Hm....I think it's safe to say there were many more disappointments this year than last. However, I did find out a number of excellent bands. There were some good albums too but nowhere near as many as last year (a good year for prog metal). Also there are so many releases I still haven't listened to from this year and these releases could change my judgement so I suppose my thoughts on this year aren't substantial enough.

This year in Metal was really good for me, I discovered really good bands, and through metal I learnt a lot, some of the bands I discovered:
- Kamelot
- Ensiferum
- Korpiklaani
- Finntroll
- Turisas
- Hammerfall
- Heidevolk
- Battlelore
- In Extremo
- Elvenking
- Subway To Sally
- Folkearth
- Edguy

And besides that, I met metalstormers in real life, which was one of the greatest experiences of this year

Well my metal year personally was brilliant, got really in the mood, saw some goods bands, discovered some great prog bands like Expect, Maudlin of the Well etc, and some folk bands like...Folkearth, Yggdrasil, SIG:AR:TYR and Mael Mordha, but none of those releases were of this year, and the question on the actual metal releases...decent, but not brilliant.

I don't complain about 2006. I saw a lot of great concerts and there were some awesome reunions.

About the albums I can say there were some magnificant releases.

OUTWORLD - Outworld
DARK ARENA - Alien Factor
WINTERS BANE - Redivivus
VICIOUS RUMORS - Warball
VIRGIN STEELE - Visions of Eden
SHATTER MESSIAH - Never to play the servant
CIRCLE II CIRCLE - Burden of truth
EIDOLON - The parallel otherworld
MANTICORA - The black circus - part I
RUFFIANS- Desert of tears
SOLITUDE AETURNUS - Alone
BEYOND TWILIGHT - For love and the art of making
WARMACHINE - The beginning of the end
KRUX - Krux II
TWELFTH GATE - Threshold of revelation
JON OLIVA'S PAIN - Maniacal renderings
ANTIQUUS - Eleutheria
CRESCENT SHIELD - The last of my kind
OBSESSION - Carnival of lies
ATTACKER - The unknown
SEVENTH CALLING - Monuments
HALLOWEEN - Horror fire
IMAGIKA - My bloodied wings
KATAGORY V - The rising anger
LEATHERWOLF - World asylum
SLAYER - Christ illusion
QUEENSRYCHE - Operation mindcrime II
SHADOW DEMON - Grimoire of ruin
TAUNTED - Zero
ZERO HOUR - Specs of pictures burnt beyond


The dissapointments:
IRON MAIDEN - A matter of life and death
PHARAOH - The longest night
PHENOMENA - Psycho fantasy
VENI DOMINE - 23:59

I can't really comment about the albums because I don't really follow what's currently happening in the scene(too much good stuff to discover from nack of the days lol). but i'm really happy about Atheist and Cynic reuniting.

My genres were cool this year (except for avant-garde ) Death, Grind and Post-Metal gave great records in 2006, Death Metal actually showed us one of its best years in a long time.

ok, this is the list of the albums I listened to this year, and TRULY liked

Echo Of Dalriada - "Jégbonto"
Wolves In The Throne Room - "Diadem Of The 12 Stars"
Bloodthorn - "Genocide"
Ikuinen Kaamos - "The Forlorn"
Ajattara - "Itse"
Black Funeral - "Ordog"
Pantheist - "The Pains Of Sleep"
Wormphlegm - "Tomb Of The Ancient King"
Carpathian Forest - "Fuck You All"
Darkthrone - "The Cult Is Alive"
Old - "Down With The Nails"
Lair Of The Mimotaur - "The Ultimate Destroyer"
Circle Of Ouroborus - "Shores"
Keep Of Kalessin - "Armada"
Dark Fortress - "Seance"
Urgehal - "Beastcraft Torment"
Nihil Nocturne - "Tod.Verrat"
Bal-Sagoth - "The Chthonic Chronicles"
Wyrd - "The Ghost Album"
Wreck Of The Hesperus - "The Sunken Threshold"
Until Death Overtakes Me - "Monolith"
The Shadow Order - "Untold"
Lifelover - "Pulver"
Vreid - "Pich Black Brigade"

the bad thing of the year: the total lack of worthy stuff from my own country... I was very hopeful after 2005 was pretty brilliant for Chile... this one was dissapointment after dissapointment, especially Bitterdusk, a band in which I had all my hopes after the outstanding "Spirits" and they come out with some boring neo-hippie rock'n'roll with just a few spots of good doom here and there....

I think this year was overall a decent year for metal. When I think about the releases, this year wasn't as strong as last year. There were a few very outstanding releases, and the rest were just quite good or just average. Suffocation's new self titled release was really good in my opinion. It proves that they haven't lost any energy and are still strong. I won't make a huge list of albums from this year but a few other bands that I think released quite good releases this year were:
- Warmachine - The Beginning Of The End
- Virgin Steele - Visions Of Eden
- Celtic Frost - Monotheist
- I - Between Two Worlds
- Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain
- Spawn Of Possession - Noctambulant
- Satyricon - Now, Diabolical
- Enslaved - Ruun
- Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side
- Anata - The Conductor's Departure
That's just quickly off the top of my head, but there were quite a few other good releases. As I said before there weren't too many really amazing releases for me. A few yes, but not as many as last year.

Now stepping aside from releases, I think metal this year in Australia was simply amazing. There was a huge influx of metal bands down here this year that just suprised me so much. I got to see quite a few really great bands including Behemoth, Cryptopsy and most importantly Megadeth who I have been waiting so long to see. There were heaps of great shows some of which I unfortunately could not attend to because of age. So therefore, for concerts I think it was a great year and I think many other fellow Australian's will surely agree with me.

For me it was a good year. First becuase Slayer and Dream Theater, 2 of my fav bands came this year for the fisrt time to colombia, and it was simply fuckin' amazing, both of them. And second, I discovered a lot of bands that i've really liked, and learned a little about them. Plus, couple of good albums came out, so... overall it was good year for me

This year I found/started to like a couple of good bands

such as:
In Flames
Deathstars
Heed
Sabaton

So I can say that 2006 have been a good year for me

good: Negura Bunget, Xasthur, Summoning, Sterbend, Be Persecuted, Mgla, Sphera Noctis, Peste Noire, Forest Silence
bad: just about everything else

disapointment: Peste Noire, Forest Silence, Blut Aus Nord

good surprise: Amesoeurs
bad surprise: Drudkh's acoustic crap

so, as I see it, it was a decent year. some good bands arrived. not many, but that's always a good.

there wasn't an outstanding funeral doom release, wich is a shame.

Written by Damnated on 12.12.2006 at 11:41


there wasn't an outstanding funeral doom release, wich is a shame.

What about any of the following TEN?

Ahab - The Call of the Wretched Sea
Asunder - Works Will Come Undone
Catacombs - In the Depths of R'lyeh
Celestiial - Desolate North
Dolorian - Voidwards
DOOM:VS - Aeternum Vale
Nortt - Ligfaerd
Until Death Overtakes Me - Symphony III: Monolith
Wormphlegm - Tomb of the Ancient King
Wreck Of The Hesperus - The Sunken Threshold

All are outstanding funeral/semi-funeral doom releases. I don't know what you're looking for in funeral doom when you consider the above standard or substandard. Especially Wormphlegm's is a brilliant one.
Nortt has done better I agree, Dolorian is a love it or hate it one imo, well, I love it. UDOM might be too boring for many, Catacombs some don't consider funeral doom, well I do since it has all the characteristics of funeral doom, DOOM: VS is, I agree very borderline funeral. But still look at the list that is a great list...

2006 has been a great year for me when it comes to music, both CD and live action : )
i am very much content with 2006

hell yeah!

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.12.2006 at 12:53


What about any of the following TEN?

Ahab - The Call of the Wretched Sea
Asunder - Works Will Come Undone
Catacombs - In the Depths of R'lyeh
Celestiial - Desolate North
Dolorian - Voidwards
DOOM:VS - Aeternum Vale
Nortt - Ligfaerd
Until Death Overtakes Me - Symphony III: Monolith
Wormphlegm - Tomb of the Ancient King
Wreck Of The Hesperus - The Sunken Threshold

All are outstanding funeral/semi-funeral doom releases. I don't know what you're looking for in funeral doom when you consider the above standard or substandard. Especially Wormphlegm's is a brilliant one.
Nortt has done better I agree, Dolorian is a love it or hate it one imo, well, I love it. UDOM might be too boring for many, Catacombs some don't consider funeral doom, well I do since it has all the characteristics of funeral doom, DOOM: VS is, I agree very borderline funeral. But still look at the list that is a great list...

yes, no outstanding funeral doom release. nothing out of the ordinary. Ahab's release is a good one, but it did not blow my brains out.

this year was defenetly the year of torture doom. 3 amazing releases from such a minimal number of bands. it's been a while since one genre got this hot

Well, IMO 2006 was a great year IF I include hearing some albums that are about to be released early next year.

Ok, for starters, I didn't find 2005 a good metal year, so 2006 was better for me. Due to:
1) Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side
2) the big comeback of good old Moonspell with Memorial
3) the fact that I heard promo of Therion's Gothic Kabbalah, so I inculded it into 2006 - amazing album!
4) the fact that I also heard Tristania's Illuminations and wasn't expecting much, so I wasn't disappointed and after all it is a quite solid album
5) Deftones's Saturday Night Wrist and
6) Killswitch Engage's As Daylight Dies
7) the coming back of Theatre of Tragedy with Storm

The also, I apologize for not quite following the rules, this has also been an awesome rock year for me:
1) the long awaited Home by my most beloved band The Gathering
2) Muse & Black Holes and Revelations - I'm giving this one #1 in 2006
3) Audioslave - Revelations (I'm wondering if the word ''revelations'' has anything to do with the album being great )
4) the coming of The Automatic, one of the most perspective rock bands with Not Accepted Anywhere
5) Lostrpophets - Liberation Tranmission

(I could go on, but I'll limitate the rocky thingies : )

My award for disappointment goes to the über boring Legend Land by Leaves Eyes (I was once a fan of Liv Kristine, but it seems she's on dope now.... : )

And my personals:
* Tarja getting kicked out of Nightwish :
* rediscovering my great great LOVE for Metallica & The Videos 1989-2004 DVD + redisovering my love for Thrash Metal
* seeing Amon Amarth (they were just amazing!)

The thingies that made 2006 not the best metal year for me:
* Trail of Tears died
* not going to Metal Camp
* not going to: In Flames + Sepultura, Soulfly, Depeche Mode & Placebo (damn you money and exams!!!) :angry7:

Ok, I may have forgotten some, but this is mainly it. : 2007 however looks more perspective

Written by Damnated on 12.12.2006 at 13:53

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.12.2006 at 12:53


What about any of the following TEN?

Ahab - The Call of the Wretched Sea
Asunder - Works Will Come Undone
Catacombs - In the Depths of R'lyeh
Celestiial - Desolate North
Dolorian - Voidwards
DOOM:VS - Aeternum Vale
Nortt - Ligfaerd
Until Death Overtakes Me - Symphony III: Monolith
Wormphlegm - Tomb of the Ancient King
Wreck Of The Hesperus - The Sunken Threshold

All are outstanding funeral/semi-funeral doom releases. I don't know what you're looking for in funeral doom when you consider the above standard or substandard. Especially Wormphlegm's is a brilliant one.
Nortt has done better I agree, Dolorian is a love it or hate it one imo, well, I love it. UDOM might be too boring for many, Catacombs some don't consider funeral doom, well I do since it has all the characteristics of funeral doom, DOOM: VS is, I agree very borderline funeral. But still look at the list that is a great list...

....

this year was defenetly the year of torture doom. 3 amazing releases from such a minimal number of bands. it's been a while since one genre got this hot

what the BLEEP is torture doom? people start making up the stupidest subgenres. I think I have an idea that you would call Wormphlegm torture doom, sorry to say but they play funeral with only the vocals more torturous than most other bands, but as wel ALL know vocals do NOT constitute a genre/subgenre

Good:
Motorhead-Kiss of Death
Belphegor- Pestapokalypse VI
Doro-Warrior Soul (I just discovered Doro this year through this album and now im a pretty big fan.)
Sodom-Sodom
Tool-10000 days (definitly not worth the wait but still not a bad album.)
Venom-Metal Black
Disapointment:
Iron Maiden-A matter of life and death
Slayer-Christ Illusion

Overall not a bad year, but for me it was fairly dismal, not many new releases that caught my interest. Though I did discover some cool bands this year that didnt nessesarily release a new album, like Turisas.

Though 2007 looks like a good year for me, some albums that im looking forward to for next year are:
Ensiferum - Victory Songs
Finntroll - Ur Jordens Djup
Mayhem - Ordo Ab Chao
Megadeth - United Abominations
Moonsorrow - V: Hävitetty
Saxon - The Inner Sanctum
Turisas - TBA
W.A.S.P. - Dominator
And hopefully Chinese Democracy will finally be released next year (Guns N Roses)

So as you can see this time next year I'll probably have alot more to talk about.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 13.12.2006 at 01:17

what the BLEEP is torture doom? people start making up the stupidest subgenres. I think I have an idea that you would call Wormphlegm torture doom, sorry to say but they play funeral with only the vocals more torturous than most other bands, but as wel ALL know vocals do NOT constitute a genre/subgenre

Wormphlegm's music has some similarities with funeral doom, that's true, but it's far more then that. and it's not just the vocals. funeral doom creates a nice, gloomy atmosphere. it is, in most cases, beautiful or at least nice music. What Wormphlegm does is ugly, hidious and agressive. it literary tortures the listener.
Just like VONN.

I totally agree with Damnated. I didn't really believe there can be anything worse than some good old 80' goregrind. To hell with that, Wormphlegm s*its on anything that wants to be br00tal in a high manner.

Written by NECURATU on 06.02.2007 at 22:34

I totally agree with Damnated. I didn't really believe there can be anything worse than some good old 80' goregrind. To hell with that, Wormphlegm s*its on anything that wants to be br00tal in a high manner.

80's goregrind? Hello...how many releases do you actually know from that period? Dude be serious you are just to true for everybody here...There weren't even that many grindcore release back then, but probably you know best.

when looking at the 2006 ms awards it looks like its been a really dry year. I mean i discovered alot of bands this year but all there stuff/good albums were released pre 2006

It was both good and bad, some bands released good albums, and some bands released less good albums. The highpoint for me was probably late summer, when Sabaton released Attero Dominatus and Firewind released Allegiance. Those were, to me anyway, great albums. Another great album was Edguys Rocket Ride. And Blind Guardians A twist in the myth wasn't that bad either, I expected it to be even better than it was, but it was an okey album anyway. And I also discovered some new great bands, like Saidian. Their album Phoenix was really good for a first album. And the fact that they sound like my favorite band doesn't make them less good

But there were also a lot of disappointment's this year. I can't remember them for the moment, I am kinda stressed, my teacher stands just behind me and nags, haha!

Written by Guest on 07.02.2007 at 02:29

Written by NECURATU on 06.02.2007 at 22:34

I totally agree with Damnated. I didn't really believe there can be anything worse than some good old 80' goregrind. To hell with that, Wormphlegm s*its on anything that wants to be br00tal in a high manner.

80's goregrind? Hello...how many releases do you actually know from that period? Dude be serious you are just to true for everybody here...There weren't even that many grindcore release back then, but probably you know best.

Well what's Carcass all about mate?

I'll add some stuff since my last post here.
Celtic Frost's Monotheist is one of the best albums this year, it's heavy and mighty as hell! Just that one of the greatest bands of all time came back in 2006 says a lot!
I also have to mention Termination Bliss by Deathstars, easely the biggest surprise for me this year! I was stunned when I saw them live, opeing up for Cradle of Filth. Although, I didn't have any especially hopes for their last album when I bought it. I was so wrong, it's such an amazing album. The biggest surprise with it is that it is not at all my style of metal, still I love it!

I think that SatyricoN has given us very good album Now,Diabolical. Whats more DragonForce is the future of Speed Metal. Trivium realy disappointed me. Previous album was better than new. At the end: Slayer - Christ Ilusion, hmm 'too fast, too furious' that means the best album of 2006 year.:dcool:

Written by NECURATU on 07.02.2007 at 12:20

Written by Guest on 07.02.2007 at 02:29

Written by NECURATU on 06.02.2007 at 22:34

I totally agree with Damnated. I didn't really believe there can be anything worse than some good old 80' goregrind. To hell with that, Wormphlegm s*its on anything that wants to be br00tal in a high manner.

80's goregrind? Hello...how many releases do you actually know from that period? Dude be serious you are just to true for everybody here...There weren't even that many grindcore release back then, but probably you know best.

Well what's Carcass all about mate?

Dude naming only one band really doesn't help all that much. If you judge something like grindcore by only one release there is a problem.

2006 was a great year for me! I got to know plenty of new (good) bands, went to numerous concerts and (of course) went to METALCAMP where I found out how it feels like to be in heaven (or hell, depends on what you like better )

Written by Guest on 08.02.2007 at 13:28

Written by NECURATU on 07.02.2007 at 12:20

Written by Guest on 07.02.2007 at 02:29

Written by NECURATU on 06.02.2007 at 22:34

I totally agree with Damnated. I didn't really believe there can be anything worse than some good old 80' goregrind. To hell with that, Wormphlegm s*its on anything that wants to be br00tal in a high manner.

80's goregrind? Hello...how many releases do you actually know from that period? Dude be serious you are just to true for everybody here...There weren't even that many grindcore release back then, but probably you know best.

Well what's Carcass all about mate?

Dude naming only one band really doesn't help all that much. If you judge something like grindcore by only one release there is a problem.

Uhh...I don't think we speak the same language.

i won't focus on the releases of the year.
rather i would say 2006 was a really good year for metal here in romania and the best part was it had things to suit every taste. the underground scene was pretty active with lots of shows and we had some big ones as well. i can only hope things will go on the same path this year as well.
up till now things look pretty good: napalm was here. there are some rumours of a haggard show as well and summer will give me one of the best birthday presents ever possible: My Dying Bride live.

so to summarize i would say 2006 was a good year and I really have great expectations from 2007. and yes i know it's not exactly what you have asked for.

well not nessisarily metal...more just hard rock, but I just got Andrew WKs latest album (close calls with brick walls) and its pretty friggin sweet.