Awards 2005

After a slow start to the year with some well known bands letting me down, I thought 2005 was going to be a down year for metal. During the late summer, and continuing through the end of the year, some really impressive releases fell into my lap, making 2005 an impressive year for me. I won't say THE best, but strong nonetheless.

As for the site itself, some very good ideas were presented by reviewers and readers alike to improve the site, and many of those carried out. With the new year, we hope to make some additional improvements as well. Since he stays mainly behind the scenes, you may not realize how much our programmer, Philip plays a part in implementing changes to the site, and even maintaining it. Without him, many of these great ideas would remain just that; ideas. Thanks for all you do, bud!

We've also added a few reviewers during the year, and we hope they are enjoying and continue to enjoy being a part of this site.

Although family, work, and career pursuits have taken Chris and Danny away from reviewing on a regular basis, I want to express my gratitude to both for allowing all of us into your "family" of metalreviews.com.

Finally, another round of "thanks" are in order for all of you who read our reviews each week, and have compelling (and heated at times, lol) discussions about music. I think that's what differentiates this site from others on the net.

Here's to a prosperous and happy 2006! Rock on!

Metal Reviews 2005

Well, another year has come and gone here at Metal Reviews. As far as albums go, 2005 had its fair share of winners and losers. If there is one word I can use that best describes the year in review, it would be "reunion". I don't remember a year that has had as many releases by bands which reformed recently after being out of the limelight for sometime; bands like Candlemass, Judas Priest, Obituary, Stryper, Stratovarius, etc. I tried to listen to as many albums as I could, probably no where near as much this year when compared to 2004. I actually started this at the beginning of the year and as it went on, I added those releases which I thought would fit somewhere on it. What you see above is the end result:

Sentenced - The Funeral Album... Another great album and a fitting end to the band's career.
Vision Divine - The Perfect Machine....I loved their last album and only just got this one recently.
Candlemass - Candlemass...I just started listening to this one about a week ago...easliy one of the band's best so far. Stream Of Passion....Arjen Lucassen's latest with more of a gothic female fronted band approach. I like it very much but again, just started listening to it.

I could go on but suffice to say, there was a regular feast for the eyes for pretty much all genre's of metal this year. Once again, I wish to thank the readers and hopefully the new "interactive" approaches that we have taken with MetalReviews.com will make the site even better.
Here's to a great 2006 and all the best to everyone (as I hoist a pint of Boddington's Pub Ale in a toast!!)

Marty.

With this being my first year out of college and with a full time job my Metal listening time was cut in off. I still managed to get in what most would consider important releases of the year but I didn't have the oppurtunity to do as much exploring. Not to mention, hardly any time to write a review, unfortunately, as most of you probably noticed.

Anyway, it was a good year, not really better or worse than the last. In a way it was the year of the come back release, or releases from bands who hadn't done one in a long time. Most of them were successful, some very (Priest and Candlemass) and others not so successful. Where this year was especially good were the concerts. At least in Toronto, we had more Power Metal bands than ever and we even had a huge performance by Priest as well as Gigantour. Gigantour was our first big Metal festival, probably ever. Sure, we have regular festivals with lesser-known local extreme bands, but Gigantour was the closest think we've got to a European open air concert and it was fantastic (even if Life Of Agony blew). Anyway, it's a trend that's continuing with another visit by Sonata Arctica and Gamma Ray in May... not to mention two sold out shows by Bodom and Amon Amarth. Things are looking up in North America and I hope that results in two things: more North American Metal bands (not playing Metalcore or Grind) and more concerts.

2006 should be interesting. I'm really looking forward to a Nils K. Rue fronted Eidolon. I hope that their potential is finally reached now that they have an awesome vocalist. And if Amorphis' return to making quality Metal with Elcipse is any indication of the quality of the releases this year, 2006 should be a winner. Now, where is that new Hollenthon CD...

It's that time again, time for us to start compiling these lists to try and narrow down the best releases to a mere fifteen. This year wasn't as difficult for me as previous years because there just hasn't been too much that has blown my skirt up in 2005. Vanishing Point released a five hundred megaton monster with Embrace the Silence one of the handful of albums that I can truly say "I only played this for five days straight." Redemption shot to slot number two with their sophomore effort which is the single most satisfying Progressive Metal album of the year. What, Bon Jovi is at number three? No your eyes aren't deceiving you Have A Nice Day is just the most fun hard rock album of the year and deserves its spot in the upper echelons of the list. Regarding slots four and under, take them for what they really are, great albums and worthy of your attention if only for a brief listen.

On a personal note, 2005 was a very eventful year for yours truly. My knowledge of the industry has grown even more due to the realization of one of my goals, going out on tour with Lilitu. That experience in itself was the highlight of the year. From meeting James Murphy in Florida and Liz Ciavallera (Metal Maniacs editress) in Chicago and New York, hanging out with Jay at CBGB's, singing Hero with Nightrage, to making friends with the entire travelling crew those five weeks were well spent. I'm also witnessing the growth of Metal Reviews and it looks fine from my perspective, the new additions to this team over the last few months means that the output of reviews and interviews will increase for you our ever faithful readers. Debate the choices by the staff members here and discuss your own picks for 2005, and make 2006 a hell of a year.

This year was a year of maturation; wherein I explored my inner thoughts and desires and found them to be lacking, selfish, foolish. This year was a year of regression in terms of metal, regression into the ass-kicking of the past instead of 90's general lousiness in most genres. This year was a year of growing love of life, love of self, and love of the people around me.

I'd like to thank everyone on the Metalreviews.com team for being insanely cool and compassionate, everyone in the forum for being just plain awesome, and heck, everyone in the world, for supplying carbon dioxide for the plants to breathe.

Here's to an even better 2006!

Cheers,

Aaron.

When you thought there was no possible way to take Metal one step further, Fantômas took it two with Suspended Animation. Fantômas’ already insane approach on Jazz and Metal, combined with Sunday morning cartoon-inspired music and effects resulted in one of the most chaotic and amazing listens of the year. With 30 songs, each clocking around two minutes, Fantômas explore music in a way no one else has, creating an album that manages to be equally interesting, fun and rocking. All hail Patton!

Even tough Ulver haven’t produced a Metal album in ages, it’s a band that will always appeal to a certain Metal fan because of the way they have approached music from the very beginning; and with Blood Inside, Ulver have once again pushed the envelope further. Even if synth, samples, electronic beats and Garm’s voice are their main elements of Ulver nowadays, they still have the same effect as with Bergtatt; to push the listener as farther as they possibly can by challenging him to understand something different and new, and to subsequently embrace the beauty of it.

It’s hard to believe that everything you hear was played and recorded by a single man (Ivo Henzi), but it’s even harder when it’s this amazing. While the album features elements of many different styles of Black Metal, they’re used so well and originally that it is safe to say Henzi has absorbed and morphed them into something of his own. The album features great song structures interesting enough to avoid the clone title, and the riffing is infused with enough epicness and melancholy to keep you hooked for a long time. How Forest of Fog is still unsigned goes beyond me.

Stargazer are here and they’ve come to save Death Metal from faux avant-garde and monotony as well. Stargazer approach Death Metal in a quasi-Jazz way to keep things always interesting but at the same time they know where to draw the line, avoiding pointless wankery and boring musical wandering. And even if the band’s saw isn’t very raw, The Scream that Tore the Sky is still brutal, but smart and classy.

It’s hard to believe that everything you hear was played and recorded by a single man (Ivo Henzi), but it’s even harder when it’s this amazing. While the album features elements of many different styles of Black Metal, they’re used so well and originally that it is safe to say Henzi has absorbed and morphed them into something of his own. The album features great song structures interesting enough to avoid the clone title, and the riffing is infused with enough epicness and melancholy to keep you hooked for a long time. How Forest of Fog is still unsigned goes beyond me.

It’s hard to believe that everything you hear was played and recorded by a single man (Ivo Henzi), but it’s even harder when it’s this amazing. While the album features elements of many different styles of Black Metal, they’re used so well and originally that it is safe to say Henzi has absorbed and morphed them into something of his own. The album features great song structures interesting enough to avoid the clone title, and the riffing is infused with enough epicness and melancholy to keep you hooked for a long time. How Forest of Fog is still unsigned goes beyond me.

Thanks and hails to all the reviewers, the parasites in the forums and everyone who reads my crap. Have a great year.

Daniel.