MetalReviews

Awards 2016

4 reviewers shared their picks for 2016.

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Alex

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Swallow the Sun - Songs from the North
  2. 2.
    9486
  3. 3.
    9416
  4. 4.
    9587
  5. 5.
    9598
  6. 6.
    9432
  7. 7.
    9615
  8. 8.
    9463
  9. 9.
    9367
  10. 10.
    9572
  11. 11.
    9447
  12. 12.
    9464
  13. 13.
    9441
  14. 14.
    9519
  15. 15.
    9547

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    9474
  2. 2.
    9539
  3. 3.
    9565
  4. 4.
    9522
  5. 5.
    9513

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    9538
  2. 2.
    9479
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
    9593
  2. 2.
    9498
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0

Goat

Top Albums

  1. 1.
  2. 1.
    9443
  3. 1.
    9443
  4. 1.
    9443
  5. 2.
  6. 2.
  7. 2.
    9530
  8. 2.
    9530
  9. 3.
  10. 3.
  11. 3.
    9456
  12. 3.
    9456
  13. 4.
  14. 4.
  15. 4.
    9597
  16. 4.
    9597
  17. 5.
  18. 5.
    Cult of Luna / Julie Christmas - Mariner
  19. 5.
    Cult of Luna / Julie Christmas - Mariner
  20. 5.
    Cult of Luna / Julie Christmas - Mariner
  21. 6.
  22. 6.
    Insomnium - Winter's Gate
  23. 6.
    Insomnium - Winter's Gate
  24. 6.
    Insomnium - Winter's Gate
  25. 7.
  26. 7.
    9501
  27. 7.
    9501
  28. 7.
    9501
  29. 8.
  30. 8.
    9567
  31. 8.
    9567
  32. 8.
    9567
  33. 9.
  34. 9.
  35. 9.
    9433
  36. 9.
    9433
  37. 10.
  38. 10.
    9611
  39. 10.
    9611
  40. 10.
    9611
  41. 11.
  42. 11.
    9500
  43. 11.
    9500
  44. 11.
    9500
  45. 12.
  46. 12.
    9466
  47. 12.
    9466
  48. 12.
    9466
  49. 13.
  50. 13.
    9589
  51. 13.
    9589
  52. 13.
    9589
  53. 14.
  54. 14.
    9586
  55. 14.
    9586
  56. 14.
    9586
  57. 15.
  58. 15.
    9454
  59. 15.
    9454
  60. 15.
    9454

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    9508 — Superb power metal from the expert hand of Victor Smolski. Not a surprise, when you think about it, but it did hit out of the blue.
  2. 1.
    9508 — Superb power metal from the expert hand of Victor Smolski. Not a surprise, when you think about it, but it did hit out of the blue.
  3. 1.
    9508 — Superb power metal from the expert hand of Victor Smolski. Not a surprise, when you think about it, but it did hit out of the blue.
  4. 1.
    9508 — Superb power metal from the expert hand of Victor Smolski. Not a surprise, when you think about it, but it did hit out of the blue.
  5. 2.
    9532 — A band with a bad name, Black Fucking Cancer brought the fucking noise. Tremendous debut.
  6. 2.
    9532 — A band with a bad name, Black Fucking Cancer brought the fucking noise. Tremendous debut.
  7. 2.
    9532 — A band with a bad name, Black Fucking Cancer brought the fucking noise. Tremendous debut.
  8. 2.
    9532 — A band with a bad name, Black Fucking Cancer brought the fucking noise. Tremendous debut.
  9. 3.
  10. 3.
  11. 3.
  12. 3.
  13. 4.
  14. 4.
  15. 4.
  16. 4.
  17. 5.
  18. 5.
  19. 5.
  20. 5.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    Be'lakor - Vessels — Didn't get around to reviewing this one, but it didn't strike me as near as good as the band's previous outings.
  2. 1.
    Be'lakor - Vessels — Didn't get around to reviewing this one, but it didn't strike me as near as good as the band's previous outings.
  3. 1.
    Be'lakor - Vessels — Didn't get around to reviewing this one, but it didn't strike me as near as good as the band's previous outings.
  4. 1.
    9615 — Didn't strike me as near as good as the band's previous outings.
  5. 2.
    9587 — A real shame, perhaps I've just not listened to it enough times? But this just struck me as a boring, played-safe album.
  6. 2.
    9587 — A real shame, perhaps I've just not listened to it enough times? But this just struck me as a boring, played-safe album.
  7. 2.
    9587 — A real shame, perhaps I've just not listened to it enough times? But this just struck me as a boring, played-safe album.
  8. 2.
    9587 — A real shame, perhaps I've just not listened to it enough times? But this just struck me as a boring, played-safe album.
  9. 3.
    9450 — Speaking of boring and playing it safe... The fire that Grand Magus once burned with seems almost entirely gone.
  10. 3.
    9450 — Speaking of boring and playing it safe... The fire that Grand Magus once burned with seems almost entirely gone.
  11. 3.
    9450 — Speaking of boring and playing it safe... The fire that Grand Magus once burned with seems almost entirely gone.
  12. 3.
    9450 — Speaking of boring and playing it safe... The fire that Grand Magus once burned with seems almost entirely gone.
  13. 4.
    9558 — I loved <i>Pale Communion</i>, but this is a real step down in songwriting quality. Bitterly disappointed in Mikael and the lads.
  14. 4.
    9558 — I loved <i>Pale Communion</i>, but this is a real step down in songwriting quality. Bitterly disappointed in Mikael and the lads.
  15. 4.
    9558 — I loved <i>Pale Communion</i>, but this is a real step down in songwriting quality. Bitterly disappointed in Mikael and the lads.
  16. 4.
    9558 — I loved <i>Pale Communion</i>, but this is a real step down in songwriting quality. Bitterly disappointed in Mikael and the lads.
  17. 5.
    9563 — Far duller than I expect from the men behind The Gates of Slumber.
  18. 5.
    9563 — Far duller than I expect from the men behind The Gates of Slumber.
  19. 5.
    9563 — Far duller than I expect from the men behind The Gates of Slumber.
  20. 5.
    9563 — Far duller than I expect from the men behind The Gates of Slumber.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 1.
  3. 1.
  4. 1.
  5. 2.
  6. 2.
  7. 2.
  8. 2.
  9. 3.
  10. 3.
  11. 3.
  12. 3.
  13. 4.
  14. 4.
  15. 4.
  16. 4.
  17. 5.
  18. 5.
  19. 5.
  20. 5.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
  2. 0
  3. 0
  4. 0

Jared

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    9526
  2. 1.
    9526
  3. 2.
    9370
  4. 2.
    9370
  5. 3.
    9398
  6. 3.
    9398
  7. 4.
    9477
  8. 4.
    9477
  9. 5.
    9567
  10. 5.
    9567
  11. 6.
    9465
  12. 6.
    9465
  13. 7.
    9519
  14. 7.
    9549
  15. 8.
    9432
  16. 8.
    9432
  17. 9.
    9418
  18. 9.
    9418
  19. 10.
    9446
  20. 10.
    9446
  21. 11.
  22. 11.
  23. 12.
  24. 12.
  25. 13.
  26. 13.
  27. 14.
  28. 14.
  29. 15.
  30. 15.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 1.
  3. 2.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 3.
  7. 4.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 5.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
  2. 1.
  3. 2.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 3.
  7. 4.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 5.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 1.
  3. 2.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 3.
  7. 4.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 5.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
  2. 0

Andy

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    9449
  2. 1.
    9449
  3. 2.
    9565
  4. 2.
    9565
  5. 3.
    9577
  6. 3.
    9577
  7. 4.
    9370
  8. 4.
    9370
  9. 5.
    9530
  10. 5.
    9530
  11. 6.
    9415
  12. 6.
    9415
  13. 7.
    9385
  14. 7.
    9385
  15. 8.
    9573
  16. 8.
    9573
  17. 9.
    9466
  18. 9.
    9466
  19. 10.
    9432
  20. 10.
    9432
  21. 11.
    9480
  22. 11.
    9480
  23. 12.
    9591
  24. 12.
    9591
  25. 13.
    9580
  26. 13.
    9580
  27. 14.
    9507
  28. 14.
    9507
  29. 15.
    9485
  30. 15.
    9485

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    9617
  2. 1.
    9617
  3. 2.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 3.
  7. 4.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 5.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    9564
  2. 1.
    9564
  3. 2.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 3.
  7. 4.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 5.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 1.
  3. 2.
  4. 2.
  5. 3.
  6. 3.
  7. 4.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 5.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — <p>Looking back on 2016, this was a year that began with uncertainty and was filled with surprises. I'm not just talking about the ones we got to hear about ad nauseum in the press -- the surprises are reflected in my list, too. Out of everything I've listened to, the one that's stayed in constant rotation through the year has been an obscure sci-fi-themed band from Sacramento, <b>Helion Prime</b>, and except for <b>Abbath</b>, the top fifteen are dominated by obscure groups rather than more mainstream ones. Perhaps this only reflects my current listening habits; <b>Metallica</b> and <b>Meshuggah</b> both released albums this year, which unfortunately I haven't had the chance to listen to yet.</p> <p>And it's also possible that some of my list's diversity isn't destined to last. <b>Trees of Eternity</b>, shortly after releasing one of the best albums of this year, tragically lost vocalist Aleah Stanbridge to cancer. Agalloch, the powerhouse folk/black metal band from my hometown, abruptly decided to call it quits, and so did <b>The Wounded Kings</b>, right after completing this year's album. And <b>Helion Prime</b>? Well, Heather Michele, the vocalist who made their debut such a hit with me, parted ways with them this year too. On the brighter side, I got to hear <b>Witch Mountain</b>'s new vocalist Kayla Dixon for the first time, and while I was too buried to write a live report, I can assure listeners that her voice is capable of sending a shiver down any spine. They've got a single out, but I'm hoping for a full-length in 2017. Fingers crossed...</p> <p>I wish all of you the best (and plenty of metal to listen to) in 2017!</p>
  2. 0