Staff Picks of 2006

Good point, BloodSword - Devin released three albums this year: The New Black, Synchestra, and Hummer (though I won't argue that should be on the lists). I wish Mercenary had some more love too.

I feel Mercenary is bound to never get the respect it deserves, much like Susperia. To feed a little bit into pop culture wheres the love for Mastodon's Blood Mountain or Iron Maiden's A Matter of Life and Death? this is an outrage! anything featuring Bruce, Eddie, and the boys deserves to be on every top ten list in the world, bitches.
 
while im on the subject, god damnit, what about the new Rage album?? Mike Turiana just left and they are without a drummer again for like the tenth godamn time!
 
1. Katatonia 'TGCD' & Madder Mortem 'Desiderata'
2. Negura Bunget 'OM'
3. Wuthering Heights 'The Shadow Cabinet'
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4. Secrets Of The Moon 'Antithesis'
5. Agalloch 'Ashes Against The Grain'
6. Enslaved 'Ruun'
7. The Provenance 'Red Flags'
8. Ahab 'The Call Of The Wretched Sea'
9. Dolorian 'Voidwards'
10. Saturnus 'Veronika Decides To Die'

honorable mentions:

MDB 'A Line Of Deathless Kings'
Callisto 'Noir'
White Willow 'Signal To Noise'
Keep Of Kalessin 'Armada'
Celtic Frost 'Monotheist'
Necrophobic 'Hrimthursum'
Orplid 'Sterbender Satyr'
Tenhi 'Mäaäet'
Disillusion 'Gloria'
Amorphis 'Eclipse'


biggest disappointments:

Novembre 'Materia'
Tool '10000 Days'
Summoning 'Oath Bound'
Kampfar 'Kvass'
Adorned Brood 'Heldentat'
Blut Aus Nord 'Mort'
Dissection 'Reinkaos'