Zodijackyl

I'll throw in my opinions on this year in metal in 20 words or less!

Agnostic Front - Warriors
Strong and outspoken, it gets a strong point across. Not their best but worth owning.

Anaal Nathrakh - Hell Is Empty and All the Devils Are Here
Good, but not great, they're working with black metal and blending new styles rather than trying to clone other bands.

Angel Corpse - Of Lucifer And Lightning
Awesome comeback, doesn't match up to The Inexorable but it's close. One of the best modern death metal bands.

Behemoth - The Apostasy
Another excellent Behemoth album, they have improved much from the past and are living up to their full potential.

The Berzerker - Animosity
The Berzerker sound like nothing I have heard before, amazing modern grindcore blended with death metal and industrial.

Chimaira - Resurrection
One of the best metalcore bands, they keep improving and put on a flawless live performance and make great music.

Dark Tranquillity - Fiction
Dark Tranquillity continue to evolve and still make all around impressive music, in sound and performance.

Darkest Hour - Deliver Us
Breakthrough album from a talented band, one of the best of their type and a great live show.

Destruction - Thrash Anthems
All the classic Destruction songs rerecorded with great production, a new take on a career compilation. Great album.

Dethklok - Dethalbum
Fucking awesome.

Detonation - Emission Phase
On top of modern melodic death metal, they are simply amazing.

Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
Slightly more radio friendly than most DT albums, not a bad thing, but James LaBrie is terrible. Good musicianship.

Dublin Death Patrol - DDP 4 Life
It isn't Testament or Exodus, but it's good. Some weaker parts, some better parts, I anticipate their second album.

Dying Fetus - War of Attrition
This impressed me, much better than their earlier albums, but still a bit bland.

Exodus - The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A
Absolutely amazing, pure thrash, and it features a banjo rerecording of "Bonded By Blood"!

HammerFall - Steel Meets Steel - Ten Years Of Glory
I love Hammerfall, but they need to try something new. Didn't buy this one.

High on Fire- Death Is This Communion
One of the best newer death metal bands, give them a listen if you like metal.

Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon
Ripper Owns shows his talent with exceptional vocal harmonies, his best performance with the band yet, and his last.
note: Those who wanted Barlow back got him back and I hear them complaining about Owens now, I liked Owens much more.

Immolation - Shadows In The Light
Brutal and melodic, Robert Vigna is a very unique guitarist and Immolation continue to be outstanding.

Job for a Cowboy - Genesis
One of, if not the best, of the "deathcore" bands, they are more of a melodic death metal band now.

King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul...Please
King continues to be himself without being monotonous or disappointing, he's famous for a reason!

Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao
Classic black metal, but the production is terrible and incredibly disappointing. I spent half an hour adjusting my sound.

Megadeth - United Abominations
Megadeth are still going strong, better than a few of their past albums, but can't touch their classics. Inconsistent.

Municipal Waste - The Art of Partying
Good to see someone keeping crossover thrash alive, but the album doesn't excite me. I'd like to see them live.

Nightrage - A New Disease is Born
At least they used to be good.

Nile - Ithyphallic
Living up to their reputation, ass-kicking and innovative. Karl Sanders breaks out an eleven-string fretless guitar.

Novembers Doom - The Novella Reservoir
ND leave doom metal behind and explore new genres fantastically. Paul Kuhr is one of the greatest vocalists ever.

Obituary - Xecutioner's Return
Obituary know when a style becomes stagnant, Santolla revitalizes death metal with his fantastic shredding over sickeningly brutal vocals.

Overkill - Immortalis
They're still thrashing, and they sound great.

Ozzy Osbourne - Black Rain
Ozzy is old, but he can still put out a decent album. Zakk varies his playing, which is nice.

Rotting Christ - Theogonia
Another solid album, but nothing amazing.

Shadows Fall - Threads of Life
Shadows Fall lighten up and move away from metalcore, but their music is still heavy and strong, good rock music.

Sodom - The Final Sign of Evil
Another great thrash album, Sodom reunite their original lineup and kick some ass.

Soilwork - Sworn to a Great Divide
Disappointing, doesn't live up to their previous work.

Sonata Arctica - Unia
Another good Sonata album, their sound is more progressive now, but it adds to the sound.

Sonic Syndicate- Only Inhuman
Very similar in style to newer In Flames, but better vocals. Another good newer band.

Suicide Silence - The Cleansing
Surprisingly good, they have a fresh sound and put on one of the best live shows I've seen.

Symphony X - Paradise Lost
Symphony X at their best, Mike Romeo further proves himself as a composer and an amazing guitarist.

Through the Eyes of the Dead - Malice
Still young and establishing their sound, Erik Rutan's production enhanced the album, but lineup changes and inexperience show.

Vital Remains - Icons of Evil
Dave Suzuki is an amazing musician and Glen Benton's vocals fit the music well. Another great VR album.