It's time to share my rankings of the year. Solid metal year for the bands I like.
Album Of The Year: Helloween - Giants & Monsters. Some of the songs could have been better, but overall it's the strongest and varied.
Other highlights:
Battle Beast - Steelbound
Bloodbound - Field Of Swords
Primal Fear - Dominion
Majestica - Power Train
Wings Of Steel - Winds Of Time
Songs of the year:
Helloween - ''Giants On The Run''
Helloween - ''We Can Be Gods''
Helloween - ''Majestic''
Helloween - ''A Little Is A Little Too Much''
Bloodbound - ''Born To Be King''
Battle Beast - ''Angel Of Midnight''
Battle Beast - ''The Burning Within''
Majestica - ''A Story In The Night''
Primal Fear - ''Far Away''
Primal Fear - ''Eden''
Avantasia - ''Phantasmagoria''
Wings Of Steel - ''Winds Of Time''
Wings Of Steel - ''We Rise''
Anguish Project - ''What's Believing''
Smith/Kotzen - ''Wraith''/''Life Unchained''/''Darkside''
Vocalist of the year: I guess Leo Unnermark (Wings Of Steel)
Best lyrics: not sure
Best solos: Parker Halub (Wings Of Steel). Solos in albums: Helloween, Smith/Kotzen.
Best melodies: Field Of Swords.
Best verses: something from Battle Beast.
Best chorus: really tough to say, some song from Battle Beast or Bloodbound albums, too good, or ''A Story In The Night'', ''Eden''.
Best riffs: Dominion/Winds Of Time.
Best instrumental section: ''We Can Be Gods'', ''Majestic'', ''A Story In The Night'' or ''Winds Of Time''.
Album Cover Of The Year: probably Legends (Sabaton).