An alphabetical list of albums I like so far this year. Not saying they are all world beaters but it's been a good year so far so I'm happy. Out of this lot the ones in bold are the ones I like most.
Ágona - Homo Grotescus
Æther Realm - One Chosen by the Gods
Amaranthe - The Nexus
Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods
Animator - Blacklisted
Arkhe - Spirals of Life
Arrayan Path - IV Stigmata
Athelstan - The Ride
Avantasia - The Mystery of Time
Bai Bang - All Around the World
Battle Beast - st
Blood Red Throne - st
Burden of Life - The Vanity Syndrome
Cardiant - Verge
Children of Bodom - Halo of Blood
Circle of Silence - The Rise of Resistance
Corpus Mortale - FleshCraft
Crisix - Rise...then Rest
Damned Creed - Choose a Side
Dark Moor - Ars Musica
Dead End Space - Distortion of Senses
Deeds of Flesh - Portals to Canaan
Degreed - We Won't Belong
Dendera - The Killing Floor
Derdian - Limbo
DGM - Momentum
Diamond Dawn - Overdrive
Divinity Compromised - A World Torn
Domination - The Sacred Matrix
Dreamtale - World Changed Forever
Eclipse Prophecy - Days Of Judgement
Edenbridge - The Bonding
Edge - Heaven Knows
Endovein - S.I.N
Enforcer - Death By Fire
Entrails - Raging Death
Envinya - Inner Silence
Essence - Last Night of Solace
Evile - Skull
Exarsis - The Brutal State
Gama Bomb - The Terror Tapes
Giant X - I
Giuntini Project - IV
Gloryhammer - Tales From the Kingdom of Fife
Harasai - Psychotic Kingdom
Hatchet - Dawn of the End
Hateform - Sanctuary in Abyss
Hatriot - Heroes Of Origin
Havok - Unnatural Selection
Heavatar - Opus I - All My Kingdom
Heaven's Basement - Filthy Empire
Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell
Hemotoxin - Between Forever...and the End
Illuminati - The Core
Incarnator - Caeca Superstitio
Jorn - Symphonic
Jungle Rot - Terror Regime
Kalmah - Seventh Swamphony
Lancer - st
Laneslide - Flying High
Lecherous Nocturne - Behold Almighty Doctrine
Leech - Cyanide Christ
Lost Society - Fast Loud Death
Magnus Karlsson - Free Fall
Mean Streak - Trial By Fire
Megadeth - Super Collider
MindMaze - Mask Of Lie
Murder Made God - Irreverence
Nautiluz - Leaving All Behind
Necrotic Effect - Black Box
Neuronspoiler - Emergence
New Device - Here We Stand
Oblivion - Called To Rise
Orphaned Land - All Is One
Orpheus Omega - Resillusion
Panikk - Unbearable Conditions
Paris - Only One Life
Sabiendas - Restored to Life
Saints 'N' Sinners - st
Sanitarius - Eternal
Serenity - War of Ages
Shadows Past - Perfect Chapter
Sinister Realm - World Of Evil
Six Feet Under - Unborn
Smash Into Pieces - Unbreakable
Snowfall - Cold Silence
Soilwork - The Living Infinite
Solaris - Shadow Walk WIth Me
Sorcery - Arrival At Six
StoneLake - Monolith
Stratovarius - Nemesis
Subliminal Crusher - Newmanity
Suffocation - Pinnacle of Bedlam
Tainted Nation - F E A R
Takayoshi Ohmura - Devils In The Dark
The Black Dahlia Murder - Everblack
The Greatness Design - Pillars of Creation
The Poodles - Tour de Force
The Prowlers - Point of No Return
Titanium - st
Ultra-Violence - Privilege to Overcome
Vandroya - One
Vega - What the Hell
Vhäldemar - Shadows of Combat
Volbeat - Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies
Voodoo Circle - More Than One Way Home
Walking with Giants - st
W.E.T - Rise Up
White Wizzard - The Devils Cut
Wolfchant - Embraced by Fire
Slight disappointments:
Civil War - The Killer Angels
Jorn - Traveller
Masterplan - Nova Initium
Timo Tolkki's Avalon - The Land of New Hope
Arsis - Unwelcome
Cathedral - The Last Spire
Ágona - Homo Grotescus
Æther Realm - One Chosen by the Gods
Amaranthe - The Nexus
Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods
Animator - Blacklisted
Arkhe - Spirals of Life
Arrayan Path - IV Stigmata
Athelstan - The Ride
Avantasia - The Mystery of Time
Bai Bang - All Around the World
Battle Beast - st
Blood Red Throne - st
Burden of Life - The Vanity Syndrome
Cardiant - Verge
Children of Bodom - Halo of Blood
Circle of Silence - The Rise of Resistance
Corpus Mortale - FleshCraft
Crisix - Rise...then Rest
Damned Creed - Choose a Side
Dark Moor - Ars Musica
Dead End Space - Distortion of Senses
Deeds of Flesh - Portals to Canaan
Degreed - We Won't Belong
Dendera - The Killing Floor
Derdian - Limbo
DGM - Momentum
Diamond Dawn - Overdrive
Divinity Compromised - A World Torn
Domination - The Sacred Matrix
Dreamtale - World Changed Forever
Eclipse Prophecy - Days Of Judgement
Edenbridge - The Bonding
Edge - Heaven Knows
Endovein - S.I.N
Enforcer - Death By Fire
Entrails - Raging Death
Envinya - Inner Silence
Essence - Last Night of Solace
Evile - Skull
Exarsis - The Brutal State
Gama Bomb - The Terror Tapes
Giant X - I
Giuntini Project - IV
Gloryhammer - Tales From the Kingdom of Fife
Harasai - Psychotic Kingdom
Hatchet - Dawn of the End
Hateform - Sanctuary in Abyss
Hatriot - Heroes Of Origin
Havok - Unnatural Selection
Heavatar - Opus I - All My Kingdom
Heaven's Basement - Filthy Empire
Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell
Hemotoxin - Between Forever...and the End
Illuminati - The Core
Incarnator - Caeca Superstitio
Jorn - Symphonic
Jungle Rot - Terror Regime
Kalmah - Seventh Swamphony
Lancer - st
Laneslide - Flying High
Lecherous Nocturne - Behold Almighty Doctrine
Leech - Cyanide Christ
Lost Society - Fast Loud Death
Magnus Karlsson - Free Fall
Mean Streak - Trial By Fire
Megadeth - Super Collider
MindMaze - Mask Of Lie
Murder Made God - Irreverence
Nautiluz - Leaving All Behind
Necrotic Effect - Black Box
Neuronspoiler - Emergence
New Device - Here We Stand
Oblivion - Called To Rise
Orphaned Land - All Is One
Orpheus Omega - Resillusion
Panikk - Unbearable Conditions
Paris - Only One Life
Sabiendas - Restored to Life
Saints 'N' Sinners - st
Sanitarius - Eternal
Serenity - War of Ages
Shadows Past - Perfect Chapter
Sinister Realm - World Of Evil
Six Feet Under - Unborn
Smash Into Pieces - Unbreakable
Snowfall - Cold Silence
Soilwork - The Living Infinite
Solaris - Shadow Walk WIth Me
Sorcery - Arrival At Six
StoneLake - Monolith
Stratovarius - Nemesis
Subliminal Crusher - Newmanity
Suffocation - Pinnacle of Bedlam
Tainted Nation - F E A R
Takayoshi Ohmura - Devils In The Dark
The Black Dahlia Murder - Everblack
The Greatness Design - Pillars of Creation
The Poodles - Tour de Force
The Prowlers - Point of No Return
Titanium - st
Ultra-Violence - Privilege to Overcome
Vandroya - One
Vega - What the Hell
Vhäldemar - Shadows of Combat
Volbeat - Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies
Voodoo Circle - More Than One Way Home
Walking with Giants - st
W.E.T - Rise Up
White Wizzard - The Devils Cut
Wolfchant - Embraced by Fire
Slight disappointments:
Civil War - The Killer Angels
Jorn - Traveller
Masterplan - Nova Initium
Timo Tolkki's Avalon - The Land of New Hope
Arsis - Unwelcome
Cathedral - The Last Spire