2015 in music

I'm saving my list for the Baroness album, which, based on the three songs I've heard so far, is almost certainly going to place very high on my list. "Chlorine & Wine" is my tentative pick for #1 song.
 
Top 5 albums of the Year:

1. Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls

I knew this album was going to be good, but not this good. Iron Maiden really outdid themselves; they find a sound that hearkens back to the experimental-esque sound of Somewhere in Time and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son and seamlessly combines it with a progressive edge that's only been hinted at these past four albums. This album truly left me speechless. It's up there with Maiden's best.

2. Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat

I haven't really heard a lot by this band save for this album and two others. One thing's for sure about these guys, they know to play some death metal. When I first heard this album, I must've listened to it three or four times that day alone. Very intoxicating music. Whenever I go back to listen to this album I pass out half way through it and wake up covered in blood and the only thing I hear is the harsh serenade of the screams of the innocent.

3. Satan - Atom By Atom

Satan's had the greatest comeback in heavy metal history, no doubt, but does the music hold up to their previous releases and the hype? Yes, yes it does. I think this album beats out Life Sentence for me. Hell, I even think this is better than Court in the Act! Excellent heavy metal played with an ounce of speed. I really liked that there were more modern flares on this album. Recommended for any fans of classic metal or speed metal.

4. Enslaved - In Times

Man did this album blow me away when I first heard it! This album rips, so many good songs on it. Way better RIITIIR. Fans of Enslaved should already know what to expect, fantastic black/viking metal with a dash of progressive rock. Consistency is key for Enslaved, and this no exception. This album is best taken in one sitting. Very solid release.

5. Saxon - Battering Ram

This is probably Saxon's heaviest album. The songwriting and performance is better than ever. The power metal flare that's driven Saxon since Unleash the Beast and Metalhead is still alive and well, and I'd say, this is their most power metal release to date. Very good riffs throughout. Biff sounds kind of old, but he's still rocking. Good album, should please fans of Saxon.


Top 5 Songs of the Year

1. Iron Maiden - If Eternity Should Fail

2. Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls

3. Naplam Death - Apex Predator - Easy Meat

4. Satan - The Devil's Infantry

5. Enslaved - Building With Fire


Top 5 disappointments of the Year

1. No new Vektor album. I heard in the summer of 2014 that we'd see a Vektor album by the end of the year. Oh well, the band has an official release date for early 2016.
2. No new Speedwolf album. These guys don't play at the level that Vektor does, so they don't have an excuse. Come on, I want more blackened thrash motorcycle metal already! Reminds me of that saying: you have an eternity to release your debut, but a limited time to release the follow-up.
3. Well looks like I'll probably never see Motörhead live.
4. Well looks like I'll probably never see Rush live.
5. Cancer sucks.


My musical journey (Top 25 albums I heard for the first time in 2015)

1. Sabbat - Dreamweaver (Reflections of Our Yesterdays)
2. Vader - Litany
3. Razor - Shotgun Justice
4. Enslaved - Mardraum - Beyond the Within
5. Entombed - Left Hand Path
6. Liege Lord - Master Control
7. Satan - Court in the Act
8. Vader - Impressions in Blood
9. Rage - Lingua Mortis
10. Tankard - The Morning After
11. Savatage - Gutter Ballet
12. Tankard - Beast of Bourbon
13. Bathory - Hammerheart
14. Running Wild - Under Jolly Roger
15. Saxon - Lionheart
16. Enslaved - Vikingligr Veldi
17. King Diamond - Abigail
18. Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
19. Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law
20. Kreator - Coma of Souls
21. Vader - Welcome to the Morbid Reich
22. Demolition Hammer - Epidemic of Violence
23. Cirith Ungol - King of the Dead
24. Satan - Life Sentence
25. Enslaved - Isa
 
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Alas no Gorefest False or The Eindhoven Insanity. Top albums, especially if you listen to death metal. You've got some 2016 homework. :)
 
I do have quite a bit of death metal homework. I've been saving a lot of death metal for 2016, I'm kicking off the year with Possessed's Seven Churches
 
Dityn DJ James said:
My musical journey (Top 25 albums I heard for the first time in 2015)
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Except for new releases, I don't think I have any... I don't really discover music in that way - I just get to know material that I already know better. Regarding my musical journey in more general terms, adding to bands that has actually released stuff, Dokken has been a huge part of my listening for 2015, going from a band I liked to my absolute favourite band at the moment.
 
Top 3 albums:

1. Liturgy - The Ark Work
2. Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls (definitely the most important album of the year, though)
3. Mgła - Exercises in Futility

(I can't come up with a top 5 in which 4-5 would be more than just 'OK'.)

Top 5 songs (I'm linking just non-Maiden tracks):

1. Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls / Mgła - Exercises in Futility I

I have many doubts about 2015 music, but what is certain is that these two songs are the best things I've heard this year. Both of them are equally amazing to me. Straight 10/10.


2. Liturgy - Follow II


3. Iron Maiden - If Eternity Should Fail

4. Liturgy - Quetzalcoatl


5. Malthusian - Forms Become Vapour



Concert of the year: Altar of Plagues (Warsaw, 27.03.2015). One of the best gigs I've ever been to.

Top 5 disappointments:

1. Empire of the Clouds!!!!!
.
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2. Deafheaven - New Bermuda
3. Cultes des Ghoules - The Rise of Lucifer
4. Entropia - Ufonaut being pushed to 2016
5. New Gojira being pushed to 2016

I hope I didn't forget anything. I'll post an updated list if something comes to my mind.
 
Dityn DJ James said:
I do have quite a bit of death metal homework.
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And maybe some Napalm Death homework :). They were much better in their pre-DM days. I personally don't rate anything they did after From Enslavement to Obliteration. But each to their own, I guess...
 
Albums (no order unless number written, I honestly can't do it)
1. Symphony X - Underworld
Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Joe Satriani - Shockwave Supernova
Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls
Enslaved - In Times
Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud

No standalone song, though. Maybe Kiss of Fire :p

Disappointments - none that I remember. Empire of the Clouds, probably. If you can call a song that's "just good" a disappointment.
I also didn't like Hand.Cannot.Erase all that much, but I've heard it only twice so far and my opinion will probably change, so it'd be a bit premature to call it a "disappointment".


I will edit this if anything else comes to mind.


EDIT: Okay, I think I can definitely put Underworld on my list as #1.
 
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Aight, when I come back from winter holidays in 2016, I'll open a poll with most mentioned albums and songs :) (Just an ordinary poll, not a a Survivor). Until then, you can change your lists as you please, if you (hopefully) discover something new in this thread :) It'd be nice if everyone who didn't post at least 5 songs/albums did it until then :)
 
@Mosh That Natalie Prass is very, very good. Thanks for sharing! I'll definitely be checking out more of her work.
 
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Glad you like it! Definitely one of my favorite discoveries this year. As far as I know, she just has the one album but it's a winner.
 
Cornfed Hick said:
I'm saving my list for the Baroness album, which, based on the three songs I've heard so far, is almost certainly going to place very high on my list. "Chlorine & Wine" is my tentative pick for #1 song.
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Glad I waited, because 2 of my top 5 albums weren't released until December and I didn't really get a chance to fully explore and enjoy them until my Christmas holiday...

Top 5 Albums:

1) Iron Maiden, The Book of Souls.
Not much more to add here that hasn't already been written, including by me. It's awesome.

2) Baroness, Purple.
This album damn near made it to the top spot. Why it didn't, in a moment. But Purple is a superb album. Even though the album was only released a couple of weeks ago, "Chlorine & Wine" has been streaming for over three months, and I've listened to it dozens of times. More about that song in the Top 5 Songs discussion below, but suffice it to say here that it stands out as the album's masterpiece. The rest of the album is also excellent -- other songs worthy of mention are "Try To Disappear" and "If I Had To Wake Up." It is a heavy record, far more so than their last album, but it is anthem-driven, focusing on catchy hooks and melodies. It is a joyous return to form for a band that narrowly escaped death (literally -- Google the story) and quite obviously is in love with making music. Just fantastic. But...it loses the top spot because the production and/or mastering is complete shit. Death Magnetic-level awful. Dear God, who art in Heaven, please deliver unto us before we shuffle off this mortal coil a competent remaster of this truly great record.

3) Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, The Night Creeper.
There has been a resurgence of doom/stoner metal artists in recent years, bands like The Sword, Windhand, and others, who harken back to the 1970s-era Black Sabbath roots of hard rock and metal that I (and most of you) love so much. This is a good thing. Derivative? Sure. But I like it. My favorite album of this group of bands is this one by Uncle Acid. It's a concept album that is based on Italian horror/crime films of the 60s and 70s. It utilizes low-fi, analog production techniques, and it definitely creates a creepy, unsettling mood. But what sets this album apart from others is the almost Beatles-esque melodies and hooks in the guitar riffs. Highlights are "Melody Lane," "Downtown," "Murder Nights" and the title track.

4) Wolf Alice, My Love Is Cool.
It's almost impossible to categorize this album, other than maybe "indie." Some of it sounds like Pixies-inspired punk, some of it sounds like shoe-gaze, some of it sounds like old-school hard rock, and some of it sounds like electronic pop. This is probably the result of the band taking five years after forming to release their first LP, so it presumably reflects multiple years of experimentation and trying to find their niche. Eclectic and diverse as it may be, every song on it is good (except perhaps the "hidden track" at the end). Highlights are "Your Loves Whore," "Moaning Lisa Smile," and "You're a Germ." Check it out.

5) Grimes, Art Angels.
Every so often, an album comes along in a genre that isn't really my thing, but is so well written and performed that it is nonetheless highly enjoyable and worthy of admiration. The album in this category that caught my attention was the new release by electronic dance music darling Grimes. (Kendrick Lamar's overrated record was NOT that album this year.) I wasn't even aware of this album until (a) I saw ads for it plastered all over the London Underground stations last week, and (b) I saw it at the top of a couple best-of-the-year lists. So, I checked it out. Again, this is not my favorite kind of music, and her little-girl voice takes some getting used to, but even one listen to this album reveals that she is exceptionally talented. Multiple listens have revealed new levels and musical nuggets. Nearly every song is well written and interesting, and full of surprises. Highlights: "California," "Flesh without Blood," "Kill V. Maim," "Easily."


Top 5 Songs:

1) Baroness, "Chlorine & Wine"
This isn't even close. All due respect to Iron Maiden and the other artists in these lists, none of their new songs remotely approach this. Again, I have listened to it dozens and dozens of times over the last few months, and I truly believe it ranks up with my favorite tracks EVER. It's in "Stairway To Heaven," "Comfortably Numb," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Hallowed Be Thy Name" territory. It's that good. Like Stairway, it is a slow build throughout, with a nearly one-minute soft synth intro, then a series of tasty twin-guitar harmonies, soft and then heavy, that Smith/Murray, Downing/Tipton, Robertson/Gorham and other legends would envy, ending in a rousing anthem that makes you want to run outdoors and play football or attack an army or slay a dragon or something heroic. And then there is the drummer, who just goes nuts, changes tempos, and keeps the rhythm driving forward with growing intensity -- when he changes the beat toward the end of the bridge, to signal the coming of the grand finale, it still gives me goosebumps. This is why human beings listen to music. I mean, good Lord.

2) Iron Maiden, "The Great Unknown"/"When The River Runs Deep"/"Tears of a Clown"
I could probably name a couple more and fill up this list, but that's no fun. Anyhoo, these are my favorite three. Today, at least. Moving on.

3) Uncle Acid, "Melody Lane"
This is the first single on the aforementioned The Night Creeper album. Evil opening riff, catchy melody in the chorus. Tony Iommi meets John Lennon.

4) Blind Guardian, "Twilight of the Gods"
The album as a whole was a disappointment, as indicated below, but this is a rousing track that reminds me how great this band can be at its peak.

5) Grimes, "Easily"
I haven't heard a prettier song this year. Could also have included another song, "California" (link takes you to song) -- there are a lot of good songs on this album.

Top 5 Disappointments:

1) Two-thirds of the classic Motorhead lineup passing away within weeks of each other.
2) Bruce's cancer -- well, all cancer generally is a bummer.
3) "Empire of the Clouds"
4) Beyond the Red Mirror
5) Neil Peart's retirement -- but he's earned it
 
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I'm not the biggest Blind Guardian fan, but I very much liked the new album. The Ninth Wave is awesome.
 
Twilight of the Gods and The Ninth Wave are up there with the best of BG. The rest I can live without.
 
Dityn DJ James said:
I'm not the biggest Blind Guardian fan, but I very much liked the new album. The Ninth Wave is awesome.
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The Ninth Wave is pretty good too (don't love the choral part at the beginning, it's like they tried to match the orchestral intro to Sacred Worlds, but fell far short). But after those two tracks, the album drops off precipitously.
Mosh said:
First few minutes didn't do much for me, but once it shifted gears I was totally hooked. Great buildup.
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I had a similar reaction the first couple times I heard it, but I came to appreciate the softer parts at the beginning. It's essential to the buildup.
 
Forgot to note that there have been some very good reissues this year, too: Zeppelin's later albums, The Best of the Doors quadrophonic mix on SACD, Van Halen vinyl remasters (excellent), Bad Company deluxe editions (also excellent), Queen colored vinyl box set, McCartney's Tug of War, and, best of all, the hi-rez download of Aqualung (flat transfer of Steven Wilson's remix, which corrects the poor mastering found on the CD released a couple of years ago), which is one of the best-sounding rock recordings I own.
 
Cornfed Hick said:
Top 5 Disappointments:

1) Two-thirds of the classic Motorhead lineup passing away within weeks of each other.
2) Bruce's cancer -- well, all cancer generally is a bummer.
3) "Empire of the Clouds"
4) Beyond the Red Mirror
5) Neil Peart's retirement -- but he's earned it
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Most of these didn't occur to me when I was writing my post, but I wholeheartedly agree with everything.
 
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