TOP RATED CDS: 2007

ARSONISTS GET ALL THE GIRLS - 'The Game of Life' - 8/10
It’s not really a surprise that AGATG started out as a joke; there’s an anarchist tone to this music. The band is much better than it gives itself credit for. The best moments on The Game of Life are when the band just kicks up the volume and thrashes out. It’s that “who gives a shit” spirit that makes them really good. It’s just a shame they aren’t getting much underground radio play because lovers of all heavy genres would dig what AGATG have to offer.
READ REVIEW HERE

AS I LAY DYING - 'An Ocean Between Us' - 8.5/10
With an album that has sold nearly 275,000 copies (2005’s Shadows Are Security) and the headlining slot on the 2006 Sounds of the Underground tour under their belts, As I Lay Dying easily could have sniffed the crossover potential and returned with a follow-up full of slick, watered-down riffs and sugary choruses. Instead, An Ocean Between Us is a superb metal album—no wimpy, Bullet for My Valentine-style melodies here. READ REVIEW HERE

AVENGED SEVENFOLD - 'Avenged Sevenfold' - 8.5/10
After the phenomenal success of Avenged Sevenfold's 2005 album, City of Evil—which spawned the mega-hit single “Bat Country,” “Beast and the Harlot” and the GNR-style ballad, “Seize the Day”—the follow-up has a lot to live up to. City of Evil was a controversial album for longtime fans of the band, given its new style, but it was a breakthrough on so many levels, making Avenged Sevenfold a household name in rock music. Their new self-titled release follows the same path as its predecessor, but the band has trimmed things in places, making songs even more accessible, while adding new surprises at the same time. READ REVIEW HERE

BEHEMOTH - 'The Apostasy' - 8/10
Death metal is evolving constantly. Bands like Morbid Angel and Deicide built upon the early foundations and upped the ante in terms of extremity. Then came the Scandinavian acts, which introduced a new sound and in turn opened the door for hundreds of bands. In recent years, brutal death metal bands like Nile and Poland's Behemoth have further pushed boundaries, adding Middle-Eastern influences amongst their crushing blast beats. In 2007, elements of death metal can be heard in a large percentage of metal's best known bands. This constant evolution has climaxed with Behemoth's The Apostasy, an album that defines the new era of extreme metal. READ REVIEW HERE

BIGELF - 'Hex' - 9/10
It's funny where life can take you. If someone had told me five years ago that I'd be listening to an album by a band named Bigelf, I would've laughed hysterically. And if they told me that I would be almost blown away by it, that would just be ridiculous, right? Well, it's 2007 and the album, Hex (originally a Europe-only release in 2003), from none other than Bigelf has landed on my desk. These guys look like vampire hippies on the album sleeve and churn out a concoction of so many influences, combining it into one hell of an original sound. And yes, I'm pretty much blown away.
READ REVIEW HERE

BLACKLIGHT BURNS - 'Cruel Melody' - 8/10
Now here’s something I wasn’t expecting. One of the better albums I’ve heard so far in 2007 is the brainchild of a former member of Limp Bizkit. That’s right, someone who was once part of what is probably my least favorite hard rock band of all time has created a captivating piece of music. READ REVIEW HERE

BLOODSIMPLE - 'Red Harvest' - 8/10
There are many bands to which you can compare bloodsimple: Coal Chamber, Drowning Pool, Spineshank, Pantera and Korn, to name a few. Originality is still a problem with this band, but the material packs enough muscle that it becomes less of an issue with this release. Their debut was solid, but it wasn't anything that would stick in your CD player for more than a day. Hell, if you want to get technical, bloodsimple's music is still simplistic at its core even now. However, Red Harvest sees the band finding its niche with influences melding into a strong, recognizable sound, something missing from most hard rock and metal today. READ REVIEW HERE

CHIMAIRA - 'Resurrection' - 9.5/10
Chimaira doesn’t break any new ground on Resurrection, their fourth full-length release and first for Ferret Music after parting with Roadrunner Records last year. Instead, it is the album the band has been building to throughout its career. They have realized their potential with the first unforgettable metal release of 2007. READ REVIEW HERE

CIRCUS DIABLO - 'Circus Diablo' - 8/10
Now here is a band that plays rock n’ roll the way it was meant to be played. It’s down and dirty, raw and a whole lot of fun. Circus Diablo is truly a breath of fresh air. From the moment the punk-fueled opener, “Loaded,” kicks in, it’s clear these industry veterans—vocalist Billy Morrison (Camp Freddy, The Cult), lead guitarist Billy Duffy (The Cult), guitarist Ricky Warwick (The Almighty), bassist Brett Scallions (Fuel) and drummer Matt Sorum (The Cult, Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver)—know exactly what they’re doing and they don’t give a damn about fitting in with current trends.
READ REVIEW HERE

DARK TRANQUILLITY - 'Fiction' - 9/10
Dark Tranquillity, one of the forefathers of the “Gothenburg sound,” never ceases to amaze me and other fans of extreme metal, even almost 15 years after their release of their debut album, Skydancer. Their new release, Fiction, is their most impressive effort in years. READ REVIEW HERE

DEADLOCK - 'Wolves' - 9/10
The best song, by far, on Deadlock's 2005 album, Earth. Revolt, was “Awakened by Sirens,” mainly due to the powerful female vocals of Sabine Weniger intertwined with the death metal growls of Johannes Prem. Thankfully, after six years of collaboration, Sabine became a full-time member of the band in 2006, escalating these Germans to a level where few can touch them on Wolves. READ REVIEW HERE

DIMMU BORGIR - 'In Sorte Diaboli' - 8.5/10
No matter what you think of Norwegian black metal titans Dimmu Borgir, this much is true: they do not leave any ideas in the tank. Dimmu’s brand of theatrical black metal throws not just the kitchen sink at the listener, but the kitchen, the parlor and probably the garage. Blast beats, interlocking vocals between Shagrath and Vortex, Gregorian chants and spooky keyboards are just part of the operatic sweep of Dimmu’s sound. This isn’t just heavy metal, it’s Rosemary’s Baby set to music. READ REVIEW HERE

DOWN - 'Over the Under' - 8.5/10
The members of Down have achieved notoriety in the metal world and varying degrees of success on their own, but something special happens when they make music together. Refreshing doesn’t even begin to describe a band so completely unencumbered by trends and so firm in its belief in what it does. Over the Under is another timeless release from one of the greatest bands of the last two decades. READ REVIEW HERE

DREAM THEATER - 'Systematic Chaos' - 9/10
Systematic Chaos, the band’s first Roadrunner Records release, has everything that makes Dream Theater who they are, effectively melding the aggressiveness and darkness of Train of Thought (2003) with the more progressive nature of the subdued Octavarium (2005). The key to Dream Theater, what separates them from so many other acts, is that even the craziest instrumental passages retain a strong musical quality and never devolve into self-indulgent noodling. And then you have singer James LaBrie, his expressive voice the perfect complement to the virtuosos around him.
READ REVIEW HERE

ECHOES OF ETERNITY - 'The Forgotten Goddess' - 8/10
There's a new metal queen in town and her name is Francine Boucher, lead vocalist for Echoes of Eternity. No doubt the centerpiece and soon to be main-draw of this band, Boucher's ethereal vocals are in the same league as Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil or Liv Kristine of Leaves Eyes. The Forgotten Goddess features beautiful melodies galore, backed by a start-stop machine gun double bass attack and a classic metal guitar sound. READ REVIEW HERE

ENSIFERUM - 'Victory Songs' - 8/10
Who doesn’t like Vikings? I mean, they were known to pillage and steal, they wore cool helmets and furs and beards and had names like Erik the Red. Next to being named Mack Strong or Jack Slaughter, how awesome is it to have “the” in your name? READ REVIEW HERE

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH - 'The Way of the Fist' - 10/10
Listening to Five Finger Death Punch’s The Way of the Fist is the musical equivalent of going 10 rounds in a heavyweight fight. The record should come with a spit bucket and a cutman to patch up the listener between songs.
READ REVIEW HERE

FORWARDHEAD - 'Pieces' - 8/10
Listen to Forwardhead’s Pieces, and the power of frontman Ron Turner’s voice virtually leaps out of the speakers to engulf the listener. It conjures images of Maynard James Keenan, but while Tool spends more and more time meandering about in experimental prog-metal, Forwardhead serves tasty slabs of metallic rock. They blend the darkness and atmosphere of Tool with the accessibility and songwriting savvy of Alice in Chains. READ REVIEW HERE

GRAVEWORM - 'Collateral Defect' - 9/10
Catchy black metal? I didn't know there was such a thing until Graveworm's Collateral Defect. Actually, Graveworm is not a black metal band in the truest sense. These Italians combine elements of extreme metal such as death, black and goth into a sonic blast of evil that remains dynamic and melodic—a combination rarely heard. READ REVIEW HERE

GOREFEST - 'Rise to Ruin' - 8/10
Rise to Ruin could have very well been released 10 years ago, but with its excellent production and modern depth of sound, you'd never know. This type of death metal is becoming less common, with bands constantly pushing the envelope to create a "new" sound. Rise to Ruin deviates from this thinking, giving rabid death metal fans the kind of album they have been salivating for. READ REVIEW HERE

HALFORD - 'Metal God Essentials Vol. 1' - 9/10
A good compilation or “greatest hits” album not only showcases the strongest material by an artist or band but also should make the listener want to go out and purchase the albums covered. Metal God Essentials Vol.1 does just that. It's a real eye-opener that Rob Halford has not only fronted one of the legendary metal bands for decades but also has created top-notch, essential heavy metal on his own. This collection is a strong statement of how important he is to the metal world. There will never be another Rob Halford, so as the album title suggests, it is essential that metal fans get their hands on this release and discover an era of his career that may be missing from your music collections. Yes, Halford truly is the metal god. READ REVIEW HERE

HASTE THE DAY - 'Pressure the Hinges' - 9/10
In every phase—songwriting, performance, production—Pressure the Hinges is a huge leap forward for Haste the Day. It’s a meaty album full of powerful, infectious songs that separate them from the metalcore pack. Highly recommended.
READ REVIEW HERE

HEARSE - 'In These Veins' - 9/10
Now here is some kick-ass thrash/death metal. In These Veins by Swedish extreme metal band Hearse is as relentless as a bear attack and just as brutal. The album grabs hold of the listener by the balls and doesn’t let go for 38 headbanging minutes. READ REVIEW HERE

HELLYEAH - 'Hellyeah' - 8.5/10
The very thought of Vinnie Paul back behind the drums again, doing what he was put on this planet to do, is enough to bring a smile to any metalhead’s face. That the self-titled debut from Hellyeah—the new “supergroup” featuring Mudvayne’s Chad Gray (vocals) and Greg Tribbett (guitar), and Nothingface’s Tom Maxwell (guitar) and Jerry Montano (bass)—is the most pure fun of any release I’ve heard so far in 2007 comes as an incredible bonus. READ REVIEW HERE

HIM - 'Venus Doom' - 8/10
HIM has created yet another strong album, full of dark energy, moving lyrics and great rock songs. This is not their best, but Venus Doom gives HIM fans little if anything to complain about. READ REVIEW HERE

ICED EARTH - 'Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked Part 1)' - 9/10
Framing Armageddon is as hard-hitting, operatic and over-the-top as power metal gets. It’s how this style of music was meant to be done and further confirms Iced Earth as one of the genre’s leading lights. READ REVIEW HERE.

LAETHORA - 'March of the Parasite' - 8/10
While listening to this album, several disturbing images ran through my head, maybe because I'm just a sick individual who watches way too many horror movies, or it could be that Laethora has actually created something here, a harsh reminder of just how evil, destructive and disturbing an almost perfectly executed extreme metal album can be.
READ REVIEW HERE

MACHINE HEAD - 'The Blackening' - 9.5/10
A mere eight songs clock in at a hefty 61 minutes. Two tracks top the 10-minute mark, and two more surpass nine minutes. You need to bring your A game to hold the listener’s attention over such lengthy pieces, and Machine Head does exactly that. READ REVIEW HERE

MARILYN MANSON - 'Eat Me, Drink Me' - 8.5/10
I’m having a hard time ranking this album among Manson’s previous efforts, let alone giving it a numerical rating for this review. It sounds unmistakably like Manson, but at the same time, it is unlike anything he has done before. That, to me, is the mark of a true artist, someone who grows and stays relevant as times change while still remaining true to himself and what he has stood for. READ REVIEW HERE

MARTRIDEN - 'Martriden' - 8.5/10
Montana’s Martriden is one of the most impressive new metal bands you will hear. Combining a mix of extreme, doom and progressive, the band’s self-titled EP is a nice appetizer for the group’s upcoming full-length debut.
READ REVIEW HERE

MEGADETH - 'United Abominations' - 8.5/10
World events have noticeably sharpened Dave Mustaine's focus, thematically and musically. Take a look at some of the song titles here—“Washington Is Next,” “United Abominations,” “Gears of War,” “Amerikhastan”—and read the liner notes about “Megadeth in the Age of Terror” credited to Jack Bauer (yes, the 24 character), and it’s easy to see where Dave is coming from. READ REVIEW HERE

MUNICIPAL WASTE - 'The Art of Partying' - 8/10
Municipal Waste vocalist Tony Foresta proclaims that the band's new album, The Art of Partying, is “gonna rip your balls off.” Damn, well my balls are still here as far as I can tell, but my freakin' neck is pretty sore after burning through 15 hardcore thrashers averaging about 1:30 apiece. The album title says it all. Municipal Waste is all about bringing the fun and putting the “fuck you ” back into heavy metal. READ REVIEW HERE

NAGLFAR - 'Harvest' - 8/10
Harvest is the latest slab of hellish, blackened death metal from the long running Swedish band Naglfar. With the velocity and gnarly vocals of black metal, a deathly demeanor and all of its Satanic glory, Harvest is another essential release for the extreme metal masses. READ REVIEW HERE

NINE INCH NAILS - 'Year Zero' - 9/10
Whatever is driving Trent Reznor, let’s hope it continues. Year Zero is yet another magnificent musical journey with one of the great artists of our time as our guide. READ REVIEW HERE

NO HOLLYWOOD ENDING - 'Everybody's Talking' - 8.5/10
No Hollywood Ending has taken a cue from a number of different bands and influences, and it has helped them create a masterful work of art. This is not just noise for the sake of being noise or a band being weird just to be different. Enough of that already. It's a rarity that a band today can blend this many styles and sounds and be not just listenable but remarkable. Everybody's Talking will require repeated listens to fully appreciate, but it's well worth it. Everyone has CDs from little or unknown bands in their collections that they frequently spin—desert island discs, so to say. As of now, this would have to be one of mine. READ REVIEW HERE

ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET - 'Error In Evolution' - 8/10
With Error in Evolution, One Man Army and the Undead Quartet have now released two albums in the last two years that are as strong as iron. The impressive debut, 21st Century Killing Machine, is a hard act to follow, but Johan Lindstrand, former vocalist of The Crown, gathered his troops and actually had this album recorded at the end of 2006. Adding heavier, more memorable riffs and further showing their allegiance to classic thrash and death metal, One Man Army are unholy soldiers for all that is metal. READ REVIEW HERE

PRO-PAIN - 'Age of Tyranny/The Tenth Crusade' - 8/10
Bands like Biohazard, Pro-Pain and Prong, to name a few, led the way for street-smart, tough-guy metal in the mid-‘90s. And even though Biohazard is now defunct, there are many bands benefiting from the metal resurgence in America the last few years. Bands seem to have been given new life, even if they never completely went away to begin with. Pro-Pain is one of those bands, and let's just say they are back with a bold statement on Age of Tyranny—you guessed it—their tenth album. READ REVIEW HERE

SANCTITY - 'Road To Bloodshed' - 8/10
Since Trivium frontman Matt Heafy recommended Sanctity to Roadrunner Records in 2005, the Asheville, N.C., quartet has shared stages with Megadeth, Lamb of God and Arch Enemy on the 2006 edition of Gigantour (handpicked by Dave Mustaine), and toured with the likes of DragonForce, Children of Bodom and Black Label Society. No pressure, then, for Sanctity’s debut, Road to Bloodshed, huh? These boys are up to the challenge, as the disc is a wonderful example of modern thrash metal. READ REVIEW HERE

SCORPIONS - 'Humanity Hour 1' - 9/10
Veteran rockers the Scorpions have returned to the metal scene with a brand new concept album titled Humanity Hour 1. This time around, Klaus Meine and company have teamed with producers James Michael and veteran songwriter Desmond Child for the release of their 21st album. The concept gives us a glimpse into a future in which humanity battles for its survival against the machines of their own creation. READ REVIEW HERE

SEBASTIAN BACH - 'Angel Down' - 10/10
This record, which has not a single bad song, is without a doubt a candidate for metal album of the year. Any of track could prove to be a major mainstream hit. The bar has been set high on this triumphant return. The great thing about this record is that Bach refuses to rest on his laurels. He easily manages to bring his voice and undeniable rock n' roll flair into the new millennium with a fresh, up-to-date sound. Bach has breathed life into a genre where life support (and creativity) is desperately needed. READ REVIEW HERE

SEVENDUST - 'Alpha' - 9/10
Whether you are a fan or not, you have to admire the work ethic and consistency of Sevendust. For the last decade, we have been able to count on them to deliver a new album roughly every 18 to 24 months, followed by a grueling touring schedule. Not even the departure of one of their principal songwriters, guitarist Clint Lowery, in 2004 slowed them down. Former Snot axeman Sonny Mayo hopped on board and the band churned out the raw-sounding Next less than a year later. Now, they are already back with their sixth studio effort, Alpha. READ REVIEW HERE

SIX FEET UNDER - 'Commandment' - 8/10
SFU is one of metal’s most divisive bands; their fans love them, while others feel like the band’s work has gotten worse over the years. Still, it’s hard to deny that these guys can crank out some kickass metal jams. Sure, Barnes’s lyrical content gets a little stale after a while (how many songs can you have about murdering someone?). But still, Commandment does exactly what has made SFU one of death metal’s more successful bands. READ REVIEW HERE

SUSPERIA - 'Cut From Stone' - 8.5/10
Susperia's last album, Unlimited, hinted at what this Norwegian band was capable of. With standout, melodic metal anthems like “Chemistry” and the eerie “Devil May Care,” the band carved out a niche for themselves with a heavy, yet melodic sound. The closest comparison I can make is to Machine Head, with vocals similar to frontman Rob Flynn's and a guitar tone not unlike that of Burn My Eyes. But on Cut from Stone, the band carves out even more of an identity. Of course, the band features ex-members of Dimmu-Borgir, Satyricon and Old Man's Child in its ranks, so their musical prowess has never been questioned. READ REVIEW HERE

THERION - 'Gothic Kabbalah' - 8/10
Gothic Kabbalah is truly like nothing I have heard. The album is a dark, epic, innovative and, yes, somewhat gothic metal soundtrack. It requires repeated listens to fully appreciate the amount of work involved with this project and to embrace the numerous different musical styles. READ REVIEW HERE

THROWDOWN - 'Venom and Tears' - 9.5/10
This is the age of metal in which every band talks about trying to write a modern classic. Most bands try to record their own Master of Puppets or any one of the Sabbath albums. Many bands have tried, but no band has ever recaptured the intensity, sound and attitude of Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power; until Throwdown's Venom and Tears, that is.
READ REVIEW HERE

TULAS - 'Biography Obscene' - 8.5/10
Norwegian band Tulus is what would happen if Dimmu Borgir discovered folk instruments. This is black metal most of us here in the States have never heard. Tulus does not wear corpse paint. Their songs are short and punchy but retain the spooky, gothic vibe of black metal. It’s not every day you hear a sax solo on a black metal CD. READ REVIEW HERE

TURISAS - 'The Varangian Way' - 8.5/10
Ever wonder what Medieval Times would sound like with a heavy metal soundtrack? Well, now we have our answer in Finnish metal band Turisas. With trumpets, violins and more sorcery references than a game of Magic: The Gathering, this a gloriously bombastic and totally ridiculous record. Then again, what do you expect from a band with a frontman named Warlord and who wear fur outfits and the same makeup that the wrestler Kane does? READ REVIEW HERE

THE VACANCIES - 'Tantrum' - 8.5/10
From start to finish the album is a gem. Tantrum is a breath of fresh air from what is being force fed to kids today by the major labels. No frills, nothing over produced, just raw energy with well-written hooks and lyrics. In short, it is Warped Tour tested and Joan Jett approved. You don't get much better than that. READ REVIEW HERE

VELVET REVOLVER - 'Libertad' - 8.5/10
“We are Velvet Revolver and we still play muthafuckin’ rock n’ roll!” Those are the first words out of Scott Weiland’s mouth when he addresses the audience at Velvet Revolver’s live shows, and if you don’t believe him, check out his band’s second album, Libertad. READ REVIEW HERE

WITHIN TEMPTATION - 'The Heart of Everything' - 9.5/10
The Heart Of Everything has already charted in numerous countries overseas and is on its way to becoming the band's most successful release to date. This album has the potential to be huge in the United States, as well, if given the proper airplay and promotion. Sharon den Adel's performance here is magnificent. She has become the queen of female-fronted metal. This is easily the best of the genre since Lacuna Coil's Comalies and, in fact, it's better than that. Don't simply dismiss this band as an Evanescence clone, as they were around when Amy Lee was in elementary school. Within Temptation is far more advanced in every musical aspect and The Heart of Everything is one of the best albums I've heard in recent years. READ REVIEW HERE

YEAR OF DESOLATION - 'Year of Desolation' - 8/10
There has been quite the build-up regarding the Prosthetic Records debut of Year of Desolation. The Indiana band formed in 2001 and prides itself upon being a “true” metal band. No dancing, no singing and no fashion allowed here. Their self-titled debut meets these standards and more, relying more often on influences such as early In Flames and Carcass rather than Killswitch Engage. The closest comparison could be Arch Enemy, though Year of Desolation is more brutal than melodic. Both bands share the same Iron Maiden guitar melodies to an extent and the vocals are almost interchangeable at times. READ REVIEW HERE