Albums of the Year: 2006

[~Derek~]

^Cool list as well, but didn't Carpathian Forest's album have mixed reviews? I haven't heard that one yet though.

 

[cookiecutter]

I heard it. It was OK but I was surprised to see it at the top of such a good list.

 

[staffino]

Real nice list. I'll be checking out some of those releases. staffino

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

1. Iron Maiden: A Matter of Life And Death

How predictable! Well. When your the best at what you do you are generally considered to be numero uno. Now, I wasn't too thrilled when Maiden played the whole record at the Montreal show. But they were on fire from Breeg to The Legacy. AMOLAD is also a album that led to cravings to hear it again and again. Some days, I played it 4-5 times at work. Now there are folk who'll moan that there aren't any fast Trooper style songs. I like the mid-paced prog stylings and hope the next opus continues along that path.

2. Robert Plant: Nine Lives (Box Set). The music is timeless. Big Log, Anniversary, Sixes and Sevens, Why, Moonlight in Samosa, Like I've Never Been Gone and so much more. These songs are on par with anything Zep put out and now have been properly mastered.

3. Jon Oliva's Pain: Maniacal Renderings. The REAL 'Tage. Enough said.

4. Falconer: Northwind. A pleasure from start to finish. Catchy straightforward songs like Perjury & Sanctity just make my day.

5. Spock's Beard: S/T. My first studio Beard that did not arrive in South Korea. This is the best of the post Neal era. On A Perfect Day is played almost daily on my iPod.

6. Dream Theater: Score. 3 discs of music that never get old to these ears.

7. Pharaoh: The Longest Night. When I first heard this cd, it felt like I was hearing Maiden for the first time. The same pleasure.

8. Heavenly: Virus. When The Rain Begins To Fall might just be the slickest, catchiest and all around satisfying power metal track in ten years.

9. Voivod: Katorz. Piggy Lives. Voivod is not for everyone. You either get it or you don't. I've "gotten it" for close on 20 years.

10. Kamelot: On A Cold Winter's Night. A Live record on par with Unleashed In The East and Live After Death. Center of the Universe has this extra oomph I thought would never be possible.

11. Dionyssus: Fairytales and Reality
12. Giuntini Project III
13. Angra: Aurora Consurgens
14. Agalloch: Ashes Against the Grain
15. Wetton*Downes: Rubicon
16. Vicious Rumors: Warball
17. Amorphis: Eclipse
18. I: Between Two Worlds
19. Fight: K5 - War of Words Demos
20. Blind Guardian: A Twist In The Myth
_________________

 

[hibernal_dream]

The best was saved for last. I'd tie Lord Wind's latest with Summoning for top album. Great stuff.

 

[VittraEternity]

Interesting stat:

I did a search at metal-archives and looking at only full-length albums released in 2006, there are 3315 listed of all genres and bands. I've downloaded about 387 full-length albums (give or take 10 that may not be on MA). 377 of 3315 is about 11.4%.

In other words I've downloaded 11% of all full-length metal albums this year, according to MA.

Also worth noting: The amount I've downloaded isn't as high since I haven't downloaded anything like power, -core, traditional heavy metal, or much in the way of thrash...don't care for those genres much.

 

[hibernal_dream]

Did you listen to all of them? I don't think I could listen to one new album per day - it would be a heavy task

 

[VittraEternity]

Did you listen to all of them? I don't think I could listen to one new album per day - it would be a heavy task

I've listened to a large majority of them, but all of them I've at least checked out. There's many excellent releases, but also some of average value which I don't spend that much time with. I listen to a lot of music each day, not just casually - I tend to want to have music everywhere I go. And though it may be on average about an album per day - really I may download 5 albums in one day, and listen to them all that day, and there may be a few days where I haven't downloaded any and have time to listen to the ones I've already got. Lately, I've really only been listening to 2006 releases - I actually would have more had my computer not have been down about 2-3 months earlier last spring.

 

[Nico]

$10 says VittraEternity has been into black metal for 18 months.

 

[VittraEternity]

$10 says VittraEternity has been into black metal for 18 months.

No...5 years

 

[Nico]

Do you own any physical CD's?

 

[VittraEternity]

Do you own any physical CD's?

I only own about 85 cds. But over 100GB of music on my comp. I'd buy more albums but sadly I've never gotten around to online purchasing, and buying cds through shops isn't great because of prices, selection, problems with obtaining them and waiting, and especially for new releases.

 

[biggsy]

Well... get around to buying online??? 100Gb, only 85 CDs is pathetic.

 

[byrne]

I only own about 85 cds. But over 100GB of music on my comp. I'd buy more albums but sadly I've never gotten around to online purchasing, and buying cds through shops isn't great because of prices, selection, problems with obtaining them and waiting, and especially for new releases.

i realised i questioned this earlier in the thread, and im not trying to pick on you or anything of the like, but wouldnt you be better off listening to the 387 best releases between 1981 and 2006, than 387 best releases in '06?

why anyone would concentrate so intently on '06 is beyond me.

 

[VittraEternity]

i realised i questioned this earlier in the thread, and im not trying to pick on you or anything of the like, but wouldnt you be better off listening to the 387 best releases between 1981 and 2006, than 387 best releases in '06?

why anyone would concentrate so intently on '06 is beyond me.

I probably couldn’t give an real reason for this...I’ve only been downloading significant amounts within the past two years. I just remember back in ‘05 having downloaded a bunch of albums and reflecting on how great of a year it was. I’ve been into extreme metal for a few years but that was the first year that I really had given much attention to the overall current state of metal but also it was helpful expanding my horizons - quite a few bands that I had never heard of released some excellent albums, and so personally I gained a lot from it. So this past year I decided to do the same, as long as I found the albums to be of interest. I admit it’s a bit ridiculous to focus on a particular year, though had I not done this I wouldn’t have discovered many of the albums that I appreciate - and that is the main reason for me downloading in the first place. I still check out releases of past years for sure as it serves the same purpose, just my focus/interest has shifted a bit to newer releases, for whatever reason.

 

[entanglement]

Encyclopaedia Metallum - Gorod - Leading Vision

 

[cookiecutter]

I only own about 85 cds. But over 100GB of music on my comp. I'd buy more albums but sadly I've never gotten around to online purchasing, and buying cds through shops isn't great because of prices, selection, problems with obtaining them and waiting, and especially for new releases.

I suggest getting paypal. It's an easy and secure way to buy CDs.

 

[Forever_dead]

Some of my favorite albums of 2006 are:
Blackstone "Spiritual Waste"
Gory Blister "Skymorphosis"
Apocalyptic Visions "Doomsday Device"
Necrophobic "Hrimthursum"
Koldborn "The Uncanny Valley"
Horned Almighty "The Devil's Music"

 

[Satanstoenail]

I'd buy more albums but sadly I've never gotten around to online purchasing

Nice work with the excuse there, that's up there in the realms of "Yeah I was gunna, but I can't be assed mate".