Your Favorite Hard Rock/Metal Released in 2005

No Order...

Angel Of Retribution by Priest
Shovel Headed Kill Machine by Exodus
This Godless Endeavor by Nevermore
Amped by Seven Witches
Hazardous Mutation by Municipal Waste
Complete Annihilation by Avenger of Blood
Hell On earth by Toxic Holocaust
Riding The Reaper by Deceiver
No Trace left Behind by Blasthrash
D.B.A.T (EP) by Mass Extinction

'05 was kind of a slow year, IMO:

Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny of Souls
Gamma Ray - Majestic
Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
Overkill - RELIXIV
Wednesday 13 - Transylvania 90210
Icarus Witch - Capture The Magic
Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution
Corrosion of Conformity - In The Arms Of God

...that's all I got...

I agree with FF it was kind of a slow year.

Candlemass - S/T
Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
Demon Hunter - The Triptych
Kamelot - The Black Halo
Municipal Waste - Hazardous Mutation
Draconian - Arcane Rain Fell
Gojira - From Mars To Sirius
Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal
Destruction - Inventor Of Evil
Deceased - As The Weird Travel On

Kreator- Enemy of God
Nevermore- This Godless Endeavor
Exodus- Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Black Label Society- Mafia
The Darkness- One Way Ticket to Hell…and Back
Annihilator- Schizo Deluxe

It was not the best year, no, but I have 22 CD's from 2005. Only a few of them I would consider super favourites of mine.

1. Gamma Ray - Majestic
(absolutely one of their best)

2. Savage Circus - Dreamland Manor
(90's Blind Guardian worship, but done well)

3. Demons & Wizards - Touched by the Crimson King
(I love all D&W releases)

Those are the three standouts. I'd fill out the rest of my top 10 with these:

4. Rob Rock - Holy Hell
5. Powerwolf - Return in Bloodred
6. Sentenced - The Funeral Album
7. Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny of Souls
8. Brainstorm - Liquid Monster
9. Masterplan - Aeronautics
10. Black Label Society - Mafia

Looking at that list, I'm not very comfortable with it. It's traditional heavy metal and power metal, but for instance zero thrash metal on it. Shovel Headed Kill Machine is probably the closest, but I didn't like the vocals and it's not as awesome as Tempo of the Damned. It wasn't really the best year.

The last four entries in my top 10 I'm not even a massive fan of, and don't consider them the best works of the respective artists. Oh well. Maybe I'll later discover more 2005 albums I've missed out on.

I have that Flotsam and Jetsam CD ordered, Dreams of Death. And maybe some others from 2005 too, I don't know anymore.

Forgot about that Rob Rock album, it’s a great one!

Judas Priest - Angel Of Retribution
Gamma Ray - Majestic
Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor
Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys:The Legacy
Icarus Witch - Capture The Magic
Brainstorm - Liquid Monster
Overkill - ReliXIV
Bruce Dickinson - A Tyranny Of Souls
Demons & Wizards - Touched By The Crimson King
Annihilator - Schizo Deluxe

2005, (IMHDO) was the beginning of the new wave of thrash metal and before that became saturated with crappy bands. I was a happy camper.

Kreator - Enemy of God
Candlemass - Candlemass
Exodus - Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Destruction - Inventor of Evil
Obituary - Frozen in Time
Naglfar - Pariah
Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal
Gorefest - La muerte
Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness
Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh
Vader - The Art of War
Immolation - Harnessing Ruin
Hatebeak / Caninus split
Avenger of Blood - Complete Annihilation

Opeth-Ghost Reveries
Kreator-Enemy of God
Candlemass-Candlemass
System Of A Down Mezmerize
Nile -Annihilation Of The Wicked
Spiritual Beggars-Demons

Yeah, pretty unremarkable year but these were fire.

Lari wrote:

I have that Flotsam and Jetsam CD ordered, Dreams of Death. And maybe some others from 2005 too, I don't know anymore.

Yeah, LOL no, Dreams of Death isn't going to crack my top 10. It's the worst Flotz CD I've heard (yet).

Avenger of Blood - Complete Annihilation
Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh
Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal
Deceased - As the Weird Travel On
Dew-Scented - Issue VI
Exodus - Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Judas Priest - Angel of Retribution
Municipal Waste - Hazardous Mutation
Obituary - Frozen in Time
Toxic Holocaust - Hell on Earth

Nevermore's This Godless Endeavor and Opeth's Ghost Reveries are still my favorite albums by those bands. I was so glad I could see them together on tour that year.

Kreator's Enemy of God is awesome as well. 2005 will always seem like a special year to me based on those three releases alone.

One that hasn't been mentioned is Green Carnation's The Burden Is Mine...Alone EP. It has a few great songs, some of which would be released on their Acoustic Verses album early in 2006.