#2 Kamelot - Ghost Opera -- I like it a lot. Mid tempo, somewhat experimental Kamelot is my favorite kind of Kamelot.
My favorite Kamelot - possibly out of all of them. Perhaps not quite top ten material for me, but solid nevertheless.
DarkTide said:
#3 Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omniscient -- what a cool disc .. I've never liked anything this guy has done until this.
Very cool disc, but it's a mood play for me, not one I tend to reach for enough to put it up that high.
DarkTide said:
#4 Amorphis - Silent Waters -- another winner for Amorphis ... in a similar vein as the excellent Eclipse from last year.
This disc to me is akin to Pyramaze's "Legend of the Bone Carver" in that the same high level of quality is maintained from their previous disc, yet it doesn't seem to get the same hype as its predecessor. This one definitely has a shot at my list.
DarkTide said:
#6 King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul ... Please -- this one clicked with me right away. I'd rate it higher, but I think the concept is a bit weak, and the production is kind of thin.
I really wanted to like this, but it just doesn't hold a candle to "Puppet Master" in my book. The production and songwriting just leave me completely flat.
DarkTide said:
#7 Symphony X - Paradise Lost -- It took me a while to get into the mood to really spin this one, after initially loving it the first week it came out. I think it's high quality stuff, although I could use a little less Evil Russ.
Haven't spun it as much recently, but a very solid release, contender for sure.
DarkTide said:
#9 November's Doom - The Novella Reservoir -- I liked this one straight away. I kind of shelved it for a while, but came back to it again after seeing ND live at Alehorn.
These guys are hands down my favorite band with "doom" elements - but they are so much more. Passionate, focused musicians doing what they do best. Will be in my list for sure.
DarkTide said:
PC69 - In10sity -- Their best stuff since Sonic Dynamite.
Enjoyable throwback sound with more of a metallic edge. For fans of 80's metal, what's not to like?
DarkTide said:
Circus Maximus - Isolate -- Overhyped in my internet circles, but a good disc none the less. The singer is great, but some of the songs on here are not.
Need more time with this one - seems more uneven than the debut, but at the same time there's nothing that jumps out as "I dislike this" either. More of an absorber than the debut but a solid contender as well.
So, from everything you mentioned, I at the very least enjoy seven discs that you mentioned. My actual top 10 will probably look quite different, but it's nice to have more in common than we may have thought before.
Jason