Your Top 2009 releases so far...

[Lateralus14]

Don't have Dream Theater yet obviously but based on the two leaks I can take a guess. Therefore, so far:

Isis > Blut Aus Nord > Heaven & Hell > Fen > Wolves in the Throne Room > Dream Theater

Based on experiences listening to the other bands, the highest ND will get on this list is after BAN (I actually like ND better overall but that BAN album is like..their best by far for me), the highest Morbid Angel will get is behind Isis, and the only thing that will make the top besides the Isis album or a really random surprise is a Porcupine Tree album better than their last and ideally as good as In Absentia or Deadwing.

 

[Srontgorrth]

Yeah, the new Blut Aus Nord is really really great, and also the new Mastodon.

 

[NvmbrsDoom5]

The idea of already ranking albums and having your mind kinda made up about them before you've even heard them is on odd one to me...but whatever floats your boat.

 

[Novembers Paul]

I will mirror what Larry said, and add, that to pre judge a release is simply ridiculous, and close minded.

 

[Jasonic]

Well, I get what you cats (Larry and Paul are saying). I think they are basing those statements on their degree of being a fan of the band who has upcoming releases.
For example, this year I only have the new Grave Digger and HammerFall.
Candlemass and Novembers Doom have discs still to be released.
I can say with certainty, even without hearing either in full on disc, that both will rank higher for me than GD and HF, based on the fact that I am a bigger fan of ND and Candlemass.

That's how I took what they were saying to mean.

 

[beast from the east]

I'm really looking forward to the new BAN! Memoria Vetusta I is a classic, and I'm extremely anxious to see how #2 compares.

Fen - The Malediction Fields is my top '09 release to date. Really, really outstanding stuff! Kind of like a mix of Agalloch and old-school Ulver, with lots of post-rock, Mogwai/Explosions In The Sky type influences. This could be an early contender for Album of the Year. I believe I read that they had a support spot for Agalloch recently, as well.

 

[NvmbrsDoom5]

Well, I get what you cats (Larry and Paul are saying). I think they are basing those statements on their degree of being a fan of the band who has upcoming releases.
For example, this year I only have the new Grave Digger and HammerFall.
Candlemass and Novembers Doom have discs still to be released.
I can say with certainty, even without hearing either in full on disc, that both will rank higher for me than GD and HF, based on the fact that I am a bigger fan of ND and Candlemass.

That's how I took what they were saying to mean.

Yeah I understood the point. It just still seems a lil' weird to me, that's all. I guess I've just learned many times over the years not to expect things like that. So many times I've had bands who were my favorites wind up putting out a cd that I didn't care for, and wound up liking other stuff much better. I dunno it just seems like there's too much chance for the disc to impact you differently when you've got preconceived notions.

I mean, sure I want ND fans to look forward to the new disc and it's great that you guys think you'll love it and it'll rank high and all that.....but who knows, maybe it won't? I just want people to listen to our music with an open mind, whether their opinion winds up being good or bad. If that makes any sense?


On a different note, but on topic, I am really liking this Seventh Void cd. It's Kenny and Johnny from Type O Negative's new band. I think I like it better than most of what T.O.N has done lately. It sounds like Sabbath meets Trouble meets Soundgarden. And it has some of that signature Type O sound due to Kenny's guitar tone and vocals but I think he sounds much better here.

 

[great_kthulu]

for me crack the skye has been the best so far, awsome album. Now I am really looking forward to the new ND (empathys greed is awsome BTW) and red chord

 

[General Zod]

For example, this year I only have the new Grave Digger and HammerFall. Candlemass and Novembers Doom have discs still to be released. I can say with certainty, even without hearing either in full on disc, that both will rank higher for me than GD and HF, based on the fact that I am a bigger fan of ND and Candlemass.

How can you be certain that Candlemass won't release a complete dud? You don't strike me as the fan boy type. So, how can it be a guarentee that Candlemass will release comething you'll enjoy. By way of example, I'm a huge fan of Iced Earth. However, there were 19 releases in 2008, some by bands I had never even heard of, that I'd rate ahead of Iced Earth's last disc.

As for 2009...there's been a few very strong discs...

Fen - The Malediction Fields
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
Isis - Wavering Radiant
My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire
Manimal - The Darkest Room

Zod

 

[Jasonic]

I mean, sure I want ND fans to look forward to the new disc and it's great that you guys think you'll love it and it'll rank high and all that.....but who knows, maybe it won't? I just want people to listen to our music with an open mind, whether their opinion winds up being good or bad. If that makes any sense?

Understood. I think people do rank fairly once the year is complete.

As a fan though, I can't recall a year in recent times where so many people were as excited about the number of upcoming releases. It will be very difficult for folks to do their top 10. (As opposed to the past few years, where it was almost hard to even think of 10).

Therefore, I think lots of people this year are very stoked about the releases that aren't out yet.

 

[KittyKatatonia]

Everybody keeps raving about the new Fen album, and I've had it for well over a month now and I just don't see what's so great about it. I mean it has some serious potential, and I like parts of it very much...but there are just too many flaws for me to really think very highly of it. I think most of the clean vocals are very poorly executed, the songwriting and arrangements go from being great to being awful sometimes within the same song, some parts are way too repetetive, and many of the songs just fade out so quick it sounds cheap.

I'll definitely be interested in what the band puts in the future, but I personally don't think they're as good as they could be just yet. The have a cool atmosphere and some great material, but to get to the next level I think the next album needs a better performance, more work on their songwriting, and a bigger studio budget.

 

[Lateralus14]

The idea of already ranking albums and having your mind kinda made up about them before you've even heard them is on odd one to me...but whatever floats your boat.

I haven't completely made up my mind, but you can get fairly accurate expectations after listening to *several* of a band's albums over and over again. I'm ranking under the assumption that nothing really surprising happens; I understand that surprises happen - that Blut Aus Nord one was a huge surprise for me considering I only moderately liked the other album of theirs that I have - but how can you possibly rank anything then if you expect such dramatic changes all over the place. Yes you don't have to rank period, but that's kinda the point of this thread.

Basically all I was saying is that, for instance, although there's always room for Morbid Angel to release some fantastic and revolutionary record, the fact is, after hearing all their records (and there's a lot), I have a general idea of how much I like them and in what direction they're going. With Morbid Angel, I can guess they won't pull a total album of the year because for me, a straight death metal album just about never does that (Again, I'm not saying it *can't* happen, because it happened for the first time last year). With Porcupine Tree, they're one of my favorite bands so they could top the list; however, I am skeptical because their latest record was, imo, a step down from the three preceding them.

 

[Lateralus14]

Well, I get what you cats (Larry and Paul are saying). I think they are basing those statements on their degree of being a fan of the band who has upcoming releases.
For example, this year I only have the new Grave Digger and HammerFall.
Candlemass and Novembers Doom have discs still to be released.
I can say with certainty, even without hearing either in full on disc, that both will rank higher for me than GD and HF, based on the fact that I am a bigger fan of ND and Candlemass.

That's how I took what they were saying to mean.

bingo, though I wouldn't even go as far as to say "with certainty" - and also there's the above mentioned factor of watching the band's current direction. I.E. Fear of a Blank Planet and Watershed make me skeptical about two of my favorite bands, Black Album would have in the '90s, etc.

 

[NvmbrsDoom5]

"Watershed"......oi vey, we won't get into that debate again LOL I wonder how this album is faring now for the Opeth fans around here? I haven't really listened to it lately, on the occasions when I've felt like listening to Opeth, that's just not a disc I feel compelled to listen to.

 

[General Zod]

I haven't really listened to it lately, on the occasions when I've felt like listening to Opeth, that's just not a disc I feel compelled to listen to.

Compared to Ghost Reveries, Watershed is a 10/10. Compared to Still Life, it's a 1/10.

Zod

 

[Jasonic]

How can you be certain that Candlemass won't release a complete dud?

I have heard many samples, all of which were great.

I agree with you on Iced Earth.
Used to be a top 10 band where any previous release ALWAYS made my top 10. Not Crucible of Man, though it has grown on me actually.

I am not an extreme fanboy in general, but there are some bands I do consider myself a fanboy of (Candlemass, Nov Doom, Trouble, Helloween, Maiden, Motorhead). Those bands release a new album, very good chance it will fall in my top 10 with ease. I will admit though that in recent years, I actively seek out less and less newer bands, and actually discover or rediscover older bands (Most recently, stuff like Omen, Cirith Ungol, etc).

 

[NvmbrsDoom5]

Compared to Ghost Reveries, Watershed is a 10/10. Compared to Still Life, it's a 1/10.

Zod

Funny I feel 100% completely opposite about it than you do

But yeah I was really more wondering what people's feelings were about it now as compared to when it first came out. At the time alot of people raved about it but I don't hear so many people talking about it as much lately.

 

[NvmbrsDoom5]

Oh but then again Zod as we both know I don't know anything because I'm a bland untalented musician compared to Opeth

 

[beast from the east]

Watershed? I haven't listened to it for months. It just never held my interest much. *shrugs* In fact, I don't listen to Opeth as much anymore, period. I think I was overexposed for a few years and now I'm losing interest somewhat...

 

[ufomagnet]

Manimal - The Darkest Room

Wow, you like Manimal? I took all the photos for the CD booklet and their promo shots so I glad to hear that you like them too Didn't think that anyone outside Sweden knew about them. They just signed a contract with the German label AFM so "The Darkest Room" will probably get world distribution in June/July.

/daniel.