Mid-Year Favorites????

Palabra de Dios and PureXul, this needs to be on your respective lists:



Abbath's ex-guitar player who left to focus on his own project. Better than the new Abbath (which is pretty solid).
 
I'd like to add the following to my list:
Helion Prime - S/T. Can't get enough of this sci fi power metal recently
Eternity's End - The Fire Within. I guess these guys are veterans from other bands.
Blackbriar. I don't think these guys have an album out yet but I love the singers voice. Alt metal band from Netherlands.
 
Palabra de Dios and PureXul, this needs to be on your respective lists:



Abbath's ex-guitar player who left to focus on his own project. Better than the new Abbath (which is pretty solid).


Not my personal cup of tea, but how can you not headbang to that instantly. Rips is right!
 
So glad to see the love for Innerwish and Lords of the Black here. Only a few on my list that I don't think have been mentioned:

Now or Never - II (as good as Lords of the Black)
Almanac - Tsar
Southern Empire - s/t (more prog than metal)
Hell in the Club - Shadow of the Monster (If you like Dynazty, you'll probably like this)
Ocean's of Time - Trust (Lande and Rue are guest vocalists on the closing suite)
Mystic Prophecy - War Brigade
Nemesea - Uprise

Disappointments:
The Astonishing
All That You Fear is Gone
Art of Loss
Havoc

AOTY candidates:
Ghostlights
Theories of Flight
Fragments of Creation
II (both Lords of Black and Now or Never)
Voice of Reason

Highly Anticipating:
DGM - The Passage
Evergrey - The Storm Within
Until Rain - Inure
Anthriel - TBA
Nightmare - TBA
Starbreaker - TBA (is Magnus still doing this?)
Lost in Thought - TBA