the best of 2006?

My dying bride - A Line Of Deathless Kings
Iron Maiden - a matter of life and death
Tristwood - the delphic doctrine
TrollfesT - Brakebein
Wolven Ancestry - the wrath of gaia
Slayer - christ illusion
 
Best CD of the year for me is: Into Eternity - The Scattering Of Ashes!
What a great album. I can't get enough of it. Heavy, Technical, Melodic, Thrashy it's got everything I like. The only thing that bugs me a bit is the triggered drums sometimes. They sound great most of the time until he does some rolls on the toms and it just kind of mushes together. Otherwise, I love this CD.:headbang:

Others I really like this year are Jon Oliva's Pain, Vanden Plas, Slayer, Dream Theater.
 
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Here's my picks:

1. Sabaton - Attero Dominatus
2. Wolf - Black Flame
3. HammerFall - Threshold
4. Astral Doors - Astralism
5. Rebel Meets Rebel
6. John Olivia's Pain - Maniacal Renderings
7. Chrome Division - Doomsday Rock-n-Roll
8. Nocturnal Rites - Grand Illusion
9. Edguy - Rocket Ride
10. Skid Row - Revolutions per Minute
 
1. Celtic Frost - Monotheist
2. Vanden Plas - Christ O
3. Enslaved - Ruun
4. Tool - 10,000 Days
5. Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death
6. Lisa Gerrard - The Silver Tree
7. The Mars Volta - Amputechture
8. Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth
9. Sahg - I
10. Jon Oliva's Pain - Maniacal Renderings

Honorable mention - Queensryche - OM II, Motorhead - Kiss of Death, Wolfmother

...some non-metal stuff there, but overall those were the albums I liked, and listened to most this year.
 
1) Amon Amarth - "With Oden on our Side"

2) Mastodon - "Blood Mountain"

3) Tool - "10,000 Days"

4) Iron Maiden - "A Matter of Life & Death"

5) I - "Between two Worlds"

6) DarkThrone - "The Cult is Alive"
 
Motorhead - Kiss of Death (album of the year, see my Yahoo blog for a full review)
Rhino Bucket - And Then It Got Ugly (because I'm still waiting for something new from AC/DC and this fills the void)
Lamb of God - Sacrament (keeps growing on me)
Strapping Young Lad - The New Black (impressive)
Brand New Sin - Tequila (not as good as their last one, but like the last one, gets better with each listen)
Shadows Fall - Fallout From The War (pretty good for a contractual obligation album)
Cradle of Filth - Thornography (hadn't really been a fan before this album, but this one changed my mind)
The Haunted - The Dead Eye - (another album that gets better with each listen)
 
DISCLAIMER: My "best of" list is always based on stickiness. I judge albums by how often was I drawn to hearing them over a long period of time. These are not the "best" albums of 2006, these are my "most listened to" albums of 2006.


2. Vanden Plas - Christ 0: Bryant's hounding forced me into giving this a second and third chance. It definitely paid off because I eventually became de-sensitized to the part of Andy's vocals that bothered me. With that obstacle out of the way, I could hear it for what it is; a perfectly progressive heavy metal album.

I am so happy you like that release. I rarely "push" stuff. Vanden Plas is an exception. They own their own sound. I take no credit in "forcing" anyone into them. Had they not absolutely blew me away, I would not have been so damned persistant. Vanden Plas is a professional prog-metal band. THey are hard to match.


Bryant
 
I am so happy you like that release. I rarely "push" stuff. Vanden Plas is an exception. They own their own sound. I take no credit in "forcing" anyone into them. Had they not absolutely blew me away, I would not have been so damned persistant. Vanden Plas is a professional prog-metal band. THey are hard to match.
This is true. Although you were a catalyst for me giving it second and third chances, it was Vanden Plas' music that really forces appreciation. Their songwriting is stellar, production is HUGE, and some of their riffs are untouchable. Thanks Bryant! And thanks to Andy and the boys as well!
 
Difficult since there were many great albums released in -06. But I'd have to say these....

Iron Maiden / A matter of life and death
Crystal Eyes / Dead City Dreaming
Circle II Circle / Burden of truth
Jon Oliva's Pain / Maniacal Renderings


Also worth mentioning:
Blind Guardian / A twist in the myth
Edguy / Rocket Ride
The Answer / Rise
Wolfmother / Wolfmother
Evergrey / Monday morning apocaplypse
 
1. Akercocke - Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone
2. Keep of Kalessin - Armada
3. Mirrorthrone - Carriers of Dust
4. Ihsahn - The Adversary
5. Gojira - From Mars to Sirius
6. Phazm - Antebellum Death 'n' Roll
7. Nachtmystium - Instinct: Decay
8. Aborym - Generator
9. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
10. Yyrkoon - Unhealthy Opera

Or something like that. Some of these albums I haven't listened to in awhile, I might change my opinion on them upon revisiting them. For example, as much as I liked The Adversary at first, I got pretty tired of it after a bit.
 
My faves are as follows:

1.) Wolf-"The Black Flame"
2.) Blind Guardian-"A Twist in the Myth"
3.) Jon Oliva's Pain-"Maniacal Renderings"
4.) Motorhead-"Kiss of Death"
5.) The New York Dolls-"One ay It Will Please Us To Remember Even This"

Biggest Suprise:
Benedictum-"Uncreation"
Man, these guys (and gal) came out of NOWHERE!!! It juuuuust missed my top 5. Thanks to carnut for hooking me up with this one.

Biggest disappointment:
Queensryche-Operation Mindcrime II
Queensryche pretty much own this section every year they release an album, because i can't help but have hope. I guess it's my stupidity. But this year, my hopes were up more than ever, because this was the long awaited and long wanted sequel to one of my favorite albums of all time.......and man, was it disappointing.. It wasn't AWFUL, just.........medicore. It had a few good songs, a few that i even gave a spin on my show, it is their heaviest album since the first Mindcrime, and their best since Promised Land but....that's really not saying much. Oh my God! It's better album than Hear in the Crap Frontier, Q2Gay and Tripe! I think if i went into a recording studio and recorded myself farting for an hour, it would be better than Q2K. I dunno, i guess it's my fault i was disappointed, i should have known better.
 
1) Necrodeath- 100% Hell
2) Celtic Frost- Monotheist
3) Agalloch- Ashes Against the Grain
4) Necrophobic- Hrimthursum
5) Deicide- Stench of Redemption

Agalloch and Celtic Frost probably deserve to be before Necrodeath, but the album is so fucking badass that i just can't help it
 
I see I never posted my list here... I'll copy it from my post on the Into Eternity forum... here it comes :)

Here's my top 10, a added some links and comments etc

1. Into Eternity - The Scattering Of Ashes - (www.myspace.com/officialintoeternity)
2. Benedictum - Uncreation (www.myspace.com/benedictum) - the female Dio, just awesome
3. Communic - Waves of Visual Decay (www.myspace.com/communic) - for all Nevermore fans
4. Textures - Drawing Circles (www.myspace.com/textures) - brutal mix of death, hardcore, prog etc
5. Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse - still very Evergrey to me, so I still love it
6. Doro - Warrior Soul - most Warlock like album since many years
7. Marcel Coenen - The Colour Journey (www.myspace.com/marcelcoenen) - versatile songwriter and awesome guitarist, lots of guests on this album
8. Assailant - Nemesis Within (www.myspace.com/assailantsweden) - w/elements of Evergrey, In Flames, Morgana Lefay etc
9. Jon Oliva's Pain - Maniacal Renderings - for all old Savatage fans!
10. Vanden Plas - Christ O - just a great progmetal album

But.. I did not hear these possible candidates yet:
Wolverine, Zero Hour, Antiquus (just ordered!), Eidolon (got it, but hardly listened yet), Vicious Rumors, Metal Church, Celtic Frost, Slayer, The Orchard (got it, not listened yet).

I also enjoyed: Iron Fire (http://www.myspace.com/officialironfire), Mercenary, Axamenta (http://www.myspace.com/axamenta), Kataklysm.




By now I did get Antiquus, which I love, but Hawk I'm not sure yet if it is as good as their first :headbang:
 
Marlies said:
I see I never posted my list here... I'll copy it from my post on the Into Eternity forum... here it comes :)

Here's my top 10, a added some links and comments etc

1. Into Eternity - The Scattering Of Ashes - (www.myspace.com/officialintoeternity)
2. Benedictum - Uncreation (www.myspace.com/benedictum) - the female Dio, just awesome
3. Communic - Waves of Visual Decay (www.myspace.com/communic) - for all Nevermore fans
4. Textures - Drawing Circles (www.myspace.com/textures) - brutal mix of death, hardcore, prog etc
5. Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse - still very Evergrey to me, so I still love it
6. Doro - Warrior Soul - most Warlock like album since many years
7. Marcel Coenen - The Colour Journey (www.myspace.com/marcelcoenen) - versatile songwriter and awesome guitarist, lots of guests on this album
8. Assailant - Nemesis Within (www.myspace.com/assailantsweden) - w/elements of Evergrey, In Flames, Morgana Lefay etc
9. Jon Oliva's Pain - Maniacal Renderings - for all old Savatage fans!
10. Vanden Plas - Christ O - just a great progmetal album

But.. I did not hear these possible candidates yet:
Wolverine, Zero Hour, Antiquus (just ordered!), Eidolon (got it, but hardly listened yet), Vicious Rumors, Metal Church, Celtic Frost, Slayer, The Orchard (got it, not listened yet).

I also enjoyed: Iron Fire (http://www.myspace.com/officialironfire), Mercenary, Axamenta (http://www.myspace.com/axamenta), Kataklysm.

Good list Marlies. And some great tips. I am going to check them out although of I know some of them.

Let me tip you on a fantastic release that I am pretty sure you like, Novembers Doom - The Novella Reservoir a really fantastic album! Very varied and moody. Give it a try and let me know if you like it.

Check out their myspace although the song there does not do any justice to their new album:

http://www.myspace.com/novembersdoom


Marlies said:
By now I did get Antiquus, which I love, but Hawk I'm not sure yet if it is as good as their first :headbang:

Neither do I because I never heard their first album. ;) Time for me to go and check it out!