Let’s celebrate with champagne
Because it’s that time of the year again
When everyone gives each other gifts
And makes end of the year lists
2012 was a great year
Many albums I did revere
But only a few I must choose
Now before more rhymes I abuse
Let’s get to the favorite albums
So take this list into your cerebellums
(Yes, I know that the cerebellum doesn’t do that, shut up!)
As you may have noticed, The Omega Experiment‘s fantastic self-titled debut album ended up on a few of our year-end lists. Their powerful blend of prog metal and soaring hooks — sounding like a crossbreed of Styx and Devin Townsend Project — is both thought provoking and incredibly catchy. We acclaimed the record, and we weren’t the only one who took notice of their excellence either; Listenable Records (home to fellow Heavy Blog favorites Gorod, Betraying The Martyrs, and Sybreed) just signed TOE and are re-releasing their debut album in 2013. We asked frontman and songwriter Dan Wieten to give us a recap of his favorite albums from the year, which you can read below!
The discovery of a new band is always exciting. Will it be something you’ve heard countless times? An experience that leaves a bad taste in your mouth? Or is it a treat from which you cannot stop consuming? I wanted to take a trip back in time to reminisce about bands/albums that not only introduced me to heavy music, but kept me coming back for more…
From The Archive: Blind Guardian – A Night At The Opera
To me, power metal has always been, and will always be about Blind Guardian. They’re the first power metal band I heard, and they also are my favorite. Unlike other power metal bands, they don’t really care about slaying dragons or being heroes of the land. They’re all about telling melancholic and grandiose stories. Nightfall In The Middle Earth is entirely about The Lord of The Rings (way before the movies), and Imaginations From The Other Side is possibly the best album in the genre. The special thing about Blind Guardian is that they don’t rely on the cliches of the genre, which are constantly tremolo picking guitars, a voice that is in very high falsetto all the time, and upbeat lyrics. No, Blind Guardian songs are at times very dark, very deliberate, and vocalist Hansi Kürsch has remarkable range to bring it all together. There are almost always two distinct guitar lines to spice it up.
Blind Guardian01. Sacred Worlds
02. Tanelorn
03. Road Of No Release
04. Ride Into Obsession
05. Curse My Name
06. Valkyries
07. Control The Divine
08. War Of The Thrones
09. A Voice In The Dark
10. Wheel Of Time
After fours years since A Twist In The Myth was released, Blind Guardian have returned with their highly anticipated 9th full-length album At The Edge of Time. These guys certainly know how to build up hype with each new release, as they provide samples, single(s) and up to date news while they finish recording and adding finishing touches to their album, which just gives the fans more to salivate over. Originally a speed metal band on their earlier albums, they eventually gravitated towards writing more epic, progressive (at times) orchestral styled metal, but never straying away from the sound fans are familiar with.
