Royal Hunt - Break Your Chains

Lightfooted, melodic power metal...expert keys, and killer vocals from John West.

Vader - The Ultimate Incantation

Vader is a band I never really cared for, but I love this album.
I feel it's their most "honest" sounding album. Ridiculously intense death/thrash.

Grindmaster Dead - At the Wizard's Sabbath

Expected some fluffy atmospheric metal due to the folk elements but this maintains a strong doom/death sound. Love that grinding guitar tone.

Sirius did!! hehe

Np: And One - Techno Man (live). Pretty energetic stuff!!

Deceased - Supernatural Addiction.
Goddamn, I love this album. I first heard the song "A Very Familiar Stranger" on a Relapse sampler in 2001, one of my 1st experiences with extreme metal.

Manilla Road - Crystal Logic

I never thought it'd be like this

Mgla - Exercises in Futility

Gaah I'm so fucking excited to see Mgla in December.

@Kveldulfr - You really think that Sirius is better than In the Nightside Eclipse? Them's fighting words...

Underoath - The Last

Wait, this is Underoath? - They made 10 minute metal songs that weren't boring or outright garbage. Incredible. High quality riff craft, decent vocals, varied song structures - even a good sense of atmosphere. Underoath aren't worthless!

To each their own, I guess. I just find their later albums to be inferior in every way (save for production) with Prometheus: The Discipline of blah blah blah whateverthefuck being a goddamn joke.

I think they improved the ITNE formula on Aeons of Magick. I think Aeons is a way more solid album and - based on pure music merits - better executed, performed, produced and written. Also, the atmosphere is immense!! I wish ITNE had the same huge feeling from the keys. I even like more the vocals on Aeons, those sounds really powerful, moreso than Ihsahn did (excepting the very last scream of Inno a Satana, that shit is supreme).

NP: Dimmu Borgir - Når sjelen hentes til helvete (XXV version). Man, this totally destroys the original version. This sounds like proper black metal, it's such a glorious song.

Huh. I've only given Aeons of Magick a couple of listens but it never had anywhere near the emotional impact of ItNE. I'll give it another listen soon..

Arghoslent - The Grenadier

I love it when albums finish with the best song.

Strategist of war in various campaigns
Persecuted by the constant fear of
Dismemberment by friendly fire

Emyn Muil - Túrin Son of Húrin

Really getting into this band these days.

Helloween - Before the War

Can never get enough of this song, fucking amazing.

Falkenbach, When Gjallarhorn will sound

More than 4 years since I first heard it, still loved it!

Downfall of Nur-IV - Ashes

Brilliant album. Atmospheric bm with distorted vocals and distinctive folk touches.

Same here.

Travellers of the Stellar Ocean from (2000) Sirius - Aeons of Magick.
It sounds to me more Limbonic Art than Emperor.

Edit: N.P: Nothingness from (1998) Gorefest - Chapter 13.
I don't know much about this band's previous albums but this one is great!

'Stand My Ground' by Stratovarius. After reading through the reviews of recent Strato and listening to a few tracks on YouTube I went and got the most recent four albums. I remember downloading 'Blind' and playing it on repeat back in 2009 (having dabbled with their earlier stuff and other Kotipelto projects), but I'm more able to appreciate the bulk of the material right now.

This is really great stuff, they seem the strongest they've ever been (I know the Tolkki era ones a bit better now). From a band that was about to totally implode to a unified group of guys belting out hit after hit, that must be one of the most remarkable mid/ late career turnarounds ever.

EDIT: from the same album, 'Fantasy' sounds like a heavier, power up version of one of those AC/DC stadium songs Saxon used to like doing in the late '80s and early '90s. Kotipelto even sounds a bit like Byford in the chorus. And 'Out of the Fog' which I am on currently, is what Sonata Arctica's Unia might have sounded like if the energy was kicked up a few gears. Loving this stuff.

^ Yeah, it's all really great. "Fantasy" is my favorite song they ever did. So catchy.

Riot - Fall Before You

One of the most impassioned albums I know. Great melodic rock.

Undergang - Døden læger alle sår

Another solid release, but I'm noticing a worrying downward slope in the quality of music from the debut up to this point. The music here is solid but it just doesn't sound like they're having a blast playing it.
I really love these guys and I hope they can put out something in the future as exciting as the debut or the sophomore album.

Oh really? I must say they are on a whole other level now compared to what I know them for. By the way, your reviews to that effect were chief among those encouraging me to dig deeper into this recent stuff, so cheers! I particularly agree with your point about the title track on Elysium, what a brilliant idea to have an 18 minute track that is actually 18 minutes of music rather than aimless intros and outros and strange noises, haha.

Looking forward to getting onto Eternal... I'm listening sequentially (around work). Quite a treat really, not often you get the chance to line up a good chunk of a discography knowing you'll enjoy it first time round and just sit back.

Stratovarius is probably the best/most consistent band going right now. Even though their new album was never released in Canada, I broke down earlier this week and ordered an import. Just waiting until the weekend when I go home from school to hear it.

NP: Insanity - When

I don't really see the appeal of this album. I've heard it 1000 times before, and I say that as someone who doesn't mind unoriginal bands.

Alone in the office today, horns up!

Coke Bust - Long Gone

These guys remind me of Siege: short blasts of extremely raw hardcore crossover punk. I bet this shit whips a wild circle pit!

Masakari - Vanquish

Their Eden Compromised 7" has been kickin' my ass for weeks now.

Kreator - World Beyond

Coma Of Souls stands neck-to-neck with Rust In Peace for me as the best thrash album of 1990 -- meaning one of the best last-gasp thrash albums ever.

That's not very encouraging, as I'm looking forward to the album. Anyways, they've never been pioneers, so If it comes close to Death After Death, i'll be satisfied.

NP : Vader - Litany

I haven't listened to this in a very long time. Sounds better than I remember

Thousand Eyes "Endless Nightmare"

Pretty subtle album and a definite grower. Just noticed how good the drumming is on this.

Hooded Menace - Fulfill the Curse
Been on a huge Hooded Menace and Acid Witch kick since the announcement of Hooded Menace's new album coming this month. I think Effigies of Evil is their best work only barely ahead of Never Cross the Dead, but this album shows they were and probably will always put out top notch doom/death.

Man, I haven't heard Elysium in a while. Haha...Polaris actually grew on me after my review and Elysium wasn't quite as good as I said, they sort of switched around for me. But it's all good stuff. I dunno if they're THE most consistent band as Spiner202 said, but they're super professional and really know their shit, for sure. Sonata Arctica love to experiment and go more personal and emotional, but Stratovarius is all about refining their rock solid craft.

I love Polaris, always have. It may very well be my favorite album of theirs, believe it or not.

NP: Daida Laida "Five Senses"

Top-notch hm/hr with really good musicianship (esp. the bassist).

Elysium is actually my favourite of their new stuff. I love the title track, and every single song is incredible except for Lifetime in a Moment. Nemesis is great, but slightly worse. Polaris is my least favourite of the three by far, but still has a lot of solid material. You nailed it though; they're really good at what they do and they just keep pumping out great records based on their sound. I can't wait until I get to hear the new one.

NP: Death - Pull The Plug (live)

The intro on this version is really funny/strange, but I like it. Live in LA isn't the tightest performance, but it is enjoyable, even if Chuck's vocals were shot by this point.

But I...I really like "Lifetime in a Moment." It's one of my favorites on that album... ;A;

Bruno Mars vs. Strong Bad - Uptown Fhqwhgads

This remix is certainly to the limit.

De Profundis and the Sothis EP are where it's at for me, especially De Profundis. Some of their best riffs/song writing on on this one I think personally. Tracks like Blood of Kingu, Reborn in Flames and Incarnation are just a couple of highlights.

Azelisassath - Profanities from the Void

Difficult name to pronounce, but this is some solid as fuck black metal rife with haunting guitar passages, aggressive drumming, vocals from the depths and a strangely hypnotic production, while being relatively raw as fuck. Excellent stuff.

I could never get into Vader. Not even watching them live 2-3 times.

White Knuckle Ride from (2010) Jamiroquai - Rock Dust Light Star (Deluxe Version).
I discovered this last album recently.

They're a strange band. On paper, they're a band I should be crazy about but when I listen to them, i'm usually like "meh"

Hmmmn... listening to the songs u linked, I think i'll have to go back and spin those releases.

On to newer things, I've seen you mention this Azelisassath before but they slipped my mind (hard name to remember). I'll definitely check them out this time

NP: Nunslaughter - Goat

RIP Jim. Was just returning back to this bands old shit as of a week ago or so too, really a great band. always good for some fun death metal

NP: Rotting Christ "Lucifer Over Athens" - wow, a big double load. Lots of catchy riffs and crowd chanting.

Emmett Till - I'm Feeling Bad

Love their stripped-down, bluesy doom sound and heartfelt storytelling vocals + that amazing chorus. The EP is one of my favorite releases of 2015.

Rush - Before and After

Self titled album isn't as bad as I've heard people say it is, pretty solid mid 70s hard rock.

Kult Ofenzivy - Radikální ateismus - Tvůrcům Nadčlověka

Cold and evil. I really need to check out Triumph, Genus...

Zero Nine - Voodoo You

Livin' in the Highway! (Had no car since '07.) This might be my fave 09 album now. At least from the ones I own.

Kamelot — Soul Society

Been on a Kamelot kick, Roy Khan is fucking amazing

Utarm -- The cumridden plague

sick, noisy and extreme ... like all stuff from Utarm.

Hooded Menace - Grasp of the Beastwoman

Finnish death/doom at its finest. I love the guitar sound on this.

Children of Bodom — Hatebreeder

This shit is fast!