Topic: Top 5 CDs for the Year

Martin Popoff - Author - (martinpopoff.com)
1) DEEP PURPLE - Rapture Of The Deep (Eagle Rock/Spitfire)
Classy, vital, lively, quite heavy, wise yet humourous lyrics, variety - the best old band out there.
2) FOZZY - All That Remains (Fozzy)
The perfect album - great, slightly libertarian lyrics, excellent vocals, riffs, solos, but more than anything, killer production and drum patterns.
3) OPETH - Ghost Reveries (Roadrunner)
The most creative album on this list, godly, genius, jaw-dropping, yet listenable. Sort of the pinnacle of fussy metal.
4) FALCONER - Grime Vs. Grandeur (Metal Blade)
Don't like much power metal, but when something clicks, wow. Anthemic, frantic, over-the-top, but not self-important.
5) CANDLEMASS - Candlemass (Nuclear Blast)
The masters of blackness return with their measured pacing, canny song skills, under-stated rhythms, but addictive top-flight doom.

Anthony Mcbrayer Low Earth Orbit (lowearthorbit.net)
not in any order....
1)George Lynch - "The Lost Anthology" (guilty pleasure!)
2)BLS --"MAFIA"
3)Bruce Dickinson - "Tyranny of Souls" (Thank you Roy Z!!)
4)Viking Skull - "Born in Hell"
5)The American Plague - " God Bless The American Plague"/High on Fire "Blessed Black Wings" (Tied)

Tim Gutierrez  - Project: Failing Flesh - (projectfailingflesh.com)
1)Ulver "Blood Inside" - Another great release from these guys. Garm is at the top of his game. I'm a big fan of most everything he's done.
2)Arcturus "Sideshow Symphonies" - Probably one of my fave bands these days. Know many argued it wasn't to usual standard but I though it killed.
3) V:28 "Soulsaviour" - A friend recommended this and I play it all the time. Has a cool vibe. Was a new discovery to me. Still am waiting to hear the earlier stuff.
4) Enslaved "Isa" - I think that was this year, if not, I got it this year. Great stuff. One of their best. They just keep moving forward.
5) Angels of Light "Sing Other People" - This has to make my list. Swans are my all time fave band and Gira continues to do great work even though the sonics have changed from total noise brutality to simplistic acoustic.

Jon K - Biomechanical - (biomechanical.uk.co)
1) Star Wars Episode III (John Williams) - Not as good as the Original trilogy but it has a great new theme (Battle of the Heroes) and also the music gets very strongly emotional as it underlines Anakin's fall to the Dark Side.
2) War of the Worlds (John Williams) It's easy to discard this soundtrack as 'Yet another horror movie film score' but after a few listens you realise how great this composer is.
Not an easy listening by any means but it's very rewarding in the end.
3) Alien- Devin Townsend
Not much to say other than this man never fails to impress!!
4) Messugah-Catch 33
5) Nevermore - This Godless Endeavour
Many say it's their best album so far! I think it's a trully superb album with tones of emotion and superior musical skills

George Mihalovich - Aftershok (aftershok.com)
There were many bands that had great releases this year- way too many to keep up with! So my approach is to mention strong releases by five influential metal artists that are still in action.
In no particular order:
Gamma Ray - Majestic
Dr. Butcher re-release
Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution
Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny of Souls
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part III

Gordon Tittsworth - Images of Eden (imagesofeden.com)
I've been too busy to really keep up on all of the releases of 2005 but I have 3 that must be mentioned...
1) Fates Warning- Awaken The Guardian (re-master, re-release): My all time favorite album from my favorite band sounds even better than before (if that was possible). This re-master contains demos, live footage and a bonus DVD. Definitely the best of 2005!
2) Images of Eden- Sunlight of the Spirit: Long awaited follow up to Chapter I. I feel the need to include this because of all of the life experience put into the writing and recording of the CD. It captures all of the emotions that we all have and is very relatable on so many levels. A definite must hear!
3) Disturbed- Ten Thousand Fists: Excellent follow up to their last release, Believe.

King Fowley - Deceased and October 31 (upthetombstones.com)
1. Accused - Oh Martha
2. Danko Jones - We Sweat Blood
3. Molly Hatchett - Rainbow Bridge
4. Axehammer - Windrider
5. Glenn Hughes - Soul Mover

Trey Gadler - Azrael's Bane (azraelbane.com)
1. Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution - Halford back in Priest - nuff said!
2. Evergrey - Live 2004 A Night to Remember - An incredible live album by an
incredible band on top of their game.
3. Demons and Wizards - Just a phenomenal collaboration. Great CD.
4. Black Label Society - Mafia
5. Avenged Sevenfold - City of Evil - Good old school metal from a bunch of
younger guys. Gives you hope for the future.

Emo Mowery - Tiwanaku
1. Napalm Death - The Code Is Red...Long Live The Code
2. Old Man's Child - Vermin
3. 1349 - Hellfire
4. Dimmu Birgir - Stormblast reissue
5. Disturbed - Ten Thousand Fists

Erika Swinnich - Ignitor (ignitor.org)
1. Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
2. Brainstorm - Liquid Monster
3. Immolation - Harnessing Ruin
4. Primal Fear - Seven Seals
5. Averse Sefira - Tetragrammatical Astygmata

German Guerra - Thunderblast (thunderblast.net)
1. Gamma Ray: Majestic
2. Helloween: Keeper Of The Seven Keys The Legacy
3. Primal Fear: Seven Seals
4. Savage Circus: Dreamland Manor
5. Anthrax - Alive 2

Jake Vorrath - Circle Of Nero (circleofnero.com)
1. Soilwork - Stabbing The Drama
2. Amon Amarth - Fate of Norns
3. Strapping Young Lad - Alien
4. Darkane - Layers of Lies
5. Byzantine And they Shall take up Serpents
6. Dark Tranquillity - Character
7. Behemoth - Demigod
8. Opeth - GHOST REVERIES
9. Arch Enemy - DOOMSDAY MACHINE
10. God Forbid - IV: Constitution of Treason

Felipe M. Franco - Thunderblast (thunderblast.net)
1. Savage Circus: Dreamland Manor
2. Primal Fear: Seven Seals
3. Helloween: Keeper Of The Seven Keys The Legacy
4. Gamma Ray: Majestic
5. Children Of Bodom: Are You Dead Yet?

Frank Adamo - Legion (legion-metal.com)
1. Saxon - Lionheart
2. Stryper - Reborn
3. Judas Priest - Angel Of Retribution
4. Yngwie Malmsteen - Unleash the fury
5. Deep Purple - Rapture Of The Deep

Rob Such - Twelfth Gate (twelfthgate.net)
1. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
2. The Old Dead Tree - The Perpetual Motion
3. Novembers Doom - The Pale Haunt Departure
4. System Of A Down - Mezmerize
5. Morgana Lefay - Grand Materia

Jim Springer - Spellbinder
1) SYMPHONY OF ENCHANTED LANDS PT 2 -
RHAPSODY
2) JUDAS PRIEST - RETRIBUTION
3) UNLEASH THE FURY - YNGWIE
MALMSTEEN
4) STRYPER - REBORN
5) HILARY DUFF - MOST WANTED
...WOW NOW THAT IS SOME SERIOUS METAL.

Steven E Wedel - Horror Author (stevenewedel.com)
I don't think I bought five new release CDs in 2005. So I'll give you my five favorites that I bought this
year.

1. Wednesday 13's Transylvania 90210: Songs of Death, Dying and the Dead -- I haven't been able to stop listening to this mix of macabre metal. "Haunt Me" may be the best love song ever.

2. Judas Priest's Angel of Retribution -- Yeah, it's not the best Priest album ever, but it's damn good to see Halford back in the band and the song "Judas is Rising" is one of my new favorites from the band that got me through high school.

3. Nickleback's All the Right Reasons -- Okay, I admit I just heard the whole CD for the first time today, but I loved it. I can't say exactly why yet.

4. Murderdolls' Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls -- I had to trace Wednesday 13's history and found this. "I Love to Say Fuck" is my new anthem. And it comes with a video DVD.

5. Judas Priest's Defenders of the Faith -- This IS the best Priest album and it was high time I bought the remastered CD to replace a cassette that had long ago given up the ghost.

Vic Hixx - Aftershok (aftershok.com)
One through five, the only metal release in 2005 that mattered, Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution!

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