Average Rating: 3.59 Rating Variance: 0.46 Objectivity Score: 71% (Fairly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicAgalloch Marrow of the SpiritAfter 5 or 6 listens, this is at least a solid 4.5. I suspect it may require an upgrade to 5 the more I 'live in it'. Edit: Yup. Upgraded.Amon Amarth JomsvikingAmorphis Silent WatersAmorphis SkyforgerAmorphis The Beginning of TimesThe evolution of Amorphis has been entirely positive for me. This album is replete with outstanding melodies, hooks and riffs, and as ever the vocals are superb. This is my primary contender for album of the year.Avantasia The Wicked SymphonyErasure The InnocentsThis album was huge. According to Wikipedia, it was 'the first in a string of number one albums by Erasure in the UK, turning double platinum, with sales over 600,000. Thanks to heavy exposure on MTV, it also spawned two major Billboard Hot 100 hits, a Top 50 placing on the Billboard 200 and Platinum album certification in the U.S. The album was remastered and re-released on 26 October 2009 to celebrate its 21st anniversary'. Simply stunning.Frank Turner England Keep My BonesGallowbraid Ashen EidolonIn Flames ClaymanInsomnium Shadows of the Dying SunIron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh SonMary Chapin Carpenter Stones In The RoadIf you enjoy Joan baez and other contemporary folk or country artists, you can't afford to miss this. Stones in the Road is the fifth album by Mary Chapin Carpenter, and her first and only No. 1 Country Album on the Billboard charts. The album also contains her first and only No.1 Hot Country Singles hit, "Shut Up and Kiss Me." Other charting singles were "Tender When I Want to Be" at No.6, "House of Cards" at No.21, and "Why Walk When You Can Fly?" at No.45. John Doe No.24 is simply beautiful.Mary Chapin Carpenter Come On, Come OnThis is yet another incredible release by MCC. Her haunting and powerful vocals, combined with a strong melodic vein make this a wonderful catalogue addition.Mary Chapin Carpenter Party DollThis compilation brings together many of the finest tracks written by MCC. Excellent guitar driven folk rock.Nightwish ImaginaerumI stopped caring a long time ago about those who whine on about Tarja and her departure, Tuomas and his selling-out, how crap Ms Olzen is... etc. This is a superb album - theatrical, bombastic, poppy, metal, brooding, accessible, heavy, sympohonic, rocky, catchy, powerful... and so on. I'm a fan. October Falls The Plague of a Coming AgePink FunhouseP!nk has become, for me, the single necessary female pop-rock star currently recording. Her evolution from R&B to her prominence and, dare I say, pre-eminence in her field is remarkable. This album ranges from the heart-rendingly beautiful and haunting, to tongue in cheek rebellion, via several other worthy pit stops. Massive tunes, fantastic production and instrumentation, and oustanding vocals throughout. Unstoppable. This is the standard which Ms GaGa must surpass.Rush 2112There are very few albums that I would want to elevate to the status of utter essentials, but this is one of them. Whether you like or loathe The Beatles, you ought to own a copy of Sgt Pepper. No matter your opinion on classical music, Beethoven 6 is vital. Motorhead's Ace of Spades is critical. 2112 ranks similarly - vocally, conceptually, musically, all mark this out as music which cannot be ignored. The Alarm Electric Folklore: LiveWithin Temptation The Heart of EverythingWithin Temptation The UnforgivingThis album may represent a change in direction for WT, but I suspect now that whatever they put out will be amazing. Very few bands have a totally consistent discography, but WT tick all my boxes. Musically, they are superb, and having seen them live on a couple of occasions now, I am totally hooked. If all of the loved ones in my life fell in a hole, I would have to go and camp on SDA's doorstep until she married me.4.5 superbAC/DC Back In BlackAC/DC The Razors EdgeAgalloch The MantleAgalloch Ashes Against the GrainAmaranthe AmarantheEveryone, whoever they are, secretly likes Abba. Deny it all you please, but we know it's true. Everyone, or at least everyone that matters, likes metal. By a simple deductive and scientific process, everyone must think this is an incredibly good album. If you are a fan of Delain, the 'new' Nightwish, Leaves Eyes, Epica, The Agonist, Luna Mortis, etc... then these guys are an essential acquisition. Fantastic stuff.Amon Amarth With Oden on Our SideAmorphis Magic & MayhemWhat's not to love? Cheese and toast. Beer and curry. Steak and chips. Amorphis compilation and high rating score... *thumbs up*Amy Wadge No Sudden MovesI love this album. Amy Wadge has a superb voice, each song is carefully crafted both lyrically and musically, and as a unit it remains punchy and powerful enough to hold the listener right up to the last chord.Apocalyptica ApocalypticaApocalyptica Worlds CollideArkona (RUS) SlovoArkona (RUS) YavAudn Vökudraumsins fangiAvantasia MoonglowBebo Norman Bebo NormanMelodic, lyrical and inspirational. Sort of The Anti-Celtic Frost. Whether or not you have any appreciation for Christian musicians, Bebo Norman has a voice and gift for melody that has something for everybody and without any crass or clumsy Christian references. In particular, the tracks 'Britney', 'Can't Live Without You', and 'One Bright Hour' carry significant weight. Arch-cynics and those with an axe to grind can pass on this one - to their detriment.Crom Of Love And DeathThis is fantastic melodic metal. Power metal? Maybe. Viking metal? Probably. Whatever it is, is is simply brilliant. The only downside to this is the cheesy emo lyrics that keep reappearing, but as I couldn't really care about the lyrical content it didn't bother me excessively.Dark Tranquillity Damage DoneMonochromatic Stains. On my iPod. Need I say more?Dark Tranquillity FictionDifficult to pick a bad track here, so I won't. Empty Me, Misery's Crown, The Lesser Faith... DT at their best.Edguy Hellfire ClubThis is just sheer brilliance. I think Tobias Sammet probably gives me an artistic and musical woody. Not a single weak track here.Edguy Theater of SalvationVery few Power Metal releases immediately stand out as classics, but this is one of them. The Headless Game and Theater of Salvation are just incredible.Eluveitie HelvetiosEluveitie OriginsEnisum Moth's IllusionFen DustwalkerFen Carrion SkiesFoo Fighters Wasting LightFrank Turner Love, Ire & SongGhost Brigade Until Fear No Longer Defines UsThis multi-faceted album has so many layers, so many things to explore and so many memorable passages. Their previous two albums were really good, but with this they have taken things to a new level. My album of the month.Ghost Brigade IV - One with the StormGhost Machine HypersensitiveIvan Moody. Guitars. Drums. Motograter. Five Finger Death Punch. No arguments from me. Lovely lyrics to Skank and others mark it out as undoubtedly being a Moody album, but despite this it has more musically to commend than condemn. The songs with least similarity to 5FDP are those that demand your attention. Bizarrely, with Bondage, it boasts one of the most haunting love songs that have grabbed me for a very long time - or maybe that is just where I am at right now. Burning Bridges has a lyric and melody that deserves to be placed constantly on repeat. Superb.Grimner VanadrottningGuns N' Roses Appetite for DestructionHeilung OfnirHeilung LIFAHeilung FuthaIn Flames A Sense of PurposeInsomnium Winter's GateIron Maiden The Number of the BeastIron Maiden Rock in RioIron Maiden Edward the GreatIron Maiden Rock in Rio (DVD)Joshua Radin Simple TimesJudas Priest Unleashed in the EastKatavasia Magnus VenatorLissie Catching a TigerMgla Age of ExcuseMotorhead Ace of SpadesNew Model Army WinterNightwish OceanbornNightwish Dark Passion PlayNightwish Endless Forms Most BeautifulOld Corpse Road The Echoes of Tales Once ToldQueen A Night at the OperaQueen Greatest HitsQueen Greatest Hits I & IIQueen Greatest Hits IIRick Springfield Living in OzThis is a superb pop-rock album that delivers track after track. For anyone who has ever struggled with attractions that they shouldn't or been tempted by 'that girl', then this album lives where you live. It is pretty honest about the human condition. Stand out tracks: Human Touch, Alyson, Affair Of The Heart, & Living In Oz. Saying that, there isn't much that is weaker here. I am willing to admit that 0.5 worth of my rating may be down to nostalgic memories of my teens...Rise Against Appeal to ReasonRussian Circles EmprosSaor RootsScorpions BlackoutScorpions Love At First StingScorpions Best of Rockers 'N' BalladsShade Empire Omega ArcaneSojourner The Shadowed RoadSojourner PremonitionsStaind The Illusion of ProgressThis is sheer quality from beginning to end. Raining Again, Pardon Me, and the stratospherically beautiful Tangled Up In You make this indisputably amazing.Stworz Mój kraj nazywa się Śmierć Swallow the Sun Emerald Forest and the BlackbirdThe Alarm DeclarationThe Alarm StrengthThe Alarm Under AttackThe Icicle Works BlindAn incredible closure to what should have been a stellar career. Had their single releases not been spattered with weird issues, and their albums contained songs like Shit Creek, The Icicle Works may have gone on to great things. Ah, for what might have been... "We'll be as we are, when all the fools who doubt us fade away..."The Icicle Works If You Want To Defeat Your Enemy Sing His SongTheocracy As the World BleedsSee, that's what happens when you rate your favourite albums of the year before the final week of December - an album like this arrives. I know Power Metal doesn't do it for everyone, but if you like this stuff then Theocracy are a revelation (no pun intended). This is nuanced, subtle, obvious, melodic, enormous, powerful, riff-laden, Dickensonesque, incredible Christian Power Metal. This is what Impelliteri should probably have been...U2 The Joshua TreeThe classic U2, 'must have' album. This is their best work in my opinion.Uada Cult of a Dying SunUada DjinnWithin Temptation Mother EarthWithin Temptation The Silent Force4.0 excellentAephanemer Memento MoriAgalloch Pale FolkloreAgalloch The WhiteAhab The Divinity of OceansAhab The GiantAhab The Boats of the Glen CarrigAlcest Souvenirs D'Un Autre MondeAlcest Écailles De LuneAlcest Les Voyages De L'ÂmeAmon Amarth Fate of NornsAmon Amarth Twilight of the Thunder GodAmon Amarth Surtur RisingAmon Amarth Deceiver of the GodsAmon Amarth BerserkerAmorphis Am UniversumAmorphis EclipseAmorphis ElegyAmorphis CircleAmorphis Under the Red CloudAn Autumn For Crippled Children Only The Ocean KnowsAnathema JudgementAnathema Alternative 4Please. Could this album _get_ much better? Personal favourite tracks (at least for the last few months): Fragile Dreams, Lost Control, Alternative 4, and Re-connect. Never been a huge fan of particularly strong language, but am rarely able to get through Re-connect without being impacted by the line: "Come on and twist that knife again. Well, I'd like to see you fucking try. Never going back again."Andras Iron WayThis is just superb. If you like your black metal to have a real thrusting, chugging, melodic, growling, blast-beating, pace-shifting oomph, then this is for you. I would recommend this as a more accessible introduction to black metal on account of the very melodic elements. Start with Spellbreaker! Annie Lennox BareAnnie Lennox has an incredible voice; she could probably sing the telephone book and I would still want to listen to her. Having said that, the quality of the songwriting is very strong here and the musicians working with her do a sterling job. This is music that transcends genre politics and divides. Highly recommended.Apocalyptica Inquisition SymphonyApocalyptica 7th SymphonyArghoslent Hornets of the PogromRating an overtly white supremacist band like Arghoslent so highly may not appeal to everybody. I understand that. I've never been that deeply concerned about lyrics in my death metal forays, as many bands I listen to from this genre are either pretty much intelligible anyway, or aren't singing in English, necessarily. This is intelligent and articulate race hatred, I'll give them that much, but my rating is more because this is excellent musically - superb riffs and melodies, brilliant drumming, and a tight sound that is hard to beat. Stand out tracks - Manacled Freightage, Dog and Broom, and Hornets of the Pogrom. No weak tracks here, though.Arkona (RUS) VozrozhdenieArkona (RUS) Goi, Rode, Goi!Audn AudnAudn Farvegir FyrndarAvantasia The ScarecrowAvantasia Angel of BabylonAvantasia The Mystery Of TimeAvantasia GhostlightsBaldrs Draumar Forfedres FortellingerMore folk metal with flutes and haunting melodies? Yes, please. Where do I find it? Oh, Baldrs Draumar? Why didn't you say so? I JUST DID!Bathory HammerheartBathory Twilight of the GodsBefore The Dawn My DarknessBefore The Dawn DeadlightBefore The Dawn Soundscape Of SilenceBefore The Dawn The GhostBefore The Dawn 4:17 AMBefore The Dawn Decade Of DarknessBefore The Dawn Deathstar RisingBefore The Dawn Rise of the PhoenixBlack Sun Aeon RoutaBlack Sun Aeon Blacklight DeliveranceBreaking Benjamin Dear AgonyBruce Springsteen Born to RunBruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A.Bruce Springsteen NebraskaBruce Springsteen The Ghost of Tom JoadCaladan Brood Echoes Of BattleCharon Songs For The SinnersCirca Survive Blue Sky NoiseConsidering Anthony Green's penchant for wearing dresses, it is hardly surprising that when he sings, he sounds like the secret love child of Geddy Lee and Hayley Williams. Having said that, I like Geddy Lee. I also like Hayley Williams. Score.Cloudkicker The DiscoveryI was ready to dismiss this as one of the slightly lame Sputnik fanboy enthusiasms that so often crop up on this site (see Converge, Bon Iver, Opeth, and so on). How wrong can you be? Instrumental excellence by a genuine musician. Cheers, Mr Sharp.Dark Tranquillity ConstructDawn of Solace The DarknessDelain April RainDemons and Wizards Demons & WizardsAlbums like this are the reason why I never jump into rating anything hastily. When I first played this through four or five times, I judged it ok but nothing special - yet another workman-like power metal album that is fine for the background, but lacks punch. How wrong could I be? After a good few more listens, this has become a real grower. It has so much to commend it, if you are a power metal aficionado. This is melodic, epic and varied - enough pace changes and song styles to ensure that it keeps breaking in to interrupt whatever else you are doing and command your whole attention. This is great toe-tapping, head-nodding epic metal!Drapsnatt Hymner Till UndergangenAtmospheric black metal. Sweden. This was one of the better ABM releases from 2010, in my unrequested opinion. Listening to it again after a few months away just reminds me why I downloaded it in the first place - shrieked, spoken and growled vocals, layers of keyboard harmony, folk metal bounce, well executed changes of pace, snow on the ground, wind whistling across open and featureless fields... Drudkh Autumn AuroraDrudkh Handful of StarsDrudkh Slavonic ChroniclesDrudkh Eternal Turn of the WheelDrudkh A Few Lines in Archaic Ukrainian Edguy Vain Glory OperaAgain, this is classic power metal by a band who know their stock in trade. By the time of this release, Edguy had acquired real maturity and a sound that firmly places Sammet on the map as amongst the finest male metal vocalists. You like ballads with lighters aloft and a bit of swaying while your girlfriend cries? Scarlet Rose. Great melody and power from a decent Ultravox track to a metal anthem? Hymn. Symphonic swell and chugging guitars, running into noodly guitar bollocks? Out of Control. Epic heroism in front of the mirror with your feet miles apart holding high a hairbrush sword to destroy the oncoming dragons? Vain Glory Opera. And there's more...Eluveitie SpiritEluveitie SlaniaEluveitie Evocation I: The Arcane DominionEluveitie Everything Remains As It Never WasElvenking The Winter WakeElvenking are right at the forefront of folk metal and this album stands up against pretty much all their releases. As good as Heathenreel in my opinion. From the opening strains of Trows Kind to the last chords of the Skyclad cover, Penny Dreadful, this album is a funpacked dancing winner.Elvenking HeathenreelElvenking The ScytheElvenking Red Silent TidesEnisum Arpitanian LandsEnisum Seasons Of DesolationEnsiferum EnsiferumEnsiferum IronFen The Malediction FieldsFen WinterFinntroll Trollhammaren Finntroll NattfoddI know. Before you tell me that the lyrics to this are really offensive to Christians, because Finntroll have no love for them, I already know. Finntroll's lyrics deal pretty consistently with legends and tales involving the fictional Troll-King "Rivfader" and the trolls fighting against the Christians who invade their lands and try to spread their beliefs. There is lots of Norse, pagan, bare-chested posturing. Thing is, the lyrics are indecipherable unless you speak Finnish. I don't. On the other hand, I do like folk metal and a good humppa (no puns, please). Hence my appreciation. Yay liberty.Finntroll Jaktens TidFinntroll Ur Jordens DjupFinntroll Visor Om SlutetForefather SteadfastForefather The Fighting ManForefather Engla TocymeForefather Ours is the KingdomForefather Last of the LineForefather Curse of the CwelledFraming Hanley A Promise to BurnFrank Turner Sleep Is For The WeekGhost Bath MoonloverGodsmack AwakeSuperb. Expansive, energetic, 'dirty', powerful tunes that drive through the album from beginning to end.Godsmack The OracleGodsmack When Legends RiseGrand Magus Hammer of the NorthGrimner BlodshymnerGrimner Frost Mot EldHammerFall Glory To The BraveHammerFall Legacy Of KingsHamnskifte FodzlepijnanAn excellent debut - droning, minimal, dark and beautiful. A brooding slab of instrumental Bandcamp Black Metal! This album was limited to only 125 copies, but is available to download from their page and elsewhere across the internet. A glacial, blackened buzz to darken your lightness!Hanging Garden TEOTWAWKIHanging Garden At Every DoorHavukruunu Rautaa ja TultaIan McNabb Truth And BeautyIan McNabb Head Like A RockIan McNabb Before All Of ThisIn Flames Reroute to RemainIn Flames Soundtrack to Your EscapeIn Flames Come ClarityIn Flames Sounds of a Playground FadingIn Flames Siren CharmsIngrimm TodgeweihtGerman medieval folk metal. What more is there to say? Grab a beer stein and a buxom, flaxen-haired Aryan-looking wench, and Robert, as they say, is your father's brother. This is clearly more German in sound and style than the normal Scandinavian folk metal madness, but it is harmlessly enjoyable. Tracks such as Der Letzte Tanz and Der Stern mark this out as a 'must buy'. If you are a Rammstein and Equilibrium fan, you will love it. Insomnium Since the Day It All Came DownInsomnium Above the Weeping WorldInsomnium One for SorrowInsomnium EphemeralInsomnium Heart Like a GraveIron Maiden Dance of DeathIron Maiden PowerslaveJudas Priest British SteelJudas Priest Screaming for VengeanceJudas Priest Killing MachineJudas Priest Living After MidnightKamelot The Black HaloOn the whole, another outstanding Kamelot release. Only downside for me were elements of the Interludes. Meh. Paint me picky.Kamelot EpicaKamelot The Fourth LegacyThis is power metal at its best. Roy Khaaaaaaaaaaaannn!!Karnivool Sound AwakeKatavasia Sacrilegious TestamentKeep of Kalessin KolossusKeep of Kalessin ReptilianKorpiklaani Spirit Of The ForestKorpiklaani Korven KuningasKorpiklaani KarkeloKorpiklaani Ukon WackaKorpiklaani ManalaKorpiklaani NoitaLeaves' Eyes Vinland SagaMagnum On a Storyteller's NightThis is perhaps the most outstanding album release in Magnum's entire discography. If you enjoy melodic rock akin to Foreigner, Boston, Journey, Styx and a bit of Bon Jovi and the vocal style of Rick Springfield thrown in, then you will like this. I know it is easy to exaggerate quality, but this is without a weak track. This is AOR, arena rock at its best. Standout tracks: Just Like an Arrow, Two Hearts, All England's Eyes, Steal Your Heart, and the title track. Oh, and the other 5 tracks too - including the two ballads. Manegarm NattvasenI've had this as part of my rotation for about 3 weeks now. I quite liked it at first, despite the initial sinking feeling of approaching cheese in the first few seconds of Mina Faders Hall. After repeated listens I can now happily declare my unreserved love for this superb slab of stonking folk metal. I'm not actually sure I've anything negative to say, unless I complain that it isn't a double album. Apologies for the lack of 'musical' or technical analysis - typing on my tiny phone touchpad and tired now!Margot and the Nuclear So and So's Not Animal.Mary Chapin Carpenter Shooting Straight In The DarkMgla Exercises in FutilityMoonlit Sailor So Close to LifeMoonsorrow KivenkantajaMoonsorrow Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassaMoonsorrow Jumalten aikaMoonspell 1755Mors Principium Est ...And Death Said LiveMors Principium Est Dawn of the 5th EraMumford and Sons Sigh No MoreMy Dying Bride Turn Loose the SwansNechochwen Azimuths To the OtherworldNechochwen Heart of AkamonNevermore Dead Heart In A Dead WorldI can't get enough of Nevermore right now. Between the power vocals of Warrel Dane and the guitar work of Jeff Loomis, this is really very special. In fact, I would go as far as to say that this is metal at its best - so long as you don't want 'happy metal', that is. Profoundly melancholic in places and deeply melodic throughout, this is a classic. Were it not for the cover of Paul Simon's Sound Of Silence, this would rate even higher - it isn't a weak track by any means, but as a huge Paul Simon fan, I wasn't completely convinced.New Model Army Between Dog And WolfNightwish OnceNightwish Century ChildNightwish WishmasterNovembers Doom The Novella ReservoirNovembers Doom For Every Leaf That FallsNovembers Doom HamartiaOak Pantheon The VoidBeen listening to this on and off for the last few days, and have confess that I'm really enjoying it. Tremendous blend of melody, excellent riffs and general guitar work, drums and vocals. Have I missed anybody? My only criticism is that I'm trying to work while I'm listening to this, and I'm spending more time actively listening than actually doing any work. Bad Oak Pantheon, stopping me studying!Old Corpse Road 'Tis Witching Hour... As Spectres We Haunt This KiOld Corpse Road Of Campfires and Evening MistsOmnium Gatherum BeyondOmnium Gatherum Grey HeavensParadise Lost Draconian TimesParadise Lost Believe In NothingParadise Lost Faith Divides Us - Death Unites UsParadise Lost Tragic IdolParadise Lost The Plague WithinPillorian Obsidian ArcPink M!ssundaztoodPretty Maids Future WorldPretty Maids The Best Of... Back To BackPretty Maids Red, Hot and HeavyPretty Maids PandemoniumQueen A Day at the RacesQueen The MiracleQueen InnuendoQueen A Kind of MagicQueensryche EmpireRalph Vaughan Williams A Pastoral Symphony [No. 3]Ralph Vaughan Williams Five Variants of Dives and LazarusRise Against Siren Song of the Counter CultureRotting Christ Kata Ton Demona EaftouRotting Christ The HereticsRush SignalsListening my way through the Rush discography, I like this almost more than anything written before this date. Clearly 2112 is an utter classic, but this isn't far behind. Even though the synths in The Weapon remind me a little of Blue October by New Order. Russian Circles GenevaSabaton The Art of WarSabaton Coat of ArmsSabaton Carolus RexSabaton HeroesSaor AuraSaor GuardiansSchuyler Fisk Blue Ribbon WinnerSurprisingly, this is really very good. Fisk has a fantastic voice that lends itself to her mid-rock, country folk sound. She is very much in the vein of Patty Griffin and Catie Curtis soundwise, with beautiful acoustic guitar sounds accompanying the breathy and pleasing vocals that she brings. She may be the daughter of Sissy Spacek, but she is sufficiently her own woman in a crowded genre to grab your attention. Scorpions Animal MagnetismScorpions LovedriveScorpions Savage AmusementScorpions Tokyo TapesScorpions Virgin KillerScorpions In TranceScorpions UnbreakableScorpions Sting in the TailShadows Fall The War WithinShadows Fall RetributionShearwater RookSoilwork The Chainheart MachineSoilwork A Predator's PortraitSoilwork The Panic BroadcastSolstafir BerdreyminnStaind Chapter VStryper To Hell With the DevilI can forgive the hair and glam after all this time, because lyrically and musically this is really good. Haven't listened to this for about 15 years, but it is a welcome revisit!Summoning Old Mornings DawnSun Shadow Dancing HeartSun Shadow are a Ukranian metal band playing a mixture of metal genres. This album is one of the best releases from a non-English-speaking band all year, and were it not for the immense difficulty of promoting a band for whom almost nothing is in English across the entire internet, they would be much more well known. Don't let that put you off. These guys are outstanding.Svafnir The Heathen ChaptersThis is an excellent black metal/folk crossover album whose primary emphasis is upon melodious folk guitars. Alexander Suplie's acoustic picking and ear for a tune makes this a very worthwhile listen. Svartsot Ravnenes SagaSvartsot Mulmets ViserThis album loses absolutely nothing from the fantastic Ravnenes Saga, despite the fact that only Cris Frederiksen remains from the original lineup. The truth is, Svartsot IS Cris Frederiksen, and so long as he is surrounded by competent and inventive musicians to enact his vision Svartsot will continue to produce great tunes. Growly death metal with whistles, flutes, guitars, drums, beer, dancing, more beer, laughter, bouncing, beer...Swallow the Sun HopeTenhi SaivoNormally I would wait far longer than two days before rating an album, as there is no way of appreciating all the nuances and subtleties of a release in such a short period of time. Even listening back to back for hours fails to allow you any time to 'live in' it. It needs time to sink in and to be processed. I'm willing to break a tradition and give this a preliminary rating, as it is excellent - my rating may change somewhat after a few weeks, but this looks like a keeper.The Alarm Eye of the HurricaneThe Alarm ChangeThe Alarm StandardsThe Alarm Direct ActionThe Alarm EqualsThe Alarm SigmaThe Duskfall The Dying Wonders of the WorldThe Icicle Works The Small Price Of A BicycleThe Icicle Works Permanent DamageTurisas Stand Up and FightU2 WarSBS, NYD, 40 - any album containing these songs has to rate highly.Uada Devoid of LightWalknut Graveforests And Their ShadowsWindir 1184Windir LikferdWinterfylleth The Mercian SphereWithin Temptation EnterWodensthrone LossWolfheart WinterbornWolfheart Shadow WorldWolfheart TyhjyysWolfheart (FIN) Cold BreathWoods of Ypres Woods 5: Grey Skies and Electric Light3.5 greatAC/DC For Those About To Rock We Salute YouAephanemer ProkoptonAether Realm Odin Will ProvideAether Realm TarotAgalloch Of Stone, Wind and PillorAgalloch The Serpent and the SphereAlestorm Captain Morgan's RevengeAlestorm Back Through TimeAll Ends All EndsAll Ends are a Swedish alternative/pop-metal with the novelty of having two female singers as vocalists. Originally a side project of Bjorn Gelotte and Jesper Stromblad of In Flames, and with Emma Gelotte (Bjorn's sister) featuring on this album, it has a great Gothenburg pedigree. This album has something of Delain and Evanescence about it, but is sufficiently different to stand alone rather than sounding unhelpfully derivative. It really is the pop end of metal, but that isn't a bad thing. It is melodic and accessible, but has enough metallic bite to satisfy. Even the One Republic cover is really good! Amberian Dawn The Clouds of Northland ThunderDespite the fact that there are a glut of female fronted symphonic metal bands hailing from Europe, there is undoubtedly a place for Amberian Dawn. Heidi Parviainen has a great voice - nearer to Tarja than she is to Charlotte Wessels or Sharon Den Adel, but not so operatic as to make you feel you have accidentally wandered into a performance of Wagner's Ring Cycle. This has driving, powerful melodies with suitably epic instrumentation. Great stuff.Amorphis Tales from the Thousand LakesAn Autumn For Crippled Children Try Not To Destroy Everything You LoveAn Autumn For Crippled Children The Long GoodbyeAnabioz ... To LightRussian folk/death metal with growls and menace combining with female semi-operatic vocals, alongside brutally heavy sections and violin-laden instrumental beauty, to fashion a strong and accessible contribution to this burgeoning genre of music. This, their second release, is a quality album recommended to lovers of folk and death metal alike.Anabioz Through DarknessDriving death/folk metal that switches between hard and grimy death metal vocals and passages of tremendous instrumental beauty. This really shouldn't be overlooked, as it is superbly played and produced, with consistency as the trademark across every song. Anathema A Fine Day to ExitThe shift in style and genre forged by Anathema over the years may be unwelcome in some quarters, but unless you mourn simply for 'what might have been', it is difficult not to acknowledge that they are still producing very good music, albeit in a slightly different style. This album is solid meat and potatoes alt rock, and is enjoyable throughout. And So I Watch You From Afar The LettersAnnie Lennox Songs Of Mass DestructionIf you can handle the overt political and social underpinning to several of the tracks on the album, and pretend that Annie isn't trying to out-Geldof Bono in places, then this is great music. This has sufficient diversity in the tracks and serious quality in the vocal to make it simply a quality album. Apocalyptica Plays Metallica by Four CellosArkan SalamLiking Orphaned Land, Nile, Melechesh and Myrath was a real help coming to listen to this - the whole idea of Arab/Middle Eastern flavoured metal is a great addition to the catalogue. The blend of folk and death metal doesn't get old. Arvinger Helgards FallAudioslave AudioslaveAvantasia The Metal Opera Pt. IIAvantasia The Metal OperaBathory Nordland IBathory Nordland IIBefore The Dawn Gehenna EPBlack Sun Aeon Darkness Walks Beside MeBlackfoot Flyin' HighThis ballsy blues rock album was the second release by Medlocke and the boys. Straight out of the gate, Feelin' Good hits the ground with a short but pacy no nonsense, guitar driven weekend anthem. Charlie Hargett shows his credentials with some impressive lead work which set the tone for the rest of the album. The rolling drums and chunky riffs of the title track, Flyin' High, combine with Greg Walker's bouncing bass line to add to the party, giving the album a strong start. Other memorable tracks are Stranger On The Road, Dancin' Man and the Native American rhythms of Madness. It may not have the maturity of Strikes, but this album is a diamond in the dust. Breaking Benjamin We Are Not AloneBruce Springsteen Devils & DustCarach Angren Death Came Through a Phantom ShipCharon The Dying DaylightsCharon DownheartedChimaira The Age of HellChris de Burgh Quiet RevolutionChris de Burgh Timing Is EverythingChris de Burgh Moonfleet & Other StoriesCoal Chamber Dark DaysIf I'm honest, I prefer this to what Fafara has gone on to do with DevilDriver. Dark Tranquillity AtomaDrudkh MicrocosmosI have yet to encounter a Drudkh release that I didn't enjoy. Having just downloaded 'Handful', I thought a couple of honorary ratings ought to go up. Four decently bookended tracks, of which Ars Poetica stands out (this week at least). Fantastic stuff.Drudkh A Furrow Cut ShortEdguy The Savage PoetryEdguy Kingdom of MadnessConsidering this first true release from Edguy was when Tobias Sammet was still a teenager, this is a great album. Power metal is difficult to produce without it straying into the parody that is Wonderboy by Tenacious D, and Edguy manage to avoid those pitfalls with this album. Particularly impressive are Sammet's vocals, but some excellent tracks can be found here: Wings of a Dream, Heart of Twilight, Deadmaker, and the brave but successful 18 minute epic, The Kingdom. Nice work, all told.Edguy Rocket RideThis would probably rate higher, were it not for Trinidad and ****ing with Fire. An accomplished album with a couple of howlers.Edguy Tinnitus SanctusDespite some of the suggestions that Edguy are declining in quality, are part of a horrible genre, are gay, are lame, etc.... I really like this album. Agreed, this is not their best album. I concur too, that some of the power metal elements have decreased in balance with an increase of hard rock, but it still has some very good material. Eluveitie VenElvenking Two Tragedy Poets (...and A Caravan Of Weird Figures)Again, very good examples of tuneful folk metal. The truth is, if you don't like folk metal then buying this is a bit of a waste because all you will get is a top notch example of the genre.Elvenking WyrdHurray for consistency. If these guys are anything, they are consistently good at what they do. They may be Italians playing what really ought to be the domain of us Northern Europeans, but not arguing as long as they keep doing what they do.Emyn Muil Túrin Turambar Dagnir GlaurungaEmyn Muil Elenion AncalimaEnsiferum Victory SongsEnslaved EEnthring The Grim Tales Of The ElderEnthring are yet another excellent Finnish death metal band to add to the ever-increasing hordes of awesomeness emanating from that tiny Mecca of Metal. Here is a link to them on the Encyclopaedia Metallum - http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Enthring/The_Grim_Tales_of_the_Elder/321104. Don't compile your 2011 list without at least listening to this...Equilibrium RekreaturEquilibrium may well have changed their lineup since the last album, but I have no complaints regarding their subsequent necessary accomodation/evolution. This album goes at a gallop when let loose! Fans of Finntroll and Ensiferum have much to enjoy here - very catchy melodies, great pace, and decent riffage. Der Wassermann and Aus Ferner Zeit would be good songs to start with. I love the single dog bark 6:40 in to the latter track. Insane!Falkenbach Ok Nefna Tysvar TyFen The Dead LightFinntroll Midnattens WidunderFinntroll NifelvindFinntroll BlodsveptFinsterforst WeltenkraftFinsterforst Zum Tode HinFinsterforst RastlosFinsterforst Mach Dich FreiFive Finger Death Punch The Way Of The FistFive Finger Death Punch War Is The AnswerFive Finger Death Punch American CapitalistFolkearth Sons Of The NorthReally good folk metal. Bleh. You either like this stuff, or you don't. Makes me happy, anyway.Frightened Rabbit The Midnight Organ FightGhost Brigade Guided By FireGhost Brigade Isolation SongsGodsmack GodsmackGodsmack FacelessGrai О Земле РоднойGraveworm Fragments of DeathGraveworm Ascending HateHammerFall Crimson ThunderHavukruunu HavulinnaanHavukruunu Kelle Surut SoiHeaven Shall Burn AntigoneThis is a great listen. If you can't find your Caliban albums, then you can't go wrong with this for some growly German metalcore to fill the gap. Grr. Woof.Heavenly (FRA) VirusHeavenly (FRA) Carpe DiemThis is enjoyable without being particularly memorable on first listening. It quickly grows in stature on repeated listens, until before too long several tracks really stuck. This could be a lot worse, and in places not too much better. Songs like 'Lost in your Eyes', 'Fullmoon' and 'Ode to Joy' easily stand up against most better known Power Metal bands. Every now and then, I did wonder whether they were listening to Queen when they were writing this album, as songs like 'Farewell' and 'A Better Me' seem to have strong influences. Not complaining, just saying. Heavenly (FRA) Dust To DustHeavenwood Abyss MasterpieceThis gets better with every listen. Heading for a 4 at this rate. Heidevolk Uit Oude GrondHeljareyga HeljareygaHooded Menace Ossuarium Silhouettes UnhallowedIan McNabb The Gentleman AdventurerIan McNabb Ian McNabbIn Flames The Jester RaceIn Flames ColonyIn Flames WhoracleIn the Woods... Heart of the AgesInsomnium In the Halls of AwaitingInsomnium Across the DarkIron Maiden Somewhere in TimeIron Maiden Piece of MindIron Maiden Brave New WorldIron Maiden A Matter of Life and DeathISIS OceanicKalmah SwampsongKalmah 12 GaugeKamelot KarmaKarnataka The StormKarnivool ThemataKorpiklaani Tales Along This RoadKorpiklaani TervaskantoLacrimosa SehnsuchtThis is simply stunning. I appreciate that there may be a little too much odour of eyeliner and hairspray attached to this for some die-hard metalheads, but if you can close your eyes to the unfortunate weepy-emo Depeche Mode/Dommin/HIM styling, and the quasi-S&M Spiral Direct dungeon dress code, then the music itself is excellent. Lake of Tears A Crimson CosmosIt's easy to see why this album was so well-received. I had forgotten just how good the song-writing really is. Leaves' Eyes LovelornLeaves' Eyes NjordLeaves' Eyes MeredeadLitvintroll Rock'n'TrollBelarussian folk metal. Yeah! This is frolicking, folky foolery of the first order: energy, melody, and headbanging yompy fun. Judas Priest have never sounded so good when sung by a heavily accented Belarussian on the closing track...Lumsk Asmund FraegdegjevarLumsk Det Vilde KorManegarm Urminnes Havd - The Forest SessionsExcellent change of direction. The folk emphasis here is catchy, attractive and filled with good ideas. Mary Chapin Carpenter State Of The HeartStandout tracks - Quittin' Time, This Shirt, Something Of A Dreamer. Excellent album. Megaherz GötterdämmerungMegaherz ZombielandMoonlit Sailor A Footprint of FeelingsMoonsorrow VerisäkeetMoonsorrow Viides luku - HävitettyMostly Autumn Heart Full of SkyMyrath HopeNarnia Enter The GateStraightforward melodic power metal of the ilk of Stratovarius and Magnum, except with Christian lyrics. Fine music for a cold bus stop.Nevermore The Obsidian ConspiracyOpinions may be divided as to whether this is an improvement or a retrograde step in quality for a band that is as historically consistent as Nevermore, but I have enjoyed every single spin of the deck (well, every play on the iPod). Go and buy it/download it for yourself and make your own mind up. Again, and for what little it is worth, I am still a fan.Nevermore The Year of the VoyagerAny band who can reproduce the quality of their studio work in a live context deserves respect. These guys do that. Highly charged, driving metal that is grimy and ragged in all the best ways, and polished and well delivered in all others. I've attended enough live concerts to know a class act from musicians who are great in the studio but little more than journeymen on stage - Nevermore prove their worth here.Nightwish Angels Fall FirstNorthern Oak MonumentsIf you enjoy blackened folk metal with flutes, then this is for you. Good example of what has become known as EPSBM - English PIne Scented Black Metal. Forests, and shit - not too dissimilar to Fen, Winterfylleth, Cnoc An Tursa etcNovembers Doom Of Sculptured Ivy And Stone FlowersOctober Falls MarrasOctober Falls The Womb of Primordial NatureOctober Falls A Collapse of FaithOmnium Gatherum New World ShadowsOpeth Blackwater ParkOpeth DeliveranceOpeth DamnationOpeth Ghost ReveriesOpeth WatershedOrphaned Land Mabool (The Story of the Three Sons...)Our Lady Peace GravityOur Lady Peace NaveedOwl City Ocean EyesYou know, I really like this 'candyfloss and puppies gloop of happy'. No pretensions of lyrical depth, no swaggering MTV 'cooler-than-thou', and no attempt to be anything but a smile on a stick. That'll do for me.Paradise Lost GothicParadise Lost Paradise LostParadise Lost Shades of GodPink I'm Not DeadPink Try ThisQueen The WorksQueen Greatest Hits IIIR.E.M. Out of TimeIf every band has one decent album, this is R.E.M.'s. It's easy to see why the catchy melodies, diverse sounds, and memorable lyrics (in places!) won such a wide audience. The only weak song is the saccharine Shiny Happy People. If only every R.E.M. album had this appeal; it seems their desire for more poppy and radio-friendly music finds a resonance here that the majority of their previous material blandly and dismally fails to achieve. I suspect many new fans came to R.E.M. via this excellent album, only to go on in anticipation to purchase a back catalogue with occasional peaks and many, many troughs.Ralph Vaughan Williams A London Symphony [No. 2]Rammstein MutterRammstein RosenrotRick Springfield Working Class DogAn uncomplicated album filled with accessible melodies, great performances, and decent lyrics. If you like upbeat, simple pop-rock, then this album is a must. Standout tracks are Jessie's Girl (recently covered by the Glee Cast) and Hole in My Heart, although it is consistently good throughout. Rosetta Flies to FlameRoutasielu PimeysRoyal Hunt Show Me How To LiveRush A Farewell to KingsRussian Circles EnterRussian Circles StationSabaton Primo VictoriaSabaton Attero DominatusSabaton MetalizerSabaton The Last StandSaille RituSaille EldritchScar Symmetry Pitch Black ProgressScorpions Fly to the RainbowScorpions Lonesome CrowScorpions Humanity: Hour ISepultura Dante XXISepultura RoorbackSeth Lakeman Kitty JayShade Empire Sinthetic"You are nothing more than a human sculpture made of filth and disgrace". 'Nuff said. Quality.Shadows Fall The Art of BalanceShadows Fall Threads of LifeSkyclad Jonah's ArkSkyforger Semigalls' WarchantSkyforger Latviešu strēlniekiSoilwork Steelbath SuicideSoilwork Stabbing the DramaSoilwork Natural Born ChaosSoilwork Figure Number FiveSoilwork Sworn to a Great DivideSojourner Empires of AshSolstafir KöldSorne House of StoneStream Of Passion The Flame WithinStream Of Passion Darker DaysSummoning Minas MorgulSwallow the Sun Ghosts of LossSwallow the Sun When a Shadow Is Forced into the LightSymfonia In ParadisumThe Birthday Massacre Pins and NeedlesThe Duskfall SourceI came to these guys via In Flames and Dark Tranquility. They may not always have the quality and inventiveness of the aforenamed, but it was a sad day when they broke up. This is a consistently good, mood-lifting melodeath album that every Swedish metal lover should own. Maybe not as good as Frailty, but close...The Duskfall Where the Tree Stands DeadThe Icicle Works The Icicle WorksThe Moon and the Nightspirit OsforrasSuperb Hungarian pagan folk music. I want it to be folk metal, but it isn't quite that. Sung in Hungarian (obviously) and well worth downloading. Violins, jew's harps, flutes and drums, and stuff.The Vision Bleak Set Sail To MysteryTrain Save Me San FranciscoTurin Brakes Dark On FireTurisas Battle MetalTurisas The Varangian WayU2 Achtung BabyU2 All That You Can't Leave BehindU2 Rattle and HumSome of the material on here is excellent, but there is too much preachy drivel and filler to make it better than it is.U2 No Line on the HorizonVanden Plas Beyond DaylightVanden Plas The Seraphic ClockworkWhitesnake Slide It InDavid Coverdaaale! In many ways, that ought to say it all. This is another classic Whitesnake album filled with all the components that made them great - driving melodies, bouncing bass-lines, outstanding rock drumming and superb vocals. Tracks such as Love Ain't No Stranger, Give Me More Time, Slide It In, and Slow An' Easy are utter classics. Some of their lyrics are more than a little close to the bone, but what do you expect from Whitesnake? At least by this stage they had done away with the tacky explicit cover art present on earlier releases. It helps that I have the USA mix with John Sykes on guitar that truly caterpulted Coverdale and co. to the status of rock gods. Play it loud for maximum effect.Windir ArntorWindir SoknardalrWinterfylleth The Ghost Of HeritageWinterfylleth The Dark HereafterWishbone Ash ArgusThere is no doubting the quality of early Wishbone Ash, standing as they do at the foundation of classic prog rock. Folk influences, twin guitars, 'choons', laid back riffs - everything you want for those 1970's outdoor festivals or late night, dimly lit chill-outs when the rest of the world is sleeping. Wodensthrone CurseWoods of Ypres Woods III: Deepest Roots and Darkest BluWoods of Ypres Woods 4: The Green AlbumWoodscream PentadramaThis is Russian folk metal at its best! If you like Finntroll, Ensiferum, Turisas, Alestorm, Korpiklaani, etc. then this female-fronted band, albeit with a good chunk of clean vocals to accompany the backing growls, will float your boat. It doesn't claim to be serious, intelligent, or high-brow, but it hits the spot if yomping is your thing!3.0 good16 Horsepower Sackcloth 'n' AshesThe stand out track on this album has to be Black soul Choir, but it is a consistently good album throughout.A Storm Of Light As The Valley Of Death Becomes Us...A Winged Victory for the Sullen A Winged Victory for the SullenAbandon All Ships GeevingTrance metal. It is what it is - autotuned, 'ravey', funny, and bouncy. It's not here to change the world, but it's catchy and enjoyable. Like Cheesestrings and Coke.Abigor Fractal PossessionAbigor Orkblut - The RetaliationAgincourt Angels Of MonsThis is a self-released NWOBHM album with some decent tracks. It may not be particularly original or outstanding, but if the choice is commerical radio, X Factor or this, then Agincourt win hands down. Worth listening to are Captured King, Fool No More, Going Insane, and Queen Of The Night. This is good - not brilliant, but certainly good enough to listen to while studying.Alestorm Black Sails at MidnightAllen Lande The BattleAmon Amarth The CrusherAmon Amarth Versus the WorldAmon Amarth The AvengerAn Autumn For Crippled Children LostAnathema The OptimistArkona (RUS) LeptaArkona (RUS) Ot Serdtsa K NebuArkona (RUS) Vo Slavu Velikim!Astral Winter Winter EnthronedOne man project. Black metal with harpsichords. Weird? Maybe.At The Lake At The LakeThis is an attractive Polish folk metal EP with strong female vocals, simple melodies and good, metal counterpoints. It is more lyrical and tuneful than it is danceable or played for fun - there are more resonances with Tarja-era Nightwish and Amberian Dawn than there are with the ale-swigging rhythms of Korpiklaani or Finntroll. That's not to say that such passages aren't present, but they are more restrained. Avantasia Lost in Space Part IAvantasia Lost in Space Part IIAvenged Sevenfold Hail to the KingAwake By Design SentimentDecent prog/metal album - saw them supporting Apocalyptica in Wolverhampton. Good show.Benton Falls Fighting StarlightBenton Falls Guilt Beats HateBlack Country Communion Black CountryI'm sorry, but I don't care _what_ bands you used to be in or what albums you have released with other people: charging 44GBP (yes, you did read that correctly - forty four pounds!) for a live event where you will play tracks from your only album release along with several covers, as you promised in December 2010 Classic Rock magazine, IS JUST LAME. Knobbers.Blackfoot Medicine ManThis is a decent rock album, which probably deserves more attention that it received - probably because hair metal and this blues-rock sound had peaked by this point. Ricky Medlocke is the sole remaining member from their heyday, but it only goes to prove that he was the only necessary member needed to produce a worthy Blackfoot release anyway. Taster tracks would probably be Soldier Blue and Not Gonna Cry Anymore. If you want a decent acoustic instrumental, you will enjoy Navarre - short, but pretty. The whole album comes in at a concise 35 minutes or so, providing a bitesize sliver of melodic southern rock packed with some fantastic retro tunes. There is even a cover of 'The Stealer' by Free thrown in in the mix. Fans of Bon Jovi would probably like this.Cain's Offering Gather the FaithfulCarnifex Until I Feel NothingCatamenia Winternight TragediesCatamenia VIII - The Time UnchainedCatamenia CavalcadeChildren of Bodom Hate Crew DeathrollChildren of Bodom Are You Dead Yet?Chris de Burgh Power Of TenCirca Survive JuturnaCirca Survive On Letting GoCrimfall The Writ of SwordThis is a solid Scandinavian metal album. It has enough quality to make an enjoyable and interesting diversion from the big hitters in this genre, but not enough individuality or melody to elevate it above its stable mates. Insufficient 'big tunes', danceable inanity and memorable individual tracks guarantee that this will be an occasional rather than essential addition to my folk metal catalogue.Delain LucidityDemonaz March of the NorseThis really isn't Immortal or even black metal at all. It was never going to sound like Kylie, but neither does it resemble Quorthorn. To be honest, I don't think that it matters. This is a well executed, diverse, tuneful, well-paced generic metal album. Again, it may not enter metal history as a landmark or vital contribution to the genre, but it has enough quality to earn its place on my CD rack. Great guitars, solid drumming, and consistent vocals. Good for Demonaz. By means of celebration? A pint for me, and a cold, dead badger corpse for him to feast upon.Disturbed The SicknessDisturbed IndestructibleDragonland Under the Grey BannerThis is enjoyable but not particularly remarkable. It is certainly better than bare average, but there is nothing to mark it out as special. On the downside, the incessant spoken dialogue about elves and fantasy lands is a bit annoying. Good, but it has been done before - and more effectively.Drowning Pool Full CircleEdguy Age of the JokerEluveitie Evocation II: PantheonEnsiferum From AfarFen EpochFirtan Wogen der TrauerGaelic Storm Herding CatsPrimordial without the metal. Christy Moore without the humour. Kieron Goss without the poetry. Shane MacGowan without the looks. Having said that, add in a big boat and a young English Rose and you're in business! This is actually quite fun if you just want some light folk-rock. It isn't hugely memorable but it has a lilting bounce and is played well. Beware, however, for Foster & Allen and Daniel O'Donnell are the next in a downward slippery slope to shamrock-sporting inanity. Godsmack IVHammerFall Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, UnbrokenHeavenly (FRA) Sign Of The WinnerHeavenly (FRA) Coming From The SkyHeidevolk Walhalla WachtIn This Moment The DreamIn This Moment A Star-Crossed WastelandIron Maiden Fear of the DarkIron Maiden No Prayer for the DyingISIS In the Absence of TruthISIS Wavering RadiantIvoryline There Came A LionIvoryline VesselsJourney EclipseEither I'd forgotten that I really like Journey, or this is simply a seriously impressive piece of AOR. I hadn't expected to like this as much as I do - clearly I am older than I realise. Nurse! Bed bath!Judas Priest Angel of RetributionKalmah SwamplordKalmah The Black WaltzKalmah For the RevolutionKamelot Ghost OperaKiss the Anus of a Black Cat Hewers of Wood and Drawers of WaterIt really isn't possible to past the name, is it? "Who are you listening to?", someone asks you. What do you say? "Erm... *takes deep breath and gulps* ..." . Having said that, this guy is really good - melodic and tuneful, and increasingly engaging on every listen. If you can avoid getting punched when you try to tell the inquisitive questioner that this really is their name and not your dismissive response to a stupid question, you may like this a lot.Kivimetsan Druidi Betrayal, Justice, RevengeI am something of a fan of Finnish metal. I also have a bit of a thing for folk metal, so this album immediately ticks big boxes with me. Having said that, and acknowledging that this is a decent album, I'm not drawn back to it often enough to rate it as a great album. I think the two things that prevent me are that the melodies don't have me nodding and bouncing like I'd hoped, and the vocals are a bit too Tarja... a bit TOO operatic. Meh. I like it. I don't love it, but I like it. Leaves' Eyes Symphonies of the NightLumsk TrollMael Mordha ManannánA quality release by a band growing in stature with every album. They no longer need stand in the shadows cast by Primordial, as with this album they come of age. Celtic folk metal has yet another crunchy-riffed, head-nodding, ceilidh-clumping torch-bearer to grace its increasingly popular genre! Midlake The Courage Of OthersBy rights, this album should be quantified as Superb or Classic, as there is not a weak track on the entire album. It is consistently tuneful, enjoyable and well-written. The problem is, there is no variation: every song is mellow and laid back - so much so, that I wanted to top myself by the time the final track ended. My appreciation of the album ran something akin to a parody of Jim Henson's Statler and Waldorf. No matter how much I try, I just can't bring myself to listen to the whole thing in one sitting.Myrath Desert CallNew Model Army Thunder and ConsolationNew Model Army The Ghost of CainNewton Faulkner Hand Built By RobotsGreat album. Word of warning though. Don't go and see him live. Unless, that is, instead of enjoying going to listen to music you like a cross between Richard Digance/Jasper Carrott/Bill Bailey and a musical pantomime. My advice? Just shout out, "He's behind you!" or "Oh, no he isn't!", from time to time and you will fit right in. If you've already seen him live, you will know just what I mean. Lame. I mean, SERIOUSLY lame.Orphaned Land The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriORPrimitive Graven Image Celebrating Impending ChaosThis is a solid 40 minutes of traditional UK black metal, which has elements of Darkthrone and early Mayhem, blending with some decent death metal and industrial noise. It may not be hugely original, but across all 8 tracks there is a pleasing consistency that merits attention. Rob "Dokkalfur" Lehane brings a strong vocal performance, while his brother Luke "Ljosalfur" enters and closes the album with excellent guitar work. This is worth your time if black metal is your bag. Oh, and they like forests.Queen The GameQueen Hot SpaceR.E.M. MurmurOK. I confess that R.E.M. have been a bit of a blind spot with me. I can name you most of their 'big hits', but little more than that. I think two things have put me off listening to them seriously: Michael Stipe (who irrationally annoys me beyond imagination with his politics, life choices, and woeful pseudo-intellectual lyrics), and the maudlin and cloying 'Everybody Hurts' (that pre-emo bedroom anthem of weeping 1990's teenagers offering empty solace in some invented 'community of the injured'). rFor my own satisfaction and peace of mind, I want to seek to establish whether I really am missing something good that I will enjoy, or whether I can simply move on to something that for me at least is more worthwhile. 5 careful listens through each album (in release order) while examining the lyrics and reading as much review material as possible should give me a feel for what I am missing. It may only be a starting point, but it has intellectual rigour. After about ten times through over the last week, I've come to the conclusion that this is ok, I guess. There are several acceptable tracks: Perfect Circle, Laughing, Radio Free Europe, Shaking Through (even though I keep expecting it to morph into It's The End Of The World As We Know It), and Sitting Still. Frankly, the rest is filler. I wouldn't this from my iPod, but I doubt I will turn to it very often. It merits a 3 rather than 2.5 because those tracks lift the album sufficiently.R.E.M. Around the SunR.E.M. AccelerateR.E.M. Collapse Into NowRammstein Liebe Ist Für Alle DaRick Springfield Venus in OverdriveHe doesn't seem to have lost it, does he? Despite a good few years in 'the Billboard wilderness', this is a very good album that proves Mr. Springfield shouldn't hang up his guitar just yet. Well worth the money.Rotting Christ RitualsRush Moving PicturesRush Permanent WavesRush Fly by NightRush RushRush HemispheresSamael Blood RitualScar Symmetry Dark Matter DimensionsScar Symmetry The Singularity - Phase I: NeohumanityScorpions Crazy WorldScorpions Eye II EyeSeth Lakeman Freedom FieldsShade Empire Intoxicate O.S.Shadows Fall Somber Eyes to the SkyShining (SWE) VII: Fodd ForlorareSkyclad In the... All TogetherSkyforger Kauja Pie SaulesSkyforger PerkonkalveSoulfly OmenStaind 14 Shades of GreyStaind Break The CycleStaind StaindSummoning With Doom We ComeSvart (SWE) ForloradDense black metal comprising three extended tracks awash with a funeral-doom soundscape that works well with the lights down or the last dregs of sunlight ebbing away - preferably with a window view over snow-covered fields. No vocals until over halfway through Forlorad II, but plenty of atmosphere throughout the relentless journey into despair. Forlorad III is monumental - 40 minutes of pure gloom. This is the bleak music of solitude, to be heard reflectively and without interruption.Tanita Tikaram Ancient HeartThis may be a blast from the past, but having downloaded her whole discography this week, I had forgotten what a great voice she has. Classic 80's female-fronted pop/folk.The Gathering Nighttime BirdsThe Gathering MandylionThe Mars Volta OctahedronTrelleborg Lands Of NjordTurin Brakes OutburstsTurisas 2013Two Gallants Two GallantsU2 How to Dismantle an Atomic BombUnmoored Indefinite Soul-ExtensionVan Canto Break the SilenceYou know what? I really don't care whether people hate these guys or not. They are the metal equivalent of The Flying Pickets, and that scores points for originality in exactly the same way as Apocalyptica score them for having cellos and violins. Vhaldemar Metal of the worldThe more I listen to this, the more I enjoy it. At first pass, this is a listenable power metal album with decent vocals - with extra listens, it grows. Cool drummer!Winterfylleth The Threnody of TriumphWinterfylleth The Divination Of AntiquityWintersun WintersunWintersun Time IWithin Temptation Hydra2.5 averageAbigor Höllenzwang - Chronicles Of PerditionAlestorm No Grave But the SeaBrandon Flowers FlamingoCavalera Conspiracy Blunt Force TraumaChildren of Bodom BlooddrunkChildren of Bodom Relentless Reckless ForeverDevilDriver Pray for VillainsDevilDriver BeastEdguy MandrakeI'm a little discouraged with this album. After 5 or 6 plays, I still can't see anything special about it at all. I expected to rate this highly after hearing all of their previous releases, but so far it seems distinctly ordinary. I enjoyed Tears of the Mandrake, Fallen Angels and Save Us Now, but the rest left me a little cold and dare I admit it, somewhat bored. Nailed to the Wheel was relatively tuneless, and there seems to be a fair amount of filler on the album. I'm open to increasing from a 2.5, but really not yet... :SHer Name Is Calla The Quiet LambIn Flames BattlesIron Maiden Iron MaidenIron Maiden KillersIron Maiden The X FactorIron Maiden Virtual XIIron Maiden The Final FrontierKamelot Siege PerilousKamelot DominionKarnivool PersonaLeaves' Eyes King Of KingsLeaves' Eyes Sign of the DragonheadMary Chapin Carpenter Hometown GirlMastodon The HunterMeshuggah obZenNewton Faulkner Rebuilt by HumansOne Night Only Started A FireOpeth HeritageParadise Lost Lost ParadisePink Can't Take Me HomeQueen Flash GordonR.E.M. GreenAgain, R.E.M. leave me relatively unimpressed. There is no doubting the easy accessibility of Stand and Orange Crush, but the rest just melds together like mulched compost - fantastic if you like this sort of thing, but a bit tedious otherwise. World Leader Pretend is ok, but more aural cardboard generally speaking beyond that. R.E.M. Automatic for the PeopleR.E.M. MonsterR.E.M. ReckoningR.E.M. Fables of the ReconstructionWith respect to the vast majority of reviewers, I just don't think this album is very good. I've now listened through about 10 times in 3 days, and it is only now that I'm starting to differentiate the tracks properly. It _is_ a departure from their first releases - it has even less that is truly memorable. Sorry guys - bland and forgettable.R.E.M. UpR.E.M. Lifes Rich PageantI almost wish I could say I like this. I can see that it would be a good purchase for die-hard REM fans, but it just isn't my bag. From the first track, and my desire to break out into the ska influenced riffs of Baggy Trousers by Madness, through to the ridiculous lyrics of Just A Touch and Swan Swan Hummingbird, it didn't have enough to commend it. Cuyahoga and Fall On Me were ok melodies; Underneath The Bunker had interesting originality, and I Believe is yet another song that reminds me of End Of The World at times. Meh.R.E.M. New Adventures in Hi-FiRoger Waters Radio K.A.O.S.Rush Power WindowsI'm desperately trying to like Rush more than I do. I loved 2112 when it first came out, but lost contact with their stuff not long afterwards. It's all kind of a bit... well... meh. Seth Lakeman Poor Man's HeavenSwallow the Sun Songs from the North I, II & IIIThe Alarm RawThe Alarm In The Poppy FieldsThe Alarm Guerilla TacticsAccording to a review on the official Alarm website by Steve Fulton, Mike Peters and The Alarm have spent the majority of this decade refining what it means to be "The Alarm". For some long time fans (such as myself for the last 25 years), this journey is beginning to wind to a creatively threadbare conclusion. After the release of the Counter Attack Collective (a strictly 'fans only' set of 7 EP's from which the eventual album tracklisting would emerge), I awaited the album with trepidation. Unfortunately I was correct, with a patchy set of retro-sounding songs harking back to the 80's punk rock scene from which Mike Peters originated. There are good songs: Watching Me, Love Hope & Strength, and perhaps Alarm Calling. Beyond that? Tired filler.The Beatles Rubber SoulI can't help feeling that the stellar success of The Beatles was as much a cultural phenomenon as it was a true reflection of their ability. Let's be honest, the subsequent solo careers of each member hardly set the world on fire. Granted, they wrote some great songs ... but an artist has to be judged on an entire catalogue - and theirs is pretty weak in lots of places. Again, this album is a fair representation with heady mountain peaks and dung-filled hollows. Meh. In some quarters, disliking The Beatles is almost as bad as being a racist or a paedophile - so I don't expect you to agree.Titus Andronicus The MonitorI guess if you like the British punk scene like Sex Pistols, Clash, etc then this is ok. Otherwise it's a bit pants. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers MojoWhy, oh why ... is there so much derivative drivel on an album that should contain some of the best work of such a mature and iconic artist? Bad boy, Tom, BAD...Windir Sogneriket2.0 poorBruce Springsteen Human TouchReally like Springsteen, but not this so much. If painters have their 'Blue Period', or 'Yellow Period', then this is Springsteen's 'Crap Period'. I don't say that lightly, because generally he is pretty awesome.Celtic Frost MonotheistI think maybe I just don't understand Celtic Frost. Either that, or they are... well... a bit crap...Jeff Buckley GraceI have listened repeatedly to this over the last few years and desperately wanted to like it. I persevered believing that one day I would have an epiphany showing how amazing it is. Obviously Hallelujah is outstanding, and the other covers are ok. The rest? Yeah, really not so much. It's not for me, I don't think.Judas Priest NostradamusDear Judas Priest, Please don't ever do this again. Yours affectionately...Muse The ResistanceR.E.M. DocumentR.E.M. RevealThe Beatles Let It BeIt has to be said that The Beatles have been a massive influence on music and culture. No-one can deny that. I personally feel that most of their material has aged badly - their 'great songs' mean that they will always hold a favoured place in musical folklore, but they also produced a shedload of dross as well. As with the rest of their albums, this has more than its fair share.The Dead Weather Sea of CowardsThe Fratellis Costello MusicTool LateralusTyr RagnarokUlver The Assassination of Julius Caesar1.5 very poorCypress Hill Black SundayDimmu Borgir In Sorte DiaboliI'm ready to give everyone a fair chance to impress. If you gave a long-necked guitar to someone suffering the effects of thalidomide drugs, I would listen through a couple of times before commenting. This, however, is tuneless, tedious wankery. I am more inclined to purchase the new Amputated album, 'Gargling With Infected Semen'.Guns N' Roses Chinese DemocracyJohn Lennon John Lennon/Plastic Ono BandJohn Lennon Mind GamesLou Reed and Metallica LuluPlease tell me why? P.S. I am writing this in arterial blood from the veins that this piece of drivel made me open.Roxy Music Roxy MusicI have never believed that euthanasia was a solution. Until today.1.0 awful50 Cent The MassacreI would want 49 cents worth of change if I had actually bought this rather than downloading it. Thankfully you can't get 'rapper dirt' on your hard drive from listening to it. Please excuse me while I go and loofer my ears out with hydrochloric acid.Demilich NespitheI enjoy DM and BM. I have a soft spot for Schoenberg. I can listen to The Groovy Coolies. Ambient noise sometimes works for me. This, however is as appealing as eating a large bucket of cold zebra jizz with a rusty spoon, while a syphilitic bull elephant prepares to sodomise you. This is nothing to do with being 'trve' or 'kvlt' - it is just crap.Dr. Dre The ChronicWhat an album! It has everything - Niggas Wit a Gun, Bitches Ain't Sh*t, weed, bling, gang culture, disrespect for women... Wow. I have to buy copies for all my friends.Glee Cast Glee: The Music, The Christmas AlbumYuk. Crusty, cheesy, elephant jizz. On stale bread. With a side dish of dog whinnets.John Lennon ImagineDear Lord Jesus, Thank you so much for health and strength. Thank you for my family and all the good things you give me. Oh, and thank you most of all for Mark Chapman and for the help Catcher In The Rye gave him. Amen.Prussian Blue Fragment Of The FutureOh dear. Were this not seriously written, it may - and I emphasise _may_ - have some element of humour in it. Ok, strike that. Strike it completely. This is simply dire. Aside from the lunacy that believes any album could possibly be taken seriously which includes the lyric: "Rudolph Hess, man of peace. he wouldn't give up and he wouldn't cease", this is just bad. Bad sentiments, bad singing (no offence girls), bad instrumentation (particularly the awful violin playing), and bad production.
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