Well, another year draws to a close and that means it’s time to look back and assess what made my list for the top albums of the year. Plenty of stuff to choose from, just like last year, but unlike the last 2 years I’m awarding a clear winner this year. Let’s get into it.
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM – ‘Blood In The Water’
Just a killer album. Heavy, melodic aggression. The band have upped their game and bands that have inexplicably received more recognition than them should take note. Ticks all the boxes as far as a great album is concerned. If you haven’t heard it yet, then you know now what you have to do. Worthy (and clear) number 1.
IOTUNN – ‘Access All Worlds’
This album took me by surprise when I heard it for the first time. The classification of this Danish band is an interesting topic of discussion, you could certainly put the word ‘progressive’ in there, but certainly don’t stop there, heavy, melodic, thought provoking, all come to mind. First video below – ‘The Tower Of Cosmic Nihility’, is my song of the year.
FROZEN CROWN – ‘Winterbane’
Hmmm, gotta say, as a fan of the first 2 albums, I did NOT like this album the first time I heard it. Maybe I didn’t adapt to the change after replacing 60% of the band and sounding a bit different. Fully onboard now and blasting this often. Interesting cover version of Judas Priest’s, ‘Night Crawler’ slotted into the album too.
JORDFÄST – ‘Hädanefter’
Debut album from this Swedish Black Metal band. One of those albums that isn’t all that long and only has 2 tracks but when they’re 18 and almost 15 minutes long and take you places like these tracks do, you don’t complain, you just listen. Dark, brutal, and memorably riffy. These black metal riffs have a way of working into your head.
EPICA – ‘Omega’
EPICA have been around for a while now. I’ve always liked then but never been a fanboy. This album is quite something else. For the videos below, the best song on the album doesn’t have a ‘proper’ video, but someone made a cool lyric video so I linked that. For the second video, the band did a livestream and recorded it. Watch it on your TV with decent sound is all I will say. Has ‘Operatically voiced female fronted Symphonic Metal’ reached a new peak with this album? You be the judge.
NERVOSA – ‘Guided By Evil’
All female thrash band, these days with members from Brazil, Italy, Spain and Greece. Really, really heavy riffy thrash. Crazy good. This one will take you back. These ladies deliver, even if they have to kick down the door. Â
ACCEPT – ‘Too Mean To Die’
First album without Peter Baltes on bass, which is weird to think about still, being a long-time fan. That being said, this album rocks, and rocks along nicely, with new members slotting in well. In fact, the song I feel is the most ‘ACCEPT-like’ song on the album (‘No-one’s Master’) was written by new bass player, Martin Motnik. Also a great ballad on there, ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’, so give the album a listen if you haven’t already.
POWERWOLF – ‘Call Of The Wild’
Another great album from the German Power Metal band. An album full of festival favourites. This album is full of songs that just scream, ‘Wacken’, at the top of their lungs. If you’ve ever seen video of this band at a festival you know how they were just made for it. This album contains one of the better ballads around these days, showcasing Attila’s voice to the full.
ARTILLERY – ‘X’
Danish thrash band that goes waaaaaaay back. This is a great thrash album, (yet it is also so much more), with THE BEST singer in thrash, pretty much ever. Unexpected (by me anyway) quieter song in the middle that would’ve been ALL over the TV back in the 80s. Crank this album because ‘you CAN, you WILL, you MUST’.
Edge of zone
ODD DIMENSION – ‘The Blue Dawn’
Italian prog band’s 3rd album, first with new vocalist. Another one that landed on my desk in an unusual fashion so I thought I’d give it a listen. Has a 70s feel in a lot of places, part Rush, part Kansas in some places. Really good album.