- Nov 30, 2011
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This thread is popping up everywhere, so I figured I may as well start one here too. List your top ten if you're not as poor as I am. 
Or just a little list like the one I'm going to post. Just a little something to let everyone know what you thought of the albums of 2012. ...And yes, this is partially just a way to gather info for my poor ass to avoid wasting money on a crap album. Partially. It'll be interesting to see everyone's lists.
Alright, I'm lazy and poor, so I've missed out on getting a few albums still (sad, I know) so I'm just going to do this by category with one album for each:
Album of the Year:
A lot of people say this isn't a great album, but is rather just a "standard" Kamelot album. But there isn't really a "standard" Kamelot sound, they change from album to album - though, people are right, Silverthorn is a perfect example of baseline Kamelot. And to me, that was the whole point. They didn't want to pull a Nightwish by going in a completely different direction and allowing Tommy to take the blame for "changing" them. Instead they took a step back from Poetry toward their traditional sound and took bits and pieces from their older albums and put them all together on Silverthron, allowing Tommy to prove he can handle all their styles as well as Roy. It was the perfect move by them, I think. Nearly every song on Silverthorn harkens back to one of their previous albums and previous sounds, and that is what makes it shine. The music is lovely (definitely buy the special edition to get the instrumental CD) and the vocal melodies are superb - Tommy's versatility is really showcased here. It's exactly what I wanted them to do after having Roy leave. They held their position and created the quintessential Kamelot album, thereby proving to the fans that the only thing they lost was Roy himself, and that Kamelot is still going strong. Perfect.
The Good:
...I got mine in January, so I'm counting it for 2012. I'm still sad that Anette is gone, (They'll probably replace her with another screeching Soprano *shudder*) but if she had to go this was the album to leave as her NW legacy. Lovely low notes from her and a vast array of vocal styles and moods. Lovely. Way too many ballads for my taste, but they've grown on me considerably. ...But due to the customarily lame guitar work, (make that lame work from the band in its entirety) it is no match for the likes of Silverthorn. A solid "Good" for NW... Or rather for the London Orchestra, since they did all the non-vocal work... 
It's really starting to get old. I like these guys because the Orchestra is lovely, but the band doesn't to a damned thing and it's starting to be really lame... Poor Emppu is wasted on them. 
If only they could snag a good Contralto and learn how to blend the band with the orchestra instead of tip-toeing around it. ...If Sons of Season's or Seventh Wonder had released something in 2012 this album wouldn't have even been near the list, much less on it.
The Meh:
It's not bad, but it's not Slania. That's about it actually, just, meh. A Rose for Epona is lovely though.
The Ugly:
...Okay, ugly is a strong word, it's technically not a bad album. Xandria has a special place in my heart, and this album is the reason I said what I did about Silverthorn - This is not the Xandria I love. They traded in their unique Indian vibe for the same sound used by so many Symphonic Metal bands. Call of the Wind (Because my Irish roots will not be ignored.), Euphoria (I have no idea why I waste time on Euphoria, the vocal lines just grab me for some reason, there's nothing special about the song otherwise.), and Nomad's Crown (Reminiscent of old Xandria) are the only tracks I bother with. This isn't a bad album in terms of quality, but it was a colossal disappointment for me.
The Unexpected:
I'm not a huge Epica fan, due to Cookie Monster constantly coming in and interrupting poor Simone as she's trying to sing. (I actually saw a review on iTunes that also referred to him as "Cookie Monster" which really brightened my day.) And also due to Simone's voice being quite sharp for my taste. But I really like Requiem. It's a step up from their previous works, and, while not nearly my favorite album of the year, it's a solid piece and I'm happy with it. (Even though the cover art looks like it was ripped right out of the booklet from Kamelot's Poetry for the Poisoned...)
Too Lazy/Poor to Have Yet:
Lacuna Coil tend to fluctuate a lot, I usually love them or hate them, but I'm looking forward to getting this album anyway. It can't be worse than Shallow Life...
EDIT: I just got this album yesterday, and I am very pleased with it.
Most Anticipated 2013 Album:
Seventh Wonder - Their last album is still one of the most listened to on my iPod, and I can't wait to hear what they do next. <- Big surprise right?
Or just a little list like the one I'm going to post. Just a little something to let everyone know what you thought of the albums of 2012. ...And yes, this is partially just a way to gather info for my poor ass to avoid wasting money on a crap album. Partially. It'll be interesting to see everyone's lists. Alright, I'm lazy and poor, so I've missed out on getting a few albums still (sad, I know) so I'm just going to do this by category with one album for each:
Album of the Year:
A lot of people say this isn't a great album, but is rather just a "standard" Kamelot album. But there isn't really a "standard" Kamelot sound, they change from album to album - though, people are right, Silverthorn is a perfect example of baseline Kamelot. And to me, that was the whole point. They didn't want to pull a Nightwish by going in a completely different direction and allowing Tommy to take the blame for "changing" them. Instead they took a step back from Poetry toward their traditional sound and took bits and pieces from their older albums and put them all together on Silverthron, allowing Tommy to prove he can handle all their styles as well as Roy. It was the perfect move by them, I think. Nearly every song on Silverthorn harkens back to one of their previous albums and previous sounds, and that is what makes it shine. The music is lovely (definitely buy the special edition to get the instrumental CD) and the vocal melodies are superb - Tommy's versatility is really showcased here. It's exactly what I wanted them to do after having Roy leave. They held their position and created the quintessential Kamelot album, thereby proving to the fans that the only thing they lost was Roy himself, and that Kamelot is still going strong. Perfect.
The Good:
...I got mine in January, so I'm counting it for 2012.
I'm still sad that Anette is gone, (They'll probably replace her with another screeching Soprano *shudder*) but if she had to go this was the album to leave as her NW legacy. Lovely low notes from her and a vast array of vocal styles and moods. Lovely. Way too many ballads for my taste, but they've grown on me considerably. ...But due to the customarily lame guitar work, (make that lame work from the band in its entirety) it is no match for the likes of Silverthorn. A solid "Good" for NW... Or rather for the London Orchestra, since they did all the non-vocal work... It's really starting to get old. I like these guys because the Orchestra is lovely, but the band doesn't to a damned thing and it's starting to be really lame... Poor Emppu is wasted on them. If only they could snag a good Contralto and learn how to blend the band with the orchestra instead of tip-toeing around it. ...If Sons of Season's or Seventh Wonder had released something in 2012 this album wouldn't have even been near the list, much less on it. The Meh:
It's not bad, but it's not Slania. That's about it actually, just, meh. A Rose for Epona is lovely though.
The Ugly:
...Okay, ugly is a strong word, it's technically not a bad album. Xandria has a special place in my heart, and this album is the reason I said what I did about Silverthorn - This is not the Xandria I love. They traded in their unique Indian vibe for the same sound used by so many Symphonic Metal bands. Call of the Wind (Because my Irish roots will not be ignored.
), Euphoria (I have no idea why I waste time on Euphoria, the vocal lines just grab me for some reason, there's nothing special about the song otherwise.), and Nomad's Crown (Reminiscent of old Xandria) are the only tracks I bother with. This isn't a bad album in terms of quality, but it was a colossal disappointment for me.The Unexpected:
I'm not a huge Epica fan, due to Cookie Monster constantly coming in and interrupting poor Simone as she's trying to sing. (I actually saw a review on iTunes that also referred to him as "Cookie Monster" which really brightened my day.
) And also due to Simone's voice being quite sharp for my taste. But I really like Requiem. It's a step up from their previous works, and, while not nearly my favorite album of the year, it's a solid piece and I'm happy with it. (Even though the cover art looks like it was ripped right out of the booklet from Kamelot's Poetry for the Poisoned...)Too Lazy/Poor to Have Yet:
Lacuna Coil tend to fluctuate a lot, I usually love them or hate them, but I'm looking forward to getting this album anyway. It can't be worse than Shallow Life...
EDIT: I just got this album yesterday, and I am very pleased with it.
Most Anticipated 2013 Album:
Seventh Wonder - Their last album is still one of the most listened to on my iPod, and I can't wait to hear what they do next. <- Big surprise right?
They could do something truly lovely with that song, and I really hope they do.
