I don’t know about you, but personally this has been one of the best years what comes to new releases. There were plenty of good stuff released last year too, but somehow the overall amount of great albums was much greater. It might be due to my somewhat broader taste in music that increased the selection but still what a year for a music fan – especially a metal music fan. All of the listed records are also in my CD shelf as they should be…
Traditionally people tend to rank their selection starting from number one and end up to some even number like ten or twenty but I won’t do that. It simply isn’t fair to put albums to order meaning that one is better than the other. I only separate three albums from the rest – mainly based on the play counts (one of the best indicators of my appreciation, of course corrected with normalization to the time they’ve been available).
Top three new releases of the year 2009:
1. Destr̦yer666 РDefiance
What more can I say but a perfect album. I wasn’t familiar with D666 before so I didn’t have any expectations from earlier albums. Everything I like about metal music is included here: aggressiveness, heaviness, perfect riffs, atmosphere and a certain level of epic storytelling. In addition the package is perfect. Nice cover art and inner leaflet. The diversity of this record guaranties my attraction for a long time.
2. Amorphis – Skyforger
Epic ending for the Kalevala –trilogy from the Finish masters. I loved the two earlier concept albums Eclipse and The Silent Water and it was hard to figure out how they could keep up the level. I should never doubt it is possible for they proved otherwise. Great album, great band.
3. Artillery – When Death Comes
This is somewhat a comeback album from these Danish thrashers boosted with a new vocalist. I think this upgrade really helped them to create almost a perfect metal album. Amazing songs, great riffs, just what more could one ask? “When Death Comes” is definitively one of the most positive surprises of the year 2009.
The rest of the best as I call the following great records are (in alphabetical order):
Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue *****
Be’lakor – Stone’s Reach ****
Candlemass – Death Magic Doom ****
Ghost Brigade – Isolation Songs ****
Highway Child – On The Old King’s Road ****
Hypocrisy – A Taste Of Extreme Divinity *****
Immortal – All Shall Fall ****
Insomnium – Across The Dark ****
Katatonia – Night Is The New Day *****
Mastodon – Crack The Skye ****
Megadeth – Endgame ****
Paradise Lost – Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us ****
Shrinebuilder – Shrinebuilder *****
Slayer – World Painted Blood *****
Best DVD-release of the year is Where Death Is Most Alive by Dark Tranquillity
DT if any band in the world needed a new Live-DVD for their earlier DVD "Live Damage" suffered from a really poor audience. This new live set is filmed in Italy and big thanks goes to the fans - you really made this DVD so great. I bought the biggest version including the live CD's as well. Very good worth for money I'd say.
Best EP and "new" band of 2009 is Barren Earth - Our Twilight
Traditionally people tend to rank their selection starting from number one and end up to some even number like ten or twenty but I won’t do that. It simply isn’t fair to put albums to order meaning that one is better than the other. I only separate three albums from the rest – mainly based on the play counts (one of the best indicators of my appreciation, of course corrected with normalization to the time they’ve been available).
Top three new releases of the year 2009:
1. Destr̦yer666 РDefiance
What more can I say but a perfect album. I wasn’t familiar with D666 before so I didn’t have any expectations from earlier albums. Everything I like about metal music is included here: aggressiveness, heaviness, perfect riffs, atmosphere and a certain level of epic storytelling. In addition the package is perfect. Nice cover art and inner leaflet. The diversity of this record guaranties my attraction for a long time.
2. Amorphis – Skyforger
Epic ending for the Kalevala –trilogy from the Finish masters. I loved the two earlier concept albums Eclipse and The Silent Water and it was hard to figure out how they could keep up the level. I should never doubt it is possible for they proved otherwise. Great album, great band.
3. Artillery – When Death Comes
This is somewhat a comeback album from these Danish thrashers boosted with a new vocalist. I think this upgrade really helped them to create almost a perfect metal album. Amazing songs, great riffs, just what more could one ask? “When Death Comes” is definitively one of the most positive surprises of the year 2009.
The rest of the best as I call the following great records are (in alphabetical order):
Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue *****
Be’lakor – Stone’s Reach ****
Candlemass – Death Magic Doom ****
Ghost Brigade – Isolation Songs ****
Highway Child – On The Old King’s Road ****
Hypocrisy – A Taste Of Extreme Divinity *****
Immortal – All Shall Fall ****
Insomnium – Across The Dark ****
Katatonia – Night Is The New Day *****
Mastodon – Crack The Skye ****
Megadeth – Endgame ****
Paradise Lost – Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us ****
Shrinebuilder – Shrinebuilder *****
Slayer – World Painted Blood *****
Best DVD-release of the year is Where Death Is Most Alive by Dark Tranquillity
DT if any band in the world needed a new Live-DVD for their earlier DVD "Live Damage" suffered from a really poor audience. This new live set is filmed in Italy and big thanks goes to the fans - you really made this DVD so great. I bought the biggest version including the live CD's as well. Very good worth for money I'd say.
Best EP and "new" band of 2009 is Barren Earth - Our Twilight
