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Tyranno's 2001 Top Ten's (and a Top Five)
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Tyrannorabbit



Joined: 04 Oct 2000
Posts: 3985
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2002 3:56 pm    Post subject: Tyranno's 2001 Top Ten's (and a Top Five) Reply with quote

10 Best Albums

10. Into Eternity, _Into Eternity_. Great work from a young band which, so far, can do no wrong. CM rerelease appears to have extra keyboards (!).
9. Tristania, _World Of Glass_. I know I'm the only person here who likes this album, and for sure, as it is with most goth metal, if you ain't into it, you'll find it boring and pretentious. Me, I love it to death (silly lyrics aside).
8. Emperor, _Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire And Demise_. Yngwie, schmyngwie.
7. Hollenthon, _With Vilest Of Worms To Dwell_. Bizarre, but brilliant. Now, I must find the debut...
6. Lullacry, _Be My God_. Easily the most lightweight release on this list, they're still the most fun new band I've discovered in the last year (again, silly lyrics).
5. Bal-Sagoth, _Atlantis Ascendant_. It's okay to confine yourself to one style, as long as you get better at it, instead of just stagnating. This is why Bal-Sagoth is presently kicking Amon Amarth's butts. (this widely-hated band is on no fewer than three bottom-five lists in the latest BW&BK)
4. Iced Earth, _Horror Show_. Iced Earth takes a concept nobody thought would work and makes it work, possibly because Iced Earth pretty much sits alone in their particular position on the silly-serious continuum.
3. Dimmu Borgir, _Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia_. I loved this album from listen one, but I'll admit to suspicions that it might not be a lasting affection. I was wrong; if anything, PEM has grown on me even more since I got it, though for different reasons. I once thought that this was a logical improvement on their previous sound...now I don't think it sounds that much like what came before. If anything, it kinda reminds me of Immortal, or what Immortal might sound like if they vacated the frozen wastes of Hoth and took up residence in the steaming, gleaming, futuro-gothic bowels of Cloud City.
2. Devin Townsend, _Terria_. His best work yet...no small feat. Would've been tops (easily) if it weren't for track 1.
1. Amorphis, _Am Universum_. Funny how in a year where my interest in non-metal music is at its lowest point since I got into metal in the first place, my top two albums are ones which have a lot of metal fans complaining that they aren't metal enough. Regardless, this is gorgeous stuff, with probably the best understanding of vocal hookery in rock today.

10 Worst Albums (that I owned)

10. Slipknot, _Iowa_. I had some initial praise for this, and it's certainly a move in the right direction from the band who once foisted "Spit It Out" upon us, but with nine guys in the band, you'd think there'd be more songwriting ideas flying around. Instead, there's enough for about three songs.
9. Paradise Lost, _Believe In Nothing_. Note how I gave a 6 rating to my ninth-worst album of the year. Well, I try not to buy albums I don't think I'll like.
8. Eisheilig, _Eisheilig_. Turn it up! I can't hear you!
7. Darkane, _Insanity_. It would explain how this could be so much worse than the way-cool _Rusted Angel_.
6. Ozzy Osbourne, _Down To Earth_. And I even liked _Ozzmosis_.
5. Steel Prophet, _Book Of The Dead_. I can't believe that people call Iced Earth "Iron Maiden clones" when there are bands like this around.
4. Megadeth, _The World Needs A Hero_. Often quick to realize when he's been an idiot, Dave has more or less apologized for this.
3. Godhead, _2000 Years Of Human Error_. Snag that "Eleanor Rigby" single and run.
2. Mortiis, _The Smell Of Rain_. Come back, _The Stargate_! All is forgiven!
1. Reveille, _Bleed The Sky_. Rap-metal so corporate, I can imagine these guys with sponsorship stickers slapped all over them at live shows, like they were race car drivers. If you ever wondered what music made to sell baggy pants sounds like, look no further.

10 Best Songs (Blind Guardian's awesome "And Then There Was Silence" not included because there's something to be said for keeping songs under fourteen minutes)

10. Borknagar, "The Genuine Pulse". 3:13 = best metal moment of 2001.
9. Sigh, "Corpsecry". Irresistible!
8. Lacuna Coil, "Purify". Does for me what Concrete Blonde did for me 10 years ago. But now Concrete Blonde's back! Yes!
7. Amorphis, "Veil Of Sin". Yes, I like big ballads with saxophones.
6. ...And Oceans, "White Synthetic Noise". Why is "Esprit De Corps" getting the push?
5. Kataklysm, "Il Diavolo In Me". Scares the shit out of me every time.
4. Iced Earth, "Im-Ho-Tep (Pharaoh's Curse)". Best Egyptian-themed metal song, ever.
3. Into Eternity, "Shallow". I hope this is a long career.
2. Devin Townsend, "Deep Peace". Granted, half of this song's awesomeness is in the solo.
1. Bal-Sagoth, "Atlantis Ascendant". Throws something new and brilliant at you about every ten seconds.

Instead of having a 10 Worst Songs list - compiling that would require listening to mainstream radio - I instead have a 10 Stupidest Things In Otherwise Killer Albums.

10. Mikael Akerfeldt's "contribution" to the title track in Soilwork's _A Predator's Portrait_. I hope he didn't have to drive far for this.
9. "Benzai Ten" from Blackmore's Night's _Fires At Midnight_. Please...leave the Japanese-themed songs to the Japanese (and Marty Friedman).
8. "Olives", from Devin Townsend's _Terria_. I've heard of ending an album on a weirdo ambient piece, but starting it with one?
7. "Threshold", from Slayer's _God Hates Us All_. A bone thrown to the nu kids.
6. "1:16" from Lacuna Coil's _Unleashed Memories_. Please, make the skinny guy stop screaming.
5. "Drive", from Savatage's _Poets And Madmen_. Lamest Savatage rocker since _Fight For The Rock_.
4. The lyrics (any) from Sonata Arctica's _Silence_. I can forgive a lot, especially when English isn't a band's first language, but this is laughable.
3. "Just A Little", from Ark's _Burn The Sun_. Agh! Steve Winwood goes Latin!
2. Randy Coven's bass playing, from Ark's _Burn The Sun_. The most annoying bass player in the world.
1. "New World Order", from ...And Oceans' _AMGOD_. Didn't I hear this in an episode of Queer As Folk? Yeah, it was the episode with the gay dance club! That one!

5 Most Terrifying Songs (why just 5? Because terror, while to my ears the most bitchin' emotion that can be invoked with metal, is also the hardest to attain.)

5. Emperor, "In The Wordless Chamber"
4. Absu, "Four Crossed Wands"
3. ...And Oceans, "White Synthetic Noise"
2. Zyklon, "Hammer Revelation"
1. Kataklysm, "Il Diavolo In Me"

10 Best Album Covers

10. GWAR, _Violence Has Arrived_. Wow...it's almost like they're asking you to take them seriously!
9. Kreator, _Violent Revolution_. Gives new meaning to "tie one on".
8. Thorns, _Thorns_. Indescribable.
7. Destruction, _The Antichrist_. Cheesy, but cool.
6. Into Eternity, _Dead Or Dreaming_. Needs more tombstones.
5. ...And Oceans, _AMGOD_. Blue is pretty.
4. Zyklon, _World Ov Worms_. Not sure why they felt they had to cover it up.
3. Anathema, _A Fine Day To Exit_. One of Travis Smith's best yet.
2. Enslaved, _Monumension_. Weird, but very cool.
1. My Dying Bride, _The Dreadful Hours_. Probably the creepiest album cover I've ever seen.

10 Worst Album Covers (I couldn't decide whether the amusingly awful Lost Horizon album cover is a top 10 or bottom 10 contender, so I left it out of both...consider this a [dis?]honorable mention)

10. Blackmore's Night, _Fires At Midnight_. What's everybody pointing at?
9. Alice Cooper, _Dragontown_. Alice with a dagger. Huzzah.
8. King's X, _Manic Moonlight_. What the hell is that?
7. Fear Factory, _Digimortal_. Underwhelming...hey, just like the album!
6. Dave Brockie Experience, _Diarrhea Of A Madman_. Just ugly.
5. Megadeth, _The World Needs A Hero_. Silly me, I thought all the blood on this cover was a signal that Dave was abandoning his mainstream aspirations.
4. Ozzy Osbourne, _Down To Earth_. The only solo artist in any genre whose album covers don't regularly suck is Axel Rudi Pell (and maybe Steve Vai).
3. Darkane, _Insanity_. A nice indicator of how much of a mess things became inside.
2. Amon Amarth, _The Crusher_. Who's this, one of the lost Village People?
1. Tristania, _World Of Glass_. Lemme get this straight...Vibeke Stene is totally hot, but for the cover of this album, they picked a photo that makes her look like a scary, matronly ice queen? Interesting decision...

10 Best Album Titles

10. Zyklon, _World Ov Worms_. "Ov"?
9. Fear Factory, _Digimortal_. Combining existing words to make new words is cool.
8. Bathory, _Destroyer Of Worlds_. Destroying worlds is cool.
7. Katatonia, _Last Fair Deal Gone Down_. I just like how it sounds.
6. Slayer, _God Hates Us All_. Heh heh heh....heh heh heh heh heh!
5. Sigh, _Imaginary Sonicscapes_. The irony that they're no longer imaginary, now that they've been recorded, has not escaped me.
4. My Dying Bride, _The Dreadful Hours_. Sets a nice creepy tone.
3. Godhead, _2000 Years Of Human Error_. Best thing about the album.
2. Enslaved, _Monumension_. Combining really cool existing words to make super-cool new words is even more cool.
1. Cradle Of Filth, _Bitter Suites To Succubi_. With Martin Walkyier leaving Skyclad, could COF become the new punsters of metal?

10 Worst Album Titles

10. In Flames, _The Tokyo Showdown_. Uh, showdown?
9. Rubber, _Ultra Feel_. Mildly amusing cover, though.
8. Destruction, _The Antichrist_. Cheese city.
7. Grave Digger, _The Grave Digger_. Must've worked really hard on that one.
6. Dimmu Borgir, _Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia_. Try saying that one time fast.
5. Judas Priest, _Demolition_. I don't feel demolished.
4. The Dave Brockie Experience, _Diarrhea Of A Madman_. Yuck!
3. Megadeth, _The World Needs A Hero_. Megadeth needs a hell of a lot more than that.
2. Days Of The New, _Days Of The New_. Their third self-titled album in a row!
1. Gamma Ray, _No World Order!_. That exclamation point clinches it.

10 Most Improved Bands (I considered disqualifying bands like Moonspell and King's X, who are merely correcting from mistakes, but naaah...I'll just put 'em further down on the list)

10. Moonspell
9. King's X (there ya go!)
8. The Bronx Casket Co.
7. Dimmu Borgir
6. Savatage
5. Soil
4. Devin Townsend
3. Slayer
2. Lacuna Coil
1. Tristania

10 Bands That Went Downhill The Most

10. Amon Amarth (stagnation = going downhill)
9. Blue Oyster Cult (still pretty good, though...I just reeeeeeally liked _Heaven Forbid_)
8. Opeth
7. Paradise Lost
6. Ulver
5. Judas Priest (still better than the new Maiden)
4. Bathory (kinda takin' this one on faith - I haven't heard his previous 2 albums)
3. Alice Cooper
2. Ozzy Osbourne
1. Darkane

10 Best Cover Songs

10. Lacuna Coil, Joy Division's "Stars". Ranked low 'cuz it's technically from 2000, but re-appeared on a 2001 disc over here.
9. Stuck Mojo, Iron Maiden's "Wrathchild". Again...old, but released now.
8. Godhead, The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby". I'll probably forget all about this in a few months.
7. The Bronx Casket Co., Queen's "Spread Your Wings" (done as part of "The Other Me"). Done Type O Negative style!
6. Tristania, Seigmen's "The Modern End". Who's Seigmen?
5. Cradle Of Filth, "No Time To Cry" Who the hell originally did this song?
4. Moonspell, Ozzy Osbourne's "Mr. Crowley". Obvious, but well-done.
3. Blackmore's Night, Bob Dylan's "Times They Are A-Changin'". Minstrel hippies!
2. Dimmu Borgir, Twisted Sister's "Burn In Hell". Why did nobody cover this song til now?
1. Nightwish, Gary Moore's "Over The Hills And Far Away". Pure class all the way.

10 Best Guitar Solos. These might not be the most technically dazzling, or the most complex, but they're the ones which, after about seven years of guitar-solo indifference, made me stop and think "Cooool!"

10. Steve Smyth, Dragonlord, "Unholyvoid"
9. Peter Wichers, Soilwork, "Neurotica Rampage"
8. Ty Tabor, King's X, "Vegetable"
7. Destructhor, Zyklon, "Deduced To Overkill"
6. Donald Roeser, Blue Oyster Cult, "Dance On Stilts"
5. Henrik Danhage, Evergrey, "The Encounter"
4. Kristian Niemann, Therion, "Midgard"
3. Larry Tarnowski, Iced Earth, "Im-Ho-Tep (Pharaoh's Curse)"
2. Shinichi, Sigh, "Dreamsphere (Return To The Chaos)"
1. Devin Townsend, "Deep Peace"

Best 2001 album that isn't mentioned anywhere on here: Susperia's _Predominance_.
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Desslar



Joined: 11 Jul 2001
Posts: 776
Location: Bloomington, IN

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2002 7:46 pm    Post subject: Tyranno's 2001 Top Ten's (and a Top Five) Reply with quote

Ozzy and Megadeth on the 10 worst albums list?????? Come now. Even if those weren't their best efforts, they're certainly as good or better than anyone on that 10 best list.
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slavettgrind



Joined: 24 Jan 2000
Posts: 462
Location: cheshire, ct usa

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2002 8:17 pm    Post subject: Tyranno's 2001 Top Ten's (and a Top Five) Reply with quote

quote:
Originally posted by Desslar:
[b]Ozzy and Megadeth on the 10 worst albums list?????? Come now. Even if those weren't their best efforts, they're certainly as good or better than anyone on that 10 best list.[/b]


Unfortunately, when a band you once heald in high esteem or relly love makes a shitty album, you hate it more than other albums because of expectations and disappointment in them. It sours your thoughts on the album far worse than any band you have never liked. It sucks, but it is true.

However, I agree that I was not disappointed by Megadeth, but that is just me. And Ozzy, I disliked it very much, except for some kick ass solos(thanks Zakk for almost making it worth my money).
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General Zod



Joined: 24 Jan 2001
Posts: 2519
Location: Krypton

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2002 9:04 pm    Post subject: Tyranno's 2001 Top Ten's (and a Top Five) Reply with quote

Great lists. I found your comments rather amusing. Good to see you back on the board.

Over all I thought 2001 was a good year for metal, but not great. I still have to check out that Into Eternity CD. Do you know where it's available from?

GZ
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pontiouspirate



Joined: 22 Sep 2001
Posts: 125
Location: omaha

PostPosted: Wed Feb 06, 2002 10:30 pm    Post subject: Tyranno's 2001 Top Ten's (and a Top Five) Reply with quote

IM SHOCKED YOUR NUMBER 4 BEST SONG IS ICED EARTH'S "im-ho-tep" which to me is a good song, but still hardly breathtaking (in my opinion) anyway. best egyptian song ever, hardly freedom call beats them with a song called "PHAROAH" AND EDGUY RELEASED A MEISTERWORK "PHAROAH" THATS 10:36 LONG AND IS ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING. SORRY BUT THESE 2 BEAT OUT ICED EARTH EASILY---CHECK THEM OUT IM SURE YO WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND IF YOUR MIND CAN BE OPENED.
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FALCON



Joined: 19 Nov 1998
Posts: 1019
Location: Phoenix AZ USA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2002 12:32 am    Post subject: Tyranno's 2001 Top Ten's (and a Top Five) Reply with quote

Bring out the dragons of the Heavy Lore, now you have officially scarred me and the pack of hobbits I had over for tea, Nice devilishly packed list, well thought out!

Kudoz to the Ozzy effort being thrashed, but look at the talent he gets to tune into come festival season, Zack saves little the songs have not already killed...

Megadeth is fine by me, I can see people's frustration with it, but that and Priest are good albums, just not the epics of yore...

Hey, I really dig that Soil disc too, keep forgeting bout that one, and I really need to lend an ear to the Devin-T effort, though the previous solo "Physicst" disc, that one leaves me NULL, can't quite digest?
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Brian



Joined: 02 Feb 1999
Posts: 147
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2002 9:55 am    Post subject: Tyranno's 2001 Top Ten's (and a Top Five) Reply with quote

Demolition is better than Brave New World??? ...thats just ridiculous.
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Tyrannorabbit



Joined: 04 Oct 2000
Posts: 3985
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2002 3:00 pm    Post subject: Tyranno's 2001 Top Ten's (and a Top Five) Reply with quote

quote:
Originally posted by General Zod:
Great lists. I found your comments rather amusing. Good to see you back on the board.

Over all I thought 2001 was a good year for metal, but not great. I still have to check out that Into Eternity CD. Do you know where it's available from?

GZ

Very soon, it'll be in stores, available from Century Media. Right now, I got mine from [url=http://www.intoeternity.com,]www.intoeternity.com,[/url] but I have to warn potential listeners - the one song I've heard off of the CM rerelease has an extra keyboard track on it, and I don't know how much of the rest of the album has been altered/polished/whatever.

Part of me kinda hopes CM makes them re-record the whole thing with a great producer, though [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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Tyrannorabbit



Joined: 04 Oct 2000
Posts: 3985
Location: Canada

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2002 3:02 pm    Post subject: Tyranno's 2001 Top Ten's (and a Top Five) Reply with quote

quote:
Originally posted by Desslar:
Ozzy and Megadeth on the 10 worst albums list?????? Come now. Even if those weren't their best efforts, they're certainly as good or better than anyone on that 10 best list.

Well, keep in mind that these are just the 10 worst albums that I owned. I didn't run out and buy _Domain Of Death_, for example...I try not to buy albums I don't think I'll like. Ozzy and Megadeth easily fell into those bottom ten. They're more mediocre than bad, true, but I don't really have any more time for the mediocre than I do for the bad.
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