Tales from the Jugular

Staff 2005 Mid-Year Awards

Troy Cole
Top 15 of 2005 (In No Order)
Nightrage - Descent Into Chaos
Biomechanical - Empires Of The Worlds
Paragon - Revenge
Strapping Young Lad - Alien
Force Of Evil - Black Empire
Brainstorm - Liquid Monster
Mystic Prophecy - Never-Ending
Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh
Exmortem - Nihilistic Contentment
Soilwork - Stabbing The Drama
Mercenary - 11 Dreams
Dark Tranquillity - Character
God Dethroned - Lair OF The White Worm
Graveworm - [N]Utopia
Candlemass - Candlemass

Best Indy CD : Spellbinder - Seal The Fate
Best Comeback : Candlemass
Worst Comeback : Judas Priest
Biggest Dissappointment : Samael - Reign Of Light
Most Anticipated Of 2005 : New Solitude Aeturnus

EC
Power:
1.Morgana Lefay - Grand Materia
2.Firewind - Forged By Fire
3.Brainstorm - Liquid Monster

Thrash:
1.Deceased - As The Weird Travel On
2.Fastkill - Infernal Thrashing Holocaust
3.Overkill - RelixIV

Hard Rock:
1.Godiva - Call Me Under 666
2.Fozzy - All That Remains
3.Biss- Face Off

Death/Black:
1.Disbelief - 66Sick
2.Dark Tranquillity - Character
3.Hate Eternal - I, Monarch

Prog/Gothic:
1.Mercenary - 11 Dreams
2.Embraze - Katharsis
3.Sentenced - The Funeral Album

Hardcore/New Wave Amer.:
1.Soilwork - Stabbing The Drama
2.Pro-Pain - Prophets Of Doom
3.As I Lay Dying - Shadows Are Security

Stoner/Doom:
1.Grand Magus - Wolf's Return
2.Omegalord - Hammer Down
3.Corrosion Of Conformity - In The Arms Of God

Demo/Indy:
1.Omegalord - Hammer Down
2.Twilight Odyssey - ST
3.Icarus Witch - Roses On White Lace

Best CD:  Deceased - As The Weird Travel On
Worst CD:  Judas Priest - Angel Of Retribution

JONAH HAZE
ALBUM OF THE YEAR AND I DONT CARE WHAT IS RELEASED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR:
TONY IOMMI/GLENN HUGHES - FUSED

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:
BISS - FACE OFF
THUNDERSTONE - TOOLS OF DESTRUCTION
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - MAFIA
ROBIN BECK - DO YOU MISS ME
JUDAS PRIEST - ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION
BRUCE DICKINSON - TYRANNY OF SOULS
JOE LYNN TURNER - THE USUAL SUSPECTS
FRAMESHIFT - AN ABSENCE OF EMPATHY
OLIVER HARTMANN - OUT IN THE COLD
TOMMY FUNDERBURK - ANYTHING FOR YOU
THUNDER - THE MAGNIFICENT SEVENTH
HEADRUSH - S/T
ROBERT PLANT - THE MIGHTY REARRANGER
JOURNEY - GENERATIONS
STRYPER - REBORN
AUDIOSLAVE - OUT OF EXILE
BRAZON ABBOT - MY RESURRECTION
ALICE COOPER - DIRTY DIAMONDS
EUROPE - START FROM THE DARK (U.S. RELEASE)
ROYAL HUNT - PAPER BLOOD
GLENN HUGHES - SOUL MOVER
KAMELOT - THE BLACK HALO
FORCE OF EVIL - BLACK EMPIRE
HANOI ROCKS - ANOTHER HOSTILE TAKEOVER

BEST LIVE SHOW:
JUDAS PRIEST

WORST LIVE SHOW:
QUEENSRYCHE

WORST ALBUMS OF THE YEAR:
SOUL SIRKUS - WORLD PLAY
STARBREAKER - S/T
DEF LEPPARD - YEAH!
QUIET RIOT - LIVE AND RARE VOL. 1
DREAM THEATER - OCTAVARIUM
KELLY KEELING - GIVING SIGHT TO THE EYE
JAKE E. LEE - RETRACED

LOOKING FORWARD TO:
NEW FOREIGNER WITH KELLY HANSEN ON VOX!!!
LA GUNS
DEEP PURPLE
BRIAN HOWE
STRATOVARIUS
BON JOVI
HELLOWEEN
ARCH ENEMY
WHITESNAKE
HALFORD
DIMMU BORGIR
ALLEN/LANDE
DOKKEN

METALKNIGHT
TOP ALBUMS:
Kreator "Enemy Of God"
Candlemass "Candlemass"
Bruce Dickinson "Tyranny Of Souls"
Nile "Annihilation Of The Wicked"

TOP SONGS:
'Devil on A Hog' (Bruce Dickinson)
'Black Dwarf' (Candlemass)
'The Magic Of The Wizard's Dream' (Rhapsody)

Best Debut CD: Psyopus "Ideas Of Reference"
Best CD Cover: "Enemy Of God" (Kreator)
Most Disappointing Album: N/A (It's been a good 6 months!)
Worst News: Death of Mike 'Yaz' Jastremski (Heathen)
Best News: Pink Floyd announce a performance for July in London.
Best Demo: Victor Griffin "Late For An Early Grave"
Best Comeback: Anthrax 'classic' line-up.

NEEKOY
TOP ALBUMS:
1. System of a Down - Mezmorize
2. Mudvayne - Lost and Found
3. Meshuggah - Catch 33
4. The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
5. Still Remains - Love and Lunacy

TOP SONGS:
1. "Radio/Video" - System of a Down
2. "End of the Line" - DevilDriver
3. "Bliss" - Still Remains
4. "Crestfallen" - Soilwork
5. "In This River" - Black Label Society

Best Demo CD: Hatesphere - The Killing
Best Live/DVD: AC/DC - Family Jewels
Best Comeback: Bruce Dickinson
Biggest News: The tragic death of Bryan Ottoson
Biggest Disappointment: Strapping Young Lad - Alien

Frank Hill
TOP ALBUMS:
Biomechanical - Empires of the Worlds
Mercenary - 11 Dreams
Morgana Lefay - Grand Materia
Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny Of Souls
Firewind - Forged In Fire
System Of A Down - Mezmerize

Best Indy CDs:
1. The Missing - bleed
2. Omegalord - Hammer Down
3. Milkweed - Body Floss

Biggest Surprise CD: Fozzy - All That Remains
Biggest Dissappointment: Judas Priest - Angel Of Retribution
Worst News: All the deaths of this year so far

SARAH
TOP ALBUMS:
Judas Priest: Angel of Retribution
Motley Crue: Red, White and Crue
Def Leppard: Best of… (UK greatest hits)

Top DVD: AC/DC: Family Jewels

Top Songs:
Sick Love Song: Motley Crue
Judas Rising: Judas Priest
No Matter What: Def Leppard

Best Indy CD:
Napalm Death: The code is red…Long live the code
Super Suckers: Devils Food

Best Live Shows:
Motley Crue: Target Center, St. Paul
Motley Crue: Allerus Center, Grand Forks
Tesla: Red River Valley Fair, Fargo

Best Comeback:
Motley Crue
Judas Priest

Biggest Disappointment:
Rock of Ages: Def Leppard (US version of Best of…)

SUSAN WRIGHT
TOP ALBUMS:
1. Corrosion of Conformity - 'The Arms of God'
2. Rob Rock - 'Holy Hell'
3. Bruce Dickinson - 'Tyranny of Souls'
4. Black Label Society - 'Mafia'
5. Judas Priest - 'Angel of Retribution'

TOP SONGS:
1. Rob Rock - 'Holy Hell'
2. Corrosion of Conformity - 'Stone Breaker'
3. Black Label Society - 'Suicide Messiah'

VERITAS
TOP ALBUMS::
1. Kamelot – The Black Halo
2. Korpiklaani – Voice of Wilderness
3. Freedom Call – The Circle of Life
4. Moonsorrow – Verisäkeet
5. Hammerfall – Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken
6. Strapping Young Lad – Alien
7. Nomans Land – Hammerfost
8. High on Fire – Blessed Black Wings
9. November’s Doom – The Pale Haunt Departure
10. System of a Down - Mezmorize

Song of the Year: Kamelot – March of Mephisto
Video of the Year – Korpiklaani - Kädet Siipinä
Best Demo – Sothis – self-titled
Best Comeback – Corrosion of Conformity
Most Anticipated – Elvenking’s third album (untitled at this point)
Best Live Shows – Motorhead, Amorphis

VINAYA
TOP ALBUMS (in no particular order):
Angra: Temple Of Shadows
Joe Lynn Turner: The Usual Suspects
Yngwie Malmsteen: Unleash the Fury
Force of Evil: Black Empire
Bruce Dickinson: Tyranny of Souls
John Norum: Optimus
Joe Stump: Shredology
MasterPlan: Aeronautics
Russell Allen’s Atomic Soul: S/T
Judas Priest: Angel of Retribution
Donnerkopf: Krachmaschine (Full-length version)
Ligeia: Gloria

Cool Shows Attended:
Manowar, Rhapsody, Holy Hell @ the Palladium- Worcester, MA
Dixie Dregs @ Somerville Theater- Somerville, MA
Kingpin, Big World, etc. @ Area pR2- Newport, RI

New Artists to Watch:
Holy Hell (Featuring Joe Stump- www.joestump.com)
Ligeia (www.ligeia.info)
Kryptos (www.kryptos.net)
LinearSphere (www.linearsphere.com)
Donnerkopf (www.donnerkopf.de)

ZEROHOUR
TOP ALBUMS:
1. Kamelot - The black halo
2. Circus Maximus - The first chapter
3. Kino - Picture
4. Dream Theater - Octavarium
5. Vanishing Point - Embrace the silence
6. Gotthard- Lipservice

TOP SONGS:
1. Dreams - Brazen Abbot
2. Season's change - Royal Hunt
3. The glory of the empire - Circus Maximus
4. A deep emotion - Edge Of Forever

Best Demo CD: Graal - Realm of fantasy
Best Live/DVD: Pain Of Salvation --Be Live DVD
Best Debut: Circus Maximus
Best Comeback: Shadow Gallery
Biggest News: Kansas touring with Styx!
Biggest Dissappointment: Europe live in Milano and Soul SirkUs!
Best Concert: Pain Of Salvation

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