Largest Disapointment:
Slayer - Christ Illusion

Top 5 currently of 2006 for me:
I - Between Two Worlds
Unexpect - In a Flesh Aquarium
Beyond Twilight - for the love of art and the making
Celtic Frost - Monotheist
Kalmah - The Black Waltz

Edit: I added as to why I picked these choices, after wrathchild bugged me about it:

Personally, I felt that slayer could have done much better. I mean david lombardo came back, thats great. Every review I read about Christ Illusion they all mentioned how Supermist, Catalyst, Skeleton Christ stood out from the rest of the songs. As much as I agree with the reviews, I have to say that Lombardo's other project Grip Inc. has 3 songs that exactly sound the same as those 3 I just mentioned, to the T. I had a fight about this on the Slayer forums and when people noticed the similarities they were appauld by it. Don't ask me to mention the 3 Grip Inc. songs...its 1 AM right now, and i was drinking.

As for kalmah...its catchy...I can listen to it from beginning to end without getting bored. Same goes for I, both bands don't bore me even after I listen to it in my car for days upon days. That and kalmah finally moved away from the Children of Bodom copy-cat music, which I have to give them props and thats why they deserved to be mentioned. As for I, because as i said not boring, I like the tunes, its dark, yet catch music.

Beyond the Twilight - The reason I like it...is because well no particular reason, maybe its the fact that when I listen to it none stop, the music always shocks me, its so well constructed by lyrically and musicially that I always find something new with it.

Unexpect - Probably my pick as being the best album of the year, I dont get bored, its different, its catchy, but yet dark and sinnister at the same time, which is hard...I truely love the album.

I was gonna put Suffocation on that list, but this album is a grower, which doesn't make it #1 for me, its a great album but it just doesnt hit me...not until i actually listen to it a few times.

i obviously left a lot of bands out, NOISM, Cruachan, Ministry, Neuropathia, Pyorrhoea are all great bands that released an album in 2006, but they are tedious in a way that they will get boring and old after my 100th listen, and i listen to music constantly so everything gets boring after a while.

Hmmm...Top 5 in 2006:

I can't limit it to 5, so instead of saying what was dissapointing, I'll list my top 10 so far:

1. Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side
2. Devin Townsend - Synchestra
3. Månegarm - Urminnes Hävd
4. Enslaved - RUUN
5. Falconer - Northwind
6. Sabaton - Attero Dominatus
7. Dismember - The God That Never Was
8. Cult of Luna - Along the Highway
9. Communic - Waves Of Visual Decay
10. Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet

Kiuas - Reformation, Isis - In The Absence Of Truth, Firewind - Allegiance and Heavenly - Virus were all good too. I haven't heard Melechesh's latest, Emissaries, though.

Only 5? Damn, this is gonna be hard cuz there were so many great releases this year.

Biggest disappointment- Even though the new cd's by Last Days of Humanity, Arsis, Kataklysm, and SYL were kinda good, I was still very disappointed with them. However, probably the biggest disappointment for me that I can think of right now is Shot to Hell by BLS. All of his prior releases are brilliant, but his new cd does nothing for me. His vocals aren't as good and the songs just aren't written as well. I'm assuming this is because he was writing 2 Ozzy albums at the same time.

From the top of my head, this is probably my top 5 of the year:

1. Benighted- Identisick
2. Suffocation- S/T
3. Deicide- The Stench of Redemption
4. Napalm Death- Smear Campaign
5. Goatwhore- A Haunting Curse

I've described why I like those cd's in my top 3 numerous times already, so I won't bother. The new Napalm Death cd kinda took me off guard a little. With Smear Campaign, they made one of their best albums ever. It's fast, the vocals are crazy, and it's full of riffs with nice grooves, just like grindcore should be. The new Goatwhore completely blew me away because I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is. The production quality is perfect and the songwriting is incredible. The songs change pace frequently, which makes it entertaining.

Top 5 of 06? hmm....well

1) Into eternity: The scattering of ashes
2)Iron Maiden: A matter of life and death
3)Shadows Fall: Fallout from the war (Very big disapointment in my eyes)

I actually can't think of anymore right now...well I hope top three is ok

this year, so far, has had a lot of really good albums i think!
the new albums i have like most so far this year include the new Angra, Axel Rudi Pell, Bal-Sagoth, Blind Guardian, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, Majesty, Sabaton, To-Mera and Vader albums

the albums that have disappointed me most this year (mostly because i expected more) include the new Cradle Of Filth, Iron Maiden, Kataklysm and Strapping Young Lad albums
Cradle Of Filth have a completely different style now though so thats why i didnt enjoy it
also to an extent, the new Blind Guardian and Zyklon albums i was expecting more - but i still do enjoy them (and still consider the new Blind Guardian as one of the best of the year, i just prefer msot of their other albums)

if i had to pick my top five albums of the year so far though - i would pick:

Angra - Aurora Consurgens
Axel Rudi Pell - Mystica
Bal-Sagoth - The Chthonic Chronicles
Majesty - Hellforces
To-Mera - Transcendental

You've reminded me to pick up the new bal-sagoth and angra, cheers :>

I think the three I have felt the most are:

Deicide - The Stench of Redemption
Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth
Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side

Slayer could have been a lot better.


On a related note: can we expect a Metal Storm Awards this year? I always look forward to it.

I can't choose 5 so here are 5 from the top of my head:

Keep Of Kalessin ~ Armada
Celtic Frost ~ Monotheist
Enslaved ~ Ruun
Kalmah ~ The Black Waltz
Dark Fortress ~ Seance.

That Keep Of Kalessin album is a completely different sound to previous full-lengths -- melodic black metal with a clear shine of originality, really. Very atmospheric (a battle sort of feel) and hits hard and strong. Beneficial production too.

That Celtic Frost album is stunning. A brilliant comeback! Taking influences from doom and industrial, this album proves that the band have new ideas in mind and aren't going to attempt to live off their older legacy and releases. Still reinventing shit!

Well, this album isn't Enslaved's best but I think I enjoy it more than Isa! Much more prog and emotional than my all time Enslaved favourite, Frost, whilst still retaining that pure black/viking metal sound. There are a lot of memorable riffs and this album makes for a good headbanging frenzy at certain points in the music.

Whilst other extreme power bands seem to be going in a more softer direction, Kalmah don't conform! With more aggresive vocals and speedier musical direction, thsi release is one not to be overlooked. This offers something fresh to me that Bodom and Norther did not deliver with their latest releases.

This BM album is quite a gem. Brilliantly dark and somewhat atmosphere evoking (though not massively or anything...). Aggressive and powerful, this left a sure imprint on my mind. A good show of modern black metal to attempt to keep the scene fresh. Unpredictable in parts accompanied by infections memorable riffage. Nice.

I also think Angtoria's album God Has A Plan For Us All is the strongest debut of '06. Pure straight up symphonic metal that you don't see much these days.

Disappointments? Hm..quite a few but I choose:

Iron Maiden ~ A Matter Of Life And Death.

I had good expectations, seeing as DOD and BNW were thoughroughly enjoyed by me, unlike recent Slayer where I expected a sub-par album for this year's release. I didn't like the production or vocals on this Maiden effort. Hm..maybe I need to give it more listens?

Written by Daru Jericho on 19.11.2006 at 05:01

Disappointments? Hm..quite a few but I choose:

Iron Maiden ~ A Matter Of Life And Death.

I had good expectations, seeing as DOD and BNW were thoughroughly enjoyed by me, unlike recent Slayer where I expected a sub-par album for this year's release. I didn't like the production or vocals on this Maiden effort. Hm..maybe I need to give it more listens?

well its my top 'disappointment' as well and i have given it plenty of tries
i have just given up on it now. maybe i will go back to it sometime later, a long time later - but for now i am just leaving it

Written by Baz Anderson on 19.11.2006 at 05:09

Written by Daru Jericho on 19.11.2006 at 05:01

Disappointments? Hm..quite a few but I choose:

Iron Maiden ~ A Matter Of Life And Death.

I had good expectations, seeing as DOD and BNW were thoughroughly enjoyed by me, unlike recent Slayer where I expected a sub-par album for this year's release. I didn't like the production or vocals on this Maiden effort. Hm..maybe I need to give it more listens?

well its my top 'disappointment' as well and i have given it plenty of tries
i have just given up on it now. maybe i will go back to it sometime later, a long time later - but for now i am just leaving it

What's even worse is that when I see them live they'll be playing it in its entirety so I'm just going to listen to it loads and pray I'll fall in love with it otherwise it might be a very painful concert XD

Written by Daru Jericho on 19.11.2006 at 05:14

Written by Baz Anderson on 19.11.2006 at 05:09

Written by Daru Jericho on 19.11.2006 at 05:01

Disappointments? Hm..quite a few but I choose:

Iron Maiden ~ A Matter Of Life And Death.

I had good expectations, seeing as DOD and BNW were thoughroughly enjoyed by me, unlike recent Slayer where I expected a sub-par album for this year's release. I didn't like the production or vocals on this Maiden effort. Hm..maybe I need to give it more listens?

well its my top 'disappointment' as well and i have given it plenty of tries
i have just given up on it now. maybe i will go back to it sometime later, a long time later - but for now i am just leaving it

What's even worse is that when I see them live they'll be playing it in its entirety so I'm just going to listen to it loads and pray I'll fall in love with it otherwise it might be a very painful concert XD

oh yeh - i forgot about that! i suppose that eases the pain that i am not going to be seeing them
i guess this is the tour i would want to see them on least (hoping any future albums are better)
i hope the show is still enjoyable for you though

(you're up this late as well then..)

Written by Baz Anderson on 19.11.2006 at 05:27

Written by Daru Jericho on 19.11.2006 at 05:14

Written by Baz Anderson on 19.11.2006 at 05:09

Written by Daru Jericho on 19.11.2006 at 05:01

Disappointments? Hm..quite a few but I choose:

Iron Maiden ~ A Matter Of Life And Death.

I had good expectations, seeing as DOD and BNW were thoughroughly enjoyed by me, unlike recent Slayer where I expected a sub-par album for this year's release. I didn't like the production or vocals on this Maiden effort. Hm..maybe I need to give it more listens?

well its my top 'disappointment' as well and i have given it plenty of tries
i have just given up on it now. maybe i will go back to it sometime later, a long time later - but for now i am just leaving it

What's even worse is that when I see them live they'll be playing it in its entirety so I'm just going to listen to it loads and pray I'll fall in love with it otherwise it might be a very painful concert XD

oh yeh - i forgot about that! i suppose that eases the pain that i am not going to be seeing them
i guess this is the tour i would want to see them on least (hoping any future albums are better)
i hope the show is still enjoyable for you though

(you're up this late as well then..)

Yeah, they're not playing a number of classics either. I'm not too annoyed though, seeing as I saw them last year playing all the popular stuff from the first half of their career. But still....Trivium are supports :X

(Yeah, I think I'll go to bed soon (read: now) because I have to get up somewhat early tomorrow.)

haha yes! Trivium!
another reason to be glad it isnt this tour i am seeing them on!
you'll have to tell me how many things get thrown at them!

1 - Deicide - The Stench Of Redmption
2 - I - Between Two Worlds
3 - God Dethroned - The Toxic Touch
4 - Tenhi - Maaäet (Acoustic, but still classified as metal by everyone and everywhere I've looked)
5 - Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth (I just scrolled up and saw it in Winter Death's post, cheers man )

Runner Up - Trepalium - Alchemik Clockwork Of Disorder

Biggest disappointment would be Queensryche's Mindcrime 2, it just didn't possess what their previous albums had: Zazz (lol, metaloclaypse )

IMO 2005 had much more to offer and I can see my list from last year being at least 20 artists long, how disappointing indeed.

I've discovered a lot of amazing bands this year, probably my most interesting metal year so far.
Best releases this year were:
1. Dream Theater Score
The best live album really. The Octavarium Orchestra gives a new dimension to some of the best songs ever.
2. Deathstars Termination Bliss
One of the catchiest albums ever,
3. Children of Bodom Chaos Ridden Years | Stockholm Knockout Live
I was there!
4. Kalmah The Black Waltz
The first album I heard with this awesome band!
5. Children of Bodom Are You Dead Yet?
Okay, maybe their worst album. But I still love it and this band means so much to me.

Biggest dissapointment must've been Come Clarity by In Flames, they're so dead. Oh, and Jon Nödtveidt's death of course. :'(

Top 5:
1. Wuthering Heights - The Shadow Cabinet: Their best album so far. Just awesome.
2. Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth: What can I say...it's BG!
3. Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death: Would have been my biggest disapointment if I hadn't seen them live. The album is a killer live.
4. Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse: Don't know why...just like it
5. Rhapsody (Of Fire) - Triumph Or Agony: Say cheese

Don't know what to place instead of Iron Maiden as biggest disapointment, so I think they end up here as well

Dissapointment:

Disillusion - Gloria
Evergrey - Monday Morning Apocalypse
Twilightning - Bedlam EP

Top favorites of 2006 (Not 5, let's say, my favorite albums of 2006):

Dragonland - Astronomy
Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain
Angra - Aurora Consurgens
Kiuas - Reformation
UneXpect - In a Flesh Aquarium
Norther - Till Death Unites Us
Blind Guardian - A Twist in The Myth
Ihsahn - The Adversary
Persefone - Core
Korpiklaani - Tales Along This Road
The Devin Townsend Band - Synchestra
Solefald - Black For Death: An Icelandic Odyssey Part II
Pain Of Salvation - Scarsick

Not the whole thing, but not so bad:

Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death
Tool - 10,000 Days

The ones I'm waiting to hear:

Orphaned Land - The Neverending Way of OrWarrior
Wintersun - Time

Yeah, too much categories.

BEST OF 2006

1. Keep of Kalessin - Armada

Such a breath of fresh air in the melodic/black metal sound. Its ice cold and hard as nails....the guitars just cut right through you, yet it posesses great beauty and some fantastic riffs!

2. Insomnium - Above the Weeping World

Well these guys just dont know how to make a bad album....this is probably not as strong as their previous effort but still some fantastic melodies and gripping emotions and as always fantastic lyrics!

3. Kalmah - The Black Waltz

Probably not their best album....Im not a fan of the new vocal direction where 95% of it is now done in the deep growling voice which didnt feature too much on previous albums. I very much prefered the screetching vocals giving it a more "black metal" feel. Yet this is still a very good and solid album and finally the band gets the praises they have deserved for so long!

4. Seventh Wonder - Waiting in the Wings

Proggy type metal has never really been my style but this album just grips me for some reason....lovely melodies and inspiring drumming and just really good sing alongs really

5. Kiuas - Reformation

Really dig this album, especially the song "Heart of the Serpent", reminds me a lot of "Spirit of Ukko". Once again probably not the best album of the band, not as varied and catchy as their previous but nonetheless not an album to be missed...

SHIT - LIST

1. Noumena - Anatomy of Life

After i heard "Absence" I really started rooting for this band, very young musicians and i saw a bright future for them - but how the fuck did they miss the plot so bad and in 2 years regressed in such a way? I mean this doesnt even sound like Noumena anymore..??!?

2. Catamenia - Location:Cold

This was one of my most intimately anticipated albums of the year....and to be quite frank its a load of rubbish and just talking about it makes me upset so no more of that...

3. Eternal Tears of Sorrow - Before the Bleeding sun

hmm...how can i say this in a nice and tactful way.....its fucking GAY!

1- Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life and Death - Please folks, Iron Maiden made an excelent record this year! They aren´t the same as 1986, ok, but they have made a joyful evolution in these last three albums... just excelent! Their sound is different, more complex, probably for those who want heavyness and speed from the biggining to the end (like me when I was 16 years old), it is a dissapointment, but for me, Maiden is music and feeling, and musically, A Matter Of Life And Death is extraordinary! Can´t wait to see them live!!

2- Trivium - The Crusade
3- Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth
4- Stone Sour - Com What (ever) May
5- Motorhead - Kiss Of Death

Trivium is a great band! With their age, they play tremendously and made this extraordinary album this year!

If you don´t want to see maiden live this year, ok, don´t go!
I´m going to see them not only because it is maiden, but because the play the whole new album...yes! I love it! Musically may not be as "in-your-face" as "Powerslave" (many fans, and probably you too, would like to hear a new powerslave album in 2006) but we must listen to it as a piece of new inspired music! It has a great sound, they are playing better than ever, music structures are awesome, and what matters the most is this: It Is Iron Maiden! 31 years rocking on the top!

Written by Baz Anderson on 19.11.2006 at 05:48

haha yes! Trivium!
another reason to be glad it isnt this tour i am seeing them on!
you'll have to tell me how many things get thrown at them!

Written by silkmadness on 20.11.2006 at 02:53

Trivium is a great band! With their age, they play tremendously and made this extraordinary album this year!

If you don´t want to see maiden live this year, ok, don´t go!
I´m going to see them not only because it is maiden, but because the play the whole new album...yes! I love it! Musically may not be as "in-your-face" as "Powerslave" (many fans, and probably you too, would like to hear a new powerslave album in 2006) but we must listen to it as a piece of new inspired music! It has a great sound, they are playing better than ever, music structures are awesome, and what matters the most is this: It Is Iron Maiden! 31 years rocking on the top!

Written by Baz Anderson on 19.11.2006 at 05:48

haha yes! Trivium!
another reason to be glad it isnt this tour i am seeing them on!
you'll have to tell me how many things get thrown at them!

well the Trivium thing is debatable.. some people like them, a lot of people dont. i just happen to be one that doesnt. theres no need to go into a big discussion about them here

and about Iron Maiden - i wasnt hoping for another 'Powerslave' or another 'in-your-face' album like you have said. i didnt want a replica of a previous album at all
when i heard the album was going to be more progressive and different i was very excited because i was hoping for something i could really enjoy because the band have pushed themselves and made something totally different to what they have before
when i heard it though i just wasnt inspired by it at all - i wish i was - i really wanted to like it!
like you said, it is Iron Maiden - i wanted to like it a lot but i just cant force myself to like that album because it does not interest me

it just happens to be one of those albums that some people love - and the others dont think much to it at all
looking in this thread i am not alone when i say i was disappointed with the album - but i am glad some people enjoy it at least

I know of people who would pay for the Maiden ticket and only go to see Maiden only and not see Trivium..."with their age"? how old are they anyway?

There really isn't anything wrong with the new Maiden album...let's face it...they did what they did and they gained everyone's respect and they have the credibility now...who cares what they put out now is simply just more of the same? The new album is still Maiden, it's still heavy and theatrical and it's still kickass...it's better then a lot of their 90s material that's for damn sure...silkmadness has a damn good point...I don't get how the new album is progressive though...I think that the members of Iron Maiden have a different ideology of progressive then we do perhaps...? I mean...to be progressive does mean to excel sucessfully within a consecutive series...

Disappointment - Eternal Tears Of Sorrow's "Before the Bleeding Sun"... I had a strong feeling this CD was not going to be my favorite release of them before I heard it, but honestly I didn't think they would be so drastic in their change. Personally, I feel the extreme vocals are mostly out of place with the power/symphonic style, and I wish they'd just have changed their name and formed a new band with an all out new direction. The arrangements are cut-and-paste at times, something a band that's 10 years old should have long since abandoned in my opinion.

Good stuff, in my opinion:
1.GOD DETHRONED - The Toxic Touch. Their last release showed an amazing amount of talent and intensity, but some of the songs just couldn't match the best ones. But now with a perfected version of their 2004 sound, this new CD is full of anger, despair, disgust, and a hell of a lot of passion. The track "Hating Life" is so to the point - yet it never once wastes time with trivial atmospherics, verses, or anything else. Heck, even the last song on this CD is as good as the first. The lyrics are intellectual yet effecient - somethin I rarely see in any metal release.

2.MADDER MORTEM - Desiderata. And speaking of brilliant lyrics, this CD has made me a lifetime fan of the Madders. It pushes the boundaries of metal, and is difficult to categorize, which likely leaves some people turned off, but others, like myself, will be enthralled. It's gloomy, it's heavy, and it features a female vocalist that certainly sounds like no other in the current crop of female vocalists. Some bands try damn hard to be depressive, but in my opinion, this band seems to do it naturally.

3.MOONSPELL - Memorial. It's been a long time since I got into a Moonspell disc, so this really was a pleasant surprise for me. I knew they still had something in them because each release had repectable tracks on it, but this CD just puts all my doubts to rest. It's accessible, but it's loaded with a level of tension that only a band that felt its time might be running out could have. I can feel it as soon as "Finisterra" begins, and only feel the band finally relax once "Luna" comes on near the end.

4.DARZAMAT - Transkarpatia. I didn't even know Darzamat before this year, and I can for certain say that this is their best CD to date. I can even sense it in the 10 minute video that's added to the retail version of the CD showing the band in the studio and during the mixing process: this band has figuring something out and had developed their sound after all those releases. It's melodic black metal with haunting female vocals and abrasive male screams atop some really catchy guitarwork. It's no easy listen, but it's well worth the effort!

5.TO-MERA - Transcendental. No, it's not a "10", but for a debut, this is killer work. It doesn't always feel original, but it adds a much needed element to the female fronted metal scene. Progressive, yet atmospheric, and I wish there were more death metal arrangements - but for a band, what, 2 years old?, this is an impressive debut, and I want more!

1. Edenbridge - The Grand Design
Well Edenbridge have rise in my band ranking over the last two years, and find themselves at 4th place, this album was not their best, but it was certainly great! There is 4 stand out songs and you notice the small change they have made diffusing a little of the keyboards. Fucking love this band.

2. Ancient Rites - Rubicon
Just one fucking amazing album from the pioneers of Black Metal in Belgium. The war theme is nothing new, but the way that wrote the lrics and provided some detail on the war is great. Ancient Rites reminds me of Therion (Symphony Masses era) crossed with Bal Sagoth.

3. Manegarm - Urminnes Hävd
Brilliant Folk music, a change in style for the band,its all acoustic with no drumming, short but sweet.

4. Communic - Waves Of Visual Decay
Well i didnt expect much because the first album was amazing, but theynailed it, producing an equally brilliant album, even heavier and tighter than the first.

There isnt a 5, Blind Guardian and Iron Maiden released fairly good albums this year, but they were not stand outs in anyway.

The biggest dissapointment was Rhapsody - Triumph Or Agony, what a heap of shit, come on Rhapsody, stop recycling... its like NOTHING different, at least new elements are shown on every other album, even though its all similar.

Written by Daru Jericho on 19.11.2006 at 05:01


Disappointments? Hm..quite a few but I choose:

Iron Maiden ~ A Matter Of Life And Death.

Thank you, everyone was raving about this album but i was really disapointed in it as well, that would be my choice for biggest disapointment.

Now for my Top 5:
1. Doro-Warrior soul
2. Motorhead- Kiss of death (wasnt nearly as good as inferno but on a large scale it was a good album.)
3. Tool- 10 000 days
4. Belphegor- Pestapokalypse 6
5. Sodom-Sodom

Written by Jason W. on 20.11.2006 at 08:04

Disappointment - Eternal Tears Of Sorrow's "Before the Bleeding Sun"... I had a strong feeling this CD was not going to be my favorite release of them before I heard it, but honestly I didn't think they would be so drastic in their change. Personally, I feel the extreme vocals are mostly out of place with the power/symphonic style, and I wish they'd just have changed their name and formed a new band with an all out new direction. The arrangements are cut-and-paste at times, something a band that's 10 years old should have long since abandoned in my opinion.

Good stuff, in my opinion:
1.GOD DETHRONED - The Toxic Touch. Their last release showed an amazing amount of talent and intensity, but some of the songs just couldn't match the best ones. But now with a perfected version of their 2004 sound, this new CD is full of anger, despair, disgust, and a hell of a lot of passion. The track "Hating Life" is so to the point - yet it never once wastes time with trivial atmospherics, verses, or anything else. Heck, even the last song on this CD is as good as the first. The lyrics are intellectual yet effecient - somethin I rarely see in any metal release.

2.MADDER MORTEM - Desiderata. And speaking of brilliant lyrics, this CD has made me a lifetime fan of the Madders. It pushes the boundaries of metal, and is difficult to categorize, which likely leaves some people turned off, but others, like myself, will be enthralled. It's gloomy, it's heavy, and it features a female vocalist that certainly sounds like no other in the current crop of female vocalists. Some bands try damn hard to be depressive, but in my opinion, this band seems to do it naturally.

3.MOONSPELL - Memorial. It's been a long time since I got into a Moonspell disc, so this really was a pleasant surprise for me. I knew they still had something in them because each release had repectable tracks on it, but this CD just puts all my doubts to rest. It's accessible, but it's loaded with a level of tension that only a band that felt its time might be running out could have. I can feel it as soon as "Finisterra" begins, and only feel the band finally relax once "Luna" comes on near the end.

4.DARZAMAT - Transkarpatia. I didn't even know Darzamat before this year, and I can for certain say that this is their best CD to date. I can even sense it in the 10 minute video that's added to the retail version of the CD showing the band in the studio and during the mixing process: this band has figuring something out and had developed their sound after all those releases. It's melodic black metal with haunting female vocals and abrasive male screams atop some really catchy guitarwork. It's no easy listen, but it's well worth the effort!

5.TO-MERA - Transcendental. No, it's not a "10", but for a debut, this is killer work. It doesn't always feel original, but it adds a much needed element to the female fronted metal scene. Progressive, yet atmospheric, and I wish there were more death metal arrangements - but for a band, what, 2 years old?, this is an impressive debut, and I want more!

It's nice to see that someone agrees about God Dethroned being one of the best for this year, other than myself

Written by GT on 19.11.2006 at 18:22

3. Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death: The album is a killer live.

I agree, the songs from that album are amazing live

Written by Baz Anderson on 20.11.2006 at 04:08

Written by silkmadness on 20.11.2006 at 02:53

Trivium is a great band! With their age, they play tremendously and made this extraordinary album this year!

If you don´t want to see maiden live this year, ok, don´t go!
I´m going to see them not only because it is maiden, but because the play the whole new album...yes! I love it! Musically may not be as "in-your-face" as "Powerslave" (many fans, and probably you too, would like to hear a new powerslave album in 2006) but we must listen to it as a piece of new inspired music! It has a great sound, they are playing better than ever, music structures are awesome, and what matters the most is this: It Is Iron Maiden! 31 years rocking on the top!

Written by Baz Anderson on 19.11.2006 at 05:48

haha yes! Trivium!
another reason to be glad it isnt this tour i am seeing them on!
you'll have to tell me how many things get thrown at them!

well the Trivium thing is debatable.. some people like them, a lot of people dont. i just happen to be one that doesnt. theres no need to go into a big discussion about them here

and about Iron Maiden - i wasnt hoping for another 'Powerslave' or another 'in-your-face' album like you have said. i didnt want a replica of a previous album at all
when i heard the album was going to be more progressive and different i was very excited because i was hoping for something i could really enjoy because the band have pushed themselves and made something totally different to what they have before
when i heard it though i just wasnt inspired by it at all - i wish i was - i really wanted to like it!
like you said, it is Iron Maiden - i wanted to like it a lot but i just cant force myself to like that album because it does not interest me

it just happens to be one of those albums that some people love - and the others dont think much to it at all
looking in this thread i am not alone when i say i was disappointed with the album - but i am glad some people enjoy it at least

As you said, Some people like it, some people don´t! I´m not trying to force anyone to like the new album, but I really love AMOLAD and i´m a maiden fan for many years and i´ve seen them live 3 times. As some people have said in this forum, the songs of the new album kick ass live and i´m looking forward to see them!

About the "progressive" thing, we must think about the influences of Steve harris. When we call this album progressive, it doesn´t need to be like Dream Theater, with all that virtuosity. In This Maiden case, we can relate to bands like rush or Yes, which are the big influences of Steve in his compositions (as he says in the DVD that is with the album). Maiden have made their style, and AMOLAD is, surely, an album with different stuff from all the other maiden albums. More theatrical stuff, intricate and emotional lyrics, heavy and catchy songs, slow and powerful calm songs with a wonderful atmosphere...

Well, many people dont like it because it is difficult to digest, beacause it is different. You say that you are not the only one who thinks this album is a dissapointment, but other people say otherwise too. Probably, if you decide to see them live, you woul, probably, change your opinion, because AMOLAD kicks ass live! (for me it is kicking ass in my headphones already:))

yeh - i was going to see Iron Maiden on this tour, but i left it a bit late and the only tickets left were ones right at the back and seated - so i wouldnt have had such a good time anyway. i have been to that arena before and i would have needed binoculars from that far away

i have listened to the album many times though, so it isnt a case of it not having chance to grow on me either
but oh well. i want to like it, but i am not enthusiastic about it at all

Written by Baz Anderson on 20.11.2006 at 14:42

yeh - i was going to see Iron Maiden on this tour, but i left it a bit late and the only tickets left were ones right at the back and seated - so i wouldnt have had such a good time anyway. i have been to that arena before and i would have needed binoculars from that far away

I thought live metal show in particularly and live rock show in generally, the audience must stand, so they can headbang or cheer the band. Was your gig occurred in stadium?