Your FINAL top 20 releases of 2009.

1. KISS:SONIC BOOM
2. HAMMERFALL: NO SACRIFICE, NO VICTORY
3. NASTY IDOLS: BOYS TOWN
4. STEEVI JAIMZ: MY PRIVATE HELL
5. KREATOR: HORDS OF CHAOS
6. CAULDRON: CHAINED TO THE NITE
7. BUD TRIBE: ROLL THE BONE
8. SAXON: INTO THE LABYRINTH
9. WOLF: RAVENOUS
10. MEGADETH: ENDGAME
11. GRAVE DIGGER: BALLADS OF A HANGMAN
12. CHICKENFOOT: CHICKENFOOT
13. STRYPER: MURDER BY PRIDE
14. HARDCORE SUPERSTAR: BEG FOR IT
15. PRIMAL FEAR: 16:6
16. DREAM THEATER: BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS
17. IMPELLITERRI: WICKED MAIDEN
18. VENGEANCE: SOUL COLLECTOR
19. PESTILENCE: RESURRECTION MACABRE
20. TIM RIPPER OWENS: PLAY MY GAME

Didn't get very many cds this year but here is a short list
1. Doro-fear no evil
2. Megadeth- end game
3. Saxon-Into the Labyrinth
4. Seventh Angel- The Dust of Years
5. Halford- Winter Songs

thanks, I felt like if I already did it.
what about grave digger, helstar and sinner? are they from 2009 or 2008?

powermacho wrote:

thanks, I felt like if I already did it.
what about grave digger, helstar and sinner? are they from 2009 or 2008?

SINNER and HELSTAR are from 2008 but BALLAD OF A HANGMAN by GRAVE DIGGER is from 2009.

Starting my top 20 list:

1. The Last Vegas - Whatever Gets You Off
2. Innocent Rosie - Bad Habit Romance
3. Hardcore Superstar - Beg For It
4. Kiss - Sonic Boom
5. AC/DC - Black Ice
6. WASP - Babylon
7. Steevi Jaimz - My Private Hell

more to come as I think about it.

Wasn't Black Ice released in 2008?

Revised edition:

1. While Heaven Wept - Vast Oceans Lachrymose
2. Praying Mantis - Sanctuary
3. KISS - Sonic Boom
4. Asomvel - Kamikaze
5. Saint - Hell Blade
6. Iron Man - I Have Returned
7. Master's Hammer - Mantras
8. Ace Frehley - Anomaly
9. The River - In Situ
10. Nokturnal Mortum - The Voice of Steel

1. Saxon - Into the lab
2. Impelliterri - wicked maiden
3. STRYPER - MUDER BY PRIDE
4. grave digger - ballads of a hangman
5. MORTIFICATION - TEDM
6. CHICKENFOOT - CHICKENFOOT
7. HIRAX - EL ROSTRO DE LA MUERTE
8. MEGADETH - ENDGAME
9. Ultimatum - lex metalis

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT:
Black Sabbath - The Devil You Know

MOST ANTICIPATED ALBUMS OF THE YEAR:
IMPELLITERI - WICKED MAIDEN
HIRAX - EL ROSTRO DE LA MUERTE
SRTYPER - MURDER BY PRIDE
HEAVEN AND HELL - THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
ULTIMATUM - LEX METALIS

WANT LIST
Hammerfall - No Sacrifice, No Victory
Primal Fear - 16.6
KREATOR: HORDS OF CHAOS
Ace Frehley - Anomaly
Saint - Hell Blade
Sacred Steel - Carnage Victory
Stone Gods - Broken Bones & Silver Spoons
Jacobs Dream - Beneath the Shadows
Ross the Boss - New Metal Leader

1. Nile Those Whom The Gods Detest
2 Suffocation Bloodoath
3 Obituary Darkest Day
4 Napalm Death Time Waits For No Slave
5 Mortification The Evil Addiction Destroying Machine
6 Pestilence Resurrection Macabre
7 Kreator Hordes of Chaos
8 Iron Maiden Flight 666
9 Testament Live At Einhoven (re-release with missing tracks included)
10 Suffocation Last Chapter (re-release)
11 Megadeth Endgame

Disappointment:

Metallica Death Magnetic (Can't believe it won 2 Grammys )

A potential pick for next year: Overkill's Ironbound (Got the full album via download and plan on purchasing the CD when it's out in Jan/Feb. It's awesome!)

here we go, my top 50. not necessarily in order.

1.) Slayer - World Painted Blood
2.) Beherit - Engram
3.) Suffocation - Blood Oath
4.) Satan's Host - Power ~ Purity ~ Perfection: 999
5.) The Gathering - The West Pole
6.) Absu - Absu
7.) Sathanas - Nightrealm Apocalypse
8.) Obituary - Darkest Day
9.) Acheron - The Final Conflict: Last Days of God
10.) Fenriz' Red Planet / Nattefrost - Engangsgrill
11.) Deströyer 666 - Defiance
12.) Azarath - Praise the Beast
13.) Rumpelstiltskin Grinder - Living for Death, Destroying the Rest
14.) Asphyx - Death...The Brutal Way
15.) Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse
16.) Doro - Fear No Evil
17.) Napalm Death - Time Waits for No Slave
18.) God Dethroned - Passiondale
19.) Samael - Above
20.) Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest
21.) FistFuck - Rock 'N' Roll Nightmare
22.) Jungle Rot - What Horrors Await
23.) Kreator - Hordes of Chaos
24.) Archgoat - The Light-Devouring Darkness
25.) Gorgoroth - Quantos Possund ad Satanitatem Trahunt
26.) Vomepotro - Liturgy of Dissection
27.) Marduk - Wormwood
28.) Pestilence - Resurrection Macabre
29.) Cannibal Corpse - Evisceration Plague
30.) IWrestledABearOnce - It's All Happening
31.) Cattle Decapitation - The Harvest Floor
32.) Brutal Truth - Evolution Through Revolution
33.) Hypocrisy - A Taste of Extreme Divinity
34.) Kylesa - Static Tensions
35.) Dead Flesh - Returning From Decay
36.) Old Man's Child - Slaves of the World
37.) Sepultura - A-Lex
38.) Gory Blister - Graveyard of Angels
39.) Dark Funeral - Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus
40.) Hirax - El Rostro de la Muerte
41.) Abgott - Godfather in Black
42.) Job for a Cowboy - Ruination
43.) Dying Fetus - Descend Into Depravity
44.) Immortal - All Shall Fall
45.) Skeletonwitch - Breathing the Fire
46.) At War - Infidel
47.) Squash Bowels - Grindvirus
48.) Coram Lethe - A Splendid Chaos
49.) Devin Townsend - Addicted
50.) Deiphago - Filipino Antichrist

1. Sol Asunder - Mechanize
2. Ravage - The End of Tomorrow
3. Ex Deo - Romulus
4. Kilswitch Engage - S/T 2009
5. Immortal - All Shall Fall
6. Absu -Absu
7. Megadeth - Endgame
8. Chimaira - The Infected
9. Heaven and Hell - The Devil You Know
10. Arkaea - The Years In Darkness
11. Hammerfall - No Sacrifice No Victory
12. Tim Ripper Owens - Play my Game
13. Lion's Share - Dark Hours
14. Burning Human - Resurection Through Fire
15. Amorphis - Skyforger
16. Threat Signal - Vigilance
17. Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
18. Austrian Death Machine - Double Brutal
19. Winds of Plague - The Great Stone War
20. Daath - The Concealers

I didn't really buy a lot of new releases in 2009, so I've only listed my top 15. I know I've overlooked a lot of good music last year, but money is tight and I'm already looking forward to 2010. It's going to be a good one...

15. Dethklok - Dethalbum II
14. Freakshow - Freakshow
13. Halford - Halford III - Winter Songs
12. Grave Digger - Ballad Of The Hangman
11. Immortal - All Shall Fall
10. Stryper - Murder By Pride
9. W.A.S.P. - Babylon
8. Heaven & Hell - The Devil You KNow
7. Megadeth - Endgame
6. Winger - Karma
5. Wolf - Ravenous
4. Saxon - Into The Labyrinth
3. Ace Frehley - Anamoly
2. Lions Share - Dark Hours
1. KISS -Sonic Boom

O.K.....I needed more time with some of these that might be "growers", but here's the list as of Jan. 15, 2010:


1-7 These were the truly outstanding albums for me this year. They stick out and have a clearly defined pecking order.

1) Powerwolf - Bible of the Beast - Wowzers! This is a nearly perfect album for me. Each song is insanely catchy, although some of the lyrics are stupid, causing me to skip one of them.

2) Cage - Science of Annihilation - Were it not for Powerwolf's surprise, Cage would have taken my top spot in 2 out of 3 years. This is SO good. It's amazing these guys are so fast, powerful, heavy and tight. They are trying their hardest to be my favorite band

3) Crescent Shield - The Stars of Never Seen - Another top-5 repeater. This isn't quite as solid as Last of my Kind, but it's close. These guys are amazing.

4) Tyr - By the Light of the Northern Star - Viking/Battle type metal at its finest. I don't have any of their other stuff, but if it's this good, I might need to. Fist raising anthems.

5) Wolf - Ravenous - Another surprise for me in 2009. I just like their whole vibe. Great anthemic heavy/power metal. Every song is strong

6) Outbreak of Metal Vol. I - Vindicated/Metal Witch - Massive surprise!!! I'm pretty sure I've never had these kind of split cds or comps so high. Metal Witch alone is worth the price of admission, and I'll be sure to get anything they put out and then Vindicated is very good as well. Best split CD I've ever heard.

7) Hammerfall - No Sacrifice, No Victory - People seem to either love them or hate them. This one is their strongest yet, in my opinion. Very good, speedy songs that make me happy.

8-20 This is that second tier of albums that range from good to very good, but at some point have slow/low points or some other problem that kept them from the very top. These are really all so close that 11 could be 17 and visa/versa.

8 - Impellitteri - Wicked Maiden - When this is pumping it's great, but it doesn't always hold my interest.

9) Fires of Babylon - S/T - A grower that really has grown on me. Rob Rock has more GREAT songs than anyone ever between all of his projects.

10) Sacred Steel - Carnage Victory - Man, do I love the cheese. These guys have taken their awesome cheesiness and pumped it with a little more grit and heaviness. Stupid lyrics at times, including a song I just skip, but this is a very good Powermetal album

11) House of Lords - Cartesian Dreams - This is the number 1 example of an album that if I did this list two months from now might be in the top 5. It's very good, but I need more time to absorb it.

12) Wizard - Thor - Typical strong Germanic/Viking/Pagan type stuff. Not their best or worst, since to me they stay pretty standard.

13) Hibria - The Skull Collectors - Another strong offering of crunchy powermetal.

14) Ensiferum - From Afar - I thought this would be higher, but the competition is too strong at the top. It might just be that this is typically great stuff from them, but that I'm too familiar with this sound/vibe. (?)

15) Fairyland - Score to a New Beginning - I'm a sucker for this cheesy over-processed stuff. They didn't disappoint with this one.

16) Gravedigger - Ballads of a Hangman - When it's good, it's super terrific! But there's a few lower points that weaken its overall rank.

17) Dark Moor - Autumnal - They have never disappointed me. This one keeps them trucking along.

18) Ultimatum - Lex Metalis - The ranking is not so much a reflection of performance as it is subject matter. In fact, the performance is what rises this to a top-20 album, as a "cover" album usually doesn't get my attention. This one is wildly entertaining, however.

19) Stryper - Murder By Pride - This is a pretty high ranking for an album with what I consider a lot of filler, but the best 4-5 songs are OUTSTANDING.

20) Sonata Arctica - The Days of Grays - Ditto the Stryper comments, almost exactly.


Didn't make the top-20, but I own them so...







21-25 - Four of these lack something pretty serious, and one of these just hasn't had the time it deserves.

21) Saint - Hell Blade - fits the same description as Stryper and Sonata Arctica.

22) Megadeth - Endgame - Along with House of Lords I think time WILL be favorable to this one. I haven't been able to listen to this as much as it deserves. I think it's a top-15 album, I just need some more listens.

23) Outbreak of Metal Vol. II - Neither band is anywhere near as good as the first Outbreak.

24) Invection - Demented Perception - Decent/good Thrash metal. This one also needs more time

25) Mortification - Evil Addiction Destroying Machine - Morty fatigue? I love Erasing the Goblin, I only like this one. I love the man Steve Rowe, but I fear he's running out of ideas. However, I'll still excitedly look forward to anything he does. Am I confused? Steve Rowe isn't.

I don't think I even acquired 20 releases from 2009 this year, so you're gonna have to settle for a Top Ten from me...

(More or less in order of preference):

Anvil - THIS IS THIRTEEN
Beatallica - MASTERFUL MYSTERY TOUR
Kiss - SONIC BOOM
Megadeth - ENDGAME
Heaven and Hell - THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Dominance - RESURRECTED
Ace Frehley - ANOMALY
Sons of Liberty - BRUSH FIRES OF THE MIND
Halford - WINTER SONGS
Slayer - WORLD PAINTED BLOOD

Honorable mentions:
Helstar - THE KING OF HELL (Euro release in '08, U.S. release in '09)
OUTBREAK OF METAL Vols. I & II

"Meh" (i.e. not great but not particularly bad either)
Tim "Ripper" Owens - PLAY MY GAME
Lacuna Coil - SHALLOW LIFE

Shouldn't have Bothered:
Steel Panther - FEEL THE STEEL

Still quite a bit of 2009 releases I don't have but this is my top 45 (a handful didn't make it-not enough for a top 50-favorite songs in parentheses):


1-TSO-Night Castle (Epiphany)
2-Native Window-s/t (Got to Get out of This Town)
3-Grave Robber-Inner Sanctum (Fear No Evil)
4-Dream Theater-Black Clouds & Silver Linings (Count Of Tuscany)
5-Shadow Gallery-Digital Ghosts (Venom)
6-Alestorm-Black Sails At Midnight (Pirate Song)
7 3 Inches Of Blood-Here Awaits Thy Doom (The Preacher’s Daughter)
8-Stryper-Murder By Pride (4 Leaf Clover)
9-Hammerfall-No Sacrifice, No Victory (Legion)
10-Amorphis-Skyforger (Highest Star)
11-Thieves & Liars-American Rock N’ Roll (Charlie)
12-Lynyrd Skynyrd-God & Guns (Southern Ways)
13-Grave Digger-Ballads Of A Hangman (Lonely the Innocence Dies)
14-Municipal Waste-Massive Aggressive (Wolves of Chernobyl)
15-Novembers Doom-Into Nights Requiem Infernal (The Fifth Day of March)
16-Jorn-Spirit Black (Spirit Black)
17-Primal Fear-16.6 (Black Rain)
18-Narnia-Course Of A Generation (When The Stars Are Falling)
19-The 69 Eyes-Back In Blood (Kiss Me I’m Dead)
20-Alice In Chains-Black Gives Way To Blue (All Secrets Known)
21-Kiss-Sonic Boom (Stand)
22-Gotthard-Need To Believe (Unspoken Words)
23-Cage-Science Of Annialation (Black River Falls)
24-Leaves’ Eyes-Njord (Irish Rain)
25-Sonata Arctica-Days Of Grays (Last Amazing Grays)
26-Hirax-El Rostro De La Muerte (El Rostro De La Muerte)
27-Seventh Angel-The Dust Of Years (Weep Not For Us)
28-Black Sabbath-The Devil You Know (Rock N’ Roll Angel)
29-Jacob’s Dream-Beneath The Shadows (The Blessing And The Curse)
30-Epica-Design Your Universe (Burn To Cinder)
31-Megadeth-Endgame (Bodies)
32-Mortification-Evil Addiction Destroying Machine (A Sense Of Eternity)
33-Nile-Those Whom The Gods Detest (Kafir!)
34-U.D.O.-Dominator (Heavy Metal Heaven)
35-Daath-The Concealers (Wilting On The Vine)
36-Believer-Gabriel (The Need For Conflict)
37-Sirenia-The 13 Floor (Path To Decay)
38-Impellitteri-Wicked Maiden (Eyes Of An Angel)
39-Axxis-Utopia (My Father’s Eyes)
40-Vision Divine-9 Degrees West Of The Moon (The Streets of Laudomia)
41-Stratovarius-Polaris (Higher We Go)
42-Mastodon-Crack The Skye (Crack The Skye)
43-Darkest Hour-The Eternal Return (Transcendence)
44-Fires Of Babylon-s/t (Lake Of Fire)
45-Menchen-Red Rock (Shifting Sand)

Honorable Mentions:

Ultimatum-Lex Metalis (cover albums aren’t included in top list, if it was it would be #14)
Bill Engvall-Aged & Confused (the best Engvall CD yet)
Larry The Cable Guy-Tailgate Party (he has done better though)
Halford-Winter Songs

Top 10 Album Covers Of The Year:

Cage-Science Of Annialation
Hirax-El Rostro De La Muerte
Axxis-Utopia
Grave Digger-Ballads Of A Hangman
Vision Divine-9 Degrees West Of The Moon
Crimson Armada-Guardians (too bad the music doesn’t match the cover-not horrible but nothing to write home about)
Amorphis-Skyforger
Hammerfall-No Sacrifice, No Victory
Stratovarius-Polaris
Primal Fear-16.6

Disapointments:

Samael-Above (nothing really stood out with me)
Halford-Winter Songs (thought it’d be much more metal than it was)
Impelliterri & Stratovrius (the second half of these albums are outstanding but the first half was so-so)
Novembers Doom & Municipal Waste (the lyrics of some of the songs bother me a bit but the music is still good-lyrics are not a factor in the ratings)
U.D.O. (compared to the other albums I have, this falls a bit short)
Fires Of Babylon (average albums, Rob Rock is just better in his solo career)
Mortification (Erasing The Goblin was so much better but this was still enjoyable)

Suprises:

Native Window (not expecting to like it as much as I did)
Dream Theater (after many average DT albums they finally release something I can’t get enough of)
Grave Robber (every single song is awesome-not a weak track on here)
TSO (I didn’t think this would ever get released)
3 Inches Of Blood (out of nowhere this album inserts itself into my top 10)
Theives & Liars (the first album was decent but this one is awesome, wicked hard rock that brings the 70s into the new millennium)
Narnia (I really like Christian and he improved so much on Enter The Gate, but the new album with the new vocalist is the best overall Narnia album so far-the other albums have some songs better than on here but this time there was nothing I felt like skipping)
Alice In Chains (best AIC since Dirt)
Queensryche-American Soldier (was expecting to not like this too much but it’s still a pretty decent album-though it doesn’t make the list)

yeah I don't have a top 20. but here is what I do have..

1. Winterborn - Farewell to Saints...oh my, this is an overlooked band..yes it is. Probably one of those metalheads being picky thing though..too classic AOR for power metal fans, too power metal for AOR fans, and too much of that big thick Triple Rectifier tone for some of either crowd...but this is my album of the year.
2. The Chasm - Farseeing The Paranormal Abysm..more phenomenal, cavernous death metal..
3. Grave Digger - Ballads of a Hangman..the Digger is keeping the trueness alive, posers have been slain to many a hymn on this latest tome, yes.
4. Augury - Fragmentary Evidence..excellent second album from the Canadian band which is 80% death metal and 20% whatever Cynic is..
5. Njiqahdda - Taegnuub-Ishnji Angma..psychedelic shoegazey fuzzed up ambient strange almost black metal.
6. Believer - Gabriel.....this is a great album, but the production gives me a headache on some speakers, and I like it slightly less than the other 5 above. Whatever. And 'Nonsense Mediated Decay' is great, dunno what the complaints are there. "It was like a big, grey sweet potato but not quite."

7. Amesoeurs - s/t....this was slightly disappointing. When it's on it's way on and amazing..hipster post rock black metal influenced stuff...or something....but when it's off.....zzzzzzzz. Shame because they aren't going to do any more albums.
8. Amorphis - Skyforger....hey, this is a new album? wait, this song sounds like that one song from 'Eclipse'..and so does that one..and this sounds like 'Tuonela'..hmmm.....oh, but 'Silver Bride' is gold, and so is the title track..

then way down here is:

9. maudlin of the Well - Part The Second...sorry, what? Their first three are desert island albums for me..no question. I don't mind where this tried to go....but.....................it didn't get there. Meh..
10. Vision Divine - 9° West Of The Moon...this is a ball of flowery gunk but since I got it expecting goodness, it has to rank somewhere.


if demos count, I would put our demo up there, around say #3 or #4, because yeah, I'm happy with what we've done and feel the songs are some great songs. But it's a demo and there's only 3 of them. But I'm just saying. And I'm allowed to do this because not enough metalheads are doing it for me yet.

mc666 wrote:

2.) Beherit - Engram
30.) IWrestledABearOnce - It's All Happening

Wow, artistic opposites. Beherit is superb. I don't care for most of their lyrics, but I won't say that they aren't awesome musically. Have you heard the new Arckanum? Another consistently great BM band..


...do you (or anybody) really enjoy IWrestledABearOnce?

A lot of great albums this year.  And still a lot more I need to pick up.

1. Hirax - El Rostro de la Muerte
5+++++  A classic for any year.  Far and away my pick for Record Of The Year.

2. Believer - Gabriel
On first listen I thought it was good.  Subsequent listens and it just kept getting better and better.  A great album. Any other year it would a tough one to beat.

3. Accused - The Curse Of Martha Splatterhead
I love The Accused. But was a little worried what this might turn out like. Made me feel like it was '88 and I was hanging out with my skater friends.

4. Kreator - Hordes Of Chaos
I gave this another recent listen since it had been awhile.  Instantly jumped up several spots from where I had it.

5. Kiss - Sonic Boom
Reminds me why I'm a Kiss fan.

6. Outbreak Of Metal Vol. 1
Got it for the Vindicator tracks (which are excellent), but the revelation on this disc is Metal Witch.  Awesome stuff.

7. W.A.S.P. - Babylon
Another killer W.A.S.P. record. Only complaint is the length.


8. At War - Infidel
With such a long layoff I wasn't expecting much out of this. I was very wrong.


9. Heaven & Hell - Devil You Know
Not sure how this one will hold up with time, but good enough for the top ten.

10. Evile - Infected Nations
I thought Enter The Grave was one of the best thrash revival albums. They topped it with this one. Probably deserves higher placement.

11. UFO - The Visitor
I never got into UFO. I have Lights Out and like it. But I think for a long time I just considered them a 70's band that wouldn't interest me. So why I picked this up on a cd bender I'll never know. Glad I did. Need to get more.

12. Obituary - Darkest Day
It's Obituary, so you know what you're getting. Didn't disappoint at all.

13. Paradox - Riot Squad
I'd say this one stands right with the other classic Paradox releases.

14. Warbringer - Waking Into Nightmares
True story. On a road trip, through my own stupidity, ended up with only this cd with me. Five plus hours of continuous plays later it ends up on the best list. Liked it a lot better than the debut.

15. Charm City Devils - Let's Rock N' Roll
Baltimore sleaze. Of course it makes the top twenty.

16. SkeletonWitch - Breathing The Fire
Brutal, unrelenting, and infectious all at the same time.

17. Cauldron - Chained To The Night
A nice classic sounding record.

18. Saxon - Into The Labyrinth
Amazing how consistently good these guys are after all these years.

19. Ravage - Fear Of Tomorrow
A true grower for me.

20. 3 Inches Of Blood - Here Waits Thy Doom
Always into the things Jack Endino serves as producer on.


Honorable Mentions
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence : Live At Wacken
Death Angel - Sonic Beatdown - Live In Germany
Earth Crisis - To The Death
Municipal Waste - Massive Aggressive
Megadeth - Endgame

Biggest surprises of the year - Metallica - Death Magnetic & Razormaze - True Speed Of Steel


Biggest disappointment - Lita Ford - Wicked Wonderland
Had to put on Out For Blood to get the taste of this disaster out of my ears. I'm just going to pretend it doesn't exist.


Non metal/ hard rock album - Cracker - Sunrise In The Land Of Milk and Honey

KisS - Sonic Boom
Ace Frehley - Anomaly
Europe - Last look at eden
WASP - Babylon
Mark Knopfler - Get Lucky
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gods+Guns
Steel Panther - Feel the steel
Thomsen - Lets get ruthless
Motorband- Heart of the Machine
Powerwolf - Bible of the beast
Outloud - We'll rock you...
Joe Perry - Have a guitar will...

krokus wrote:

1. KISS:SONIC BOOM
2. HAMMERFALL: NO SACRIFICE, NO VICTORY
3. NASTY IDOLS: BOYS TOWN
4. STEEVI JAIMZ: MY PRIVATE HELL
5. KREATOR: HORDS OF CHAOS
6. CAULDRON: CHAINED TO THE NITE
7. BUD TRIBE: ROLL THE BONE
8. SAXON: INTO THE LABYRINTH
9. WOLF: RAVENOUS
10. MEGADETH: ENDGAME
11. GRAVE DIGGER: BALLADS OF A HANGMAN
12. CHICKENFOOT: CHICKENFOOT
13. STRYPER: MURDER BY PRIDE
14. HARDCORE SUPERSTAR: BEG FOR IT
15. PRIMAL FEAR: 16:6
16. DREAM THEATER: BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS
17. IMPELLITERRI: WICKED MAIDEN
18. VENGEANCE: SOUL COLLECTOR
19. PESTILENCE: RESURRECTION MACABRE
20. TIM RIPPER OWENS: PLAY MY GAME

I bought Cauldron "Chained To The Nite" last year too, I should have put that on my list. Oops. Hmmm... yet another Black N Blue related CD.

I spent most of my time this year catching up on material from newly discovered bands, so I didn't focus much on new releases. Thus, no way I can come up with a top 20. But here are my favorite discs of the year (regardless of genre).

Detuned's fave de-tunes of 2009.



1. Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
- this was a literal "jaw dropper" album for me. I really do think Wilson is a genius now, this album is awe inspiring.


2. Mastodon - Crack The Skye
- here's another record where everything works: songs, arrangements, production. Mastodon jumps to the next level.


3. Black Sabbath (H&H inc.) - The Devil You Know
- a great hulking slab of doom from my all time favorite band. Over the hill my ass...


4. Porcupine Tree - The Incident
- a sprawling epic 50 minute song and 4 really good new tracks. It's a "mood" record, pretty dark, but very rewarding.


5. Robin Trower - What Lies Beneath
- the most un-noticed album of the year. Pity, because this is Trower's best solo album since 1980.


6. Pelican - What We All Come To Need
- Pelican's debut release for Southern Lord is a knockout. Heavy, outward reaching, beautiful & wonderfully melodic.


7. Slayer - World Painted Blood
- what can I say? It's Slayer, it's pissed, it's heavy, it's inspired and it rules.


8. yob - The Great Cessation
- the return of yob is well worth the wait. Avant Garde doom, the most evil sounding record of the year.


9 (tie). Shrinebuilder - Scott Wino Weinrich, Scott Kelly, Al Cisneros, Dale Crover
- this one took awhile to really sink in, but damn it's a killer once you give it a real listen. I especially like the ambient, Floyd-ish instrumental sections. Scott Kelly's vocal parts knocks it several notches down the list.
Wino - Punctuated Equilibrium
- Wino's first official "solo" album is a kick ass little album whose only downside is the short playing time. *Hint* - buy the LP, there is a bonus 10 inch album with 4 more tracks.


10. Voivod - Infini
- The last of the posthumous collaboration albums is the best of the bunch, Piggy is missed.

*honorable mentions*

Them Crooked Vultures
- a really really good record, which could have been a great record.


Masters Of Reality - Pine/Cross Dover
- one truly schizophrenic album, some killer moments, some incomprehensible moments...better sequencing and an outside producer would have helped this one.


Megadeth - Endgame
- one truly awesome sounding record while it's playing...the second it's over, it vanishes from your mind. Dave brought all the riffs and all the attitude, but he was sleepwalking through the songwriting process.

Nice list, Detuned. There's a couple on there I gotta get.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

mc666 wrote:

2.) Beherit - Engram
30.) IWrestledABearOnce - It's All Happening

Wow, artistic opposites. Beherit is superb. I don't care for most of their lyrics, but I won't say that they aren't awesome musically. Have you heard the new Arckanum? Another consistently great BM band..


...do you (or anybody) really enjoy IWrestledABearOnce?

i'm probably one of the 5 people on earth that like them, but yes i do like them.

the only Arckanum album i have is Kampen & it's decent. i'll have to look into getting some more since you recommend them. and of course, now that Beherit are back to basics, they are superb.

Made one last edit to my list. I totally forgot the new Paradise Lost album and how much I enjoyed it (on first listen alone). So I removed Samael and added FDU, DUU to the #18 spot and moved everything else accordingly.

I want to get that new Paradise Lost. That's a good band.