#12...MEGADETH _ SUPER COLLIDER
Standout Tracks: Kingmaker / Super Collider / Built for War
Mustaine and Co. have a good thing going with the current lineup. Not any better than anything recent, but certainly not any worse.
#11...STONE SOUR _ THE HOUSE OF GOLD AND BONES, PART 2
Standout Tracks: Red City / Black John / Peckinpah
Corey Taylor follows up his concept album endeavour with a solid hammer of hard rock.
#10...WATAIN _ THE WILD HUNT
Standout Tracks: All That May Bleed / The Wild Hunt / Outlaw
Black metal album of the year.
#9...SEVENDUST _ BLACK OUT THE SUN
Standout Tracks: Faithless / Black Out the Sun
These guys just keep putting out good hard rockin' albums.
#8...ALTERBRIDGE _ FORTRESS
Standout Tracks: The whole damn album
Slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite bands out there.
#7...PHILLIP ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS _ WALK THROUGH EXITS ONLY
Standout Tracks: Usurper's Bastard Rant / Bedroom Destroyer
A bit of a different avenue for Anselmo - more punk oriented than his stuff with Down or Pantera but there is no denying the man's authentic aggression. Takes a few listens to get into, but a worthy record nonetheless.
#6... ALICE IN CHAINS _ THE DEVIL PUT DINOSAURS HERE
Standout Tracks: Hollow / Stone / The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here / Phantom Limb
The world is a better place when Alice in Chains is making new albums. Nice to have you back once again, Jerry and friends!
#5...BLACK SABBATH _ 13
Standout Tracks: God is Dead? / Loner
No way this should have succeeded, esp without Bill Ward on board. Happy to get such an inspiring work from these old geezers!
#4...SEPULTURA _ THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN THE HEAD AND HANDS MUST BE THE HEART
Standout Tracks: Trauma of War / The Vatican / Tsunami / The Bliss of Ignorants
It's difficult to think that Derrick Green has been a member of Sepultura for longer than Max Cavalera was at this point. And while it will be hard for any incarnation of this band to duplicate the quality of early works such as Chaos AD or Roots, there is no reason to ignore the excellent stuff they are putting out now. Precise and tight with a bit of the expected tribal influences we've come to love. Badass.
#3...QUEENSRYCHE _ QUEENSRYCHE
Standout Tracks: Where Dreams Go to Die / Redemption / Don't Look Back
So odd they would return to serious form without their most recognizable member. The best Ryche album in almost two decades. They make it sound so easy - almost like they never left. Hope this incarnation continues...FU indeed, Geoff Tate!
#2...CARCASS _ SURGICAL STEEL
Standout Tracks: All of them but the best song titles get the nod here: Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System / A Congealed Clot of Blood / The Granualting Dark Satanic Mills
Released their last album 17 years ago. Then all of a sudden they are back, and we should all be thankful. Groovy Riff Immolation at its finest. Bravo.
#1...CHIMAIRA _ CROWN OF PHANTOMS
Standout Tracks: No Mercy / All That's Left is Blood / Plastic Wonderland / Crown of Phantoms
The finest album of the year. Such a powerful album. Well done.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Trivium - Vengeance Falls / Killswitch Engage - Disarm the Descent / Havok - Natural Selection / Dream Theater - DT / James LaBrie - Impermanent Resonance / Oblivion Soundtrack / Man of Steel score by Hans Zimmer
ALSO OF NOTE:
Two great soundtracks worth mentioning:
That's all folks!
No comments:
Post a Comment