Tales from the Jugular

Staff Year End Awards for 2004

STAFF AWARDS - Troy Cole, EC, David Loveless, JONAH BLAZE, METALKNIGHT, Frank Hill, NEEKOY, PSYCHO SARAH, VINAYA

Troy Cole - TOP 20 CDs
Anthrax - The Greater Of Two Evils
Blaze - Blood & Belief
Carnal Forge - Aren't You Dead Yet
Cradle Of Filth - Nymphetamine
Dream Evil - The Book Of Heavy Metal
Exodus - Tempo Of The Damned
Grave - Fiendish regression
Gwar - War Party
Hypocriscy - The Arrival
Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden
Leash Law - Dogface
Megadeth - The System Has Failed
Painmuseum - Metal For Life
Primal Fear - Devil's Ground
Probot
Skyfire - Spectral
Susperia - Unlimited
Symphorce - Twice Second
Three Inches Of Blood - Advance & Vanquish
Wolf - Evil Star

Worst CD: Six Feet Under - Graveyard Classics II
Best EP: Arch Enemy - Dead Eyes See No Future
Best Indy Release: De Liriums Order - Victim No. 52
Best Song: Primal Fear - Metal Is Forever
Best Metal DVD: Iron Maiden - The Early Years
Best Comeback: Megadeth - The System Has Failed, Machine Head - Through The Ashes Of Empires
Worst Comeback: Gene Simmons - Asshole
Best Metal Event: New Look Of MAXIMUMMETAL.COM
Worst Metal Event: Death Of Dimebag (RIP)
Worst Album Cover: Symphorce - Twice Second

Biggest Dissapointment: Velvet Revolver - Contraband

Most Anticipated Of 2005: New Dissection Album, New Judas Priest Album

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EC - TOP 40 CDs
1. Overlorde-Return Of The Snow Giant
2. Saxon-Lionheart
3. Attacker-Soul Taker
4. Edguy-Hellfire Club
5. Oct.31-No Survivors
6. Tesla-Into The Now
7. Impellitteri-Pedal To The Metal
8. Black Destiny-In Neo Noir
9. Hatework-Thrash 'N Roll
10. Iced Earth-The Glorious Burden
11. Metal Church-Weight Of The World
12. Wolf-Evil Star
13. Pink Cream 69-Thunderdome
14. Drowning Pool-Desensitized
15. Wolf's Moon-I Still Believe In Metal
16. Mother Misery-grandiosity
17. Primal Fear-Devil's Ground
18. Anvil-Back To Basics
19. U.D.O-Thunderball
20. Division-Trinity
21. Meliah Rage-Barely Human
22. Steel Attack-Enslaved
23. Jorn-Out To Every Nation
24. Messiah's Kiss-Metal
25. Shadows Fall-War Within
26. Jag Panzer-Casting The Stones
27. Megadeth-The System Has Failed
28. Three Inches Of Blood-Advance & Vanquish
29. Dio-Master Of The Moon
30. Unleashed-Sworn Vengeance
31. Cans-Beyond The Gates
32. Feinstein-Three Wishes
33. Seventh One-What Should Not Be
34. Exodus-Tempo Of The Damned
35. Blaze-Blood & Belief
36. Leash Law-Dogface
37. Steel Preacher-Start Raising Hell
38. Asperity-The Final Demand
39. Annihilator-All For You
40. Nasty Savage-Psycho Psycho

Best Demo: Jackal-No Lifeguard On Duty
Best Indy Release: Black Destiny-In Neo Noir
Best Live Album: Rage-From The Cradle To The Stage
Best Live Performance: Iced Earth 4/29/04 Springfield, VA
Best Comeback Album: Saxon-Lionheart
Best Non-Metal Album: Warren Brothers-Well Deserved Obscurity
Best Video Release: Blind Guardian-Imaginations Through The Looking Glass
Best Record Company: SPV Steamhammer
Best Reissue: Iron Angel-Winds Of War
Best Song: Attacker-Raging Fist
Best Album Cover: Overlorde-Return Of The Snow Giant
Biggest Letdown: Warrior-The Wars Of Gods & Men
Biggest News: The Death Of "Dimebag"
Best Metal Book: Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums-Martin Popoff
Best Non-Metal Book: Deep In The Darkness-Michael Laimo

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David Loveless - Top Metal CD’s of 2004

1. Isis – Panopticon - Heavy, melodic and epic in volume, Panopticon
delivers largely for fans of all genres of metal.
2. Tsjuder – Desert Northern Hell - The new kings of Northern Darkness are
here! Fans of Immortal (R.I.P.) should check this band out ASAP!!
3. Fates Warning – FWX - Possibly the best FW album since No Exit and
definitely Ray Alders best vocal performance ever!!
4. Black Label Society – Hangover Music Vol. VI - When you need a break
from extreme metal but still need METAL, you can always count on Black
Label Society!
5. Neurosis – Eye Of Every Storm - Neurosis remains consistent with their
latest outing. Although a bit more melodic, still intense and
bone-crushing in sound.
6. Hecate Enthroned – Redimus - Back in the Black Metal fold after 1 CD
and 1 EP of mediocre death Metal. Hecate Enthroned at the top of their
game with the blackened death metal masterpiece – REDIMUS!
7. Mastodon – Leviathan Masterful - concept CD based upon Moby Dick with
old school metal tact with new school twists.
8. Lamb Of God – Ashes Of The Wake - True head-banging heavy metal with
the intensity of a jet engine. Great instrumental title track with guest
appearances by Chris Poland and Alec Scolnick.
9. Graveland – Dawn Of Iron Blades - Graveland continues to put out
pummeling Viking Black Metal year after year! Dawn of Iron Blades
continues that tradition with a heavier sound that makes you wish you were
fighting on a medieval battlefield.
10. Darkthrone – Sardonic Wrath - Norway’s legendary Black Metal duo keep
us in the underground worshipping all things evil with Sardonic Wrath!
Their best CD since Panzerfaust!

Honorable mention: Primus – Live soundboard recordings from their
Hallucino-Genetics tour found on www.primuslive.com . They may not be
completely metal, but this quirky trio are loved by metal bands and metal
fans alike and are without a doubt one of the greatest live bands ever!

Top Metal DVD’s of 2004
1. Opeth – Lamentations
2. Slayer – Still Reigning
3. Primus – Hallucino-Genetics Live 2004

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JONAH BLAZE: BEST OF 2004

Bang Tango - Ready to Go
Black Label Society - Hangover Music Vol VI
Borknagar - Epic
James Christian - Meet the Man
Danzig - Circle of Snakes
Death Angel - The Art of Dying
Dio - Master of the Moon
Dionysus - Anima Mundi
Domine - Emporer of the Black Runes
Dream Evil - The Book of Heavy Metal
Duran Duran - Astronaut
Evergrey - The Inner Circle
Everlast - White Trash Beautiful
Evidence One - Tattooed Heart
Europe - Start From the Dark
Feinstein - Third Wish
From the Inside - Danny Vaughn
Heaven & Earth - A Taste of Heaven
House of Lords - The Power and the myth
Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden
Iommi/Hughes - The DEP Sessions
Krokus - Rock the Block
Mob Rules - Among the Gods
Motorhead - Inferno
Nocturnal Rites - New World Messiah
Paatos - Kallocain
PC 69 - Thunderdome
Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands Part II
Saxon - Lionheart
Scorpions - Unbreakable
Seventh Key - The Raging Fire
Tesla - Into the Now
Thunderstone - The Burning
Joe Lynn Turner - Rescue You (reissue)
Voodoo Hill - Wild Seed of Mother Earth
Wolf - Evil Star

Best of Crap 2004:
Brides of Destruction - Here Come the Brides
Dokken - Hell to Pay
Kevin Dubrow - In for the Kill
Fates Warning - FWX
Jorn - Out ot Every Nation
Gene Simmons - Asshole
George Lynch - Furious George
Megadeth - The System Has Failed
Jeff Scott Soto - Lost in the Translation
Soul Sirkus - World Play
TNT - My religion
Twisted Sister - Still Hungry
Velvet Revolver - Contraband
War and Peace - The Walls Have Eyes
Wasp - Neon God Parts I and II

Best new singles prefacing a great 2005:
Judas Priest - Revolution
Motley Crue - If I Die Tomorrow

Best Promise Breakers for new material:
AC/DC
Sebastian Bach
Beautiful Creatures
Black Sabbath (with Ozzy)
Cinderella
Damn Yankees
Def Leppard
Guns n Roses
Iron Maiden
Ozzy
Whitesnake

Best of who could give a shit:
Anything Kiss
Anything Metallica
Anything Queensryche
Blackmore's Night
Bulletboys hire and fire legendary Andy Johns - no one notices
John Corabi
Danger Danger reunites with Ted Poley
Dave Mustaine magically heals his arm and forgets that he is reborn
Jamie St. James joins Warrant
Jani Lane being cut from the Surreal Life
Kelly Keeling
Michael Schenker
Mikey Steel from Steelheart changes his name back to Michael Majevtic or whatever
Jeff Scott Soto and Neal Schon
Jorn Lande - (this guy is david coverdale's lenny wolf)
Ozzfest
Ronnie Lee Keel and Iron Horse
Slash continues his obsession with heroin addicted singers
Stephen Pearcy and Ratt continue to sue each other
Stryper
Traci Guns actually thinking Nikki Sixx is a real friend
Van Hagar

Best Surprise:
Danzig gettin knocked out
David Lee Roth saving lives!
Dio turns 65 - Long Live the King of Rock and Roll Children
Ian Astbury could actually be Jim Morrison
Iced Earth gets huge, Richard Christie quits to work for Howard Stern
Stevie Rachelle comes out to claim the sludge
Tommy Skeoch returns from rehab

Best Comeback:
Bang Tango - Ready to Go
Death Angel - The Art of Dying
Duran Duran - Astronaut
From the Inside - Danny Vaughn (fuckin A what a voice)
Krokus- Rock the Block (quality plaguerism)
Scorpions - Unbreakable
Tesla - Into the Now (my boys never let me down)

Best Label:
Frontiers - Fabrizio Grossi gets producer of the year
Sanctuary/BMG
SPV
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METALKNIGHT - Top 2004 C.D. albums: (in no particular order)
ORPHANED LAND: "Mabool....."
WITHIN TEMPTATION: "The Silent Force"
DORO: "Classic Diamonds"
EVERGREY: "The Inner Purpose"
THE GATHERING: "Sleepy Buildings"
FORSAKEN: "Anima Mundi"
DIMMU BORGIR: "Death Cult Armageddon"
DIO: "Master Of The Moon"
NIGHTFALL: "Lyssa...."
HIRAX: "The New Age Of Terror"
HAGGARD: "Eppur Si Muove"
RHAPSODY: "The Dark Secret"

Best Male Vocalist:
Fabio Lione (Rhapsody)

Best Female Vocalist:
Sharon denAdel (Within Temptation)

Best C.D. Sleeves:
"Return Of The Snow Giant" (Overlorde)
"Witchcraft" (Stormwitch)
"Fragments..." (Diaharmonia Mundi)

Biggest Diappointment:
Gene Simmons: "Asshole"

Most Overrated bands:
Evanescence
Slipknot

Most Underrated Bands:
Death SS
Flowing Tears

Maximum Metal Hall Of Fame Nominees:
Quorthon
'Dimebag' Darrell
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Frank Hill - TOP 15 CDs for 2004
1. Mother Misery - "grandiosity"--consistent rock sound and philosophy.
2. Nightwish - "Once"--gorgeous orchestration; one of the best productions
ever.
3. Killswitch Engage - "The End of Heartache"--the best of the new scene.
4. The Last Act - "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"--raw hard rock with
touches of brilliance.
5. Kingcrow - "Insider"--Operation: Mindcrime Jr. meets the Matrix.
6. Black Destiny - "In Neo Noir"
7. Saxon - "Lionheart"
8. Anthrax - "Music Of Mass Destruction"
9. In Flames -"Soundtrack To Your Escape"
10. Iced Earth - "The Glorious Burden"
11. Leash Law - "Dogface"
12. Unearth - "The Oncoming Storm"
13. Brides of Destruction - "Here Come the Brides"
14. DevilDriver - "DevilDriver"
15. Project: Failing Flesh - "A Beautiful Sickness"

Biggest Dissappointment: Dio - "Master of the Moon"

TOP 10 INDY CDs for 2004 (so far)
1. Mother Misery - "grandiosity"
2. The Last Act - "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished"
3. Kingcrow - "Insider"
4. Black Destiny - "In Neo Noir"
5. Fraise - "Hellicornia"
6. Low Earth Orbit - "Pushed"
7. The Lizards "Cold Blooded Kings"
9. Murdercycle - "Murdercycle"
10. Hard Echo - "Traded Secrets"

Best Video/DVD Releases:
Iron Maiden - The Early Years; Blind Guardian - Imaginations Through The
Looking Glass
Worst Video/DVD Releases: Queensryche - the art of live; Manowar - Hell on
Earth III
Best Demo CDs (<5 songs): Outworld, Images of Eden, Vox Tempus
Best Live CD: Anthrax "Music Of Mass Destruction"
Best Debut: DevilDriver
Best Comeback: Tesla, Saxon
Biggest News: Dimebag Darrell Shooting
Best Album Cover: Hard Echo "Traded Secrets"; Primal Fear "Devil’s Ground"
Best Concert: Iced Earth, Children of Bodom, Evergrey

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NEEKOY - Best of 2004
Best Album: Vol 3 Subliminal Verses - Slipknot
Worst Album: Contraband - Velvet Revolver
Surprise Of The Year :
Survival of the Sickest - Saliva
Best New Band: Otep
Biggest Letdown: Probot - Probot
Best Album Cover:
New Found Power - Damageplan
Worst Album Cover: Desensitized - Drowning Pool
Best Comeback Album: System has Failed - Megadeth
Worst Comeback Album:
Asshole - Gene Simmons
Worst Metal News:
The tragic death of Dimebag Darrell
Most Anticipated F or 200 5:
Best Live CD: Death by Decibels - Deftones
Metal Single of the Year: 3 Nil - Slipknot
Whatever Genre song: Forget It - Breaking Benjamin
Maximum Metal Hall of Fame Nominee: Dimebag Darrell

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PYSCHO SARAH - Top Albums of 2004: (not in any order tho)
OTEP: House of Secrets
Starwood: IF it Aint Broke, Break it
Velvet Revolver: Contraband
Scorpions: Unbreakable
Marillion: Marbles
Def Leppard: Super Vault (the best of)
Motorhead: Inferno
Dokken: Hell to Pay
Journey: Detour
Bang the Union: American Dream
Naked Beggars: Self Titled
Tommy Lee: Never a Dull Moment
Clutch: Blast Tyrant
Horror Pops: Hell yeah
Saliva: Survival of the Sickest
Entombed: Inferno
Megadeth: The System Has Failed
THE BONES - Straight Flush Ghetto

Most overrated Band: Slipknot, Lamb of God, Evanescence
Surprise of the year: Dimebag’s death. What a horrible thing to happen in the metal world?
Best DVD: Def Leppard: the Best Of Supervault
Best Box set: Motley Crue: Music to crash your car to. Vol. 2
Best New Bands: Brides of Destruction, Atomship, and Hanzel and Gretyl.
Biggest Letdown: Slipknot Vol.3
Best album cover: OTEP: House of Secrets
Worst Album Cover: Spin The bottle: An all star Tribute to Kiss
Best Comeback Album: megadeth the system has failed, Tesla into the now
Worst Comeback Album: Tesla:
Best Metal News : Motley Crue: New Album, and Tour for 2005 Announcement
Worst Metal News : Dimebag Darrells Death
Most Anticipated from 2005 : Motley Crue- Red, White, and Crue tour; Better Live then Dead. ( only 83 days) and JUDAS PRIEST Angel of Retribution February 1, 2005
Demo of the year : Tattooed Millionaires:
Best independent release: BrainChiggers EP
Biggest CD Release: even though it’s a box set, I would have to say that Nirvana Box Set, would have to be the biggest cd release of 2004. So many people looked forward to it.
Biggest CD Disappointments: Alter Bridge: Its Creed again with a different Name. I thought it was going to be a good rock album, since Mark Tremonte is a killer guitarist, just forms himself around the wrong people when it comes to making music.
Best Live CD: Kreator: Live Kreation anthrax Music of Mass Destruction: Live from Chicago
Biggest Joke of 2004 : Bret Michaels “freedom of sound” tour to support his new country album. What was/ is he thinking, he goes on tour; plays tons of Poison songs without the rest of the members
Best Concert : There was lots. Some were amazing, others were breathtaking. If I had to chose just one, I would have to say Ministry. Although Poison and KISS were awesome, there’s something about Ministry that always makes them great.
Worst Concert: it’s a tie between Metallica with Godsmack, and Van Halen. Godsmack proved to be better than Metallica, but still disappointing. Van Halen was more like Van Hagar. Eddie’s solo sucked, he had to stop to tie his shoe at one point, stopped again to put up his hair. It wasn’t what I was expecting.
Best Debut : Velvet Revolver: Contraband
Best Rock Song : Fall to Pieces
Best Metal Single of the Year: Motley Crue: If I die tomorrow
Best Death Metal Song : Hooks and Splinters: Otep (House of Secrets)
Best Soundtrack : The punisher
Best Silicon Breasts : Jenna Jameson
Best Label: Nightmare Records and/or Fast lane records
Performer of the Year: Jenna Jameson…although Paris Hilton comes in a close second.
Bands to watch in 2005 : AC/DC, Motley Crue, Freakhouse, Velvet Revolver (they did remarkable in 2004, what’s to say about 2005)

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VINAYA - Best CDs of 2004
1. Jorn: Out To Every Nation
2. Silent Force: Worlds Apart
3. Megadeth: The System Has Failed
4. Tesla: Into The Now
5. Pink Cream 69: Thunderdome
6. Iommi w/ Glenn Hughes: The 1996 DEP Sessions
7. UFO: You Are Here
8. Jag Panzer: Casting The Stones
9. Primal Fear: Devil’s Ground
10. Wolf: Evil Star

Best debut album: Edge OF Forever: Feeding The Fire
Best DVD: Force Of Evil: Evil Comes… Alive!
Best live album: King’s X: Live All Over The Place
Best reissues: Too Many To Pick From!
Pleasant surprise: Official releases of Jag Panzer’s Chain Of Command and
the Iommi/ Hughes album
Letdown of the year: Death of Dimebag Darrell
Comeback of the year: UFO
Most overrated: Linkin Park….ughhh!!! Stop yer Goddamn whining already!!
Most underrated: I don’t even know who they are, otherwise they wouldn’t
be underrated, no would they?!?!

(Good stuff that came to my attention too late for consideration and
proper ranking)
Iron Maiden: Early Days DVD
Nightwish: Once
Angra: Temple Of Shadows
Circle II Circle : Watching In Silence
Death Angel: The Art Of Dying
Soul Sirkus: World Play
Derek Sherinian: Mythology

Best Gigs:
1. Riot, plus special guests @ Don Hill’s, New York City
2. Michael Schenker Group, Uli Jon Roth @ The Wreck Room, New Jersey
3. Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy @ Beacon Theater, New York City
4. Rudess Morgenstein Project @ Berklee Performance Center, Boston
5. Kansas @ Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT

Hometown Heroes- New Artists to Watch Out For in 2005:
Donnerkopf ( www.donnerkopf.de)
King Karma ( www.kingkarma.com)
Kryptos ( www.kryptos.net)
Soul Sirkus ( www.soulsirkus.com)
Suicide Dream ( www.suicide-dream.com)

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