Tales from the Jugular
Staff Year End Awards for 2003
By: Maximum Metal Staff
Published: Sunday, December 28, 2003
2003 Maximum Metal Year End Awards
Choose a staff member from below to see their choices:
Troy Cole'S Awards
Top 20 Albums Of 2003 (in no order):
Catch 22-Awaken
Overkill-Killbox 13
Grave Digger-Rheingold
Circle II Circle-Watching In Silence
Cage-Darker Than Black
TYPE O NEGATIVE - Life Is Killing Me
VITAL REMAINS - Dechristianize
ANTHRAX - We've Come For You All
KING DIAMOND - The Puppet Master
MORBID ANGEL - Heretic
BATHORY - Nordland I / II
DIMMU BORGIR - Death Cult Armageddon
Fireball Ministry-The Second Great Awakening
ARCH ENEMY - Anthems Of Rebellion
USURPER - Twilight Dominion
CHILDREN OF BODOM - Hate Crew Deathroll
CRADLE OF FILTH - Damnation & A Day
EVERGREY - Recreation Day
NEVERMORE - Enemies Of Reality (if only it had better production)
AVENGED SEVENFOLD - Waking The Fallen
Most Overrated Band: The Darkness
Surprise Of The Year : Catch 22-Awaken
Best DVD: Slayer-War At The Warfield
Best Boxset: Slayer-Soundtrack To The Apocalypse
Best New Bands: Circle II Circle and Fireball Ministry
Biggest Letdown: Living Colour-Collideoscope
Best Album Cover: Dream Evil - Evilized
Worst Album Cover: Iron Maiden-Dance Of Death
Metallica - St. Anger
Best Comeback Album: Anthrax-We've Come For You All
Worst Comeback Album: Skidrow-Thickskin
Best Metal News: Halford Rejoining Priest, New Album To Follow
Worst Metal News: Barlow Leaves Iced Earth
Biggest Breakup: Pantera
Most Anticipated From 2004: Judas Priest, Dave Mustaine Solo Effort
AGENT OF STEEL'S Awards
Top Full CD Releases: Voivod s/t
Top EP Releases: Destructor-Sonic Bullet
Demo of the Year: Twilight Odyssey-The Sorcerer Sessions
Best Independent Release: Chaingunn EP
Biggest CD Disappointments: Dawnbringer (because there wasn't a new one)
Best Live CD: October 31-Stagefright
Best Concert: October 31
Best CD Cover: Voivod s/t
Worst CD Cover: can't pick just one!
Biggest News Report: Johnny Cash
Best Debut: Pharoah-After the Fire
Comeback CD of the Year: Destructor-Sonic Bullet
Metal Single of the Year: October 31-Powerhouse
Best Hard Rock Song: Audioslave-Cochise
Best Power Metal Song: Lost Horizon-Think Not Forever
Best Death Metal Song: Deceased-Torn Apart By Wherewolves
Biggest Breakup: Wojtek leaving Lost Horizon
Biggest Shittalker: Phil Anselmo
DOUBLE M'S CHOICES
Top Full CD Releases: Type O Negative - "Life Is Killing Me"
Biggest CD Disappointments: Metallica - "St. Anger" (boy, THAT one was easy...)
Best Concert: (that I saw) Ministry - House Of Blues, Orlando, FL - 05/14/03
Best CD Cover:
Worst CD Cover: Metallica - St. Anger
Comeback CD of the Year: I dunno if it's fair to call it a "comeback" CD, but Ministry's "Animositisomina" rocked balls!
Best Hard Rock Song: nothing by Nickelback, that's for damned sure...
Best Soundtrack: Freddy Vs. Jason
Biggest Breakup: Stone Temple Pilots
Biggest Shittalker: Fred Durst
EC'S Awards
This year has been solid, with tons of new up and coming bands and plenty of good indy stuff to keep us moving in the right direction. 2003 has been incredible so lets hope 2004 will be the same!
Top 20 Albums Of 2003:
1. Catch 22-Awaken
2. Overkill-Killbox 13
3. Sinner-There Will Be Execution
4. Grave Digger-Rheingold
5. Dirty Power-S/T
6. Helloween-Rabbit Don't Come Easy
7. Circle II Circle-Watching In Silence
8. Rage-Soundchaser
9. Paragon-Dark Legacy
10. Godiva-ST
11. Seven Witches-Passage To The Other Side
12. Cage-Darker Than Black
13. Victory-Instinct
14. Wycked Synn-The Vision
15. Shakra-Rising
16. Fireball Ministry-The Second Great Awakening
17. Steel Attack-Predator To The Empire
18. Twelfth Gate-Summoning
19. Johnny Lokke-Wrecking Ball
20. Conquest-No Boundaries
Demo of the Year: Supervillain-ST
Best Indy Release: Johnny Lokke-Wrecking Ball
Biggest Letdown: Iron Maiden-Dance Of Death
Best Live Album: October 31-Stagefright
Best Album Cover: Paragon-The Dark Legacy
Worst Album Cover: Iron Maiden-Dance Of Death
Best Debut: Dirty Power-S/T
Best Comeback Album: Victory-Instinct
Best Reissue: Chateaux-Fight To The Last
Biggest News: Great White Fire
Runner up: Rob Halford Returning To Judas Priest
Best Label: SPV-Steamhammer
Biggest Breakup: Pantera
ICEDMOJO'S Awards
Top Albums Of 2003: Overkill-Killbox 13
Lost Horizon-A Flame To The Ground Beneath
Dragonforce-Valley Of The Damned
Grave Digger-Rheingold
Steel Attack-Predator to the Empire
EP of the Year: Iced Earth-The Reckoning EP
Demo of the Year: Ravage-Curse Of Heaven
Biggest CD Disappointments: Metallica-St. Anger, In Flames-Trigger EP, Nevermore-Enemies Of Reality, Iron Maiden-Dance Of Death
Best Live Album: Edguy-Burning Down The Opera House
Best Concert: Stuck Mojo at Ziggy's
Best Album Cover: Grave Digger-Rheingold
Worst Album Cover: Helloween-Rabbit Don't Come Easy
Best Debut: Masterplan-Masterplan
Biggest News: Motley Crue reuniting for a reunion tour and new cd
Biggest Breakup: Barlow Exiting Iced Earth
Biggest Shittalker: Lars Ulrich
Best DVD: Iron Maiden-Visions Of The Beast
Frank Hill'S CHOICES
I've probably listened to more indy stuff than big releases this year. Even though the trendy stuff is dying off, the underground is bangin'.
Best CD Releases Of 2003:
Biomechanical - Eight Moons--Sonically deep and moody. An onslaught of a disc.
Children of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll--Tight, heavy riffs and a sound that seems too accessible, but it's the one I've had in my player the most this year.
Honorable mention: Catch 22 - Awaken
Top EP Releases:
Dark Moor - Between Light and Darkness--Romantic power metal release from Spain that completely grew on me.
Runner Up: Iced Earth - The Reckoning--All hail Ripper!
Demo of the Year: Windseeker - By the Seed of the Same God
Runner up: Circle of Nero
Best Independent Release: SelfInflicted - SelfInflicted
Biggest CD Disappointment: Metallica - St. Anger--I'll give them credit for experimenting, but I just don't like it. It reminds me of a bee swarm.
Best Concert: Fozzy - Jaxx Show 4/23/03
Best DVD: Led Zeppelin--The clarity on the old films is amazing!
Best Album Covers: Strapping Young Lad - SYL
Runner ups: Cage - Darker Than Black, Six Feet Under - Bringer of Blood
Worst Album Cover: Limp Bizkit - Results May Vary
Runner ups: Dance Of Death - Iron Maiden
Worst Album Title: Rabbit Don't Come Easy - Helloween
Best Debut: Biomechanical - Eight Moons
Runner Up: Dirty Power - Dirty Power
Best Comeback Album: Legend - Still Screaming
Best Silicon Breasts: Carmen Electra
Metal Single of the Year: "Do You Know Me" - Biomechanical--Sick vocals and one of the best blends of modern and melodic metal to date.
Best Hard Rock Song: "Stillborn" - Black Label Society
Runner up: "Set Me Free" - Velvet Revolver
Biggest News: Great White Fire
Runner up: The Hell On Earth euthanasia fiasco
Worst Joke: Did you hear who was opening for Great White on their next tour? In Flames
Best Label: Nuclear Blast(de)
Biggest Breakup: Pantera
Biggest Shittalker:
Nominies: Phil Anselmo, Fred Durst, Bruce Dickinson, Lars Ulrich, Gene Simmons, Dave
Mustaine, Danni Filth, Billy Milano--Since it's shit-talking as opposed to shameless
self-promotion, I'll have to eliminate Gene and Lars from consideration. Dave has been
fairly quiet. Milano had some hard words to say about Scott Ian, but I think it's more
like a wrestling fued. Bruce has thrown a few jabs lately for publicity. Tough call between Phil and
Fred, but I think with all of the Britney comments, calling his former guitar player a
moron and a "piece of shit" and comparing Limp Bizkit's "broad songwriting
formula" to Queen--Fred wins.
Performer of the Year: Jason Newsted
Bands to Watch in 2004: Judas Priest, Iced Earth, AC\DC, Cradle of Filth, Slipknot, Velvet Revolver, The Darkness
NEEKOY'S CHOICES
Top Full CD Release Of 2003: DEFTONES
Top EP Releases: REVOLUSONGS - Sepultura
Demo of the Year: STEEL PREACHER
Biggest CD Disappointments: ROORBACK - Sepultura
Best Live Album: HELLALIVE - Machine Head
Best Concert: BIG DAY OUT - Gold Coast AUSTRALIA
Best Album Cover: ST. ANGER - Metallica
Worst Album Cover: 14 SHADES OF GREY - Staind
Best Debut: BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE MURDERDOLLS - Murderdolls
Best Comeback Album: THE EYES OF ALICE COOPER - Alice Cooper
Metal Single of the Year: ST ANGER - Metallica (but the rest sucked)
Best Hard Rock Song: NO ONE KNOWS - Queens of the Stone Age
Best Nu/Alternative/Rapcore Metal Song: HEXAGRAM - Deftones
Best Death Metal Song: WAXWORK - Exhumed
Best Black Metal Song: AGONY OF FALLEN GRACE - Old Man's Child
Best Thrash/Speed Song: CAST DOWN - Slayer
Best Soundtrack: FREDDY VS JASON
Biggest News: THE DEATH OF JOHNNY CASH! (Why wasn't that on the
frontpage?! Heh Heh)
Biggest Breakup: Pantera
Biggest Shittalker: LARS ULRICH
Maximummetal.com Hall of Fame nominee HENRY ROLLINS
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