As the mighty dragon is going to his cave for a long sleep and 2012 draws to a close, Metal Shock Finland presents our Top 10 metal albums of the year, as voted for by our staff and metal viewers around the world. As you will see, there are a great mix of genres on the list, demonstrating the awesome taste of metal fans.
Check out Metal Shock Finland’s Top 10 Albums of 2012 below:
10
SABATON – Carolus Rex
Date:
May 23, 2012
Record Company:
Nuclear Blast
Length:
45:31
9
WINTERSUN – Time I
Date:
October 19, 2012
Record Company:
Nuclear Blast
Length:
40:07
8
KREATOR – Phantom Antichrist
Date:
June 1, 2012
Record Company:
Nuclear Blast
Length:
45:26
7
ADRENALINE MOB – Omertà
Date:
March 13, 2012
Record Company:
Century Media Records
Length:
49:38
6
EVIL MASQUERADE – Pentagram
Date:
May 21, 2012
Record Company:
Dark Minstrel Music
Length
42:25
5
TESTAMENT – Dark Roots of Earth
Date:
July 27, 2012
Record Company:
Nuclear Blast
Length:
50:48
4
FIREWIND – Few Against Many
Date:
May 21, 2012
Record Company:
Century Media Records
Length:
45:09
3
UNISONIC – Unisonic
Date:
March 30, 2012
Record Company:
EarMusic/Edel AG
Length:
55:20
2
OVERKILL – The Electric Age
Date:
March 27, 2012
Record Company:
Nuclear Blast
Length:
50:27
1
ACCEPT – Stalingrad
Date:
April 6, 2012
Record Company:
Nuclear Blast
Length:
56:26
NOTICE: Any albums not in this list does not mean they are not great albums too.
This is Elsa Piazzini‘s fan live report of the first stage of the Metalfest:
I was arrived to the Alcatraz very early, shortly after 4 and a half am, and I started my long waiting. Before 8 am we were more or less in four or five and the security has delimited the entrance with very advance, to understand better how to channel the people during the course of the morning and to permit the passage to the employees with the equipment. I waited until one pm when I could finally go inside with the long line of people that had arisen during the morning. Result: Front row, quite rightly with a good dose of curiosity!
To summarize quickly:
First band: Skull Fist
Explosive performance! With a sparkling, powerful and contagious Rock. A little bomb!
Second band: Fueled By Fire
American thrash metal band that has continued to warm up the audience, giving the start the first mosh pit and wall of death.
Third band: Tryptikon
The most “dark” band of the evening, able to let fans get into the atmosphere of the songs. The lyrics with special attention to black melodies.
Fourth band: Alestorm
Right ones to turn the audience with their piratical and revelers songs, always of course in metal style, creating choruses and pure fun.
Fifth band: Legion Of The Damned
Powerful riffs and scratchy voice, a heavy live at the right point the end of which the singer also gave to me and to another guy as a gift the t-shirt of the band.
After more than 5 hours of music, it was time for me more important: HYPOCRISY performance that I had waited for almost 14 hours! A short but intense set list full of famous songs such as Fire in the Sky, The Eraser, Valley Of The Damned and of course Roswell 47 that has closed a very powerful show and felt, both by band’s members and the public. A suffered front row with so much headbanging and bruises because of the moshpit, but I guess it’s needless to say that every time it’s worth it.. it’s just passion, a healthy madness..
After this little struggle, I quietly left the space for the elated fans of Blind Guardian and Anthrax (the headliners) that, by veterans, have had the opportunity to attract attention and to blow up the adrenaline of all the fans in there. While I was near the exit with some other metalheads, I met again the singer of Hypocrisy, after seeing him perform last March with the Pain in Västerås (Sweden) and a month and a half ago with both of his bands in Karmøygeddon Festival in Haugesund (Norway).
The metal year with monster horns upon the head, 2011 or better type 20\m/ is gone now, a year full of the good, bad and the sad news about the Heavy Metal world, many great albums were released, and some new stars appeared. But the important thing is that the METAL music was played loud throughout the world, from Japan to the Middle East from the Middle East to America and from the icy land, south, to the heart of the cold north, Metalheads and Metallers were united as ONE!
I asked the 3 most interesting questions about 2011 from some Artists, metal musicians and colleagues.You may like to know their opinions. You can read my questions and their answers below:
What was the most important news in the whole of the metal world in 2011 that impressed you the most?
Which metal band do you feel was the most successful in 2011?
Which are your top 3 albums’?
Tarja Virmakari (Chief Editor, METAL SHOCK FINLAND):
1) To pick up only one news, it’s nearly impossible… but maybe all these great artists that have passed this year, have been the news that have left me without words… it’s been a sad year in metal world in that way.
2) The most successful band… well, there are plenty of them, but I guess my reply just have to be Metallica… already for their 30 years’ of carrier. But then again IF you’d ask what is to my opionion the worst album of the year, I’d reply Lulu of Metallica and Lou Reed… but you didn’t ask it, so…
3)
In Flames – Sounds of a Playground Fading
The-Haunted – Unseen
Hypocrisy – “Hell Over Sofia”
Exo (lead Guitarist , Noctem)
1) Nergal finally recovering from Leukemia
2) Not talking about metal, just my fav. genre, extreme metal:
Fleshgod Apocalypse and Obscura, I choose both.
3)
Obscura: Omnivium
Decapitated: Carniva, is forever
Fleshgod Apocalypse: Agony
Rob Mancini
(Rob was in studio when i asked him to answer to my questions, so he answered them short. But i want to thank him here for giving me his time.)
1) That EMI sold its recorded music operations to Sony and Universal.
2) Hard to say, prob nickelback
3) Rob Moratti – Victory
Angeline – Disconnected
Sixx AM – This is gonna hurt
Axel Wiesenauer(Owner at Rock N Growl Promotion)
1) Reunion of “BLACK SABBATH”! I hope they doin the right. I’m curious to hear new songs and see them live in 2012.
2) Nightwish
3) Mystic Prophecy – Raven Lord
Andrea Rodella (Journalist, METAL SHOCK FINLAND)
1) Definitely the announcement of the Italian MetalFest bill: a new heavy metal festival!
2) Talkin’ about international charts position, probably Nightwish and Metallica (with Lou Reed), but in my heart there’s the place for Mastodon only.
3) The three most interesting albums in 2011, imho, are:
3-Opeth – Heritage
2-Hypocrisy – Hell Over Sofia
1-Mastodon – The Hunter
Joe Matera
1) As for news, it was the retirement of KK Downing from Judas Priest. It didn’t really impress me, it saddenned me as the twin guitar attack of Downing/Tipton is one of the most influential in metal. But on the other hand, it is impressive to make the decision to leave such an iconic band whom are still popular.
2) Successful metal band – Slayer because no matter what stuff they went through in 2011, they still hammered on and showed why they’re true metal warriors.
3) Top 3 metal albums of 2011:
The Hunter – Mastadon
Th1rt3en – Megadeth
Atomkraft – Cold Sweat (I know its an EP and also I’m biased since I play on title track, but this is my choice)
Ali Blackdiamond (DJ, Manager and Interviewer on FIREBRAND ROCK RADIO)
1) I’m sure there were lots of different news items that impressed me throughout 2011, but one that stands out was the news of a new Accept album to come in 2012.
Their last album Blood Of The Nations blew me away and I was lucky enough to see them live twice and meet them in 2011, so I really can’t wait to see what the next one will bring!
2) This is a hard question to answer as there were so many successful bands who released great albums and toured too.
I would say personally two for me, the first being Saxon as they released yet another album that will become a classic and it’s great to see them still going strong with no sign of stopping!
Also Wolf with their hard work as always, touring, including an awesome BOA show and delivering the best as always with their awesome album!
3)
1. Wolf – Legions of Bastards
2. Saxon – Call To Arms
3. Turisas – Stand Up and Fight
Joey Severance (Vocal, Tornado)
1) The most important news for me personally was when listenable got in touch and said they wanted to sign us!
2) Most successful metal band of 2011 had to be metallica. headlining the big 4, 30 year celebration in SF……yes, they are still metal and they still kick ass!!
3) my top 3 favorite albums of 2011 are:
Tornado- Amsterdamn, Hellsinki
D.A.D. – Dic.Nii.Lan.Daft.Erd.Ark
Symphony X – Iconoclast
* You read some answers up to now but before I give you the last one from an awesome Metaller and Vocalist, I’d like to give you mine as well.
My name is Mohsen Fayyazi and i’m the first booking and promotion manager and also the first Metal music journalist from Iran.I believe the news about the reunion of Black Sabbath was the most impressive of 2011 and the successful metal bands are all Metal bands around the world who kept Metal alive.
The top 3 albums that i enjoyed listening to are:
3. Turisas – Stand Up and Fight
2. Symfonia – In Paradisum
1. WOLF – Legions of bastards
Niklas Stalvind (Vocalist and Guitarist, WOLF)
1) I don’t read metal magazines, so I have absolutely no idea! Well, maybe then that Bruce Dickinson got fired from his airline company. I am very impressed how he can keep working as a pilot and be the Maiden front man, touring and recording – and be a family man. How the hell did he do it? I wouldn’t be surprised if he got a new employment at another airline.
2) Ghost and Graveyard has been very successful, at least here in Sweden. Especially Graveyard. I think that’s great, because for once it’s a band that I actually like that gets the success.
3) Graveyard. The first two would be Arch / Matheos and Ghos. When come to think of it, I don’t remember if Graveyard and Ghost released in 2010… They probably did, and I don’t read the metal magazines as I said earlier, ha ha! I have no clue! I just stay focused on Wolf.
* I also asked Nik if he and WOLF have any message for their fans, here you can read a message from WOLF:
“We want to thank our fans all over the world, for keeping the true metal alive! You are the best!”
A very special Christmas to All Metalheads who followed us in 2011, we are honored by your supports and we hope you keep following us in the upcoming year 2012. And also don’t forget, now you can support us by promoting your METAL stuff in our website and we will support you as well!
We know that we were not perfect in 2011 but we tried hard to give you all the interesting, shocking news, reviews and interviews and we want to assure you that the METAL SHOCK FINLAND team will do their best in the upcoming METAL year, 2012 to be perfect and METAL.
Follow your dreams and never give up. METAL for life!
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 