Standout Albums from this year -- have you got a top 3 yet?

[JayKeeley]

I think I've got my top 3 already:

1. Agalloch
2. Hammers
3. Drudkh

Not sure about Negura yet, too early to tell. Same with My Dying Bride. I'm on the fence with Isis -- that has not hit me near as hard as Panopticon did.

Is Gojira's "Sirius" from this year? That's in the top 10 for sure.

New Maiden is new Maiden. Enough said really.

New Slayer is better Slayer. At least, it's their best since Seasons, but that doesn't say much at all.

I really like the new Pyramaze a lot. Good catchy proggy clean Zod Metal (tm).

New Virgin Steele is great....and then it falls into a ditch at track #5 and never climbs out of the hole.

I really like the Giant Squid release, but it falls into this huge lull and starts to get boring...

New Angra is just an atrocity (compared to their last two), as is the new Queensryche.

I'm also hugely disappointed by both the new Novembre and Wolverine. I had high hopes for both.

Ancient Rites is a yawnfest. Ugh.

New Blind Guardian is good, but not something I listen to too often.

Pharoah is good, but it gets boring real quick.

I do like the new Amorphis but barely listen to it anymore.

Amon Amarth kicks ass in that AA way. I'm definitely at the point now though where I really don't need half of their catalog, but man, am I dying to see them upstage Children of Bodom in Times Square this December.

 

[Dark One]

Nope.

EDIT -

RE-EDIT - You dug the new Deicide as well right? (Erik's favorite, of course).

 

[skeptik]

Drudkh/Agalloch/Summoning

 

[AsModEe]

Agalloch for sure, I still need to listen to the new Drukdh, new Summoning is good, but top 3 for this year? Not so sure.

 

[circus_brimstone]

1. Agalloch
2. Giant Squid
3. Enslaved

^ I imagine those won't be dethroned. Bands that may round out my Top 10 are Katatonia, Amorphis, Drudkh, Unexpect, Cult of Luna, Envy, etc., though I've yet to hear the new Insomnium and Isis. I've pretty much settled on the bands that'll be included in my Top 25.

 

[Dark One]

I definitely highly dig the new Agalloch, Satyricon, Vreid, Amorphis, Persuader, Hammers, Gojira, Enslaved, Maiden among others.

 

[Crimson Velvet]

hmmm...

Summoning
Iron Maiden
I
Drudkh
Blind Guardian
Celtic Frost
Darkthrone
Amon Amarth

That's not in order, but I really like all of these, and I wouldn't be surprised if all of them found their way to my top 10 of the wayr.

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

impossible for me to choose 3

 

[Six-winged Seraph]

Agalloch is still #1

 

[Chromatose]

current 93
harvey milk
the negura bunget is seemingly a top 3 contender

 

[J.]

no idea. been discovering way too much nineties stuff to bother with 2006.

swans, godflesh>2006

still waiting for new aa, negura, graveland, lord wind

new stuff from red sparowes, jesu, scald, and amber asylum is fitting my mood these days. i dig em all.

Necrophobic rules. dunno why more around here dont listen to these guys, though i suspect the "necro" name turns some off

new summoning, agalloch, drudkh, helheim are solid.

need more listens to bal sagoth, morrigan, enslaved, darkthrone

devin townsend and aeternus are stinkers

manegarms folk ep is kinda boring

there is no album this year that just screams ALBUM OF THE YEAR yet, but Graveland is coming.

 

[Krilons Resa]

I cant pick just three, and the best releases have yet to even come out.

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

my tops so far.
Bal-Sagoth - chronicles
Drudkh
Spawn of Possession
Amon Amarth - WOOOS
Heavenly - virus

new Suffocation is good, but I havent listened enough

 

[Nate The Great]

Celtic Frost is still #1, but beyond that will take some serious thinking.

 

[Necro Joe]

So far we have...

Monumental: Mastodon + Agalloch
Rocking: Jesu + Boris + Mammatus + Hammers of Misfortune + Colour Haze
Disappointing: Tool

and

Haven't made up my mind yet: Kayo Dot + Celtic Frost + The Mars Volta
Still waiting to hear: Isis + Converge + Red Sparrowes + Arsis + Giant Squid + Mouth of the Architect + Wolves in the Throne Room + Drudkh + Katatonia + Scald + I

So yeah this year rules.

 

[Thanatopsis123]

Tenhi and Drudkh.

 

[Krilons Resa]

The Gates of Slumber
Upwards of Endtime
Valkyrie
Hammers of Misfortune
Bible of The Devil
Isole
Great Coven
The River
Mirror of Deception
Dreaming
Wooly Mammoth

Thats just so far, and not in that particular order.

 

[Demonspell]

Right now the top three would have to be Agalloch, Katatonia, and Kayo Dot (technically 2006 although most people received their copies in December). Waiting to see if Isis and/or Negura Bunget makes a dent in this, don't know if I've listened to enough new metal releases to come up with a top ten list, although this has been a decent year overall.

Jay: Pretty sure Gojira is an overseas 2005/domestic 2006 situation....would be very easy to clarify since RC discovered it first...
Necro Joe: Nice list, Hammers and Mastodon will definitely figure in my year end list and there are at least three "I need to hears" in common.

 

[Six-winged Seraph]

The new Melechesh is very impressive....

 

[Mormagil]

summoning
celtic frost
uhh...fiery furnaces i guess, those are pretty much the only 2006 releases i've heard