2007...the year so far

[powerslave_85]

Anyone else want to start making preliminary rankings for the best albums of 2007 so far? Don't be afraid, just post your favorites so far, and maybe what's still to be released that you're excited about. Here's a very loose approximation of what my list is shaping up to be:

1. Pig Destroyer- Phantom Limb
2. 3 Inches of Blood- Fire Up the Blades
3. The White Stripes- Icky Thump
4. Tegan & Sara- The Con
5. Clutch- From Beale St. To Oblivion
6. Nine Inch Nails- Year Zero
7. Municipal Waste- The Art of Partying
8. Broadway Calls- Broadway Calls
9. Arcade Fire- Neon Bible
10. Pelican- City of Echoes

There's definitely a few that will get bumped out and that I only put on there to try and make an even 10, but those are all really solid albums IMO. I'd say that 1-6 are pretty much locked down. Here's what I haven't heard yet that will probably make the list by the end of the year:

Bad Religion- New Maps of Hell
Against Me!- New Wave
Dillinger Escape Plan- Ire Works
New High On Fire
Beastie Boys- The Mix Up

I should add that this year I'll probably have more metal on my list than I ever have before, which is interesting since none of the "big players" are putting out anything this year.

[ADD]

1.) Municipal Waste- The Art Of Partying
2.) Alabama Thunderpussy- Open Fire
3.) Rwake- Voices Of Omens
4.) Clutch- From Beale St. To Oblivion
5.) Brant Bjork- Tres Dias
6.) Grails- Burning Off Impurities
7.) Middian- Age Eternal
8.) Crippled Black Phoenix- A Love Of Shared Disasters
9.) Minsk- The Ritual Fires Of Abandonment
10.) Moonsorrow- V: Havitetty

Been a tremendous year so far, with many more awesome albums to come. The top 10 is gonna be damn hard to do. I'm guessing the new High On Fire and Baroness albums will also make a run at the top 10, as far as what I know is still to be released.

[ADD]

Damn looking at my list again it actually kinda sucks, there's so many other albums that really could as easily be there, I'd say I'm happy with my first 3 then after that its a crapshoot.

And Nick, you should put that new Baroness on your list too along with the HOF (which is gonna be titled "Death Is This Communion" btw), you're gonna need it

[ravenheart]

So far:

Tarot - Crows Fly Black
Tristania - Illumination
Ozzy Osbourne - Black Rain
Echoes of Eternity - The Forgotten Goddess
McQueen - Break The Silence
U.D.O. - Mastercutor
Chimaira - Resurrection
Hellyeah - Hellyeah
The Showdown - Temptation Come My Way
Annihilator - Metal

I have the new Kamelot, SymphonyX, Abandoned and Iron Savior as well, but I've not listened to any of them yet. Plus a bunch of others.

[DethMaiden]

I've only really enjoyed eight of the twelve I've bought, so I'll rank those eight.

1. Porcupine Tree- Fear of a Blank Planet
2. Clutch- From Beale Street to Oblivion
3. Type O Negative- Dead Again
4. Pig Destroyer- Phantom Limb
5. Novembers Doom- The Novella Reservoir
6. Devin Townsend- Ziltoid the Omniscient
7. Sonata Arctica- Unia
8. Rush- Snakes & Arrows


Disappointments: Megadeth, Shadows Fall, Men As Trees, and The Hidden Hand.

EDIT: These are so goddamned out of order except for 1 and 2. Who knows what I'll think come January 1st.

[ADD]

Originally Posted by DethMaiden

I've only really enjoyed eight of the twelve I've bought, so I'll rank those eight.

1. Porcupine Tree- Fear of a Blank Planet
2. Clutch- From Beale Street to Oblivion
3. Type O Negative- Dead Again
4. Pig Destroyer- Phantom Limb
5. Novembers Doom- The Novella Reservoir
6. Devin Townsend- Ziltoid the Omniscient
7. Sonata Arctica- Unia
8. Rush- Snakes & Arrows


Disappointments: Megadeth, Shadows Fall, Men As Trees, and The Hidden Hand.

EDIT: These are so goddamned out of order except for 1 and 2. Who knows what I'll think come January 1st.

Suggestion: give The Hidden Hand album another listen. I did recently, definitely gonna be gettin more plays.

And I like that Men As Trees album

[overkiller]

I might be the biggest Waste fan here and I dunno guys... it just wasn't that good

Anyway, here's mine... it will probably change.


1. Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao
2. Rwake - Voices of Omens
3. Neurosis - Given to the Rising
4. Blood Freak - Multiplex Massacre
5. Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
6. Total Fucking Destruction - Zen and the Art of Total Fucking Destruction
7. Type O Negative - Dead Again
8. Swallow the Sun - Hope
9. Candlemass - King of the Grey Islands
10. Immolation - Shadows in the Light


Disappointments:

Megadeth - United Abominations (actually not a disappointment since I figured it would suck, but man, it sure exceeded my expectations of suckiness)
W.A.S.P. - Dominator (I think the formulas Blackie has been using for about 25 years have really run dry)
Manowar - Gods of War (fucking worthless garbage except for the few songs that were released previously on the Sons of Odin EP, which I liked)
Municipal Waste - The Art of Partying (while this was definitely a cool album and doesn't deserve to be mentioned alongside the previous three pieces of crap, I really wanted this to be better. MW's music doesn't really have much more to it than like 2 albums, I think. They've said all they had to say, and now they're releasing weaker rehashes of stuff they've already done.)


So yeah, 2007 has seen some good shit so far, but it's disappointing that some of my favorite bands put out disappointing albums. Oh well. I have to admit, the yearly ranking stuff is probably my favorite part of posting here We are such nerds



Oh, and just for shits, here are the rest of the albums I've heard thus far, in a very rough ranking from best to worst. It picks up where my top ten left off:

Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Moonsorrow - V: Hävitetty
Paradise Lost - In Requiem
Novembers Doom - The Novella Resevoir
Municipal Waste - The Art of Partying
Therion - Gothic Kabbalah
Saxon - The Inner Sanctum
Vital Remains - Icons of Evil
Akercocke - Antichrist
Finntroll - Ur Jordens Djup
Die Verbannten Kinder Evas - Dusk and Void Became Alive
Symphony X - Paradise Lost
Ensiferum - Victory Songs
Manowar - Gods of War
W.A.S.P. - Dominator
Megadeth - United Abominations

Yes, it looks like Dave is gonna get the crowning turd of 2007

[ravenheart]

Biggest disappointment for me so far was the Saxon one. Totally formulaic after four great albums.

Shit, I've got that Candlemass one too. Had that for about three weeks and still no listened to it!!

[ADD]

Don't feel too bad ravenheart, I've had some albums sitting since February that I haven't listened to yet Oh and the new Saxon is good I think, but indeed nothing compared to Lionheart.

And Brady, as far as Municipal Waste, I really think that The Art Of Partying does say something different, or at least add something new in that it is clearly way more metal influenced than their past stuff. They've been slowly morphing from raging straight-up hardcore to a more classic thrash metal approach with every release, and here I think they've definitely hit their stride. The songwriting is great as usual, catchy, heavy, fun, and it still leaves me wanting more (even though its their longest offering). I still get a kick of it and listen constantly, for me it is one of the best thrash records I've heard, along with Hazardous Mutation. In my opinion they're not rehashing at all, at least not anymore to the extent they do already since let's be honest, the music is based around essentially copying what bands like D.R.I and Wehrmacht and shit did before.

[Spiral_Slave]

Originally Posted by ravenheart

Tarot - Crows Fly Black

This came out in 06...