So this one ended up coming together much more quickly than I expected. My Anniversary Article focused a lot on power metal, and things are not much different for my Top 5. Once again, please keep in mind that this is just my opinion, and that I can't listen to everything I'd like to. Still, there were plenty of honorable mentions, ranging from Wolfmother's self-titled debut and Presto Ballet's Peace Among the Ruins, to power metal giants like Masterplan, Allen/Lande, and Sabaton. However, I think the following five albums are the best this year has to offer.
Yeah, I know. Yeah, this is the album with the meme song, I know. I don't care. This album just rocks. Honestly, I think the Nickelback hate is overblown. Sure, they're not the greatest band in the world, but they're generally good rock song writers, and this one happens to have quite a few of them. Yes, I like "Photograph," but also songs like "Fight for All the Wrong Reasons," "Side of a Bullet," and even the satirical "Rockstar." I like my post-grunge crunchy and catchy, and this is one of the best albums with that kind of style.
You probably expected this one to be higher, didn't you? To be clear, this is definitely the album where their really nailed their sound and got a ton of attention (partially thanks to Guitar Hero III), but it still holds up pretty well over all. "Through the Fire and the Flames" is practically a power metal classic, now, but I also like "Body Breakdown" and "Cry for Eternity" as well. Admittedly, I haven't kept up with the band, as they have been riding the same sound since this album, but I do think this remains a pivotal point in the genre's history.
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A bit of a black sheep in their catalog, this album comes from a pretty troubled time in the band's history, and the stripped down style certainly reflects that. While there may not be as many lush synths or neo-classical noodlings, I still like a lot of the songs on this album, mostly the first three of "Maniac Dance," "Fight!!!", and "Just Carry On." The album does lose some steam towards the end, but it remains a personal favorite, even if it is the end of an era for the band.
When I did my retrospective on this band, I noted how this album was the one where the band started stream-lining their sound a little more, focusing on mid-tempo anthems. However, it does have some pretty dang good ones. Relisting to this again, I still love "Fury of the Wild" and the rest for their natural epicness and catchy choruses. While it may not be one of their best albums, it still dominates most of the competition for this year.
However, when I started listening to albums for this year's list, I knew this would be my number one. After building a unique blend of power metal, symphonic metal, and prog metal over the last few albums, they really nail it here with a masterpiece. The second half of a pair of concept albums, the story does get pretty melodramatic, but the execution of music and arrangements are incredible, and make for a pretty satisfying ending to the story. Between Roy Khan's beautiful voice and Thomas Youngblood's epic riffing and solos, this album was the best of the year, not just in power metal, but in any genre.
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