Best albums of 2020

1.Eternal Champion - Ravening Iron
 
Beyond the mists of time 8 masterfull crafted epic heavy metal cuts sucks the listener into the snake cult tempel.

 

Highlights

1. "War at the Edge of the End" - "Deadly heavy metal killer riffage"
2. "Ravening Iron" - "Trve metal mastery"
3. "Worms of the Earth" -  "Battering ram metal"

 
2.Stryper - Even the Devil Believes
 

The new Stryper album "Even The Devil Believes" is packed with singer Michael Sweet’s astonishing vocals.Oz gritty guitar riffs and tastefully flashy guitar solos and  Strypers great rythmsection and awesome background vocals.The album mixes the best elements of the classic era, with the band's more modern, heavier side.

 

 

Highlights
1. "Blood From Above" - "Fast and majestic album opener"
2. "Do Unto Others" - "Heavy and bombastic with a stadium chorus"
3. "Invitation Only" - " Infectious melody".

 
 
 
3. Lamb of God - S/T
The Architects of New Wave of American Heavy Metal are back! New album is chock-full of hook powered, adrenaline-fueled groove!
 
Starting with the first track, “Memento Mori” there’s a feeling of new found power thats flowing through Lamb of God`s best album since Sacrament (2006) that leaves you in suspense for what comes next.
 

Highlights
1. "Resurrection Man" - "Dark, imaginative, and super heavy" 
2. "Gears" - "Adrenaline triggering groove".
3. "Checkmate" -  "Crunching  massive riffs"

 

 

 4. AC/DC - PWR UP
 
PWR UP Lit up billboard at 1# and the top spot on charts all over the world. 
AC/DC are back with members of the classic “Back in Black” lineup except the late great 
Malcom Young who´s spirit is present all trough the album.
 
PWR UP  starts quite anonymously but from track 4 "Through the Mists of Time” and forward the ball starts rolling.
 

Highlights
1. "Money Shoot" - "(in a pornographic film) a sequence in which an actor ejaculates."
2. "Kick You When You Are Down" - "Killer riff that get your head bopping back and forth."
3. "Witch´s Spell" -  "Classic AC/DC chugging rhythms and Johnson’s raw, wailing vocals"

 

5. H.E.A.T. - H.e.a.t. II

I tought H.E.A.T. was over and done with their 2017 release "Into The great Unknown"  where the band experimented with their signature sound adding blip blop sounds and dance beats. But H.E.A.T.  got up at the referee's count of 9 and delivered their best album ever H.e.a.t. II. 

 

Highlights
1. "Adrenaline" - "Chockfull of earworm hooks!"
2. "Rise" - "Big arena choruses".
3. "Dangerous Ground" -  " A V8 engine starts up and off we go"

 

6. Testament - Titans of Creation
 
Floored by the killer Testament song "Children of the Next Level" (about the American UFO religious cult Heavens Gate that coordinated series of ritual suicides, in order to reach what they believed was an extraterrestrial spacecraft following Comet Hale–Bopp.)
..

Highlights
1. "Children of the Next Level" - "This is the mastery of  true thrash metal veterans"
2. "Curse of Osiris" - "Razor-sharp guillotine riffs with black metal howls"
3. "Dream Deceiver" - "Aggressive yet melodic earworm".

 

7.L.A. Guns - Renegades

L.A. Guns (Steve Riley /Kelly Nickels) Delivers the sleaze of the classic L.A. Guns era. Great songwriting and good production. L.A. Guns (Lewis/Guns) latest album "The Devil You Know" (2019) have some good songs but lacks in the production department.

 

Highlights
1. "Renegades" - "Catchy with a driving through a desert feel and anthemic chorus"
2. "Well Oiled Machine" - ""Great driving song, fire up the engines".
3. "Crawl" -  "Groovy and gothic"

 

8.Annihiator - Ballistic, Sadistic
 

Canadian guitar phantom Jeff Waters spits out the best Annihilator album in years.Infeasted with killer leads, riffs and face melting guitar solos. Jeff Waters is the Eddie Van Halen of Thrash metal.

 

Highlights
1. "Psycho Ward" - "Distant cousin to "Stonewall" from Never Neverland"
2. "Dressed Up for Evil" - "80´s Thrash with modern feel ".
3. "Armed To the Teeth" -  "Thunderous and Edgy"

 

9.Unleash the Archers - Abyss
 

Canadian metal vanguards Unleash the Archers.released their strongest album to date. Singer Brittney (Slayes) Hayes is a mezzo-sopran with a four octave range.

 

Highlights
1. "Faster Than Light" - "Fast and furious"                                                                                        2. "Soulbound" - "Full of intensity and majestic bombast"                                                                    3. "Through Stars" -  " Truly mesmerizing"

          

 10. Nightwish - Human :II: Nature
 
Human :II: Nature" is seriously adventurous in it's take on song structures, music and vocals. Main composer Toumas Holopainen got lost in Troy Donockley´s wonderland of celtic leprechaun rythms and strange instruments. 
 
For fans of classic Nightwish:The Dark Element (former Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon and former Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen) is highly recommended. Xandria - "Neverworld´s End" (with singer Manuella Kraller).
 
 

Highlights
1. "Music" - "After the aeons of new age "yoga" intro music there is a great song"

2. "How´s the Heart" - "Atmospheric and hook infeasted"

3. "Noise" - "Endless Forms Most Beautiful Vibe"

          




Best Albums of 2016

 
 

1.Metallica - Hardwired ... to self-destruct

 

Metallica are back with a vengeance!!

 

Disc 1 is almost flawless and opens up with  the  titel song it´s a fast thrasher with Megadeth vibes. "Atlas Rise" is mighty and heavy with a catchy verse. "Moth To A Flame" is another standout track with heavy riffage and it´s menacing groove.

 

Disc2  It's too long, with too many tracks that go nowhere. But those songs that do work are good . "ManUnkind" and "Murder One" are substandard .The closing thrasher "Spit Out The Bone" are killer..

 

Disc3  Cool Metallica rarities and  the superb '"Lords of Summer" 

 

2. Megadeth - Dystopia

Dystopia is chockfull of thought provoking lyrics, machine gun precision guitar riffs and soaring lead work with new bloods monster drummer Chris Adler  (Lamb of God) and  Brazil guitarist  Kiki Loureiro. Megadeth's best album in ten years is a fact,  the title track is already a true Megadeth classic.

 

 
 

3.Burning Point - The Blaze

Burning Point drafts  singer Nitte Valo (ex. Battle Beast) who have lungs of steel, a female Rob Halford with superb power and Burning Point are now playing  in the Elite League.

 

"Master Them All" a speedy and high octane melodic track which really shows off the vocal talents of Nitte Valo.

 

 
 

4. Testament - the Brotherhood of the Snake

The albums is a three headed snake thrash attack!

 

Title track is a true thrash storm with adrenalizing,  crushing  riffs, shredding, blast beats and great thrash vocal delivery and  is a primer for everything that follows.

 
 

5. Lugnet - Lugnet

 

Christina Lindberg in her "Frigga" regalia (Thriller - They Call Her One Eye) are  pointing relentlessly at you from the album cover before you get knocked out by the hard "All The Way" that takes the wind out of your "Sails" 

The midnight clock strikes mercilessly in heavy "Veins" that echo Black Sabbath Tony Martin era. "Tears in the Sky" got an early Whitesnake feel .Catchy "It Ain't Easy" sounds like a hungry Deep Purple before the dices roles in "Gypsy Dice" . There's a storm brewing "In The Still Of The Water" and "Into the Light" brings you into eternity ..

 
 

6. Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

The album is a big, dragon-headed longship that sails straight into the mouth of Valhalla.

 

Highlights are fast "First Kill" with guitars sounding like a swarm of bees and the metallic onslaught of "One Against All" the heavy riffer  "At Dawns First Light".

 

 
 

7. Killswitch Engage - Incarnate

Incarnate has intricate rhythmic guitar playing and brain-splitting riffs with a rhythm section that locks it down hard.

 

"Hate By Design" is very heavy and super catchy has a chorus is worthy of a sing-along.  "Strength of the Mind" classic Killswitch on steroids.  "Until the Day" up-tempo and bombastic  with  80s metal influences  and a chorus fit for stadiums

 
 

8. Serious Black - Mirror World

Sci-fi cinematic intro introduces you to the melodic/power metal in "As Long As I'm Alive" a fast paced track with  a catchy chorus and superb vocals, "Castor Skies" has a perfect mix of melodic/power and  progressive metal elements. Great  twin guitar attack trough the album trading licks on the solos e.t.c.  

 
 

9. Inglourious - Inglorious

Title track opens with uber-heavy guitar riffage and has a great arena chorus, the massive riff and groove in "You Are Mine" get your body to  move voluntarily or involuntarily.  The Hammond orgy in "Until I Die" and the great vocal effort sets the agenda of the album.

 
 
 
 10. Last In Line - Heavy Crown

Solid straight up hard rock album with passion and power. Last in Line is the band line-up from the three first Dio albums joined by Andrew Freeman vocals. Highs are the epic "Starmaker" and fast "Martyr".


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