Top 5 of 2016
Friday, December 30, 2016 at 12:01AM As promised, my top 5 favorite albums of 2016!
5. Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage
Another great release by one of my favorite "modern era" metal bands. I hope to see them live again soon so I can catch some of the new tracks live. Amazing guitar work with that classic harmonic sound. Great music for lifting weights.
4. Enuff Z'Nuff - Clowns Lounge
This album is mostly comprised of previously unreleased recording sessions from the late 80s. That is, the golden age of glam. This choice is a nod toward my past.
3. Bon Jovi - This House Is Not For Sale
Not the best Bon Jovi album ever, but man the production is slick. The budget is big, so the band keeps churning out videos even if no one is watching them much anymore. I always applaud classic bands releasing new music and not just sitting on their laurels, happy to live off past fame. This album is a good effort and I'm down for that, plus you can listen to this one with your mom.
2. Asking Alexandria - The Black
This is the band's first (and only) album to feature singer Denis Shaforostov. The band just reunited with Danny Worsnop and that's a good thing, but The Black has some killer moments, including the title track and "Let It Sleep." This album is also great for the gym.
1. I See Stars - Treehouse
I See Stars is electronicore. There is no band I listen to more on a regular basis than this one, mainly because I throw them on each time I run. In all the miles I've run, I've never come across a better band that matches beats with my pace. "Mobbin Out" was the first single from Treehouse and it easily became one of my favorite songs, period. Devin Oliver's voice gets impossibly high on this track. There's something European about this band and yet they are from Michigan. Their song structures are inventive and I've yet to come across another electronicore band that I enjoy quite this much. Quite frankly, there's just no match. Now all that said, I've never seen this band live. I would have liked to check them out at the Warped Tour last summer, but I figured I'd be the oldest person there, so I just passed.
Other tracks from Treehouse I love? "Running With Scissors" and "Calm Snow."
Now here's Christian's Top 5 of 2016:
5. Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage
4. In Flames- Battles
3. Amon Amarth - Jomsviking
2. Sabaton - The Last Stand
1. Testament - Brotherhood of the Snake
Now, we only have one cross-over in Avenged Sevenfold, but Christian did agree with me that the new Asking Alexandria is an incredible album and it would be in his top 10.
So what are your favorites of 2016?
Reader Comments (27)
Top 5 for me...
5 - Femme Fatale One more for the road
4 - Last in Line Heavy Crown
3 - Love Razer Rock n Roll Addiction
2 - Airbourne Breaking Outta Hell
1 - Jackyl ROWYCO
#6 (since I don't crank it up to 11 much anymore):
Love Razer: Rock and Rocll Addiction. Granted, it's an EP, but each song harkens the sunset strip days of lore.
p.s. Haha!!, Shawn! Hardly an overachiever. I just tried to put some order into all the stuff I discovered this past year, mostly through BBG!, Apple Music, heavyharmonies.com and sleazeroxx.com... Happy hunting... Ta-Ta!!!