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What albums have really blown you away so far this year? I've been finding many wonderful albums are being released this more with a few more on the way (Rhapsody and hopefully Sonata Arctica) ... I already know Rhapsody will be my favorite once it's out (they're my favorite band and The Dark Secret is incredible) but I do feel there have been some incredible relases so far this year! Here is my list so far.

01. Nightwish - Once
02. Ayreon - The Human Equation
03. Dargaard - Rise And Fall
04. Elvenking - Wyrd

Please keep in mind I did not include Rhapsody's The Dark Secret because it is only an EP and I only consider full-length albums when I do these sort of things.

Edguy-Hellfire Club and Elvenkings-Wyrd
i´m really looking forward to Rhapsodys Soel2

Nightwish ~ Once is amazing.
And i'm waiting for Sonata Arctica's new album Reckoning Night too.
Yes, and Twilightning's new album could be cool too.

Orphaned Land - Mabool, it's an album of the year for me, nothing can top it.
Ministry - Houses Of The Mole, now that's what I call "back to roots". Fast and heavy industrial metal, reminds of great days of "Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" and "Psalm 69".
Skyclad - A Semblance Of Normality, new album, first one with original songs without Martin Walkyier, Skyclad are back and they are fresh as ever.

In no particular order:
Evergrey - The Inner Circle
Pain of Salvation - 12:5
Threshold - Subsurface
Nightwish - Once
Jorn - Out to Every Nation

Quite early perhaps?

My favs so far:

Therion - Sirius B/Lemuria
Iced Earth - The glorious Burden
Ensiferum - Iron

and surely:
Amon Amarth - Fate Of The Norns!

Twilightsymphony wrote:Quite early perhaps?

Yes, well, that is why I put the "Thus Far" in the title since it's based around discussing the album thus far in the year

Kotipelto - Coldness
Bad Religion - The Empire Strikes First
Fear Factory - Archetype

EDGUY : Hellfire Club
MANIGANCE : D'un Autre Sang
BLAZE : Blood And Belief
HEAVENLY : Dust To Dust
KOTIPELTO : Coldness

and probably the worst in my opinion :
NIGHTWISH : Once

Well because i'm so broke at the moment I've only bought one album so far this year. And that was Blood and Belief by BLAZE. One Kickass album! I heard once by Nightwish in a mates car and apart from nemo and a couple of other tracks it couldnt beat B&B

Nicko wrote:And that was Blood and Belief by BLAZE. One Kickass album! I heard once by Nightwish in a mates car and apart from nemo and a couple of other tracks it couldnt beat B&B

I was listening to it few minutes ago, and I agree with You. Quite depressing album actually, but really great ! I think Blaze released only great albums.
I'm still a huge fan of "Silicon Messiah". "Stare At The Sun" is just a classic !
Of course he isn't the best singer in the world, but he isn't bad as well, and his music is just great enough to delete these little mistakes in his voice.
I really can't wait to see him on tour !

I like the way he is singing on his solo cds, sounds powerful and way more aggressive than with Maiden. Blood and Belief is a good album, true, it has a meaning, strong songs and is definately better than 10th Dimension.

yeah his voice has improved loads, but he's also singing material in his own range, not someone elses.

Oh, I totally forgot Edguy's Hellfire Club.
It's very good album too.
How many else likes it?
Best song is propably The Piper Never Dies.

Good:
Rhapsody - The Dark Secrets EP
Ensiferum - Iron
Therion - Sirius B
Therion - Lemuria
Finntroll - Nattfödd
Insomnium - Since The Day It All Came Down
Cans - Beyond The Gates

Mediocre:
Nightwish - Once
Kotipelto - Coldness
Turisas - Battle Metal
Finntroll - Trollhammaren EP

Bad:
-

i guess i haven´t bought a single cd released in this year!

but appart of that, i´ve heard BR´s and Blaze´s enough to say they´re sure nice ones...

Norther - Death unlimited. Or was it out last year allready? Fucking great album anyway.

Norther -Death unlimited is good
Therion-Lemuria/Siriusb rocks
Nightwish-Once is ok

Waiting:
Twilightnings new,Children of bodoms ep (dvd version) ,Sonata-Arcticas Rekckoning night,Therions third record to this year (have hearded some rumours,dont know surely if its coming) and some else which I cánt remember right now.

1. Kotipelto - Coldness
2. Nightwish - Once
3. Therion - Lemuria & Sirius B
4. Edguy - Hellfire Club

1. Kotipelto - Coldness
2. Nightwish - Once
3. Therion - Lemuria & Sirius B
4. Edguy - Hellfire Club

Evergrey - The Inner Circle
Nightwish - Once
Ayreon - The Human Equation

cliff wrote: Of course he isn't the best singer in the world

Hell no!!!!

Sir. Decadence wrote:Oh, I totally forgot Edguy's Hellfire Club…
…Best song is propably The Piper Never Dies.

My opinion is: The Piper Never Dies - the worst song

1. Nightwish "Once"
2. Edguy - "Hellfire Club"
3. Motorhead - "Inferno"
4. Therion - Sirius B / Lemuria
5. Crematory - "Revolution"

I wait for the next 2004 releases and hope they won't be awful:
- Megadeth
- Rhapsody
- Judas Priest
- Uriah Heep

Edguy - Hellfire Club
Kotipelto - Coldness
Thunderstone - The Burning
Lordi - The Monsterican Dream

I'm really waiting for the new Within Temptation album. All the new songs I have heard have been just wonderful so I'm pretty sure the whole album is going to be very great.

And I have to agree with Cliff; NW's Once is probably the worst.

Mare wrote:Thunderstone - The Burning
Lordi - The Monsterican Dream

I think "The Burning" is a good album, but perhaps nothing extraordinary comparing to their first album.
I think you should get an ear on MANIGANCE, HEAVENLY and BLAZE albums. They must be somewhere in your harddisk.

And I have to agree with Cliff; NW's Once is probably the worst.

I simply love you !
No seriousl, I had tried to listen to this album few minutes ago. What is it so special with it ? Most part of the songs are just one or two boring themes in loop during 6 or 7 minutes, helped with some animal noises, lot of strings and so on. I'm sorry, but except 'Wish I had An Angel" and maybe a little of "Dark Chest Of Wonder", I don't see anything extraordinary in that album. Come on, this is Nightwish, the same band who composed the wonderful "Oceanborn" few years ago. They did a thousand times better with "Oceanborn" without lot of money, without a huge orchestra and so on... I really don't understand why people love that album so much...

Mare wrote: And I have to agree with Cliff; NW's Once is probably the worst.

Count me in.

cliff wrote: Come on, this is Nightwish, the same band who composed the wonderful "Oceanborn" few years ago. They did a thousand times better with "Oceanborn" without lot of money, without a huge orchestra and so on... I really don't understand why people love that album so much...

It's not that hard to understand, bro. It's just a matter of taste, and thanks God persons have different tastes. To me, Oceanborn and Wishmaster was true masterpieces, but Century Child was boring as hell, and now Once gives a breath of life to the band. Surely not the best album, but actually very interesting, imo.

My best of the year so far:

Exodus - Tempo of the Damned, and I think I don't need to justify my vote! :headbang:

StratoHeart wrote: thanks God persons have different tastes.

Yep this is true. Life would be so boring if we all had exactly the same taste !

To me, Oceanborn and Wishmaster was true masterpieces, but Century Child was boring as hell

Same opinion here

Once gives a breath of life to the band. Surely not the best album, but actually very interesting, imo.

I think Once is interesting as a soundtrack, but definitely not as a metal album.
A matter of taste...

Exodus - Tempo of the Damned

I heard only good comments about that album. Perhaps i should try to get it

Veripalttu wrote:

Mare wrote: And I have to agree with Cliff; NW's Once is probably the worst.

Count me in.

And me. Dark Chest Of Wonders and Ghost Love Score are good, but all the others are soooo boring.

what I heard from once loved it... Ghost love score, nemo, the siren... are nice songs