What are your favorite albums of the year

I can't narrow it down to 5, here's my 10, in no order (besides Gaeltacht Mael Mordha being #1).

Mael Mordha - Gaeltacht Mael Mordha
Alcest - Souvenirs...
Hellveto - 966
Kroda - Fimbulvinter
Manegarm - Vargstenen
Doomsword - My Name Will Live On
Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters
Shroud of Bereavement - Alone Beside Her
Drudkh - Estrangement
Graveland - Will Stronger Than Death

the upcoming Primordial will probably be somewhere in there.
 
I haven't given it too much thought.
Fortid's new album would definitely be on that list. So far, I'm really digging the new Mind's Eye, so that's a definite contender. The last Moonsorrow, Manes, and Dodheimsgard as well. I'm also digging the latest Mithras, Immolation, and Malevolent Creation albums, but I'm not sure if I would put them on a top 10 list.
If The Final Sign Of Evil can count, I guess I'dd add that as well.
I haven't heard the new Winds yet, unfortunately.
I would also add the last Melechesh album, but that's technically 06.

EDIT: It kills me that I cannot add the new King Diamond album to my list.
 
I still listen to it all the time. I really enjoy the music, and everyone in the band does a fantastic job (even though the drums are kind of boring, Matt's skill is unquestionable). But too much of the album has a "heard it before" sort of feeling (even the title track, which is my favorite song on the album, has a riff from the last album's Christmas song, and of course, Never Ending Hill's cross between Painkiller and The Storm), and the story telling is really terrible.
Normally, I wouldn't really mind that much. But considering that this album took 4 years in the making (granted, there were 3 large tours in this timeline), and that his previous album was a masterpiece, I expected more. Especially when so many of the problems in the storytelling could have been fixed with some proof reading, editing, and having an unbiassed party read through the lyrics.
Honestly, I still have no idea what the album is actually about, other than some little girl wants King's soul for some heavenly court. I don't know why she wants it (other than her dead brother being involved, and they were killed by their dad, or something like that), whether or not she actually gets the soul, or even why she wants it from King's character so badly (unless it's just another case of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time).
 
It did little for me, and usually that is the highlight of my year when he has a new release. You nailed it Metal head87, The story is so vague, inconsistant and bland, that it takes away that magic vibe that most of his albums have.
 
Deathspell Omega - Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum
Moonsorrow - V: Havitetty
The Pax Cecilia - Blessed Are the Bonds
Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters


That Virgin Black will be in my Top 25, for sure. It's funny that they said we'd get the rest of the trilogy in '07, but come October, we still haven't seen the other two and probably won't until next year. :loco:
 
Deathspell Omega - Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum
Moonsorrow - V: Havitetty
The Pax Cecilia - Blessed Are the Bonds
Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters


That Virgin Black will be in my Top 25, for sure. It's funny that they said we'd get the rest of the trilogy in '07, but come October, we still haven't seen the other two and probably won't until next year. :loco:

Yeah these things take time, I think I'd rather them take their time rather than rush out the final product though, ya know?

Moonsorrow are a great band BTW.
 
Officium Triste - Giving Yourself Away
Mael Mordha - Gaeltacht Mael Mordha
Longing for Dawn - latest one from Frederic Arbour/the band
Virgin Black's latest (can't wait for the next two!)

Oh, and of course the new Evoken due out this month!
 
Moonsorrow - V: Havitetty (fantastic album, not quite as good as Kivenkantaja though)
Between the Buried and Me - Colors (scoff all you want, there's major talent in this band)
Winds - Prominence and Demise (HOLY FREAKING GUITAR WORK!)
Swallow the Sun - Hope
Arch Enemy - Rise of the Tyrant (finally a great album from these guys)

I'm sure there's more, but I forget what's come out this year... The new Immolation was great too... fuck, soo much good music
 
I'm not sure BTBAM is your cup of tea..it has a lot of styles,jazz (which I happen to like a lot) and thrash among ohers..I think they call it experimental metal,I don't know..I have no idea about styles and stuff :lol: on the other hand..I have never heard of Mr. Vertigo,I'll see if I can find something to listen too. :)
 
I'm only going to give a partial list for now...

Estuary - The Craft Of Contradiction
Behemoth - The Apostasy
Denial Fiend - They Rise
DarkThrone - F.O.A.D.
Echoes Of Eternity - The Forgotten Goddess

A more complete list will be at the end of the year as I am still getting stuff, and my album of the year selection is a 4 way tie right now.

I would put Alone Beside Her, but I've had an advance of that since 2005, and I put it on my 2005 year end list.
 
I can't do "best o' the year" lists anymore. When I went broke, it occurred to me that I owned 2000+ CDs . . . MAYBE 500 of which I really knew. So I now spend my time rediscovering older stuff.