The top ten list of 2016

Wyvern

Master of Disaster
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Nov 24, 2002
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Is that time of the year again, and many know the drill, but there have been (thankfully) many newbies coming lately.

Write your top (10 minimum, no maximum) list of albums, concerts, videos, for 2016.

No bashing, no hit and run comments, all lists are valid in the eyes of the poster. This year I'll be specially harder on trolls.

I post mine usually on Dec 31, but anyone who like put it before is welcome. This thread will be "sticky" until 01/01/17 and then will have its own rotation.
 
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My list is not old school. Since my first post in 2001 I have discovered many new genres and my list is reflective of that.


Top 10 - 2016

01 - The Infernal Sea - The Great Mortality
02 - Allegaeon - Proponents for Science
03 - Netherbird - The Grander Voyage
04 - Wode - Wode
05 - Watchtower - Concepts of Math: Book One
06 - Wolverine - Machina Viva
07 - Dark Funeral - Where Shadows Forever Reign
08 - Anaal Nathrakh - The Whole of the Law
09 - Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence
10 - Opeth - Sorceress
 
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My list is not old school. Since my first post in 2001 I have discovered many new genres and my list is reflective of that.

Well ol' bird and dear co-mod :p, no one said the list has to be old school. And the most scary part is we have one album in common, the end is nigh :D
 
I have the rock and metal Top 10 and then the one that encompasses everything I listen to. Can't post them yet, but I will later.
 
15. Metal Church - XI (Probably should be higher but I haven't spent enough time with it beyond the 2 singles and one listen-through)
14. Michael Sweet - One-Sided War (Some great songs that would have made the last Stryper album even better)
13. Treat - Ghosts of Graceland (Kind of like proggy hard rock. I dig it.)
12. Vega - Who We Are (I think their best record, heavy AOR)
11. Megadeth - Dystopia (Nice return to form)
10. Hammerfall - Build to Last (Same vein as Revolution, just not quite as good)
9. Hardline - Human Nature (Got to interview Johnny Gioeli of HL, Axel Rudi Pell and my personal favorite Crush 40).
8. Metallica - Hardwired (They're back, finally. Reminds me of Load meets Black with some Puppets tossed in).
7. Matenrou Opera - Chikyuu (Symphonic metal meets visual kei power metal, love them to death)
6. The Defiants - S/t (Made me go back and check out Danger Danger and Paul Laine. Fantastic hard rock disc)
5. Symphonity - King of Persia (Fantastic symphonic metal featuring my beloved Olaf Hayer on vocals)
4. Palace - Master of the Universe (Heavy AOR at it's finest. The title track may be my song of the year)
3. Primal Fear - Rulebreaker (As good as their last, which I loved)
2. Avantasia - Ghostlights (Their best since Scarecrow, pretty frigging awesome)
1. Theocracy - Ghost Ship (They're like my favorite band ever. They constantly win whenever they release an album).

Honorable mentions: Brainstorm (good album, didn't really listen to it), Wicked Maraya (would be in the top 10, but it was recorded in 1991), Inglorious, Withem, Almanac, Zakk Wylde, Cloudscape...

Concerts for 2016: NAMM 2016, Graham Bonnet (with Kittybeast), Geoff Tate, Primal Fear, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, Matenrou Opera, Skid Row, Starship, Metal Church/Megadeth, Zakk Wylde, Wednesday 13, Hibria, Diamond Head, Sebastian Bach, Platinum Rock All-Stars (Rudy Sarzo, Bumblefoot, Carmine Appice), Steel Panther 2x, Armored Saint, Queensryche

Trips: LA/Vegas in January for NAMM, Toronto for Anime North (Matenrou Opera - one of my favorite Visual Kei bands), Nashville for Summer NAMM, Montreal for Hibria, Toronto several other times for many shows listed above, LA in September for the Audio Engineering Society convention.

This year I got to meet a lot of my favorite musicians and met a lot of new friends via NAMM and other conventions. Very excited for 2017. Just a few musicians I met included: Billy Sheehan, Wolf Hoffman, Satchel from Steel Panther, Dave Mustaine, Dave Ellefson, Stu Hamm, Dug Penick, Rex Brown, Vinnie Paul, Michael Wagener, Warren Huart, Mike Howe, Ralf Scheepers, Luca Turilli, Vinnie Appice, Michael Angelo Batio, Maor Appelbaum, Wednesday 13, Rudy Sarzo, Bumblefoot, Frank Soda, Fillippe from Angra, Mike from Fear Factory....

Interviews in 2016: Geoff Tate 2x, Mike Howe (Metal Church), Uli Jon Roth (ex-Scorpions), Paul Laine (ex-Danger Danger), Tom Naumann (Primal Fear/Sinner), Nathan James (Uli, TSO, Inglorious), Michael Clayton (ex-White Lion, Tyketto), PPL MVR (with Glenn Fricker), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, ex-Sabbath), Johnny Gioeli (Axel Rudi Pell, Hardline, Crush 40).
 
No fucking explanations.

Nekro Drunkz - Lavatory Carnage
Blood Incantation - Starspawn
Smut - Slop
Barrow Wight - Kings In Sauron's Service
Legendry - Mists Of Time
Angel Sword - Rebels Beyond The Pale
Eternal Champion - The Armor Of Ire
Witch Vomit - A Scream From The Tomb Below
Demon Bitch - Hellfriends
Church Of Disgust - Veneration Of Filth
 
As you might remember my friend, we had one album in common last year as well. :)

The sign of times... :p


15. Metal Church - XI (Probably should be higher but I haven't spent enough time with it beyond the 2 singles and one listen-through)
11. Megadeth - Dystopia (Nice return to form)
10. Hammerfall - Build to Last (Same vein as Revolution, just not quite as good)
3. Primal Fear - Rulebreaker (As good as their last, which I loved)
2. Avantasia - Ghostlights (Their best since Scarecrow, pretty frigging awesome)

We got those in common but a different positions.

***************************************************************************************************************


Heavy Metal

1. Megadeth – “Dystopia”
2. High Spirits – “Motivator”
3. Paradox – “Pangea”
4. Testament – “Brotherhood Of The Snake”
5. Church Of Misery – “And Then There Was None…”
6. Metal Church – “XI”
7. Charred Walls Of The Damned – “Creatures Watching Over The Dead”
8. Primal Fear – “Rulebreaker”
9. Serious Black – “Mirrorworld”
10. Denner/Shermann – “Masters of Evil”
11. Grand Magus – “Sword Songs”
12. Nordic Union – “Nordic Union”
13. Pretty Maids – “Kingmaker”
14. Woslom – “A Near Life Experience”
15. Death Angel – “The Evil Divide”
16. Hammerfall – “Built To Last”
17. Civil War – “The Last Full Measure”
18. Avantasia – “Ghostlight”
19. Anthrax – “For All Kings”
20. Lords Of Black – “II”
21. Bat – “Wings Of Destiny”
22. Motorhead – “Clean Your Clock”
23. Roxxcalibur – “Gems Of The NWOBHM”
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Hard Rock

1. Blood Ceremony – “Lords Of Misrule”
2. Tarot (AUS) – “Reflections”
3. Vardis – “Red Eye”
4. The Jelly Jam – “Profit”
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Progressive Rock/Metal

1. Lazuli – “Nos Ames Saoules”
2. Yossi Sassi Band – “Roots And Roads”
3. Counter-World Experience – “Pulsar”
4. Redemption – The Art Of Loss”
5. Anderson/Stolt – “Invention Of Knowledge”
6. Watchtower – “Concepts Of Math: Book One”
7. Will Of The Mountain – “Cloud Walking”
8. Karmakanic – “Dot”
9. Levin/Minnemann/Rudess – “From The Law Office Of”
10. Metamorfosi – “Purgatorio”
11. Edensong – “Years In The Garden Of Years”
12. Invoking The Abstract – “Aural Kaleidoscopes”
13. London Orion Orchestra – “Wish You Were Here Symphonic”
14. Dream Theater – “The Astonishing”
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EP’s

  1. Candlemass – “Death Thy Lover”
  2. Taberah – “Welcome To The Crypt”
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Stuff that didn’t made on time to be ranked before Dec 31

1. Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons - “Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons”
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Concerts

  1. Serious Black
  2. Ascendia
  3. Will Of The Mountain
  4. Savage Messiah
  5. Freedom Call
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My two lists are mostly similar this year.

This is the list that has all genres accounted for:

1. Sabaton - The Last Stand
2. Metal Church - XI
3. The Dead Daisies - Make Some Noise
4. Gary Hoey - Dust & Bones
5. Redemption - The Art of Loss
6. Flight of Fire - Path of the Phoenix
7. Black Stone Cherry - Kentucky
8. Kee Marcello - Scaling Up
9. Kiefer Sutherland - Down In A Hole
10. Blackberry Smoke - Like An Arrow

This is the strictly rock and metal list:

1. Sabaton - The Last Stand
2. Metal Church - XI
3. The Dead Daisies - Make Some Noise
4. Gary Hoey - Dust & Bones
5. Redemption - The Art of Loss
6. Flight of Fire - Path of the Phoenix
7. Black Stone Cherry - Kentucky
8. Kee Marcello - Scaling Up
9. Blackberry Smoke - Like An Arrow
10. Apocalyptic Lovers - Redemption Volume 1
 
Biffy Clyro - Elipsis
Alterbridge - The Last Hero
Lamb Of God - The Duke
Hellyeah - Undeniable
Jinjer - King of Everything
The Living End - Shift
All Hail The Yet i- Screams From A Black Wilderness
Anthrax - For All Kings
Death Angel - The Evil Divide
Black Stone Cherry - Kentucky
 
  1. Diamond Head – Diamond Head
  2. Fates Warning – Theories of Flight
  3. Flotsam and Jetsam – Flotsam and Jetsam
  4. Redemption – The Art of Loss
  5. Last In Line – Heavy Crown
  6. Metallica - Hardwired
  7. Metal Church - XI
  8. Megadeth – Dystopia
  9. Resurrection Kings - Resurrection Kings
  10. Watchtower – Concepts Of Math: Book One
 
1. Mutant - Pleiades
2. Substratum - s/t
3. Bewitcher - s/t
4. Nukem - The Unholy Trinity
5. Existance - Breaking The Rock
6. Anger As Art - Ad Mortem Festinamus
7. Flotsam & Jetsam - s/t
8. Sanktuary - Winter's Doom
9. Exumer - The Raging Tides
10. Olyphant - Expedition To The Barrier Peaks
11. Black Moor - Brave To The Grave
12. Unhoped - Sonic Violence
13. Gygox - Critical Hits
14. Aggression - Fragmented Spirit Devils
15. Trecelence - Justified Atrocities
16. Acerus - The Clock Of Mortality
17. Bat - Wings Of Chains
18. Serpent Crown - Incantations Of Vengeance
19. Ozark Shaman - Illusionary Plains
20. Inglorious - s/t
21. Eight Bells - Landless
22. Battery - Martial Law
23. Terrafyght - Beneath
24. Steel Inferno - Aesthetics Of Decay
25. Evilterror - Iron Dogs
 
No fucking explanations.

Nekro Drunkz - Lavatory Carnage
Blood Incantation - Starspawn
Smut - Slop
Barrow Wight - Kings In Sauron's Service
Legendry - Mists Of Time
Angel Sword - Rebels Beyond The Pale
Eternal Champion - The Armor Of Ire
Witch Vomit - A Scream From The Tomb Below
Demon Bitch - Hellfriends
Church Of Disgust - Veneration Of Filth

Mine has changed somewhat since I posted ^that:

Nekro Drunkz - Lavatory Carnage
Demon Bitch - Hellfriends
Quicksand Dream - Beheading Tyrants
Infant Death - Violent Rites
Spiritus Mortis - The Year Is One
Angel Sword - Rebels Beyond The Pale
Eternal Champion - The Armor Of Ire
Blood Incantation - Starspawn
Wytch Hazel - Prelude
Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder
 
My top 10 metal albums (studio only) for 2016


1. Katatonia – The Fall of Hearts
2. Dark Suns – Everchild
3. Oceans of Slumber - Winter
4. Amon Amarth – Jomsviking
5. Blaze Bayley – Infinite Entanglement
6. Ihsahn – Arktis
7. NaNe – Dogma
8. Opeth – Sorceress
9. Devin Townsend – Transcendence
10. Gojira - Magma

but there are still a bunch of highly rated albums from last year I haven't gotten round to listening to yet, so the list could change. Perhaps this list should serve as a reminder to myself to check out the albums released by King Goat, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Vektor, Sunburst, Ancients, Sumerlands, Fates Warning,...
 
My Top 10 for 2016

Zakk Wylde - Book Of Shadows
Devin Townsend - Transcendence
Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake
Anthrax - For All Kings
Running Wild - Rapid Foray
Megadeth - Dystopia
Suicidal Tendencies - World Gone Mad
Sabaton - The Last Stand
Amon Amarth - Jomsviking
Death Angel - The Evil Divide

I'd loved to have added the latest Hobbs Angel Of Death into that last, it's been a long time between drinks and they were a classic band that we used to see all the time on the local circuit but their long awaited release just wasn't as good as I expected.