BIGGEST SURPRISE
NIGHTWISH - DARK PASSION PLAY
Nightwish was one of the most startling revelations of the year and not for the reasons one would initially expect. Some would say the somewhat success of Annette was their selling point, but alas, for me it was not. Her voice is too frail to carry Nightwish into the dark symphonic corners of the metal wasteland, however, Marco's voice is perfect. The Tarot lead singer has often been slaughtered in reviews as being the "manly man" voice of the band, and even hinted at being a nuisance. However, for "Dark Passion Play", I cannot fathom a better selling point. His velvet brutality is emotionally stirring, awakening the primal basics in us all. Violent and absolutely convincing, he is the demon guardian while Annette is the fragile sacrificial lamb. The contrast is stunning and makes the disc a surprise of the year where only failure and ridicule was anticipated after the dropping of the substandard single "Eva". Hell, it came close to being in my top ten of the year and that was definitely something I was NOT counting on.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
TNT - THE NEW TERRITORY
It was supposed to be funny, amusing and entertaining. Kind of an in-your-face for laughs discs that took hard rock to the lighter side. Unfortunately, humor rarely works in the genre, especially when a band goes from the caliber of their previous releases, loses their main singer and attraction (in this case, the unreplaceable Tony Harnell) and tries shoving not only a new sound, but a completely different vocalist down your throat. Crap like "Lets Party Mills" was just down right embarrassing. Not only for the band, but anyone that was caught listening to it. A disaster that was utterly horrible and a "new territory" that no one is going to want to visit more than once.
WORST RELEASES
ORESUND SPACE COLLECTIVE - THE BLACK TOMATO
TED NUGENT - LOVE GRENADE
CRYSTAL BALL - SECRETS
POISON - POISON'D
TWINSPIRITS - THE MUSIC THAT WILL HEAL THE WORLD
Let's see, we have the worst utter garbage I had the mispleasure of hearing this year in Oresund's "Tomato" which is off key, trippy, terribley disjointed instrumental noodlings that no one can appreciate except the extremely smoked out.
There's 70s wildman Ted Nugent doing the same old crap all over again. This needs to be taken out back and shot like most of the poor animals that come under Nugent's target.
Crystal Ball is one of the worst offenders of power metal these days, churning out one listless, repetitive disc after another. Barf.
For the sleaze fans out there we have the very opposite of Northern Kings "Reborn" and that would be Poison doing an all covers album of tunes that well, they have already redone in the past ("Your Mama Don't Dance" anyone?) and other regurgitations. The "new" stuff is even worse though, imagine that.
Finally it's progressive metal that sends you screaming with Twinspirits. Boring, pompous, pure crap. Daniele Liverani apparently can't stick with his icky Genius project and has to spread his vile ideas elsewhere... *sigh*
BEST BALLAD
ASTONISH ME BY PRIDE OF LIONS
An amazing, AMAZING song that just rings out with pure unbridled emotion. This is a classy song all the way, the kind of tune that can last ages without dating itself, despite the fact that it sounds like a flashback to 1988 all over again. Beautiful harmonies, vocals that are absolutely to die for, and lyrics so lush and from the heart that you have to fight back the waterworks even after the hundredth time you've heard them. Now that's what GOOD music is supposed to do - touch your heart and kindle your soul. Fantastic.
BEST COVERS PROJECT
The Northern Kings
WOW. Four Finnish vocalists, a bunch of random songs, some great musicians and a production as slick as tack and what do you get? Absolute metal magic. Cheesy stuff like "Broken Wings" and "We Don't Need Another Hero", overdone classics like "Rebel Yell" and the seemingly untouchable Lionel Richie "Hello" have been revamped, redone and proven that even things that are considered untouchable, really are not. These songs soar and shine under the Northern Kings influence and hearing these vocalists wrap their special vocal blends around these tunes is just awesome. The album is entertaining from start to finish and contains so many little extra touches that you will be sorting them out for weeks. A classy album all the way.
The TOP TEN
In no particular order, but with the most played disc saved for last, or the "top spot" if you prefer. This does not mean in any way shape form or fashion that is considered "the best" disc of the 2007 calendar year, and only implies that it was the cd that was listened to most by yours truly.
ALLEN LANDE - THE REVENGE
Ah "The Revenge"... Jorn Lande and Russell Allen joined together for another dual vocal assault that dazzled metal fans across the globe. Their prowess was matched up nicely with the theatrics of Magnus Karlsson's excellent metal score that fit so perfectly with the vocals. Some have thought that this is a more cohesive album than the previous, and it is definite that this is an album to contend with. The production is top notch perfect as Dennis Ward is assisting on that end, giving a clear, crystal sound for the vocals to soar on. "Wake Up Call" has been presented as a piece that showcases the way metal should be created. That alone is recommendation enough. Perhaps it was not as astonishing as the first release - since this was ground that we have covered once before, but it was immensely satisfying to hear these two "battle" it out on Karlsson's musical terms once again.
KAMELOT - GHOST OPERA
It's more modern than "The Black Halo" and that alone was enough to turn off alot of people. However, "Ghost Opera" has its own sound going for it, and its a dark one that whispers sweetly of disaster. Khan can be poisoningly passionate or icily creepy, smoothly slick throughout and mesmerizing no matter what is swirling in the background. "Ghost Opera" was daring, being heavily more modern than "Halo" but retaining some of that sparkly sizzling sound that caused raves all around just a few years ago. It's not as excessible, being a more progressive and chunky sounding album. It's not as rave worthy as "Halo" but comes close, since that was an immensely difficult act to follow.
LAKE OF TEARS - MOONS AND MUSHROOMS
And here we have another Lake of Tears album, a band that seems to exude loopy strung out, doomsday charm. Moons and Mushrooms is no exception, it's gloomy and doomy although not near as suicidally melancholy as the delightfully tragic "Forever Autumn", it still counts as an interesting album in its own right, by a band that is completely a unique bird amongst a flock of imitators. Eight songs of pure murky pleasure crept out of the speakers from the psychedelic "Last Purple Sky" to the strange turn of events for "Planet of the Penguins", this was a disc to remember.
PRIDE OF LIONS - THE ROARING OF DREAMS
For AOR fans, there was no finer moment than "The Roaring of Dreams". "Astonish You" became one of the most amazing ballads from the past few years, and from the fine song structures, soaring, instant melodies and luscious vocals, it became a fantastic treat to anyone that wished for their music to be on the lighter side. Dreamers of Survivor, Toto and other 80s ballad friendly, keyboard extravagant bands should be in seventh heaven over this one.
SONATA ARCTICA - UNIA
Their debut was a spark of absolute awesome, but since then Sonata Arctica seemed content to repeat themselves. The power metal formula is an easy one to reproduce and why tinker with a hit niche when they perfected their gimmick the first time around? Well a few mediocre albums later we get "Unia", their fifth full length disc and their finest shining moment thus far. The ideas for the albums are brilliant and executed with equal flair. Take for instance "My Dream's But a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare" or the lovely "For the Sake of Revenge". The album is catchy, thought provoking and often times moving. The icing on the cake is the crystal clear production and the vocals of Kakko who brings a wide array of colour to the blue and cold proceedings.
THERION - GOTHIC KABBALAH
Like Lake of Tears and Tarot, Therion is also often ignored and generally dismissed. However, their albums are grand spectacles that contain dozens, if not a hundred musicians and so many details in their soundscape that it takes months to sort through it all. Their music is daunting, and not for the fluffy faint of heart. "Gothic Kabbalah" came out with little fanfare, and also was a bit different than the norm, but for those that sought it out, it was a pleasing entry into the Therion catalogue. More streamlined and natural sounding than their previous entries, it does grow on the listener after awhile and is completely and utterly Therion, combining symphony sounds with Arabic spices and other exotic elements for a soup de gradeur. The big choirs are gone but the strong voice of Mats Leven is still very much at large amongst the curtains of flutes, hammond keyboard solos and other elements of progression. Many will still prefer the calculated sound slaughter of their previous releases, but this disc is a new twist on the Therion flavor that is more than worth looking at. What a long way they have gone from their "Paroxsmal Holocaust" days.
TAROT - CROWS FLY BLACK
No one cares about Tarot. Atleast not the majority of the metal fans. Blank stares and "Tarot who?" realistically is what follows a mentioning of the band named after the mystical cards. They are one of the most forgotten and ignored outfits on the planet, despite releasing such masterpieces as "Stigmata" and having a fantastic run through the 1990s. All people know is that Marco is in Nightwish and for them that is enough, since he gets bashed around enough in that band as it is. But Tarot is special. Their music is dark, forboding, epic and crushing. Not an album that hooks you instantly, this is a slow grower, but instantly becomes more interesting than their previous by the varying tempos. The progression in "Bleeding Dust" and "Grey" are worth noting. You can feel the bones rattle beneath your skin as they triumphantly launch into song after song. Hietala's voice is mesmerizingly manly and just wraps itself in the dark frothing music and his brother's shrieking soul ripping guitar solos that jaggedly lightning strike around it.
SYMPHONY X - PARADISE LOST
Symphony X is for the flag waving die-hard metal fan. They are American, predictably unleashing solid and intellegent products and are all around a good band to claim to like. "Paradise Lost" is much like their past few releases, incredibly epic, shaking its evil at you like a forked stick, and utilizing the talents of guitarist Michael Romeo and vocalist Russel Allen equally. It's neither as disgustingly pompous as "V" or as deadpan boringly cumbersome as "The Odyssey". It falls somewhere inbetween and actually sees a return to the hookline, a melodic note they seemed to have tossed to the side a few years ago. But its freakin' heavy. Symphony X has never been this heavy, scrambling forward with classy aggressiveness. Grand riffs galore such as "Evolution (The Grand Design)" and the rip-your-throat-out power of "Eye of Seduction". Russel perhaps overuses his aggravated growl but then again if you want clean Russel check out the Allen/Lande project. Plus, the packaging is quite cool as you literally have to put your hand "through the flames" to retrieve the disc, by way of jagged paper cut fire that overlaps on top of the disc. Classy, cool and totally roaring, split your veins, headache inducing metal.
JADED HEART - SINISTER MIND
For a band that not only lost their lead vocalist (Michael Bormann) and their main songwriter/guitarist (Barish Kepic), Jaded Heart has really bounced back in a gigantic way. Even the Bormann-less "Helluvah Time", which was such an unexpected favorite atleast had their songwriter on board, but even with Kepic's depature, the band pushed on. And it may not be the "Jaded Heart" of old that was rife with AOR melodies, sweet ballad sensibilities and enough melodic push to knock you right on your kiester. This one is heavier, harsher and more metal than rock, sticking the keyboards on the backburner and turning towards fine, catchy riffs to sieze the day. "Hero" is an anthemic opening kicker but its tracks like "See the Light" (Lillian Axe reminiscent here) and the Babylon A.D.-ish "Heavenly Devotion" and "Always on My Mind" that pull it right over the top and into the major leagues. Great stuff all around.
GOTTHARD - DOMINO EFFECT
Now there may have been albums that were better constructed, more ambitious and just generally more expertly put together - but can anyone say that - as far as "new" and "original" material goes - that there was anything more entertaining than Gotthard's tenth yet first US release? "Domino Effect" has it all - from heart throbbing ballads to thunderous rock anthems to powerful metallish rompers. Just take for instance a slight smattering of the album: the instant groove of melodic killer "The Oscar Goes To You", the deep depression of double emotional turmoil in "Fallen" and "The Call", the riff bouncing "Heal Me", the anthemic rocker "Come Alive" and finally, the powerhouse triumphant grind of "Now". There was not another disc this year that I played more than this one, and all in all, it is Gotthard's shining moment, and the best overall effort they have ever produced.
Also of note:
CORIN & EDMAN - ROC DE LIGHT
Goran Edman puts a voice to Claes Corin's music and the result is something so light, fluffy and buttery that you feel like you have fallen into a decadent decade of Westcoast wonders. It's brilliant for what it is, lush piano, Edman's heart dripping vocals, and melodies that are pure sweetness. After so many years in the making, it's terrific to see Corin's project finally come to light and have the fruits of his labor be so very sweet.
DAVID READMAN - DAVID READMAN
David has a great voice, and coupled with some catchy melodic songs, he sounds great. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) he has been listening to a little too much Whitesnake, as one certain song is so "Is This Love" dejavu that it will make your head spin. So you can't count on this as being original, but can depend on his solo effort as being a great slab of very listenable AOR/melodic rock music in the more "hard rock" stylings of the genre.
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