2007 HEAVY METAL AND HARD ROCK AWARDS

Well, another year has passed. We heard both good albums and bad albums in the heavy metal community in 2007. It's rather difficult to create a top 8 list when I have yet to hear so many good albums that may have gotten on this list if I had more time. Albums such as Dew-scented, Epica, Detonation, Year of Desolation, Mystic Prophecy and Amoral are awaiting my listening pleasure in the near future.
As 2007 neared, I foreshadowed a years end list that would include Soilwork, Exodus, Nightwish, As I Lay Dying and Nightrage. Though none made the top 8, they were all on the cusp. Exodus was clearly the thrash album of the year despite the fact the previous two albums smoked it. Mors Principium Est was the melodeath album of the year too. Though not their best album, the lack of releases in the that genre in 2007 evidently aided it. Next year Children of Bodom, Norther and Kalmah will hopefully push MPE to the limit.

In 2006 my top 8 list included great albums from Disarmonia Mundi, In Flames, Purified in Blood, Dragonforce, Unearth, Into Eternity, Norther and Scar Symmetry. Scar Symmetry won my album of the year in 2006. 2006 also saw disapointing releases from: Dry Kill Logic, Strapping Young Lad, Sworn Enemy, and Battered, just to name a few.
Before we discuss the albums of the year for 2007 I want to objectively point out the disappointments. Here are just a couple: Nocturnal Rites, Omnium Gatherum, The Agonist, Himsa, Still Remains and Sirenia. I think I expected too much from all of them. NR simply lost the magic here. Way too soft. The Agonist is just one of a few bands releasing horrific debuts in 2007.
Now to the good.

2007 TOP 8 ALBUMS

8. Darkest Hour/Deliver Us-I could've placed Exodus or Obituary in place of this quintet from Washington D.C. but the album was one of the most requested on "the drive". At first listen I was honestly disappointed. I clearly expected way too much. But after a few spins it caught fire, much like The Black Dahlia Murder's 2007 release did. It's fast, aggressive and mean. I may be bias because I love thrashy melodic death metal because it implies the music is fast yet melodic with plenty of stellar guitar work included. Having the production done by Devin Townsend doesn't hurt either. Another amazing fact is the melodic keyboard melodies are, in fact, just the breathtaking guitar work. Awesome art work too. Great stuff all-around.

7. Deadlock/Wolves- Of all the German metalcore releases of 2007, I was almost certain this band would not inevitably make a year-ends list. But the amazing guitar work featuring tight riffs and melodic leads was brilliant, especially compared to the all the other straight-edge, vegan blah blah blah metal bands from Germany. Adding female vocalist Sabine was a huge plus as she and Johannes team up for a perfect combination that stands out throughout the album. Tracks such as We Shall All Bleed and album closer Bloodpact are all the evidence one needs to add this to a year end list. Melodically infectious and groovy piece of art here.

6. Mendeed/The Dead Live By Love- I was hooked after their debut in the fall of 2006. Though clearly not the most talented band, this Scottish quintet play a brand of melodic thrashy metalcore. The melodies are the hooks here and the choruses are brilliant. They show their versatility when the alternate between thrash, death, black and even my favorite melodeath. The riffs are abound and the solos work well. Tracks such as The Fight and the title track leave the listener in awe. It's a shame they broke up because they're young and have many good years ahead of them.

5. The Absence/Riders of the Plague- After a brilliant debut in 2005, the band picked up where they left off with their sophomore release. They stole the summer when they released this vicious record. This is Florida death metal at it's finest. It's not just death metal though, because the melody found here is unforgettable. Frankly, the all-around guitar work in this album is so breathtaking I'm wondering why Arch Enemy isn't wearing The Absence t-shirts instead of the other way around. This thing slays. Check it out.

4. Echoes of Eternity/The Forgotten Goddess-The signed poster that came with this $10 pre-order was worth the price alone. The artwork is awesome too as it perfectly fits the style of music they display on this terrific debut. Yeah, the lead singer is that hot man. And she has an amazing voice that virtually carries this debut album from LA progressive metal band EOE. The gothic sounding prog metal is a breathe of fresh air for listeners. The rhythm section is good and the riffs are perfect. The solos are short but pack a punch. Real melodic in a dark type of way. Francine's echo sounding melodic lead vocals stand tall amongst the tempo shifts and often technical riffing. Of all the female fronted hard rock/metal albums of the year, this one surprisingly takes the cake. A beautiful cake it is.

3. Fear My Thoughts/Vulcanus- What's special about this album from German metallers FMT is all 12 cuts on this release are keepers. No throwaways here man. The heavy reliance on synths actually enhance the album as a whole. The tight production and riffs work perfectly with the deep growling vocals. Though tons of good moments exist in the first half of the album, surprisingly it's the albums second half that sticks out to the listener. The songs use keyboards here to gain an atmospheric edge. Gates to Nowhere shows the bands versatility by wavering from the thrash and displaying a clean vocal melodic masterpiece track. Don't sleep on this one.

2. Machine Head/The Blackening- No surprise here. This is likely on just about every one's top playlists for the year 2007. And why not. It's way above 2004's lukewarm Through the Ashes of Empires. Flynn and Demmel show why their now one of the best 1-2 combo's in the business. The leads are found everywhere and are done to perfection. They're long and yet the listener clearly embraces this. The epic songs are so good and I really wonder if this is now their best cd to date. Not much to really add here. Halo shows that it's not just Flynn's heavier vocals that are his limits. If you like the strong riffs, brilliant leads and vocals of Flynn you'll be in heaven. Much like Dimebag Darrell.(Today is the 3 year anniversary of his death) A song on this album goes after a journalist ripped him and fans alike. Great album man.

1. Anterior/This Age of Silence- What! Who? What a debut here. While fellow UK metalcore titans BFMV and FFAF seem to be on the decline already, Anterior saves the day. They're faster, meaner and simply better. While the other two are writing softer radio-friendly songs, this quartet deliver 9 blistering cuts that mirror Mendeed. The talent is evident. the guitar work is simply put- great. Okay, so the vocals aren't great. But they work well with the grooviness gained via the pummeling riffs and superb solos. And occasionally clean vocals are added in and work well. It's sort of hard to describe. The disc is great in so many ways. Fans of early Trivium will eat this one up. The solos are what stands out the most here. They're deliciously good as they hook the listener in with there infectious melodies. Congrats.