The best of the first half of 2007 ...

[carnut]

It's listing time again...Wich in your opinion are the best records that appeared in the first half of 2007 ?

For me:

1) Trouble ; Simple Mind Condition (simple but effective, pure Hard Rockin' Doom !!)
2) Neal Morse ; Sola Scriptura (Symphonic/progressive masterpiece)
3) Abramis Brama ; Live ! (great Swedish oldschool Hardrock !)
4) Symphony X ; Paradise Lost (Symph X shows why they are with the top of progressive Powermetal)
5) Suspyre ; A Great Divide (top notch Progmetal)
6) Sun Caged ; Artemesia (just too little people know this great Dutch Progmetal jewel)
7) Cage ; Hell Destroyer (Great and pure oldschool Metal)
8) Letter 7 ; Salt of the Earth (oldschool AOR in the vein of Tyketto and Prophet)
9) Orange Goblin ; Healing through Fire (rough stoner/hardrock/doom)
10) Masterplan ; MK II (not upto the quality with Jorn, but I'm pretty sure the next CD will be a killer! )

 

[tsorl]

Haven't heard enough to make a top ten so here's five:

1) Threshold - Dead Reckoning
A complete surprise, what a high quality album from start to finish.

2) Cage - Hell Destroyer
Well this was no surprise, I expected good stuff and got just that. Extra points for the well-executed story line.

3) Allen/Lande - The Revenge
No surprise here either, a very "safe" successor to the first album but it's just so good.

4) Kamelot - Ghost Opera
Doesn't quite reach the level of Black Halo but still keeps Kamelot in my personal top3 of the moment.

5) Masterplan - Mk.II
The band hit dire straits last year and came through with a very strong album. Both Mikes fit in perfectly. I agree that the two previous albums are superior though but future looks good for Masterplan.

 

[IWP]

So far my choices are Sanctity - Road To Bloodshed and 3 Inches of Blood - Fire Up the Blade.

 

[ElectricWiz]

My two favorite records thus far this year are:

Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
and
Machine Head - The Blackening (having never been a fan previously)

Despite the pretty much universally despised lyrics, I still think the new Megadeth excellent, and the new King Diamond is fast looking as though it will be a year end top ten...

 

[SoundMaster]

1 Redemption
2 Porcupine Tree
3 Roadstar
4 Therion
5 Saxon

 

[Midnight_Walker]

Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli

 

[Powermetal Rebel]

It's listing time again...Wich in your opinion are the best records that appeared in the first half of 2007 ?

For me:

1) Trouble ; Simple Mind Condition (simple but effective, pure Hard Rockin' Doom !!)
2) Neal Morse ; Sola Scriptura (Symphonic/progressive masterpiece)
3) Abramis Brama ; Live ! (great Swedish oldschool Hardrock !)
4) Symphony X ; Paradise Lost (Symph X shows why they are with the top of progressive Powermetal)
5) Suspyre ; A Great Divide (top notch Progmetal)
6) Sun Caged ; Artemesia (just too little people know this great Dutch Progmetal jewel)
7) Cage ; Hell Destroyer (Great and pure oldschool Metal)
8) Letter 7 ; Salt of the Earth (oldschool AOR in the vein of Tyketto and Prophet)
9) Orange Goblin ; Healing through Fire (rough stoner/hardrock/doom)
10) Masterplan ; MK II (not upto the quality with Jorn, but I'm pretty sure the next CD will be a killer! )

DAMN!! I've got a (stupid) question. Since you are the author of the thread - I'll ask you. Is this list intended for only 2007 releases or can it be albums that appeared in my collection during that period?
NP : Nightmare-Secret Rules (Beati Paoli).mp3

 

[Wicked Child]

I really, REALLY like the new Rush. That's probably my top album of the year so far. The Symphony X and Cage are up there too.

 

[delize]

Could change!

Annihilator - Metal
Symphony X - Paradise Lost
Trouble - Simple Mind Condition
Megadeth - United Abominations
Orange Goblin - Healing Through Fire
Paradise Lost - In Requiem
DDP - DDP 4 Life (a real feel good album)
Dark Tranquillity - Fiction
Clutch - From Beale Street to Oblivion
The Hidden Hand - The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote

 

[carnut]

DAMN!! I've got a (stupid) question. Since you are the author of the thread - I'll ask you. Is this list intended for only 2007 releases or can it be albums that appeared in my collection during that period?
NP : Nightmare-Secret Rules (Beati Paoli).mp3

only 2007 !!!

 

[carnut]

We had this already(kind of)
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/old-school/310191-album-2007-already.html

Fuck, I even replied on that thread...age thing I guess

 

[poundingmetal74]

New Titanic, Megadeth, Symphony X and Hammerfall are at the top of my list thus far. Threshold and several other quality bands have also released very good discs but I can't remember half of 'em. The new Black Sabbath tracks with Dio were great as well.

Most of the albums I'm really looking forward to don't come out until later this year. New Priest, Sebastian Bach, Z-Lot-Z and Krucible, etc.

 

[ElectricWiz]

1 Redemption
2 Porcupine Tree
3 Roadstar
4 Therion
5 Saxon

Oh yeah, that Saxon record is on my list too. It's great. Still haven't gotten that Redemption CD.....was gonna download from iTunes but they only have the clean version, and I don't want the edited variety....

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

Tentative list and not in order.

Thunderstone: Evolution 4.0
Candlemass King Of The Grey Islands (Deluxe Edition)
Saxon: The Inner Sanctum
Jorn: Unlocking the Past
Dark Tranquillity: Fiction
Xandria Salomé - The Seventh Vail
Silent Force: Walk the Earth
Threshold: Dead Reckoning
Clutch: From Beale St. to Oblivion
Serenity: Words Untold & Dreams Unlived
Symphony X: Paradise Lost
Ken Hensley: Blood on the Highway
3 Inches of Blood: Fire Up The Blades
Hellyeah: S/T
Redemption: The Origins of Ruin
Dream Theater: Systematic Chaos
Wizard: Goochan
King Diamond: Give Me Your Soul... Please

 

[Powermetal Rebel]

Here's a tentative list as there are many new arrivals here I haven't had time to listen to thoroughly yet (Megadeth, Candlemass, Thunderstone, Burning Point, Thunderstorm, Iron Fire, D.T. Symphony X... to name a few) - Although out of those...It seems only Candlemass has a shot at replacing any of these...
In no special order except those in the top 3 .... (All 2007 releases)
10 - Ensiferum - 'Victory Songs'
9 - Sacred Oath - 'Darkness Visible'
8 - Ritual Steel - 'Invicible Warriors'
7 - Domine - 'Ancient Spirit Rising'
6 - Dark Moor - 'Tarot' (OUTSTANDING CD after I'd given up on this band long ago)
5 - Holy Martyr - 'Still At War'
4 - Tie for # 4 - Wotan - 'Epos' / Crusader - 'SkinClad)
3 - Metal Law - 'Night Of The Wolf'
2 - Exiled (U.S.) - 'Blood Sea'
1 - Messiah's Kiss - 'Dragonheart'

 

[Captain]

There are already threads about best releases of 2007, but I can do it again.

Metal:
Neurosis - Given to the Rising
Middian - Age Eternal
Akercocke - Antichrist
Red Harvest - A Greater Darkness
Novembers Doom- The Novella Reservoir
Mithras - Behind The Shadows Lie Madness
Longing For Dawn - A Treacherous Ascension

Non-Metal:
Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet
Dinosaur Jr - Beyond
Brother Ali - The Undisputed Truth
Blue Scholars - Bayani
QOTSA - Era Vulgaris

 

[Wyvern]

New Titanic, Megadeth, Symphony X and Hammerfall

What Hammerfall? "Threshold" is from 2006

 

[Trans-Siberian Outcast]

Guess I better come out of hibernation and let you know what I've been listening to the past month or so, since I've been gone.

Therion still tops my list as #1 of the year.
Symphony X has a close second, and Sonata Arctica third.

Those are the only 3 gold pedastal albums for me, thus far.

I've also spent alot of time listening to the following excellent releases:

Trouble
Cage
Kamelot
Wizard
Saxon

 

[zeppelin]

Paradise Lost - In Requiem

Got it 'bout two weeks ago only, realy like this one

 

[wdiv]

1. Redemption - Origins of Ruin - Love this album.
Best Ray Adler performance in years. Big improvement over prior album.

2. Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
Really exceeded my expections & got me to start listening to DT again.

3. Trouble - Simple Mind Condition
A bit uneven with some great songs & some throw-away songs.

4. Therion - Gothic Kabbalah
Not as strong as Lemuria/Sirus B.

5. Megadeth - United Abominations
Solid album. On par with The System has Failed.

6. Symphony X - Paradise Lost
Still getting aquainted with this one. Expect it to rise in the ranks by end of '07.

7. Turisas - The Varangian Way

8. Candlemass - King of Grey Islands

9. Scorpions - Humanity Hour 1

10. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet