Top 5 of 2024!!

This year as a tough one, as there were a lot of solid albums.  The top three were figured out fairly early on in the past month, but after that, it took some serious consideration to round out the rest.  Judas Priest's Invincible Shield had a decent shot of making it, as well as Nightbound by Find Me, which started to grow on me, despite the production.  I also really enjoyed Lovebites's EP II, but decided that I shouldn't really compare it to a full album.  In the end, I was able to whittle it down to these five albums of 2024 that stood out from the rest!

5. Paragon - Metalation

This was definitely the toughest spot to fill.  As I relistened to this year's albums, I started to wonder if I could pick one from the list at all.  However, I found Paragon's new slab of chunky riffs to be what helped it squeeze in.  It's not as good as Controlled Demolition was, as these songs are a little sillier, but it's a pretty consistent album across the board, and that counts for a lot.

4. Firewind - Stand United

I know there were some power metal albums I never got around to this past year, so it might be a bit cheeky to say Firewind's latest is the best one of 2024, especially as I wasn't expecting too much after their self-titled album from a few years ago.  However, once I recognized that they had slipped into more of a heavy/power blend, I found Stand United to be a solid album, and Herbie Langhans's vocals have really settled in well for the band.

3. Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks - True

It took more than a few listens, but I was finally able to really assess this album on its own.  While it's certainly aping the classic sound of my favorite band, and I do think the songs in the middle drag it down, it can't be denied that Jon has found something pretty magical with these Geeks.  "Once Upon a Dream" alone put this album in the Top Five!

2. DGM - Endless

This year's surprise!  When their last album felt lukewarm, a let down from my winner of 2020, I wasn't sure what to make of this band.  So when I was treated to a pleasant kick-in-the-head in the form of some very 70s prog that was played with energy, I knew this was going to be a contender for the Top 5 list.  "From Ashes" still puts a smile on my face!

1. Monkey3 - Welcome to the Machine

DGM might have taken the year if it weren't for this one.  While I do think that Sphere was a better album, I can't deny this groups infectious tone and energy.  Giving their psychedelic rock a slight mechanical feel helped to shake things up, but otherwise, it was business as usual, as this band continues to impress with their dynamic song-writing and dense atmosphere.  

Top 5 of 2021!!

After listening to so many albums last year, coming up with a Top 5 was pretty difficult.  I got to listen to a lot of really great stuff, and it's been very difficult to determine what really was the best from this year.  I had to cut some solid albums just to get this down to five.

I do want to give a few honorable mentions, namely Eternal Flame by NorthTale and Mojo Skyline by The Dust Coda.  Both had a lot of great material, but didn't quite have the same level of quality that the following five did.  However, it was certainly close, and I had to find some pretty small reasons to justify why the following albums were better.  It just goes to show how good this past year was for rock and metal music!

Anyway, here's my Top 5 for 2021!

5. Brainstorm - Wall of Skulls

This almost didn't make the list, but I decided that it edged out the other albums out of sheer consistency.  While other bands may have had better individual songs, Brainstorm provided a crunchy power metal album that rocks from start to finish.

4. W.E.T. - Retransmission

It was tough deciding where this one should go, and how it measured up to the competition, not only from classic artists like Robin McAuley, but also from this band's guitarist Magnus Henriksson's main project Eclipse.  Once again, I think it came down to simply having the complete package; an album of songs that really nailed that classic 80s sound while still feeling fresh and powerful.

3. Hammer King - Hammer King

The moment I heard their lead single "Hammerschlag," I know I was in for something special.  Even if they wear their influences on their sleeve, this band evoked my love for classic HammerFall like nothing had before, and I loved every minute it.  It's always a good sign if an album makes you smile the whole time you're listening to it.

2. Helloween - Helloween

I don't suppose you could really call this a comeback, as the band had been pretty busy in the last six years, but it's hard to not to feel like this album isn't a culmination of everything the band has been across its entire history.  Between the classic sounding tracks and the great vocal harmonies between Deris, Kiske, and Hansen, this was a power metal fan's dream.  

1. Antti Martikainen - Carmina Gloria

As the year went on, I had a sneaking suspicion that this might end up as my #1.  It may be a bit of sacrilege to put this over Helloween, but I can't deny that what Antti has done is create an incredibly solid and consistent album of symphonic metal.  For all of its bombast and epicness, it doesn't wear out its welcome, containing clever shifts and changes within the songs, as if representing the ebb and flow of massive battles.  After enjoying Northern Steel for the past four years, I'm glad I was able to catch this one as well.  Who knew a Finnish epic trailer music composer could provide such incredible metal?!

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I've got one more videos article I'm putting together to wrap up 2021, so keep an eye out for that, as it should be out pretty soon. 

Once that's finally finished, I can look ahead to 2022.  Already, some interesting things are lining up.  Not only do we get new HammerFall and Sabaton albums here pretty soon, but down the road, there's Megadeth, Alter Bridge, and maybe even a new Metallica.  And who knows what new bands I'll discover in the upcoming year as well.  Even if it's not the most popular music anymore, there doesn't seem to be a shortage of melodic rock and metal bands out there making great music!

Until then, let's get into 2022 and rock on!