Best of 2011 - JP

Another banner year for Metal!  As always, more albums, more tours, more shows, more books, more DVD’s…as Blackie Lawless would say, the torture never stops!  There were a couple of professional highlights for me in 2011.  As co-host of one of the world’s longest running Metal radio shows, Megawatt Mayhem, we celebrated our 25th Anniversary and I celebrated my 11th year as co-host.
The other highlight was when I had the very great honor of being asked by EvilG to be the Managing Editor of Metal-Rules. I became involved more than ever before; with a year-long project culminating in the launch of The Library Of Loudness.  This new section is, to the best of our knowledge, the biggest collection of Heavy Metal book reviews of the internet with more titles being added every month. Metal-Rules.com is at the height of our power with more reviews, interviews, concert reviews, pages, hits and members than almost any other Metal webzine on the internet.  It won’t be long in 2012 before we eclipse 8,000 CD reviews and 1000 interviews in our database, all for you to enjoy.  We passed 11,000 friends on our Facebook Page and we have almost 100,000 registered users on our Discussion Forum.  We rule the ruins!

A personal highlight was attending the inaugural 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise.  I got to see many of my favourite bands that I had never seen before like Saxon, Raven and Rage! It was a great year, all backed by a full-on Metal soundtrack.  Here is what caught my eyes and ears this year!

Top 20 Albums

As  usual, Traditional, Classic and Power Metal reigned supreme on my list. There is plenty of new, young talent on my list. Seven bands’ debut albums, and another five bands only on their sophomore effort, roar into my Top 20. These young guns wave the flag of True Metal.

#1. Riot-Immortal Soul (SPV)

Unlike the last two years where new bands (Cain’s Offering, Pathfinder) from out of nowhere take the top slot, this year it is a battle-tested veteran of the Metal wars. The speed, the power, the glory, the majesty…I never thought that in a million years they could make an album like this again, namely Thundersteel Part II.  It instantly was a Top 3 contender and made the cut for this year’s #1 pick for me.

2. Dragon Guardian-Destiny Of The Sacred Kingdom (Indie)
3. Reinxeed-1912 (Rivel)
4. Pagan’s Mind-Heavenly Ecstasy (SPV)
5. Solar Fragment-In Our Hands (Scarlet)
6. Rhapsody Of Fire-From Chaos To Eternity (Nuclear Blast)
7. Lorenguard-Eve Of Corruption: The Days Of Astasia-Part One (Indie) (debut)
8. Symfonia-Paradisum (Armoury) (debut)
9. Vicious Rumors-Razorback Killers (SPV)
10. Fireforce-March On (7hard) (debut)
11. Iron Savior-The Landing (AFM)
12. Absolute Power-Absoulte Power (Feto) (debut)
13. Fullforce-One (SPV) (debut)
14. Holy Force-Holy Force (Music By Mail)  (debut)
15. Divinefire-Eye Of The Storm (Liljgren)
16. Crylord-Blood Of The Prophets (Lion) (debut)
17. Lord Volture-Never Cry Wolf (Indie)
18. Infinity Overture-The Infinity Overture-Part One (Lion)
19. Iron Mask-Black As Death (AFM)
20. Eagleheart-Dreamtherapy (Scarlet)

Best Live Album

Whitesnake-Live At Donnigton-1990.(Frontiers)

Captured at the height of their power I saw this tour just a few months prior to the recording of this show. The band was firing on all cylinders on it’s home turf, finally released for all to hear.

Best New Band

Masterforce - Masterforce (Indie) Young Italian hopefuls, worth watching.

Discovery Of The Year

Dragon Guardian-Destiny Of The Sacred Kingdom (Indie)  With seven albums already under their belt I have a long way to go to explore this Japanese bands catalogue.

Best EP

Cradle Of Filth-Evermore Darkly.(Nuclear Blast)  An EP done right with tons of bonus material on DVD.
Best Misc. Release (Covers/Remakes/Childrens/Comedy/Acoustic/Compilations etc)

Necrocomiccon-Hot Dog Cart Hunger. (Indie)  Deadly brilliant Black Metal cover tunes of 80’s pop tunes performed perfectly by Pat of Swashbuckle and friends!

Best DVD

There are so many different types of DVD’s (Documentaries, video collections, concerts, band histories) it’s hard to rank, so of the dozen I saw this year here is my Top 2 breakdown.

Hypocrisy - Hell Over Sofia (Nuclear Blast) Killer concert and the bonus documentary, 20 Years Of Chaos And Confusion is one of the better band histories I’ve seen.

Deep Purple - Phoenix Rising (Eaglevision)  Best DVD packaging I’ve seen in years. Fascinating documentary as well as awesome, rare live, footage from Japan.

Best Book

Again like DVD’s there are so many categories of books, biographies, autobiographies, academic works, photo/art books, books of lists, that it is hard to only pick one!  These three stood out for me.
Metallion: The Slayer Mag Diaries (Bazillion Points)  All 20 glorious issues in one place and a history of the fanzine!

Glenn Hughes-Deep Purple And Beyond (Foruli) A quintessential Rock Star autobiography.

The Collectors Guide To Heavy Metal Vol IV: The 00’s. Martin Popoff completes the quadrology of the best series of Metal album review books.

Album Disappointments

Hibra-Blind Ride (King Records)
Too dark, too slow and the singer changed his style too much into a ‘so-called’ modern style.

Best Concert 

It was nice to finally see Arkona, Mayhem, Grave, Chthonic and Sepultura.
Festival Style: 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise.  (Florida/Mexico)
Bar Show: Skullfist, Hrom and Stinger (Calgary, Alberta) followed closely by Gatekrashor and Midnight Malice at Noctis Valkyries 4.20. (Calgary, Alberta)

Lucky Seven Greatest Hopes for 2012

New Manowar album. (Carried over from 2010, again)

W.A.S.P.’s  Blackie Lawless decides to release the mountain of archived footage (and the long-lost Japanese only video collection) in a cool, historical 3+ DVD set.  Blackie also finishes his autobiography he has been rumored to have working on for years. (Also carried over from 2010, again)
Metalocalypse Season Four. (Carried over from 2010, again)  The only TV series worth watching. Delayed from 2011, it got renewed on Adult Swim and returns to it’s original episode run-time of 15 minutes.  Watch for the DVD by late 2012.  Season Four airs on April 15th.

New albums by Kiss and Van Halen dominate the universe.

The return of the International Heavy Metal Industry Conference at Noctis Valkyries 6 in Calgary, Alberta in October.

The new album by Dragonforce featuring their new vocal god, Mark Hudson!

Metal Evolution is released on DVD with mucho bonus material.

 

Best of 2011 - Erich

Top 20 Albums

1.  Iced Earth – DYSTOPIA

This one was a surprise for a couple of reasons. First, with Barlow leaving so soon after rejoining, people were wondering how could this revolving door of singers continue without a drop in quality?  Stu Block has clearly had an invigorating effect, and with a return to Century Media after three albums on Steamhammer, credit Century Media and the band for realizing the grass is not always greener on the other side.

2.  Reckless Love – ANIMAL ATTRACTION

I have come to appreciate this album more since when I reviewed it at the end of November and would now up it to 4.5 stars instead of 4. It is better than the debut and shows a clear growth in terms of marrying retro glam metal with modern sonic inflections.  

3. Steel Panther - BALLS OUT
4.  Fullforce – ONE
5.  Anthrax – WORSHIP MUSIC
6.  Vicious Rumors – RAZORBACK KILLERS
7.  Arch/Matheos – SYMPATHETIC RESONANCE
8.  Charred Walls Of The Damned – COLD WINDS ON TIMELESS DAYS
9. House Of Lords – BIG MONEY
10. Within Temptation – THE UNFORGIVING
11. Sebastian Bach – KICKING AND SCREAMING
12. Black ‘N Blue – HELL YEAH
13.  Textures – DUALISM
14.  Samael – LUX MUNDI
15. Artillery – MY BLOOD
16.  Anvil – JUGGERNAUT OF JUSTICE
17.  Powerwolf – BLOOD OF THE SAINTS
18.  Rhapsody of Fire- FROM CHAOS TO INFINITY
19. Lake Of Tears – ILLWILL
20. Communic – THE BOTTOM DEEP

Best New Metal Band

Artizan
Demolition (Honorable Mention)

Best Metal DVD

GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE

Best Metal Book

THE COLLECTOR'S GUIDE TO HEAVY METAL: VOLUME 4: THE '00s

Best Metal Concert

Iron Maiden The Final Frontier Tour St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida

Best Local Metal Band

Artizan – Jacksonville, Florida.   Simply an amazing and traditional metal band with progressive tendencies.  Florida was once a pioneer in extreme metal.  Here is to these guys forming a new renaissance along with Circle II Circle.

Greatest Metal Hopes

New Testament Album in 2012 – THE FORMATION OF DAMNATION was an amazing return to form but it is approaching four long years since that release.  Will the band be able to sustain the momentum from TFOD before it is forgotten? My hope is that it is every bit as worthy.

New The Gathering Album in 2012 - WEST POLE was a welcome near return to the sound of The Gathering that got me on board in the first place, MANDYLION.  Silje Wergeland proved to be a worthy replacement at vocals, and I would love to hear the new album incorporate heavier elements.

No More Male Death Vocals combined with Female Vocals – This is just crap and everybody is doing it in the Goth/Symphonic Metal genre. Not only do they sound out of place, but it is unoriginal and detracts from the good vocalist, which is usually the woman. If you want to be a death metal band than play death metal, but keep the shitty vocals out of this genre.

New Paradise Lost Album in 2012 – The last couple of albums have been remarkably consistent and doomy.  I love that they have returned to the basis of their best albums and hope this one lives up to the standards they have set with the last two.

The Obsessed Reunion Leads To A New Album -   Hoping their reunion for the Roadburn Festival leads to the realization that they should be recording new material. Come on!

Greatest Metal Disappointments

KK Downing Leaving Priest -  I skipped the tour for this reason.  I mean wtf!  How can you not finish your last tour as a band for the fans!  A truly awful decision.

Queensryche – DEDICATED TO CHAOS – Effectively squelched any flickering embers that OPERATION MINDCRIME II might have ignited.  It is clear that this band is never going to release anything but geriatric and  limp guitar tones to appease metal god turned whimp,  Geoff Tate.
Alice Cooper – WELCOME 2 MY NIGHTMARE – Effective arguments could be made that this could not be anything but a disaster, trying to revisit a well over 30 years dry.  Still this was much worse than I think most of us expected, destroying much of the good will Alice had built with metal fans over the last decade.

Spotify – I had hoped Spotify would be the salvation that was promised, and sway me to dump Rhapsody.  Instead, Spotify proved to have no interest in metal or retaining metal labels.  As a result from Iced Earth to The Gathering, huge gaps are present in their catalog.  

Megadeth – THIRTEEN – Not an awful album, just more of the same, with nothing that makes a lasting impression or hints at anything other than cutting albums for paychecks and contract obligations.

Best Metal Discovery

Tie:  Wolverine & Fullforce

Best of 2011 - Celtic Bob

My list this year incorporates both my Metal and Rock picks of this past year. The vast majority of the year was spent re-discovering old bands and albums mainly through reissues and box sets. I look forward to 2012 and getting back on track with much more Metal.

Cheers
b.

#1. Motörhead - The World Is Yours

My most listened to ‘New’ album this year by far. Another excellent album from Motörhead.

#2. Steel Panther - Balls Out

Their debut a couple years back is one of my personal ‘Most Played’ albums of recent years. The songs never get old. With BALLS OUT we get more of the same.

#3. Anthrax - Worship Music

THE Comeback album of the year hands down. An amazing disc! Their best since PERSISTENCE OF TIME.

#4. Five Finger Death Punch - American Capitalist

Call them Hardcore, Mallcore, Nu-Metal….whatever. The kickoff single “Under and Over It” caught my attention and the album is damn good. It may not be Metal in the traditional sense but it is real music that is heavy with a lot of excellent guitar playing and solid drums and bass.

#5. Before The Damned - Unanimosity

The debut album from my pick for Best New Metal Band of 2011. This album is pure 100% Metal with hints of Pantera, Early Alice In Chains, Soundgarden… A Fantastic album all around that every Metal fan should own.

#6. Sebastian Bach - Kicking & Screaming

This is Sebastian’s best release since SLAVE TO THE GRIND with his old band many years ago. He has never sounded better.

#7. Big Sugar - Revolutions Per Minute

Big Sugar goes down as possibly the loudest rock show I have ever seen in my life. Their sound is amazing and Gordie Johnson has the ultimate rock guitar tone. After disbanding a few years back they got together for a few shows in 2010 and decided to re-form. REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE is a solid album from start to finish and almost exactly what you’d expect from Big Sugar.

#8. The Alarm - The Sound and The Fury

A band I liked since hearing “68 Guns” back in the early 80’s. Their DECLARATION album was one of the very first tapes I ever purchased. This new album shows that Mike Peters is still an excellent songwriter. It is just too bad that at least some of the classic band aren’t still together but then again, he IS the voice of The Alarm.

#9. Mr. Big - What If...

Another band I liked since they came out but these guys lost me at the time of their third album. Good to see them back together and making some great tunes.

#10. Bravura

A new Metal band that I was introduced to back in 2010. Their debut was released early 2011 and contains some amazing guitar work. A little progressive in parts but definitely highly recommended.

#11. Warrant - Rockaholic

A guilty pleasure. Yet another band I always loved but lost me in the 90’s. This is one of their better albums. A solid release

#12. Whitesnake - Forevermore

Easily the best album from the Whitesnake camp since the ’87 self titled disc.

Best Metal EP

Helix - Skin In The Game

One of my all-time favorite bands released an EP this past year. Some great tunes on it and proving that there is nothing like the classic line-up. There have been some great players in this band over the years and many have become good personal friends but the classic 80’s line-up just feels right. Hopefully in 2012 we’ll get more great tunes.

Best New Metal Band

Before The Damned

The best new Metal band I heard all year without any doubt and their debut is one of the greatest Metal albums of the year as well. Highly recommended!

Best Metal Blu-Ray

Lemmy
This documentary on Lemmy is well made and extremely informative. It shows different sides to him that the fan never gets to see. The bonus features are excellent and amusing at times.

Deep Purple - Live In Montreux 2011
Superb picture and sound. After 40+ years these guys still have what it takes. Gillan may not be able to hit the notes like he did in the 70’s but these guys put on one hell of an amazing show.

Best Metal Book

Does The Noise In My Head Bother You? - Steven Tyler

Autobiographies seem to be the “in” thing to do lately and Tyler’s is one of the better ones. An easy read that spans his whole life without going into intricate detail.

This Is Gonna Hurt - Nikki Sixx
An interesting and well laid out book of words and photography. A book that makes you use your brain to see things in a different light.

Best Metal Remake album

Black Label Society - The Song Remains Not The Same

Not one for remakes, cover songs or acoustic versions but this one is pne of the better ones to come along. A few nice surprises but nothing mind blowing or out of the ordinary.

Greatest Metal Hopes  for 2012

Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline
Their last album, SHALLOW LIFE was my Album of The Year a couple of years ago and it still holds up today as one of my favorite albums.

Kiss - Kissology IV
With a stroke of luck this will be released and contain the Animalized Live concert that was released on VHS back in the day.

The Van Halen Reunion (of sorts) album and tour.
It will be the first new album from the VH camp with Dave on vocals since 1984. It’s just a shame that Michael Anthony is not a part of it. Let us hope it delivers.

Greatest Metal Disappointments

Alice Cooper

His latest album WELCOME 2 MY NIGHTMARE was a terrible album. It had all the hype to be something magnificent but turned out to be a heaping pile with only one real strong track. He had an amazing live band but failed to use them on the record plus he resorts to using AUTO-TUNE. I won’t even mention the duet with a pop star. A total disaster.

Michael 'Würzel' Burston
Not a disappointment of 2011 but a tragic loss. The former Motörhead guitarist passed away this past July. I was fortunate enough to see him live with Motörhead back in ’88 opening for Alice Cooper (fitting isn’t it that both are now in my “Metal Dissapointments of 2011”?) on their ROCK AND ROLL tour.

Jani Lane
Another tragic loss was the passing of Jani Lane in an LA motel room this past year. Jani was one of the best vocalists out there in the Hard Rock and Metal community. It is tragic that his demons got the better of him. His voice will be missed.

Best Live Metal Album

Slash - Made In Stoke

Slash just nails it with this release. The best live album to come out in awhile. Excellent all around and from every aspect.  Maybe 2012 we’ll see a Blu-Ray release of this?
 

Best Metal Discovery

Black Sabbath

I always liked Sabbath BUT apart from their “Hits” I was pretty unfamiliar with their material until this year. All I owned was the double WE SOLD OUR SOUL FOR ROCK AND ROLL but that has since changed and I am glad it did!!

 

Best of 2011 - Arto Lehtinen

Top 20

#1. HELL – Human Remains

Hell was an obscure band from mid-England and used to be around in the 80’s. The frontman’s suicide led the demise of Hell and the guys didn’t touch their instruments until recently when Andy Sneap stepped into the picture. HUMAN REMAINS is an excellent heavy metal release with the killer catchy songs, killer riff and awesome vocals. Above all the production created by Andy Sneap makes absolutely justify for this album.


#2. Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn Of Event

Even though there was quite a dramatical line-up change in Dream Theater when the legendary Mike Portnoy stepped down and was replaced by Mike Magnini, the new DT album is absolutely fantastic and truly masterpiece for all the Dream Theater fans.


#3. Iced Earth – Dystopia

When Matt Barlow left the band once again, fans were quite shocked. But the Into Eternity frontman Stu Block has turned out to be a great replacement to front the band.

4. Machine Head – Unto The Locust
5. Onslaught – Sounds Of Violence
6. Mortal Sin – Psychology Of Death
7. Autopsy –Macabre Eternal
8. InSolitude – The World The Flesh The Devil
9. The Devil’s Blood - The Thousandfold Epicentre
10. Absu –Abzu
11. Krisiun – The Great Execution
12. Tyr - The Lay of Thrym
13. Pestilence - Doctrine
14. Necros Christos –Doom Of The Occult
15. Exhumed – All Guts, No Glory
16. Pentagram – The Last Rites
17. Lord Vicar – Signs of Osiris
18. OZ – Burning Leather
19. Vallenfyre – A Fragile King
20. Amorphis – The Beginning Of Times

Best new band

Vallenfyre – A Fragile King. Gregor Mackintosh’s sideproject is truly interesting feat. members from My Dying Bride, Doom and of course other bands. The debut album returns to the grotesque death metal in the true old school way.

Best concert of 2011

Voivod at the Roadburn festival in Tillburg/Holland

Voivod’s first gig in the Theater was absolutely mind blowing experience from the beginning to the end. The four piece hammered all the classic ones and did a brand new song as well.

Absu and Autopsy at Hammer Open Air Finland

Absu


Autopsy

Needless to say both Absu and Autopsy ripped the audience apart by giving lethal lessons of primitive metal from hell

Gwar at Swedenrock 2011

Blood gore and chaos on the stage, what else!

Machine Head at the Circus club in Helsinki

Machine Head  never let down on the stage. Bulldozering riffs mauled the audience to arrange the brutal pits.

Best DVD of 2011

SLOW SOUTHERN STEEL. Documentary of the southern metal bands:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CHY0xOvPbE

I saw it at Roadburn in April and it was interesting!

Disappointments of 2011

Metallica with Lou Reed – There is no need to explain why this spefic album deserves to be named the disappointment of 2011. Frankly I see no hope of getting an awesome album from Metallica like Masters Of Puppers.

Morbid Angel’s latest offering was quite twofold opus containing extreme killer songs, but on the other hand weird and eccentric techno stuff not fitting to the world of Morbid Angel at all. I guess Morbid Angel presents the death metal, not industrial thing.

The new location of the Tuska Festival. The new current place was a real asphalt inferno under the red hot melting sun. The Kaisaniemi Park with the beautiful environment was a perfect metal for the metal onslaught.

Steve Grice pulled out of Onslaught.

Deaths of: Wurzel, Seth Puthnam, Matt Laporte, Scott Columbus, Michael Starr, Phil Kennemore and Gary Moore.

Greatest hopes for 2011

Seeing Coroner finally. The new album from Crimson Glory, No new album from Morbid Angel and Metallica. A full length album from Immolation. Better bands !!!!!!