Favorite album first half of 2010.

I'm seeing Sigh in London on Aug 10th. I hope i'm not the only person there who isn't dressed-up like a goth-clown.

I find it hard to narrow down a 'favourite', so i just go with what's had the most plays so far over the year - and thus far, according to my iPod, it is High On Fire's Snakes For The Divine, which i didn't even like at first.

New Exodus also took about two weeks to sink in - but once it does, it's an absolute monster. Not sure it's my absolute favourite of the year thus far, but it's certainly getting the most spins at the moment. It's beating the new Nevermore easily as far as repeated listens go.

Has it been reported anywhere that Sigh stole the melody line from a Village People song in 'The Soul Grave'. That melody sounds identical to that looping riff from 'in the navy'. Seriously.

Haven't found one I've enjoyed so far.

Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones
Rotting Christ - Aealo
Sigh - Scenes From Hell
Immolation - Majesty and Decay
Goregonzola - Bis Ahner Grind
Burzum - Belus
Jack Slater - Extinction Aftermath

Temple of Blood wrote:

Haven't found one I've enjoyed so far.

Wow! That must really suck.

I like what I like so why force myself to change? Don't want to insult but call us sheeple? Sigh is boring to me as is most BM and Sigh just sounds like BM with symphonics to me so I don't find it that avante garde. Besides, in 10 years it will be passe and you'll have to move on.
Only on a metal board would my music get called safe.

Both albums for Tryptykon and Sigh are on my want list, so if they are being listed here it's time to move them up. Still debating if I will give Ironbound a chance or if Overkill is just a band I can't get in to.

With that said, my vote would have to go to Heathen's Evolution of Chaos.

RAVEN new album WALK THROUGH FIRE is really great (i know it came out last year in Japan, but in the rest of the world 2010). Anybody into heavy metal should buy it. The band deserve our money.
BLAZE BAYLEY:PROMISE AND TERROR good album. Gets better after each listening. Dark lirics and great chorus.
ANNIHILATOR:ANNIHILATOR best album since years. Great songs and 66 nice guitar solos.
RATT:INFESTATION cool comeback album. Nice songs.
CRUEL FORCE:THE RISE OF SATANIC MIGHT great black/thrash album, old satanic school all the way.
ENFORCER:DIAMONDS More melodic then their debut but with many increible songs. BUY OR DIE for any metal fan.

ultmetal wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

Haven't found one I've enjoyed so far.

Wow! That must really suck.

Not at all.

There are plenty of great old metal releases to listen to, not to mention other genres of music to explore.

I'll listen to samples of the new ANNIHILATOR disc eventually but I don't have high hopes for that one. Same with RUSH.

Temple of Blood wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

Haven't found one I've enjoyed so far.

Wow! That must really suck.

Not at all.

There are plenty of great old metal releases to listen to, not to mention other genres of music to explore.

I'll listen to samples of the new ANNIHILATOR disc eventually but I don't have high hopes for that one. Same with RUSH.

The new ANNIHILATOR is great. Just check it out. You are talking about exploring other genres of music. Outside metal???

Wig Wam - Non Stop Rock N Roll
Sabaton - Coat Of Arms
Scorpions - Sting In The Tail
Jackyl - When Moonshine & Dynamite Collide
Chris Laney - Only Come Out At Night

Also pretty disappointed in this year's Airbourne and Babylon Bombs discs.

LIVING SACRIFICE - The Infinite Order

really digging this one

Metal Misfit wrote:

troublemagnet wrote:

detuned wrote:

troublemagnet wrote:

Probably the best album this year. Too eclectic for most of the people here though.No offense to the fine posters here, most of your selections are boring, typical and trite.Instead of listening to music that's a deviation of the metal norm,like Sigh,people here would rather listen to the umpteenth Overkill album. Don't you guys get sick of regurgitated, stale, safe,music? What do you sheeple have against pioneers like Sigh who have something original to offer?

Gotta admire anyone who pours gasoline over their head and lights a match like that. Fight the power!

Much respect for everyone here. I don't mean to deride anyone in particular, I just would like to see more unusual selections than the norm.

Branching out and trying new bands is good but most people already know what they like, what they don't like and what's not worth their time. There's always exceptions but some bands (and genres) are obscure for a reason while some bands are well-known for a reason. Ultimately, we only owe it to ourselves to listen to music we enjoy, "safe" or not, regardless of the desires of others.

and I personally dont see anything wrong with going with stuff you like and branching out. I like to explore new music but I also like the stuff from bands that I have heard before. No reason to be critical of anyone's selections - music is in the ear of the hearer.

exact33 wrote:

music is in the ear of the hearer.

BEHEARER!

Ratt - Infestation

My close second favorite is Saint - Hellblade

Mine are completely old school (i.e. unimmaginative)

Raven-Walk Through Fire
Scorpions-Sting in the Tail
Krokus-Hoodoo (yes Krokus!!!!!)

and the hardest working dead man in rock history

Jimi Hendrix-Valley of Neptunes

That Krokus is great, totally blew away my expectations.

troublemagnet wrote:

Probably the best album this year. Too eclectic for most of the people here though.No offense to the fine posters here, most of your selections are boring, typical and trite.Instead of listening to music that's a deviation of the metal norm,like Sigh,people here would rather listen to the umpteenth Overkill album. Don't you guys get sick of regurgitated, stale, safe,music? What do you sheeple have against pioneers like Sigh who have something original to offer?

You're getting a little emo in your old age.

T-Roy wrote:

troublemagnet wrote:

Probably the best album this year. Too eclectic for most of the people here though.No offense to the fine posters here, most of your selections are boring, typical and trite.Instead of listening to music that's a deviation of the metal norm,like Sigh,people here would rather listen to the umpteenth Overkill album. Don't you guys get sick of regurgitated, stale, safe,music? What do you sheeple have against pioneers like Sigh who have something original to offer?

You're getting a little emo in your old age.

Emo!!?!! I would rather listen to "I Hear Black" every day for the rest of my life.

Ratt's Infestation and Raven's Walk Through Fire are both great.

But the real surprise is how much Cathedral's The Guessing Game is growing on me. At this point it's the first half favorite.

Scorps - Sting in The Tail
Ratt - Infestation

and.......

We Are The Fallen - Tear Down The World - which is probably my fav release so far this year

Not sure yet i wanna hear the new Ozzy and the new Tom Petty first

manny wrote:

Mine are completely old school (i.e. unimmaginative)

Raven-Walk Through Fire
Scorpions-Sting in the Tail
Krokus-Hoodoo (yes Krokus!!!!!)

and the hardest working dead man in rock history

Jimi Hendrix-Valley of Neptunes

Yes, that Krokus album blew me away. "Rock 'n' Roll Handshake" is one the the year's best songs. The album is probably sitting in my Top 5 of '10 right now.

Overkill - Ironbound
Enforcer - Diamonds

Raven - Walk through Fire will be high on my list this year too. I'm a bit torn though as it actually is a 2009 release, though it was just finally released in 2010 in the U.S.

ultmetal wrote:

Raven - Walk through Fire will be high on my list this year too. I'm a bit torn though as it actually is a 2009 release, though it was just finally released in 2010 in the U.S.

I would go with 2010, if that's the version you own. It's new to us.