ARTILLERY “My Blood”
BENEDICTUM “Dominion”
CYNIC “Carbon-Based Anatomy”
DOOMSWORD “The Eternal Battle”
EVERGREY “Glorious Collision”
FUROR GALLICO “Furor Gallico”
GOLDEN RESURRECTION “Man With A Mission”
HEATHENDOM “The Symbolist”
SEPTIC FLESH “The Great Mass”
OBSCURA "Omnivium"
PENTAGRAM “Last Rites”
PRIMORDIAL “Redemption At The Puritan’s Hand”
ROYAL HUNT “Show Me How To Live”
SATAN’S HOST “By The Hands Of The Devil”
SILVER LAKE “Silver Lake”
VENOM “Fallen Angels”
VOYAGER “The Meaning Of I”
WHILE HEAVEN WEPT “Fear Of Infinity”

Best band websites

DEATH SS – www.deathss.com
NIGHTWISH - www.nightwish.com/en/
WEEPING SILENCE – www.weepingsilence.com

Best gigs

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORHESTRA at ‘Hammersmith Apollo’ (London) – 28^th March
ACCEPT + WOLF at ‘The Garage’ (London) – 17^th March
CATHEDRAL + GRAND MAGUS at ‘The Forum’ (London) – 3^rd December

CELTACHOR
ROTE MAR

“Apollo 18” (dir.: Gonzalo López-Gallego)
“Le Quattro Volte” (dir. Michelangelo Frammartino)
“Monsters” (dir. Gareth Edwards)
“Rango” (dir. Gore Verbinski)
“The Rite” (dir. Mikael Håfström)
“The Tree Of Life” (dir. Terrence Malick)

Wishes for 2012

- Great new albums from, amongst other bands, Pentagram, Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Solitude Aeternus, Accept, Diablo Swing Orchestra and Ayreon.
- Also, there’s my ‘Bands To See Before I Die’ list, from while I hope to tick off a few more in 2012, maybe Royal Hunt, Saint Vitus, Mortal Sin, Yngwie Malmsteen, Demon, Stanley Clarke, Keith Jarrett, Venom.
- And the full recovery of King Diamond.

Important releases in 2011

Stratovarius - Elysium
Rhapsody of Fire - From Chaos to Eternity
Edguy - Age of the Joker
Visions of Atlantis - Delta
Jag Panzer - The Scourge of the Light
Andromeda - Manifest Tyranny
Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn Of Events
Myrath - Tales of the Sands
Galneryus - Phoenix Rising
Symphony X – Iconoclast
Animals as Leaders - Weightless
Pagan's Mind - Heavenly Ecstasy
Destruction - Day Of Reckoning
The Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction
Macabre - Grim Scary Tales
Skeletonwitch - Forever Abomination
Obscura - Omnivium
Norther - Circle Regenerated
Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony
Belphegor - Blood Magick Necromance
Ulver - Wars of the Roses
Vintersorg - Jordpuls
Tsjuder - Legion Helvete
Einherjer - Norrøn
Turisas - Stand Up and Fight
Svartsot - Maledictus Eris
Alestorm - Back Through Time

Keep of Kalessin

Departure of Jeff Loomis from Nevermore and the long and tedious bus rides...

Wishes for 2012

The Avengers movie better be epic! As well as Batman 3 and Star Trek 2. For music; good releases from Epica, Necrophagist, Agent Steel, The Kovenant, Pantheon I, John Petrucci, Borknagar, Stam1na, Rage, Freedom Call, Naglfar, Carach Angren, Kalmah, Adagio, Firewind, Cellador, Gloria Morti, Stormwitch, Cryptopsy, Fairyland, and Keep of Kalessin. And of course, for the third time and hopefully the last that I'll be making this wish - the release of Wintersun's Time!

Jolly
Moon Safari (I discovered them in 2011...)

Well, to be honest; way too many to mention!

Wishes for 2012

Wishes for 2012

Einherjer - Norrøn was the last that made an impression this year.

Nevermore at Elysee Montmartre, Paris, France, 27th February 2011
Opeth at Graspop Metal Meeting, Dessel, Belgium, 26th June 2011

Pass...

The Metallica and Lou Reed project for ex.

Wishes for 2012

1. Fireforce – March On

2. Diamond Plate – Generation Why?

3. Курск – Ниже

4. Evile – Five Serpents’ Teeth

5. Generation Kill – Red White and Blood

My wish became truth and many people heard about the funeral doom metal in 2011. This is sick, twisted music which you play secretly at home. It is a reflection of the necrosis of society and a contra point of the fast passing social situation of the modern world. But the people who feel thirst for ideas came upon this stylistics as if crashing into a wall.

Appeared people who decided their message to reach wider audience and although its difficulty of access as music forms they satisfied our discontent. Somehow we can feel that we are not so lonely and still there are people who prefer to think and to have a position. These people did not put restrictions to themselves where to seek more accessible forms to create this music. They used acoustic solos, touched the math metal, made the melody expressive, and founded something in stoner and in the modern sound. They put on test our patience with their long songs and when they became sure that they have our attention they screamed into our faces.

The critics began to search concepts to define this phenomenon in the rock culture.  Serious combinations of concepts have been melted …  and finally we have a new etiquette.

It became clear that in this style there are no debut bands. We witness architectonics which moves the layers in such a way that something which is underground comes out on the surface. Perhaps for the first time from 30 years the modern is not in eclectic decay. It is able to express something more than decline. I propose to your attention three pearls from the world of Sludge metal:

1.      Burnsred – Burnsred (Self-Released)

2.      Unfold – Cosmogon (Division Records)

3.      Fleshpress – Acid Mouth Strangulation (Svart Records).

On 31^st October 2011 in front of 70 fans at club “The Box” in Sofia played the Italian pioneers NECRODEATH. The quartet performed its thrash with VENOM influences intensively and very impressing. Frequently there were introductions from the sound desk. In the framework of Thrashing Mania Festival NECRODEATH had one hour long set. But their performance did not finish with this. Marco Pesenti and Co. promised a free show at “Thrash Zone Bar” on the next day.

There is a subway in Sofia in which at around 60 m2 is situated “Thrash Zone Bar”. The place was too small to hold all the metalheads. So the subway was filled up with them. The party was out of time! Even without the show on 1^st November NECRODEATH were favourite this year. But after “Thrash Zone” I understood that all of the concerts about which the bands say that they feel the audience are a pose. NECRODEATH played in a bar being smashed by the sweating bodies of the crowd.

With equal points the first two titles are: FIREFORCE (because of the perfect combination of classic heavy metal and modern aggressive sound) and DIAMOND PLATE (because of the exceptional lyrics coming with the good old thrash)!

• This year I want to go to Wacken again.

• You were not there the previous year!?!

• It’s true. But the previous year I also wanted to be there!

Wishes for 2012

Live with no false! Keep the Metal True!

Summoned Tide

Wishes for 2012

Flotsam and Jetsam - The Cold
Spellbound Dazzle - Unreal Fairytales
Destruction - Day of Reckoning
Appearance of Nothing - All Gods are Gone
Arrayan Path - Ira Imperium
Havok - Time is Up
Divinefire - Eye of the Storm
Scar Symmetry - The Unseen Empire
Cage - Supremacy of Steel
Textures - Dualism
Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony 
Betraying the Martyrs - Breathe in Life
Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra
Anubis Gate - Anubis Gate
Dragonland - Under the Grey Banner
MaYaN - Quarterpast

Thrash Classics - Romein Leeuwarden
Trans Siberian Orchestra - HMH Amsterdam

MaYaN

Things I couldn't have been without in 2011

Meeting my new girlfriend, you are absolutely great!

Wishes for 2012

A healthy year for all. A year with love and friendship and without a lot of stress. A Faith no More reunion.

Opeth - Heritage
Blood Ceremony - Living with the Ancients
Mastodon - The Hunter
Burzum - Fallen
Illdisposed - There Is Light (But It's Not for Me)
Uriah Heep - Into the Wild
Rising - To Solemn Ash
Lake of Tears - Illwill
Symphony X - Iconoclast
Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand
Pain of Salvation - Road Salt Two
Arkan - Salam
Obscura - Omnivium
Anubis Gate - Anubis Gate
Iced Earth - Dystopia
Absu - Abzu
Sólstafir - Svartir Sandar
Altar of Plagues - Mammal
Devin Townsend - Deconstruction
Thy Catafalque - Rengeteg

Lock up at Wacken Open Air
Megadeth at CopenHell
Blood Ceremony at The Rock, Copenhagen

A lot!

Wishes for 2012

Anthrax – Worship Music
Anthrax proved everyone wrong by finally recording the new album with Joey Belladonna – who did a wonderful job and helped bring the good old Anthrax back!

Megadeth – Th1rth3en
Dave and Dave still has a lot of power of melody in their aging bones. This album proves it. Fantastic disc!

Machine Head - Unto the Locust
Epic. Simply.

Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra
Amazing piece of art from the north. Can’t wait to see them at Wacken 2012.

Morbid Angel – Illud Divinum Insanus
The Tampa four returned with a vengeance…and with a handful of surprises. Daring, artistic, hard as bones.

My Dying Bride – The Barghest o’Whitby
Grim, brutal, beautiful and so friggin’ doomy. My Dying Bride canned another classic with this 28 minute piece. I liked the Evinta album too, but this one is just more My Dying Bride by all measures.

Mortal Sin - Psychology of Death
Surprisingly brutal and raw. Solid as a rock. Australia's best.


Primus – Green Naugahyde
The music business needs bands like Primus. ‘Nuff said.

Flotsam & Jetsam – The Cold
Yes, another thrash band of the past made a powerful re-entry upon the metal scene. Nice one!

Cathedral: Anniversary
Now, this is one of the best live albums I've listened to in a long, long time! Majestic, no more, no less. Too bad it's going to be the last from the doomsters.

Metallica/Lou Reed - Lulu
Important because it shows how a metal titan like Metallica dares to do something that the majority of their fans won't like. I like bits and pieces of Lulu, but certainly not all of it - but I certainly respect Metallica for doing what they feel like doing rather than just touring Master of Puppets endlessly.

Judas Priest and Ozzy at Wacken. These old geezers kicked everyone's arses!

A Million Dead Birds Laughing – Force Fed Enlightenment
Insane, technical, brilliant. Debut of the year from these Australians.

Dr. Living Dead! – Dr. Living Dead!
A pastiche of my youth. F**king excellent.

I could always mention some of the shitty music I receive and still have to review, but I don't want to hurt anyone. Read the reviews and you'll know :) - oh, wait, I have to mention Queensrÿche! Man, how the mighty have fallen!
One of my best friend's mum fell ill recently and I feel bad about that - that's probably my top 'could do without' of the year.

Wishes for 2012