日志

Tue 22 Dec – Morpheus Rising + Guests

Before the show there is a great sense of atmosphere in the air. Three Yorkshire acts have come together tonight to raise money for York Boxing Club and ‘Off The Hook’ rehearsal rooms, not only that but they have come here to play some anthemic, loud and brash classic rock music. Despite the cold weather more than a few dedicated rockers have ventured out to The Duchess and it’s great to see – to the bands and people in attendance it’s obvious that York’s alternative and rock scene is thriving as we head into 2010.

Leap of Faith

First off, we have York local lads Leap Of Faith who rely on a hefty mix of influences. Drawing from the progressive power of Tool and the balls-out metal onslaught of Metallica on their ferocious material, the band hook the interest of the dedicated local crowd tonight. This type of live energy is rarely exposed on the local scene and the group appear to have worked hard over their two-year history to produce a catalogue of affecting classic-prog metal. ‘Don’t Look Down’ is our standout of the night – this one features some seriously tasty riffs, uplifting melodies and jackhammer drum work akin to fellow York natives Mantra. Leap Of Faith make really rough and raw, dirty metal music that’ll surprise you with its diversity and strength – this band are aching to be introduced to bigger stages and we look forward to seeing more from them in 2010.

Soul Circus

Soul Circus unleash stadium-sized brooding indie anthems that take inspiration from The Pixies and The Stone Roses via Jimmy Eat World. On their standout track ‘I Still Believe’ vocalist Lloyd Bradley’s hypnotic tones crash against strong beats and smooth cascading riffs to create an accessible and totally genre-spanning tune. Other particularly positive offerings include ‘Fire’ and ‘Never Forget’ – these tracks mix the emotive style of The Smiths with The Arctic Monkey’s raw commercial appeal. Indeed, the band seem to take inspiration from a variety of sources including those pop-rock darlings Razorlight, but honestly, this five-piece blow Johnny Borrell and co. out of the water. Performance-wise the group come across like a punkier version of The Killers – there’s buckets of energy on offer here and each member of the band seems to relish the space they are given, making the most of it to entertain the crowd who are suitably warmed up and ready to dance following Leap Of Faith’s opening. We won’t be surprised if Soul Circus are impressing festival crowds in the late summer of next year with a sound that draws from credible influences but also packs in enough originality to justify the solid reputation that this lot have been developing locally and nationally.

Morpheus Rising

The headlining band Morpheus Rising immediately evoke with their smashing beats and decadent riffage following a suitably epic intro. As is the theme of the evening, this band are all about stadium-baiting rock music drawing from legendary influences like The Cult and Iron Maiden. On ‘Save The Day’ the band pour all of themselves into the song and demonstrate a real emotion, intensity and grit that is rare within the contemporary rock scene on a national scale, nevermind locally.

‘Brave New World’ is another great standout of the set and it incorporates a touch of AC/DC at their most raw and relevant alongside some Saxon-style explosive guitar rhythms. Meanwhile, ‘Fighting Man’ is truly epic classic rock that if given the chance could really see MR challenging peers like Iron Maiden and The Mission on an international stage. With world-beating material like ‘Lord Of The North’ and ‘Quench Your Thirst’ in their back-catalogue Morpheus Rising should be celebrated as proud representatives of the classic rock genre in York. Indeed, they are one of the city’s standout groups in terms of their live performance and the desire that they put across to the audience is most admirable.

We look forward to seeing more from this lot in the New Year as they work hard to resurrect nwobhm (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) music without using tired clichés and sticking to any particular blueprint. Morpheus Rising play the closest thing to real and proper classic metal – so, come get some!

Taken from the Sphere Magazine review published online on 23rd Dec 2010.

Just an idea for doing something a bit different with the concept of 'top albums of 2009'.

Before I start, I'll say that all of this is entirely subjective, and was never intended to be considered otherwise. When I say "best" I essentially mean "my favourite" (only it sounds slightly lamer if I write that in the titles). Given that they're nothing more than preferences, keep in mind that you would make yourself look silly if you posted to tell me that my choices were rubbish or that I was a terrible person or anything along those lines xD. That said, you are more than welcome to tell me what you'd put in any of the categories instead (indeed, I'd love to hear) or to give any other comments you might have.

I'd also like to say that these are picked out of the albums I've bought this year, not albums that have been released this year (although some of them obviously fulfill both categories). So yes, I am, in fact, aware that Mandylion didn't come out in 2009 :D

Best Cover Art:
Souvenirs (The Gathering)
The first win is rather predictive of the rest - I warn you, there will be a lot of wins from The Gathering ;). Souvenirs has probably the best cover art I've seen. The ethreal form, artistic patterns and dark green lighting perfectly match the hypnotic effect that the album has. The lyrics booklet is similarly beautiful.
Runners-up: Accessories, The Days of Grays

Best Drumming:
Metropolis Pt 2 (Dream Theater)
I'll say this now - I know nothing about drumming, and therefore am completely unable to judge what takes more technical skill and what's easier, only what I like and what I don't like. And I love the drumming in Metropolis Pt 2. The final sections of Finally Free are probably my favourite piece of drumming ever, but the drumming really hits home in all of the heavier tracks in this album (Beyond This Life, Home etc.). Great stuff.
Runners-up: At the Heart of Winter, Fate of Norms

Best Guitar Riffs:
At the Heart of Winter (Immortal)
I've only started listening to Immortal quite recently with At The Heart of Winter, and what an experience listening to that album is. It's some of the most powerful music I've heard. The riffs really pack an incredible punch, from the darker and more dissonant riffs in Tragedies Blows at Horizon to the brighter and catcher in Where Light and Dark don't Differ, and I certainly intend to explore the rest of Immortal's discography in 2010.
Runners-up: Mandylion, Night Eternal

Best Guitar Solos:
Images & Words (Dream Theater)
The obvious choice, really. The long solo sections in Metropolis Pt 1 and Learning to Live, the incredibly powerful solo in Under a Glass Moon and the shorter but still very effective solo sections in the first four tracks make this a sure winner for guitar solos. John Petrucci's work is stunning throughout, and he makes me feel thoroughly ashamed of my own rather poor guitar skills.
Runners-up: Wintersun, Paradise Lost, Metropolis Pt 2

Best Keyboards:
Metropolis Pt 2 (Dream Theater)
Come on, Dream Theater. This is the third out of four instrumental awards so far that you've won. Give the others a chance :p. The fact is, though, that Dream Theater's instrumental work is ridiculously good. Their use of keyboards in Metropolis Pt 2 is stunning. It's obviously necessary to highlight The Dance of Eternity, as some of the patterns in that are stunningly complex and work amazingly well, but really throughout Metropolis Pt 2, the use of keyboards is brilliantly composed and equally brilliantly executed.
Runners-up: Images & Words, The Days of Grays

Best Bass:
Piece of Mind (Iron Maiden)
Not that I really need to justify the legendary Steve Harris, Iron Maiden uses bass like no other (perhaps more than a little by virtue of their bass player being the main creative force behind their music). Not only is it very distinctly audible and brilliantly written, it works fantastically with the drumming to create an amazingly strong rhythm section.
Runners-up: Images & Words, Powerslave

Best Male Vocals:
The Days of Grays (Sonata Arctica)
The legend that is Tony Kakko; there was no chance of anyone else winning this category. Hitting every note perfectly with an incredibly emotional voice (even when recovering from illness...), Tony is probably the best frontman of any band I know of, from his vocal abilities to his showmanship. The Days of Grays has some wonderful examples: the chorus of The Dead Skin, the creepy whispers in Juliet, the mocking tones in Zeroes. An irreplaceable vocalist.
Runners-up: Somewhere Far Beyond, Paradise Lost

Best Female Vocals:
How to Measure a Planet? (The Gathering)
Anneke van Giersbergen is without competition as a female vocalist. Quite apart from being note perfect with an incredible range, she is capable of expressing emotion like no other vocalist. As if that weren't enough, she's also an excellent lyricist. Really, I could have picked any of The Gathering's albums, and was tempted towards Mandylion, but the incredible expression in tracks such as Travel, Red Is a Slow Colour and Illuminating meant that How to Measure a Planet? pushed ahead. If you're a fan of female vocals, you should consider The Gathering or Agua de Annique (Anneke's more recent project) essential listening.
Runners-up: Theatre of Tragedy, Mandylion

Darkest Album:
Det Som Engang Var (Burzum)
Creating a dark and depressive atmosphere is something that metal musicians regularly try to do, and rarely pull off really well. Which isn't to say that the music isn't still worth listening to, but it's a rare album that completely surrounds the listener, and makes them feel genuine anguish or despair. Fortunately, there's always Burzum's Det Som Engang Var. Agnoising screams pierce a landscape of harsh and dissonant guitar chords. I finally feel like I'm starting to get to grips with this album, but at first I could barely listen to such an intense expression of unhappines and, strange as that may seem, that's a major point in favour of this album.
Runners-up: Theatre of Tragedy, At the Heart of Winter, Bergtatt

Most Emotional Album:
Mandylion (The Gathering)
I won't lie, Mandylion is a pretty tough album to really get into, despite the female vocals. There are a couple of reasonably accessible tracks on there (Strange Machines, Eleanor), but even those you don't really get that much out of beyond "hey, that's a nice riff" on your first few plays through. With fifteen or twenty hours listening investment, however, the album is something truly wonderful to behold. The Leaves solo is my favourite guitar solo of all time, not because it's fast or technically demanding, but because it's so incredibly warm and emotional, and it really makes you feel something special as it hits that climax. Meanwhile, the chords that end Sand & Mercury send shivers down the listener's spine, whilst the feeling of hearing the break into the chorus of In Motion #1 near the end of In Motion #2 is one of the most emotionally charged moments in anything I've ever heard.
Runners-up: Metropolis Pt 2, The Days of Grays, Sleepy Buildings

Most Energetic Album:
With Oden on Our Side (Amon Amarth)
Amon Amarth have been a great discovery of the last few months. They aren't particularly deep or complex, and they haven't made me look at life in a new way, but when I want to sit down and listen to some angry Sweedish guys growling about Vikings and killing people, they're unbeatable ;). With Oden on our Side has an epic energy to it, right from the opener Valhall Awaits Me. Great strong riffs, powerful vocals, and just enough melody that it gives you something to grab onto and carry the energy through each warlike track.
Runners-up: Dancing With The Dead, Fate of Norms

Most Atmospheric Album:
Souvenirs d'un autre Monde (Alcest)
One of a very few albums that I can just lie back and close my eyes and listen to for a completely other-wordly experience. That sounds rather melodramatic, but it's true - Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde has an amazingly thick atmosphere, and won this title by several miles (as much as musical quality clearly can't be measured in miles...). If you haven't heard this album, I really, really recommend you look it up - it's an experience completely unlike any other, and very accessible, whatever your preferred genre of music (in some senses, it can't even be called metal).
Runners-up: Aegis, Souvenirs, Det Som Engang Var

Best Live Album:
Sleepy Buildings (The Gathering)
One of the things that I have loved about getting into The Gathering is the way that they make me think about and concentrate on their tracks. There's something about the music they write (something beyond just complexity) that makes their music challenging to get into. The main thing that I loved about Sleepy Buildings was how much it helped me to understand tracks that I hadn't got anything out of before, and to appreciate the original versions so much more. Amity, Saturnine, Marooned and Shrink were instantly transformed on the first listen from dull tracks not really worthy of the rest of the album into beautiful and emotional pieces. Meanwhile, tracks that I already knew well and loved were given a new angle - hearing an acoustic version of Eleanor was breathtaking. Most of all, Anneke's voice sounds absolutely incredible on the live recording, showing qualities that she didn't have on the studio recordings, and I certainly intend to purchase more of The Gathering's live albums.
Runners-up: End of An Era

Best Concept Album:
Metropolis Pt 2 (Dream Theater)
For this category, I put a lot of weight on how the album as a whole fits together, and how strongly it follows its chosen concept. Metropolis Pt 2 was therefore the very obvious choice. Metropolis Pt 2 follows the story of Nicholas, a man haunted by dreams of a girl. Through hypnotherapy, he discovers that he was this girl ('Victoria') in a past life, and then has to search through his memories and through stories of the past to uncover the truth behind Victoria's tragic murder. Every song is tied in so closely to the concept, and follows an original and inventive story to a rather stunning twist in the climax. The story itself is extremely emotional in parts (I feel a great surge of sadness even now when I listen to Nicholas breaking down in tears when he visit's Victoria's grave in Through Her Eyes). It's an album that gains about 500% extra value if it's listened to straight through, and I've never heard an album quite so closely tied to its concept as Metropolis Pt 2 is.
Runners-up: Nightfall in Middle Earth, How to Measure a Planet?

Most Important Album:
Velvet Darkness They Fear (Theatre of Tragedy)
Probably the most difficult category to pick a winner for. This was for the album that had the greatest influence on my music taste - that helped the most to transform and improve it. My taste was extremely limited this time last year, and has transformed so much over the past year that it's almost unrecognisable, so there were lots of albums that were considered. In the end, I had to go for the one that caused me to finally break away from my dedication to power metal and start investigating the rest of metal properly. Quite apart from that, Velvet Darkness They Fear is a fantastic album, and one I'd recommend to anyone.
Runners-up: Wintersun, Nighttime Birds

Best Albums:
(I decided for these that I would have to make a rule that each album had to be by a different artist - otherwise four out of the five would be albums by The Gathering ;)

5. Souvenirs d'un autre Monde (Alcest)
Mind-blowingly atmospheric, Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde was effectively my first taste of black metal, but as it was black metal in shoegaze form, it provided an incredibly accessible introduction. More than that, Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde is one of the most beautiful albums I own, and I found it had an incredibly powerful way of 'surrounding' me in a way that I haven't come across with other albums (although it's what I hope to get out of black metal once I know it better). Neige is without doubt a masterful composer, and I am looking forward very much indeed to seeing him perform live in April.

4. Wintersun (Wintersun)
I had a very difficult time getting into the growled vocals present in the heavier subgenres of metal, and I consider Wintersun the turning point. Before Wintersun, I could bear to listen to growled vocals, but Wintersun made me see that they can actually add a lot of energy and power to a track, and are often preferable to clean vocals. Not only was Wintersun important for my musical development, it's also an incredible album. Technical melodic solos, fast-paced drumming, and very powerful vocals. At the end of 2009, Wintersun are the only band other than The Gathering to have got a track into my top 15 most played, and for good reason - it's fantastic work. Now I just have to join the endless legions of fans waiting for Time...

3. The Days of Grays (Sonata Arctica)
Short of copying and pasting bits out of my review for The Days of Grays, there's not much to say about it, other than that it's yet another amazing offering from Sonata Arctica, the band that introduced me to metal, and who are just about still my favourite band, a crown that they have sustained over the last few months thanks to this album, and to their incredible performance on the 3rd (quite possibly the best hour and a half of my life). They are probably to (sadly) lose that crown to The Gathering in 2010 (partly a function of me moving away from the kind of music they make anyway, and partly a function of The Gathering just being so ridiculously good), but I will forever appreciate the good that Sonata Arctica have done my music taste. The Days of Grays is a fantastic album, and I will be listening to it for quite some time.

2. Metropolis Pt 2 (Dream Theater)
A surprise entry at number 2? Perhaps. A month or so ago, I would never have considered putting anything other than The Days of Grays at number 2. I would like to say that it was a difficult decision to put Metropolis Pt 2 here at the number 2 spot, but in actual fact, even in the light of having seen Sonata Arctica's amazing performance of The Days of Grays, it wasn't. Metropolis Pt 2 simply contains better music than The Days of Grays. Whilst James LaBrie's vocals are obviously inferior to those of the great Tony Kakko, the guitar work in Metropolis Pt 2 is far superior (both in terms of the solos - see above - and the incredible rhythm guitar in tracks such as Beyond This Life and Finally Free). The songwriting is on another level, the lyrics of individual tracks are slightly worse, but the way that the lyrics slot together across the album and refer back to each other and to Metropolis Pt 1 is ridiculously clever. Sonata Arctica would usually have won me over on the strength of its emotional and romantic lyrics, but Metropolis Pt 2 even does these better than Sonata Arctica. Most of all, the way that Metropolis Pt 2 fits together makes listening to it straight through an incredible experience - almost like watching a film through music - and an album so unique as this more than deserves to win out over my favourite band's most recent offering.

1. How to Measure a Planet? (The Gathering)
The Gathering are by far my best musical discovery of the year, and well on their way to replacing Sonata Arctica as my favourite band (quite an incredible feat, given how much Sonata Arctica have been responsible for, and how long they've held that position). Were it not for the unfortunate lyrics of Liberty Bell, I would consider How To Measure a Planet? a perfect album. Beautiful, deep and incredibly emotional, from the anguish at the end of Travel to the uplifting Illuminating. The songwriting and every instrumental performance is incredible - the wonderful guitar solo in Great Ocean Road, the drums in Probably Built in the Fifties, the bass in Frail and My Electricity, the incredible attention to detail in the synth work, and it goes without saying that the vocals provided Anneke van Giersbergen are indescribable. A masterpiece.

misterblonde84's top albums (12 months) 1. David Bowie - The Singles Collection (293) 2. KISS - Gold (234) 3. Muse - The Resistance (168) 4. Iron Maiden - Flight 666 the Original Soundtrack (Live) (156) 5. Bruce Springsteen - Greatest Hits (150) 6. Deep Purple - Deepest Purple - The Very Best Of (141) 7. The Smashing Pumpkins - Greatest Hits - Rotten Apples (131) 8. Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York (123) 9. AC/DC - No Bull: live in Madrid (116) 10. Muse - HAARP (115) 11. Airbourne - Runnin' Wild (114) 12. Judas Priest - Painkiller (112) 13. Nirvana - Nervermind (112) 14. AC/DC - AC/DC Live: Collector's Edition - cd2 (112) 15. Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot (109) 16. Jethro Tull - Aqualung (109) 17. AC/DC - AC/DC Live: Collector's Edition - cd1 (104) 18. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction (101) 19. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon (101) 20. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind (96) 21. Radiohead - OK Computer (95) 22. Iron Maiden - Powerslave (95) 23. Radiohead - In Rainbows (93) 24. AC/DC - Back in Black (91) 25. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast (91) 26. Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark (89) 27. KISS - Sonic Boom (87) 28. U2 - 2009-07-07 - Milano, Italy (86) 29. Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild (Music for the Motion Picture) (83) 30. The Killers - Day & Age (83) 31. Muse - Origin Of Symmetry (advance) (70) 32. Radiohead - Com Lag: 2+2=5 [EP] (68) 33. Muse - Absolution (67) 34. Mötley Crue - Red, White & Crue (66) 35. Muse - Hullabaloo Soundtrack (62) 36. Muse - Showbiz (61) 37. The Killers - Hot Fuss (59) 38. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations (55) 39. Megadeth - Rust in Peace (53) 40. Pearl Jam - Ten (53) 41. Queen - A Kind of Magic (53) 42. The Beatles - Anthology 1 - Disc 2 (52) 43. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack (52) 44. Aerosmith - Greatest Hits (51) 45. Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape (51) 46. The Beatles - Anthology 2 - Disc 2 (51) 47. KISS - Kiss (50) 48. Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death (47) 49. KISS - Destroyer (47) 50. Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith (47)

CD's

AC/DC – Live
Ajattara – Kuolema
Alestorm – Captain Morgan's Revenge
Amon Amarth – Once Sent From the Golden Hall
Amon Amarth – The Avenger
Amon Amarth – The Crusher
Amon Amarth – Versus the World (Viking Edition digipack - signed)
Amon Amarth – Fate of Norns (digipack)
Amon Amarth – With Oden on Our Side (digipack)
Amon Amarth – Twilight of the Thundergod (ltd box set)
Amorphis – Tales From the Thousand Lakes
Ancient Rites – Dim Carcosa
Ancient Rites – Rubicon
Ascension - Durin's Bane Demo
Axenstar – Far From Heaven
Axenstar – Perpetual Twilight
Axenstar – Inquisition
Axenstar – Final Requiem
Ayreon – The Final Experiment (remastered)
Ayreon – The Human Equation
Bad Company – 10 From 6
Bal-Sagoth - Battle Magic
Bal-Sagoth – Atlantis Ascendant
Basil Poledouris – Conan the Barbarian Soundtrack
Bathory – Blood Fire Death
Bathory – Hammerheart
Bathory – Nordland
Bathory – Nordlan II
Battlelore – Where the Shadows Lie (signed)
Battlelore – Sword's Song (digipack, signed)
Battlelore - Third Age of the Sun (Signed)
Battlelore - Evernight (signed)
Battlelore - The Last Alliance (signed)
Battlesword – Failing in Triumph (digipack)
Black Jade – Of Forest and Fire (digipack)
Black Sabbath – Under Wheels of Confusion (box set)
Blackguard - Profugus Mortis (promo)
Blaze – Silicon Messiah (signed)
Blaze – Tenth Dimension (digipack, signed)
Blaze – As Live As It Gets (promo, signed)
Blaze – Blood & Belief (signed)
Blaze Bayley – The Man Who Would Not Die (signed)
Blaze Bayley - The Night That Would Not Die (signed)
Blind Guardian – Follow the Blind
Blind Guardian – A Twist in the Myth (digipack)
Bolt Thrower – Realm of Chaos (remastered)
Bolt Thrower – The IVth Crusade
Bolt Thrower - ...For Victory
Bolt Thrower – Who Dares Wins
Bolt Thrower – Mercenary
Bolt Thrower – Those Once Loyal
Bretwaldas Of Heathen Doom – Battle Staffs in the Mushroom Woods
Carpathian Forest – Black Shining Leather
Celesty - vendetta (promo)
Children of Bodom – SomethingWild
Children of Bodom – Hatebreeder
Children of Bodom – Follow the Reaper
Children of Bodom – Hate Crew Deathroll
Chrome Division – Doomsday Rock 'n Roll
Cock Sparrer – Shock Troops/Runnin Riot in '84
Crystal Viper - Metal Nation (signed)
Cutting Daisy – The Fools Crowned Themselves Gods
Dark Moor – The Hall of the Olden Dreams
Dark Tranquility – Damage Done
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - The Pest Called Humanity
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Follow the Calls for Battle
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Nocturnal March
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Evoking a Decade
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Hora Nocturna
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Saldorian Spell (digipack)
Darkthrone – A Blaze in the Northern Sky
Darkthrone – The Cult is Alive
Deathchain – Deadmeat Disciples
Deathchain – Deathrash Assault
Deep Purple – Made in Japan (remastered)
Destruction – The Best of Destruction
Dethklok – The Dethalbum (deluxe)
Diamond Head – Best of...
Dimmu Borgir – In Sorte Diaboli
Dissection – The Somberlain (ltd remastered boxset)
Dissection – Storm of the Lights Bane/Where Dead Angels Lie (digipack)
Dissection – Live Legacy (digipack)
Dissection – Reinkaos
Dragobrath – Scripture of the Woods
DragonForce – The Valley of the Damned
Dragonforce – Sonic Firestorm
Dragonforce – Inhuman Rampage
Dreamtale – Beyond Reality
Edguy – The Savage Poetry
Edguy – Mandrake
Edguy – Hellfire Club
Edguy – Superheroes EP
Edguy – Rocket Ride
Elexorien – Elexorien (signed)
Eluveitie – Spirit (signed)
Eluveitie – Slania
The Embodiment – Razor Cut Reality
The Embodiment – Legeon
Emperor – Emperial Live Ceremony
Endstille – Navigator
Ensiferum – Ensiferum
Ensiferum – Iron
Ensiferum – Dragonheads EP
Ensiferum – Victory Songs
Equilibrium – Sagas
Fairyland – Of Wars in Osyrhia (signed)
Fairyland – Fall of an Empire (signed)
Falconer – Falconer
Falconer – Sceptre of Deception
Falkenbach – Heralding the Fireblade
Finntroll – Nattfödd
Folkearth – By the Sword of my Father
Forefather – Ours is the Kingdom
Free - Live
Freedom Call – King of the Crystal Empire
Freedom Call – Eternity
Freedom Call – Live Invasion
Galadriel – The Mirror of Ages
Galadriel – Oblivion
Gorgoroth - Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
Grave Digger – The Reaper
Grave Digger – Tunes of War (digipack)
Grave Digger – Knights of the Cross (digipack)
Grave Digger – Excalibur (digipack)
Grave Digger – Rheingold
Grave Digger – The Last Supper
Grave Digger – Liberty or Death
Graveland – Will Stronger Than Death (digibook)
Halford – Resurrection
HammerFall – Glory to the Brave
Hammerfall – Crimson Thunder (Comic Book Edition)
Hammerfall – Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken (box set)
Hanging Doll - Reason & Madness (signed)
Hawkwind – Space Ritual (digipack)
Hawkwind – Masters of the Universe
Hawkwind – Live Chronicles
Hawkwind – Epoch Eclipse; the Ultimate Best of...
Heidevolk – De Strijdlust is Geboren
Heol Telwen – An Deiz Ruz (digipack)
Highland Glory - Forever Endeavour (signed)
Hozz – Live (demo)
I – Between Two Worlds (digipack)
Iced Earth – Dark Genesis (Box Set)
Iced Earth – The Dark Saga
Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes
Iced Earth – Days of Purgatory
Iced Earth – Alive in Athens (3-disc edition)
Iced Earth – The Melancholy EP (reissue)
Iced Earth – Horror Show
Iced Earth – The Glorious Burden (digipack)
Iced Earth – Overture of the Wicked EP
Iced Earth – Framing Armageddon (digipack)
Iced Earth – I Walk Among You (Single)
Iced Earth – The Crucible of Man (digipack)
Icy Steel – Icy Steel
Immortal – At the Heart of Winter
Immortal – Sons of Northern Darkness (reissue digipack)
Immortal Souls – Once Upon A Time in the North (digipack)
Iron Fire – Thunderstorm
Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden – Killers
Iron Maiden – Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind
Iron Maiden – Powerslave
Iron Maiden – Somewhere in Time
Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of A Seventh Son
Iron Maiden – Maiden England
Iron Maiden - No Prayer For the Dying
Iron Maiden – Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden – A Real Live One
Iron Maiden – A Real Live/Dead One
Iron Maiden – Live at Donington (reissue)
Iron Maiden – The X Factor (signed by Blaze Bayley)
Iron Maiden – Virtual XI (Signed by Blaze Bayley)
Iron Maiden – Ed Hunter (signed by Blaze Bayley)
Iron Maiden – Brave New World
Iron Maiden – Rock in Rio
Iron Maiden – Dance of Death
Iron Maiden – Death on the Road
Iron Maiden – A Matter of Life and Death
Iron Savior – Unification
Iron Savior – Interlude
Iron Savior – Condition Red
Iron Savior – Battering Ram
Iron Savior – Megatropolis
Ironically Maiden – Here's Your Sodding Demo Disk (Demo)
Jag Panzer – Thane to the Throne
Jag Panzer – Mechanised Warfare
Jeff Wayne – Musical Version of the War of the Worlds
Judas Priest – Sad Wings of Destiny
Judas Priest - Stained Class
Judas Priest - Killing Machine/Hell Bent for Leather
Judas Priest - British Steel
Judas Priest – Screaming For Vengeance
Judas Priest – Defenders of the Faith
Kamelot – Epica
Keep of Kalessin – Armada
Kreator – Past Life Trauma (1985-1992)
KromleK – Strange Rumours...Distant Tremors
Kult – Winds of War
Legion of the Damned – Sons of the Jackal
Leonard Rosenman – The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack (1978)
Luca Turilli – King of the Nordic Twilight
Lux Occulta - Dionysus
Manegarm – Vargstenen (digipack)
Marduk – Panzer Division Marduk
Marduk – Rom 5:12
Megadeth – Killing is my Business...and Business is Good
Megadeth – Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?
Megadeth – So Far, So Good...So What!
Megadeth – Rust in Peace
Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction
Megadeth – Youthanasia
Megadeth – Hidden Treasures
Megadeth – Cryptic Writings
Megadeth – Risk
Megadeth – The World Needs a Hero
Menhir – Hildebrandslied (digibook)
Mercenary – Everblack
Metallica – Kill 'Em All
Metallica – Ride the Lightning
Metallica – Master of Puppets
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Metallica – Metallica
Metallica – Load
Metallica – Reload
Metallica – Garage Inc.
Metallica – S&M
Metallica – Live Shit: Binge & Purge (reissue box set)
Midnattsol – Where Twilight Dwells
Moonsorrow – Kivenkantaja
Mors Principium Est – The Unborn (digipack)
Mors Principium Est – Inhumanity
Motörhead - Overkill
Motörhead – Ace of Spades
Motörhead – Another Perfect Day
Motörhead – No Sleep 'til Hammersmith
Motörhead – Bastards
Motörhead – Take No Prisoners
Mountain – Twin Peaks
Municipal Waste – The Art of Partying
Muse – Black Holes and Revelations
Nebelhorn – Gen Helwegs Grund
Nightwish – 1997-2001 (Digibook)
Nightwish – Century Child
Nightwish – Once
Nightwish – End of an Era (ltd box set)
Nightwish – Dark Passion Play (digipack)
Olympos Mons – Conquistador
Olympos Mons – Medievil
Orden Ogan - Vale (signed)
Overkill – Hello From the Gutter
Pantera – Cowboys From Hell
Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power
Pantera – Far Beyond Driven
Pantera – The Great Southern Trendkill
Pantera – Offcial Live: 101 Proof
Pink Floyd – Delicate Sound of Thunder
Queen – Greatest Hits
Queen – Greatest Hits II
Queen – Greatest Hits III
Rhapsody – Legendary Tales
Rhapsody - Emerald Sword (single)
Rhapsody - Dawn of Victory (ltd box set)
Rhapsody – Rain of a Thousand Flames
Rhapsody – Power of the Dragonflame (dvd edition)
Rhapsody – Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Vol 2: The Dark Secret (digipack)
Rotting Christ – Sanctus Diavolus
Rotting Christ – Theogonia (digipack)
Running Wild – Masquerade
Satyricon – Now, Diabolical
Siebenbürgen – Loreia
Siebenbürgen – Grimjaur
Siebenbürgen – Delictum
Siebenbürgen – Darker Designs & Images
Silent Force – Walk the Earth
Silent Prophecy - Silent Prophecy Demo
The Sins of Thy Beloved – Lake of Sorrow
Slayer – Reign in Blood
Slechtvalk – The War That Plagues the Land
Sodom – Ten Black Years: The Best of Sodom
Status Quo – Whatever You Want
Storm – Nordavind
Stormlord – At the Gates of Utopia
Stormlord – The Gorgon Cult (signed)
Summoning – Minas Morgul
Taake - ...Doedskvad
Tankard – Beast of Bourbon
Teräsbetoni – Vaadimme Metallia
Thronar – For Death and Glory
Timeless Miracle – Into the Enchanted Chamber
Tuatha De Danann - Tuatha de Danann
Tuatha de Danann – Tingaralatingadun
Tuatha de Danann – The Delirium Has Just Began
Tuatha de Danann – Trova di Danu (digipack)
Twilight Guardians – Wasteland
Twisted Tower Dire Battle Hymns to the Pantheon
Týr – How Far to Asgaard? (signed)
Týr – Eric the Red (signed)
Týr – Ragnarok (digipack - signed)
Unleashed – Midvinterblot
Uriah Heep – The Collection
Various Artists - Blackend
Various Artists - Transformers: The Movie Soundtrack
Various Artists – Pagan Battle Tunes V
Various Artists – The Rock Box
Various Artists – Headbanger's Bible
Various Artists – Rock Star Soundtrack
Various Artists – This is Thrash
Various Artists – Noord Geldersch Metaal: Liederen Voor in het Vagevuur
White Skull – The Dark Age
Winters Bane – Redivivus
Wintersun – Wintersun (ltd with slipcase - signed)
Wizard – Odin
Wolfsbane – Lifestyles of the Broke and Obscure
XIV Dark Centuries – Jul EP
XIV Dark Centuries – Skithingi

DVDs
AC/DC - Live at Donington
Amon Amarth - Wrath of the Norsemen
Аркона - Live - For the Glory
Аркона - Noch Velesova
Blaze Bayley - Alive in Poland (signed)
Blaze Bayley - The Night That Would Not Die (signed)
Battlelore - The Journey (signed)
Dissection - Rebirth of Dissection
Ensiferum - 10th Anniversary Live
Iced Earth - Alive in Athens
Iron Maiden - Rock in Rio
Metallica - Live Shit: Binge & Purge
Nightwish - From Wishes to Eternity
Nightwish - End of an Era
Stormlord - The Battle of Quebec City: Live in Canada (signed)
Wintersun - Tour Edition DVD

Gig Memorabilia
Battlelore - Setlist (Signed, Manchester Moho w/ Finntroll 28.09.09)
Celesty - Plectrum (BOA 2009)
Crystal Viper - Red plectrum (sent free by manager)
Crystal Viper - Blue plectrum (sent free by manager)
Hanging Doll - Setlist (Signed. Metalfest, Dudley 27.09.09)
Highland Glory - Setlist (Skuret, Oslo 12.12.09)
Power Quest - Setlist (Signed. Metalfest, Dudley 26.09.09)

Shirts etc:
Amon Amarth - Versus the World (tshirt)
Amon Amarth - Viking (white longsleeve, signed)
Amon Amarth - With Oden on Our Side (tshirt)
Amon Amarth - Asator (tshirt)
Amon Amarth - With Oden on Our Side (flag)
Amon Amarth - logo (beany hat)
Asphyx - Death...the Brutal Way (tshirt)
Battlelore - Sword's Song (tshirt)
Battlelore - The Last Alliance (tshirt)
Blaze Bayley - Kill & Destroy (longlseeve)
Blind Guardian - Twist in the Myth (tshirt)
Crystal Viper - Metal Nation (tshirt)
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - The Pest Called Humanity (tshirt)
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Follow the Calls for Battle (tshirt)
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Hora Nocturna (tshirt)
Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Saldorian Spell (hoody)
Darkthrone - Logo (beany hat)
Death - Logo (workshirt)
Dissection - The Somberlain (ltd edition tshirt from remastered The Somberlain boxset)
Dragonforce - Valley of the Damned (tshirt)
Eindhoven Metal Meeting - 2009 (tshirt)
Elexorien - The Curse (tshirt)
Eluveitie - Spirit (tshirt)
Ensiferum - Ensiferum (tshirt)
Ensiferum - Ensiferum's Super (tshirt)
Falconer - Logo (tshirt)
Falkenbach - Heralding the Fireblade (tshirt)
Folkearth - Viking Head (tshirt)
Forefather - Shieldwall (tshirt)
Grave Digger - Rheingold (longsleeve)
Hail of Bullets - Death Metal Supreme (camo tshirt)
Hammerfall - Glory to the Brave (tshirt)
Heidevolk - Wodan Heerst (tshirt)
Iced Earth - Something Wicked This Way Comes (tshirt)
Iced Earth - Overture of the Wicked (tshirt)
Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness (longsleeve)
Immortal - Reunion 2007 (tshirt)
Iron Maiden - Brave New World (football shirt)
Metal Fest - Festival shirt (tshirt)
Metallica - 5 (football shirt)
Metalliac - logo (polo shirt)
Motörhead - England/Everything Louder Than Everything Else (tshirt)
Olympos Mons - Logo (tshirt)
Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild (tshirt)
Tankard - the Beauty and the Beer (tshirt)
Wacken Open Air - Logo (workshirt)
Wacken Open Air - 2006 (tshirt)
Wacken Open Air - Roadsign (tshirt)
Wacken Open Air - Christmas 2007 (tshirt)
Wintersun - Beautiful Death (tshirt)
Wintersun - Snow and Sorrow (tshirt)
XIV Dark Centuries - Jul (tshirt)

Patched Jacket:

Includes the following bands' patches:
AC/DC, Amon Amarth, Ancient Rites, Avantasia, Bal-Sagoth, Bergthron, Black Jade, Black sabbath, Blaze Bayley, Blind Guardian, Bolt Thrower, Children of Bodom, Crystal Viper, Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, Darkthrone, Death, Deathchain, Debauchery, Destruction, Dimmu Borgir, Dissection, Eastern Front, Eluveitie, Ensiferum, Finntroll, Gorgoroth, Grave Digger, Graveland, HammerFall, Hawkwind, Heidevolk, I, Iced Earth, Immortal, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Kreator, Kroda, KromleK, Led Zeppelin, Legion of the Damned, Marduk, Megadeth, Menhir, Metallica, Moonsorrow, Motörhead, Municipal Waste, Nightwish, Overkill, Pantera, Pink Floyd, Rotting Christ, Satyricon, Saxon, Skyforger, Slayer, Slechtvalk, Sodom, Sonata Arctica, Subway to Sally, Tankard, Unleashed, Warpath, Wolfsbane, XIV Dark Centuries + Amon Amarth bottle opener (ltd editionfrom With Oden on our Side pre-order).

Slayer x2
Megadeth
Iron Maiden
Metallica
Korn x2
Slipknot
Machine Head
Children of Bodom
Sabaton
Korpiklaani
Gama Bomb
Suicidal Tendencies
Entombed
Mastodon
Amon Amarth
Trivium
Ensiferum

This is some of the bands I've live live this far:

1349
Aborted
Accept
Alestorm
Amon Amarth x 4
Amoral
Arise
Arsis
At the Gates x 2
Beecher
Behemoth x 2
Borknagar
Candlemass x 2
Cannibal Corpse
Carcass
Children of Bodom
Cradle of Filth
Cryptosy
Dark Funeral
Decapitation
DevilDriver
Deströyer 666
Dimmu Borgir x 3
Dissimulate
Dropkick Murphys
Einherjer
Endstille x 2
Enslaved x 2
Entombed
Episode 13
Extol
Fairytale Abuse
Fejd
Finntroll
Flogging Molly x 2
Forbidden
Forsaken
Gorgoroth
Grave x 2
HammerFall
Hatesphere x 2
Heaven & Hell
Holmgang
Illnath
Immortal x 2
In Flames
Iron Maiden
Joddla med Siv
Judas Priest
Kampfar
Karga
Kataklysm
Lamb of God
Lord Belial
Lyfthrasyr
Machine Head
Mastodon
Mayhem
Megadeth
Moloch
Moonspell x 2
Morbid Angel
Morticum
Mortiis
Motörhead x 2
Mystruin
Naglfar
Nattsmyg
Negura Bunget
Nex Perpetui Regis
Nifelheim x 2
Nile
nominion
Norther x 2
Obscurity x 2
Omnium Gatherum
Onkel Tom Angelripper
Opeth x 3
Orcivus
Pagan Rites
Pain
Pentagram (Chile)
Possessed
Primordial
Rammstein
Running Wild
Sabaton
Sarke
Satyricon
Severe Torture
Shining
Slayer x 4
Slipknot
Sodom
Susperia
Testament
The Kristet Utseende x 2
Thine Eyes Bleed
Totalt Jävla Mörker
Turisas
Type O Negative
Tyrant
ulm
Ulvnatt x 3
Unleashed
Vaginal Regurgitation
Vardlokkur
Watain x 2
Venomous
Volbeat x 2
Vreid
Wulfgar
Zonaria
Angel Witch
Trouble

I'm referring to heavy metal and hard rock albums, so don't leave messages about Michael Jackson or some pop crap, and of course this is according to my criterion.

1977:Sin After Sin by Judas Priest
1978:Van Halen by Van Halen.
1979:Highway To Hell by AC DC. Here I have to mention The Wall by Pink Floyd because is an awesome album.
1980:Back In Black by AC DC, one of the most amazing albums in the history of rock.
1981:High n' Dry by Def Leppard and very good from that year also Point of Entry by Judas Priest, Mob Rules by Black Sabbath and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. And although is not hard rock, Escape by Journey was a great album too.
1982:The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden.
1983:Metal Health by Quiet Riot, but that was a great year for music and a lot of great albums were released that year: Bark at the Moon by Ozzy Osbourne, Kill 'em All by Metallica, Show No Mercy by Slayer, Pyromania by Def Leppard, Shout at the Devil by Motley Crue and many many more.
1984:Stay Hungry by Twisted Sister.
1985:Theater of Pain by Motley Crue. And I put this album because home sweet home was the first power ballad that aired on MTV. And because i like it very much xD.
1986:Reign in Blood by Slayer cataloged as the most heaviest album of all times. That year was realeased also the most awesome work by Metallica, the great Master of Puppets. And the third have to beSlippery When Wet by Bon Jovi.
1987:Appetite For Destruction by Guns and Roses. Although Hysteria by Def Leppard was a master piece, so I don't know which one.
1988:A tie between Kings of Metal by Manowar and New Jersey by Bon Jovi.
1989:Dr. Feelgood by Motley Crue.
1990:Rust in Peace by Megadeth, the last one of the speed metal old school albums.
1991:Metallica by Metallica.
1992:Countdown To Extinction by Megadeth

I leave it to there by now.

Well here is the list of best albums of 2009. Hope you like it!

34. Sirenia– The 13th Floor

Some good gothic/symphonic metal here from Morten and co. It is definitely an improvement from Nine Destinies and a Downfall being heavier, but unfortunately not as good as At Sixes and Sevens. Still there are great vocals from Morten as always and it is worth checking out.

33. the aeonic order of vacuity – Nether
This is a demo I heard on Myspace and its absolutely fantastic considering that. It is very good slow heavy, brooding funeral doom metal. If you like funeral doom I command you to give this a try.

32. Absu – Absu
fantastic blackened thrash, and their best album to date. Recommended.

31. Exivious – Exivious instrumental progressive metal, really excellent with lots of changes and styles. Recommended to any prog rockers.

30. Paradise Lost – Drown in Dakrness - the early demos
I hadn’t ever heard anything by them before, but this is excellent! Really good death doom, quite badly produced but excellent quality in the musicianship. If you’re looking for something raw, rather than the very well produced stuff like Swallow the Sun, then look no further than this.

29. Stream of Passion – The Flame Within
This is another very good symphonic metal album from Marcela Bovio and co. but after Arjen Anthony Lucassen left, they were left to make this one on their own. They do an amirable follow up to Embrace the Storm, but the songs are less memorable than the first album.

28. Kreator- Hordes of Chaos
Good melodic thrash metal, Hordes Of Chaos is a catchy song that would be good live. It has nice riffs and solos. Not as good as Enemy of God, but highly recommended.

27. Napalm Death - Time Waits For No Slave
The grindcore kings do it again, just as well as on previous releases.

26. Wyrd – Kalivagi
More folky black metal, this time with a few more hard rock elements, this band is just as good as ever!

25. Ashes You Leave – Songs For The Lost
Nearly all doom metal elements are gone; this is solely a gothic metal album, but a very well done one. Their cover of Placebo’s Every You Every Me (which I hate, I can’t stand them) is excellent, and amazingly is the highlight of the album. If you like female fronted gothic metal, then this is for you.

24. Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plague
Not as good as Kill, but still a very good death metal album.

23. Within Temptation – An Acoustic Night At The Theatre
Those waiting for a new album may be slightly annoyed at getting another live album, though it is extremely good. It’s completely different from black symphony, being mainly acoustic, but the vocal performance from Sharon Den Adelis breathtaking as ever. Utopia is a very nice new song, but they are straying further and further from the metal genre with this one.

22. Lethian Dreams – Bleak Silver Streams
Good atmospheric doom metal that sounds a bit like Amederia. Excellent vocals, and very heavy. Recommended

21. Mastodon – Crack The Skye
Not as good as Leviathan, but more of a progression away, this is still a very good album with lots of very good ideas. If you want some metal that’s a bit different then give this a listen.

20. Ahab – The Divinity of Oceans
The most depressing album I have ever heard, this is such a monolithic album, heavy and slow, but excellent. My favourite funeral doom album of all time!

19. Alestorm – Black Sails at Midnight
The most fun album of the year! This is not just a gimmick by some idiots wearing pirate hats, it is actually well written heavy metal, and the keyboardist is just excellent.

18. Fen – The Malediction Fields
Seems that most British black metal these days has elements of post rock in it, and this is no exception. Its very good atmospheric black metal with some clean vocals now and again. If you like Negura Bunget, then give this a try.

17. 3 Inches of Blood – Here Waits Thy Doom
An excellent heavy metal album, taking influence from lots of different places, from Led Zeppelin, to Judas Priest, to Iron Maiden, but still maintaining their excellent vocal style prevalent in previous albums. Their best yet by far!

16. Dream Theater – Black Clouds and Silver Linings
A really good progressive metal album and their best for several years. Listen out for the cover of Queens Tenement Funster/Flick Of The Wrist/Lily Of The Valley on the bonus disc; this is one of the best covers ever!

15. Epica – [album artist=epica]]design your universe[/album]
Their best yet, Simone is at top notch, and it is possibly the heaviest album they have done to date. A real surprise and a very enjoyable listen.

14. My Dying Bride – For Lies I Sire
The violins are back! Every bit as good as the previous releases and the vocals are absolutely to die for!

13. Wolves in the Throne Room – Black Cascade
More of the same, but a bit more atmospheric and experimental, with clean female vocals scattered in it. This, as well as Malevolent Grain are a must hear for any fans of atmospheric black metal.

12. Wodensthrone – Loss
Good organic black metal in the vein of Drudkh. Excellently performed, with a few post rock elements too. Superb atmosphere shows again how good British Black Metal is becoming. If you like Drudkh or Negura Bunget, then you owe it to yourself to give this a try.

11. Leaves Eyes – Njord
Unbelievably this is a step up from the excellent Vinland Saga; both vocalists have improved (although in the case of Alexander Krull it wasn’t hard, he is actually listenable now!). This is a really good symphonic metal album, with the guitaring at top notch, as well as the bassist. There are a lot of folk elements again on this one.

10. Wolves in the Throne Room – Malevolent Grain
This is excellent. It comprises of just two tracks, the first A Looming Resonance is a rather relaxed atmospheric black metal song with clean vocals. It is 13 minutes long, but it’s so good you could listen to it over and over again. Hate Crystal is more of the usual Wolves in the Throne Room we know and love.

9. Blut aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With The Stars
Even better than Memoria Vetusta I, this album has less of a fuzz and more melodic beauty. Fantastic.

8. Drudkh – Microcosmos
Drudkh do it again, this is another excellent pagan influenced black metal album, with beautiful melodies, but still retaining the harsh vocals from the previous albums. Even better than Estrangement[album], this is one of the best black metal albums of the year.

7. Sunn O))) – [album artist=sunn O)))]Monoliths and Dimensions
Never heard anything by them before, but this is an excellent work. It is unbelievably heavy and icy cold. Attila’s vocals are fantastic, and all the brass instruments on Alice (best track on the album) just make it. If you have any interest in either doom metal or experimental music you need to hear this. Truly a Monolithic Effort!

6. The Gathering – The West Pole
Anneke has left, but you didn’t expect them to stop rocking did you? This is such an amazing album by all accounts, and Silje Wergeland (previously of Octavia Sperati) is just excellent. She is a really dreamy vocalist; her voice is just a joy to listen to. All the instruments are played very well, creating beautiful atmospheres throughout. The first 3 songs make you want to run about in the sunshine, just really happy songs to put you in a good mood, but after this the atmosphere changes to one of a hopeless desperation. It is still quite experimental, but not as much as Home or Souvenirs. A special mention must go to the bassist Marjolein Kooijman who does a fantastic job.

5. Nox Aurea – Via Gnosis
Absolutely mind blowing. I heard a track on Myspace and was instantly hooked. They play gothic doom and are influenced by Draconian, but are a bit more atmospheric than this, at times sounding like Lethian Dreams and Shape of Despair. If you like Draconian you will go crazy for this.

4. Emperor – Live Inferno
This is the best live black metal album ever. Anyone who has ever seen them live (I haven’t :( ) or heard/watched Emperial Live Ceremony knows just how good they are live, its just a fantastic CD with all their best songs played in stunning fashion

3. Heaven and Hell – The Devil You Know
What a surprise this was. I never really expected any new Black Sabbath material under any pseudonym, but this is fantastic. Its unbelievably heavy, Tony Iommi is on form (when is he not) and every riff is heavy. This is the heaviest album that they have made, and Dio is an absolute god on the vocals. He is 69 and this is still the best vocals all year!

2. Slayer – World Painted Blood
A lot of people like to hate on Slayer for God Hates Us All, but I don’t see why at all. I love that album, as well as everything else they have released. World Painted Blood is a step up from the last two though; it’s a solid thrash metal album and heavy as fuck. It’s easily the best since Seasons in the Abyss, although there is one thing I have noticed. It doesn’t sound great through headphones, or low quality speakers, but when I play it through the excellent ones I have in the house it sounds amazing. Hate Worldwide and Psychopathy Red are two of the best tracks I have ever hard, and easily in my top ten Slayer songs. A lot of people (again for reasons I don’t understand) complain about Tom Araya’s vocals, but I think they are excellent, you can hear all the malice, hatred and venom intended to be put forward.

1. Anaal Nathrakh – In the Constellation of the Black Widow
This is such an incredible album. After The Codex Necro, which is the most extreme album I have ever heard in my life, their later releases were somewhat lacklustre, with only 2 or 3 great tracks. But this one brings back the intensity of the The Codex Necro, and combines with it the melodies and clean vocals present on Eschaton and Hell Is Empty, and All the Devils Are Here. This album is fucking heavy, with great riffs and some of the best black metal vocals I have ever heard. The clean vocals are epic, there are piercing screams, amazing shouting, and seriously there are about 15 different vocal styles present here. From start to finish this album kicks serious butt and I am proud to call it my album of the year.

Dissapointing albums, because not everyone can create the best

Xasthur – All Reflections Drained
This is just shitty ambient noise with no good musicianship whatsoever. Malefic just seems to have given up because this is boring as hell. Avoid at all costs, worst album I have heard all year.

Lacuna Coil – Shallow Life
Bland and commercial nonsense, this is just sugary sweet pop music. Shame because I seem to be in the minority who enjoyed Karmacode. Spellbound was a fantastic single and I thought this would be good, but no. It’s just plain awful, avoid completely unless you would like to hear Britney Spears with some poor guitars.

Edenbridge – Live Earth Dream
Good songs performed well but the quality of the recordings is awful and on some of the songs they don’t even record the whole thing. Wild Chase is superb and better than the album, but I was expecting more considering how good A Livetime in Eden is.

Epica – The Classical Conspiracy
Ok, so I don’t have a problem with the performance of their own material, in fact I think it is a rather good performance, and I would have really liked it had it just been their own material. But it’s the "classical" stuff that annoys me. It is so patronising! Instead of real classical music (which several metalheads like) we get Pirates of the carribean, Darth Vaders theme tune, and the one from Spiderman. I actually felt slightly insulted by that, after expecting some real classical music.

Delain – April Rain
Not as commercial and bland as Lacuna Coil’s Shallow Life, but its not that good. On Lucidity they had a lot of guests, and they made it all seem like an excellent album. Now that they are down to their own talents it shows that they aren’t really very good. Charlotte is a decent singer though.

Nightwish – Made In Hong Kong
A very poor live album, and not even a whole concert because of some sort of dispute with record labels regarding being able to play pre-Annette songs. The Escapist is a fantastic bonus song though, but it still feels like a cash grab.

1349 – Revelations of the Black Flame
All the intensity present in Hellfire that made it such a good album has completely gone, replaced with some attempt at making intelligent progressive black metal. Instead we are left with a boring album with hardly any good ideas, and a rasped cover of Pink Floyd’s Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun, which is a disgrace to those mighty prog rockers. Avoid, particularly if you liked Hellfire.

Belphegor – Walpurgis rites – hexenwahn
Probably my most highly anticipated album of the year, as Belphegor have been one of my favourite bands for years. Unfortuantely it just sounds bland, as if the well of ideas has dried up, and all that was left was some songs rejected while recording Bondage Goat Zombie. That said Veneratio Diaboli – I am Sin, is among their best songs ever.

Muse – The Resistance
Ok, so until about October when I discovered The Gathering I thought that Muse were the only good rock band left on the planet. Rock to me is just dead, with hardly any good bands, but Muse seemed to be the only one I really liked, even loved. But [a;bum artist=muse]the Resistance[/album] fell far short of expectations. They have always had a lot of influence from romantic era classical music, but on this album they actually just become a clone of their influences rather than using them to create something unique. United States of Eurasia just sounds exactly like a Queen Song, with no originality, and on the end they just use a piece from Chopin. Laziness much? Overall it isn’t an awful album, but there is no originality, and instead of using influences they just steal from them.

Anyway thats just my take on the years music. There is a lot of dtuff I haven't gotten round to hearing yet, so it won't have everything. If anyone wants to comment and suggest bands or albums that I may like judging from this journal that would be appreciated!