Hi guys,

Here's a long short story. I used to be very much into Heavy/Power metal about 10-15 years ago. I used to listen a lot to stuff like Angra, Iron Maiden, Helloween, etc... I then discovered Black and Death metal and that's pretty much the only kind of music that I listened to until about a year or so ago.

Recently I found myself listening to BM/DM less and less and kind of strayed away to Thrash and Speed, and with the help of some friends I discovered some pretty cool bands that I never heard of like Savage Grace, ADX, Grinder, etc.... These past weeks I heard a Symphony X song and it blew me away (Eve of Seduction)! The funny thing is that even in my teen years, I HATED Symphony X and now I already have 5 CDs in my collection and I can't really understand how I could not like them before. Because of that I decided to "push the boundaries" and I gave Royal Hunt a try (they where pretty big in my country back in the day) and wow, I think they are (were) awesome! Crimson Glory? Killer as well. Shadow Gallery? Good stuff!

So, am I enjoying all these "new" bands because I am getting old? I don't know, but I think it feels really good! It's like I'm discovering metal for the first time! In that case, what have I missed in the last decade or so when it comes to Prog/Heavy/Hard Rock/Power, etc...? Feel free to recommend older bands as well.

Key things that will interest me: great vocals and catchy melodies.

Thanks in advance.

Savatage but im sure you've heard them. The later albums would probably interest you since it seems like your more into the progressive power metal stuff.

Try Silent Force "Walk The Earth" featuring former Royal Hunt lead vocalist DC Cooper (bassman, you might be interested in this too). Title track:

Sounds like you should have joined up with the comp swap.

Would you like some mix cds? If so PM me your address.

Check out these bands;

Symphorce
Mystic Prophecy
Firewind
Nightmare

just to name a few

Check the new HELLOWEEN and ACCEPT albums.

Another interesting band is RAVAGE.

Keldian!!!

http://www.myspace.com/keldian

TOP 30 of 2010:
Fantastic year for hard rock and heavy metal. Couldn't even keep up with all he releases this year.

1. Accept - Blood of the Nations
2. Overkill - Ironbound
3. Raven - Walk through Fire
4. Armored Saint - La Raza
5. Jackyl - When Moonshine & Dynamite Collide
6. Molly Hatchet - Justice
7. Forbidden - Omega Wave
8. Dirty Looks - I.C.U.
9. Krokus - Hoodoo
10. High On Fire - Snakes For The Divine
11. Ratt - Infested
12. Fireball Ministry - s/t
13. Scorpions - Sting in the Tail
14. Y&T - Facemelter
15. Disaffection - Begin the Revolution
16. Bonded by Blood - Exiled to Earth
17. Death Angel - Relentless Retribution
18. Flostsam & Jestam - The Cold
19. Halford - Made of Metal
20. Grave Forsaken - Fight to the Death
21. My Silent Wake/The Drowning - Black Lights & Silent Roads
22. Mass - Sea of Black
23. Space Eater - Aftershock
24. Rex Carroll - That Was Then, This Is Now
25. Sevendust - Cold Day Memory
26. Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy
27. The Sword - Warp Riders
28. The Sacrificed - 2012
29. Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier
30. Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition

A few great live albums:
Megadeth - Rust in Peace Live
Heaven & Hell - Neon Nights Live in Europe
Dio - Dio at Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987
(all three of these dominated my CD player for a spell this year)

A few that finally saw the light of day on CD.
The Moshketeers - The Downward Spiral
Vision - Mountain in the Sky
Vision - s/t
Mass - Fighter

Some that might have made my list if I owned them:
Heathen - The Evolution of Chaos
Symphorce - Unrestricted
Grave Digger - The Clans Will Rise Again
Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Relentless
Fueled By Fire - Plunging into Darkness
Motorhead - The World is Yours
Sodom - In War and Pieces
Place of Skulls - As A Dog Returns

TOP 25 of 2009:
1. Ace Frehley - Anomaly
2. Hirax – El Rostro De La Muerte
3. At War – Infidel
4. KISS - Sonic Boom
5. Kreator – Hordes of Chaos
6. Ultimatum - Lex Metalis
7. Voivod - Infini
8. Vektor – Black Future
9. Saxon - Into The Labyrinth
10. Mortification - the evil addiction destroying machine
11. Meliah Rage - Masquerade
12. Believer – Gabriel
13. Grave Digger - Ballad of a Hangman
14. Main Line Riders – Worldshakers
15. Evile – Infected Nations
16. U.D.O. - Dominator
17. Seventh Angel - The Dust of Years
18. Saint – Hell Blade
19. Stryper - Murder by Pride
20. Michael Phillips – Mirrors in Mirrors
21. Vindicator/Metal Witch – Outbreak of Metal Vol. 1
22. Hammerfall – No Sacrifice, No Victory
23. Megadeth - Endgame
24. Ravage - The End of Tomorrow
25. Heaven & Hell - The Devil You Know

TOP 25 of 2008:
1. Ace Frehley - Anomaly
2. Hirax – El Rostro De La Muerte
3. At War – Infidel
4. KISS - Sonic Boom
5. Kreator – Hordes of Chaos
6. Ultimatum - Lex Metalis
7. Voivod - Infini
8. Vektor – Black Future
9. Saxon - Into The Labyrinth
10. Mortification - the evil addiction destroying machine
11. Meliah Rage - Masquerade
12. 3 Inches of Blood – Here Awaits Thy Doom
13. Grave Digger - Ballad of a Hangman
14. Main Line Riders – Worldshakers
15. Evile – Infected Nations
16. U.D.O. - Dominator
17. Seventh Angel - The Dust of Years
18. Saint – Hell Blade
19. Stryper - Murder by Pride
20. Michael Phillips – Mirrors in Mirrors
21. Vindicator/Metal Witch – Outbreak of Metal Vol. 1
22. Hammerfall – No Sacrifice, No Victory
23. Megadeth - Endgame
24. Grave Forsaken - This Day Forth
25. Heaven & Hell - The Devil You Know
26. UFO - The Visitor
27. Believer – Gabriel
28. Scourged Flesh – Welcome to the End of the World
29. Ravage - The End of Tomorrow
30. Suspended – Prelude to Indignance

Top 2009 Re-releases:
Saint – Crime Scene Earth 2.0
Ultimatum – Puppet of Destruction/Fatal Delay
Target – Mission Executed/Master Project Genesis
Thresher – This is It/Totally Possessed
Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry
Guardian – First Watch-25th Anniversary Edition
Ted Nugent – Spirit of the Wild
Boarders – The World Hates Me

Some great live albums this year too:
Ted Nugent – Motor City Mayhem
Thin Lizzy – Still Dangerous
Thin Lizzy – UK Live ‘ 75
AC/DC – Backtracks
Iron Maiden - Flight 666

A few I don't have yet, but probably would have made the list:
W.A.S.P. – Babylon
Whiplash – Unborn Again
Hyades – The Roots of Thrash
Cheap Trick - The Latest

TOP 25 of 2008:
1. Motorhead - Motorizer
2. AC/DC - Black Ice
3. Alice Cooper - Along Came A Spider
4. Testament - The Formation of Damnation
5. My Silent Wake - A Garland of Tears
6. Gama Bomb - Citizen Brain
7. Dirty Looks - California Free Ride
8. Dirty Looks - Superdeluxe
9. Kings X - XV
10. Brainstorm - Downburst
11. Avenger of Blood - Death Brigade
12. Metal Church - This Present Wasteland
13. Sevendust - Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow
14. Once Dead-Visions of Hell
15. Metallica - Death Magnetic
16. Helstar - The King Of Hell
17. Death Angel - Killing Season
18. Whitesnake - Good To Be Bad
19. Main Line Riders - Shot in the Dark
20. Merciless Death - Realm of Terror
21. Iced Earth - The Crucible Of Man
22. Fatality - Metal As Hell!: Chapter I
23. Toxic Holocaust-An Overdose of Death
24. Faith Factor - Against A Darkened Sky
25. Jacobs Dream - Dominion of Darkness


TOP 25 of 2007:
1. 3 INCHES OF BLOOD - Fire Up the Blades
2. ULTIMATUM - Into the Pit
3. U.D.O. - Mastercutor
4. TED NUGENT - Love Grenade
5. OVERKILL - Immortalis
6. MEGADETH - United Abominations
7. GRAVE DIGGER - Liberty or Death
8. LIZZY BORDEN - Appointment with Death
9. COHEED AND CAMBRIA - No World For Tomorrow
10. SAXON - The Inner Sanctum
11. HYADES - Worst Is Yet To Come
12. DIRTY LOOKS -GasolineZ
13. MUNICIPAL WASTE - The Art Of Partying
14. SYMPHONY X - Paradise Lost
15. EVILE - Enter the Grave
16. ANVIL - This Is Thirteen
17. W.A.S.P. - Dominator
18. HIRAX - Assassins of War
19. DELIVERANCE - As Above, So Below
20. BLACK SABBATH - The Dio
21. ROB ROCK - Garden of Chaos
22. TESLA - Reel to Reel
23. TROUBLE - Simple Mind Condition
24. HEAVEN & HELL - Live From City Radio Music Hall
25. ANNIHILATOR - Metal

I've tweaked my list some. I just cannot take 3 Inches of Blood out of the #1 spot. I can't think of any other CD besides my own "Into the Pit" CD that dominated my CD player more.

I discovered Coheed & Cambria this year and was quite surprised at how much I liked "No World Tomorrow". It made my Top 10.

Disappointed that Sevendust, Ozzy, Scorpions, Iced Earth and Exodus didn't make my list. All released new albums this year that just didn't see as much spin time as I would normally give these bands. Not that I don't like them, they just didn't seem to hold my interest as much as past albums. However, I do think the new Annihilator is much better than most people are giving it credit for.

The new Ozzy turned out to be a grower. Didn't like it much on the first listen but it has grown on me. The packaging still ticks me off, as does the packaging of the new Coheed & Cambria. I hate those cheap cardboard sleeves without the booklets.

Also disappointed that the new Annihilator wasn't higher on my list. It's actually better than most reviews state, but it also isn't Waters' best work IMO. I debated including it at the 25 spot or giving that spot to Fueled by Fire.

I included the Black Sabbath - Dio Years compilation for the 3 new songs. It might have been higher on my list if it had been a full length. I don't usually include live albums in my Top list, but the Heaven & Hell album received a lot of spins this year. It was a great tour and I was happy it was released on CD/DVD. I hope the promised new CD in '08 will kick butt.

The new HYADES was a bit surprise for me. Finally secured a copy just last week and it overtook the spot that EVILE was holding.

The new Ted Nugent might not be a surprise being in my Top 10 knowing the Nugent fanatic I am, but I honestly feel that "Love Grenade" is a great release for Uncle Teddy. Even Blabbermouth gave it a good review, even though most of the responses to it from posters were quite negative. However, I think the response was more to do with Ted's political views. I don't think most of the people who gave the album such a low rating probably even heard it.

Hirax would have been higher had they released a full length! They released TWO EPs this year, all recorded at the same time with Glenn Rogers on guitar. Why Katon didn't include the song "Chaos & Brutality" and the re-recorded version of Walk with Death on "Assassins of War" is beyond me.

U.D.O. just keeps releasing solid heavy metal albums. This one easily could have been in my #1 spot.

Honorable mentions to: FUELED BY FIRE - Spreading the Fire, MELTDOWN - Executioner, MERCILESS DEATH - Evil In the Night, MASS EXTINCTION - Creations Undoing, SHADOWS FALL - Threads of Life, MAD MAX - White Sands, MACHINE HEAD - The Blackening, BLOOD TSUNAMI - Thrash Metal.

Also, Avenger of Blood may have made the list but unfortunately I didn't get a copy before the end of '07.


Top CDs of 2006:
1. Sadus - Out For Blood
2. Motörhead - Kiss of Death
3. Veni Domine - 23:59
4. Sodom - s/t
5. Ultimatum - ...til the End!
6. Winters Bane - Redivivus
7. Metal Church - A Light in the Dark
8. Hammerfall - Threshold
9. Voivod - Katorz
10. Seven Witches - Amped
11. Mortification - Erasing the Goblin
12. Eldritch - Neighborhell
13. Narnia - Enter the Gate
14. Place of Skulls - The Black is Never Far
15. David Gilmour - On An Island
16. Pyramaze - Legend of the Bone Carver
17. Starchild - Born Into Eternity
18. House of Lords - World Upside Down
19. Saint - The Mark
20. Beyond Fear - s/t
21. Disturbed - Ten Thousand Fists
22. UFO - The Monkey Puzzle
23. Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death
24. Paul Stanley - Live to Win
25. Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage

Top CDs of 2005:
Metal:
1. OVERKILL - RelixIV
2. BRAINSTORM - Liquid Monster
3. NEVERMORE - The Godless Endeavor
4. KREATOR - Enemy Of God
5. JUDAS PRIEST - Angel of Retribution
6. GRAVE DIGGER - The Last Supper
7. U.D.O. - Mission No. X
8. ANNIHILATOR - Schixo Deluxe
9. ROB ROCK - Holy Hell
10. ARCH ENEMY - Doomsday Machine
11. FIREBALL MINISTRY - Their Rock is Not Our Rock
12. HAMMERFALL - Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken
13. IOMMI - Fused
14. EXODUS - Shovel Headed Kill Machine
15. NUCLEAR ASSAULT - Third World Genocide
16. FLOTSAM & JETSAM - Dreams Of Death
17. TYKKUS - Umlaut
18. KING'S X - Ogre Tones
19. PLACE OF SKULLS - Love Through Blood
20. DECEASED - As the Weird Travel On
21. ALLEN/LANDE - The Battle
22. POWERGOD - Long Live the Loud-That's Metal Lesson II
23. REDEMPTION - The Fullness of Time
24. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - Mafia
25. JACOB'S DREAM - Drama of the Ages

Rock:
1. STRYPER - Reborn
2. ALICE COOPER - Dirty Diamonds
3. MOLLY HATCHET - Warriors of the Rainbow Bridge
4. GLENN HUGHES - Soul Mover
5. SEVENDUST - Next
6. EDDIE OJEDA - Axes 2 Axes
7. DEEP PURPLE - Rapture of the Deep
8. TNT - All the Way to the Sun
9. JOE PERRY - Joe Perry

DVD:
TWISTED SISTER - Live At Waken
ONCE DEAD - Return with a Vengeance
JUDAS PRIEST - Rising in the East


Top CDs of 2004:
GREAT YEAR FOR METAL!!!

Metal:
1. U.D.O.--Thunderball
2. ICED EARTH--The Glorious Burden
3. TNT--My Religion
4. MOTORHEAD--Inferno
5. DEATH ANGEL--Art of Dying
6. SYMPHORCE--Twice Second
7. MEGADETH--The System Has Failed
8. DIO--Master of the Moon
9. EDGUY--Hellfire Club
10. MORTIFICATION--Brain Cleaner
11. W.A.S.P.--The Neon God Pt. I - The Rise/
W.A.S.P.--The Neon God Pt. II - The Demise
12. DREAM EVIL--The Book of Heavy Metal
13. ANNIHILATOR --All For You
14. SAXON--Lionheart
15. /speed\kill/hate\ - Acts of Insanity
16. ANTHRAX--Greater of Two Evils
17. WARRIOR--The Wars of Gods & Men
18. VENI DOMINE--The Album of Labor
19. PRIMAL FEAR--Devil's Ground
20. SAINT--In the Battle
21. SEVEN WITCHES--Year of the Witch
22. NOCTURNAL RITES--New World Messiah
23. METAL CHURCH--The Weight of the World
24. PYRAMAZE--Melancholy Beast CD
25. NASTY SAVAGE--Psycho Psycho

Rock:
1. AEROSMITH--Honkin' on Bobo
2. TESLA--Into the Now
3. MOLLY HATCHET--25th Anniversary
4. VOODOO HILL--Wild Seed from Mother Earth
5. RUSH--Feedback
6. SEVENDUST--Southside Double-Wide: Acoustic Live
7. FATES WARNING--FWX

Honorable mentions:
PROBOT--s/t
HEATHEN--Recovered
ANVIL--Back to Basics
TWISTED SISTER --Still Hungry
SAINT--Warriors of the Son (20th Anniversary Edition)
ANTHRAX--Music of Mass Destruction
STEEL PROPHET--Beware
STRYPER - 7 Weeks: Live in America, 2003
KROKUS - Fire & Gasoline: Live!
KING'S X - Live All Over the Place

Disappointments:
EXODUS--Tempo of the Damned (mostly due to lyrics)
BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION--Here Comes the Bride (not what I expected I guess.)

Better than I expected:
GENE SIMMONS--A**hole (I expected a turd, but it's not as bad as the reviewers said. I actually enjoyed this disc.)

TOP 20 of 2003:
1. OVERKILL--Killbox 13
2. NEVERMORE--Enemies of Reality
3. BRAINSTORM--Soul Temptation
4. GRAVE DIGGER--Rheingold
5. DREAM EVIL--Evilized
6. ANTHRAX--We Have Come For You All
7. EXTOL--Synergy
8. ALICE COOPER--Eyes of Alice Cooper
9. ARCH ENEMY--Anthems of Rebellion
10. ROB ROCK--Eyes of Eternity
11. HARMONY--Dreaming Awake
12. BALANCE OF POWER - Heathen Machine
13. ICED EARTH--The Reckoning EP
14. MOLLY HATCHET--Locked & Loaded
15. NARNIA--The Great Fall
16. AGENT STEEL--Order of the Illuminati
17. SEVENDUST--Seasons
18. JOHN ARCH--A Twist of Fate
19. TOURNIQUET--Where Moth & Rust Destroy
20. VOIVOD-s/t

Should have been on the 2003 list:
FIREBALL MINISTRY - The Second Great Awakening
SEVEN WITCHES - Passage To The Other Side

Theocracy - Mirror Of Souls is an OUTSTANDING power metal album.
Falconer - Grime vs. Grandeur is also recommended.

Hey everyone, thank you very much for the recommendations! I think I'll have my hands full for a while or at least until I can check every single one of the unknown recommendations.

I am kinda busy this week to even check them all out but I will come back here and post my opinion as I do it.

Sinbreed
Saint Deamon
Narnia

Did I mention Ultimatum - Into the Pit?

You can never stop listening to death or black metal!

Try some Communic.

In more of an AOR vain, one of my favorites, Pink Cream 69:

How about a little glam/sleaze: