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Steen's Top 100 highest rated albums
| 1. Savatage - Streets - A Rock Opera | Rating: 10/10
Let me say right from the start that this is my favorite album of all time, so there will be no holds barred in this review. I'm a man on a mission, and that is to explain to you exactly why I think this album deserves to be labeled a timeless masterpiece.
Streets was released in 1991 and as you probably gathered from the title, this is a c....
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| 2. Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane | Rating: 10/10
I honestly think that the music on this album has to be some of the greatest music ever created. Not since "Streets: A rock opera" by Savatage has music touched my soul like this.
I guess you can call Pain of salvation a progressive metal band. I don't care about the style they are labelled with as long as the music is good. And with each ....
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| 3. Enuff Z'nuff - Strength | Rating: 10/10
If I had to describe Enuff Z'nuff with one sentence then I would say: Enuff Z'nuff play the best Melodic Hard Rock out there, and they are the only band, I feel I can justly compare to The Beatles.
That is a bold statement, and one that may need a little clarification... What I mean is that I hold Enuff Z'nuff in as much awe as The Beatles.....
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| 4. Sieges Even - Sophisticated | Rating: 9.5/10
If I had to use one word to describe this album, it would be "Melancholic". This album has that feeling written all over it.This is Sieges Even's fourth album and my favourite. It takes a lot of time and concentration to fully appreciate this album. Even after listening to it several hundred times I still discover new things ev....
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| 5. Saviour Machine - II | Rating: 9.5/10
Once upon a time when I started my long journey into the world of Heavy Metal I often found bands that gave me a really special feeling inside when I listened to their music for the first time. It was a feeling of awe and amazement that music was able to create such vivid emotions and atmospheres. Nowadays I don't get this feeling very often. ....
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| 6. Savatage - Gutter Ballet | Rating: 9.5/10
Discovered by chance between some Ozzy LP's I had borrowed from a friend back in 1991, Gutter Ballet from Savatage made a great impact. I had never heard anything quite like it and was at once captivated by Jon Oliva's powerful and gritty, yet still extremely emotional voice and Criss Oliva's heavenly guitar playing. One listen to Gutter Balle....
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| 7. Psychotic Waltz - Into the Everflow | Rating: 9.5/10
Here is a review I put of for a long time because I didn't feel I could do the album justice at all. Words still won't be able to capture the essence of what this album has, it has to be experienced in all its weirdness. But I will try to give you an idea if this is something for you or not.
Making a definite change since their mind-blowin....
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| 8. Psychotic Waltz - A social grace | Rating: 9.5/10
The music on this album was ingenius when it was released back in 1990 and in my mind that status has not changed to the day. Psychotic Waltz play superior progressive metal with a rawness that is at times numbingly beautiful. Does that sound weird? I guess you just have to listen to it then :) Psychotic Waltz created four albums before they s....
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| 9. Manowar - Into glory ride | Rating: 9.5/10
It's very hard for me to say that one Manowar album is my favourite because they all have a special meaning to me, each in it's own way. But when I'm in the mood for epic music Into glory ride takes the crown... Damn, even the title of the album sounds epic...
The album feels really fresh and the whole band sound like they....
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| 10. Lost Horizon - A flame to the ground beneath | Rating: 9.5/10
They have done it again. Lost Horizon have delivered a magnificent feast of powerful, agressive and melodic music, overflowing with emotion and positive spirits. After listening to A flame to the ground beneath for the past couple of months, I'm finally convinced. They have done the near-impossible and surpassed their ....
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| 11. Judas Priest - Painkiller | Rating: 9.5/10
What can I say that hasn't already been said about Judas Priest? Not a lot I guess, but as Painkiller is my all time favorite Judas Priest album and as close as you come to a pure metallic masterpiece, it certainly deserves a mention here...
Back in time when I first listened to the album I was completely blown away by its speed and power. ....
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| 12. Fates Warning - Awaken The Guardian | Rating: 9.5/10
Some albums never grow old.
Awaken the Guardian is the evolutionary peak of Fates Warning's John Arch era, an album that is unique on every level and cannot be compared to anything else I have ever heard. To my ears it is the perfect marriage of heavy and progressive metal and it makes no compromise. It builds on their previous two albums,....
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| 13. Vicious Rumors - Welcome to the ball | Rating: 9/10
Going through my cd collection to find this month's classic I came upon this long lost gem and it brought back a lot of great memories. The very overlooked Vicious Rumors first reared their head back in 1985 with their fantastic debut Soldiers of the night. They continued to put out classic albums through the 80'ies and start of the 90'ies. Un....
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| 14. Ten - The Name of The Rose | Rating: 9/10
Imagine a wide open vista of land. You're standing beneath a tree, its green leaves rustling, as a gust of wind blows your hair to the side. Looking ahead you gaze upon a desert, sand dunes rising and falling as far as the eye can see. The sky is blue, sunny, specked with white puffs of clouds. In the distance remnants of a rainbow disappear ....
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| 15. Shadow Gallery - Tyranny | Rating: 9/10
Few albums have the strength to endure regular listens for more than ten years. Even fewer have a concept where music, story and performance unite into something completely convincing. Most concept fail in some way on one or more levels. Tyranny is one of the rare concept albums where everything works 100%. The experience lingers on long after....
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| 16. Saviour Machine - I | Rating: 9/10
I have found Saviour Machine to be a very special band.
To me, Saviour Machine is one of the truly original bands to walk this earth. They are able to convey massive amounts of emotion through their brilliant music like no other band I know. Unfortunately they are also one of the most overlooked bands in history. Through time I will review....
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| 17. Saviour Machine - Legend - Part I | Rating: 9/10
Dubbed as "The unofficial soundtrack to the end of the world" the Legend project gives new meaning to the term concept album. This ultimate study of end-times Biblical prophecy was originally planned as a concept told through three separate releases, but here, 10 years and three releases down the road, I am still anxiously awaiting the conclus....
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| 18. Savatage - Hall of the mountain king | Rating: 9/10
Those who thought that Savatage had gone soft with Fight for the rock only needed to listen to the first few seconds of 24 hrs. ago before that illusion is shattered. After Producer and Sava-saviour Paul O'Neill discovered the band, Savatage were quick to avenge their slight detour with this classic Heavy Metal album. Powerful....
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| 19. Sanctuary - Into the mirror black | Rating: 9/10
My first encounter with Sanctuary was a music video on MTV's Headbangers Ball in the early nineties where I was fascinated by their incredibly long hair... The image burned itself into my mind and I made a note to check this band out. Fast forward a couple of months and I was lucky enough to find "Into the mirror black" in an obscure record st....
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| 20. Redemption - Redemption | Rating: 9/10
The first time I put on this album, and listened to the opening two minutes of Desperation Part I, I knew this was going to be good. Then I looked at the promo material and noticed the members of Redemption, and I started getting very excited. Listening to the whole album for the first time only intensified that feeling. Refreshing and excitin....
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| 21. Redemption - Snowfall On Judgment Day | Rating: 9/10
Redemption is back with their fourth album, the third in a row voiced by Fates Warning's Ray Alder. Let me tell you right away: There are some real gems on this one. On the first listen more than half the songs stood out and made an instant impression. That is highly unusual with a progressive metal release. Usually my reaction t....
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| 22. Rage - Soundchaser | Rating: 9/10
The three-piece band Rage is back! With Soundchaser the band continues the style from the excellent Unity and perfects it here. This is some of the best Heavy Metal I have heard in a very long time. I remember thinking the same when I first listened to Masterplan's fantastic debut earlier this year, and this is the same exciting sensation, tha....
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| 23. Queensrÿche - Rage for order | Rating: 9/10
Ahh good old Queensrÿche... Rage for order was released back in 1986 and of all their albums this one is my favorite along with Operation Mindcrime. Which one I prefer all depends on my mood. This is their most experimental work to date and it will take some time to get used to the songs and the somewhat convoluted production, which in turn he....
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| 24. Orphaned Land - Mabool: The story of the Three Sons of Seven | Rating: 9/10
Wow, what a great adventure!
Orphaned Land play the most original and intriguing music I have heard in a long time. They succeed in mixing the best from many musical genres into something very unique. Okay, so I have not heard any of their other albums, but if this is anything to go by, then I must get them as soon as possible. The band wa....
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| 25. Manowar - Battle Hymns | Rating: 9/10
Powerful!
That would be one way to describe this album.
Magnificent, Essential, Classic, Majestic would be others.
But enough of the superlatives. Here's another, more lengthy description...
Battle hymns is Manowar's debut album and it established them right away as something special. It is a classic and one of the great and importan....
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| 26. Forbidden - Twisted into form | Rating: 9/10
This is one of my all-time favorite Thrash Metal albums. It was the first Forbidden album I heard and it just blew me away many years ago. Today it is still a great example of technicality, tightness, speed and melody taken to a higher level. The songs are very well composed. Creative riffs, guitar solos, wild breaks and intense vocal....
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| 27. Fates Warning - The Spectre within (Re-release) | Rating: 9/10
It was a cold and rainy Tuesday afternoon when I found this re-release in a local cd store. I had a ton of work to do that day when I got home... Still, I couldn't resist taking a quick listen to Traveller in time just to see if the sound was that much better than the original, and of course I ended up listening to the whole a....
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| 28. Damian Wilson - Disciple | Rating: 9/10
I bought this album after the Star One show in Hamburg earlier this year. Listening to Damian Wilson singing live got me interested in his solo work. I had no idea what the music would sound like and I have to say right from the start: This is not metal music with heavy guitars or pounding drums. This music draws its power from other sources, ....
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| 29. Ayreon - The Human Equation | Rating: 9/10
If you're looking for an album that has everything, then Ayreon's The Human Equation may be as close as you get. I sat there with my mouth gaping open in stunned silence for a few seconds after my first listen and then burst out laughing. Somehow it all fits perfectly.
The human equation is the most complex and varied album Ayreon has creat....
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| 30. Avantasia - The Metal Opera (Part II) | Rating: 9/10
I was really looking forward to this release. I loved "Avantasia Part I" with its awesome melodic songs, great atmosphere and quite exciting story. It would be interesting to hear if Tobias Sammet could continue the high standard set by that album.
Part II has the best start I could have imagined. Starting out with the 14 minute epic <stro....
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| 31. Armored Saint - Symbol of Salvation | Rating: 9/10
Symbol of salvation was released back in 1991, and it has become a timeless classic in my musical universe.
As I remember, it was around my 15'th listen when I realised, that I would never grow tired of this album. It has that special vibe that just sucks you in, and doesn't let go, before the final chord is struck. This was Armored Saint's....
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| 32. Virgin Steele - The Black Light Bacchanalia | Rating: 8.5/10
This review is overdue due to a handful of different reasons, of which I will only bore you with one, incidentally the best one: The Black Light Bacchanalia keeps growing! Just when you think you have nailed the album down suddenly a new path opens and following it, new musical detail adds to the overall impression. Virgin Steele ....
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| 33. To/Die/For - Jaded | Rating: 8.5/10
After listening to the first couple of songs on this CD, I put it back in the bottom stack of the promos I had to review, as it just didn't catch my attention. What a huge mistake! After giving it a thorough listen or two, I started seeing its true beauty. I don't want to put this band in any specific genre, as I haven't really heard anything ....
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| 34. Threshold - Critical mass | Rating: 8.5/10
This is the sixth studio album from Threshold and it has quickly become my favourite. I still need to listen to their older albums though, as the only other album I have gotten really into is Hypothetical.
Critical Mass has a very warm atmosphere, in no small part due to the vocals of Andrew McDermott. The production is excellent throughout....
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| 35. Sieges Even - A Sense of Change | Rating: 8.5/10
Exploration and discovery. Two themes which are essential for your enjoyment of this album. Even after 13 years and several hundred listens I have still not reached a journey's end when it comes to "A Sense of Change". The music found here feels like it has no boundaries and thus can be explored endlessly, along a myriad of paths. The patient ....
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| 36. Shadow Gallery - Room V | Rating: 8.5/10
Room V is a concept album which continues the story from the album Tyranny, released in 1997. Tyranny is high on my list of favorite concept albums ever. It is one of those albums that succeeds in making me feel something every time I listen to it. A timeless album. When I first heard that Shadow Gallery were going to continue the story I got ....
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| 37. Rhapsody (of Fire) - Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret | Rating: 8.5/10
After listening intensely to Rhapsody's new album for the past month it is slowly establishing itself as their best and most accomplished so far. Yes, Rhapsody are back, and this time they have taken a big leap forward by adding a real orchestra and a professional narrator, as well as a huge and masterful production, finally giving the band th....
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| 38. Redemption - The Origins of Ruin | Rating: 8.5/10
Line up:
Ray Alder - Vocals
Nicolas van Dyk - Guitar, Keys
Bernie Versailles - Guitar
Sean Andrews - Bass
Chris Quirarte - Drums
Redemption is a band that so far equals the most consistent and high quality music I have come across in recent memory. With "The Origins of Ruin" they complete a trilogy of near-perfect albums. Nicolas van D....
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| 39. Ray Wilson - Change | Rating: 8.5/10
Wow!
That was my first thought when Ray Wilson started singing. He has a fantastic voice filled with radiance and emotion. Deep with feeling and a lot of soul. Having previously sung in Genesis and Stiltskin, I can only feel happy that I've finally discovered him with this solo release.
The music on Change is very laid back with a focus....
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| 40. Queensrÿche - The Warning | Rating: 8.5/10
Warning: This album is addictive!
Queensrÿche's debut album has always been a favorite of mine and it has a place among their very best, coming in close behind Rage for Order and Operation: Mindcrime. The album doesn't conform to a single norm, but mixes various genres and ideas ....
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| 41. Nuclear Valdez - I am I | Rating: 8.5/10
This is one album that has blown me away. I got it as a birthday present almost a year ago and soon discovered it to be very special. I am I is the debut of Nuclear Valdez and man, what a debut! Being a completely unknown band to me until recently I must assume that a lot of other people have never heard of them either, which is too sad. The b....
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| 42. Neal Morse - Testimony 2 | Rating: 8.5/10
How can a dream so far away become a place in reality?Prog Rock maestro Neal Morse is back with close to two hours of music, spanning two CD's. Disc One is a concept album based on Neal's own biography, which is also released in book form right about now and Disc two has three stand alone....
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| 43. Mike Tramp - Capricorn | Rating: 8.5/10
This is the first solo album by Mike Tramp, the singer and founder of White Lion and Freak of Nature. On this album he sings and plays guitar on all songs. All solos are played by Kenny Korade, who also played in Freak of Nature.
I had owned this album some time before it really hit me how great it was. After seeing Mike Tramp play live i....
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| 44. Manowar - Gods of War | Rating: 8.5/10
Introduction
What was foreshadowed on the Sons of Odin EP has now become a full reality. Manowar have created their most ambitious and innovative work yet. This will be the first installment in their Gods of War saga. No one quite knows what path the future will take but each chapter is supposed to deal w....
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| 45. King Diamond - The Puppet Master | Rating: 8.5/10
It is with great pleasure I announce that The King is back! ...again... After two weeks of non-stop listening to this promo, The Puppet Master has taken its place alongside of my favorite King Diamond albums (Them, Conspiracy, The Eye & House of God) I had a hard time getting into Abigail Pt. II and was hoping for something a little more captu....
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| 46. John Arch - A twist of fate | Rating: 8.5/10
After a 16 year absence from the music scene, the original Fates Warning singer, John Arch has returned. And that is in a way that makes me feel like he was never really gone. His voice has developed but it still sounds unmistakeably like John Arch. Before the first minute of the first song, Relentless was over, I felt like I ....
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| 47. Gamma Ray - Land of the Free | Rating: 8.5/10
Line up
Kai Hansen - Vocals/Guitars
Dirk Schlächter - Guitars/Keys
Jan Rubach - Bass
Thomas Nack - Drums
Searching for the ultimate power metal album? Gamma Ray's Land of the free is a necessary, and perhaps final, stop on that quest. It is my favorite Gamma Ray album without a doubt. High speed, heavy riffs and soaring vocals all unite....
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| 48. Fates Warning - Parallels | Rating: 8.5/10
Line-up:
Ray Alder: Vocals
Jim Matheos: Guitar
Frank Aresti: Guitar
Joe Dibiase: Bass
Mark Zonder: Drums
With the recruitment of their new singer Ray Alder Fates Warning started moving towards a more accessible sound. At this point in their career every album had been significantly different from the last one and Parallels lives up to ....
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| 49. Enuff Z'nuff - 1985 | Rating: 8.5/10
After their third release, Animals with human intelligence, Enuff Z'nuff found themselves in various degrees of trouble. Read the official Biography for more info. The band did not give up but instead they dug into their extensive archive and released an album....
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| 50. Enuff Z'nuff - Dissonance (Limited Edition) | Rating: 8.5/10
Dissonance is the exact opposite of what this album brings. Enuff Z'nuff is back with an album that is real aural bliss. This is the limited edition of the album which was only available at the US festival Rocklahoma back in July. It is not the official release, it doesn't come with any lyrics and it will be interesting to see if these songs a....
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| 51. Cage - Hell Destroyer | Rating: 8.5/10
Line-up:
Sean Peck (Vocals)
Dave Garcia (Lead Guitars)
Anthony Wayne McGinnis (Lead Guitars)
Mike Giordano (Bass Guitars)
Mike Nielsen (Drums)
Hell Yeah!
It is a gratifying feeling to discover music such as this in this day and age. Cage play Heavy Metal with so much spirit it makes me think of the glory days of Judas Priest, Savat....
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| 52. Cage - Science of Annihilation | Rating: 8.5/10
American Power Metal Kings... So the Science of Annihilation cover states and I am not one to argue, in fact I am more than inclined to agree after having experienced this, their latest full frontal assault on the senses. Since the magnificent 2007 release, and my album of the year, Hell Destroyer, Cage have become even more intense and uncomp....
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| 53. Archetype - Dawning | Rating: 8.5/10
Archetype is a relatively new band hailing from America, and they are one of those cool discoveries that doesn't come along too often. Chris Matyus (Guitars), Greg Wagner (Vocals), Keith Zeigler (Drums) and Jamie Still (Bass) have created a unique debut album with Dawning. The....
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| 54. Threshold - Subsurface | Rating: 8/10
Threshold have returned (or should I say surfaced?) with another excellent progressive metal album. That should be enough for any fans to buy this at once. Those who don't know Threshold probably need a bit more convincing...
Threshold is one of those bands that have been able to create their own distinct sound. While they are instantly re....
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| 55. Thine - In therapy | Rating: 8/10
Listening to this album has been a nice surprise. I'd never heard of Thine before and judging by the cover I didn't really know what to expect...
What is offered here is excellent melodic moody rock music with an atmosphere that reminds me of movies like Cruel Intentions and Dead Poets Society. Thine are able to create music with a very mel....
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| 56. The Last Things - Circles and Butterflies | Rating: 8/10
Line-up:
Richard Elliot IV - Vocals, Guitar, Violin, Bagpipes, Flute, Percussion and keyboards
Lou Buffo - Drums and percussion
Darren McFarland - Bass and fretless bass
Now this is something of an oddity. The Last Things only made this one album and then disappeared into oblivion. Sad, because it is a debut that feels mature and shows....
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| 57. Sun Caged - Sun Caged | Rating: 8/10
Mark my words, Sun Caged are going to be huge. The best debut of 2003? To me it is very close, competing for the first place alongside Masterplan & Redemption at the moment... Sun Caged play their own kind of Metal with a great element of surprise. Through the nine tracks the challenging and well written music twists and turns through a huge m....
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| 58. Star One - Victims Of The Modern Age | Rating: 8/10
A day may come when a mediocre album is released form the hands of Arjen Lucassen, but it is not this day. Victims of the Modern Age reunites the original Star One cast in anoher musical Sci-fi adventure. Solely judging by the music the album has a sort of Firefly/The Matrix feel to it. Meaning a relaxed, friendly, slightly dark a....
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| 59. Sieges Even - The Art Of Navigating By The Stars | Rating: 8/10
After an 8 year hiatus Sieges Even are back with a new album. I remember being pretty devastated when I spoke to drummer Alex Holzwarth after a Rhapsody concert in Denmark in 1999 where he told me that Sieges Even had broken up. Fortunately it seems that they were just on a long break and have now decided to band together again. After going th....
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| 60. Seventh Wonder - The Great Escape | Rating: 8/10
The Great Escape is a progressive metal delight! Seventh Wonder have outdone themselves here. Their last album, Mercy Falls, was filled with excellent music but hampered by unnecessary narration. No missteps of any kind mar the album this time around, the listener is "simply" presented with music that is technically adept and uncomprom....
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| 61. Saviour Machine - Legend - Part II | Rating: 8/10
Chaos reigns free on this second part of Saviour Machine's Legend project, also known as "The unofficial soundtrack for the end of the world". There is little chance of the geniality of this album hitting you within the first 100 hours of listening time. Dwell on that for a bit... Saviour Machine have created ....
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| 62. Robby Valentine - The Magic Infinity (Japanese Edition) | Rating: 8/10
As much as I relish in heavy metal with all its glory of powerful guitars, fast drumming and high pitched vocals, I am also in love with certain flavors of melodic rock where a passionate voice, piano and personal lyrics, in a usually very soft way make a special connection. Similar for both, vastly different approaches, is that without a conv....
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| 63. Rhapsody (of Fire) - Legendary Tales | Rating: 8/10
Back in 1997 Rhapsody married the symphonic nature of classical music with heavy metal in a way that felt fresh and new. It resulted in a magnificent debut album that blew yours truly away. Legendary Tales is filled with powerful, energized music that is both complex and memorable but most of all still enjoyable after 11 years. I loathe the mu....
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| 64. Ray Wilson - Propaganda Man | Rating: 8/10
"Propaganda Man" combines the sombre atmosphere from the latest Stiltskin album, She, with the acoustic leanings of his two solo albums, "Change" and "The next best thing", to great effect. It doesn't have the same immediately embracing nature of "Change" but warms up with time. The darker atmosphere makes it a harder listen but it's worth the....
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| 65. Pain of Salvation - Road Salt One | Rating: 8/10
Pain of Salvation have returned with an album that is surprising in every way. I was disappointed with Scarsick but Road Salt One has rekindled my love for the band. It is an album that only Pain of Salvation could have made and one of those albums that should be discovered without knowing too much about it. In that way all its surprises will ....
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| 66. Overkill - Horrorscope | Rating: 8/10
Overkill's Horrorscope was one of my first introductions to thrash metal back in 1991. The others were Exodus' Impact is Imminent, Slayer's Decade of Aggression and Forbidden's Twisted into Form. It was a pretty good year as I remember. Horrorscope has haunted my memory since. From the captivating opening notes to the final brilliantly me....
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| 67. Nelson - Because They Can | Rating: 8/10
"Because They Can" is the Nelson brothers' second album and my favorite. It is a melodic rock gem that successfully overflows with melody and passion. These songs wear their heart on their sleeves and combined with the soft, half-acoustic approach they hit just the right tone. The production gives the album special warmth and besides the usual....
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| 68. Neal Morse - Sola Scriptura | Rating: 8/10
Line-up:
Neal Morse - Vocals, Keyboard/Piano, Guitar
Randy George - Bass
Paul Gilbert - Guitar
Mike Portnoy - Drums
Neal Morse is a man of passion.
Passion really is a keyword on this, his fourth solo album. On the surface the album looks rather intimidating, with only 4 songs, comprising 76 minutes of music. Beneat....
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| 69. Neal Morse - Lifeline | Rating: 8/10
Neal Morse is back with his latest solo album, a non-conceptual piece titled Lifeline. The music is progressive rock of high technical caliber with Neal's passionate voice as the emotional center. Mike Portnoy still inhabits the drum kit with flair and inventiveness, Randy George returns on bass while Neal handles keyboard and gu....
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| 70. My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade | Rating: 8/10
My Chemical Romance is a recent discovery of mine. The black parade is their third album and it has made quite an impression. Musically this is punk-flavored rock that comes at you like a freight train loaded with melodic goodness. Everything about the album is catchy as hell and after a few listens every single song has taken turns playing in....
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| 71. Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell | Rating: 8/10
My first encounter with Meat Loaf was back in 1993 when I'd Do Anything For Love was at it's peak. Everybody I knew hated that song but I thought there was something intriguing about it so I bought the Bat Out of Hell II album and got hooked on the atmosphere and the extensive, if somewhat sprawling songs. I then managed to fi....
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| 72. Manowar - Warriors of the world | Rating: 8/10
I can happily report that Manowar are back and they're in fine form. The new album is an awesome piece of work. After listening to it too many times to count it has pretty much reached the same status as their other albums. There are a couple of things keeping it from reaching the true classic status though.
Some of the songs on the album h....
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| 73. Manowar - Hail to England | Rating: 8/10
After the immensely epic second album, Into Glory Ride, Hail to England takes a more direct approach. The songs are shorter and the album comes in at only 33 minutes. The length of an album doesn't always matter but here the album falls a little short because it only has 6 real songs. Still those songs are all classics in my book, jam-packed w....
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| 74. Lanfear - The Art Effect | Rating: 8/10
The Art Effect is the third album by Germany's Lanfear. Never having heard anything by them before, I was pretty much blown away by this effort. Complex Power Metal of high quality, with many progressive elements. They go beyond your standard German Power Metal band and manage to sound really fresh.
Powerful is the right word to describe t....
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| 75. King Diamond - The Eye | Rating: 8/10
The Eye is one of my favorite King Diamond albums and since it was released back in 1990 King has only recently surpassed it with The Puppet Master (and only by a very slight margin). The Eye is one of King Diamond's simpler albums and a perfect introduction to his work. The songs are very catchy and don't take long before they stick in your m....
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| 76. King Diamond - Conspiracy | Rating: 8/10
There really shouldn't be any need to point this out, but Conspiracy is up there with my favorite King Diamond albums. The heinous front cover aside, Conspiracy is a classic that has a handful of the best songs the King has ever written. There is a vigor to the music that gets the blood pumping. The band feels sparkling and it really comes out....
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| 77. Kamelot - The Black Halo | Rating: 8/10
Since their first album, Eternity, Kamelot have evolved greatly. From a more or less basic approach with a strong reliance on the guitar work to a full-blown symphonic experience with everything it implies. Of course the band's success has given them acces to greater production values, but it feels like Kamelot has been slowly but surely, fine....
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| 78. Kamelot - Dominion | Rating: 8/10
Dominion is the second Kamelot album and the last with their original singer Mark Vanderbilt and co-founding drummer Richard Warner. The Kamelot of yore was a rawer and less polished musical entity than they are today. I discovered Kamelot with this album and it has remained my favorite alongside "Karma" and "The Black Halo". The....
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| 79. Jon Oliva´s Pain - ´Tage Mahal | Rating: 8/10
Jon Oliva has released his first solo album and it is a killer! It is one of those albums that doesn't grab you right away but slowly creeps up on you and suddenly smacks you right in the face with it's diversity and emotion, much like Oliva's voice itself. Jon is using all the former musicians of Circle II Circle and they do a very good job, ....
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| 80. Evergrey - The Inner Circle | Rating: 8/10
Evergrey are back with another album worthy of their name. Like In search of truth, The Inner Circle is a concept album. This time dealing with religion. As a promo copy equals no lyrics and I am still waiting for my Limited Edition to arrive, I won't go into further detail on the concept. If you have not heard Evergrey before then The inner c....
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| 81. Eternity X - Mind Games | Rating: 8/10
It's a mind game... The second full length album from Eternity X is a varied and challenging affair. The American band had delivered a highly ambitious project in the form of their debut "Zodiac", a concept album revolving around the star signs. Mind Games is more accessible and easier digested. It is a small gem in the world of p....
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| 82. Enuff Z'nuff - Animals with human intelligence | Rating: 8/10
About two hours after I had decided to review "Animals with human intelligence" as this month's classic I got a message from a friend saying that guitarist Derek Frigo had died. It was a freaky and chilling feeling and sadly this later turned out to be true. Anyway, this will not be a mourning session, rather a celebration of one of the finest....
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| 83. Elegy - Lost | Rating: 8/10
With Lost Elegy created a stand-out record that is instantly recognizable and inhabited by a very special atmosphere. It settled itself in the back of my brain back in 1995 and has never really left. Progressive Metal is the order of the day with sublime guitar work, strong melodies and a vocalist that sometimes reminds me of John Arch (Fates ....
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| 84. Edenbridge - Aphelion | Rating: 8/10
This is the third album from Austria's Edenbridge. I got their debut Sunrise in Eden when it came out and thought it was quite excellent, but along the way I lost some of my initial interest in it. That and time was why I never caught up with their second release Arcana. Now I have in my hand, a promo of their....
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| 85. Dead Soul Tribe - A murder of crows | Rating: 8/10
A murder of crows takes the listener on a dark journey through the strange mind of Devon Graves. It is the second album from Dead Soul Tribe and both continues and evolves the style from the debut. Compared to the debut this effort overall has a more complete feeling. The music is still what you can call Progressive Metal, but it has been a lo....
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| 86. D:A:D - Riskin' It All | Rating: 8/10
This was my first D:A:D album and in fact the first time I really started taking notice of Rock music back in the day. 1991 to be more exact. This album along with Metallica's black one was my introduction. From there things developed quickly. There are some strong feelings tied to this album and taking it down from the shelf is l....
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| 87. Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory | Rating: 8/10
Crimson Glory released two classic albums back in the eighties. This is their debut, simply titled Crimson Glory. A monster debut that shows a band with absolutely huge potential. Crimson Glory play their own Powerful and Melodic Heavy Metal with a some progressive tendencies. With a fantastic sense of melody, sharp solos, brilliant compositio....
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| 88. CrashDïet - Rest in Sleaze | Rating: 8/10
A chance listen to "Queen Obscene/69 Shots" on the way home from this years Sweden Rock Festival was enough for me to make a mental note to get this album as soon as I got home. It arrived a week later and since then I've been addicted to CrashDïet. The music is bursting with positive energy and I have to listen to the album several times a da....
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| 89. Circle II Circle - Watching In Silence | Rating: 8/10
Circle II Circle is the new band of Zak Stevens, also known as the former singer of my favourite US Metal band, Savatage. I am one of those, who have always thought that Jon Oliva is the perfect voice for Savatage. When Zak took over the vocals in that band, I was naturally quite skeptical at the beginning, but through time he....
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| 90. Bob Catley - Middle Earth | Rating: 8/10
With the recent release of the extended DVD version of "Lord of the Rings - Return of the king", what better way to celebrate it than to dig deep into this captivating journey through Tolkien's world. The perfect setting for this very special kind of Epic Rock music. Bob Catley's last collaboration with Ten singer/songwriter Gary Hughes also r....
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| 91. Ayreon - 01011001 | Rating: 8/10
A new Ayreon album is always an exciting acquaintance. Hailing from Holland, Anthony Arjen Lucassen, the Ayreon mastermind, is known for assembling an impressive assortment of singers and instrumentalists for each of his rock operas. His previous, The Human Equation, was a small masterpiece of progressive rock and metal fused together in an or....
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| 92. Annihilator - Set The World On Fire - Re-release | Rating: 8/10
Back in 1993, Set the world on fire was my first aquaintance with Annihilator and it captured me at once. This is Heavy Metal of the best kind. It marries heaviness, melody, humor and cool solos into ten enjoyable pieces of music that just feel right and very well put together. Guitar wizard Jeff Waters conjures intricate and surprising riffs ....
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| 93. Angra - Holy Land | Rating: 8/10
Angra's Holy land was their second album and it's still my favorite. After the impressive debut the band developed big time and here they have expanded their sound, the songwriting is more focused and they bring in new native elements which give the album a unique atmosphere. Beside guitar, bass and drums a whole host of Brazillian percuss....
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| 94. Aina (The Metal Opera) - Days of rising doom | Rating: 8/10
'Aina - Days of rising doom' is a fantasy metal opera of the best kind. Epic, melodic and powerful are a few keywords to describe the album. Along with a long list of singers the music brings life to a story of love, hate and sibling rivalry. Okay, so it may not be the most original concept in the world, but the story is good and it is execute....
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| 95. Wolf - Ravenous | Rating: 7.5/10
Discovery of the year!Until now Wolf had always been a band I heard of but never really heard. Ravenous is an excellent collection of songs rooted deeply in Heavy Metal of the no-keyboard variety. It's classic metal with bite! Wolf's approach is powerful and heavy with a gleam in the eye. It's easy to hear that these guys enjoy ....
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| 96. Vicious Rumors - Soldiers of the Night | Rating: 7.5/10
Vicious Rumors' debut album from 1985 shows a band with huge potential. The album is filled with energized and melodic Heavy Metal from start to finish. While the band would go on to release even better and more acomplished albums this was the beginning, and it is definitely one that deserves to be heard.
By 1985 standards and all things co....
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| 97. White Lion - Big Game | Rating: 7.5/10
In preparation for the upcoming White Lion concert at Pumpehuset I am continuing my trip down White Lion Lane.
After the multi platinum success of Pride and a long world tour the pressure was on and the band headed straight into the studio where they wrote and recorded Big Game in a very short time. The album still sparkles with creativity ....
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| 98. Wastefall - Self Exile | Rating: 7.5/10
Unpredictable. That is one word that clings to Wastefall. Fans of technical progressive metal should take notice of this one. Wastefall come from Greece and they display some serious talent on this, their third release. Their first two releases are well worth your time as well. All you really need to know is that the compositions the band make....
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| 99. To/Die/For - IV | Rating: 7.5/10
After some internal turmoil the Finns are back with their fourth album. As with their last album Jaded you will find song upon song of highly catchy and heavy rock music with slight gothic undertones. The gothic touch comes singlehandedly from lead singer Jape's unique voice. Once his voice gets under your skin you will get addicted, trust me.....
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| 100. To/Die/For - Wounds Wide Open | Rating: 7.5/10
You may run from sorrow, but sorrow will find you...So begins the the latest output from Finland's To/Die/For. "Wounds Wide Open" is an album filled with feelings of regret, loss and. sorrow. Though many of the lyrics have a bleak outlook, they are carried out with a bittersweet beauty and with the music being extremely infectious....
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Daily Spotlight
Iced Earth - The Crucible of Man, Something Wicked Pt. 2
 Iced Earth led their ride into glory and metal immortality with the amazing power/thrash masterpiece, "Somet....
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Retro Reviews
(Steen)
Nuclear Valdez - I am I
This is one album that has blown me away. I got it as a birthday present almost a year ago and soon discovered it to be very special. I am I is the debut of Nuclear Valdez and man, what a debut! Being....
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(Michael)
Saraya - Saraya
 In 1989 the world saw the debut release from Saraya. The band was named after female vocalist Sandi Saraya, who assembled a strong band with guitarist Tony Bruno, keyboard player Gregg Munier, bassist....
Read full review
Archive
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