Coming up on the end of the year, usually not a lot of big stuff comes out in December, compared to say movies, where there's at least 2 or 3 good looking movies coming up in the theater, so lets post like our avorite albums of the year that you enjoyed.
Anthrax - For All KingsAnthrax definitely came back pretty well with Belladonna, who I always liked more Bush, even if there are a few songs I like during Bush's era. Worship Music was a real good return to form (Not the first time I'll say that in here), but as a whole, it wasn't all great. For All Kings to me is a much more consistent album all the way through. Just some solid heavy metal. I actually was fortunate to see them live for the first time this year and they killed it live. All such good musicians.
Megadeth - DystopiaI've been a big Megadeth fan since basically the turn of the century now and I think this one is definitely up there as one of their best in awhile. Super Collider wasn't completely awful, but a lot of it was the wrong direction, which Mustaine has done before, and it felt lacking to me. Even if there's some good stuff in there, it personally ranks fairly low. Thirteen I like a bit more, but that's a weird album, filled with re-recordings, stuff from other projects, and a couple new songs and I like it, but it's not great. United Abominations was personally their last one that was fantastic to me as Endgame was fine. The new one definitely is their best in many years, with lots of solid tunes. At the same show for Anthrax, I also got to watch Megadeth for the first time, which is something I've been wanting for going on 16 years now. Very satsified with that.
Babymetal - Metal ResistanceI've never shy'd away from my enjoyment of Babymetal, they are something that's missing in metal at times, which is just kinda real fun and upbeat stuff. You get that more in like Power Metal and such, which is fitting for this album that brought in Dragonforce guitarists to work on a song. While this album is kinda the whole band maturing a little more in theme, I personally feel it loses some of the goofiness of their first album, but this is still a good album and I'm curious to see how long they'll keep going or if they'll hit a point and just like reboot the band or keep it rolling.
Avenged Sevenfold - The StageThis album was a bit of a surprise for me, not because it was released with no promotion, but more because of how much I liked it compared to everything they've done since City of Evil, the only most full album of theirs I like. Everything was very hit or miss, with only a couple songs I liked, the last album being fairly boring, but with a new drummer, they definitely wanted to focus on musicianship and it shows. Lots more guitar work, drum focus, and some real long songs that don't bore you like in Metallica's last album "Death Magnetic". It's nothing amazing, but I've listened to the album from beginning to end a few times already as there isn't much I want to skip.
-Metallica - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct - It's a great return to form for Metallica, definitely their best since the Black album, but it's still not very exciting. A couple good songs here and there, but some kinda boring stuff too. It has great production, but I wish Hammet wasn't in the band any longer. He was not only basically cut from the writing, but he still has very little in way of guitar skills anymore. You look at like the first 10 years of Metallica and then you look at the last two albums and see him live and are just disappointed. I will keep listening to the album, it's good, but you can see other members of the Big Four like Anthrax and Megadeth who feel far more comfortable doing good metal stuff compared to Metallica, who seem like they are trying to return to the old stuff.
-Devin Townsend - Trascendence - Since getting to know Townsend and his large library of albums, he can kinda do anything and I'll always listen, he has a very unique style and great voice, but lately some of his stuff doesn't quite pull me in. Less heavy stuff, more melodic, and I feel he utilizes too much chorus singing and he gets kinda buried, which isn't surprising when you know abit about him and how he deals with everything. Still some enjoyable melodic stuff on here and more Townsend is always good.
