Your Top 10 Albums of 2012

Thought I'd start this thread a little earlier than usual, so you can get your sh!t together before December 31st.


I think I have mine wrapped up...can't think of anything huge coming out that will mess with these (but don't hold me to it)



10. Overkill - The Electric Age
9. Nightmare - The Burden Of God
8. Rage - 21
7. Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth
6. Grave Digger - Clash Of The Gods
5. Rush - Clockwork Angels
4. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist
3. Prong - Carved Into Stone
2. Paradox -Tales Of The Weird
1. Enslaved - Riitiir


Biggest Disappointment : Running Wild - Shadowmaker (bland, lifeless crap)

I've not compiled my top 10 yet, but these are my fave 2012 albums so far , in no particular order...

Accept - Stalingrad
Axel Rudi Pell - Circle of the Oath
Eternal (Of Sweden) - Chapter I
Grand Magus - The Hunt
Jaded Heart- Common Destiny
Nightmare - The Burden of God
Primal Fear - Unbreakable
Sabaton - Carolus Rex
Sunstorm - Emotional Fire
Tank - War Nation
Devil's Train - Devil's Train
Jeff Scott Soto - Damage Control
A Sound Of Thunder - Out Of The Darkness
Love.Might.Kill - 2 Big 2 Fail
Demon - Unbroken
Persian Risk - Once A King
Redline - Vice
Eclipse - Bleed And Scream
Threshold - March Of Progress
Icarus Witch - Rise
Bloodbound - In The Name Of Metal
Trail Of Murder - Shades Of Art
Full Force - Next Level

SpectreFate wrote:

Biggest Disappointment : Running Wild - Shadowmaker (bland, lifeless crap)


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Well, Shadowmaker might not be the best album of 2012, but it's still a fine album overall, and the one I enjoyed the most from the band (if there's actually still a band and it's not Rolf solo) since The Rivalry.

Well, I don't have a lot unfortunately...I'd order them like this:

1. Lanfear - This Harmonic Consonance
2. Pharoah - Bury the Light
3. Masaki Batoh - Brain Pulse Music
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania
5. Pelican - Ataraxia/Taraxi
6. Wintersun - Time I


I don't have the new Rage or Grave Digger ones yet, sadly, and more sadly, yes the Running Wild record sounds tired. It's really sad that it has more reviews than a lot of their records and all that attention is on a weak album.

I'm not even sure how many 2012 releases I have but it's safe to say that Overkill's Electric Age and Accept's Stalingrad will be battling it out for the top position...

Sacred Mother Tongue - A Light Shines EP
Vanisher - Unbound
Sabaton - Carolus Rex
ARP - Circle of the Oath
Accept - Stalingrad

Think these are all I've from this year.

Not much in the way of metal interested me this year (aside from High On Fire), but there have been plenty of decent prog and/or retro styled albums that caught my interest in 2012.

1. Storm Corrosion - s/t - The most unique album of the year, nothing else even sounded remotely like this, so of course it made the #1 slot.

2. Rush - Clockwork Angels - Rush continues to prove they are peerless, nearly 40 years into their music career they release an incredibly strong album that stands up nicely with their past achievements.

3. Steven Wilson - Get All You Deserve: Live in Mexico City - post-Porcupine Tree, Steven put together an incredibly talented band to bring his solo music to life, with amazing results.

4. Ian Anderson - TAAB2 - Ian Anderson's well-thought-out sequel to the 1972 classic Thick As A Brick was probably the most unexpected surprise of the year. Ian assembled a fantastic band and Steven Wilson's production made it one of the best-sounding records of the year.

5. Beardfish - The Void - Beardfish continues to release challenging albums that seem to delight and confound their fanbase in equal measures, as you are never quite sure what direction they will go in next. Any group that isn't afraid to just follow their own muse without caring about the audience is OKAY in my book. Love this band.

6. Anathema - Weather Systems - Anathema's follow-up to We're Here Because We're Here is another lovingly produced collection of songs, layers upon layers of textures work beautifully on this recording elevating each track to near-epic status. Not really a "prog band" per se, just an excellent melodic rock group with some progressive-leaning textures mixed in.

7. Witchcraft - Legend - After a nearly 5-year hiatus Witchcraft returned with the punchy "Legend", 2 new guitarists and a new drummer provide a muscular sound to the album as does the modern production sound which is quite a departure from their previous releases. Still, it sounds like Witchcraft and the songwriting is top-notch.

8. Alcest - Les Voyages de L'Âme - You see all kinds of descriptors thrown at this group, whether it's "post-rock" or "shoegaze" or whatever. I don't really care what you call it, it's a stunning album; beautiful, dark and atmospheric. It's a great headphone album.

9. The Pineapple Thief - All The Wars. Bruce Soord returns with another fine collection of pop/rock numbers adorned with slight progressive tinges. If you like Blackfield I recommend checking out The Pineapple Thief.

10. High On Fire - De Vermi Mysteriis - High On Fire continues to pummel the world with their no-nonsense Motorhead in a blender sound, it's so honest that it's infectious. Their strongest album since Blessed Black Wings.

I still haven't picked up Neil Young's Psychedelic Pill, so barring that:

In no order

-First Aid Kit- Lion's Roar

-Municipal Waste- Fatal Feast

-Bruce Springsteen- Wrecking Ball

-KISS- Monster

-Of Monsters and Men- My Head is an Animal

-Neil Young & Crazy Horse- Americana

...and that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I know I bought more than this.

It's too early to put together a list in order yet. I still want to get a lot of CDs I don't yet have, plus there is new stuff to come out.

Here's a list of some I have and like quite a bit. There are others I have purchased but were either a disappointment or just didn't grab me yet.
3 Inches of Blood - Long Live Heavy Metal
Vindicator - United We Fall
Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth
UFO - Seven Deadly
U.D.O. - Celebrator
Testament - Dark Roots of Earth
Bio-Cancer - Ear Piercing Thrash
Saint Vitus - Lillie: F-65
Saint - Desperate Night
Rush - Clockwork Angels
Kiss - Monster
Possessor - City Build With Skulls
Overkill - The Electric Age
Mortification - Scribe of the Pentateuch
Metallica - Beyond Magnetic (EP)
Kreator - Phantom Antichrist
Join the Dead - s/t (EP)
Heretic - A Time for Crisis
Havok - Point of No Return (EP)
Grave Digger - Home At Last (EP)
Grave Digger - Clash of the Gods
Driver - Countdown
Accept - Stalingrad
Bonded by Blood - The Aftermath
Invection - Facet of Aberration
Halestorm - The Strange Case of …
Ultimatum - Heart of Metal-20 Years of Ultimatum
Antidemon - Apocalypsenow
Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi - Who Cares?
Jackyl - Best in Show
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Last of a Dyin' Breed
ZZ Top - La Futura
Tsavo Inc. - When the Lions Are Hungry
Lich King - Born of the Bomb
Biogenesis - The Rise. The Fall. The Rebirth
Tourniquet - Antiseptic Bloodbath
Aerosmith - Music from Another Dimension
Accept - Stalingrad

The new Van Halen and the Saint Vitus are both albums I enjoy very much, they just didn't quite make my "top 10".

Pretty slow and disappointing year for me.

5. Royal Hunt = Show Me How To Live
Having DC Cooper back on vox makes all the difference to me
4. Ginger - 100%
Eclectic group of tunes that once again shows what a talented songwriter the man is
3. Green Day - Uno
They ditched the pretentiousness and went back to basics
2. The Outlaws - It's About Pride
Easily my biggest surprise of the year. Great Southern rock.
1. The Last Vegas - Bad Decisions
Proving that last year's "Whatever Gets You Off" was no fluke.

S.D. wrote:

The new Van Halen and the Saint Vitus are both albums I enjoy very much, they just didn't quite make my "top 10".

Oh yeah, Van Halen. I guess it came out too early for me to remember. I guess it's in my top 10, but only by default, since I apparently didn't buy 10 new releases.

I like the album, definitely, but it wasn't top of the pops.

There are still a few I need to buy and listen to this year, as my CD money was funneled into the travel fund. But the ones under consideration are:

Rush - Clockwork Angles
Testament - Dark Roots Of The Earth
Accept - Stalingrad
Overkill - The Electric Age
A Sound Of Thunder - Out Of The Darkness
Storm Corrosion - s/t
High On Fire - De Vermi Mysteriis
Steve Harris - British Lion
Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth
Heretic - A Time Of Crisis
Primal Fear - Unbreakable
3 Inches Of Blood - Long Live Heavy Metal
KISS - Monster (which may make it onto my top 10 by virtue of slowing down on album buys this year alone!)

Not in order:

Testament-Dark Roots

Accept-Stalingrad

Primal Fear-Unbreakable

Rush-Clockwork Angles

Driver-Countdown

Bruce Springsteen-Wrecking Ball

Black Country Communion-Afterglow

Kamelot-Silverthorn

Overkill-Electric Age

Empires of Eden-Channeling the Infinite

The Gaslight Anthem-Handwritten

Jorn-Bring Heavy Rock to the Land

Saint-Desperate Night

Tourniquet-Antiseptic Bloodbath

ultmetal wrote:

It's too early to put together a list in order yet. I still want to get a lot of CDs I don't yet have, plus there is new stuff to come out.

Here's a list of some I have and like quite a bit. There are others I have purchased but were either a disappointment or just didn't grab me yet.
3 Inches of Blood - Long Live Heavy Metal
Vindicator - United We Fall
Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth
UFO - Seven Deadly
U.D.O. - Celebrator
Testament - Dark Roots of Earth
Bio-Cancer - Ear Piercing Thrash
Saint Vitus - Lillie: F-65
Saint - Desperate Night
Rush - Clockwork Angels
Kiss - Monster
Possessor - City Build With Skulls
Overkill - The Electric Age
Mortification - Scribe of the Pentateuch
Metallica - Beyond Magnetic (EP)
Kreator - Phantom Antichrist
Join the Dead - s/t (EP)
Heretic - A Time for Crisis
Havok - Point of No Return (EP)
Grave Digger - Home At Last (EP)
Grave Digger - Clash of the Gods
Driver - Countdown
Accept - Stalingrad
Bonded by Blood - The Aftermath
Invection - Facet of Aberration
Halestorm - The Strange Case of …
Ultimatum - Heart of Metal-20 Years of Ultimatum
Antidemon - Apocalypsenow
Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi - Who Cares?
Jackyl - Best in Show
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Last of a Dyin' Breed
ZZ Top - La Futura
Tsavo Inc. - When the Lions Are Hungry
Lich King - Born of the Bomb
Biogenesis - The Rise. The Fall. The Rebirth
Tourniquet - Antiseptic Bloodbath
Aerosmith - Music from Another Dimension
Accept - Stalingrad

You listed Accept twice, guess it's really that good huh?

As for me, I suck when it comes to making lists and there's a craploaf of albums from this year I haven't even heard yet, so it's too early for me.

The only two I really enjoyed were PRONG and CHAOS INCEPTION.

1. Black Country Communion - Afterglow
2. Soundgarden - King Animal
3. KISS - Monster
4. Rush - Clockwork Angels
5. Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth
6. Rival Sons - Head Down
7. Slash - Apocalyptic Love
8. ZZ Top - La Futura
9. The Cult - Choice of Weapon
10. Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania

A bit too early as there are some 2012 releases I still want to get a hold of. If I were pushed I'd go with:

Sabaton-Carolus Rex
Hardline-Danger Zone
Unisonic-s/t
H.E.A.T.-Address The Nation
Adrenaline Mob-Omerta
Lillian Axe-Death Comes Tomorrow
Trixter-New Audio Machine
Dragonforce-The Power Within
Elvenking-Era
Grave Digger Clash Of The Gods

Just like last year, everything above #5 is going to be hard to rate as this year has been great for me.

I forgot about Carolus Rex.

I'd probably put that at my #5 ahead of the Royal Hunt.

I've not even thought about it yet there is still releases still coming out!

Metalwargod

Wargod wrote:

I've not even thought about it yet there is still releases still coming out!

Metalwargod

I'm hoping you checked out the new Witchcraft album Legend, I think that would be right up your alley.

1. Overkill - The Electric Age
2. Sabaton - Carolus Rex
3. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist
4. Unleashed - Odalheim
5. Grave - Endless Procession of Souls
6. Natur - Head of Death
7. Wodensthrone - Curse
8. Kamelot - Silverthorn
9. Ereb Altor - Gastrike
10. Desaster - The Arts of Destruction
11. Black Breath - Sentenced to Life

All metal lists go to 11. It's a scientific fact. Also, if you don't own all of these releases, buy them. Immediately.

I am working on mine. I don't think that I have bought many new releases this year, but have concentrated on filling holes and replacing much loved albums in the collection.

If it is a "new-to-me" band does that count?

If it does then (and in no particular order... yet):

Metal Church - S/t and The Dark (Tie)
Armageddon - The Money Mask
Arnion - Fall Like Rain
Paradise Lost - Tragic Idol
Accept - Stalingrad
BloodGood - Out of the Darkness (Frontline 2012 Remaster)
FireFlight - Now
Flatfoot 56 - Toil
The Sacrificed - III
Seventh Angel - Lament for the Weary (Metal Mind 2011 Remaster)
Ultimatum - Heart of Metal - 20 Years of Ultimatum

ugh, this is by no means final...

1.) Begging For Incest - Orgasmic Self Mutilation
2.) Urogenital Macrophage - Vaginal Insertion of Surgical Abortive Method
3.) Torn The F*ck Apart - The Dissection of Christ
4.) Stoma - The Glorification of Sexual Deprivation
5.) Regurgitate Life - The Human Complex
6.) Pathology - The Time of Great Purification
7.) Razorrape - Revenge of the Hermaphrodite Whores
8.) Whoretopsy - They Did Unspeakable Things
9.) F*ck I'm Dead - Another Gory Mess
10.) Gutfed - The Reign of Pure Madness and Contagious Perversion

Honorable Mention...

7H. Target - Fast-Slow Demolition

mc666 wrote:

ugh, this is by no means final...

1.) Begging For Incest - Orgasmic Self Mutilation
2.) Urogenital Macrophage - Vaginal Insertion of Surgical Abortive Method
3.) Torn The F*ck Apart - The Dissection of Christ
4.) Stoma - The Glorification of Sexual Deprivation
5.) Regurgitate Life - The Human Complex
6.) Pathology - The Time of Great Purification
7.) Razorrape - Revenge of the Hermaphrodite Whores
8.) Whoretopsy - They Did Unspeakable Things
9.) F*ck I'm Dead - Another Gory Mess
10.) Gutfed - The Reign of Pure Madness and Contagious Perversion

Honorable Mention...

7H. Target - Fast-Slow Demolition

How did you ever get the reputation as one who only listens to death and grind?