Somehow I got my hands on quite a few releases this year, so to make things a bit manageable I have made a Top 20 list with the best stuff that crossed my path and added an alphabetical list below containing other positive encounters. I treated each album with a considerable amount of listening time and afterwards added a short accumulate description to each album.
The Top 20 list has caused me a lot of thought and agony, anyway it should give a rather accurate view of what I thought was the best of the best in 2004.
In addition to the albums, a short list concerning live experiences has been added.
These lists refers to the styles of music and bands that I personally like but there is still a lot of stuff I never got a hold off, so I'm of course interested in hearing your opinions.


Top 20 Albums


1. Platitude. Nine. Read review
A beautiful, refreshing and immensely melodic album of the year. Musically and lyrically this one got under my skin from the very beginning and it kept on growing.

2. Abydos. The Little Boy's Heavy Mental Shadow Opera About The Inhabitants Of His Diary. Read review
Vanden Plas singer Andy Küntz and his companions impresses with an ingenious and touching musical direction, setting new standards for progressive music. I have more than once listened to Far Away From Heaven in my car stereo at volume 60, a goose bumps experience.

3. Wuthering Heights. Far From The Madding Crowd
Progressive Power Metal mixed with lots of folk inspirations and instruments, bombast is a key word. This music sends you straight out into the windy highlands, the album contains some of the coolest guitar licks ever.

4. Angra. Temple Of Shadows. Read review by Matthew
A fantastic, inspiring and intelligent concept album, this is melodic Power Metal (Spread Your Fire, The Temple Of Hate) of the most melodic and profound kind. The progressive influences (The Shadow Hunter, Morning Star) and film score scenarios (Gate XIII) only enhance the durability and overall positive impression.

5. DGM. Misplaced. Read review
Powerful, smart and very technical, complex and accessible at the same time, I'm truly impressed.

6. Iced Earth. The Glorious Burden. Read review
Another great album from an old time favourite band, many cool traditional Metal creations and of course the spellbinding hymn Gettysburg (1863), the real orchestra lifts this one to an incredible level.

7. Pain Of Salvation. BE. Read review
Another breathtaking, intelligent and highly ambitious project, the moods are exceptional compelling.

8. Threshold. Subsurface. Read review by Steen
Tight, balanced and controlled Progressive Metal filled with their unique harmonious refrains and melodies.

9. Orphaned Land. Mabool - The Story Of The Three Sons Of Seven. Read review by Steen
Never heard anything like it, eastern sounding Prog with beautiful atmospheres and clever composition skills.

10. Nightwish. Once. Read review by Matthew
Dark Chest Of Wonders, Nemo, Creek Mary's Blood and Ghost Love Score ranks among their best songs ever. I have been enjoying this one a lot since its release, the real orchestra makes their epic songs even more breathtaking.

11. Edguy. Hellfire Club. Read review
A lovely well executed and produced Power Metal album with some fantastic uplifting creations, a catchy and diverse release.

12. Green Day. American Idiot. Read review
I still have many of these melodies stuck in my head, when I'm feeling a bit down Green Day is still a guaranteed drug towards feeling better. This is an intelligent album pushing the smart innovations further.

13. Frameshift. Unweaving The Rainbow. Read review
A very challenging and ingenious piece of progressive music, be ready to take in a lot of impressions. James LaBrie's graceful vocals are some of the best I have ever heard from him.

14. Cans. Beyond The Gates. Read review by Steen
When I first got this one I played it for months and months and I still find it fresh, vigorous and with several killer songs.

15. Evergrey. The Inner Circle. Read review by Steen
They also did it the fifth time around, created a profound and melancholic album with lots of anguish and intelligent lyrics; a minor critical remark is concerned with the second half of the album or so where it begins to loose a bit of the tight structure. Anyway the production is astounding and the compositions effectual.

16. Pyramaze. Melancholy Beast. Read review by Steen
Amazing debut, Lance King screams his guts out in this one. The mix of Power and Progressive Metal is of a unique and thrilling kind.

17. Ayreon. The Human Equation. Read review by Steen
Arjen keeps on pushing himself into different waters making sure that the fans will receive something fresh and clever, this is yet another great and extremely ambitious Ayreon album. Somehow I'm not fully captured by all songs, missing more melodic stuff, but the atmospheres are brilliant.

18. Dionysus. Anima Mundi
Divine is one of my favourite songs from 2004, I simply can't get enough of this illuminating stroke of pure genius. A very good and ultra melodic Power Metal release.

19. Persuader. Evolution Purgatory. Read review by Nina
Extremely intense and aggressive, and yet also full of memorable passages, you get kind of sucked into this album.

20. Saxon. Lionheart. Read review
A forceful direction from the veterans, classic Metal like this will never go out of style.


Other Albums Worth Mentioning (Alphabetical Order)


Aina. Days Of Rising Doom - The Metal Opera. Read review by Steen
A far-reaching and symphonic fantasy concept, not every song is just as exciting but overall a very good and elaborate piece of work.

Annihilator. All For You
Not all decisions are equally enhancing but this album has some great intense elements and a couple of fine soft spots, it also has some quite amusing passages like we've got to run like heeelll.

After Forever. The Invisible Circle
Sombre, technical and aggressive. The spoken parts are horrible and not all vocals fit in, but I quite like this symphonic piece.

Axel Rudi Pell. Kings And Queens. Read review
A continuation of the successful formula, melodic Heavy and Rock music spiced with world-class vocals and interesting guitar work.

Blaze. Blood And Belief. Read review
Hard hitting, honest and heavy, a solid Heavy Metal album.

Chris Caffery. Faces. Read review by Steen
Super guitarist with his first solo album containing a wide collection of varied and high quality material.

Dead Soul Tribe. January Tree
A very special and compelling album, dreaming and relaxed in style. I like many of the cool atmospheres but also think that some songs lack more melody and a better binding structure, there is still something mystic about it that keeps me coming back.

Dio. Master Of The Moon. Read review
Slow? Yes. Groovy? Yes. Heavy as hell? Yes.
I admit that a few extra catchy rockers would have helped but that rhythm section is as solid as anything.

Domine. Emperor Of The Black Runes
Not their best album but it gains with repeated listening, intelligent dragon Metal.

Dragonforce. Sonic Firestorm. Read review by Nina
Once again very melodic and powerful, lacking a bit of variation from to time to time but its bound to knock you off your feet.

Dragonland. Starfall. Read review by Jonah
A diverse and very bright album, not really any killers but credit to the grand key arrangements.

Dream Evil. The Book Of Heavy Metal. Read review by Nina
It is somewhat cliché and a bit too simple here and there, I nevertheless like many of the easy going and catchy melodies, some cool slow songs are to be found as well.

Dreamscape. End Of Silence
A well executed Progressive Metal album with huge atmospheres and technical structures, lacking that extra inch of chattiness for it to become really successful.

Dyecrest. The Way Of Pain. Read review by Steen
The debut from a refreshing young Finnish band, even though they play traditional Heavy Metal they succeed in sounding original and interesting.

Edenbridge. Shine. Read review by Alanna
A minor let down. It suddenly stopped growing and settled at around fair. It has many cool moods but also few great ideas or tunes that stands out, it somehow becomes too unrecognisable.

Eldritch. Portrait Of The Abyss Within
A very interesting encounter from Italy playing a cool kind of Progressive Power Metal. I think they could have pushed some songs a bit further though, anyway the guitar work is excellent and it contains some great tight songs.

Empty Tremor. The Alien Inside. Read review by Steen
This is really quality Progressive Metal with fantastic vocals and lush atmospheres. In need of some binding melodies in some occasions but a very technical musical performance add that something extra.

Enuff Z'nuff. ?
A few standard ideas (Who's Joni Woni?) but also some wonderful catchy tunes, a good varied Hard Rock album.

Fates Warning. FWX
It somehow manages to be heavy, sedative, modern and very progressive at the same time. Not every song is just as thrilling but the ending cut Wish is just impressively hypnotic.

Force Of Evil. Force Of Evil
Traditional Heavy Metal delivered with a certain hard-hitting edge, nothing fantastic or overly exciting but solid enough.

Genuis. Episode 2: In Search Of The Little Prince. Read review
It has some great elements and a few pitfalls. The guest singers add lots of great moments and I must give credit to a challenging piece of art.

Heavenly. Dust To Dust. Read review by Steen
Symphonic Power Metal with a finely weighed balance between dark/bright and powerful/melodic. Not breaking any new grounds but a very good album.

Iron Savior. Battering Ram. Read review by Matthew
Since Unification it has become a habit to release quite good albums that never really impresses, it simply gets a bit too ordinary and repetitive here and there. This is still rock solid Power Metal packed with forceful arrangements, it's just a bit too much the same story.

Jag Panzer. Casting The Stones. Read review
Their most progressive sounding release and a really strong album that takes some time to grow. It misses some more dynamic refrains but overall they succeed.

Jon Oliva's Pain. ´Tage Mahal. Read review by Steen
The Mountain King's first solo effort is diverse, expressive and has lots of good songs but only a few fantastic ones.

Kotipelto. Coldness. Read review
Not quite as comprehensive and fantastic as the debut, but a nice round of quality Metal with some awesome musicians. Journey Back is one of my top songs this year.

Lake Of Tears. Black Brick Road. Read review by Alanna
Gloomy, compelling and awkward in a very cool way.

Magnitude 9. Decoding The Soul
A collection of some compact Progressive Metal songs, some cool melodies pops up from time to time but I could have used more of them. I also miss more ambitious structures but there is no doubt about the bands ability to perform on a high level and deliver a firm rhythm section.

Manticora. 8 Deadly Sins
An interesting album mixing many styles. Some songs seem to have a bit too loose of a structure but there is a lot of powerful and expressive music to enjoy in an overall good album.

Megadeth. The System Has Failed
I had my hopes set too high, too many medium songs with monotone elements and a few very good ones; the term "overall good" is not exactly much when the artists name is Megadeth.

Metal Church. The Weight Of The World. Read review by Hashman
My first encounter with this band and a positive one too. Good old classic Heavy Metal with excellent guitar work, it has some monotone passages but overall this is a solid release.

Metalium. As One - Chapter Four. Read review by Hashman
Vigorous and solid Power Metal, not quite as good or entertaining as last time but certainly a strong release.

Mob Rules. Among The Gods. Read review by Hashman
Illuminating and great melodic Power Metal, Black Rain is a stunning catchy diamond.

Moonlight Agony. Echoes Of A Nightmare. Read review by Jonah
Dark edged Power Metal with many interesting ideas, top-notch musicianship and lots of hard-hitting elements. This is a great album filled with thrilling and innovative passages, I'm looking forward for this band to develop further.

Morifade. Domi<>Nation
Classic Power Metal with some good symphonic elements, on the other hand this never really developed much thanks to few memorable melodies, all in all a decent output.

Neal Morse. One
Former Spock's Beard singer returns with a grand and epic Progressive Rock opus. There is tons of beautiful music to enjoy even though not all ideas works equally well in the big picture. Cradle To The Grave is one of the best ballads of 2004, very moving.

Nocturnal Rites. New World Messiah. Read review
A very good album having some fantastic songs, they have created their own niche in the Power Metal world with great success.

Orion Riders. A New Dawn. Read review
A refreshing encounter indeed. A cool mix of Progressive and Power Metal with many ingenious key arrangements.

Pink Cream 69. Thunderdome. Read review by Hashman
Straightforward, harmonious and with lots of nerve, a great Heavy Rock album.

Primal Fear. Devil's Ground. Read review by Hashman
I guess they are running a bit low on great ideas and spectacular choruses, fact is that I find this their least exciting album even though I must admit its still a good and heavy one with no shortage of energy and passion.

Rhapsody. Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret. Read review by Steen
The use of a full blown orchestra gives it a fantastic bombastic atmosphere, unfortunately the songs themselves in some instances lack some memorable moments, still a good album.

Ring Of Fire. Lapse Of Reality
I found Dreamtower better and more dynamic but this is also a fine output. A special blend of Progressive, Heavy and Rock music with strong vocals.

Seven Witches. Year Of The Witch. Read review
Stripped down classic Metal with a very strong rhythm base, not overly inspiring but it surely kicks ass.

Silent Force. Worlds Apart. Read review
Is this a good and tight album? Yes. Is it especially exciting and filled with huge melodies? No.

Sonata Arctica. Reckoning Night
Not at all living up to the hopes I have for this band, crying out for some real "hits" and some tight binding elements with more nerve. Some clever passages and playing abilities saves it from mediocrity.

Steel Attack. Enslaved. Read review by Nina
A very powerful drive and great catchy elements are key words concerning this quite refreshing Power Metal output, not over the top exciting but solid as steel.

Symphorce. Twice Second. Read review by Hashman
It's very original and partly successful. The heavy structures are solid but I lack catchy elements from time to time.

Ten. Return To Evermore. Read review by Alanna
A great melodic album with many atmospheric passages and excellent ballads.

Thunderstone. The Burning
The recipe is traditional Power Metal with dynamic keys and cool melodies, many good but not any fantastic cuts make up a decent album that could have used a bit more innovation.

Tim Donahue. Madmen And Sinners. Read review by Hashman
Another good album featuring James LaBrie on the mike, very guitar focusing and very interesting too.

Time Machine. Reviviscence - Liber Secundus
A unique album containing some very dynamic passages. I would have liked more memorable elements and better choruses, but this is very durable and interesting stuff.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The Lost Christmas Eve
Another Christmas theme concept. There are some great songs on this disc but I also get the feeling that this one is turning around in circles once in a while.

U.D.O. Thunderball
You know what you get and that's usually solid, as with Thunderball. Vintage Heavy Metal with an unstoppable drive.

Velvet Revolver. Contraband
Some very cool hard grooving songs and a few spectacular ballads helps this one a lot, some standard material keeps it from scoring higher.

Vision Divine. Stream Of Consciousness. Read review by Alanna
Vision Divine returns with a symphonic Power Metal concept living on the borders of Progressive Metal, featuring a new excellent vocalist. Some songs seem to fall a bit through but overall a strong release.

White Skull. The XIII Skull
Not exactly my favourite disc but I'll mention it anyway. Its very traditional Power Metal following a stationary formula that gets a bit tiresome due to the lack of great melodies or enlightening ideas. A raw and powerful drive is a positive aspect and overall this is just above average.

Within Temptation. The Silent Force. Read review by Steen
She sings wonderfully, the real orchestra creates fantastic atmospheres but unfortunately quite a few songs are too plain and not ambitious enough. I enjoy many moments on this disc but I'm also slightly let down.


Disappointment Of The Year


Steel Prophet. Beware. Read review
I'm still wondering what went wrong, from writing some truly inspiring music to releasing this noisy and dull piece. Some powerful moments but overall way behind past works.


Live Experiences Of The Year (Alphabetical Order)


Dream Theater. Read live review
Without doubt the most fantastic and moving concert I have ever experienced, enough said.

Evergrey. Read live review
Quite solid but clearly lacking a genuine spark.

Metallica. Read live review
Their huge energy was very infectious and they fulfilled my high expectations.

Pyramaze. Read live review
A pleasant release party with a very professional and powerful show.

Wacken Open Air. Read report
Like always a lot of cool bands and great concerts.

Written by Tommy
Saturday, February 19, 2005