Fabio Top 20 Albums of 2014

And then another year went by, 2014...keeping up with 2013, I went through more than 100 new albums. This year's top records list was a real pain for me. There were so many good records that came out in 2014!
Overall here are my top 50 metal and metal related albums of this year, special attention to the top 25 that made the “cut” (like if anyone really cares).
I said “metal related” because this list is going to include some non-metal stuff, but obviously the vast majority is heavy. And note that I did not list any EPs, compilations or live albums.
The order is indicative as one release is not definitively better than another (Metal/Music is not a competition), so chill-out.
I really like making those lists even if nobody reads them – it makes me reflect on the year that went buy and revisit the emotions that each of those records brought up.

Here they are...

50. Animals As Leaders - The Joy of Motion
49. Black Label Society - Catacombs Of The Black Vatican
48. Hammerfall - (r)Evolution
47. Sinbreed - Shadows
46. Gamma Ray - Empire of the undead
45. Axel Rudi Pell - Into the Storm
44. Skintrade - Refueld
43. Vanishing Point - Distant Is The Sun
42. Primal Fear - DeliveringThe Black
41. Cannibal Corpse - A Skeletal Domain
40. Brainstorm - Firesoul
39. Entombed A.D. - Back To The Front
38. Portrait - Crossroads
37. Unisonic - Light Of Dawn
36. Malrun - Two Thrones
35. Savage Messiah - The Fateful Dark
34. Arch Enemy - War Eternal
33. Bigelf - Into the Maelstrom
32. Allen - Lande - The Great Divide
31. DragonForce - Maximum Overload
30. Novembers Doom - Bled White
29. While Heaven Wept - Suspended At Aphelion
28. Wovenwar - Wovenwar
27. Blues Pills - Blues Pills
26. Grand Magus - Triumph And Power

25.Slipknot - 5 The Gray Chapter

I have never been into Slipknot. But without prejudice, I gave this one a shot. Surprisingly, after one listen I dug it. More importantly, it grew on me after each time. I still not a fan of the scratching sounds and more chaotic songs. But overall Corey Taylor's voice, be it clean or screaming, the pounding drums, the modern heavy feel, the switch between heavy and melodic, all of that makes The Gray Chapter a very ferocious and emotional experience.

24. Scar Symmetry - The Singularity (Phase I - Neohumanity)

I believe this is first album to get these guys back on track since original singer left. The two singers now are in sync and delivering on the expectations. The album is heavy, but also progressive and melodic. Big choruses and catchy passages combined with aggressiveness and good musicianship. Hopefully the next parts of the trilogy will continue their evolution.

23. Opeth - Pale Communion

Addressing the elephant in the room: this is not a metal album. It's prog rock and it's awesome.
Great melodies, musicianship and impressive vocal performance from Mikael Åkerfeldt. Almost every song is strong and there are no fillers. Still, a little bit of heaviness would've been nice!

22. Killer Be Killed - Killer Be Killed 
We have to always cautiously look at those "super groups". In many occasions, it's an uninspired marketing play. But not KBK, of course I'm biased since I do like a lot the voices of Max, Puciato and Sanders. The fact that they smartly alternate vocals and their styles in almost every song is very appealing. Most of the songs are very catchy and enjoyable which makes it overall a great album. With that said, we were expecting more from it, maybe more aggressiveness or creativity.

21. Judas Priest - Redeemer Of Souls
The Priest is back! And with their best album since Jugulator, and containing the most "classic" songs since "Defenders of the Faith". It does feel they went back in time to record Redeemer Of Souls. Consequently, obviously there is nothing new here - but classic Priest must be in any metalhead's list!

20.Architects - Lost Forever // Lost Together

The metalcore album of the year. Not many nice stuff came out from this sub-genre. But those guys delivered a solid record. Very aggressive and well written while also melodic at times. The balance between the metal and hardcore is perfect.

19. Magnum - Escape From Shadow Garden

Epic! The word to define this great album. Great melodies, huge choruses, very catchy and well produced. Bob Catley's unique voice gives the final touch for this must-have album for epic/power metal lovers.








18. Primordial - Where Greater Men Have Fallen
An emotional atmosphere of power epicness.  That's how I sum up this amazing heavy metal masterpiece for metalheads.
The low build-up of songs culminating with big sounds and choruses is just perfect. Where Greater Men Have Fallen is Dublin's Primordial second best album ever.

17. Transatlantic - Kaleidoscope

This is such a great album! In a fresh and modern way takes us back to early Rush and Yes. This record makes the list because of two of the 5 songs: Into the Blue (25 min) and the title track (32 min), fantastic songs: full of time changes, solos and great melodies. Clearly I don't even have to mention the quality of those top musicians. The other 3 songs don't keep up, and Shine is a radio friendly attempt. Hence why it has dropped a few points in my list.






16. Pink Floyd - The Endless River

Never thought to be listening to a new Pink Floyd album again! Really enjoyed the experience - a journey through their own sound, almost like a self tribute. Even more satisfying is the fact that makes you want to go back and listen to the really old stuff...Endless River brings back moments from the first albums, from Wish You Were Here and The Wall, and obviously Division Bell. Not exactly original but still who in 2014 writes a 47-min instrumental intro for a 6 min song with vocals ( which is brilliant btw)? Very nice!


15. Rival Sons - Great Western Valkyrie

Rock N' Roll from the 60's revisited in an elegant way, bluesy guitar solos, keyboards a la The Doors, and and catchy choruses. After a few listens I dare you not to start singing along. The first 7 songs are a hit avalanche, with less inspired final tracks.









14. Iced Earth - Plagues of Babylon

Disclaimer: I'm a long term fan! So I listened to it with great expectations but also a certain bias. The first half of it is based on their Wicked World and is really good - probably the song sequence I listened the most this year. Second half looses its power which compromised the overall rating. The vinyl sounds great and Stu Block really grew on this record showing how versatile and good he is. I consider it the power-metal album of the year

13. Vanden Plas - Chronicles Of The Immortals - Netherworld

I'm long time fan but still I looked at this one with a very critical eye. And I still I loved it. This conceptual album brings 10 tracks that form a cohesive entity of a beautiful power progressive metal. Each track is unique and uses different elements and variations. There's no formula. The constants are: Great vocals, beautiful keyboards and outstanding guitar work on the riffs and solos. All of it without being over-the-top.

12. Threshold - For the Journey


8 tracks of unpretentious, well-written, melodic, cliche-free progressive metal. Great musicians and a suburb and original singer. Simply put, another amazing work from those guys. I heard an interview that they discussed that this could have been a self-titled album. I agree and that's because For the Journey has it all. Heavier tracks, a ballad, an epic 12-min masterpiece, and full of great riffs. All the elements that have been the signature of this great band.





11. Soen - Tellurian

A progressive masterpiece - think (new) Opeth meets Tool! Beautiful and emotional music and amazing vocals by Joel Ekelöf . Not to mention super talented musicians without being over-the-top. Stefan Stenberg is probably the bass player of the year. And the final cherry at the top: great album cover. A must have for progressive music lovers.






10. Exodus - Blood in Blood Out

This is a thrash metal lesson! It's now my favorite Exodus' record. It sounds so direct, classic and yet modern. And what a production! Gary Holt has always been a great guitar player and song writer, but maybe those years playing Jeff's songs and riffs inspired him to make a masterpiece of thrash guitar riffs (and solos). Steve Souza triumphant come back picking up from what he left in Tempo of the Damned. If you are a thresh metal fan, you can't not include Blood in Blood Out in the list, period!






09. Machine Head - Bloodstone & Diamonds

Modern, energetic, brutal, melodic...new MH has it all. It has even more than it should, If there is one problem that prevented this album to be a masterpiece is the 71 min with 12 songs. And that's a problem because the second half clearly looses power and feels like a filler fest. With that said, the first 7 tracks plus Game Over (8 songs, my magic number for a masterpiece) represent the best of what Robb Flynn and his band have presented us during their career. The album contain all the MH trademarks and touches at the different styles they have experiment since their magnificent debut.

08. Sanctuary - The Year the Sun Died

Straightforward heavy metal and yet sounding modern, that's how Santuary is coming back to life. And yet heavily influenced by the Nevermore sound. Therefore, this is nothing really new . But, the riffage and guitar solos are fantastic, the vocals are powerful and unique as you would expected, and the song writing flows like a powerful hit collection. Then again such a traditional heavy album for headbangers gotta be in this list!







07. Ghost Brigade - IV- One With the Storm

High expectations coming to this one, and that's because I loved the previous ones so much. IV-OWTS builds on its predecessors and further explores the beautiful melancholy of Ghost Brigade's sound. It's heavy without being noisy with a lot of time changes and alternating vocal styles. The way some of the songs build up it's magnificent and most of the time culminating with outstanding drumming.







06. Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun

Ok, it's not as heavy and experimental as early works, but still how good is this? - those guys are some of the best song writers out there! Yes, they are flirting with more accessible territory and sorry but that doesn't make it worse. The guitar work, unbelievable drumming, melodies with heaviness, the vocal changes...and one strong song after the other.







05. Decapitated - Blood Mantra

There's something about this record...when it came out I would use my headphones and listen to it over and over again. All songs are very strong - aggressive, grindy and groovy, modern and straightforward Death Metal.









04. Sólstafir - Ótta

This album is so original, I don't even know how to label it. Of course that doesn't matter, the fact is that it's an outstanding piece of art. An experience that you have to enjoy from start to finish, there are no flaws in this record. Several elements are used and Otta (which means "Fears" in Icelandic) presents a journey with beautiful and heavy ups and downs.







03. Behemoth - The Satanist

You can feel the emotions flowing out of this record. This emotion is the glue between the heaviness, speed and melody that makes this a masterpiece of extreme metal. No fillers, no cliches, 9 tracks in which Nergal poured all the emotions he had to deal with during recent years.








02. Triptykon - Melana Chasmata

When leading Hellhammer and then Celtic Frost, Thomas G. Fischer became one of the godfathers of extreme metal . Now with  Triptykon, he continues to push the boundaries of heaviness. While building on the predecessor and first  Triptykon record, Melana Chasmata goes beyond what most bands do nowadays. Artistic and emotional, this album demonstrate that you don't need to be loud, noisy, fast to be heavy. Fischer's song writing is remarkable, the combination of his growls, dark lyrics and black riffs all melt into a deep melancholic heavy experience.






01. At the Gates - At War With Reality

I actually didn't expect anything from At the Gates. But after the first listen, I just wanted to listen to it again and again. Another killer come-back album (after 19 years!).
The album opens with an unusual narrative in Spanish, and follows with one of the best songs of the year "Death And The Labyrinth". From then it flows with 45 min of the finest melodic Death Metal. One that has influenced so many death and metalcore bands since 1995's Slaughter of the Soul. When it comes down to it, the songwriting is flawless with crushing memorable riffs all over the place. To that you add, Tomas Lindberg's distinct voice screaming his lungs out with full emotion and then you have a deserved follow-up of the 95's classic album.

d

Fabio's GMM 2014 Review

FRIDAY
Jeff Scott Soto
The good surprise of the weekend, as Devil You Know cancelled, I decided to see JSS whom I know very well from other bands (ARP, Maslmsteen, etc). The songs from those bands were the highlight – besides the medley Frozen/Crazy unexpected covers from his very good covers album.

Primal Fear
I’m a fan from their first album and this show confirmed that Ralf is one of the best power metal singers until today. Old classics and new songs from this year’s good album were a perfect blend…just too early and too short!

Triptykon
Dark, deep and intense show, as their outstanding new Album is! Two songs from it and two from the first CD and that was it, leaving the fans with a taste of “I want more” – but with songs typically over 10 minutes long, a festival set is too short for this magnificent band.

Steel Panther
Not the best show I have seen from them. First, I felt that the set list was suboptimal, then maybe the jokes are becoming repetitive? and finally too sexist and borderline offensive. They can make great songs and are obviously funny – but seems like they are going a downhill path…

Slayer
What’s left to say? Despite missing 50% of the original line-up, they are still an awesome live band – especially for festivals. No BS, thrash metal classics from the first minute to the very end. Thanks for the soar neck and damaged vocal chords!

Opeth
Another band that can only fit a few songs in a festival set, but that’s totally fine because they are awesome. The set list was very balanced, and luckily some very heavy tunes such as Heir Apparent. Those guys are such good musicians, great to watch.

A7X
I must confess I like their music, except for the new album which is a fabricated BS and it irritates me. But apart from that, the show was quite good and their performance flawless.

I also saw good shows from Annihilator and Sepultura.

SATURDAY
In Solitude
Good way to start day 2, In Solitude presenting a good show containing only songs (6) from the latest album (Sister). Musically it was great, but lacked a bit of connection with the audience, which at 12pm was pretty reduced.

Protest the Hero
I’m still working my way through their latest albums, progressive and complex – it does take time to fully appreciate them. Fortunately, this performance only helped! Outstanding musicianship, charismatic frontman and energetic songs

Gamma Ray
I’m a long term fan and have all their albums. But quite often I’m disappointed with their set lists. Rebellion In Dreamland is always worth the show, and now they also have the fantastic Avalon from the new album.

Mastodon
No question about how good they are. The new album, Once More 'Round The Sun, was presented with 3 great songs. Also great classics such as Crystal Skull and Megalodon. But the show lacked some connection with the audience. Maybe because it was relatively early and a sunny main stage.

TDEP
Maybe the best show of the festival. Pretty awesome set list, highly energetic (as usually), destruction on stage and the crowed going nuts.

Carcass
My 3rd show since the new album came out in 2013. No surprises, again a heavy metal class.

I also saw the shows from Nails, Trivium, and Dark Tranquility. None of each really impressed.


SUNDAY
letlive.
How good are those guys? The singer is so charismatic and spontaneous. The highlight was when he broke the watch that was there to keep bands on time. The set list was very energetic and balancing their both albums.

Anthrax
Every time I see them, it's one of my favorite shows. Of course I'm biased and screamed my lungs out! More thresh metal please!

Hatebreed
Played while Belgium was playing int he World Cup and I guess that drove the attention away a bit. But always an energetic metalcore show with their best hits.

Meshuggah
Unfortunately, I don't know their old stuff too well, so I didn't get into the mood. Additionally, by that time I was pretty tired (the age...)

Black Sabbath
I was impressed. I didn't think those guys can still pull it off. First time I saw Ozzy with Tommi...regardless of their age, priceless.

I also saw good shows from TBDM (too early), Comeback Kid, Black Label Society (not as good as previous appearances), BMTH and Architects (very good band!)

Fabio's Top 20 Albums of 2013

Wow, 2013...so many great releases, after more than 100 new albums, it was really difficult to select the tops ones. But regardless I put this list of my top 20 of the year.

20. Twilight Of the Gods - Fire on the Mountain
Primordial’s Alan Averill teaming up with other musicians from well known bands such as Dimmu Borgir to pay a tribute to Bathory and while doing that adding elements from Primordial and Manowar - the result was amazing. Seven tracks of flawless true metal as it should be. Even if without anything ground breaking, Fire On The Mountain makes you pump your first and loose your mind.

19. Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods
There's nothing to surprise anyone here, those guys are very consistent (maybe except for the song Hel featuring Messiah Marcolin , ex-Candlemass). But there are at least 5 monstrous songs that have all an Amon Amarth fan would want: Melodic Death Metal exploding epicness. Also production with Andy Sneap touch is great; I had to get it in Vinyl!

18. Watain - The Wild Hunt
With The Wild Hunt, Watain expanded horizons without compromising themselves. Erik Danielsson incorporated clean vocals and even a "dark ballad", "They Rode On" which is influenced by Pink Floyd and an awesome journey. But don't get me wrong, there are other 8 blistering black metal assault tracks to satisfy older fans.
 
17. Ayreon - The Theory of Everything
Arjen Lucassen song writing, plus a selection of amazing but very different singers, top notch production, a story that feels like you are reading a book, and legends as guest musicians (Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, and others) - There you have it, a genius delivering a suburb album! It's not easy to digest, and the lyrics can be cheesy at times, but it doesn't take the beauty out of the record.

16. Heaven Shall Burn - Veto
"Land of the Upright Ones" may be my song of the year and also "Godiva" is not far behind. Then there are other 3 or 4 songs that get your head banging. Plus the fun Blind Guardian cover of Valhalla. There is nothing new compared to previous albums, but those "hits" are so good and there's so much energy in Veto that it's addictive.  
 
15. Five Finger Death Punch - TWSOHATRSOHV1
Volume 1 is a monster record - catchy choruses, riffing and brutality that tops everything they have done before. Special guests provide a glorious touch to it, especially Rob Halford. If the last two songs were replaced by volume 2 "Here to Die" and "Matter of Time" it would be among my top 5 albums.
 
14. Letlive. - The Blackest Beautiful
The Blackest Beautiful originally takes post-hardcore even further and add to it funk and other unusual influences. One of the most exciting and intimate shows I have ever seen. Musicality it's raw rage with emotion, aggressiveness and melody, just fantastic, a must have!

13. Rotting Christ - Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy
Honestly, I did not know Rotting Christ, but gave it a try with this new album, and man, it's so good! The album is beautifully moving and melodic, full of dark passages, different languages. It takes you on a dark journey. I went back to their old stuff, and to me it's the band’s best album.
 
12. Fates Warning - Darkness In A Different Light
After 9 years without a new record, FW released this great album. It has all the elements that a FW fan would expect - progressive melodic metal with the well-known guitar style from Jim Matheos and the vocals from Ray Alder - suburb! Last 3 songs loose a bit the power, hence why it fell from the top 10.
 
11. Deafheaven - Sunbather
Sunbather was a very late entrant to my list and sky-rocketed to #11. One of the most intriguing extreme metal albums I have heard in quite some time. There's just something so strong and deep about Sunbather that I find myself hypnotized whenever I listen to it. It's black-metal, but it's not evil, quite the opposite it's very emotional and sad.
 
10. The Ocean - Pelagial
The Ocean nailed it, just brilliant, deserved the purchase of the Vinyl to fully appreciate this masterpiece! This is where heavy meats beautiful music. Incredibly well written, both musically and the conceptual lyrics.

 
9. Avatarium - Avatarium
Avatarium is the new band of Leif Edling (Candlemass, Krux) and this time with a female singer, Jennie-Ann Smith. Marcus Jidell (ex-Candlemass, ex-Evergrey, etc) plays some great doom riffs and added great melodic solos. The result is the best doom album of the year.

8. Atlantean Kodex - The White Goddess
As much as I love traditional Power Metal, it's been very difficult to see new good stuff coming from the genre, thankfully, Atlantean Kodex has reverted the trend. There's no filler at all on The White Goddess, long epic songs with awesome musical interludes that put you back in ancient Europe. It only dropped a few position in my list because I feel most songs could have been cut a bit shorter without loosing their power. Other than that, it’s just stellar traditional metal.
 
7. Avantasia - Mystery Of Time
I'm a big fan of Tobias Sammet's song writing and he has done it again, another brilliant Metal "opera". Honestly, Mystery Of Time brings nothing original, but it’s a well-written and displays epic power metal that I love so much. “Sleepwalking” is the only low point, can't take the pop flirting. Special guests make it even more special, amazing vocal works from Joe Lynn Turner, Michael Kiske, Biff Byford and even Eric Martin from Mr. Big.
 
6. Dream Theater - Dream Theater
This is the best Dream Theater album since"Train of Thought". It combines the heaviness of that album with "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" musicality, adding on top of it Mike Mangini showing what he has to offer and a very clear Rush influence. An opening track, an instrumental song, heavy songs, mid-tempo and an epic song, this album has it all. It’s a killer album deserving of the name Dream Theater.

5. Killswitch Engage - Disarm The Descent
I had huge expectations for this album after hearing that original vocalist Jesse Leach was the man deemed fit to replace Howard Jones. And those guys delivered it. Most songs are as good as anything from the classic first album and Jesse is singing much better than 10 years ago. It could have been the album of the year if Jesse had used a bit less clean vocals, basically the chorus of every song has clean vocals. Regardless, it's just a victorious come back from the metalcore masters

4. Witherscape - The Inheritance
Mastermind Swano new project is as instant classic. The clean singing is well balanced with concise growls, the riffs are great, production is top notch, and all of it very catchy. Plus, a conceptual story to follow. Let's just hope for a second album!

3. The Dillinger Escape Plan - One of Us is The Killer
I was lucky enough to see Dillinger Escape Plan this year for the first time, what a show! I had never seen them because this is actually the album that made me “get” their sound. Then I’ve gone back to older material and have found great songs and fell in love with their music, but this album is my favorite. It is insanely heavy and aggressive but also technical and melodic. Just couldn't stop listening to it!

2. Black Sabbath - 13
I don't care about forums, media and any drama on this "re-union", I just listen to the music, and it's great. Tony Iommi is the riff-master and the melodies are so catchy. Even if they were too inspired by their past-selves, who cares? They are still the same 3 guys and haven't worked together since 1978! For us who were not even alive during that era, it was great to have a taste of it.

1. Carcass - Surgical Steel
This is really awesome heavy music, period. Carcass is back after 17 years with "Surgical Steel" which takes the best moments of their previous three albums and melt them into explosive crushing metal at its best. The riffage is just so good, what a guitar work!

Awesome Bands That Are On My Top 45 List
21.The Black Dalia Murder - Everblack
22.Soilwork - The Living Infinite
23.Stone Sour - HoG&B2
24.Generation Kill - We're All Gonna Die
25.Hell - Curse and Chapter
26.Riverside - SONGS
27.Skeletonwitch - Serpents Unleashed
28.Oliva - Raise The Curtain
29.Kvelertak - Meir
30.Protest The Hero - Volition
31.Helloween - Straight Out of Hell
32.Airbourne - Black Dog Barking
33.Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing
34.In Solitude - Sister
35.Hatebreed - The Divinity of Purpose
36.Audrey Horne - Youngblood
37.Dark Tranquility - Construct
38.Alter Bridge - Fortress
39.Death Angel - The Dream Calls for Blood
40.Queensryche - Queensryche
41.The Temperance Movement - The Temperance Movement
42.Pretty Maids - Mother Land
43.Haken - The Mountain
44.Zodiac - A Hiding Place
45.Cult of Luna - Vertikal

Honorable  Mentions:
Clutch - Earth Rocker
Motörhead - Aftershock
Stratovarius - Nemesis
Bleed From Within - Uprising
Satan - Life Setence
Cathedral - The Last Spire

Biggest Disappointments:
Ghost
Volbeat
Avenge Sevenfold

Best Shows:
King Diamond - GMM2013
KSE - Melkweg, Amsterdam
Letlive. - Trix Club, Antwerp

Worst Show:
Volbeat - Fortarock

Fabio's GMM 2013 Review

Heathen: Awesome start, very good band, thrash and progressive-ish

Grave Digger: I like the band, but set list was disappointing

Asking Alexandria: They sure have a fan base, made a great impression

Helloween: Good show

All That Remains: I didn’t know any songs, but liked very much

Rotting Christ: great show

Heaven Shall Burn: Love this band now, Fortarock was better though

Katatonia: not the right type of music when you are very tired

Kreator: great as always, new songs are so good plus the classics

Twisted Sister: The rain ruined it…

Brainstorm: headache didn’t help me headbang here, but great show to start

Between The Buried And Me: One of my favorite bands currently, 3 songs of the amazing new album and one classic from Colors

Bullet For My Valentine: Like the band and the new CD, so it was fun

UDO: this was great, 30 min of heavy metal, one song linked to the previous, no blah blah blah, then a breath to 2 Accept classics

Down: Phil Anselmo is an amazing front man and the set list was full of the Nola classics - awesome

Saxon: Despite the classics and the new good album, it was boring – last time in the tend was much better

Iced Earth: Simply perfect - top 3 of this year

Slipknot: It doesn’t click to me, can’t like it. But the show was good and people around seemed happy

Pretty Maids: A good surprise, very nice Hard Rock

Hellyeah: didn’t like it at all, only listened to it while enjoying the sun

Parkway Drive: Full energy and great songs from the new CD

Stone Sour: Awesome show, the best songs and a Sabbath cover.

Ghost: In the MetalDome couple of years ago was much better

In Flames: Amazing, what an awesome band – so many powerful songs, my surprise was to hear Pinball Map – loved it!

Iron Maiden: not loud enough, boring crowed – people only knew Fear of The Dark – shame on you! On the other hand, what an amazing set list!

King Diamond – Best show of 2013, period!

Fabio's Top 20 Albums of 2012

Looking back at 2012, I put this list of my top 20 Albums of the year. This is just an indicative order, as I had no methodology to define them. But those were the ones that I played the most since I got them and obviously the ones that touched me.

20. Deftones - Koi No Yokan
Late entrant, to be honest it may escalate my preferences after a few more times listening to it. But I can say that the songs Poltergeist and Tempest were already enough to get this album in the top 20.

19. Enslaved - RIITIIR
Only 8 songs, like the old times. But 8 masterpieces. Vocal and rhythm variations beautifully done, the definition of progressive black metal!

18. Threshold - March of Progress
Great progressive metal piece! Good follow-up from the previous Dead Reckoning, but not quite as good.

17. Unisonic
I'm a huge fan of Michael Kiske and Kay Hansen, and I really like Pink Cream 69. Therefore no surprises I found this album very good. I was very happy that Kiske is singing quality hard rock again. And some songs more on the metal side and my favorites : Souls Alive, Never Too Late and Never Change Me.

16. Lamb Of God - Resolution
A punch in the face. Modern Metal with energy, melody and powerful vocals. It would be even better if focused on less songs.

15. Slash - Apocalyptic Love
Born a Hard Rock Classic. After the first CD, expectations were high and Slash and Miles didn't disappoint us. It doesn't have the same "charm"of the different singers, but at least one of the best.

14. Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage
I only found the time to listen to it later in the year, but got my speakers tired of playing the title song, The Axe and The Gift Of Guilt. It was enough to get it close to my top 10.

13. Parkway Drive - Atlas
I must confess, metalcore is relatively new to me. Not many bands of the genre appeal to me, in 2012, Parkway Drive is the one. Despite the fact that the vocals do not vary much, I really like the guitars in combination with Winston McCall's vocals. In sum, the metalcore CD of the year.

12. Opera Diabolicus - 1614
It was very high in my least earlier in the year, but lost some ground later. Still, an amazing work, I just love the different singers, long songs with many variations and of course all the Black and Gothic atmosphere. If you like Krux, Therion and Mercyful Fate - get this one!

11. Rush - Clockwork Angels
I'm a big Rush fan, mostly the albums leading to Moving Pictures. But I loved Test for Echo, not so much the ones after that. Clockwork Angels is a damn good record, specially Caravan, The Anarchist and Seven Cities of Gold. But I miss the progressiveness of the past, it's really more rock than progressive nowadays.

10. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist
German Thrash Metal! Not a revolutionary or innovative album, but an amazing demonstration of making powerful, brutal, fast and melodic metal. A Thrash metal lesson.

9. Stone Sour - House of Gold & Bones Part 1
Very late arrival in my list and it jumped up to 9th just like that! And I'm not a fan of Alternative Metal, and do not like Slipknot. But I just loved this CD. The double single sticks to your head and all songs are really nice, except The Travelers, Pt. 1 and Taciturn.

8. Manowar - The Lord of Steel
The best album since Louder Than Hell. It's what Manowar fans want, nothing new, nothing different, just true metal with lyrics that are just a variation from old songs, but who cares? "Never gonna change our style, If you don't like it time to leave"

7. Testament - Dark Roots of Earth
Man what a year for Thrash Metal! Testament is back with the modern, aggressive and melodic thrash metal from the last two CDs. Awesome!

6. Adrenaline Mob - Omerta
This amazing CD was top of my list for many weeks loosing ground only in the last weeks of the year. One of the best metal singer and drummer in activity, playing together with an awesome and creative guitar player equals one of the very best CDs of the year.

5. Anathema - Weather Systems
Simply beautiful Gothic Metal! So well written and perfectly executed, regardless of your genre preferences, this is one of the best pieces of music of the year. Present in almost all "top" lists and you just need to carefully listen a couple of times to know why.

4. Meshuggah - Koloss
Those guys are amazing, so creative, so brutal and heavy. The monstrous drummer, the djent guitars and the vocal that is basically another instrument perfectly blend in a new, modern and heavy sound. Do Not Look Down is the song of the year and I listened to it more than 50 times since March.

3. Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence
"This is not music, it's art" that's how I read it during the year and couldn't agree more. Not an easy listen, but once you grab their concept, what a journey. This is where Jazz meets Metal, Rock meets Metalcore, Dream Theater meets Carcass.

2. Kamelot - Silverthorn
I'm biased since my roots are in Power Metal. But still this CD is so good. A lesson of progressive power metal, a comeback after a weak CD and loosing the very charismatic singer. As history has thought us, nobody is irreplaceable!

1. Periphery - Periphery II
More than one hour of modern progressive metal with only 2min that I do not like (Epoch). Periphery is doing something really special and have a promising future. The variation on the vocals is just perfect and the quality of the musicians is suburb.