HMaM Global Mod
Post by GL on Jan 1, 2013 12:15:43 GMT -5
Well, it definitely looks like the genre's back on the upswing with yet another incredibly solid round of offerings that once again come dangerously close to taking the overall Album of the Year award for it's winner, but the fact that this is given a strong boost with the total rankings coming in quite strongly make this a really good time to enjoy this and hopefully signals the start of a great revival of sorts. As well, this also kicks off a potentially enjoyable trend with a multitude of female-fronted acts, as half the list has that which is overall pleasing to see and hear. Now, on with the list.
10. Christian Mistress-Possession
I have to admit to falling out of favor with this one quite a bit, as I originally had them higher but overall this one dropped almost out of the list altogether. This is mostly due to the album’s best quality, their melodically-leaning guitar grooves and leads that seem to bypass the 80s altogether and land firmly in the 70s hard-rock scene. They’re warm, infectious and quite fun, especially as the album rolls along and more time is spent with the album as a whole so it definitely has the ability to grow on you, yet it exposes a rather detrimental flaw in that, while the playing is top-quality and passionate, the band rarely kicks it into high-gear the way true metal acts go off, and the low-key nature of the material shines through. It’s still got a lot of good stuff, as mentioned earlier about the passionate playing since this has some fantastic soloing and great drumming along with outstanding vocals, though it’d be a lot more appealing in the long run to remain more of a metal influence next time around, hence why they’ve dropped down to here.
9. Battle Beast-Steel
Already with a bit of success and internal strife, Finnish female-fronted melodic old-schoolers still managed to whip out a fairly impressive debut that manages to keep its roots planted in the 80s while still forging a strong identity in the future. Immediately graced with the pleasing tone of a female lead singer capable of going toe-to-toe with her more testosterone-injected counterparts while also floating effortlessly over the music underneath, on first listen her range is quite impressive and immediately striking. As well, the music itself is quite fun when it’s launched into worship mode that offers up everything from blazing leads to up-tempo drumming and an overall vibe and atmosphere found on the underground Heavy Metal albums from the late-80s, yet the inclusion of an acoustic-driven ballad or a more savage attack prove their not one-note wonders. If they can get their line-up situated and continue on forging their own path instead of expertly-copying well-worn treads, then maybe in the upcoming years they’ll move a little higher on the list.
8. Wildestarr-A Tell Tale Heart
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While the previous band on the list is a bit more restrained and melodic-leaning, in contrast this female-fronted act is almost an outright Thrash act in comparison, especially with the symphonic nature of the compositions. Again, with the female vocals up-front on the album, this one manages to feature majestic, powerful soaring over-the-top of thunderous, aggressive Heavy Metal charging forth with blinding solos, dexterous guitar-playing that really offers a first-class symposium on the finer art of when to blaze forth in showcase mode or keep it restrained yet imposing as the riffs remain infinitely catchy, impeccable bass-work and one of the crunchiest, catchiest drum-patterns adding an extra dimension to the band’s sound, and the conceptual theme of the work makes this an impressive effort, though again it’s the vocals that offer the most impact. While there’s certainly some filler material here that keeps the story going (as to be expected in a concept album) these brief interludes keep it from reaching it’s full potential and thus it’s placement here.
7. Rage-21
This was a pretty big debate about putting them this high, but as a more cohesive album over the conceptual one before it, this one gets the higher spot. This is still a fairly impressive effort, though, as this one goes back to the start of the second portion of Rage’s career where they’ve employed a somewhat catchier and more refined style of melodically-infused Thrash/Heavy Metal together with their classical influences to create a pretty powerful release. A lot more aggressive this time out as their old-school Thrash roots are brought out even further to the forefront than on previous efforts, which creates a rather sturdy background for the group’s dark riffing, groovy bass-lines and up-tempo drum-work can really work, and the lengthy compositions here are proof positive of that. Given a fine production job and some rather stellar performances from each in the trio, this is one of the brighter spots in their vast catalog.
6. Icarus Witch-Rise
Ohio traditionalists are getting better and better with every release, and this is so far their crowning opus, yet it’s still not enough to crack the top five, a sign of the quality in the rest of the year’s releases. This is still filled with outstanding material, as their trademark mid-tempo groove is fleshed out here with a bit more length in the songs to give this a much more involved effort, and that means it’s got more time to spend on their memorable hooks, infectious guitar riffs and restrained drumming propelling the songs along while the warm, powerful vocals are probably as melodic as they’ve ever been, gliding effortlessly across the sonic barrage while the band thrashes away to great effect, especially with their penchant for writing strong solos which is ably displayed here. It’s pretty much more of the same here, but that’s just quality they’re offering so it’s not so bad at all, and this makes the album all the more fun overall.
5. Crystal Viper-Crimen Excepta
The fourth female-fronted band on the list this year, and clearly the most vicious in it’s attack and upfront vocal display, but this time the Polish stalwarts manage to up the ante on everything to create a whipping hellstorm of a metal album. With almost Black Metal-ish proficiency, the shrieks and screams present on the last album in small parts are here accentuated to a more up-front appearance, and the harsher style of the more traditional vocals here that makes the album’s most lasting impression, and the atmosphere created here with the gang-backing shouts and the cacophony created elsewhere is darker than expected. Again, this is also dripping with impressive musicianship, since the drumming is top-notch but the guitar-work here is first-and-foremost of importance as it utilizes sorts of darker riffing along with traditional Heavy Metal blasting and great solos to make an ultimately satisfying and rewarding effort, one that should make them a bigger influence in the scene as a whole.
4. 3 Inches of Blood-Long Live Heavy Metal
It’s always nice to see a band carrying out a stylish change for the better and then gaining as a whole, and this is clearly the case here as the band had dropped the aggravating Metalcore-style screaming and is now carrying on as a true revivalist Heavy Metal act for the second album in a row, and again it finds itself pretty high on the list for that reason. Still charged with their near-Thrash paced speed, this one is more of a subdued, melodic affair at times as the tempo is more of a mid-paced chug rather than a total full-throttle barn-burner like their previous efforts, yet that allows for more guitar dynamics to be brought to the forefront as this one’s got some incredible guitar harmonies and melodies, far more so than in the past where their chug made it difficult to employ but which allows their songwriting to be boosted a notch. As well, they’re graced with unbelievable falsetto vocals that just sweep, soar and dive-bomb throughout the album since they’ve kept the good vocalist, fantastic drumming and a rather old-school vibe that keeps the effort moving along nicely and giving them another strong effort in their catalog.
3. Angel Witch-As Above, So Below
One of the more important bands in the NWoBHM, this is the long-awaited return and it shows the guys haven’t skipped a beat, offering forth a spectacularly catchy album that remains true to form while also bringing their original sound into the new decade. Never ones to initially shy away from lengthier compositions, this one here is a pretty hefty effort that really dwells in their ability to craft well-written songs that don’t get boring or slogged down as they launch into yet another extended musical interlude or push their solos past their welcome, but which also manages to maintain interest in everything going on around you. From the warm guitar melodies and extended breaks, this provides plenty of opportunities to get acquainted with the stellar production job just for the guitars alone before bringing in the melodic vocals or pitch-perfect drumming to create an inviting, welcoming sound that plays off their old-school starting point, yet that is mixed together with the crunch of modern-day playing and really captures an all-around enjoyable album.
2. Huntress-Spell Eater
The last of the female-fronted acts, this one is clearly an all-around beast of an album that has a lot of good things going for it. The dark vibe of the music is first and foremost, as the atmosphere of witches, darkness and such are found not only in the riffs but the lyrics as well, meshing together almost perfectly to create an infectious aura which is so insanely listenable it’s got placement on this list for that reason alone. Add in a superb production job and outstanding, enthusiastic performances for the band members as the guitars rattle off memorable riff after memorable riff aided by fantastic drumming, and this becomes another sure-fire reason for the albums’ being here, yet the clear reason why was mentioned in the first sentence, the up-front female vocals. Not as Black Metal-y as the others on here, this is more like a never-ending series of serene wailing as the singer here has one of the most powerful, forceful voices around regardless of gender, able to howl like a possessed banshee or remain in a more relaxed tone, but regardless this is one of the finest voices in the genre going forward, and overall makes this a band worth watching in the future.
1. Accept-Stalingrad
So it seems this reunion really does have legs, as this is now number two for them where they’ve captured the overall genre ranking and it doesn’t seem to be quitting anytime soon. While not the immediate strike of its’ predecessor, this is still a tough-as-steel effort that really overwhelms with the power on display, as it seems the rhythm section hasn’t shown any let-up at all in providing this with a heavy low-end base graced with that rolling drum-patterns that gives the band an unbelievable groove upon which they’ve made a career out of. Though the guitars seem to have lost a bit of the bite on the riffs this time around, they’ve still got plenty of power on display and just steamroll right over everything when they let rip, and it’s evident here mostly during their marvelously crafted soloing that comes into play. Again, with the upfront, gruff yet listenable vocals still on display as he rasps over the bands collection of epic crowd-pleasers to mid-tempo anthems and ripping thrashers to give this a perfect balance and enjoyment, this is another no-brainer to award them this honor for such a stellar effort.
10. Christian Mistress-Possession
I have to admit to falling out of favor with this one quite a bit, as I originally had them higher but overall this one dropped almost out of the list altogether. This is mostly due to the album’s best quality, their melodically-leaning guitar grooves and leads that seem to bypass the 80s altogether and land firmly in the 70s hard-rock scene. They’re warm, infectious and quite fun, especially as the album rolls along and more time is spent with the album as a whole so it definitely has the ability to grow on you, yet it exposes a rather detrimental flaw in that, while the playing is top-quality and passionate, the band rarely kicks it into high-gear the way true metal acts go off, and the low-key nature of the material shines through. It’s still got a lot of good stuff, as mentioned earlier about the passionate playing since this has some fantastic soloing and great drumming along with outstanding vocals, though it’d be a lot more appealing in the long run to remain more of a metal influence next time around, hence why they’ve dropped down to here.
9. Battle Beast-Steel
Already with a bit of success and internal strife, Finnish female-fronted melodic old-schoolers still managed to whip out a fairly impressive debut that manages to keep its roots planted in the 80s while still forging a strong identity in the future. Immediately graced with the pleasing tone of a female lead singer capable of going toe-to-toe with her more testosterone-injected counterparts while also floating effortlessly over the music underneath, on first listen her range is quite impressive and immediately striking. As well, the music itself is quite fun when it’s launched into worship mode that offers up everything from blazing leads to up-tempo drumming and an overall vibe and atmosphere found on the underground Heavy Metal albums from the late-80s, yet the inclusion of an acoustic-driven ballad or a more savage attack prove their not one-note wonders. If they can get their line-up situated and continue on forging their own path instead of expertly-copying well-worn treads, then maybe in the upcoming years they’ll move a little higher on the list.
8. Wildestarr-A Tell Tale Heart
While the previous band on the list is a bit more restrained and melodic-leaning, in contrast this female-fronted act is almost an outright Thrash act in comparison, especially with the symphonic nature of the compositions. Again, with the female vocals up-front on the album, this one manages to feature majestic, powerful soaring over-the-top of thunderous, aggressive Heavy Metal charging forth with blinding solos, dexterous guitar-playing that really offers a first-class symposium on the finer art of when to blaze forth in showcase mode or keep it restrained yet imposing as the riffs remain infinitely catchy, impeccable bass-work and one of the crunchiest, catchiest drum-patterns adding an extra dimension to the band’s sound, and the conceptual theme of the work makes this an impressive effort, though again it’s the vocals that offer the most impact. While there’s certainly some filler material here that keeps the story going (as to be expected in a concept album) these brief interludes keep it from reaching it’s full potential and thus it’s placement here.
7. Rage-21
This was a pretty big debate about putting them this high, but as a more cohesive album over the conceptual one before it, this one gets the higher spot. This is still a fairly impressive effort, though, as this one goes back to the start of the second portion of Rage’s career where they’ve employed a somewhat catchier and more refined style of melodically-infused Thrash/Heavy Metal together with their classical influences to create a pretty powerful release. A lot more aggressive this time out as their old-school Thrash roots are brought out even further to the forefront than on previous efforts, which creates a rather sturdy background for the group’s dark riffing, groovy bass-lines and up-tempo drum-work can really work, and the lengthy compositions here are proof positive of that. Given a fine production job and some rather stellar performances from each in the trio, this is one of the brighter spots in their vast catalog.
6. Icarus Witch-Rise
Ohio traditionalists are getting better and better with every release, and this is so far their crowning opus, yet it’s still not enough to crack the top five, a sign of the quality in the rest of the year’s releases. This is still filled with outstanding material, as their trademark mid-tempo groove is fleshed out here with a bit more length in the songs to give this a much more involved effort, and that means it’s got more time to spend on their memorable hooks, infectious guitar riffs and restrained drumming propelling the songs along while the warm, powerful vocals are probably as melodic as they’ve ever been, gliding effortlessly across the sonic barrage while the band thrashes away to great effect, especially with their penchant for writing strong solos which is ably displayed here. It’s pretty much more of the same here, but that’s just quality they’re offering so it’s not so bad at all, and this makes the album all the more fun overall.
5. Crystal Viper-Crimen Excepta
The fourth female-fronted band on the list this year, and clearly the most vicious in it’s attack and upfront vocal display, but this time the Polish stalwarts manage to up the ante on everything to create a whipping hellstorm of a metal album. With almost Black Metal-ish proficiency, the shrieks and screams present on the last album in small parts are here accentuated to a more up-front appearance, and the harsher style of the more traditional vocals here that makes the album’s most lasting impression, and the atmosphere created here with the gang-backing shouts and the cacophony created elsewhere is darker than expected. Again, this is also dripping with impressive musicianship, since the drumming is top-notch but the guitar-work here is first-and-foremost of importance as it utilizes sorts of darker riffing along with traditional Heavy Metal blasting and great solos to make an ultimately satisfying and rewarding effort, one that should make them a bigger influence in the scene as a whole.
4. 3 Inches of Blood-Long Live Heavy Metal
It’s always nice to see a band carrying out a stylish change for the better and then gaining as a whole, and this is clearly the case here as the band had dropped the aggravating Metalcore-style screaming and is now carrying on as a true revivalist Heavy Metal act for the second album in a row, and again it finds itself pretty high on the list for that reason. Still charged with their near-Thrash paced speed, this one is more of a subdued, melodic affair at times as the tempo is more of a mid-paced chug rather than a total full-throttle barn-burner like their previous efforts, yet that allows for more guitar dynamics to be brought to the forefront as this one’s got some incredible guitar harmonies and melodies, far more so than in the past where their chug made it difficult to employ but which allows their songwriting to be boosted a notch. As well, they’re graced with unbelievable falsetto vocals that just sweep, soar and dive-bomb throughout the album since they’ve kept the good vocalist, fantastic drumming and a rather old-school vibe that keeps the effort moving along nicely and giving them another strong effort in their catalog.
3. Angel Witch-As Above, So Below
One of the more important bands in the NWoBHM, this is the long-awaited return and it shows the guys haven’t skipped a beat, offering forth a spectacularly catchy album that remains true to form while also bringing their original sound into the new decade. Never ones to initially shy away from lengthier compositions, this one here is a pretty hefty effort that really dwells in their ability to craft well-written songs that don’t get boring or slogged down as they launch into yet another extended musical interlude or push their solos past their welcome, but which also manages to maintain interest in everything going on around you. From the warm guitar melodies and extended breaks, this provides plenty of opportunities to get acquainted with the stellar production job just for the guitars alone before bringing in the melodic vocals or pitch-perfect drumming to create an inviting, welcoming sound that plays off their old-school starting point, yet that is mixed together with the crunch of modern-day playing and really captures an all-around enjoyable album.
2. Huntress-Spell Eater
The last of the female-fronted acts, this one is clearly an all-around beast of an album that has a lot of good things going for it. The dark vibe of the music is first and foremost, as the atmosphere of witches, darkness and such are found not only in the riffs but the lyrics as well, meshing together almost perfectly to create an infectious aura which is so insanely listenable it’s got placement on this list for that reason alone. Add in a superb production job and outstanding, enthusiastic performances for the band members as the guitars rattle off memorable riff after memorable riff aided by fantastic drumming, and this becomes another sure-fire reason for the albums’ being here, yet the clear reason why was mentioned in the first sentence, the up-front female vocals. Not as Black Metal-y as the others on here, this is more like a never-ending series of serene wailing as the singer here has one of the most powerful, forceful voices around regardless of gender, able to howl like a possessed banshee or remain in a more relaxed tone, but regardless this is one of the finest voices in the genre going forward, and overall makes this a band worth watching in the future.
1. Accept-Stalingrad
So it seems this reunion really does have legs, as this is now number two for them where they’ve captured the overall genre ranking and it doesn’t seem to be quitting anytime soon. While not the immediate strike of its’ predecessor, this is still a tough-as-steel effort that really overwhelms with the power on display, as it seems the rhythm section hasn’t shown any let-up at all in providing this with a heavy low-end base graced with that rolling drum-patterns that gives the band an unbelievable groove upon which they’ve made a career out of. Though the guitars seem to have lost a bit of the bite on the riffs this time around, they’ve still got plenty of power on display and just steamroll right over everything when they let rip, and it’s evident here mostly during their marvelously crafted soloing that comes into play. Again, with the upfront, gruff yet listenable vocals still on display as he rasps over the bands collection of epic crowd-pleasers to mid-tempo anthems and ripping thrashers to give this a perfect balance and enjoyment, this is another no-brainer to award them this honor for such a stellar effort.
