No. 25:

Band: Astronoid
Album: Astronoid

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2012
Record Label: Blood Music

I was fortunate enough to review their debut album"Air"a couple years ago, and it was like something that I have never heard before. There has been some growth however since that album and is seems the band has fully found their niche. If you haven't heard them before, I highly suggest that you rectify that immediately. Dreamy vocal melodies are supported by a beefy and tight instrumentation and they've lifted them for you to enjoy. It's so pretty and moving that you can't help but to be completely seduced by the sound here.

No. 24:

Band: Kull
Album: Exile

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2012
Record Label: Black Lion Records

I was very impressed withKULLand their album"Exile."I'd be lying if I said they don't sound likeBAL-SAGOTHbut that is a good thing. Expert musicianship, outstanding songwriting, with their unique craft on full display, and diverse offerings you will find here on this album. How they manage to bring all of these various elements into the music is nothing short of incredible. It's one of the most unique albums that I have heard this year so far.

No. 23:

Band: Dream Theater
Album: Distance over Time

General Information:

Year of Formation: 1985
Record Label: InsideOut Music

Name me another band that has been around as long as DREAM THEATER and who have produced one quality record after another!you can't. They never miss and seem to have an endless level of creativity. "Barstool Warrior" was the real gem on the album, chocked full of singable melodies and terrific guitar work.

No. 22:

Band: Imperium Dekadenz
Album: When we are Forgotten

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2004
Record Label: Napalm Records

I was really blown away at what these two gentlemen have created here. It's one of those rare Black Metal releases that infuses melody and a bevy of emotions into the core Black Metal sound. Anger, rage, depression, sadness, loneliness and despair, but also hope are just a few things that you will feel listening to the album, and it's done from seasoned and careful songwriters.

No 21:

Band: Insomnium
Album: Heart Like a Grave

General Information:

Year of Formation: 1997
Record Label: Century Media

When I think about where this band started, and where they are today, what a lovely journey it has been. They never lost the sound that you have become accustomed to, but on"Heat Like a Grave"they weave in subtle nuances of melody that support the heaviness and aggressiveness akin to subduing a prehistoric beast, and the ambient and more mellow passages serve two purposes!first, it makes the heavier passages that much more pronounced, and second, it serves to remind you of their gracefulness. Great bands always have a sense of the refined and elegant, andINSOMNIUMis no exception. Put this album on your radar for "album of the year" for sure.

No. 20:

Band: Vinsta
Album: Drei Deita

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2014
Record Label: Trollmusic

What a fantastic ride this album was. The two competing styles work together into this synergy that is so easy to listen to. The aggressive tones are tempered so swiftly with ambient and sublime tones, and points of pure joy come shining through. Masterful songwriting, and a flair for the unusual!an album of this magnitude comes around once every blue moon.

No. 19:

Band: Vesperith
Album: Vesperith

General Information:

Year of Formation: Unknown
Record Label: Svart Records

"Vesperith"was a very personal listening experience. If you like Black Metal and Post-Black Metal and the derivatives therein, I have no doubt you will enjoy the album. It's like a tale of two people, or the yin and yang ofSariina'smind. At times it is ferocious, evil, and intense, and other times it is fairly calm, but always with that darkness/harrowing feeling present. She is masterful at creating that feeling, with various tones and techniques. Don't fall asleep with this album playing!you might not wake up!

No. 18:

Band: Darkwater
Album: Human

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2003
Record Label: Ulterium

Heavy but with these wonderful melodies, "Human" is a masterpiece of Progressive music. Their sense of timing, musicianship, and harmonies collide into a synergy that is hard to find. Each and every song tells a different story, and as a whole it is amazing.

No. 17:

Band: Oceanica
Album: OneDark

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2014
Record Label: Progressive Gears

I love the album and can see whyBenhas the accolades to go along with his music. It's a very positive and personal sounding album, but always with a message of hope. Lush with melodies, rich with atmosphere and depth!a good album takes you on a journey to a place far away from your worries and troubles. That's what this album did for me. I really enjoyed being immersed inBen'sworld for the time of the ride, and to know that I can go back there any time fills me with joy.

No. 16:

Band: Veldes
Album: Flameless

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2012
Record Label: Independent

How can Black Metal be so powerful and so pretty at the same time? AskVELDES. Tilenhas taken every precaution to present the dichotomy of these two things in full view. It will open up your world and draw you in like a tractor beam, pulling and hugging you tightly, with raging screams and beautiful instrumental passages. Slovenia must be a gorgeous place, because it is reflected perfectly in this album.

No. 15:

Band: Belzebubs
Album: Pantheon of the Nightside Gods

General Information:

Year of Formation: Unknown
Record Label: Century Media Records

This was a phenomenal debut album fromBELZEBUBSthat has everything a true Metalhead would want on an album. There are moments of deep, raging intensity!real fire and brimstone stuff, moments of ambient beauty so alluring they bring tears to your eyes, and moments of grandeur steeper than the highest mountain peak. Every note and every individual piece fits together with a synergy that I haven't heard to date this year. The production is as clear as a bell. This is a must-have album that you cannot do without.

No 14:

Band: Vintersea
Album: Illuminated

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2016
Record Label: M-Theory Audio

VINTERSEA really took a big leap forward with "Illuminated." The melodies came together effortlessly, and the song structures are really on point. Singer Avienne has a beautiful but powerful voice, especially when singing in harsh tones, which are hard to believe. Jorma's guitar work is quite beautiful as well. Overall, a masterful album full of surprises.

No. 13:

Band: First Signal
Album: Line of Fire

General Information:

Year of Formation: Unknown
Record Label: Frontiers Music

This album delivered hard in all areas that you would expect from an AOR album. Outstanding songwriting, with the ability to write those hooks that just draw you in, and the perfect amount of melody, taking you back to a time when the genre was flourishing in the 1980's. They didn't try to re-create the wheel, nor copy what other bands have done in the past. Indeed, this is an original and fresh piece of AOR that you will remember for some time.

No. 12:

Band: Genetics
Album: Cynosure

General Information:

Year of Formation: Unknown
Record Label: Independent

This was a fascinating piece of music that lives outside genre classifications. At its core, it draws influence from Melodic Rock and Metal and with Progressive elements, and the themes they talk about are all relevant to our current state of existence. They are masters at manipulating transitions and do it so seamlessly that at times it's hard to know where you are. I say, sit back, and take in the ride for all it's worth. Because it's a wonderfully done album by skillful musicians and is worth every penny.

No. 11:

Band: Gates to the Morning
Album: Return to Earth

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2007
Record Label: Independent

I disagree completely with a previous review I read about the album, calling it "disjointed" and "meandering." I find that is exactly the strength of the album. The amount of diversity presented here is impressive. Though nearly 60 minutes in length and 14 songs, each one has a part to tell in the story. It's impossible to pigeon-hole this band as well. There are tons of different elements from Black to Post-Black to Progressive, but always done with creative melody and masterful songwriting. This was such a unique and enjoyable listening experience for me!

No 10:

Band: Mother of Millions
Album: Artifacts

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2008
Record Label: ViciSolum Productions

This album made me speechless and reduced me to reflect on much. There is so much raw emotion and the vocals pair with the music perfectly. It's the best and most complete Progressive album I have heard in a while, certainly this year, though it's early. But I think this will stand up to any and all contenders.Prokopiouhas a magical voice!smooth as butter across warm bread, but he can lash out without notice and negotiate the upper ranges with the best of them. The rest of the band is supremely talented at creating the perfect match to how he sings, with dexterity and thoughtfulness. The songs balance simple emotions with complex ones but will prick you like the pins of goosebumps and wash away everything else around you.
Bow your heads.

No. 9:

Band: Opeth
Album: In Cauda Veneum

General Information:

Year of Formation: 1990
Record Label: Nuclear Blast

Like DREAM THEATER, OPETH has never issued a bad album. Forget about the fact that Mikael doesn't growl anymore!those days are long gone, and I could care less. What he continues to do is make a quality album one after another. "In Cauda Venenum" is a real treat, chocked full of old school melodies and epic numbers where the riffs venture into uncharted territories and that signature OPETH sound is on full display here.

No. 8:

Band: Ihlo
Album: Union

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2016
Record Label: Independent

The album was not a concept album per se, but I can't help the feeling that it was connected somehow, and linear in approach, especially considering the culminating final track,"Coalescence." "Union"is a fitting title for exactly that; "something with shared interests or cause." First of all, let's talk about the brilliant vocal performance ofAndy Robison.He can be so smooth and gentle, but when he lets loose, he can shatter glass. Musically the guitars, keys, bass and drums work so well together; it's like watching a well-oiled machine do tasks that a human could do in a tenth of the time."Union"is a journey, for me through self-doubt, self-deprecation and rejoice and rebirth. Don't let this one slip away from you.

No. 7:

Band: Tomasz Piwecki
Album: Time Line

General Information:

Year of Formation: Unknown
Record Label: Independent

I've really enjoyed the other albums I've reviewed byTomasz Piwecki,but he really stepped up his game here on this album, building elegant and graceful passages along with the heavy ones to show the stark contrast between the two. He's grown as a songwriter as well, telling instrumental tales of solar travel or being taken to an alternate planet where your existence is gone unseen by the inhabitants. Sit back and take this wonderful journey and let it take you wherever it will.

No 6:

Band: Hemina
Album: Night Echoes

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2008
Record Label: Independent

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the album. Though it lacks some of the diversity of their previous effort,"Venus,"it more than makes up for it in melodies. The melody has been dialed up a few notches, as well as the backing vocals. As well, they seem to have developed a penchant for shorter songs with more of a dynamic burst. In other words, the melody hits you harder and you don't have to wait for it. Is this a funny way of saying that it's more commercial? Perhaps, but that is not the point. I hope this album will give them their first real taste of appeal to a wider audience, because it is incredible. I've said it before and I'll say it again,Douglas Skeneis one of the best and most diverse vocalists out there.

No 5:

Band: Avandra
Album: Descender

General Information:

Year of Formation: Unkown
Record Label: Blood Music

What a fantastic and fresh sounding album here. The technical elements are easily heard but kept in check, allowing the music to flow through you, lifting you to new heights unimagined. The album has character and depth; two things that are missing from a lot of music today. The hypnotic vocals ofChristian Ayalaestablish a new standard in the genre as well. I guarantee any fan of Progressive Metal will find this as fresh and exciting as I did. Marvelous!

No. 4:

Band: Aether
Album: In Embers

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2015
Record Label: Independent

I believe these guys were still teenagers when they released their debut EP in 2016, Now, three years later, I'm sure they are as excited to release their debut full-length as you will be to listen to it."Tale of Fire"reminded me a lot ofWINTERSUN.But on their new album, they have found and established their own sound here, confidently. Epic really isn't large enough of a word to describe the album. So many different elements go into their music, and they are crafted expertly, with detail, and meticulous attention to melody. The Folk elements add a completely different element to what are already breathtakingly sweet and bitterly raging vocals. Their musicianship is impeccable, and this album blew me away. It's a contender for album of the year for sure!

No. 3:

Band: Periphery
Album: Periphery IV: Hail Stan

General Information:

Year of Formation: 2005
Record Label: Century Media Records

Equally as good as pushing unabashed melodies as they are at heavy, aggressive, and absolutely crushing moments with a flair for musicianship that seems unmatched today, this is a landmark album in the genre that every other band must measure themselves up to. Good luck, because it's technical wizardry at level 100 combined with absolutely flawless melodies and moments of grandeur that will be nearly impossible to match.

No. 2:

Band: Swallow the Sun
Album: When a Shadow is Forced into the Light

General Infrormation:

Year of Formation: 1999
Record Label: Century Media

"When A Shadow is Forced Into The Light"is a fitting album title for this deep, dark, and crushing sound. When you consider something that is capable of swallowing the sun, you think of a massive black hole roaming through space that just opens its jaws and takes in the almighty power of the sun with one gulp. That is exactly what you have here. Beautiful and depressive moments of melancholy that you can easily become lost in are cut by raging Death vocals and an ominous sound that remind you of why you are alive. It's definitely an early contender for "Album of the Year."

No. 1:

Band: Iapetus
Album: The Body Cosmic

General Information:

Year of Formation: Unknown
Record Label: Independent

Ambitious? This sure is. But they managed to meet their mark and meet it well. There is so much complexity to the music that you need to hear it several times to catch all the nuances and believe me!you'll want to. Yet, it is so easy to listen to and enjoy, and isn't that the point of music in the first place? I've heard a lot of good music this year, but you don't want to miss this one. Epic is too simple of a word to describe what they have created here. Quite simply, this momentous album is one of the best independent releases I've heard this year.