Fortunately, after the last article, I was able to pull this one together pretty quickly. At this point, this really is just a Top 5 of whatever I've listened to in a given year. Still, this one has some decent variety, this time around. I did want to shout out The Showdown by Allen/Lande and Kamelot's Poetry for the Poisoned as honorable mentions. They aren't the greatest albums, but they were decent, which is kind of a theme for this list. Still, five had to be picked and this is what I came up with.
I remember when metal sites were making a big deal about this band back in the day. Their attempt at recreating the classic NWOBHM sound made them seem novel, and they were pretty good at it. Their debut album features tons of catchy riffs and sing-along choruses, so it's easy to see why they excited metalheads back in the day. Unfortunately, they ran into some serious problems, with lineup changes and getting dropped from their label, but like any classic metal band, they found a way to carry on. In any case, their debut squeaks onto my list for just being a fun throwback to when metal wasn't dominated by breakdowns and harsh vocals.
When I listened to this again, I had a sneaking suspicion this might find itself here, but I wasn't immediately sure. Despite its peculiar production, the atmosphere they create on this album is incredible, matching the ponderous style of doom metal with ancient myths and folklore. Like White Wizzard, this is a band that I should have stuck with, and I will likely be following up on their next albums in the next few years.
I warned you this was gonna happen! Drenched in 80s cheese and thick with synthesizers, this album is some very nostalgic, sentimental AOR, and that's why I love it. While they're more recent albums see them mixing up their formula a little, they definitely started on the right foot with this one. Full of catchy anthems and warm layers, Vega was on the right track from the beginning.
While this probably isn't their best album, it's certainly a decent one. "Screaming Eagles" is clearly the highlight, but the title track and "White Death" are no slouches either. I can see some folks arguing that Sabaton's albums feel a little interchangeable, but I simply see a lot of consistency. I don't know if they have a great album in their catalog, but they certainly have some good ones, and this one is solid enough to find itself at #2.
However, once I started putting this list together, the #1 choice was obvious. Back when I reviewed it five years ago, I was blown away by the rich production, tight riffing, and straight-ahead, no-nonsense approach to songwriting. While that has always been Accept's main focus, this comeback album came at the right time, punching everyone in the face with excellent traditional metal tracks. In fact, this might be my favorite Accept album of all time!
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