Best Metal Releases of 2012

[tuonelan]

No particular order:

Swallow the Sun - Emerald Forest & the Blackbird
Barren Earth - The Devil's Resolve
Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage
Enslaved - Riitiir
Katatonia - Dead End Kings
Daylight Dies - A Frail Becoming
Paradise Lost - Tragic Idol

...what have you got?

 

[Eurynome]

Pretty much the same - first Barren Earth, second Enslaved, then in no particular order Swallow The Sun, Borknagar, Paradise Lost, Ihsahn and now I'm pretty sure I forgot something but these are the most important.

 

[Karhu]

Now I know what I want for x-mas :Spin:

 

[EddieGunner]

Katatonia is good, but im not much informed about what is out this year, i know korpiklaani released album but didn't hear it yet maybe some other bands dunnno must check first then decide so far Katatonia is top album of 2012

 

[Tiiti]

First of all was Wintersun - Time I. After so many years of waiting.


Barren Earth - Devil´s resolve / Ensiferum - Unsunf heroes

 

[xptrinity]

Barren Earth, Paradise Lost and Stone Sour (more hard rock than metal, but great nevertheless)

 

[koivusaari]

The Devil - self-titled debut album (definitely album of the year IMO)
Barren Earth - The Devil's Resolve
A Forest Of Stars - A Shadowplay for Yesterdays
Ereb Altor - Gastrike
HEL - Das Atmen der Erde
Skalmöld - Börn Loka

 

[koivusaari]

The Devil - self-titled debut album (definitely album of the year IMO)
Barren Earth - The Devil's Resolve
A Forest Of Stars - A Shadowplay for Yesterdays
Ereb Altor - Gastrike
HEL - Das Atmen der Erde
Skalmöld - Börn Loka

Shit, I forgot Moonspell - Alpha Noir

 

[edguardian]

Delain - We Are The Others
Ov Hell - The Underworld Regime
My Dying Bride - A Map Of All Our Failures

 

[tuonelan]

Just ran across The Weight of Oceans by In Mourning. Haven't heard anything but the previews so far, but it sounds like a monster of an album. iTunes gift card, here I come.

 

[Thimon]

Just ran across The Weight of Oceans by In Mourning. Haven't heard anything but the previews so far, but it sounds like a monster of an album. iTunes gift card, here I come.

If you do not know other Stuff by In Mourning yet I would recommend their album Monolith (2010) to you. Way better than TWOO in my opinion

 

[tuonelan]

If you do not know other Stuff by In Mourning yet I would recommend their album Monolith (2010) to you. Way better than TWOO in my opinion

I'd heard a little from them but hadn't yet decided to pick up any of their releases. Just got TWOO yesterday and am listening to it today. If I like it then the rest of their releases are sure to follow in the next few weeks.

 

[Eurynome]

If you do not know other Stuff by In Mourning yet I would recommend their album Monolith (2010)

Thanks! Checking it out on youtube as I write (currently listening to The Smoke - nice title...

) and like it very much so far.

 

[papajohnny]

Most of the albums have been listed, so I won't mention them.

Agalloch - Faustian Echoes wins it for me. Yes, it is an EP, but it's absolutely brilliant. Definitely a metal release of year for me.

I guess I should mention a few others:

Stoned Jesus - Seven Thunders Roar
Alcest - BBC Live Session
Moonless - Calling All Demons
Dordeduh - Dar de Duh

Maybe not 'best', but certainly worth the listen. Some other stuff too, I'm sure, but they don't come to my mind at the moment. Will edit if/when I remember.

 

[Luoto]

I'd heard a little from them but hadn't yet decided to pick up any of their releases. Just got TWOO yesterday and am listening to it today. If I like it then the rest of their releases are sure to follow in the next few weeks.

TWOO is actually the disappointment of the year for me, Colossus is the only really good track on it. The previous two are more varied in terms of riffs and tempos.

 

[xptrinity]

Two of 10. Not bad

http://www.bravewords.com/news/196448

Strange, though, Mark doesn't anticipate the new Amorphis

 

[Thimon]

TWOO is actually the disappointment of the year for me, Colossus is the only really good track on it. The previous two are more varied in terms of riffs and tempos.

I got to the same Opinion. After the simply amazing Monolith-Album I had such high hopes and anticipation for TWOO that I was pretty dissapointed too.
Colossus is by far the best track and the only one reaching the level of Monolith.

Take "The Drowning Sun" for example. A beautiful Intro followed by pretty typical verse and bridge turning into an amazing chorus...and then the magic stops and song turns into something different that is NOT bad...But that could have been SOOOO much more.
How can you write such a chorus and do not repeat it?!

Edit: If I had listened to TWOO before I heard of Monolith I guess I would like the album very much. But after already knowing what these guys are really capable of it's just dissapointing.

 

[Eurynome]

Strange, though, Mark doesn't anticipate the new Amorphis

Not like him at all. Seems like he's on a bit of a power/classic metal trip at the moment. Hope it's curable.

 

[Luoto]

My full 2012 metal list is right here. I've also written a review of the Oddland album over there.

 

[tuonelan]

TWOO is actually the disappointment of the year for me, Colossus is the only really good track on it. The previous two are more varied in terms of riffs and tempos.

Hmm...once I pick up the rest of the catalog I'll be better positioned to comment on this, but without any previous CDs to compare to I really like it and think it nicely varied, but with enough consistency to sound organic and unified. We'll see what I think in a while after listening to the rest as well.

Sometimes expectations can be their own curse.