The Best Albums of 2018

Here's my favorite albums of 2018 - in no particular order. Hopefully you've heard some of these. If not, check them out!

Judas Priest - Firepower

Halestorm - Vicious [Explicit]

Saxon - Thunderbolt

Stryper - God Damn Evil

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - A Star Is Born Soundtrack [Explicit]

Favorite single of the year:

"High Hopes" from Panic! At The Disco and their album Pray For the Wicked. This is just one hell of a catchy tune. I know it because of college football - it sure got played a lot on TV this season!

Comments

[Metalboy!]

BEST SONGS OF 2018

1) Egomania - Hank Von Hell
2) We Will Rock You - TEMPT (Rocked up Queen cover)
3) Saxon - They Played Rock And Roll
4) Crazy Horses - The Poodles (Rocked up Osmonds cover ... What th...? Trust me!)
5) Let’s Get Dirty - The Treatment
6) Firepower - Judas Priest
7) Heart Of Lies - Striker
8) Born To Fly - Jetboy
9) Caught In The Witches Eye - RIOT
10) Rawk ‘n Roll Hysteria - Grand Design
11) Sweet True Lies - Beast In Black (Thanks, Christian! Man, that chick sure can sing, haha!!)

[Christian]

Never the hero is only one of the songs on the last Priest album better than Firepower.....

[Metalboy!]

Yeah, I didn’t get “Power Metal” from Beast In Black, either, BK!

Isn’t Priest the very definition of Power Metal?

Google it and you will see them and others like DIO representing the genre.

I think bands today who have that quality are Accept, DORO, Striker, RIOT, Powerwolf and Sabaton, etc., all of whom would always be worth going to see if they ever come to Orlando again! (I saw Accept and Sabaton here and could have seen DORO and Striker both of whom also played Orlando. ... )

[Metalboy!]

Christian, “Never The Heroes” is good but I like “Firepower” a tad better, however I will give you that it’s a close second, though I’m sure you and others may still believe it’s better, along with whatever else on the album you think is still superior.. Trust me, I beat the h*ll out of this album in 2018, as it’s one of the few that is a true standout from last year.

For me, “Evil Never Dies”, “Rising From The Ruins”, “Flamethrower” and “Lonewolf” are the creme de la creme of the album, as well as the tracks previously discussed though even the “just okay” songs from the album are superior to most other stuff out there right now.

[Christian]

Yeah, I agree. I listened to this album a lot in 2018 and I loved all of it. Evil Never Dies was definitely my other favourite

[Metalboy!]

Indeed, Christian ... And, my dear Metal Kidz, get ready for a reality check as to the state of music today with this upcoming list ...

[Metalboy!]

BEST ALBUMS OF 1988

1) AC/DC - Blow Up Your Video
2) KIX - Blow My Fuse
3) Scorpions - Savage Amusement
4) Cinderella - Long Cold Winter
5) RATT - Reach For The Sky
6) Saxon - Destiny
7) Dirty Looks - Cool From The Wire
8) Kingdom Come - Kingdom Come
9) Poison - Open Up and Say ... Ahh!!
10) Roxx Gang - Things You’ve Never Done Before
11) Britny Fox - Britny Fox
12) Vinnie Vincent Invasion - All Systems Go
13) Bulletboys - Bulletboys
14) L.A. Guns - L.A. Guns
15) Megadeth - So Far, So Good ... So What!
16) Judas Priest - Ram It Down
17) Pantera - Power Metal
18) Metallica - ... And Justice For All

[Metalboy!]

Let me know anything I forgot on that last list! Thanks!

[Bkallday]

Definitely sounds like Power Metal to me. Different strokes for different folks!

[Bkallday]

Ok MB, '88 was a great year btw, it was my freshman yr and not only that, but I also lost my virginity to a senior, that yr! Lol. Anyway, since it was such a great yr, I had to comment on your list. Blow Up Your Video at 1??? Are you serious? Although it's a solid release, it is one of their weaker ones. And Saxon, Dirty Looks, & The frickin Roxx Gang, ahead of all of those other classic releases?!?! And the Britny Fox self titled has to go in the top 10, it's an absolute glam classic! Had to comment, bro. Horns up! 🤘🏼

[Christian]

Metalboy - WTAF? Not only was I alive in 1988, I was a huge AC/DC fan and Blow up your video was the first AC/DC album I bought new. Having loved Fly on the Wall ( the last full album they had done), I was blown away by what dross it was. I tried to return it. It was a bit like Motley - Theatre of Pain. Absolute trash saved by a couple of good songs.

Now Cool from the wire, THAT is a great album. I love how he tries to sound like Bon Scott. And So far... so good. is still my fave Megadeth because I played it to death that year. Are you sure that came out in 1988? I listened to it in year 11 non stop and I am sure that was 87.

[Him]

Though I am very late to this Metalboy! and Christian pajama party (popping corn and telling stories), I will say this . . . I thoroughly deserved The Lazys jab, Metalboy! And I loved your "worst of" list.

[Metalboy!]

Pajama party! HIM?! Popcorn?! Ha! No, indeed! THIS is “METAL Summit 2019” held in a HUGE steel and glass Geodesic Dome where you and everyone on here have a seat at the steel and chrome table (shaped like a huge circular saw disc) where we reflect on and debate all the great Metal (AND Hard Rock) of the past year and beyond while snacking on nuts and bolts!

Got yet another list coming your way soon! Watch this space!

p.s. Also, points taken by all on the “Best of ‘88” list and will revise accordingly ...

[Metalboy!]

Oh, and I forgot, not only do we snack on nuts and bolts at The Annual METAL Summit, we drink mercury from chalices of solid titanium! \m/

[Fletch]

What bk kinda opined. Britny Fox needs to be at the top...of 11.

[Metalboy!]

BEST OF 1978

1) AC/DC - Powerage
2) Cheap Trick - Heaven Tonight
3) Van Halen - Van Halen
4) Boston - Don’t Look Back
5) Judas Priest - Hell Bent For Leather
6) Judas Priest - Stained Class
7) Blue Oyster Cult - Some Enchanted Evening
8) Foreigner - Double Vision
9) Black Sabbath - Never Say Die
10) Rose Tattoo - Rose Tattoo
11) Rainbow - Long Live Rock & Roll
12) Rick Derringer - If I Weren’t So Romantic, I’d Shoot You
13) Attention Shoppers - STARZ
14) Scorpions - Tokyo Tapes
15) The Angels - Face to Face
16) UFO - Obsession
17) Ram Jam - Portrait of The Artist as a Young Ram
18) The Godz - The Godz
19) Trigger - Trigger
20) The Dictators - Bloodbrothers
21) Gillan - Gillan
22) Ace Frehley - Ace Frehley
23) Ted Nugent - Weekend Warriors

Note: Let me know if I missed anything and, by all means, throw darts!

[Christian]

Metalboy - Powerage is hands down the best AC/DC album. Lots of good stuff in your list but sorry, Never Say Die is trash, and Rose Tattoo simply cannot be forgiven for having a lead singer who wants to put Muslims in concentration camps. They were OK, but not top 10 and I'd deliberately ignore them nowadays rather than pretend that stuff doesn't matter.

[Him]

I think you are getting confused, Christian. "Trashed" was on Born Again. Giggle.

Never Say Die! was a better album that it had any right being. And Born Again belongs in a category next to Corabi's album with Crue.

Serious point though: you can put a lot of good and great bands in the dustbin if you judge them on what they think and say, not on the music they made. I think that is fodder for a whole thread. And, as with most topics like that, I suspect we hold to a sliding scale based on the bands we really like and those we merely listened to once upon a time.

[Metalboy!]

Agreed, HIM! I’ve been guilty of this myself, Christian, as you may recall from my previous comments over the years.

Tesla, for example, who happen to be as*holes but have a handful of good songs I can’t take away from them, no matter how many times I’ve documented their bearish behavior on The Monsters of Rock Cruise.

Then there’s the lovely Ted Nugent, who has to be the biggest a*shole on the planet, yet I can NEVER take away his first album from him, the world or my record collection.

When Rose Tattoo came out in ‘78, I bought a mint American press promo copy of the LP (before the existence of CDs!) and that song, “Nice Boys Don’t Play Rock & Roll” sure did it for me and obviously did it for Axl Rose, Duff and the rest of the GnR gang as they covered it. I think Sixx has been quoted as saying Rose Tattoo are an influence, as well.

It’s like my friend saying he won’t watch Tarantino movies because of his political positions. Talk about denying oneself exposure to greatness. I realized more than ever, when my friend said that, how that position probably winds up editing that guy’s life so much, it’s no wonder he has the personality of a charter member of The Mike Pence Fan Club.

[fletch]

Cue ripper's snowflake images in 5, 4, 3...