7) Ghost, Infestissumam (Loma Vista)
Little known fact: if any music makes me think of Castlevania, it automatically has my attention. Ghost’s sophomore album contains such music. I loved the band’s first album for its catchy, gloomy, retro feel. Infestissumam branches out a bit more with the demented carnival tones of “Secular Haze” and the chilling, hushed voices of “Ghuleh – Zombie Queen”. The track “Year Zero” is one of my favorite songs of the year if only for the chanting for Beelzebub at the beginning. It’s another great album from Ghost and I’ll continue to look forward to anything Papa Emeritus and The Nameless Ghouls put out in future. P.S. Yeah, it’s technically Ghost B.C. in the US, but I don’t think I’ve ever referred to them by that name. So there.
6) Protest The Hero, Volition (Razor & Tie)
There are few bands that dazzle my senses like Protest The Hero. I eagerly awaited Volition knowing for sure that it would be a solid effort. I was wrong; Volition is more than solid, it’s spectacular. “Clarity” gets stuck in my head all of the time and “A Life Embossed” contains one of my favorite lyrics of the year: “And if a pitbull is a weapon, you’ll have to pry them from my cold dead hands”. It’s great to hear Chris Adler (Lamb of God) filling in on drums and Rody Walker has secured his place as one of my favorite metal vocalists. The album is quite the ride and one I highly suggest you try if you haven’t already.
5) Dream Theater, Dream Theater (Roadrunner)
Dream Theater is a band I always expect to deliver quality music. I’ve never heard an album from them that I didn’t enjoy. That said, there are albums that stand out among the others as their best works, and the band’s latest self-titled album is an example of such. I like to think of the album as a Dream Theater sampler of sorts. It has some heavy stuff, an instrumental, and some light, pleasant stuff. Oh, and a 22 minute epic that stands out as one of the finest works the band has ever written. It’s a record that I believe could turn anyone into a Dream Theater fan, metalhead or no.
