Poll 2013

Chris Galea
Important releases in 2013 (Top 50)
A2Z “Parasites Of Paradise”
ALESSANDRO BERTONI “Keystone”
ANTOINE FAFARD “Occultus Tramitis”
ANTON JOHANSSON “Galahad Suite”
ARC ANGEL “Harlequins Of Light”
ARTILLERY “Legions”
AVATARIUM “Avatarium”
AYREON “The Theory Of Everything”
BENEDICTUM “Obey”
BLACK SABBATH “13”
BURZUM “Sol austan, Mani vestan”
CARCASS “Surgical Steel”
CATHEDRAL “Last Spire”
CIRCLE OF ILLUSION “Jeremia”
COSMOGRAF “The Man Left In Space”
DAMNATION ANGELS “Bringer Of Light”
DEATH ANGEL “The Dream Calls For Blood”
DEICIDE “In The Minds Of Evil”
DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE “A Lovecraftian Rock Opera”
ENFORCER “Death By Fire”
EPHEL DUATH “Hemmed By Light, Shaped By Darkness”
EXIVIOUS “Liminal”
FATES WARNING “Darkness In A Different Light”
GALAHAD “Beyond The Realms Of Euphoria”
GOLDEN RESURRECTION “One Voice For The Kingdom”
HAKEN “The Mountain” IRON MAN “South Of The Earth”
LINGUA MORTIS ORCHESTRA “LMO” MOUNT SALEM “Endless” (EP)
NEBULOUS “The Quantum Transcendence Of Death”
NIGHTFALL “Cassiopeia” NOMAD SON “The Darkening”
ONSLAUGHT “VI”
ORPHANED LAND “All Is One”
PENTAGRAM (Chile) “The Malefice”
PESTILENCE “Obsidio” PINK CREAM 69 “Ceremonial” ¨
PROCESSION “To Reap Heavens Apart”
ROYAL HUNT “A Life To Die For”
SALEM “Forgotten Dreams”
SATAN “Life Sentence”
SATAN’S HOST “Virgin Sails”
STRYPER “No More Hell To Pay”
SUPREMA “Traumatic Scenes”
SUPURATION “Cube 3”
TENGGER CAVALRY “The Expedition”
THE GATHERING “Afterwords”
TRAIL OF TEARS “Oscillation”
TRISTANIA “Darkest White”
VIRGIL DONATI “In This Life”
+ all those great albums I didn’t have the time or opportunity to listen to (yet)!!
Best band  related websites
MICHAEL WHELAN (Link – cover artist for bands such as Obituary, Sepultura, Cirith Ungol) DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT (Link)
DEATH ANGEL (Link)
LUNA OBSCURA (Link)
OPETH (Link)
Best comeback
PENTAGRAM (Chile)
Best gigs
HELLOWEEN/GAMMA RAY/SHADOWSIDE (Hellish Rock Tour II) @ ‘The Forum’, London (England) – 16th April CARCASS/ASOMVEL @ ‘The Underworld’, London (England) – 27th March PYREXIA/BEHEADED/UNFATHOMABLE RUINATION/BLAPSHTISED/REGURGITATE LIFE @ ‘The Unicorn’, London (England) – 7th March
Most promising newcomers 2013
SOULDRINKER (Germany – Link ) MORTAD (Iran/England – Link) SUMER (England – Link) ANGELLORE (France – Link) ABRASANTIA (Argentina – Link)
Best films seen
“Europa Report” (dir.: Sebastián Cordero) “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (dir.:Peter Jackson) “Viking Saga: The Darkest Day” (dir.: Gareth John Bale)
Best Music-related film or DVD
“Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet” (dir.: Jessie Vile) “Pilgrimages Of Doom” (Nomad Son)
Wishes for 2014Hope is a waking dream…except for insomniacs.
Haydee G
Important releases in 2013
Ayreon – The Theory of EverythingFreedom Call – Ages Of Light

Fleshgod Apocalypse – Labyrinth

Keep of Kalessin – Introspection (EP)

Shade Empire – Omega Arcane

Stormlord – Hesperia

Stratovarius – Nemesis
Live show 2013
Ensiferum, Turisas and Nile
Newcomer 2013
Dichotomy
Things you could have been without in 2013
People who complain about every little thing and don’t know to be considerate in public places.
Looking forward to in 2014Going ice fishing.

Hiking up the mountain, seeing new and interesting sceneries.

Seeing Robocop and the third Hobbit movie.

Attending live gigs, maybe festivals.

Listening to Wintersun’s Time II.

Listening to more metal.
Jason Spencer
Important releases in 2013
Haken – The MountainRiverside – SONGS

Votum – Harvest Moon

Sound of Contact – Dimensionaut

Echoes of Giants – At the End of Myself

Teeth of the Sea – Master

Toxic Smile – 7

Oblivion Sun – The High Places

The Twenty Committee – A Lifeblood Psalm

Fughu – Human Hibernal – The Machine Cyril – Gone through Years Illusion Suite – Iron Cemetery Projected Twin – Earth vs World Cynthesis – ReEvolution Big Big Train – EE2 Bader Nana- Anthology Spock’s Beard – Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep Jolly – The Audio Guide to Happiness, Part 2 Fright Pig – Out of the Barnyard
Live show 2013
Riverside/Jolly in Chicago
Newcomer 2013
Sound of Contact The Twenty Committee State Urge Echoes of Giants Cyril
Thing you could have been without:
Stress/financial issues Deaths in the family
Wishes for 2014Safe birth of my new child (due in January) Career changes Moving away from the city All my anticipated albums to be AMAZING
Kenn Jensen
Important releases in 2013
Haken – The Mountain Spock’s Beard – Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep Queensrÿche – Queensrÿche Orphaned Land – All Is One Alter Bridge – Fortress Jolly – The Audio Guide to Happiness, Part 2Honorable mention: Dreams in the Witch House – A Lovecraftian Rock Opera
Live show 2013
Live show, ehh – I did see a cool ol’ man: Leonard Cohen. Does that count?
Newcomer 2013
Scorpion Child Sound of Contact Dreams in the Witch House Twilight of the Gods
Things you could have been without in 2013
With the exception of 49ers defeat in the SuperBowl, 2013 has been quite good…
Wishes for 2014A great metal year with loads of great music! First and foremost by: Opeth, Threshold, Transatlantic, Headspace and Seventh Wonder.
Matt Fabi
Important releases in 2013
Kreator – Dying Alive Warbringer – IV: Empires Collapse Queensrÿche – Queensrÿche
Live show 2013
Kiss at Hellfest.
Newcomer 2013
Skreamer
Things you could have been without
The over the top hype for the new Avenged Sevenfold album. Or simply, Avenged Sevenfold hype in general.
Wishes for 2014Van Halen to bring a tour over to the UK. Preferably with Mr Big supporting. Also, I’ve GOT to go to Wacken.
Patrik Skoglund
Important releases in 2013
Snakecharmer – Snakecharmer Rage of Angels – Dreamworld Audrey Horne – Youngblood W.E.T – Rise Up Avantasia – The Mystery of Time Pretty Maids – Motherland Black Star Riders – All Hell Breaks Loose Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall – Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall James Christian – Lay It All On Me Red Rose – On The Cusp of Change Degreed – We Don’t Belong Arc Angel Harlequins of Light The Winery Dogs – The Winery Dogs Stryper- No More Hell To Pay Dream Theater – Dream Theater Crystal Ball – Dawnbreaker Silent Force – Rising From Ashes New Device – Here We Stand Motorhead – Aftershock Avenged Sevenfold – Hail To The King
Live show 2013
ASIA (Sweden Rock) Rush (Sweden Rock) Hardline (Sweden Rock) Devin Townsend Project (Sweden Rock) H.E.A.T (Väsby Rock) Impera (Väsby Rock) Love.Might.Kill (Väsby Rock) Bruce Springsteen (Stockholm) Legends of Rock (Lycksele) Europe (Sweden Rock) Survivor (Sweden Rock)
Newcomer 2013
Snowfall BluesPills Saffire Electro_Nomicon Find Me Rage of Angels
Things you could have been without in 2013
All my good friends who died this year.
Wishes for 2014I wish for another sunny and hot Sweden Rock Festival in June and that I can go to Upplands Väsby rock in July. I also hope to stay healthy and well prepared for my big personal goals next year. Vasaloppet 90km cross country skiing in March and Vätternrundan 300km on my bike in June.
Reinier de Vries
Important releases in 2013
Stonelake – Monolith Reign of the Architect – Rise Amorphis – Circle The Monolith Deathcult – Tetragrammaton Starkill – Fires of Life Fleshgod Apocalypse – Labyrinth Carcass – Surgical Steel Izegrim – Congress of the Insane Death Angel – The Dreams Calls For Blood Hell – Curse & Chapter Dimaeon – Collapse of the Anthropocene Chronos Zero – A Prelude into Emptiness We Are Legend – Rise of the Legend Orphaned Land – All is One
Live show 2012
The Monolith Deathcult (DOA) Six Feet Under (DOA) Bliksem (Into the Grave) Jungle Rot (Into the Grave)
Newcomer 2013
Chronos Zero Starkill We Are Legend
Things you could have been without in 2013
Stress
Wishes for 2014A sunny edition of Dokk’ em Open Air would be fine. That everyone I love stays healthy.
Slatoslav Slaveykov
Important releases in 2013
Protector – Reanimated Homunculus Pestilence – Obsideo Fueled By Fire – Trapped in Perdition
Live show 2013
Far away from the big halls and stadiums in a small club I saw Paul Speckmann and his band – Master. This gig turned into the show of the year for me!
Newcomer 2013
Harlott
Things you could have been without in 2013
1.) There were not (or at least I did not come upon) on strong titles in Funeral Doom Metal. 2.) There were not pure sludge metal releases. The commercial stoner very fast spoils the genre.
Things that would have made 2013 better
There is a multitude of American bands that although they sell well can not make their own songs. We already got used to them, but: the repulsive robbery of CARCASS by TRIVIUM and the continuous playing of a definite track (you get it, don’t you!?!) on the specialized radio stations – I can’t stand it anymore.
Wishes for 20141.) Metal to continue to be the main tool for expressing our disaffection! The world not to reach global armed collisions! 2.) The appearance significant releases in funeral doom metal and sludge metal again!
Thomas Nielsen
Important releases in 2013
Carcass – Surgical Steel (The old grind masters showed everyone what’s what with this album. Period.) Secrets of the Sky – To Sail Black Waters (US doom death the way I really like it!) Amorphis – Circle (Amorphis with a bit more grrrrr than we’ve seen in a long time. Suits the Finns.) Queensrÿche – Queensrÿche (In the battle of the Queensrÿches, Queensrÿche won…errr, the version without Geoff Tate, that is…) Heaven Shall Burn – Veto (Hammer album, again.) Cathedral – The Last Spire (With sadness in our hearts we say goodbye to one of doom metal’s best bands.) Amon Amarth – Deceiver of the Gods (Not quite the hit wonder Twilight of the Thundergod was. but still a very, very good album.) Deicide – In The Minds Of Evil (Glen Benton is back with a vengeance. The best Deicide album since forever.) Jex Thoth – Moon Blood Rise (Intriguing stuff. Good stuff.) Deep Purple – Now What?! (These old geezers have cut a fine album, and you know what, I somehow like it better than Sabbath’s ’13’. Odd and surprising.) Black Sabbath – 13 (Well, fair enough, Sabbath also deserves a spot of the important releases list. They are, after all, the almighty Black sodding Sabbath, aren’t they?)
Live show 2013
Rammstein at Wacken – They came, they saw, they jizzed all over Wacken! Danzig at Wacken – Surprisingly strong performance by Evil Elvis and his crew. For so many reasons a wonderful experience. Napalm Death in Aalborg.
Newcomer 2013
Secrets of the Sky
Things you could have been without in 2013
Jeff Hannemann’s untimely passing. Metal has lost one of it’s greatest riff masters. RIP, Jeff. Bands who still think that black metal a la 1993 is the sassiest shite on the planet. It’s not. It sucks. Stop it. Hearing Burton C. Bell not being able to cope with those clean vocals once more. Go to Plan B, please.
Disappointment of the year
Soundgarden live wasn’t at all what I’d hoped it would be. Very little energy there.
Wishes for 2014Bolt Thrower playing somwhere near me! Oh, and they release a new album (did I write that last year as well?!). Lords of metal, grant me more time to enjoy metal!
Tommy Skøtt
Important releases in 2013
Prospekt – The Colourless Sunrise Haken – The Mountain TesseracT – Altered State Kingcrow – In Crescendo Persefone – Spiritual Migration
Live show 2013
Kamelot (Lille Vega) Strip bar (location unknown) …
Biggest surprise to jump out of this year’s “METAL” cake is
Prospekt – The Colourless Sunrise
“Trash” metal of 2013
Lifeforms – Multidimensional (it had some good moments though…)
Best video performance of 2013
Haken – Cockroach King
The ULTIMATE metal tune of 2013
Haken – Falling Back to Earth
Wishes for 2014Zierler Projects – A new project led by mastermind Finn Zierler of Beyond Twilight. Do I need to say more? Anubis Gate – One of the leading forces on the Danish prog scene has recently released their critically acclaimed EP “Sheep”, and with such a masterfully crafted EP, my anticipations to their forthcoming full album are growing to almost unlimited heights. Wintersun – Time II. It was on my wish list last year as well, but here it comes again. I hope the “Sons of Winter and Stars” have arisen from their graves, and will surprise us in the upcoming year. Seventh Wonder – It is time for frontman Tommy Karavik, who replaced Roy Khan in Kamelot, and been touring and tearing up the stages all over Europe, to return to his old prog roots with SW. Headspace –They are currently working hard on their sophomore album, so I am crossing my fingers that the magic will happen next year. Opeth – I’m still demanding a worthy follow up to their masterpiece “Ghost Reveries” \m/. Teramaze – Dean Wells, the founder of Teramaze, has confirmed that all songs are mixed, and the final product shipped off for mastering. Therefore, a new release is just around the corner. Vanden Plas – I surely miss the presence of Andy Kuntz voice, but the German prog machine has finally announced a new album in 2014 entitled “Chronicles of the Immortals – Netherworld”. Bring it on \m/. Distorted Harmony – They are working hard on a follow up to last year’s biggest surprise called “Utopia”. Vildhjarta – THALL 2014 \m/. Less meat and more muscles surrounding my bones… More money to visit the live show of the following acts…

  • TesseracT
  • Dream Theater
  • Iron Maiden (Copenhell)

And more spare time left for enjoying metal in my busy calendar…
My top 20 “Knockout Kings of Steel” (in random order) of 2013
  • Prospekt – The Colourless Sunrise
  • TesseracT – Altered State
  • Kingcrow – In Crescendo
  • Ovid’s Withering – Scryers of the Ibis
  • Persefone – Spiritual Migration
  • Dante – November Red
  • Epysode – Fantasmagoria
  • Caligula’s Horse – The Tide, The Thief & River’s End
  • Leprous – Coal
  • Deadly Circus Fire – The King and the Bishop
  • Aeon Zen – Enigma
  • Circles – Infinitas
  • Haken – The Mountain
  • Dream Theater – Dream Theater
  • Thought Chamber – Psykerion
  • Boil – aXiom (sadly the group has disbanded)
  • Divided Multitude – Feed On Your Misery
  • Until Rain – Anthem to Creation
  • Germán Pascual – A New Beginning (it was released last year and somehow managed to slip through my fingers, so there you go )
  • The Ocean – Pelagial

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