Just in time for Christmas!
My annual disclaimer:
This list is not based on technical ability, artistic merit, production values or anything like that. I rate music on simply what I enjoy. My enjoyment is based on an emotional level. Does the music give me chills? Make me want to trash something? Or simply make me tap my toes with a beer in my hand at poolside. I really dont try to over think this list nor play politics with the labels. It is what it is.
Furthermore, my list crosses several genres. If you are a band member reading this, please dont feel slighted if you dont see your disc listed. I may have really enjoyed your music quite a bit and would have ranked it within the Top 20 of a specific genre if I were filtering the list as such.
Also, it happens every year. I have no doubt I have left a great disc off the list simply because of an error. I reserve the right to tweak the list at any given moment.
Before we begin, here are ten discs that just missed the cut in alphabetical order:
Accept- Stalingrad
Bad Salad- Uncivilized
Holy Grail- Ride the Void
Imminent Sonic Destruction- Recurring Themes
Jeff Scott Soto- Damage Control
Kissin' Dynamite- Money, Sex, & Power
Ne Obliviscaris- Portal of I
Seven Kingdoms- The Fire is Mine
Southern Cross- From Tragedy
Teodor Tuff- Soliloquy
Without further ado ..
40. Andre Matos- The Turn of the Lights: Andre is at the top of his game with the mid-paced stuff that stretches things. He starts to lose me on the speedier tunes as they are just missing that special something that Kiko & Rafael added in the Angra glory days. Regardless, he remains one of my faves.
39. Blindstone- Greetings from the Karma Factory: Im lucky to hear one good bluesy rock disc every 2-3 years. Thankfully, this was one of those years. This is all about the groove and the monster guitar licks being laid down.
38. Bloodbound- In the Name of Metal: Lets be honest. The dumbed it down to Dream Evils level and it worked perfectly for them. Give me a beer and a cliché and get the hell out of the way.
37. Engel- Blood of Saints: Its nowhere near as catchy as the last release, but it still has plenty of industrial hooks to draw me back for repeated listens. If you cant handle In Flamez or the like, move along nothing to see here.
36. Sabaton- Carolus Rex: It pains me to list them this low. The title track gets the blood boiling, but its missing those epic, faster cuts to sweep me up in the glory of battle. Im also a total snob when it comes to having my lyrics in English so that failure is on me.
35. Susypre- Susypre: The songwriting on this disc has improved dramatically. It just feels smoother with a ton more melodies than in the past. Plus, any band that has the balls to put saxophone in their metal automatically makes the list.
34. Trail of Murder- Shades of Art: This is probably the one disc that I havent spent as much time with as I would have liked. If so, it probably would have ranked a bit higher. It has the crunch & heavy melody along with the return of Urban. It may be about as close to the Tad Morose era we all truly loved that we will ever get.
33. Heavens Cry- Wheels of Impermanence: This disc probably challenged me more than most. It took me several listens before I really started to enjoy their brand of prog metal as its just not that immediate. I dont do that often to be honest as there is just too much music out there. That should tell you how good this is.
32. Dimension Act- Manifestations of Progress: Criminally under-rated traditional prog metal with plenty of crunch. I tried to hype this disc earlier in the year and got *crickets.* I havent changed my mind.
31. At Vance- Facing Your Enemy: I really think sometimes that folks rush on blindly trying to find the next big thing and forget there are some quality bands that have been around for years that are still kicking ass. They have tweaked their style a bit over the years and this is my favorite since the Oliver Hartmann era. Melodic power with some big hooks .
30. Affector- Harmageddon: Ted Leonard (Enchant vocalist) rules on this project. It may seem like just another prog metal disc, but there is quite a bit of technical chaos going on if you listen close enough. If overt Christian lyrics are an issue for you, skip it.
29. Symbolica- Precession: Its about as close to Angel Dust as I have heard in recent years. Its not as crunchy all the way through as I would have preferred, but Ill gladly take it as is. The band needs a good label to get the word out.
28. Katatonia- Dead End Kings: I dont do melancholy well. If I did, this would be in the Top 10. Regardless, its so well done that I cant help but play it on a rainy day on occasion.
27. Mob Rules- Cannibal Nation: The guys didnt re-invent the wheel on this one. However, what they did was continue the trend of releasing great melodic power metal with soaring vocals.
26. Nightmare- The Burden of God: Heavy/crunchy power metal isnt exactly overflowing these days. Nightmare is one of the few bands that are keeping hope alive with the demise of Angel Dust, Tad Morose, Morgana Lefay, etc. I could use a bit more variety in the music, but Ill take what I can get.
25. Speaking to Stones- Elements: How many of you have missed Zonder laying down the tracks on quality, melodic prog metal? Throw in Andy Engberg on vocals, a crazy good guitarist, and you have aninstant winning formula. This was a late listen for me so it will end up higher as time goes on.
24. Epica- Requiem for the Indifferent: Im in the minority of a lot of Epica fans. While I enjoyed the last few discs, I thought this was a step up instead of backwards. Simone sounds amazing and the music just flows for me on all levels.
23. In the Silence- A Fair Dream Gone Mad: Im rather picky when it comes to the dreamy side of prog. It has to have soul so to speak. Yeah, they dip their toes into the melancholic pond, but they pull back just in time before they lose me. I wouldnt mind a few more soaring leads next time though.
22. ReinXeed- Welcome to the Theater- I called their music cheesy in a recent interview I did and it pissed off a few of their dedicated fans. What?! Did they not read the lyrics? Or am I the only one swinging through the jungle? That said, I maintain this is gloriously, over the top, fast cheesy power metal that I absolutely love!
21. Love Might Kill- 2 Big 2 Fail: The first of a great trio of heavy, melodic rock (AOR if you will) discs to make the list this year. The vocals are excellent and the choruses are right in my wheel house. If you miss the old Gotthard vibe, look no further.
20. Pellek- Bag of Tricks: Pellek joins the pantheon of next generation vocal studs. There is just an amazing chemistry between him and Tommy ReinXeed on this disc. Guests such as Tommy Karevik, Amanda Sommerville, & Oliver Hartmann take this Euro power metal disc up a notch.
19. Secret Sphere- Portrait of a Dying Heart: Shocker of the year. I had lost all interest in the band due to the last few subpar releases. However, not only has the addition of Luppis vocals excited me, but made the band a relevant player once again.
18. Delain- We are the Others: My wife would have killed me if I left them off the list. I kid! Delain are at the top of the pop metal scene for me. Charlottes vocals and charisma should take them to the next level with a bit more exposure.
17. Crow7- Symphony of Souls: The best theatrical release of the year. Oliva would be proud in places. However, be warned that there is quite a bit of pomp in places. Think Muse/My Chemical Romance, etc.
16. Ihsahn- Ermita: I was a casual fan prior to seeing him live. After that, Im a serious fan. Most of you know the drill by now. If you cant handle the rough vocals, its best you stay the hell out of the way. Once again sax!
15. Threshold- March of Progress: Threshold is possibly the slickest & most polished prog metal band on the planet (yeah..shut up about Vanden Plas). Damian continues his magical run with his vocal performance. The only thing missing is an epic ala Pilot in the Sky of Dreams to really put this one over the top.
14. Gotthard- Firebirth: I didnt think they could continue on without Stevie Lee to be honest. His voice was the soul of the band. Thankfully, I was wrong. The new guy sounds great and the melodic rock tunes continue to be first class. Honestly, I wish they would throw in a few upper tier rockers here and there though.
13. Oddland- The Treachery of Senses: Outstanding debut. Upon first listen, you get that classic Pain of Salvation vibe. However, there is a lot more going on that just that. This is a band that could join Leprous in carrying the torch with the next generation of prog metal. Im a big fan of the passionate vocals. Buy or die for any prog metal fan.
12. Wolverine- Communication Lost: I have admitted it before. I was never a big fan of their slit your wrist style of prog metal. However, I forced myself to sit down and really absorb the emotions and lyrics with the music. It clicked. That said, I still cant listen to it that often. Im too happy of a guy.
11. Diablo Swing Orchestra- Pandoras Pinata: Another fucked up winner from them. The absolute collision of styles and weirdness creates a charm unlike any other. I still have non-metal friends that love this band and ask me about them often.
10. Testament- Dark Roots of the Earth: It was a disappointing year in thrash for me (Overkill dropped the ball ). After the last few mediocre releases, Testament returned and stomped my ass into a mud puddle.
9. Xandria- Neverworlds End: This came out of nowhere. I had written the band off long ago and still have a hard time believing the dramatic change in style. Yes..its old Nightwish. However, I never thought I would get to hear that sound done this well ever again.
8. Eclipes- Bleed and Scream: AOR/melodic metal release of the year. You can catch a great white shark with all the hooks on this thing. They join W.E.T. at the top of the genre.
7. Orden Ogan- To the End: Finally, another European power metal band takes the next step up. If they keep this kind of quality up, they will make the jump to headliner status. Buy or Die for any power metal fan. I have no doubt you will see them in Atlanta in the future.
6. Circus Maximus- Nine: I think you know the drill by now. I wrote a novel of a review before this came out and my feelings about it have not changed. Its the perfect AoR/prog hybrid. However, I soooo miss the building crescendo of earlier tunes. That helped define the band to my ears.
5. Headspace- I Am Anonymous: How many of you secretly thought of this as a more progressive version of Threshold? Damian gives the vocal performance of his career here. The musicianship on display is incredible. I really hope they stay on target and keep up the pace. Another one that I want to see in Atlanta.
4. Beyond the Bridge- The Old Man and the Spirt: This is the #1 progressive metal release of the year. Its lush, epic, stunning, and simply beautiful. I wish them all the best in the world, but I truly think they are fucked in terms of trying to top this one.
3. Kontrust- Second Hand Wonderland: I drank a lot of beer and shook my ass to this disc quite a bit this year. I bet their live show is just an amazing party. Sometimes you just need a good comic book instead of Pulitzers Prize literature.
2. Kamelot- Silverthorn: Not only did they not miss a beat with the loss of whats his name, but they actually released a disc that ranks up there with the best in their catalog. I dont think anyone truly envisioned just how well Tommy would mesh with the band. Youngblood remains the most under-rated guitarist in the scene. Its just a sleek, sexy release. It would have been #1 any other year.
1. Damnation Angels- Bringer of Light: This came out of nowhere and reminded me what it was like to be a fanboy instead of a jaded promoter. Pellek is simply awesome in making me feel the lyrics. I also cannot think of any other band that has come close in recent memory to the symphonics on this disc. Its hard to describe how you can connect with a disc on many levels. What I can tell you is that this disc gets my blood boiling and Im ready to throw down. Pride is my #1 song of the year as well. Its just a sonic landscape on multiple levels. You bastards better make room for me down front come September.
My annual disclaimer:
This list is not based on technical ability, artistic merit, production values or anything like that. I rate music on simply what I enjoy. My enjoyment is based on an emotional level. Does the music give me chills? Make me want to trash something? Or simply make me tap my toes with a beer in my hand at poolside. I really dont try to over think this list nor play politics with the labels. It is what it is.
Furthermore, my list crosses several genres. If you are a band member reading this, please dont feel slighted if you dont see your disc listed. I may have really enjoyed your music quite a bit and would have ranked it within the Top 20 of a specific genre if I were filtering the list as such.
Also, it happens every year. I have no doubt I have left a great disc off the list simply because of an error. I reserve the right to tweak the list at any given moment.
Before we begin, here are ten discs that just missed the cut in alphabetical order:
Accept- Stalingrad
Bad Salad- Uncivilized
Holy Grail- Ride the Void
Imminent Sonic Destruction- Recurring Themes
Jeff Scott Soto- Damage Control
Kissin' Dynamite- Money, Sex, & Power
Ne Obliviscaris- Portal of I
Seven Kingdoms- The Fire is Mine
Southern Cross- From Tragedy
Teodor Tuff- Soliloquy
Without further ado ..
40. Andre Matos- The Turn of the Lights: Andre is at the top of his game with the mid-paced stuff that stretches things. He starts to lose me on the speedier tunes as they are just missing that special something that Kiko & Rafael added in the Angra glory days. Regardless, he remains one of my faves.
39. Blindstone- Greetings from the Karma Factory: Im lucky to hear one good bluesy rock disc every 2-3 years. Thankfully, this was one of those years. This is all about the groove and the monster guitar licks being laid down.
38. Bloodbound- In the Name of Metal: Lets be honest. The dumbed it down to Dream Evils level and it worked perfectly for them. Give me a beer and a cliché and get the hell out of the way.
37. Engel- Blood of Saints: Its nowhere near as catchy as the last release, but it still has plenty of industrial hooks to draw me back for repeated listens. If you cant handle In Flamez or the like, move along nothing to see here.
36. Sabaton- Carolus Rex: It pains me to list them this low. The title track gets the blood boiling, but its missing those epic, faster cuts to sweep me up in the glory of battle. Im also a total snob when it comes to having my lyrics in English so that failure is on me.
35. Susypre- Susypre: The songwriting on this disc has improved dramatically. It just feels smoother with a ton more melodies than in the past. Plus, any band that has the balls to put saxophone in their metal automatically makes the list.
34. Trail of Murder- Shades of Art: This is probably the one disc that I havent spent as much time with as I would have liked. If so, it probably would have ranked a bit higher. It has the crunch & heavy melody along with the return of Urban. It may be about as close to the Tad Morose era we all truly loved that we will ever get.
33. Heavens Cry- Wheels of Impermanence: This disc probably challenged me more than most. It took me several listens before I really started to enjoy their brand of prog metal as its just not that immediate. I dont do that often to be honest as there is just too much music out there. That should tell you how good this is.
32. Dimension Act- Manifestations of Progress: Criminally under-rated traditional prog metal with plenty of crunch. I tried to hype this disc earlier in the year and got *crickets.* I havent changed my mind.
31. At Vance- Facing Your Enemy: I really think sometimes that folks rush on blindly trying to find the next big thing and forget there are some quality bands that have been around for years that are still kicking ass. They have tweaked their style a bit over the years and this is my favorite since the Oliver Hartmann era. Melodic power with some big hooks .
30. Affector- Harmageddon: Ted Leonard (Enchant vocalist) rules on this project. It may seem like just another prog metal disc, but there is quite a bit of technical chaos going on if you listen close enough. If overt Christian lyrics are an issue for you, skip it.
29. Symbolica- Precession: Its about as close to Angel Dust as I have heard in recent years. Its not as crunchy all the way through as I would have preferred, but Ill gladly take it as is. The band needs a good label to get the word out.
28. Katatonia- Dead End Kings: I dont do melancholy well. If I did, this would be in the Top 10. Regardless, its so well done that I cant help but play it on a rainy day on occasion.
27. Mob Rules- Cannibal Nation: The guys didnt re-invent the wheel on this one. However, what they did was continue the trend of releasing great melodic power metal with soaring vocals.
26. Nightmare- The Burden of God: Heavy/crunchy power metal isnt exactly overflowing these days. Nightmare is one of the few bands that are keeping hope alive with the demise of Angel Dust, Tad Morose, Morgana Lefay, etc. I could use a bit more variety in the music, but Ill take what I can get.
25. Speaking to Stones- Elements: How many of you have missed Zonder laying down the tracks on quality, melodic prog metal? Throw in Andy Engberg on vocals, a crazy good guitarist, and you have aninstant winning formula. This was a late listen for me so it will end up higher as time goes on.
24. Epica- Requiem for the Indifferent: Im in the minority of a lot of Epica fans. While I enjoyed the last few discs, I thought this was a step up instead of backwards. Simone sounds amazing and the music just flows for me on all levels.
23. In the Silence- A Fair Dream Gone Mad: Im rather picky when it comes to the dreamy side of prog. It has to have soul so to speak. Yeah, they dip their toes into the melancholic pond, but they pull back just in time before they lose me. I wouldnt mind a few more soaring leads next time though.
22. ReinXeed- Welcome to the Theater- I called their music cheesy in a recent interview I did and it pissed off a few of their dedicated fans. What?! Did they not read the lyrics? Or am I the only one swinging through the jungle? That said, I maintain this is gloriously, over the top, fast cheesy power metal that I absolutely love!
21. Love Might Kill- 2 Big 2 Fail: The first of a great trio of heavy, melodic rock (AOR if you will) discs to make the list this year. The vocals are excellent and the choruses are right in my wheel house. If you miss the old Gotthard vibe, look no further.
20. Pellek- Bag of Tricks: Pellek joins the pantheon of next generation vocal studs. There is just an amazing chemistry between him and Tommy ReinXeed on this disc. Guests such as Tommy Karevik, Amanda Sommerville, & Oliver Hartmann take this Euro power metal disc up a notch.
19. Secret Sphere- Portrait of a Dying Heart: Shocker of the year. I had lost all interest in the band due to the last few subpar releases. However, not only has the addition of Luppis vocals excited me, but made the band a relevant player once again.
18. Delain- We are the Others: My wife would have killed me if I left them off the list. I kid! Delain are at the top of the pop metal scene for me. Charlottes vocals and charisma should take them to the next level with a bit more exposure.
17. Crow7- Symphony of Souls: The best theatrical release of the year. Oliva would be proud in places. However, be warned that there is quite a bit of pomp in places. Think Muse/My Chemical Romance, etc.
16. Ihsahn- Ermita: I was a casual fan prior to seeing him live. After that, Im a serious fan. Most of you know the drill by now. If you cant handle the rough vocals, its best you stay the hell out of the way. Once again sax!
15. Threshold- March of Progress: Threshold is possibly the slickest & most polished prog metal band on the planet (yeah..shut up about Vanden Plas). Damian continues his magical run with his vocal performance. The only thing missing is an epic ala Pilot in the Sky of Dreams to really put this one over the top.
14. Gotthard- Firebirth: I didnt think they could continue on without Stevie Lee to be honest. His voice was the soul of the band. Thankfully, I was wrong. The new guy sounds great and the melodic rock tunes continue to be first class. Honestly, I wish they would throw in a few upper tier rockers here and there though.
13. Oddland- The Treachery of Senses: Outstanding debut. Upon first listen, you get that classic Pain of Salvation vibe. However, there is a lot more going on that just that. This is a band that could join Leprous in carrying the torch with the next generation of prog metal. Im a big fan of the passionate vocals. Buy or die for any prog metal fan.
12. Wolverine- Communication Lost: I have admitted it before. I was never a big fan of their slit your wrist style of prog metal. However, I forced myself to sit down and really absorb the emotions and lyrics with the music. It clicked. That said, I still cant listen to it that often. Im too happy of a guy.
11. Diablo Swing Orchestra- Pandoras Pinata: Another fucked up winner from them. The absolute collision of styles and weirdness creates a charm unlike any other. I still have non-metal friends that love this band and ask me about them often.
10. Testament- Dark Roots of the Earth: It was a disappointing year in thrash for me (Overkill dropped the ball ). After the last few mediocre releases, Testament returned and stomped my ass into a mud puddle.
9. Xandria- Neverworlds End: This came out of nowhere. I had written the band off long ago and still have a hard time believing the dramatic change in style. Yes..its old Nightwish. However, I never thought I would get to hear that sound done this well ever again.
8. Eclipes- Bleed and Scream: AOR/melodic metal release of the year. You can catch a great white shark with all the hooks on this thing. They join W.E.T. at the top of the genre.
7. Orden Ogan- To the End: Finally, another European power metal band takes the next step up. If they keep this kind of quality up, they will make the jump to headliner status. Buy or Die for any power metal fan. I have no doubt you will see them in Atlanta in the future.
6. Circus Maximus- Nine: I think you know the drill by now. I wrote a novel of a review before this came out and my feelings about it have not changed. Its the perfect AoR/prog hybrid. However, I soooo miss the building crescendo of earlier tunes. That helped define the band to my ears.
5. Headspace- I Am Anonymous: How many of you secretly thought of this as a more progressive version of Threshold? Damian gives the vocal performance of his career here. The musicianship on display is incredible. I really hope they stay on target and keep up the pace. Another one that I want to see in Atlanta.
4. Beyond the Bridge- The Old Man and the Spirt: This is the #1 progressive metal release of the year. Its lush, epic, stunning, and simply beautiful. I wish them all the best in the world, but I truly think they are fucked in terms of trying to top this one.
3. Kontrust- Second Hand Wonderland: I drank a lot of beer and shook my ass to this disc quite a bit this year. I bet their live show is just an amazing party. Sometimes you just need a good comic book instead of Pulitzers Prize literature.
2. Kamelot- Silverthorn: Not only did they not miss a beat with the loss of whats his name, but they actually released a disc that ranks up there with the best in their catalog. I dont think anyone truly envisioned just how well Tommy would mesh with the band. Youngblood remains the most under-rated guitarist in the scene. Its just a sleek, sexy release. It would have been #1 any other year.
1. Damnation Angels- Bringer of Light: This came out of nowhere and reminded me what it was like to be a fanboy instead of a jaded promoter. Pellek is simply awesome in making me feel the lyrics. I also cannot think of any other band that has come close in recent memory to the symphonics on this disc. Its hard to describe how you can connect with a disc on many levels. What I can tell you is that this disc gets my blood boiling and Im ready to throw down. Pride is my #1 song of the year as well. Its just a sonic landscape on multiple levels. You bastards better make room for me down front come September.
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