive record of 2005 so far... and a real delight for those into "different" music !
2- Fantômas "Suspended Animation" another frenzy album from Patton, Lombardo & co... maybe their best...
3- Avenged Sevenfold "City Of Evil" talkin' of metal, this is what falls closest to excellence... :twisted:
4- Ani Di Franco "Knuckle Down" folk, jazz and an angel's voice
5- Gorillaz "Demon Days" even better than the first one, I don't really mind the rap bits.... :roll:

yeah, I know, it's not very metal but then good music can't be 100% from the metal scene ! does it ? :roll:

why don't you stop posting here then, you obnoxious piece of shit? Go listen to your shitty non-metal music elsewhere. Will you ever grow up and stop being such an attention whore? Get a fucking life already.

jesus Winter, this is why everyone hates you.

since when do you represent everyone here?

he is sure representing a lot of ppl here when you do stuff like this. for once, just act a bit open minded and less agressive/arrogant!

look, this was posted in Heavy/Power/Progressive/True Metal forum, not in Hellheim only a fucking idiot like T.I.E. would post stuff that totally does not belong here and it is nothing about being open minded or not, it is about him being a troll and an abnoxious attention whore. If you think I am ignorant that is fine, but I would disagree. And whoever hates me, I say "FUCK YOU!" cause I don't give a fuck if you do.

Why do i get the feeling that this topic is going to get way out of hand, it's just a simple topic and it always ends up in constant bashing. :roll:

excuse me,but did anyone said it HAD to be Heavy or Power metal? it is maybe posted here but he just asked the top 5 of albums so that means no specific genre.

You're welcome, I'm glad the recommendation worked out for you.

He certainly doesn't represent me, but holy crap if Holy_Terror didn't hit the nail on the head there.








But Ani DeFranco is a fucking evil banshee.

I don't really have a top 5, but Kamelot and Masterplan's efforts wouldn't be far from the top of my list. Rob Rock and Bruce Dickinson have put out solid if unspectacular records, and Freedom Call's 'new' sound was a pleasant surprise.

Actually, I think I can do a top 5, but its in no real order:

Kamelot - The Black Halo
Masterplan - Aeronautics
Firewind - Forged By Fire
Freedom Call - The Cricle of Life
(plus any one from Rob, Bruce or Stratovarius)

Biggest disappointments are Falconer and HammerFall, and Epica's new album hasn't compared to their first, on early listenings at least.

1. Dream Theater- Octavarium

...

Faggot.
Also, I agree with Fingon. Where did it say 'Top 5 Heavy/Prog/Power Metal CDs Of The Year So Far?' 'Cause that sure isn't the topic title.

Jesus Winter, don't you know when you're not wanted somewhere? You aren't wanted here. You're an asshole who has never let the word 'tolerance' cross your mind. Funny, and you accused ME of being intolerant of others opinions. Next to you, I'm Mother Teresa.

My top five so far:

1. Jesu - Jesu
2. Strapping Young Lad - Alien
3. Bloodbath - Nightmares made Flesh
4. Cephalic Carnage - Anomalies
5. Leviathan/Xasthur - Split LP

Catch 33, Anomalies, Catch 33, Suspended Animation, Catch 33.

That's five!

Or if we're sticking to heavy/prog/power then Ramayana and Circus Maximus's Chapter One might be good places to start.. Magellan's Symphony for a Misanthrope..

This is too hard.. most heavy/power/prog is chaff.

Just to clear up any errors, i never specified what albums from which genre should be in your top 5, i think is pretty easy to figure out that not everybody in here listens to metal or prog, power etc. That's why i didnt specify, for my case in particular all i listen to is classic rock, hard rock and metal, so that's that. My first intent was probably to expect bands that are discussed on this forum, not necessary other types of genres , but again is different musical tastes, so it is what it is. Ill definitely respect other's opinions even though i won't necessarily agreed with them.

To tell the truth, I don't have any 2005 releases except for Dream Theater's "Octavarium", my best-of list would look like this.

oh lookie lookie the troll is back, what a surprise. He is just waiting in the shadows until the right moment to say something about me, poor pathetic loser.