Mid-Year Favorites????

[lane_miller]

The year is almost half over. So, what new releases have impressed you so far? Here are my top favorites so far this year in rough order:

Redemption – The Art of Loss (Current contender for album of the year, IMO!)
Headspace – All that You Fear is Gone (Maximum prog - creative and beautifully delivered.)
Proverty's No Crime - Spiral of Fear (Great "comeback" from a band that many of us feared wouldn't ever produce another album.)
Haken – Affinity (For me, Haken was always on the edge of breaking through. With Affinity, they have arrived.)
Circus Maximus – Havoc (I am surprised at the mix of feelings expressed on the forum about Havoc. I love it.)
The New Black – A Monster’s Life (Very basic, straight ahead heavy metal. Good when you want to just rock out.)
Mercury Falling – Introspection (Their last album was good. This release is even better. Very enjoyable power metal.)
Konchordat – Rise to the Order (A band that has been evolving. They now bring their British flavored-prog to a new level.)
Myrath – Legacy (Simply their best release yet!)
Avantasia – Ghostlight (Avantasia always produces high quality music. Ghostlight is no different.)

 

[Mardoch]

Alphabetically my current 2016 favorites are:

Andy Hauck - Autumn Fades
Anima Tempo - Caged in Memories
Erra - Drift
Haken - Affinity
Ihsahn - Arktis
Myrath - Legacy
Polyphia - Renaissance
S.T.E.A.M - Warp
Sunburst - Fragments of Creation
Textures - Phenotype

 

[Diamond45]

Myrath - Legacy (Holy crap! My #1 of 2016 by a long shot!)
Redemption – The Art of Loss
Haken - Affinity
Serenity - Codex Atlanticus
Innerwish - S/T
Avantasia - Ghostlights
Volbeat - Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie
Withem - The Unforgiving Road

EDIT: Adding Fates Warning - Theories of Flight to this list!

I'm sure I'll find a few more, but these are the ones that stand out at the moment.

 

[MelbCro]

Haken - Affinity
Port Noir - Any Way the Wind Carries
Katatonia - Fall of Hearts
Dissona - Paleopneumatic
Ihsahn - Arktis
Dark Suns - Everchild
Steven Wilson - 4 1/2
Cyborg Octopus - Learning to Breathe
Fallujah - Dreamless
Oceans of Slumber - Winter

 

[oldboy]

Galneryus-"Under the Force of Courage"
Rhapsody-"Into the Legend"
Primal Fear-"RuleBreaker"
Eternity's End-"Fire Within"
Serenity-"Codex Atlanticus"
Borkanagr-"Winter Thrice"

 

[Finn Mac Cuhal]

For me so far?

Sinbreed - "Master Creator"
Dream Theater - "The Astonishing"
Cilver - "Not the End of the World"
Katatonia - "The Fall of Hearts"
Helion Prime - "Helion Prime"
Almanac - "Tsar"
Volbeat - "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie"
Haken - "Affinity"
Amon Amarth - "Jomsviking"
Nordic Union - "Nordic Union"

As each album gets more spins, I expect some change even just amongst this sample.

 

[TwizstedJesus]

Withem-The Unforgiving Road

Universal Mind Project-The Jaguar Preist

Tiles-Pretending To Run

Virtual Symmetry-Message From Eternity

Circus Maximus-Havoc

Inner Wish

Mob Rules-Tales From Beyond

Sunburst-Fragments Of Creation

Redemption-The Art Of Loss

Headspace-All That You Fear Is Gone

Avantasia-Ghostlights

Myrath-Legacy

Next up that should almost automatically go on my list

Fates Warning-Theories Of Flight

Lanfear-The Code Inherited

 

[Metal66]

Megadeth
Beyond The Black
Innerwish
Primal Fear
Flotsam & Jetsam
Anthrax
Striker
Metal Church
Thunderstone
Treat
Lacuna Coil
Circus Maximas
I have a lot more that I've bought but have not gotten too. This will have to do for now

 

[VenomGA]

Death Angel
Suicidal Angels
Megadeth

 

[zedowns]

Haken - Affinity
Headspace - All That You Fear Is Gone
Redemption - The Art of Loss
Port Noir - Any Way the Wind Carries
Avantasia - Ghostlights
Frost* - Falling Sattelites
iamthemorning - Lighthouse

 

[TheLongshot]

I'll start a list, but I'll to go back to see if there are albums I missed. There is a lot that I haven't picked up yet.

Haken - Affinity
Lacuna Coil - Delirium
Helion Prime - S/T
Oceans Of Slumber - Winter
Bent Knee - Say So
Danimal Cannon - Lunaria

 

[Justin G]

Avantasia, Borknagar, Nordic Union, Circus Maximus and Volbeat top my list.

 

[engmtlhd]

Haken - Affinity
Circus Maximus - Havoc
Megadeth - Dystopia
Myrath - Legacy
Serenity - Codex Atlanticus
Holy Grail - Times of Pride and Peril
Brainstorm - Scary Creatures

Upcoming....Machine Head, Fates Warning, Between the Buried and Me, Sabaton, Exodus, Overkill, Metallica?

 

[MelbCro]

Upcoming....Machine Head, Fates Warning, Between the Buried and Me, Sabaton, Exodus, Overkill, Metallica?

BTBAM are not releasing an album this year

 

[SF Metal Man]

In order:

Avantasia - Ghostlights
Nordic Union - Nordic Union
Primal Fear - Rulebreaker
Mob Rules - Tales from Beyond
Metal Church - XI
Myrath - Legacy
Dynazty - Titanic Mass
Circus Maximus - Havic
Dream Theater - The Astonishing

 

[hoodaman]

Haken - Affinity
Textures - Phenotype

nothing else I've listened to this year comes even remotely close to being in the same league as these two. Although I am looking forward to the new Devin Townsend Project and Disperse.

 

[FC Metal Recordings]

JADED HEART - Guilty by Design
MYRATH - Legacy
BRAINSTORM - Scary Creatures
MANIMAL - Trapped In The Shadows
EVAN - Blue Lightning
HANGAR - Stronger Than Ever

 

[PureXul]

#1 by a wide margin:
UADA - "Devoid of Light"

#2 - 10 in alphabetical order:
Borknagar - "Winter Thrice"
Chthe'ilist - "Le Dernier Crepuscle"
Dynazty - "Titanic Mass"
Moonsorrow - "Jumalten Aika"
Myrath - "Legacy"
Nadra - "Allir vegir til glotunar"
Omnium Gatherum - "Grey Heavens"
Redemption - "The Art of Loss"
Vektor - "Terminal Redux"

 

[labrekk]

My top 5 so far would be:

INNERWISH-s/t
Killer melodic heavy/power stuff. Really crunchy and catchy. New singer just rules in a Jorn/Dio style.


TREAT-Ghost Of Graceland
Their older stuff was mostly too mellow if I recall well. But their album from 2010, Coup de Grace was just killer and this new one is as good if not better. Killer melodic hard rock, quite light and happy (especially in the choruses), very "commercial", but with still enough crunch in the guitars to keep me interested. These guys know how to write a hook.


DYNAZTY-Titanic Mass
Just great catchy melodic power metal stuff, loaded with great melodies, great musicianship and songwriting, and killer vocals.


SUNSTORM-Edge Of Tomorrow
Joe Lynn Turner still delivers a great hard rock album, with a few songs even quite heavy and almost metal. Lots of catchy stuff to be found and Turner's vocals are still excellent at age 64.


PRIMAL FEAR-Rulebreaker
I really like the direction PF took since 2005's Seven Seals. Moving away quite a bit from the Priest-like stuff (even though the influence will always be there) and going for a more melodic metal direction, while retaining the power metal stuff too. A complete album for me from an almost all-star band, with the always excellent Ralf Scheepers on vox, which controls his voice more, making the high screams more effective.


Up next in the faves would be:
NORDIC UNION-s/t
LORDS OF BLACK-II
MYRATH-Legacy
THUNDERSTONE-Apocalypse Again
HUMAN FORTRESS-Thieves Of The Night

 

[labrekk]

JADED HEART - Guilty by Design

Nice to see some love for Jaded Heart, which are sadly underrated. That being said, while I like the new album quite a bit, I think it's not as strong as the couple previous ones were.