2012 - What are your favorites so far?

[Prog_Please]

I think the standouts for me so far are:

1. Soen - "Cognitive"
2. Office of Strategic Influence - "Fire Make Thunder"
3. Swallow the Sun - "Emerald Forest and the Blackbird"

 

[jem777az]

Here are releases that I have thoroughly enjoyed so far this year:

Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline
Lamb Of God - Resolution
Primal Fear - Unbreakable
Mystic Prophecy - Ravenlord
Epica - Requiem For The Indifferent
Soulfly - Enslaved
Meshuggah - Koloss
Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth
Swallow The Sun - Emerald Forest And The Blackbird

 

[Palabra de Dios]

Lunar Aurora - Hoagascht

My buddy Jeremy raves about this band. I need to check 'em out.

 

[zekeyou]

Yep, Woods 5 is such an excellent swansong.

Also enjoying Pallbearer, Alcest, Overkill, the live Maiden album, and Goatwhore. Need to pick up the new Drudkh...

 

[General Zod]

My buddy Jeremy raves about this band. I need to check 'em out.

They have a very cool sound. Definitely worth looking into.

 

[dcowboys311]

So far:
Burzum
Aptorian Demon
Ignivomous
Revenge
Mgla

 

[General Zod]

So far:
Burzum
Aptorian Demon
Ignivomous
Revenge
Mgla

Not digging the new MGLA. I loved Mdłości and Further Down the Nest, but the last two haven't done much for me.

 

[dtguitarfan]

Suspyre
Beyond the Bridge
Epica

 

[labrekk]

the new Angel Witch, Freedom Call, Mad Max and a few others so far.

I like some songs from the new Angel Witch, but some others leave me cold.

But the new Mad Max is a damn fine hard rock album. I'm glad that they came back to their more hard rocking style as some of the recent stuff was quite mellow.

 

[dcowboys311]

Not digging the new MGLA. I loved Mdłości and Further Down the Nest, but the last two haven't done much for me.

Heh, I'm the exact opposite. I think that Mdłości and Further are both good, but I never find myself going for them. The full lengths though are pretty interesting though, especially lyrically.

Really need to check out the new Lunar Aurora. I didn't know it was released until you mentioned it.

Overall the year's been pretty weak so far. A few really great albums, but not a whole lot of note. It's gonna be VERY hard to top 2011, which produced 3 records that I see being included in my all-time favorites (can't say just yet since it's still been under a year since release!)

 

[labrekk]

The ones I like the most so far in 2012 are:

SUNSTORM-emotional fire (excellent hard rock/AOR, Joe Lynn Turner still got the pipes at 60)
DEVIL'S TRAIN-s/t (excellent southern-tinged melodic metal with the Mystic Prophecy singer and Jorg Michael on drums)
PRIMAL FEAR-unbreakable (just another excellent traditional heavy/power disc for them)
DYNAZTY-sultans of sins (excellent hard rock/melodic metal)
ACCEPT-stalingrad (not as great as BotN for me, but very good stuff anyway)
AXEL RUDI PELL-circle of the oath (more of the same, but still quality stuff with the killer vox of Johnny Gioeli)
LEGION-nemesis (damn fine traditional HM. These guys are productive, 3 albums in 2 years or so)
KISSIN' DYNAMITE-money, sex & power (they brought black the glam look, but their music is heavy enough hard rocking stuff with lots of hooks)
ASTRAL DOORS-jerusalem (another very solid disc of traditional HM)

My faves of the bunch would be DEVIL'S TRAIN and PRIMAL FEAR.

Others I've been enjoying are:

MAD MAX-another night of passion (fully good hard rocking stuff with no ballads this time)
SHINEDOWN-amaryllis (not as great as Sound Of Madness, but still some very good songs to be found here)
A SOUND OF THUNDER-out of darkness (didn't know them. Very solid melodic metal, with excellent female vocals. This is coming from a guy who is not a major fan of female vox in my metal)
GUN BARREL-brace for impact (one more good power rock'n'roll melodic metal from the Germans, with a new singer that fits the band well)
MOLLO/MARTIN-the third cage (some killer songs, some lesser ones as well though. Martin still in fine vocal form)
ADRENALINE MOB-omerta (well, there is some weak, un-melodic stuff to be found, but I find myself really enjoying at least 4 or 5 songs)

 

[AngraRULES]

This has been a solid beginning of the year in my opinion:

Epica - Requiem for the Indifferent
Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline
Alcest - Les Voyages de l'Ame
Anathema - Weather Systems
Suspyre - The Cycle

I also must say that some of the "to be released" stuff I've heard so far have a solid shot at my top of the year list.

EDIT: Listening to the new Lamb of God disc for the first time and this sounds real good so far!!

 

[mattbrood]

So far for me Beyond the Bridge hasn't budged from the top spot. Also:
Anathema - Weather Systems
Epica - RFTI
Dimension Act - Manifestation of Progress
Savage Messiah- Plague of Conscience
Opera Diabolicus - 1614

 

[AeonicSlumber]

I'm going to pretend that Angel Witch never put out a new record. New one lacks the "fun" of their debut and is way too serious and boring.

Otherwise my faves from this year so far are:

Napalm Death
Pale Divine
Christian Mistress
Stick To Your Guns
Frankie Rose
Borknagar
Meshuggah
Blessed By a Broken Heart
Suspyre
Beyond Terror Beyond Grace
Dodecahedron
Les Discrets
Liberteer
Alcest
Every Time I Die
Xerxes
Leonard Cohen

 

[Metal66]

IMMENT SONIC DESTRUCTION
EPICA
XANDRIA
UNISONIC
VAN HALEN
IRON SAVIOR
LACUNA COIL
DRAGONLAND
NIGHTWISH
RAGE
Have to listen to the Accept, Lord Of Mushrooms, and Pharoh yet but I'm sure they will be awesome

 

[dcowboys311]

I just heard a track from the new Dawnbringer record. If it's any indication of the rest of the album, 2012's best is already crowned.

 

[Corsair]

Two favorite so far.

 

[DFD260]

I like all kinds of metal & rock:

Van Halen-A Different Kind Of Truth
Corrosion Of Conformity-s/t
Motorhead-World Is Ours
Iron Maiden-En Vivo
Overkill-Electric Age
Lacuna Coil-Dark Adrenaline
Lamb Of God-Resolution
Primal Fear-Unbreakable
Iron Savior-The Landing
Shinedown-Amyrillis
Quiet Riot-US Festival cd/dvd
3 Inches Of Blood-Long Live Heavy Metal
Blessed By a Broken Heart-Feel The Power

Looking forward to Accept, High On Fire, Demon Hunter, Covered Scars, Piranah, Noisecult, Tenacious D, Hellyeah

 

[kingdomgone86]

I dunno how you people listen to so much new music. I've only really heard two new albums that I really liked so far this year and that's Accept and Freedom call. Maybe I'm just really picky.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

Am I missing something because I feel like I'm the only person who thought this record stunk? You'd think that with the Animosity lineup they'd be less southern rock and more punk, but it just sounds like an 8th rate Mastodon clone band that Relapse passed on or something. =/