Live-Metal.Net - Features: Best of 2007

In the past year, I had the privilege of interviewing vocalist Sharon den Adel twice. Not only is she beautiful, intelligent and captivating, but her passion for Within Temptation's music makes this band and The Heart of Everything so magnificent. Sure, it's not exactly the heaviest album of 2007, but it is the most melodic and heartfelt. Sharon's voice and lyrics are the absolute best of the genre and the band took tremendous leaps above their already strong stature. Her lyrics range from the personal to world issues. Combining symphonic elements with modern style, The Heart of Everything is a dark, swirling wave of emotion from start to finish. For all you naysayers, ignore the Evanescence-like first single “What Have You Done,” as it doesn't truly represent this great album. This is for people who love music and it instantly fills a void you never knew you had. A classic album from a band about to have a tremendous breakthrough.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “The Howling,” “The Cross,” “Our Solemn Hour,” “Hand of Sorrow,” “Frozen”

2. THERION - Gothic Kabbalah

Sweden's Therion has been one of the most adventurous bands now for some time and has advanced ages from their early death metal beginnings. Hell, it took me several listens to fully appreciate all that is Gothic Kaballah, but once I did, I couldn't stop listening. The band is the brainchild of founder Christofer Johnsson, who carefully constructs these songs into classic compositions that require repeated listening. Using orchestral arrangements, elements of symphonic, death, thrash, rock and folk metal, Therion also uses several vocalists on Gothic Kaballah after Johnsson stepped back from the mic before this album. Beautiful female vocal parts, both operatic and melodic, trade off with male vocal parts recalling the glory days of heavy metal. As is usually the case, the band also used an a abundance of musicians. The guitar work is can be described with one word: phenomenal. There is a certain nostalgic and ages-old feel to this album that makes it one of the best ever.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “The Wisdom and the Cage,” “Son of the Staves of Time,” “Trul,” “Three Treasures,” “The Path of Arcady”

Hex actually was a Europe-only release for Bigelf way back in 2003, but it qualifies here as most of us Americans are hearing this original band for the first time. I would describe Bigelf's sound as hippie-metal, something of a cross between the Black Crowes and Black Sabbath. As with my top two picks, there is a timelessness to Hex that is rare and remarkable. If there is one album that has completely surprised me in recent memory, this is it. Every song here has a distinct feel, striking a chord with the emotion and feel of classic rock, long missing in today's musical climate. A classic.

STANDOUT: “Pain Killers,” “Disappear,” “Rock & Roll Contract,” “Burning Bridges”

4. THROWDOWN – Venom and Tears

Venom and Tears is the hardcore equivalent of Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power. This fucker hits you fast and hard, rips and grooves, and leaves the listener for dead. It's not a clone of Pantera, but the production, sound and style is damn close. However, that doesn't take away from the drive and spirit of this straightedge band. This is one pissed-off, take-no-shit listen from start to finish, bad-ass enough to reinvent Throwdown and bring them to both the hardcore and metal masses. This is one of the best I have heard since starting this web site, period.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Day of the Dog,” “S.C.U.M.,” “No Love,” “Venom and Tears”

5. ECHOES OF ETERNITY – The Forgotten Goddess

Echoes of Eternity brought a new sound to the female-fronted metal subgenre in 2007. It always has been known for tales of goddesses, broken hearts and gothic fantasy, but to my recollection, no band has ever combined these elements with progressive death metal. Lead vocalist Francine Boucher was recognized as one of the “hottest chicks in metal” by Revolver, but her voice is even hotter. Her ethereal vocals are memorable and beautiful and one phrase sums up The Forgotten Goddess: beauty in darkness.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Voices in a Dream,” “The Kingdom Within,” “Garden of the Gods,” “The Forgotten Goddess”

6. DARK TRANQUILLITY – Fiction

One if the original “Gothenburg bands,” Dark Tranquillity has been at it a long time. Fans and critics have long recognized the band as pioneers of a sound that has since been copied time and time again. Their melodic death metal hit an all-time high with 2007's Fiction. Dark Tranquility has never released a bad album, but Fiction brings it all to the table, seeing the band come together for a career-defining moment. This album soon will be recognized as the next great death metal classic.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Nothing to No One,” “Inside the Particle Storm,” “Misery's Crown,” “The Mundane and the Magic”

7. TYPE O NEGATIVE – Dead Again

Perhaps finally listening to their legion of hardcore fans, Type O Negative released their closest-sounding album to their breakthrough Bloody Kisses. The band received a shot of adrenaline, adding some born-again-type speed to their repertoire and returned with multi-part epics made famous on Bloody Kisses. While not without its flaws, the album grows on you just like classic (or any) Type O. Dead Again once again proves just how great Peter Steele and these wannabe vamps truly are.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Dead Again,” “Tripping a Blind Man,” “September Sun,” “Halloween in Heaven”

8. MEGADETH – United Abominations

How could Megadeth release an album and not end up in my top 10? I guess if the album was Risk, you'd have an argument. But it wasn't. United Abominations, while not extraordinary heavy, shows all these new bands you don't need to be to have shredding guitar solos, amazing songs and an enigmatic frontman. It's funny because Dave Mustaine and his versions of Megadeth always have played second fiddle to his former band, Metallica. But when all is said and done, Megadeth just might go down as the strongest metal band EVER. No joke. United Abominations only helps this cause.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Sleepwalker,” “Washington Is Next,” “Gears of War,” “A Tout le Monde (featuring Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil)”

9. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH – The Way of the Fist

Five Finger Death Punch was hyped heavily on the Internet and by this web site prior to the release of their debut album and it turned out to be well deserved. I would liken The Way of the Fist to Slipknot's debut, though not necessarily based completely on sound and style. This album is going to light a fire in the metal scene in the same sense as Slipknot did back then. Not many bands these days play this type of straightforward, no-nonsense metal and it is a welcome, missing sound. These guys are fucking pissed and straight to the point about it; no fancy dressings and no bullshit. Hopefully, other bands will take notice and stop trying to play 75 different styles at once, while making no sense whatsoever. The Way of the Fist makes complete sense when it comes to quality fucking metal.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “The Way of the Fist,” “The Bleeding,” “White Knuckles”

10. BLOODSIMPLE - Red Harvest

I don't know if this album will stand the test of time, but Red Harvest has been in my CD player steadily over the last few months. There's nothing original about this band featuring members of Vision of Disorder, but the songs are energetic as hell and memorable. Bloodsimple just cut it fucking loose here, melding rock and metal into one groove-filled, adrenaline-fueled album. An easy choice to round out the top 10.

STANDOUT TRACKS: “Ride with Me,”“Dark Helmet,” “Dead Man Walking,” “Whiskey Bent and Hellbound”