I saw finntroll in january, and it was one of the greatest shows I had ever been too, a small theater PACKED with vikings and hot goth chicks alike shaking fists in synchronicity. I could have been in norway, celebrating a successful raid. Also didn't hurt that my band got to play just before them for some weird lucky reason!
Also I saw WASP and, you'd expect the band to sound tired and washed up, but it was actually a very solid show, with all the energy you would expect if you saw them 20 years ago, a really tight band and played all the great songs.
ALso opeth/devin townsend/dark tranquillity... I don't even need to say more
the best albums i've heard released this year would be the new into eternity and rhapsody of fire cds. the into eternity just pwnds me, with so much to offer a fan of any style of metal, and the rhapsody is a nice mellower breath of fresh air. Also the latest dragonforce release "inhuman rampage" is pretty much the most shred pwnage album i've heard since their last one. I can't think of any other shredder bands with better compositional skills and sense of melody