Top 10 - 2014 / By YngwieViking
December 27, 2014
No. 10
Band: Harmony
Album: Theatre of Redemption
General Info
Year of formation: 1999
Label: Ulterium Records
A strongly Swedish Neo-Classic influenced Power Metal band with a slight Progressive tendency crafted under an ultra Melodic prism and surrounded by the revelation of a positive meaning.
For this third album, the epic side is still present in the most glorious way along with new heterogeneous details and ambitious elements of the highest caliber mixed with the excellence, the tightness and the exigency in the technical side. If you are into dramatic atmosphere and demanding virtuosity, if the mediocrity of the contemporary artists is definitely not for you, here is born under the wise guidance of the Northern star, the shelter for your tormented soul and more basically one of the most interesting album of 2014!.
No. 9
Band: Kattah
Album: Lapis Lazuli
General Info
Year of formation: 2006
Label: Bakerteam Records
I always believed in a hypothetical savior of the Metal music provided by a band coming from the new world : With the obvious talent of amazing lead singer Roni Sauaf as their strongest asset: KATTAH could be this element of cohesion. This album is filled with a rarely seen diversity, yet it's still holding a certain density in the songwriting which is keeping the unity, a real noblesse in their mix of Traditional Heavy Metal with a courageous experiments, a few Prog interactions in the structures/some Melodic Power Metal touches updated with unexpected colors, dark atmospheres and tribal rhythms borrowed from the Arabian, Eastern European and of course Brazilian folkloric details, while maintaining a typical efficiency with a sharp riffing mania and a pure Metal spirit!
No. 8
Band: Malrun
Album: Two Thrones
General Info
Year of formation: 2005
Label: ViciSolum Production
In the Spring, the Nordic Modern Metallers, MALRUN were proud to show to the world their new improved face, a new found technical temper with a deep subtlety. Indeed, "Two Thrones" is an album with an even stronger unity, more aggressive, very addictive, and without the shadow of a doubt their most melodic album yet at the same time Heavier as hell!The contemporary harshness is reinvented here, and the result of this amalgam between those antagonist parameters is unexpected. This duality is represented as a whole or can be summed by the superb yet schizophrenic vocal performance of the very versatile singer Mr. Jacob Lobner, his characteristics are numberless and astonishing even more forceful than his past work!His range and capacities seems to be limitless, obviously the true asset of this Danish gang. "Two Thrones" seems to be a very important cornerstone and a determinant referential fact in their career! Essential .
No. 7
Band: Xerath
Album: III
General Info
Year of formation: 2007
Label: Candlelight Records
Musically XERATH hold a complex avant-garde attitude and a fierce determination, faithful & devoted to a very personal groove, the tightness of the rhythmic parts is only matched by the full-blown operatic orchestrations, an absolute euphoric dominion set in an dystopian prospective and harmonized in a chaotic vision .
For almost 70 minutes and fourteen tracks England's XERATH, will demonstrate its exceptional musicianship, its mastery both in the arrangements but their also quite prolific talent in the melodic hooks buried under layers and layers of textures and a flurry of screams .
Anyway if the extremism is predominant, the dynamic of the album is pretty effective, even surprising, indeed the play order is shifting from one mood to other in the infernal course of the running list. XERATH also possess a new secret weapon in the person of new guitarist Conor McGouran, who unleash an impressive slab of furious shredding but he's also a real accomplished musician, owner of a fat and tasty tone, sometimes very discreet, able to alternate the different techniques with ease and keeping a perpetual unity in an always changing mode of vibes uplifting the whole song to a magic moment, uplifting his part to an unexpected degree and finally reaching an higher territory!This is easily the album of the year as far as the Extreme Metal crown is discussed.
No. 6
Band: Kissin' Dynamite
Album: Megalomania
General Info
Year of formation: 2007
Label: Afm Records
After the magnificent "Money, Sex & Power" in 2012, they've kept their hypersonic signature sound but they improved it with Modern elements and a few industrial experiments but the core of the music is still Melodic Metal with a savage spirit sounding more dangerous than the Sleazy cohorts and even more mean than most of the new wave of Thrash Metal bands. They also have a true Rock & Roll edge plus an undeniable nasty and cranky attitude.
The young vocalist Hannes Braun displays an amazing range and a real density in the interpretation and most of all a truly impressive confidence, everything is set to uplift them to the highest rank of the worldwide stages!Only the sky is limit!
No. 5
Band: Age Of Artemis
Album: The Waking Hour
General Info
Year of formation: 2009
PowerProg Records
While the Brazilian scene is still underrated in old Europe, hopefully maybe the third generation of Metal group coming from South America is ready to change the conservatism and natural order of things. "The Waking Hour" is the second album by AGE OF ARTEMIS I believe they now have succeeded in summarizing all the elements in a more coherent ensemble with vivid refinements. The melodic content is highly infectious and classy .The mix of the antagonist parameters such as folkloric overtones and almost Thrash Metal staccato drive are well managed.
The result is a very dense sophisticated Metal with the much needed aggressiveness enhanced with some beautiful enlightened chorus, a refreshing burst of light. The lead guitar themes are everywhere and the band sounds very precise and even tighter than before. The lead vocals by Alirio Netto, are once again awesome and in quite a tenacious profile with a gruff challenging character and confidant tenor attitude. Full mark!
No. 4
Band: 220 Volt
Album: Walking In Starlight
General Info
Year of formation: 1979
Label: AOR Heaven Records
Well my friends, the legendary 220 VOLT are back in fine shape with at the frontman post, the one and only, the great Anders Engberg!The band still play superbly and their Swedish singularity is still prominent and addictive! But their versatility is exacerbated, and it's really impressive how they manage to preserve their Melodic personality even while switching from Scandinavian Classic Hard Rock to Modern Metal with a great constancy in an obvious finesse while keeping a fierce attitude , at the same time majestic and attractive, all the lights are set on green to predict a triumph! As evidence, I recommend to you all this album in order to honor the colossal Nordic Gods of Heavy Metal!
No. 3
Band: H.E.A.T
Album: Tearing Down The Walls
General Info
Year of formation: 2007
Label: Edel Records
If In the live context H.E.A.T is by far the best Melodic Hard Rock band that Scandinavia and even the whole Europe has known since a longtime, the Swedish combo is at the peak of their art in the studio too, this "Tearing Down The Walls" will soon be considered, rightly, as a corner stone of their career but also as a strong statement directed toward the non-believers and the doubters, plus it's a clear message for the fans of the band as a concrete confirmation of a bright future, with a solid coherence with their newly balanced style between Melodic Heaven and Hard Rock Hell the whole is enhanced by new arrangements yet still very classy but in a new found density!Thanks to this evolution H.E.A.T proudly stands as a real credible band and cannot be quoted anymore by some as a formulaic/nostalgic act only! The heat is on.
No. 2
Band: Harem Scarem
Album: Thirteen
General Info
Year of formation: 1989
Label: Frontiers Records
HAREM SCAREM is one of my favorite bands ever! Once again their style and their typical divine harmonies are still more than attractive to me and, as most of their albums are ranked very high at the top of my musical Zenith, they do the trick superbly! Every elements is here magnified, in many different incarnations, rejuvenated in its finest shape, precision, and genuine splendor with every little spicy detail and magical chord progression, their stunning melodic abilities are developed to the max in a spark of pure Class creativity, many virtuosic yet inspired solo guitar spots, angelic vocals and heavenly back-up harmonies!Its sovereignty is undisputed and obviously its AOR excellence is unmatched yet.
No. 1
Band: A.C.T
Album: Circus Pandemonium
General Info
Year of formation: 1999
Label: Avalon/Marquee Inc.
I truly love the "Circus Pandemonium" album, it's for me THE album of the year!But I can perfectly understand the demanding effort to fully catch its essence, its own sonic universe is very dense and the musical concept is more than rigorous, their elegance melted with their propensity to found those quirky melodic themes and some original bombastic arrangements, uplifted by extremely tight and skillful musicianship !Their signature sound style is so unique, actually improved, even magnified and embellished reaching the eargasm climax! Indeed "Circus Pandemonium" is beating down everything else in terms of genuine melodic Ideas/virtuosic at the highest point in a technically brilliance and a sublime harmonic splendor, a long trip through a mix bag of sensations, emotions, exaltations and everything in between, you are also embarked for a million of ideas and a billion of Musical references!Sublime .
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