So what's your Top 5?

Magnum - Escape From The Shadow Garden
Tuomas Holopainen - The Life And Times Of Scrooge
Twilight Force - Tales Of Ancient Prophecies
Dark Forest - The Awakening
Sabaton - Heroes
 
The new Riot V is also in my top 5. But I really enjoy the new Slash. Quite surprised with it to say the least. Never was the greatest Guns N' Roses fan, not a big fan of his previous solo stuff but World on Fire is just killer hard rock with great vox by Myles Kennedy.

Yeah, the Riot disc is great. My fave of the year so far. Three of the tracks are not as enjoyable as the rest, but it is probably my third favorite album from the band behind Immortal Soul and Thundersteel. Nothing new, of course. Just well-written songs in a style I really appreciate.

I like Slash's previous disc with Myles as well, so the new one being good was not a surprise for me. Certainly something fans of the Alter Bridge/Shinedown vibe should check out.
 
So far...

Unisonic - Light of Dawn
Within Temptation - Hydra
Striker - City of Gold
Anette Olzon - Shine (my oddball pick..this type of music makes sense for her voice)
Delain - The Human Contradiction (they finally hooked me with this one)

*Side Note* I haven't heard the Dynazty or the Work of Art yet. Work of Art may very well bump a band out of the top 5 for me once I actually get my hands on it.

~Brian~
 
Top 5 of the Top 5:

#1: Dynazty – Renatus (13)
#2: Riot - Unleash the Fire (7)
#3: Elvenking - The Pagan Manifesto (6), Need – Orvam (6)
#4: Overkill - White Devil Armory (5), Voyager – V (5)
#5: Brother Firetribe - Diamond in the Firepit (4), Epica - Quantum Enigma (4), Evergrey - Hymns For The Broken (4), Falconer - Black Moon Rising (4), Insomnium - Shadows Of The Dying Sun (4), Primal Fear - Delivering The Black (4)
 
I thought Accept would be in my top 5 before it got released...but i really don't care for it much. Its not as intense as the last two and really 'safe'. Its not bad but there's no 'Revolution' or 'Stalingrad' on this disc too many mid tempo tracks.

I love that Dynazty cd, Incarnation and Salvation are my fav tracks. The vocals are just insane on those.
 
I've only liked 3 albums enough to buy so far this year. Spotify is helping me catch up though.

Opeth - Pale Communion
Anubis Gate - Horizons
Work of Art - Framework
 
In no particular order:

Accept - Blind Rage
Sabaton - Heroes
Loudness - The Sun Will Rise Again
Need - Orvam: A Song for Home
Anubis Gate - Horizons
 
Given that I missed Progpower this year, there is a lot of stuff I haven't bought.

Anathema - Distant Satellites
Sabaton - Heroes
Transatlantic - Kaleidoscope
Edguy - Space Police
A.C.T - Circus Pandemonium

But, I don't own the new Falconer or Voyager, which likely would make this list somewhere.
 
So far...

Unisonic - Light of Dawn
Within Temptation - Hydra
Striker - City of Gold
Anette Olzon - Shine (my oddball pick..this type of music makes sense for her voice)
Delain - The Human Contradiction (they finally hooked me with this one)

*Side Note* I haven't heard the Dynazty or the Work of Art yet. Work of Art may very well bump a band out of the top 5 for me once I actually get my hands on it.

~Brian~

I need to edit my own post. I forgot one release this year that snuck up on me and kicked my butt: Madman's Lullaby - Unhinged

So, I'll replace Delain with Madman's Lullaby.

~Brian~
 
Riot: Unleash the Fire
Judas Priest: Redeemer of Souls
Accept: Blind Rage
Grave Digger: Return of the Reaper
Flying Colours: Second Nature
 
Someone else mentioned this album to me today and I've been listening to it on Youtube. Epically brutal. Despite not really liking screamers, this is pretty good stuff.

I fucking love threads like this, because every now and then I find some oddball band nobody ever mentions and it kicks my ass. Very, very impressed with the songs I've heard of this one so far.
 
Opeth- Pale Communion
Galneryus-Vetelgyus
Blut aus Nord- Memoria Vetusta III - Saturnian Poetry
Arion-Last of Us
Agalloch-The Serpent & The Sphere