Who Decides: 2007 Albums of the year

Ok, a while ago I posted my mid-year favorite albums and unfortunately they really didn't change that much. The 2nd half was kinda slow. Soilwork was ok...haven't really listened to it that much. It came out very quietly. And another disappointing album was released.

Here was the mid-year list:
1. Machine Head - The Blackening
2. Megadeth - United Abominations
3. Susperia - Cut from Stone
4. Nightrage - A New Disease is Born
5. Sanctity - Road to Bloodshed
6. Deadlock - Wolves
7. Fear My Thoughts - Vulcanus
8. Shadows Fall - Threads of Life

And the disappointments of the year:
1. Mnemic - Passenger
2. Chimaira -Resurrection
3. Becoming the Archetype - The Physics of Fire

And I was looking forward to:
1. 3 Inches of Blood - Fire up the Blades
2. Darkest Hour - Deliver Us
3. Devildriver - The Last Kind Words
4. Beyond the Embrace - TBA
5. Biomechanical - Cannibalised
6. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy

So how does the final top 10 look like?
1. Machine Head: The Blackening; this was so hard to choose from this and #2. I went back and forth and I think the music just on this was just wins out. Any band that can have a 10 minute opener and make it not feel too long is pretty good.

2. Devildriver: The Last Kind Words; even better than The Fury of Our Makers Hands. The intensity of that album with some stellar leads. Truly great.

3. Susperia: Cut From Stone; see old post here.

4. Nightrage: A New Disease is Born; better with time. Some of the songs feel like they could have come off their debut album. The clean vocals don't take away at all...unlike some of my disappointments.

5. Megadeth: United Abominations; a step in the right direction, but I thought Susperia and Nightrage were a bit better as the year went on.

6. Deadlock: Wolves; see old post here.

7. Fear My Thoughts: Vulcanus; see old post here.

8. As I Lay Dying: An Ocean between Us; another improvement over Shadows are Security. Nothing Left is a metal classic.

9. Sanctity: Road to Bloodshed; see old post here.

10. Lazarus: The Onslaught; a better version of Exodus. Musically, vocally, just better. I can't wait to see where this band goes from here. Check them out here.

Disappointments haven't changed:
1. The Autumn Offering: Fear Will Cast No Shadow; new vocalist = horrible new sound. They tried to be like Trivium on this album...didn't work. I miss the old vocalist. Embrace the Gutter was a modern thrash/metalcore masterpiece. Take a song like Ghost, you go from this awesome Iron Maiden type solo to a killer breakdown. That stuff is all but gone on this new album...too bad.

2. Mnemic: Passenger; same reason as above.

3. Chimaira: Resurrection: see old post here.

4. Beyond the Embrace: they seriously need to put an album out. Just for not releasing an album makes them a disappointment.


Now there was nothing wrong with Shadows Fall, Darkest Hour, Soilwork, 3 Inches of Blood, Exodus, or Becoming the Archetype they just didn't do anything as amazing as these albums. BTW, all of those bands put out great solid metal albums. And they could easily make it into someone else's top 10. But, these are my top 10 albums of the year. Can't wait for this year.