So, finally:
2009 - Top 25
01-Dalriada - Arany-Album
02-Nokturnal Mortum -The Voice of Steel
03-Damned Spirits' Dance - Weird Constellations
04-Ensiferum - From Afar
05-Arkona - Goi, Rode, Goi!
06-Carcariass - E-xtinction
07-Madder Mortem - Eight Ways
08-Kalisia - Cybion
09-Crimfall - As The Path Unfolds...
10-Tyr - By the Light of the Northern Star
11-Coronatus - Fabula Magna
12-Coram Lethe - A Splendid Chaos
13-Kreator - Hordes of Chaos
14-Absu - Absu
15-The Devin Townsend Project - Addicted!
16-Finsterforst - ... Zum Tode Hin
17-Black Sun Aeon -Darkness Walks Beside Me
18-Powerwolf - Bible Of The Beast
19-Candlemass - Death Magic Doom
20-Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome
21-Cemetery Of Scream - Frozen Images
22-Be'lakor - Stone's Reach
23-Soulfallen - Grave New World
24-Obscura - Cosmogenesis
25-Witheria - Painful Escape
And, as always, in relation with surprises and letdowns:
I know many of you think the biggest surprise in relation to music worldwide is the joining of the 2 eighties tit-techno-pop stars Sabrina Salerno and Samantha Fox making that cover song of Blondie "Call me"...
... but I finally decided to give another list with the bands just released their first CD or I didn't know their previous work till 2009. You can find out about them clicking over the names:
Surprises 2009
Crimfall - As The Path Unfolds
Hammer Horde - Under The Mighty Oath
Elenium - Eccentric Soul's Anatomy
Black Sun Aeon -Darkness Walks Beside Me
Kalisia - Cybion
The Mistral - When The Evening Crowns The Day
Damned Spirit's Dance - Weird Constellations
The Trophy - The Gift of Life
Onheil - Razor
Leprous - Tally Poppy Syndrome
Elegy - A Voice Will Call
Karlahan - A Portrait of Life
The Few Against Many - Sot
Strandhogg - Ritualistic Plague (Evangelical Death Apotheosis)
Debbie Ray - Artificial Misery
Whyzdom - From The Brink Of Infinity
Letdowns 2009
My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire
Same with their previous "A Line of Deathless Kings", this album got me too bored.
Believer - Gabriel
I remember very good things about this almost "cult" christian band. This was the coming back to the scene after more than 15 years and seems it would be better they stayed in the shadows.
Queensryche - American Soldier
I can't believe they are they same band that released that "Operation Mindcrime". They are totally lost after the beginning of the 90's, and with American Soldier they did their worst work ever. Unbearable.
Samael - Above
After that ... joke? that members of Samael had a different band which name I forgot for trying to return to their rawest sound, they finally released those songs under Samael's name and I think it could be much better that they released that stuff creating another different band. After the probable poor reviews they could return back to Samael and follow the good path. So yes, I am trying to say that I think this album under a different and unknown name would pass totally unnoticed.
Trollfest - Villanden
I had fun listening their previous work, ok not so much as to play that everyday, but it was crazy and funny. Their album of 2009 was too difficult even to finish. I admit I got stucked in the first minutes and never again.
Vader - Necropolis
Very poor attempt from one of the kings of the polish death metal. I could notice too few work behind the riffs and few inspiration that their good production could solve just in the surface.
Europe - Last Look At Eden
They are obviously not anymore the band of the 80's, and probably much better like this, it would sound maybe too unreal. But I dont like the way of pop-rock-hardrock they took. I expected something more about the creators of many timeless great Rock songs.
Halford - Winter Songs
No comments. Well, yes, just one word: shame.
Lita Ford - Wicked Wonderland
Omg what happened to this woman to turn into a kind of poor Marylin Manson with those electronics and industrial samplings and her voice sounding like crap (not even talking about the shit songs)???
Brainstorm - Memorial Roots
Slow, uninspired, weak, dull. The beginning of the end of Brainstorm?
Helloween - Unarmed
A joke that just them and their closest fans might like. A lame for the rest of us who grew with those great songs they converted into an album of 1 unbeareable hour. I liked the idea of making their own cover songs but not in this way.
And finally, something that some of you might find interesting to catch one or two or maybe many bands that you didnt know and might like: a 7-link compilation for 2009.
I have been listening and thinking about the best method for organizing and I decided to do like this:
- first 2 links: my best of 2009. One song per each band, with the order of my top.
- next links: divided by styles (I was thinking a lot for making a good division and have been listening all the material I have once and again, which took me several months). Most of those albums were good ones and there are also some good songs in not so good albums. Anyway, I think it is a good chance for knowing music that you might find interesting.
If you miss something or find that I didnt ment some famous'09 releases like the ones from Immortal or Dark Funeral or hmm Oranssi Pazuzu or Epica or Illdisposed or Katatonia or Marduk or Leaves' Eyes ... it is just that under my point of view they are not so good. Not for considering them as a letdown, but I didnt find them so interesting (and I gave them more than one chance..)
Best of 2009 I - The top 25
01 - Dalriada - Szent Lаszlв 2
02 - Nokturnal Mortum - Шляхом Сонця
03 - Damned Spirit's Dance - The Angel And The Dark River
04 - Ensiferum - Twilight Tavern
05 - Arkona - Yarilo
06 - Carcariass - Domination
07 - Madder Mortem - The Little Things
08 - Kalisia - Fusion Rebellion
09 - Crimfall - The Crown Of Treason
10 - Tyr - Hold the Heathen Hammer high
11 - Coronatus - Wolfstanz
12 - Coram Lethe - Passione Della Carne
13 - Kreator - To The After Burn
Best of 2009 II - The top 25
14 - Absu - Amy
15 - The Devin Townsend Project - Numbered
16 - Finsterforst - Urquell
17 - Black Sun Aeon - A Song For My Funeral
18 - Powerwolf - Seven Deadly Saints
19 - Candlemass - Dead Angel
20 - Leprous - Dare You
21 - Cemetery Of Scream - Prince Of The City's Lights
22 - Be'lakor - Held in Hollows
23 - Soulfallen - Devour
24 - Obscura - Anticosmic Overload
25 - Witheria - Legions Of Evil
Best of 2009 III - Viking/Pagan/Folk
01 - Alestorm - Keelhauled
02 - Black Messiah - Gullveig
03 - Blackguard - This Rounds On Me
04 - Claim The Throne - Set Sail On Me
05 - Der Galgen - Geschick
06 - Eluveitie - Omnos
07 - Glittertind - Glittertind
08 - Hammer Horde - Triumph Of Sword And Shield
09 - Ignis Fatuu - Nordwind
10 - Irminsul - Vigridsltt
11 - Karlahan - Twilight
12 - Manegarm - Nattsjäl, Dromsjäl
13 - Nachtgeschrei - Muspilli
14 - Obscurity - Varusschlacht
15 - Obsidieth - In Loss Of All
16 - Suidakra - Giilded Oars
17 - Vicious Crusade - Bang the Drum
Best of 2009 IV - Hard Rock/Heavy/Thrash
01 - Amorphis - Skyforger
02 - Burning Black - Secrets To Hide
03 - Cage - Stranger In Black
04 - Chainsaw - At Callanish
05 - Crash The System - Without Chances
06 - Danger Danger - Killin' Love
07 - Debbie Ray - Dirty Darling
08 - Dynazty - Bring The Thunder
09 - Geff - Land Of The Free
10 - Gotthard - Right From Wrong
11 - Heathen - Dying Season
12 - Hellfueled - In Anger
13 - Megadeth - Endgame
14 - Mystic Prophecy - Father Save Me
15 - Nightmare - Eternal Winter
16 - Outloud - We Run
17 - Saxon - Batallions Of Steel
18 - Susperia - Character Flaw
19 - The Trophy - The Way I Am
20 - W.E.T. - Invincible
21 - Winger - Big World Away
Best of 2009 V - Black/Death
01 - Behemoth - Transmigrating Beyong Realms Ov Amenti
02 - Chthonic - Forty-Nine Theurgy Chains
03 - Code - Smother the Crones
04 - Der Weg einer Freiheit - Ewigkeit
05 - Elenium - Towards Dismal Ecstasy
06 - Gorod - Guilty of Dispersal
07 - Hellsaw - A Suicide Journey
08 - Hypocrisy - Valley Of The Damned
09 - Necrophobic - Revelation 666
10 - Onheil - Rain Of Fire
11 - Razor Of Occam - Pattern On The Stone
12 - Strandhogg - Deathworshippers (Ritualistic Plague)
13 - Svarttjern - Code Human
14 - The Sarcophagus - Hymn to Awakening
15 - This Ending - Parasites
Best of 2009 VI - Gothic/Power/Progressive
01 - Compos Mentis - Ghost Song
02 - Dark Age - 10 Steps To Nausea
03 - Dawn Of Destiny - Dying Alone
04 - Deathstars - Death Dies Hard
05 - Diablo Swing Orchestra - A Rancid Romance
06 - Eternal Tears Of Sorrow - Tears Of Autumn Rain
07 - Freak Kitchen - Hip Hip Hoorah
08 - Gwyllion - The Night Awakes
09 - Krusader - Again
10 - Mob Rules - Trial By Fire
11 - Paradise Lost - I Remain
12 - Pathosray - Behind The Shadows
13 - Psychostatus - Chains Of Life
14 - Ram-Zet - 222
15 - Raven - Follow Me
16 - Sirenia - The Mind Maelstrom
17 - Trail Of Tears - In The Valley Of Ashes
18 - Waltari - Below Zero
19 - Whyzdom - Everlasting Child
Best of 2009 VII - Melodeath/Doom/Industrial
01 - Agathodaimon - Ground Zero
02 - Agregator - Ejfel Fele
03 - Avatar - Reload
04 - Count Raven - The Poltergeist
05 - Deals Death - Concrete conflict
06 - Edge Of Serenity - Inside
07 - Elegy - Elegy
08 - Embrace Selegy - Prayer
09 - Ensoph - Shame On You
10 - Fear Of Domination - Fear Of Domination
11 - Ghost Brigade - Suffocated
12 - In Grief - Modern Truth
13 - Isole - Nightfall
14 - Persefone - The Endless Path
15 - Raubtier - En Starkare Art
16 - Swallow The Sun - And Heavens Cried Blood
17 - The Few Against Many - Blod
18 - The Mistral - Careless
Took ages to finish this post!