Best albums of 2009

[Kotti]

What do you think are the best albums released this year?

I had written some proper reviews of my favorites, but thanks to hdd failure, I won't be posting them, just something small. In alphabetical order:

Amorphis - Skyforger (Highest Star)
Great vocals and guitar parts like on their previous album. Sounds a bit recycled at times, but that's only a small downside.

Cain's Offering - Gather the Faithful (Dawn of Solace)
Compared to most other power metal albums I heard this year, this actually sounds new. Kotipelto's voice fits CO better than Stratovarius

Collapse - Visions... (Demo EP) (Come to Life)
Death/doom metal with a twist, just listen to Come to Life and you'll know what I mean. Unfortunately I haven't found a single band that sounds like Collapse, I really like the way they have mixed the piano in it.

Dream Theater - Black Clouds and Silver Linings (Wither)
It may not be their best album, but definitely is worth listening. The Count of Tuscany, Wither and A Rite of Passage are all great songs (and the rest aren't bad either) which should justify listing this album.

Sonata Arctica - The Days of Grays (The Last Amazing Grays)
I liked Unia a lot and TDoG is even better. Like with Collapse, I like they piano parts a lot.
---
Good, but not great:
Buckethead - A Real Diamond in the Rough + Slaughterhouse on the Prairie (A Real Diamond in the Rough)
Dagon - Terraphobic (Full Speed Ahead)
Luna Mortis - The Absence (Reformation)
Scar Symmetry - Dark Matter Dimensions (Noumenon and Phenomenon)
Warmen - Japanese Hospitality (Separate Ways)
Vinnie Moore - To the Core (Into the Sunset)

Disappointing:
Hammerfall - No Sacrifice, No Victory
Megadeth - Endgame
Stratovarius - Polaris (I had WAY too high expectations for this, even if it was a perfect album I wouldn't be satisfied)

[gebbss]

I really liked Rara Speaks from Lucky Dragons, but I don't know if that counts since it's not metal.

[yoyokid2008]

I really liked Them Crooked Vultures Self titled and The Fall of Troy's In This unlikely event.

[warhol]

Muse's "The Resistance" was awesome

[Scutch-Nukem]

Megadeth's Endgame
Them Crooked Vultures
Kiss's Sonic Boom

[Kermit4Prez]

Them Crooked Vultures
Crack the Skye
Cosmic Egg

[Naemesis]

I rather liked Stratovarius' Blind from their last album Polaris. It's a pity you find it dissapointing.

[porknchili]

Not in any order:
1. Black Clouds and Silver linings - Dream Theater: all songs are good on this and they proved they can still write good songs

2. Archangels in Black - Adagio: They finally found their sound and it shows

3. Domain.Nation - Instant Suppression: This one surpised the **** out of me since this is their debut

4. Molecular Heinosity - Derek Sherinian: Hes soooo much better than rudess and it shows

5. Dark Matter Dimensions - Scar Symmetry: It had a little of everything and was still pretty good

Disappointments:
1. World Painted Blood - Slayer
2. Endgame - Megadeth
3. No Sacrifice, No victory - Hammerfall

[Chainsaw Octopus]

Baroness - Blue Record
Behemoth - Evangelion
Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
Buckethead - A Real Diamond in the Rough
Converge - Axe to Fall
Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Lamb of God - Wrath
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
The Black Dahlia Murder - Deflorate
The Red Chord - Fed Through the Teeth Machine

I spent most of 2009 listening to old albums, so these are about the only new ones I've heard.

[vedicardi]

Evile - Infected Nations
Beatles Remasters lol
Death Devil - Maddy Caddy single
Gama Bomb - Tales From the Grave in Space
Hospital of Death - Surge Kill Steal
Lazarus AD - The Onslaught
Blood Tsunami - Grand Feast for Vultures
Megasus - Megasus

Still waiting for the new atheist album hjrrhhirh

[omfgdrphl]

Adagio - Archangels In Black
Dinosaur Jr - Farm
Evile - Infected Nations
Revolution Renaissance - Age of Aquarius
Kreator - Hordes of Chaos
Mastodon - Crack The Skye
Gama Bomb - Tales From the Grave in Space

I didn't listen to many new albums... ;___;

Albums that were disappointments:

Slayer - World Painted Blood
Sonata Arctica - The Days of Grays
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence: Live At Wacken (All the songs were already on youtube... I was hoping for studio album. D:)

[vedicardi]

I don't know what you were expecting with "live" in the title.

They are still working on a studio album

[omfgdrphl]

I don't know what you were expecting with "live" in the title.

They are still working on a studio album

I heard that they were releasing a new album in 09, and I guess when that one was the only one of their albums released in 09, I thought they meant that one. When I saw it was live, I thought "Hey, at least they might do some extended versions of some songs or something...", but they were just the same ones on youtube already. :\

[hereje888]

My top 5 in order best first:

1- Mastodon - Crack The Skye: Just groundbreakingly epic.
2- Shadows Fall - Retribution: Just wow. Was surprised here. Has my fave SF song(s).
3- Slayer - World Painted Blood: Good ol Slayer, what else to be said?
4- Them Crooked Vultures - Selftitled: What's to say that's not been said?
5- Megadeth - Endgame: It's not the second coming of Rust in Peace, but a great album, still.
EXTRA - Evile -Infected Nations: RIP Mr. Alexander.

Need to check out:

-Gama Bomb album, whatsitsname
-Alice In Chains album, always forget to check
-Ensiferum album.
-Municipal Waste album.

[vedicardi]

I don't know what you were expecting with "live" in the title.

They are still working on a studio album

I heard that they were releasing a new album in 09, and I guess when that one was the only one of their albums released in 09, I thought they meant that one. When I saw it was live, I thought "Hey, at least they might do some extended versions of some songs or something...", but they were just the same ones on youtube already. :\

they are remastered tracks (they only made the album because they found they were playing into a soundboard that recorded all of the instruments separately) and obviously you can't listen to youtube when you're walking around (unless you have 3G)