2007 was a fantastic year for the kind of music I like, with a number of high calibre bands releasing strong albums and a batch of new discoveries making a great impact as well. To tell you the truth, I managed to get properly into about 30% of the albums I wanted. The rest were left on the shelf of not enough time where they still lie, untouched but not forgotten.
I made some amazing new discoveries this year and my top three favorite albums of the year come from bands I had no idea existed when I went into 2007.
My 10 favorite albums of 2007
1. Cage - Hell Destroyer (Heavy Metal) - Read review
Hell Destroyer is without doubt the album I have enjoyed the most in the past year. Brute force and unrelenting execution won this one the honor along with the adrenaline kick I get every time I hear it. An album that feels complete in every way.
2. Stan Bush - In this life (Rock) - Read review by Alanna
Discovering Stan Bush with this album was like a musical fata morgana. Luckily it turned out I was not hearing things.... This guy was real. Yay!
3. Pride of Lions - The Roaring of dreams (Rock) - Read review by Alanna
"Astonish You" and "Love's Eternal Flame" are just two perfect picks off this fabulous album. Toby Hitchcock sings with so much passion that it would make Lord Byron look like a tobacconist.
4. Manowar - Gods of War (Heavy Metal) - Read review
For the first time ever I felt that Manowar made a really bad decision with one of their studio albums. One word for you: Narration. For a prolonged discussion on this check out
my full album review. However, if you cut through it all you will find that Manowar's spiritual essence is still intact here. The actual songs are superb and more than make up the leeway.
5. Redemption - The Origins of Ruin (Progressive Metal) - Read review
6. Threshold - Dead Reckoning (Progressive Metal) - Read review by Tommy
A superb album and one of Threshold's very best. It also serves as a great introduction to the genre.
7. Neal Morse - Sola Scriptura (Progressive Rock) - Read review
8. Allen Lande - The Revenge (Hard Rock) - Read review by Alanna
The vocal gods returned for another round of songs with great results. I still prefer the debut but this is close to the same level with a selection of memorable hard rocking songs with choruses that make my melodic nerve tingle.
9. Dogpound - III (Hard Rock) - Read review
10. Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omniscient (Xperimetal)
Highly entertaining. This might be what would happen if Douglas Adams and the Monty Python members had gotten together and formed a band. Then again... NI!.
Runners-up
Helloween - Gambling with the devil
King Diamond - Give me your soul.... Please -
Read review
Candlemass - King of the Grey Islands -
Read review
Turisas - The Varangian Way -
Read review
Amaran's Plight - Voice in the light -
Read review
Eyefear - A world full of grey -
Read review
Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
And a few of those that I'm still listening to but haven't heard enough to get on the list
Hanoi Rocks - Street Poetry
Sieges Even - Paramount (Not as instantly captivating as "Navigating...")
Sonata Arctica - Unia
Doomsword - My name will live on (Different from their past releases but grows with each listen. Viking metal)
Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
Deadsoul Tribe - A lullaby for the devil (A nice surprise so far)
Damian Wilson - Let's start a commune (Wonderful music)
Chris Caffery - Pins and needles
Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon (Promising)
Kamelot - Ghost Opera
Lake of tears - Moons and Mushroom
Machine Men - Circus of fools
Tori Amos - American Doll Posse
Symphony X - Paradise Lost
Gamma Ray - Land of the free II
My 5 most listened to songs of the year
1. Stan Bush - This moment (Timeless is almost a too easy description of this song, but it holds some very special positive energy)
2. Pride of Lions - Astonish you (Passionate beyond anything else, the song is like a warm embrace of pure emotion)
3. Redemption - Memory / The Origins of Ruin (Both songs tear on the heartstrings in different ways but their cathartic nature is amazing)
4. Cage - Bohemian Grove (The most tension-filled song I have heard in a long while)
5. Manowar - Gods of War (A song that can only be described as majestic)
Concert highlights of 2007
Manowar, Rhapsody and HolyHell - Tour of Germany - 3 dates -
Live Report
Enuff Z'nuff, Faster Pussycat, Bulletboys and Gypsy Pistoleros - UK tour - 4 dates -
Tour Report
Iced Earth, Annihilator and Turisas - Pumpehuset, Copenhagen
Wacken Open Air -
Festival Report
Sweden Rock Festival -
Festival Report
Metallica, Aarhus
ProgPower Scandinavia -
Festival Report
