2016bestof

2016 Year in Review

Quick Review

Another year has officially come and gone. Looking back on 2016, I think as far as music goes, it was a solid year. The stability of what is being released out there has been consistent for awhile now. I remember looking back to certain years where it wasn't cool to be hair metal, or old school. Things seem to be a bit more relaxed now, and that's a good thing. If you don't like it, don't listen to it. Simple as that. If I was to look at where I think the strength of 2016 was, I would definitely go with the Thrash or Speed Metal genre. Seems most bands that exist in that particular realm were releasing amazing stuff. A fair amount of those bands were also from the original Thrash scene from the mid to late 80's. Nice to see that genre in such good shape. I did enjoy many modern sounds as well as more melodic hard rock as well. It just feels that musically, the scene is in good shape.

Speaking of the different genres, for the second year in a row we will give you the best of the Metal sounds as well as the more melodic rock stuff. Through my many years of listening to music, I have always listened to both and decided to change our site slogan to 'Your Heavy Metal and Melodic Rock Resource'. It fits what we like to promote and it's always fun to mix up reviews a bit with a combination of different sounds. We'll continue this into the forseeable future.

So what do we expect in 2017? That is a good question. I personally think we will continue to see what we've seen in the last few years. There was a time where a certain angle would take the scene by storm i.e. Funk Metal, Thrash, Hair Metal, etc. but it seems that we see less and less of this. The scene has many different sounds. My personal opinion is enjoy what you like, there's a lot out there to choose from. It's always exciting to see who the big players will be, especially looking back at years end. I'm looking forward to a great year of music, so let's get this party started!

Heavier Side Top 10

Metal Album of the Year 2016

Death Angel-The Evil Divide (Nuclear Blast)

One of those albums that just fires on all cylinders. It was a very heavy year for the genre and most of the releases were of very high caliber. Lots of speed and old school on 'The Evil Divide'. Just kept going back to this one over and over. Those who have it will understand.

Pretty Maids-Kingmaker (Frontiers)

Great album as always. This band has always been really consistent. It's obviously more traditional with some decent melody, but there are some very heavy riffs on this album. For me, it was the heavier stuff that drew me in. This band has quite an extensive career to this point and really don't show signs of slowing down soon.

Flotsam and Jetsam-Flotsam and Jetsam (AFM)

Always liked Flotsam and Jetsam going way back to their debut album. This album has some great intense moments mixed with some finesse. The band has always been tight and this go around is no different. Some very cool thrashing moments on this record which kept it on my radar for a good chunk of the year. Another good reason Thrash was king in 2016!

Anthrax-For All Kings (Megaforce)

Anthrax and Megaforce, just seems right! I along with a lot of folks probably were not sure what to expect from the band, but what got delivered was an absolute metal classic. I firmly believe that this album stunned some people who may not have believed that the band was capable of this. Obviously, we knew they were, but they did drop one of the best platters of the year!

MarysCreek-Infinity (Escape)

I'm betting there are quite a few who do not know who this band is. Well, get them on your radar. We started paying attention with 'Incubic Twin' and dove right into 'Infinity' not too long after. The band in ways leans a bit more modern, but also has a bit of a Khan era Kamelot feel to them. I received a download for this promo, but had to pursue a physical copy as I really liked this album!

Testament-Brotherhood of the Snake (Nuclear Blast)

This is Testament doing what they do best. Great Thrash record with some interesting subject material. Testament has been getting it right for a long time now, and they continue the trend with their 2016 offering. Great heavy stuff with a very thick sound. That core old school sound is intact and the band have the usual ferocity. I'm guessing you've noticed the pattern in the top 10 this year!

Megadeth-Dystopia (Megadeth)

More heavy stuff. This album was released early last year and in my opinion, set the tone for 2016. Some old school stuff going on here. What I liked about the album 'Dystopia' was the feel from other eras of the band. You could listen to this album and relate some of these songs to older albums due to some structural similarities. Gave it a fresh but familiar feel.

Reapter-Cymatics (Revalve)

Not as well known on our side of the pond, but this band has their chops down. Stumbled onto them a bit back and was able to check this one out off and on after its release. At times they remind me a bit of the 80's act Wrathchild America, then at other times stuff is reminiscent of Iron Maiden. Songwriting is pretty decent and the music sounds tight. Worth checking out for sure!

Metallica-Hardwired...to Self-Destruct (Blackened)

It's great to hear where Metallica is right now. This effort was pretty ambitious as the set I got consisted of three discs. The first was definitely my favorite and more of a burner. The second was more of a slow chugging sound similar to certain eras of the bands catalog. The band got it right this time and the production was far superior to the previous effort. Good heavy record!

Sinnergod-Sinnergod (Sinner-G)

Definitely leans modern in terms of sound. I heard previews of this Gothic flavored metal act and was immediately impressed. The album to me did not disappoint. Some very catchy stuff going on here with a good dose of atmospheric feel to it. This is one of the more modern heavy albums I went back to over and over again. Looking forward to more from these guys in the future!

Melodic Rock Top 5

Melodic Rock Album of 2016

Circus Maximus-Havoc (Frontiers)

This band has evolved into one of my favorites of the genre. I went back to this album perhaps more than any other album in 2016. The band embrace progressive and melodic rock and do it in masterful fashion. There are a few tracks in the middle of the album that make this album a must have based on those alone. The album does have some heavy, but I felt it was a better fit in this group!

Takida-A Perfect World (The End)

Ever have a band that you just want everyone to pay attention to? For me, this is that band. They are not well known in the States, but man do they have potential. They are already relatively large in their market of Sweden, but should be more of a worldwide act and have great potential to dominate radio if given the chance. The band are more modern, but do have wide appeal. Great record!

Wigelius-Tabula Rasa (AOR Heaven)

This album is Melodic Rock bliss. The music on this platter is what the 80's were made of. A little bit of punch here and there and major amounts of memorable melody make this a great release. It seems it may be a bit harder to track down. I was able to get it at release, but my guess is that it will take a little more work to get stateside now. Definitely worth the effort though!

Cruzh-Cruzh (Frontiers)

Definite sleeper here. This band was born out of the ashes TrashQueen. I thought that the album had potential after a first listen, but as I went back, this album became a serious contender for melodic album of the year. At times they reminded me a bit of White Lion. I hope the band stick with this lineup and continue to release. Very good chemistry and songwriting!

First Signal-One Step Over the Line (Frontiers)

Another good release out of the Frontiers label. The band features Harry Hess of Harem Scarem on vocals and Daniel Flores and Michael Palace. There is a very good chemistry between these guys. The music is melodic hard rock that embraces what made the 80's great. At times it almost felt like a mix of Unruly Child and Harem Scarem. One of my melodic favorites of 2016!