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Album of 2019

Riff_Raff

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#1
I have a tie for the first time of album of the year. First album is from Adelaide, Aus own band Freedom of Fear with Nocturnal Gates. Awesome progressive Death Metal.


 

Magic

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#2
I haven't had time to sit down, make a list, and pick my #1 of 2019. It is really hard to pick JUST ONE album. I may pick a #1 for a couple genres, though.:p

There have been some really good albums this year....and some new discoveries for me, too.

Opeth, Rammstein, Tesla, Alter Bridge, Crazy Lixx, Whitesnake, Diamond Head, OverKill, Blind Guardian, Avantasia, Marco Hietala, Hammerfall, Tygers of Pan Tang..........gee whiz it has been a good year!!!!
 

Riff_Raff

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#3
Second album that is in tied 1st place for me is Airbourne - Boneshaker.



Much better album than the predecessor full of awesome rock n roll riffs that sound like something you'd perhaps hear from Bon-era AC/DC but having enough of a heavier stomp on it to differentiate especially in the vocals. Just listen to the chorus in This is Our City.
 

Lynch

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#4
I have a tie for the first time of album of the year. First album is from Adelaide, Aus own band Freedom of Fear with Nocturnal Gates. Awesome progressive Death Metal.

I really dig the music, but the I can't get past the cookie monster vocals.

no offense meant towards anyone that likes it, I just can't listen to it.

Opeth, Rammstein, Tesla, Alter Bridge, Crazy Lixx, Whitesnake, Diamond Head, OverKill, Blind Guardian, Avantasia, Marco Hietala, Hammerfall, Tygers of Pan Tang..........gee whiz it has been a good year!!!!
From your list, of the ones that I've heard, I'd say Whitesnake edging out Tesla. The more I listen to that Whitesnake album, the more that i like it.
 

Magic

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#5
@Riff_Raff

Airbourne's Boneshaker is definitely one to put on the top of a "best of 2019 album" list, however, for me it wouldn't be a #1 for hard rock album of the year. I just have a hard time giving such high praise to a band which basically sounds like AC/DC ( don't get me wrong, Boneshaker is good, especially since we probably wont see any new stuff from AC/DC in the future) . In the Hard Rock category, I would have to put Alter Bridge's Walk the Sky at #1 and Whitesnake's Flesh & Blood at #2 followed by Tesla's Shock at #3. I would also add Tool's Fear Innoculum in there somewhere, too.

I dunno, these lists are so personal and based on individual tastes........

@Lynch

As far as "cookie monster" and "growling" gutteral vocals, I am not a huge fan either. However those style vocals can be tastefully done. If I can't understand what the hell they are saying, I skip it. If they are screaming and incoherent, I skip it. If all they do is growl like a rabid dog, I skip it. I really don't enjoy that kind of Death metal, even the melodic death metal has to use growls tastefully and sparingly for me to give it a good rating..........

The most tolerable, and likeable, growling vocals IMO comes from a "beauty and the beast" style vocal. Clean female and gruff male.......give me some time and I will come up with a playlist I think you would enjoy. Theater of Tragedy & Epica pops into my head. A lot of the symphonic bands that used "Beauty and Beast" have basically ditched that style in recent years.....like Within Temptation, Xandria, and Delain.
 

Riff_Raff

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#6
Airbourne don't sound 100% like AC/DC to me tbph there's enough subtle differences.

Cookie monster vocals won't be everyone's cup of tea but they work well for me with that brand of metal.
 

Magic

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#7
I agree Riffy, there are subtle differences, but not enough for me to praise them as album of the year. What I might do is make a post in this thread (if that is ok with you) listing genres and a top 5 in each category for 2019. There was A LOT of new albums this year and plenty to list. :tup:
 

Mr. Gregory

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#8
I actually don't know if I'm going to have an Album of the Year for this year. I had a couple of contenders in Eluveitie's Ategnatos and Within Temptation's Resist, all was quiet for a while, and then about 1,000 other good albums came out all at once. I've also discovered a bunch of new artists who I really like who haven't all released albums this year, which always complicates things for me.

Music-wise, this has been me since, like, mid-September:

 

Magic

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#9
@Mr. Gregory

Me, too. There were so many releases in 2019 that it is hard for me to make a decision to just ONE album. Plus I have been all over the spectrum of music genres, too, with releases from Tedeschi Trucks Band " Signs" (Blues Rock), Queensryche "The Verdict" (Prog Metal), and even George Strait "Honkey Tonk Time Machine" (country)..........Yes, I listen to country...:gig:


The only way I can sort things out is to sit down, make a list, listen to them all again, and then narrow the list down to just a few albums.
It's almost overwhelming. I'm glad I don't do this for a living.
 

Riff_Raff

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#10
I agree Riffy, there are subtle differences, but not enough for me to praise them as album of the year. What I might do is make a post in this thread (if that is ok with you) listing genres and a top 5 in each category for 2019. There was A LOT of new albums this year and plenty to list. :tup:
Go for it. I'll likely add other albums in my top 20.