Honourable Mentions - Top of 2021

  Welcome to another list of best albums, counting down the best records of 2021. Just before we get to the top 31 list, we will present some albums that came out that while great, didn't quite make the cut. Without further delay, we are presenting:

 

2021 HONOURABLE MENTIONS (In no particular order)

 

Necromantia - To the depths we descend (The Circle Music)

It's been over a decade since the Greek blackmetallers released their previous album and considering that the band officially split after coming together for this record makes it worthy of listening! A great final chapter filled with awesome heavy riffs and themes which has not anything from the edge that the band is known of. Farewell to Magus Wampyr Daoloth as he descends to the depths!

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Epica - Omega (Nuclear Blast)

Epica is one of those bands that started as a classic symphonic metal band  but slowly evolved with time to have a distinct sound, releasing a couple of interesting albums in latest years including 2014 Top entry and this year's Omega. The blend of Simone Simons' beautiful vocals, harsh vocals, melodic tunes and orchestral score make for a great release with highlights like the "Abyss of Time - Countdown to Singularity".

 

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Orden Ogan - Final Days (AFM Records)

Final Days is a great surprise this year by German power metallers, Orden Ogan, who have evolved from folk to melodic power metal. The record with its sci-fi lyrical themes is very pleasant listen with major replay value thanks to catchy and uplifting tunes overcoming some darker lyrics. Such examples include "In the Dawn of the AI" which has a very memorable chorus made for sing-alongs.

 

 

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Dalriada - Oszelo (H-music)

If you are looking for a pure folk metal album look no further. Dalriada have everything you need from Hungarian poems and tales inspiring their songs to folky guitar/ flute/ bagpipes tunes and finally an amazing blend of male and female vocals. A great release for all the folk fans out there!

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Korpiklaani - Jylha (Nuclear Blast)

 Finland has a breadth of folk metal bands with Korpiklaani being one of the most prominent examples thanks to the contribution of none other than the band's main vocalist Jonne (who has also released personal albums). Jonne might have diverted from the classic Korpiklaani sound adding more of his personal sound to this album and although this might disappoint some hardcore fans it makes for an interesting turn in the band's journey.

 

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Mortal Soil - Mortal Soil (Underground Power Records)

This the first full-length album by Finnish heavy metallers Mortal Soil and it definitely fills the listener with excitement about their future steps in the metal journey. The record is an enjoyable heavy metal blast with great melodic tunes and pure male vocals. A great listen with no dull moments and a definite Ghost-reminiscent vibe that adds to the demonic atmosphere.

 

 

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Evergrey - Escape of the Phoenix (AFM Records)

 

A great album by Evergrey(after the exceptional The Atlantic in 2019), who have also released another album in 2022, signifying a band that still has a lot to give to the genre of melodic (prog) metal.  Tom Englund amazing mellow voice always elevates the songs and makes them memorable.

 

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Significant Point - Into the Storm (Dying Victims Productions)

Significant Point is one of those rare gems coming out of Japan who has a history of symphonic and melodic bands that blasts out all expectation and creates a classic and enjoyable speed album. This is the first full-length record of the band but it sounds like they have found their sound and know how to combine heavy riffs with speed elements while also adding their own touch.

 

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Utmarken - Svåra År (Utmarken)

Utmarken's album makes us wish that there were more folk metal bands who don't hesitate to release their songs in their native language. Although this is quite common in other countries such as Finland, this is less so in Sweden. The sogs in this album (and the previous albums released by the band) prove that this is definitely worth it! Overall, a great blend of metal riffs, lyrics in Swedish and folk sounds (like that of Nyckelharpa).

 

 

 

 

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Sur Austru - Obârșie (Avantgarde Music)

Sur Austru add a twist in the classic black metal sounds with atmospheric folk elements and make for a memorable and unique sound. The folk band from Romania dwel into folklore tales and stories about nature packing it with heavy folk elements from traditional instrumens (such as Bucium, Toaca and flutes). An interesting blend of genres creating a true folk atmosphere.

 

 

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Anneke Van Giersbergen - The Darkest Skies Are the Brightest (Inside Out Music)

It is impossible to not know and love Anneke's unique and beautiful voice that is recognised by a number of diverse projects such as Ayreon, Devin Townsend and The Gathering. She has also made her mark with collaboration including her recent guest in Amorphis' previous album. In her personal album Anneke shows her softer side and shares with us a series of mellow tracks like "I saw a Car" that are great driving companions and can be heard on repeat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

#3 - Top of 2020

 Ayreon - Transitus (Music Theories Recordings)

We find ourselves in 1884, in a world of inequality and moral decay, with the divide between the rich and the poor along with the various social and racial issues becoming more and more intense. There, Daniel and Abby, two young people from the two opposite ends of this world, fall in love and dream about their life together, until fate intervenes ...

This gothic romance is the  concept of Ayreon's brand new album, with Arjen Lucassen himself stating that "Transitus" was one of his most demanding and time consuming works, absorbing three years of his life! The cast of characters is impressive, with Tommy Karevik (Kamelot, Seventh Wonder) and Cammie Gilbert (of Oceans Of Slumber) as the main protagonists, along with Dee Snider (as Daniel's father), Paul Manzi (ex-Arena, as Henry, Daniel's brother), Simone Simons (as the Angel of Death) and Michael Mills (The Statue).

In general, Arjen Lucassen's presence is a guarantee of quality, with his latest output being no exception to the rule. Transitus is an album, whose material seems to have been created to function only as a whole, within the broader context of the story told through its lyrics, with actor Tom Baker in the introductory narrative of each "chapter" of the plot.

Nevertheless, the album does require a set of special listening conditions, as it requires undivided attention, but also multiple replays, to fully unfold. Of course, listening to it while reading its lyrics really helps to get into the mood more easily and quickly, something that will clearly be achieved to the fullest extent by flipping through the 28 pages of comic book that comes with it. Despite that there are moments that do stand out, like "Get out! Now!", with the formidable Dee Snider stealing the show and "Dumb Piece of Rock" with the impressive vocal breadth of the amazing Michael Mills.

"Transitus" can only stand out for what it is, being another exceptional albeit slightly different Ayreon album that will satisfy thoroughly those who delve into it to the extent it deserves.

97.4/100

Below are the music videos for "Daniel's Descent into Transitus", "Get out Now" and "Talk of the Town"

Honourable Mentions - Top of 2020

 Welcome to another list of best albums, counting down the best among 2020 records. Before we get to the meat of the list, we will present some records that came out that while great, didn't quite get there. Without further delay, we are presenting:

2020 HONOURABLE MENTIONS (In no particular order)

Lucifer - Lucifer III (Trooper Entertainment)

 Lucifer, released their 3rd full length album in 2020 and it doesn't lack anything from what makes their sound unique including a retro dark feeling and amazing female vocals which steal the show. The band is not afraid to move between different sounds and styles, from atmospheric tracks like “Leather Demon”, to the more energetic “Flanked by Snakes” and the title-track “Lucifer” without missing out on their doomy beginnings. Worth a listen for those who are into that occult-inspired heavy rock.

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Merkfolk  - Echo (Independent)

 

Merkfolk is a an interesting folk band from Poland who released their third full length album in 2020. All songs are in the band's native language which fits perfectly with a mixture of flute, fiddle and accordion melodies. The record is pure folk with many tracks having a traditional but yet unique sound like "Dwa wina". A great listen by "the bringer of folk" (as the band's name loosely translates)!

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Moon Reverie - Moon Reverie (Rockshots Music)

 

Italian Neoclassical Rockers Moon Reverie truly impressed us with their debut outing from Rockshots last year. Their combination of technical musicianship with beautiful vocal lines and lengthy neoclassical instrumental pieces that demonstrate their virtuosity and their passion for music, was enough to stand out from the rest of the releases in their genre this year, exciting everyone regarding possible future music outputs from the band and  showing how a mildly contrived genre can get new ideas and directions from young and energetic artists that pay tribute to its past while shaping its future.

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Jet Jaguar - Endless Nights (Pride and Joy Music)

Another debut album, this time from Mexican speed/glam metallers Jet Jaguar. A breakout act from Wacken 2017's Open Air Metal Battle, they were able to take full advantage of that fact, by signing to a label (Pride and Joy) that is very good at showcasing new acts in a wider audience, and released a killer debut album, which includes not only hooky songs (such as "Blinding Lights"), but excellent compositions of pure speedy heavy metal! 

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Magnum - The Serpent Rings (Steamhammer)

 Magnum is one of those bands who still remain "true rockers" and ALWAYS deliver on their releases (making it into a number of our earlier Tops including 2016, Hard Rock Top and 2018). Armed with Bob Catley's unique voice, The Serpent Rings (the 21st full length album by Magnum!!!), has all the great traits of band including catchy tunes that are bound to be instant classics like "Where Are You Eden?" and chorus that are made for sing alongs like "Not Forgiven". Definitely worth a listen while waiting to see them live sometime in the future.

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Lord Vigo - Danse de Noir (High Roller Records)

In their 4th full length release, German Doomsters completely flipped the script, and presented a record that differs quite considerably from their previous releases, approaching their doom metal through the lens of the Dio-era albums of Black Sabbath and adding a very distinct 80s Neon/Scifi aesthetic to their distinct epic doom sound. Their experiment was successful for the most part and while we may miss the epicness oozing from their previous releases, this is still a great album unveiling a different aspect of the band, showing that the band is way more than a one-trick pony.

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Aether Realm - Redneck Vikings from Hell (Napalm Records)

 Aether Realm are one of those releases you hear about randomly and gets you hooked right away. Coming from the US, the band has a melodic death sound with a more "radio-friendly" twist that makes them memorable. The album has a number of great tracks including the super-catchy "Goodbye" and the fanbase-dedicated "TMHC" (standing for the Tiny Metal Hand Crew) making it enjoyable to listen through the album. It is worth having this band in mind as they show some great traits differentiating themselves from the classic melodic death metal sound.

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Mike LePond's Silent Assassins - Whore of Babylon (Silver Lining Music)

In their third offering, the personal band of Symphony X's bassist continue playing unadulterated pure heavy metal with touches of speed. prog, power and epic metal sprinkled in at different quantities throughout the record. Lepond has developed over these three releases a personal sound and this is even more evident here, where almost any composition could easily be a hit single, with almost no filler chaff mixed in. Among the best tracks of the album are "Ironborn", "Ides of March" and "Dracul's Son", but virtually any song has the potential to grow into a mega-hit. Highly recommended for all metal-heads with an affinity for late 90's power/heavy metal sound!

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Temperance  - Viridian (Napalm Records)

Italy is known for a breadth of melodic heavy metal bands but not many are as successful in creating memorable and catchy tunes like Temperance. The album is packed with with tracks that stick to your mind and you are bound to listen on repeat with examples like the pumping "I Am the Fire", the melodic "My Demons Can't Sleep" and last but not list the Mission-Impossible2-inspired "Mission Impossible". With the bonus of a blend of great female and male vocals complimenting each other, Viridian makes for an uplifting release worth checking out.

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Boisson Divine - La Halha  (Brennus Music)

It might have been some time since we last heard from French folk band (previously in the 2013 Top) but they still got this unique sound that fits perfectly with their mixture of French and regional Occitan dialect. Straight from the first track "Lo pèla pòrc" to the memorable "Libertat", the album is packed with traditional sounds (including hurdy gurdy, flabuta, boha and accordion). A very interesting 2020 release from the French folk scene, making us wish there were more bands like them!

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Greyhawk - Keepers of the Flame (Fighter Records)

 What a debut album! Greyhawk show signs of great things to come in the future with their Keepers of the Flame. Riding on the wave of great heavy metal bands coming out of the US in the past couple of year, Greyhawk sound like a band to keep in mind with great clear vocals which along with heavy metal riffs make for some memorable EPIC tracks like "Frozen Star" and "Keepers of the Flame". Definitely worth a listen for all those true heavy metal fans!

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The Flower Kings - Islands (Inside Out)

Another year, another great release from Roine Stolt and company this time around, just one short year after the release of the excellent Waiting for Miracles! While not as masterful as its predecessor, Islands manages to be another highly enjoyable release in the long list of beautifully crafted albums by one of the most consistently good prog rock acts out there. Highlights of the record include the single "Broken" and "Tangerine" which interweaves the vocals of Hasse Fröberg with those of Stolt in a truly magical vocal interplay worthy of any previous release of the band!

#31 - Top of 2019

Gloryhammer - Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex (Napalm Records)

Gloryhammer are back from the legendary plains of Scotland with their third full length album, a worthy continuation of their chaotic intergalactic saga (for the previous chapter see their Top 2015 entry). Between the catchy choruses of "The Siege of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust)", the imposing Rhapsody-like "The Land of Unicorns" and the keyboard-based "Power of the Laser Dragon Fire" reminiscent of Stratovarius, Angus McFife XIII, Crown Prince of Fife acts as a narrator of epic tales comprising the fictional history of Scotland! Of course, the album is also packed with memorable tracks like "Gloryhammer"which describes the Heavy Metal Darklord Crasher wielding history of the band and the quick-paced tongue-twister "Hootsforce" describing the fight for Fife! The closing track, "The Fires of Ancient Cosmic Destiny" is by far the more theatrical and symphonic song of this album spanning over 12 minutes and blending electronic with orchestral elements while providing a fitting closure to the interdimensional struggles of the brave prince of Fife against  Zargothrax, leaving us to wonder where will the next chapter to this story find Angus McFife and Gloryhammer?

93.6/100

Below is the music video for the song "Hootsforce".

#34 - Top of 2019

Battle Beast - No More Hollywood Endings (Nuclear Blast Records)

Battle Beast have always been a band that has tried to evolve and reinvent themselves and their music with each record. With the departure of Anton Kabanen, the band had to evolve, adopting more pop elements in their previous album, while maintaining their signature style. Here, with "No More Hollywood Endings", the band take it one step further, almost completely abandoning their power metal character and essentially creating an album that seems like the demented lovechild of ABBA, Nightwish and Bon Jovi. But is that necessarily a bad think dear reader? The answer really depends from your perspective; if you were a die-hard fan of the band for its infectious pop-metal silliness, then this may come as a big disappointment. However those willing to embrace the new Beast will find a trove of excellent songs here, even if it's no longer in the same vein with what they would expect from Noora and company. "No more Hollywood Endings" and "Eden" are truly memorable Finish Sympho tracks, "Unfairy tales" is an excellent 80s power ballad, "Endless Summer" is a very tasty pop marshmallow, "The Hero" grooves hard, while  "The Golden Horde" is a god-honest metal bashing among the fluff surrounding it. 
Overall, this a very good and different output opening new avenues for the band, showing how a pop metal band can transition to something different while maintaining very high standards of quality.

93.3/100

Below is the music video for the titular track and "Eden"

#35 - Top of 2019

Avantasia - Moonglow (Nuclear Blast)

2019 was a great year for Tobias Sammet, releasing another great chapter that can be proudly added to the journey of his symphonic power metal project, Avantasia. Tobias has been busy collaborating with a range of bands from different genres and making some interesting guest appearances in the recent Ayreon (2017) and Magnum (2018) albums! Ghostlights (the previous Avantasia record) might have been a bit more unmemorable, though still enjoyable, addition as it was released closer to the last Edguy album (that made it to the 2014 Top), but in Moonglow you can listen to the amazing elements that made earlier Avantasia instantly recognisable and memorable! The album is packed with great star-power including Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian), Geoff Tate (ex-Queensryche), Bob Catley, Michael Kiske (Helloween) and Jorn Lande, making the songs a great remix of some of the most talented singers out there! The album has some nice simply structured songs, like the melodic "Monglow" which is definitely aiming for a wider crowd but the highlights of the album are without a doubt songs where Sammet takes some risk by interchanging between musical and lyrical themes as well as masterfully combining numerous guest singers whose voices beautifully complement each other. Such an example is amazing "The Raven Child" which spans over 11 minutes and gives us some of the most memorable moments of the record featuring an awesome mix of Kürsch and Lande's voices! Another great moment is "Invincible" where Tate shines with his mellow voice in this piano-based melancholic composition that inevitably has a Queensryche-like vibe to it and acts in juxtaposition to the quick-paced "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" spearheaded by Jorn Lande. A definite improvement over the latest Avantasia albums and another glorious chapter in the European power metal mythos
 


93.3/100

Below are the official lyric video for the the song "The Raven Child" and the official music video for "Moonglow".

# 6 - Top of 2018

Powerwolf - Sacrament of Sin (Napalm Records)

What can be said about the German power metallers other than they know the secret formula behind making a symphonic power metal catchy and epic at the same time while also being able to expand on their horror themes! Powerwolf are definitely among the top choices for fans of that genre. "Sacrament of Sin" is their seventh full length album continuing a streak of excellent releases (with 2015's Blessed and Posessed being almost as good).

The album is full with blasting epic tunes, with examples like the galloping "Fire & Forgive" that showcase Attila Dorn's imposing vocals, the amazing supporting choirs and booming drums by Roel Van Helden. There are also more theatrical songs that are based on dramatic keyboards like "Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend" which was created for sing-alongs live shows and blends perfectly with the equally pompous "Killers with the Cross" and its VERY catchy chorus, ominous vocals and melodic guitar interlude. "Incense and Iron" is the highlight of the album and one of the best songs of Powewolf so far as it combines all the elements that make the band's song recognisable and memorable including quick-paced tunes, bagpipes, a heavy male chorus and a horror lyrical theme that bring an epic feeling to this ode to holy war! While the dramatic piano-based power ballad "Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone" lets the listener catch a breath by slowing down the pacing, the impressive "Stossgebet" ups the heaviness by succeeding in combining latin and german. The title-song "The Sacrament of Sin" takes a turn towards more classic German power metal puick-paced riffs without losing anything from the characteristic Powerwolf extravagant feeling present in other songs like "Nightside of Siberia". "Venom of Venus" is another personal favourite as it focus on Attila's amazingly clear and heavy vocals and melodic guitar riffs with the addition of some eerie sounds! Finally the imposing church-organ intro and the simple but still effective chorus of "Nighttime Rebel" along with the choir heavy "Fist by Fist (Sacralize or Strike)" create the perfect ending for an incredible release by Powewolf!







96.65/100


Below are the official lyric video for "Incense & Iron" and the official music videos for "Fire & Forgive", "Killers With the Cross" and "Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend".

#19 - Top of 2018

Psychework - Karelian Hills (Ranka Kustannus)

Symphonic Heavy metal has been an oft maligned genre, with bands essentially playing pop sprinkled with heavy guitars often claiming to be part of a genre, which has essentially become a term signifying lack of quality. Fear not gentle reader! For Psychework have put METAL back in the Symphonic/Atmospheric genre. Their truly seminal work "Karelian Hills" is only their second album, and although I never heard the band or their label, from the first second of opener "Siege" I was hooked. The dramatic Vocals of  Antony Parviainen, along with the sound samples and epic catchy chorus, let you know that this is not a run of the mill band. This is further verified by the second track "Phantoms White" with epic moments  mixed with  pinches of black metal twists and turns."Karelian Hills" is an epic crescendo, "Fire Still Burns" is a silent moment of contemplation, "Ghost Patrol" is a power metal hymn and finisher "There Beyond" is a theatric/avant-guarde piece of symphonic perfection. Once the album finishes you are left wondering how you have not heard of Psychework yet and, more importantly why the hell these guys are not a household name yet!

94.5/100

Below is the music video for "Siege"

#17 - Top of 2017

Operus - Cenotaph (Dark Star Records)

Cenotaph is the debut album of Operus, a epic symphonic metal band from Canada and it succeeds in giving us an amazing symphonic record for this year's top, starting with the epic instrumental intro "Silver Spell"! The pompous "Steel Against Steel" is full of acoustic and electronic guitar riffs that are perfectly completed by powerful lead vocals (David Michael Moote), supported by backing vocals (Robin Howe (cello) and Wojtek Sokolowski (bass))! The theatrical "Colosseum" adds a darker tone and more pronounced cello notes that transitioned to another awesome acoustic-based instrumental "Sands of Time" (which brings in mind an epic movie soundtrack) preparing the listener for the blasting "Fate's Pantomime" with its operatic elements. The melodic "Wretched Play" lets the listener catch a breath before the epic title-song "Cenotaph" and bound-to-stuck-to-your-mind "Maya & the Wolf "! The wrap-up song "The Return" runs over 7 minutes and its perfect blend of symphonic and operatic tunes with heavy guitar riffs and impressive vocals that you will leave you wanting for more. Stellar album!


94/100 

Below is the lyric video for the song "The Return".

#32 - Top of 2017

Aeternam - Ruins of Empires (Independent)

There have been many worthy bands with oriental influences that have drawn attention to their excellent craftmanship in the last 15 years. Among the most prominent are the brutal pioneers of the scene, Orphaned Land and the more radio-friendly Myrath. Aeternam are clearly more at home with the former, rather than the latter, releasing their 3rd full length album, feature a healthy mix of oriental sound and melodic death metal in equal doses. Ruins of Empires is their first album in 5 years and is an impressive return for the band, a few months before Orphaned Land also releasing their new record "Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs". Ruins of Empires kicks off with the melodic "Damascus Gate", before shifting gears with "Paropamisadae" unleashing a death metal fury. "Sun Shield" leans on a more symphonic death metal side, eschewing the oriental elements and alternates between symphonic clean passages and thrashing death metal. "Keeper of Shangri-La" is a beautifully crafted acoustic breather, with influences ranging from European to far-eastern folk music and symphonic elements mixed throughout. "Fallen is the Simulacrum of Bel" kicks off with a choral part eerily reminiscent of Therion and influences to Swedish symphonic giants are evident throughout the track's guitar lines, truly a great song. "Colossus" blends the metalcore influences of the band with symphonic elements and intricate riffing. The follow-up "Nightfall on Numidia", brings back the oriental elements, and acts as a relaxing oriental break, with additional female vocals provided by Hind Fazazi of Manahil.  The following "Praetor of Mercury" switches again to melodic death metal, with clear influences from Septic Flesh . The closer Zadyin Arga, attempts to unify the elements present across the record, featuring everything from typical death metal breakdowns, oriental vocal lines, symphonic keys, infectious melodies and cool solos, bringing the album to a glorious end. Check the album out and support the band at their Bandcamp page here.

92/100

Below is the music video for the opener "Damascus Gate".

#22 - Top of 2016

Serenity - Codex Atlanticus (Napalm Records)

Moving up the top is a symphonic power prog band from Austria, Serenity, who released their 5th album Codex Atlanticus in 2016! The clear and powerful voice of lead singer, Georg Neuhauser blends perfectly with the metal vibes and the orchestrated elements that are present throughout the album. One of the highlights of the record is the imposing "Iniquity" with its theatrical feeling, amazing symphonic orchestration and captivating melodies as well as the melodic "Caught in a Myth" with its awesome choruses. But this is not all! The record has a range of interesting songs including the powerful "Fate of Light", the piano-based "The Perfect Woman" and the epic "Spirit in the Flesh". It is also enhanced by amazing female guest vocals by Amanda Sommerville and Tasha, that add a more elegant note to the songs with "Sail" being one of the best examples! Overall, Codex Atlanticus is a great show of excellent musical craftsmanship and lyrical themes from an intriguing symphonic power metal band that is definitely worth a listen! 

93/100

Below is the music video for the song "Follow Me".

#12- Top of 2011

Turisas- Stand Up and Fight (Century Media Records)

Stand Up and Fight is undeniably one of the best albums released by Turisas to date, as it manages to capture the epic feeling that the Finnish symphonic/ folk metal band represents inviting the listener to join in the journey to battle and glory! The record starts of with the powerful "March of the Varangian Guard" and keeps going with blasting tunes and strong (clean and brutal) vocals along with amazing choruses. The songs throughout are full with excitement and great melodies, with examples like the "Take the Day!", unique and uplifting "βένετοι! - πράσινοι!" (with its amazing orchestration) and refreshing pirate-themed "Hunting Pirates" that invites you to sing along. The album doesn't slow down with one of the peaks being the excellent "Stand Up and Fight" and the melodic "End of an Empire"!
The choirs and orchestras along with all the metal elements erupt into a bombastic album with unique replay value, especially when you are filling low and looking for something like a catchy battle anthem that can be uplifting and melodic!



94/100

Below is the official music video for the song "Stand Up and Fight".

#14- Top of 2012

Therion - Les Fleurs du Mal (End of the Light)

In number 14, we have the latest, to date full-length album of Therion who have since been put on a mini-hiatus to prepare a grandiose operatic album, while still occasionally hitting the road for a live or two. This is an endeavour unlike what Therion have produced ever before, as it contains exclusively covers of old songs from the 60s interpreted through the distorted lens of the very talented Mr Johnsson.  There is abundant talent here as the membership of the band has remained relatively unchanged from Sitra Ahraagain Johnsson here joined by Thomas Vikstrom of Candlemass fame, who also lend his voice in the previous Therion album (Sitra Ahra), the soprano Lori Lewis and Nalle Påhlsson (bass), Johan Koleberg (drums) and |Christian Vidal (lead guitrars). If you are a fan of old "golden age" pop songs and Therion, look no further! This one is for you!


 94/100

Below are the music videos for three of the cover songs of the album

#28 - Top of 2014

Epica - The Quantum Enigma (Nuclear Blast)

For me this was a surprise pick from 2014. I always thought of Epica as a one-trick pony - and with a lame trick too! In the beginning of the last decade with the unexpected success of Nightwish as well as the precedent of Theater of Tragedy, a new wave of female-fronted bands with "angelic" female vocals started to pop-up around the power/melodic metal scene, especially in Europe. Enter Epica, with Simone Simmons as their front-woman who gained fame on the back of her looks as well as cameos in some big hits from the much better known and far more talented metal act Kamelot. Since then more than ten years have passed and this latest offering from Epica could not be more different from what I just described. The music is orchestral and epic. The album is full of inspiration and catchy tunes that are at the same time intimate and grandiose. It feels that Epica have finally grown to a version of themselves that is deserving of their name. I think this is their best album to date by far and it has to be listened to, to be believed that this is from the same band. If you are a fan of epic choral bands like Therion, this is one of the top releases of 2014.

92/100


Below is a music video, for the album track "Victims of Contigency"

#8 - Top of 2015

Jorn Lande & Trond Holter - Dracula, Swing of Death (Frontiers Records)

Jorn Lande is a very well known person in the power metal community, to say the least. He gained prominence as the lead singer of Masterplan and then went on to sing in multiple other bands and guesting in at least twice as many. Thus, when the new album he created with the guitar player for Wig Wam, I did not expect anything of note. Sure, it would be a quality work, but I was expecting  nothing really special. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised! These guys show some terrific chemistry between them. The album flows effortlessly and all the songs have wonderfull hard rock/power metal melodies that keep getting better every time you hear them. This seems to truly be one of the best and most inspired records of Lande's career. Recommended as probably the best power metal release of the year.

95/100

Below is one of the best tracks from the record "Walking on Water"

#21 - Top of 2015

Seyminhol - The Wayward Son (Brennus Music)

Welcome to the top 21 albums of 2015! We begin this list by a lesser-known name: Seyminhol. Seyminhol hail from France, and were founded back in 1992! They released their first albums, with a very different sound in the early 00s and soon after started evolving their sound to a more power/prog metal sound, at times reminiscent of 90's Fate's Warning but with an extra touch of theatrical extravaganza and a personal touch. Kevin Kazek (lead singer) has a very soft voice and is able to convey a multitude of emotions in the "Wayward Son", from the very strong introductory "The Spectre's Confidence" to the end of the record. If you want to hear a Power/Prog Record with some very solid performances from one of the underdogs of the European Scene, that contains theatrical elements, heavy riffing  and heartfelt melodies, then this record is for you! I have not checked all their back catalog yet, but this record, at least, makes me wonder why these guys never broke through as they sound at least as good -if not better from many of their contemporaries.

91/100

Below is a lyric video from the new album