Article - Various Artists - Tommy's Highlights Of The Year 2009

As with 2008 Melodic Rock in general had a fantastic run through 2009 with W.E.T. taking first price, an album leaving a stirring and lasting impression.
There were splendid progressive releases as well, Voyager being the biggest surprise, while Dream Theater and Redemption managed to live up to huge expectations.
Even the Power Metal genre had a small resurrection with the fantastic Cain's Offering while the Classic Metal wing saw thundering outputs from Cage and Wolf.
So to sum up 2009 was a most excellent year, below you'll find a personal best of so please feel free to add thoughts and suggestions of your own.

Top 25 Albums Of 2009

1. W.E.T. W.E.T. Read review
A mind-blowing and perfect collection of divine Hard Rock wrapped in AOR catchiness and with a big crunchy production. Jeff Scott Soto delivered one of the best vocal performances I can think of, being right up there with Daniel Heimans effort on Lost Horizon's "A Flame To The Ground Beneath". The heavy beat of One Love will put your speakers to the test.

2. Danger Danger. Revolve. Read review by Alanna
A magnificent attempt to combine past and present. Ted Poley sounds incredible and when this catchy beast first gets under your skin you'll be playing it over and over. Perhaps the best production all year.

3. Dream Theater. Black Clouds And Silver Linings. Read review
A grand, clever and moving chapter in the bands history. The guitar break in A Rite Of Passage is one of John's best and The Best Of Times is just such a brave and wonderful song lifting the album an inch higher.

4. Redemption. Snowfall On Judgment Day. Read review by Steen
It's everything really. Progressive, heavy, epic, dark, optimistic, melodic and with the best lyrics all year. A few songs are "only" good but the rest are...well astounding.

5. Bad Habit. Above And Beyond. Read review
Outstanding AOR with some of the catchiest songs coming out of 2009. Highly addictive stuff.

6. Cain's Offering. Gather The Faithful. Read review
Ambitious, fast and symphonic. A superb Power Metal debut with some fantastic performances and a demolishing drive. Turn it up loud.

7. Place Vendome. Streets Of Fire. Read review by Alanna
Pompous and soaring to the heavens with Kiske in full control. Brilliant.

8. Voyager. I Am The Revolution
It's difficult to compare this to anything, Voyager plays a harmonious and to the point kind of Progressive Metal that slowly pulls you in. Great stuff.

9. Crash The System. The Crowning. Read review by Alanna
A more diverse and symphonic approach to AOR. Most songs are absolutely fantastic and the three different singers make things even more interesting.

10. Hardline. Leaving The End Open. Read review by Alanna
A stand-out release in both quality and sound. A slow, thoughtful and moody course is laid out accompanied by fantastic guitar melodies and soothing vocals from Johnny Gioeli.

11. Blanc Faces. Falling From The Moon. Read review by Alanna
AOR all the way and then some...Honest, candyfloss, well written and highly enjoyable.

12. Foreigner. Can't Slow Down. Read review by Alanna
A strong comeback with Kelly Hansen delivering a totally convincing performance. It's clearly Foreigner but it also brings something new to the table.

13. Cage. Science Of Annihilation. Read review by Steen
Seek shelter; the annihilation is coming your way and we are talking no prisoners here. Uncompromising Heavy Metal of the most intense kind.

14. Sunstorm. House Of Dreams. Read review by Alanna
Cracking Melodic Rock and a voice that cuts through everything.

15. Mastedon. 3. Read review by Alanna
One of the best sounding albums all year, John Elefante is absolutely convincing and the songs are varied and crisp...well most of them anyway.

16. Sonata Arctica. The Days Of Greys. Read review by Alanna
It's quite a handful to take in but repeated listening is rewarded. Epic, orchestral, complex and still highly melodic. Credit to the band for not being stuck in the past even though it becomes an inch too fragmented at times.

17. Kreator. Hordes Of Chaos
A deadly combination of unrestrained power, attitude and melody. Impressing.

18. Winger. Karma. Read review by Alanna
Here we find two of the best songs all year, Witness is so incredibly moving.
Deal With The Devil is a smash hit of a completely different kind and powerful in every way imaginable. The rest of the album is not up there but solid enough.

19. Wolf. Ravenous. Read review by Steen
Refreshing and totally old school at the same time. For any fan of Classic Heavy Metal. Only one way to go and that's Speed On.

20. Outloud. Outloud
When you start off with songs as We Run and Tonight you're already half way there. Then it's more excusable that some of the other songs sounds a bit simple.

21. Leverage. Circus Colossus. Read review by Brian
A bombastic, heavy and diverse melodic rush. Movie Gods rocks big time.

22. Magnum. Into The Valley Of The Moonking. Read review by Alanna
Harmonious and well-written Progressive Rock, Bob Catley is always a treat.

23. The Trophy. The Gift Of Life. Read review by Alanna
Strange, moody and yet catchy. A refreshing take on Melodic Rock.

24. The Poodles. Clash Of The Elements
A solid, catchy and well-oiled Melodic Rock release with a bit of Metal on the side.

25. Stryper. Murder By Pride
As it slowly creeps into you system some wonderful melodies begin to unfold.

Other releases worth checking out (alphabetic order)

Andromeda. The Immunity Zone

Anubis Gate. The Detached. Read review

At Vance. Ride The Sky

Axxis. Utopia

Balance. Equilibrium

Blackwood Creek. Blackwood Creek

Bon Jovi. The Circle. Read review by Sandra

Brainstorm. Memorial Roots

Constancia. Lost And Gone

Cheap Trick. The Latest. Read review by Michael

Chris Laney. Pure. Read review by Alanna

Delany. Blood And Ashes

DGM. Frame. Read review by Steen

Entwine. Painstained. Read review by Brian

Europe. Last Look At Eden. Read review by Michael

Fair Warning. Aura. Read review by Brian

Fairyland. Score To A New Beginning. Read review by Steen

Farcry. High Gear

Firenote. Firenote. Read review by Brian

Gauntlet. What Doesn't Kill You

Gotthard. Need To Believe. Read review by Alanna

Grave Digger. Ballads Of A Hangman

Green Day. 21st Century Breakdown

Guilt Machine. On This Perfect Day. Read review by Steen

Hartmann. 3

Heaven And Hell. The Devil You Know
Herman Frank. Loyal To None. Read review by Brian

Hibria. The Skull Collectors
House Of Lords. Cartesian Dreams. Read review by Alanna

Impulsia. Expressions

Jaded Heart. Perfect Insanity

Jeff Scott Soto. Beautiful Mess

Johnny Lima. Livin' Out Loud

Jorn. Spirit Black. Read review by Alanna

Lacuna Coil. Shallow Life

Leprous. Tall Poppy Stories

Liberty N' Justice. Light It Up

Los Angeles. Neverland

Lynch Mob. Smoke And Mirrors

Megadeth. Endgame

Metalium. Grounded - Chapter Eight. Read review by Nina

Mind Key. Pulse Of A Graveheart

Mob Rules. Radical Peace

Muse. The Resistance

Narnia. Course Of A Generation

Naughty Boys. Destiny Calls

Nostradameus. Illusion's Parade

On The Rise. Dream Zone

Overland. Diamond Dealer

Pathosray. Sunless Skies

Places Of Power. Now Is The Hour. Read review by Alanna

Praying Mantis. Sanctuary

Primal Fear. 16:6 - Before The Devil Knows You're Dead. Read review by Steen

Prodigal Earth. Zenith II Zero

Queensrÿche. American Soldier. Read review by Brian

Radio Silence. Whose Skin Are You Under Now

Rebellion. Arise- From Ginnunga Gap To Ragnaroek - The History Of The Vikings - Volume III

Richie Kotzen. Peace Signs. Read review by Michael

Rhino Bucket. The Hardest Town. Read review by Brian

Riverside. Anno Domini High Definition

Rough Silk. A New Beginning

Sacret Heart. Darkness Falls

Saint Deamon. Pandeamonium

Savage Circus. Of Doom And Death

Saxon. Into The Labyrinth

Shadow Gallery. Digital Ghost

Shakra. Everest

Slayer. Hate World Wide

Spheric Universe Experience. Unreal

Spin Gallery. Embrace

Stratovarius. Polaris. Read review by Alanna

Transatlantic. The Whirlwind

The Lou Gramm Band. The Lou Gramm Band. Read review by Alanna

The Temple Of Now. Two Worlds

Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Night Castle. Read review by Alanna

U.D.O. Infected

Ulysses. The Gift Of Tears

Vindictiv. Ground Zero

Vision Divine. 9 Degrees West Of The Moon. Read review by Alanna

Voices Of Rock. High And Mighty - Vol. II

Wetton/Downes Icon. 3

Disappointments Of Various Degree

Chris Caffery put out yet another disc and again the result felt unfinished and unexciting, a real shame. The Los Angeles album was overall good but a long way from the expectations I had been building up since the great debut. It simply lacked the catchy spark.
Queensrÿche's American Soldier had its moments but never really opened up, slowly fading without leaving too much of an impression.
The second non-holiday album from Trans-Siberian Orchestra saw too many references to past songs and few new exciting additions, still a good disc but a tad too long. Bon Jovi released a decent album but too many songs felt uninspired and monotone, they could do so much better.

Favourite songs (a selected few in alphabetic order)

Bad Habit. Never Want To Say Goodbye
It just totally sweeps you off you feet. Pure melodic ecstasy.

Bon Jovi. We Weren't Born To Follow
A strong-hearted and honest hymn to the power of will.

Cage. Black River Falls
The creepy mid-section is absolutely haunting.

Cain's Offering. Oceans Of Regret
A thrilling rush of powerful impressions dipped in an ocean of creativity.

Dream Theater. The Best Of Times
A vivid and harmonious song full of warmth. A beautiful homage to a father.

Danger Danger. Keep On Keeping On
The title kind of says it all, a cracking and optimistic melodic rush.

Danger Danger. Hearts On The Highway
It's the same old story but man does it sound good. Groovy and extremely catchy, just listen to those back-up choirs.

Foreigner. I'll Be Home Tonight
Spellbinding ballad with heavenly keys and lush vocals.

Hardline. Leaving The End Open
Such a rich and tense mood.

Jaded Heart. One Life One Death
You really can't beat a chorus like that, completely over the top.

Kreator. Hordes Of Chaos
Trash perfection. A simple thing as tempo shifts makes a hell of a difference if you do them right, this being a masterful example.

Mastedon. One Day Down By The Lake (See You Real Soon)
Bombastic, melodic and deeply intriguing. A small masterpiece of a Progressive Rock song.

Primal Fear. Riding The Eagle
Excellent Power Metal, focused and crunchy.

Redemption. Love Kills Us All/ Life In One Day
Emotionally all-embracing. The something stirred the embers in this long dead heart passage hits you deep within.

Redemption. Black And White World
Dynamic, musically challenging and with some truly inspiring key/piano work.

W.E.T. One Love
One of the most melodic and vivid songs all year, it's actually so cathcy that it becomes a possession.

W.E.T. One Day At A Time
Heartbreakingly convincing with a deep tragic feel to it.

W.E.T. If I Fall
The "delayed" background choruses give this a completely unique feeling. Spine-chilling magic.

Winger. Witness
There's a shadow in your heart, that leaves you in the dark,
You have been staring out the window all alone
You keep yourself apart, from everything you long for

I don't really know what to say, this song is absolutely stunning. Kip sings it with an emotional depth that just blows you completely away.

Live Concerts Of The Year

Europe. Read live report
They simply owned this magical summer night. A band in full control of everything.

Dream Theater. Read live report
Professional and with heart too. I still recall the magic feeling as Wither filled the hall.

Foreigner. Read live report
One classic Rock song after another. Solid gig with Kelly Hansen on top of things.

Skagarack. Read live report
It was fun seeing the guys live even though the performance was a bit stale at times.

Saxon. Read live report
The set was too short but the new songs held up well. It wasn't their best show but they somehow always manage to make you feel excited.

Hopes For 2010

Virgin Steele
Ohh, the endless wait. A few weeks ago Steen and I held a "Virgin Steele day" and let's just say that didn't make the craving for a new album less intense.

W.E.T.
It's impossible to live up to my expectations, but I pray they give it a try.

Marcello-Vestry
They simply HAVE to make another one; the debut was Melodic Rock perfection and best album last year.

Accept
I'm anxious but hoping for the best.

Iron Maiden
A Matter Of Life And Death had some cool bombastic ideas but it ended up being too stretched out. Back to the roots please.

Threshold
If they just continue evolving who knows where they might end up. Amazing band.

Avantasia
The list of participants on the forth album is almost too good to be true. Lets hope the music is a better match this time around.

Nevermore. The Obsidian Conspiracy
I expect something blistering and chances are looking good.

Manowar. Hammer Of The Gods
We just want a new full-length album... god damn it!

Allen - Lande
Fingers crossed for a third electrifying chapter of Melodic Heavy Rock.

Labyrinth. Return To Heaven Denied Pt. 2
With that title expectations are almost impossible to meet.

Kamelot
I wasn't too fond of Ghost Opera but something like The Black Halo and I will be ecstatic.

Stan Bush
In This Life was fantastic so hopes are high.

Symphony X
I adore this band and simply can't wait. The perfect combination of Power and Progressive Metal...I'll be off listen to The Odyssey now.

Pretty Maids
It's been a while since they released a really consistent album, but there's always some really great songs to enjoy when they crank it up.

Pain Of Salvation. Road Salt
Very excited about what they will come up with this time. Scarsick was a dissapointment but we are talking about a band that has made albums as Remedy Lane and BE.

Platitude
A special band with their own take on things. Nine was absolutely splendid so who knows.

Wuthering Height. Salt
Far From The Madding Crowd was incredible so a wish for a return to that kind of form.