Top 25
Nevermore "The Godless Endeavor" (Dark Power/ Progressive/Thrash Metal) - in a word, brilliant. This is one of those rare discs where every song on the disc has (at one point or another) been my favorite. Dane hasn't sounded this energized since "Dreaming". Smyth's addition has clearly fueled Loomis creative fire. And in doing so, the two have instantly become the most ferocious duo in Metal.
Redemption "The Fullness of Time" (Progressive/Power Metal) talk about a shock. To say I was under whelmed with the debut would be an understatement. Well, apparently Nick has been shooting musical steroids, because this CD is a fucking beast. Everything is better; the melodies, the musicianship, and by leaps and bounds, the lyrics. On the debut, the lyrics were of no consequence. However, "The Fullness of Time" is introspective and intense. If the opening of Parkers Eyes doesnt send a chill down your spine, check your pulse. Ray Alder hasnt sounded this good in years.
Primordial The Gathering Wilderness (Pagan/Folk/Black Metal) - I wrote an entire review for this CD (http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=188468), so Ill be brief. Intense, immense, beautiful, passionate, powerful, original, amazing. Dont be scared off my the genre classification. The vocals are mostly clean, and completely amazing. I encourage anyone open-minded to give this a listen.
Circus Maximus The 1st Chapter (Progressive Metal) this disc just didnt click for me. Then I had the chance to see Circus Maximus perform all but the title track live. Wow. I dont recall ever being caught that off guard by a performance. Michael Eriksens vocals are simply flawless. These kids have a real bright future in front of them.
Novembers Doom The Pale Haunt Departure (Opethian Death) prior to this release, I had never heard a Novembers Doom song. Consequently, the amazing quality of this CD caught me by surprise. Pauls Death style vocals may be better than even Akerfeldts. The lyrics are top notch, and the music and the production are equally stellar.
Riverside Second Life Syndrome (Post Rock/Neo Prog) - this sophomore effort picks up where the debut left off. However, theres a growing sense of maturity within the songwriting. Its hard to speak of Riverside and not mention Piotr Grudzinski. His guitar play on this disc is astounding.
Kamelot The Black Halo (Power Metal) this CD left me flat, then didnt leave my player for two months, and now has begun to collect dust in my CD rack. However, it represents a return in quality, after the horribly dull Epica. This is Kamelot, so you know what youre getting; melodic Power Metal, with Khans awesome voice.
Dead Soul Tribe The Dead Word (Progressive Rock/Metal) this band intrigued me with their debut, but quickly bored me as their second and third releases seemed stagnant. However, things have really fallen into place on their latest. While the Toolisms remain, DST does the one thing that the current Tool doesnt; write great songs, free from meandering, over-bloated self-indulgence. To my Beloved and A Fistful of Bended Nails are themselves worth the price of the CD.
Trivium Ascendancy (Melodic Death) dude, theyre NuMetal. Theyre Mallcore. Just look at them. Its ironic that a band whose roots lie closer to Maiden, than 99% of whats more readily tagged Metal, could ever be mistaken for anything other than a Metal band. But such is Triviums fate. Genre classifications aside, this disc kicks ass from beginning to end. Twin guitar leads throughout, stellar drumming, and Matts superb clean and Death vocals get me to crank the volume every time I fire this up.
Grand Magnus Wolf's Return (Power/Traditional Metal) pure, old fashioned, classic Heavy Metal. Huge, killer riffs and soaring vocals. This disc is one fun listen.
Moonsorrow Verisäkeet (Pagan/Death/Black) this disc would have been much higher on my list if the whole CD was of the same quality as Haaska (Track 2) and Pimea (Track 3). However, since those two tracks account for 28 minutes and 50 seconds worth of sensational music, its certainly a very worthwhile purchase.
Corrosion of Conformity In the Arms of God (Stoner/Hard Rock) 2005 was the year I discovered CoC. Awesome, well played, edgy Hard Rock, with a Stoner/Southern tinge. Excellent vocals and a very cool vibe throughout.
Soilwork Stabbing the Drama (Melodic Death) aside from In Flames, Soilwork is probably the most criticized band in Metal. However, where In Flames arent built to deliver a more melodic brand of Metal (Anders has the worst clean vocals on the planet), Soilwork are perfectly constructed to do so. This is the perfect disc for rolling down your windows on a late-May day, and cranking the stereo.
Sieges Even The Art of Navigating by the Stars (Progressive Rock) another band I had heard of, but had never heard. I dont often like Prog Rock. It usually lacks the intensity I want from my music. However, these guys manage to hold my interest by staying song focused, and delivering a well executed, consistent and original sound.
Old Man's Child Vermin (Black/Power Metal) recent years have seen the popularity of bands like Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth soar, as they blend Black Metal sensibilities with a Power Metal approach. However, both bands are inconsistent in terms of song quality. And where Dimmu and CoF have failed, Old Mans Child have succeeded. Vermin is a solid, consistent CD, that delivers a dark vibe with a ton of head banging goodness.
Frameshift An Absence of Empathy (Prog Rock/Metal) this disc is really more about Sebastian Bachs fantastic voice, than anything else. I forgot just how unique, how passionate and how intense his voice can be. Its awesome to hear him sing this style of music.
Disturbed 10,000 Fists another band that isnt really Metal. Yeah whatever. Again, Im not sure whats not Metal about aggressive, guitar-centric music, that features well delivered vocals and often anti-Christian themes. Oh well. Cool disc.
Avian From the Depths of Time (Power Metal/Hard Rock) what can I say? Im a Lance King fan boy. Sue me!
Bruce Dickinson Tyranny of Souls (Power Metal) after the total suckage that is Tattooed Millionaire, I had written off Dickinsons solo career as unnecessary. This disc showed me how wrong I was. Though not as good as The Chemical Wedding (which I only recently purchased), its still better than anything Maiden has done in years.
Lanfear aNother gOlden rAge (Power Metal) though these guys continue to move further from their progressive roots with each release, I still dig their sound, and more specifically the vocals of Tobias Althammer.
Order of Nine Season of Reign (Power Metal) - what drew me to these guys initially, was the Barlowesque vocals. However, what kept me intrigued was their dark, more American approach to Power Metal.
Savage Circus Dreamland Manor (Power Metal) simply stated, if you like Blind Guardian, youll like Savage Circus.
Symphorce Godspeed (Power Metal) although this band is a bit on the generic side, Andys vocals help to elevate them out of the obscurity they would otherwise be mired in. Nothing overly special going on here, but thats OK. Its a good, fun Metal CD.
Black Majesty Silent Company (Power Metal) a solid sophomore effort from a good band, with a superb singer.
Blood Red Throne Altered Genesis (Brutal Death Metal) machine gun riffing, crystal clear production, a good sense of groove and enough tempo changes to keep things from growing monotonous, allow these guys to separate themselves from their genre mates.
Most Disappointing
Zero Hour A Fragile Mind (Progressive Metal) the long anticipated follow-up, to the amazing Tower of Avarice. Simply stated, Zero Hour have spit the bit. A Fragile Mind is tedious and uninspired. While its nearly impossible to replace a singer of Erik Rosvalds quality, the Zero Hour twins needed to spend a bit more time holding auditions. That said, the singer isnt the primary problem, bad songs are.
Opeth Ghost Reveries (Prog Rock/Death Metal) this is not a bad disc. There are actually some moments on it that are truly exceptional. However, taken as a whole, the disc lacks the consistent high quality Ive come to expect from Opeth.
Enslaved Isa (Black/Progressive Metal) on their previous disc, Below the Lights, Enslaveds music had an underlying atmospheric quality that sucked me in. That quality is no where to be found on their latest release.
Dark Tranquillity Character (Melodic Death Metal) once again, not a bad disc. Just not as good as what Ive come to expect from these Swedes. Truth be told, the discs tracks sound like leftovers from the Damage Done sessions.
Zod
Nevermore "The Godless Endeavor" (Dark Power/ Progressive/Thrash Metal) - in a word, brilliant. This is one of those rare discs where every song on the disc has (at one point or another) been my favorite. Dane hasn't sounded this energized since "Dreaming". Smyth's addition has clearly fueled Loomis creative fire. And in doing so, the two have instantly become the most ferocious duo in Metal.
Redemption "The Fullness of Time" (Progressive/Power Metal) talk about a shock. To say I was under whelmed with the debut would be an understatement. Well, apparently Nick has been shooting musical steroids, because this CD is a fucking beast. Everything is better; the melodies, the musicianship, and by leaps and bounds, the lyrics. On the debut, the lyrics were of no consequence. However, "The Fullness of Time" is introspective and intense. If the opening of Parkers Eyes doesnt send a chill down your spine, check your pulse. Ray Alder hasnt sounded this good in years.
Primordial The Gathering Wilderness (Pagan/Folk/Black Metal) - I wrote an entire review for this CD (http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=188468), so Ill be brief. Intense, immense, beautiful, passionate, powerful, original, amazing. Dont be scared off my the genre classification. The vocals are mostly clean, and completely amazing. I encourage anyone open-minded to give this a listen.
Circus Maximus The 1st Chapter (Progressive Metal) this disc just didnt click for me. Then I had the chance to see Circus Maximus perform all but the title track live. Wow. I dont recall ever being caught that off guard by a performance. Michael Eriksens vocals are simply flawless. These kids have a real bright future in front of them.
Novembers Doom The Pale Haunt Departure (Opethian Death) prior to this release, I had never heard a Novembers Doom song. Consequently, the amazing quality of this CD caught me by surprise. Pauls Death style vocals may be better than even Akerfeldts. The lyrics are top notch, and the music and the production are equally stellar.
Riverside Second Life Syndrome (Post Rock/Neo Prog) - this sophomore effort picks up where the debut left off. However, theres a growing sense of maturity within the songwriting. Its hard to speak of Riverside and not mention Piotr Grudzinski. His guitar play on this disc is astounding.
Kamelot The Black Halo (Power Metal) this CD left me flat, then didnt leave my player for two months, and now has begun to collect dust in my CD rack. However, it represents a return in quality, after the horribly dull Epica. This is Kamelot, so you know what youre getting; melodic Power Metal, with Khans awesome voice.
Dead Soul Tribe The Dead Word (Progressive Rock/Metal) this band intrigued me with their debut, but quickly bored me as their second and third releases seemed stagnant. However, things have really fallen into place on their latest. While the Toolisms remain, DST does the one thing that the current Tool doesnt; write great songs, free from meandering, over-bloated self-indulgence. To my Beloved and A Fistful of Bended Nails are themselves worth the price of the CD.
Trivium Ascendancy (Melodic Death) dude, theyre NuMetal. Theyre Mallcore. Just look at them. Its ironic that a band whose roots lie closer to Maiden, than 99% of whats more readily tagged Metal, could ever be mistaken for anything other than a Metal band. But such is Triviums fate. Genre classifications aside, this disc kicks ass from beginning to end. Twin guitar leads throughout, stellar drumming, and Matts superb clean and Death vocals get me to crank the volume every time I fire this up.
Grand Magnus Wolf's Return (Power/Traditional Metal) pure, old fashioned, classic Heavy Metal. Huge, killer riffs and soaring vocals. This disc is one fun listen.
Moonsorrow Verisäkeet (Pagan/Death/Black) this disc would have been much higher on my list if the whole CD was of the same quality as Haaska (Track 2) and Pimea (Track 3). However, since those two tracks account for 28 minutes and 50 seconds worth of sensational music, its certainly a very worthwhile purchase.
Corrosion of Conformity In the Arms of God (Stoner/Hard Rock) 2005 was the year I discovered CoC. Awesome, well played, edgy Hard Rock, with a Stoner/Southern tinge. Excellent vocals and a very cool vibe throughout.
Soilwork Stabbing the Drama (Melodic Death) aside from In Flames, Soilwork is probably the most criticized band in Metal. However, where In Flames arent built to deliver a more melodic brand of Metal (Anders has the worst clean vocals on the planet), Soilwork are perfectly constructed to do so. This is the perfect disc for rolling down your windows on a late-May day, and cranking the stereo.
Sieges Even The Art of Navigating by the Stars (Progressive Rock) another band I had heard of, but had never heard. I dont often like Prog Rock. It usually lacks the intensity I want from my music. However, these guys manage to hold my interest by staying song focused, and delivering a well executed, consistent and original sound.
Old Man's Child Vermin (Black/Power Metal) recent years have seen the popularity of bands like Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth soar, as they blend Black Metal sensibilities with a Power Metal approach. However, both bands are inconsistent in terms of song quality. And where Dimmu and CoF have failed, Old Mans Child have succeeded. Vermin is a solid, consistent CD, that delivers a dark vibe with a ton of head banging goodness.
Frameshift An Absence of Empathy (Prog Rock/Metal) this disc is really more about Sebastian Bachs fantastic voice, than anything else. I forgot just how unique, how passionate and how intense his voice can be. Its awesome to hear him sing this style of music.
Disturbed 10,000 Fists another band that isnt really Metal. Yeah whatever. Again, Im not sure whats not Metal about aggressive, guitar-centric music, that features well delivered vocals and often anti-Christian themes. Oh well. Cool disc.
Avian From the Depths of Time (Power Metal/Hard Rock) what can I say? Im a Lance King fan boy. Sue me!
Bruce Dickinson Tyranny of Souls (Power Metal) after the total suckage that is Tattooed Millionaire, I had written off Dickinsons solo career as unnecessary. This disc showed me how wrong I was. Though not as good as The Chemical Wedding (which I only recently purchased), its still better than anything Maiden has done in years.
Lanfear aNother gOlden rAge (Power Metal) though these guys continue to move further from their progressive roots with each release, I still dig their sound, and more specifically the vocals of Tobias Althammer.
Order of Nine Season of Reign (Power Metal) - what drew me to these guys initially, was the Barlowesque vocals. However, what kept me intrigued was their dark, more American approach to Power Metal.
Savage Circus Dreamland Manor (Power Metal) simply stated, if you like Blind Guardian, youll like Savage Circus.
Symphorce Godspeed (Power Metal) although this band is a bit on the generic side, Andys vocals help to elevate them out of the obscurity they would otherwise be mired in. Nothing overly special going on here, but thats OK. Its a good, fun Metal CD.
Black Majesty Silent Company (Power Metal) a solid sophomore effort from a good band, with a superb singer.
Blood Red Throne Altered Genesis (Brutal Death Metal) machine gun riffing, crystal clear production, a good sense of groove and enough tempo changes to keep things from growing monotonous, allow these guys to separate themselves from their genre mates.
Most Disappointing
Zero Hour A Fragile Mind (Progressive Metal) the long anticipated follow-up, to the amazing Tower of Avarice. Simply stated, Zero Hour have spit the bit. A Fragile Mind is tedious and uninspired. While its nearly impossible to replace a singer of Erik Rosvalds quality, the Zero Hour twins needed to spend a bit more time holding auditions. That said, the singer isnt the primary problem, bad songs are.
Opeth Ghost Reveries (Prog Rock/Death Metal) this is not a bad disc. There are actually some moments on it that are truly exceptional. However, taken as a whole, the disc lacks the consistent high quality Ive come to expect from Opeth.
Enslaved Isa (Black/Progressive Metal) on their previous disc, Below the Lights, Enslaveds music had an underlying atmospheric quality that sucked me in. That quality is no where to be found on their latest release.
Dark Tranquillity Character (Melodic Death Metal) once again, not a bad disc. Just not as good as what Ive come to expect from these Swedes. Truth be told, the discs tracks sound like leftovers from the Damage Done sessions.
Zod
@ the idea of Zod being tr00 and/or kvlt.
