| HAIL METAL Top 35 HEAVY METAL Albums of 2004 |
| #1 QUO VADIS - DEFIANT IMAGINATION |
| | | Everything from the bass nuances to the abrasive and rasping, yet full vocals make ‘Defiant Imagination’ worthy of HAILMETAL’s album of the year. The riffs tease audiences building climax and developing an anxious feeling to the album. Precise vocal/rhythm synchronization, mechanic guitar tones, with richly melodic in overlays and solos complimented by frantic drumming, deliver melodic death metal in all its might. With a progressive feeling this album truly has something for any range of metal taste.
Voted consistently by our staff as being one of the best releases this year, it is an essential album from the 2004 dynasty. Official Website | HM Review | |
| #2 THE CHASM - THE SPELL OF RETRIBUTION |
| | | You couldn’t listen to this album and tell me you didn’t like it – the first track ‘From the Curse, A Scourge’ will lure you in with its chemically potent, rich melody, conjuring excitement and anticipation. Then whack! Hammering riffs ensue in a dissonant tone creating a very cosmic feel. The Chasm’s blackened heritage is ever present with vocals like screeching howls, echoing in the distance appropriately thickening like Attila of Mayhem’s, mid-range. Hypnotic, entrancing, thought provoking; a must have for any self-respecting music fan. Official Website | HM Review | |
| #3 ARSIS - A CELEBRATION OF GUILT |
| | | With ‘A Celebration of Guilt’, Arsis offers melodic death metal, with a very different touch. Softened production contrasted with bright, alarming melodies and disheartened lyric entwine to form a refreshing melodic death metal album. A far cry from the Gothenburg sound, a combination of Carcass (Heartwork era), hints of Extol and generally heavily syncopated melodies (making it sound like power metal on speed sometimes) the album is certain to impress the fans of melodic death metal and some of the more open minded thrashers. Official Website | HM Review | |
| #4 EXODUS - TEMPO OF THE DAMNED |
| | | Two years after death of Paul Baloff (RIP) Exodus are back with vengeance. Teaming up with, none other then Steve Souza, they"ve managed to outdo themselves with Tempo Of The Damned, which put simply, is nothing less then a killer thrash release, second only to Bonded By blood and perhaps Fabulous Disaster. Raw production is surely appreciated on this release, with lightning fast and brutal guitar riffs and very enjoyable drumming which in essence retains the old school sick attitude which was there from the very beginning. It quite stands out to anything modern that is thrash these days. Official Website | HM Review | |
| #5 DRUDKH - AUTUMN AURORA |
| | | A warm, epic album themed of nature in autumn. Vivid soundscapes of soaring melodies over droning patterns produce breathtaking effects that leave Drudkh proving their uniqueness once again. A real gem of an album that can appeal to just about anyone who can allow music to take them on a journey. | |
| #6 NECROPHAGIST - EPITAPH |
| | | Now this album is a gem! very chunky feel with regards to the guitars and still holds that
great technical/progressive type feel even moreso than to it"s predecessor "Onset Of Putrefaction". This album also sees studio work coming from more than just Muhammed Suicmez, this time around
it"s a full band and it"s a great thing to say that there"s no midi drums present on this release!
(even though the midi drums on the last album sounded pretty good, I like the human approach personally) . Official Website | HM Review | |
| #7 BLOODBATH - NIGHTMARES MADE FLESH |
| | | Having Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy) on vocals is definitely a great thing. He brings a whole new depth to the music with his growling and screams and suits this band a tad better then Åkerfeldt did. Having said that, I think there are quite some familiarities with the two and fans of Bloodbath"s earlier work will love this one as well. In all honesty Peter sounds more devilish and pleasing to the ears. The guitars are so much better now then in the previous release. Every track is choice. An insane death metal release and surely will remain in all our CD players for yonks! Official Website | HM Review | |
| #8 DEATHSPELL OMEGA - SI MONUMENTUM REQUIRES, CIRCUMSPICE |
| | | This profound piece of theological blaspheming black metal is a work of utter genius. The strength of the composition and the amount of top-quality riffs, along with the thick, moody production establishes this band even more so as true leaders in their field. Official Website | HM Review | |
| #9 EDGUY - HELLFIRE CLUB |
| | | This album is definitely a change from the past! (nothing negative which is always good). As always the songwriting of Edguy has not ceased to amaze me, although this album has much more a hard rock type feel it is Edguy"s signature sound and downright hilarity that makes it unique from many other albums of it"s nature, although if the bonus tracks on the King Of Fools EP were added to it, this album would be a 10/10 in my mind (9/10 normally, only losing one point). Official Website | HM Review | |
| #10 DRAGONFORCE - SONIC FIRESTORM |
| | | Looking for the fastest melodic power metal? Look no further you found it! Simply put this album is genuinely brilliant! Valley of the Damned? Not even close! Only a handful of power metal albums have impressed me this year and Sonic Firestorm clearly stands on top. A top choice. Herman Li & Sam Totman play with sheer speed like there is no tomorrow. I"m glad this album has creped up to the top 10 because they deserve all the praise they get! Official Website | HM Review | |
| Top 15 Staff Choice |
| Damien-X | Misfit |
| 1. Into Eternity - Buried In Oblivion | | 1. The Chasm - The Spell of Retribution | |
| 2. Edguy - Hellfire Club | 2. Drudkh - Autumn Aurora |
| 3. Ayreon - The Human Equation | 3. Quo Vadis - Defiant Imagination |
| 4. Dungeon - One Step Beyond | 4. God Dethroned - The Lair of the White Worm |
| 5. Necrophagist - Epitaph | 5. Decapitated - The Negation |
| 6. The Forsaken - Traces From The Past | 6. Deathspell Omega - Si Monumentum Req. ,Circ. |
| 7. Dragonforce - Sonic Firestorm | 7. Exodus - Tempo of the Damned |
| 8. Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh | 8. Drunkard - Hellish Metal Dominate |
| 9. Quo Vadis - Defiant Imagination | 9. Dismember - Where Ironcrosses Grow |
| 10. Cannibal Corpse - The Wretched Spawn | 10. Behemoth - Demigod |
| 11. Textures - Polars | 11. Arsis - A Celebration of Guilt |
| 12. The Chasm - The Spell Of Retribution | 12. Vader - The Beast |
| 13. Deicide - Scars Of The Crucifix | 13. Necrophagist - Epitaph |
| 14. Hypocrisy - The Arrival | 14. Watain - Casus Luciferi |
| 15. Evergrey - The Inner Circle | 15. In Battle - Welcome to the Battlefield |
| Best Album Cover: Ayreon - The Human Equation | Best Album Cover: Ayreon - The Human Equation |
| | | I didn"t really enjoy the album, although I didn"t give it much of a chance (just wasn"t my thing) but the album cover is fantastic. Creative and intriguing a deserved winner for best album cover. | |
|
| |
|
|
| Worst Album Cover: Isis - Panopticon | Worst Album Cover: Dungeon - One Step Beyond |
| | | Possibly the weakest link in the chains of Dungeon, THEIR MERCHANDISE. It"s awful. Tacky and unpolished. It looks like someone spent 5 minutes on photoshop dragging in a logo and adding a slightly transparent photo of Kind Diamond"s undead state. It"s lucky this is only worst album cover - have you seen the DVD image??? | |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| Best DVD: Dream Theater - Live In Budokan | Best DVD: Vader - Night of the Apocalypse |
| | | Two things; |  |
| 1. It"s VADER |
| 2. Go look up the set list |
| | |
| | |
| |
| |
| |
| Best Local Act: Dungeon | Best Local Act: Dungeon |
| | This is not based soley on the release ‘One Step Beyond’. Rather it has been based on their regular and quality performances at local gigs, interaction with the metal community and their general attitude towards music (including their recent enjoyable DVD and LP releases.) |
| Best Unexpected Release: Into Eternity - Buried In Oblivion | Best Unexpected Release: Drudkh - Autumn Aurora |
| Most Disappointing Release: Megadeth - The System Has Failed | Most Disappointing Release: Megadeth - The System Has Failed |
| | Hard to say really. I never expected Megadeth to release a great album, but based on their capabilities and what they did release, The System Has Failed was a disappointment. |
| Decadent | Militia |
| 1. Drudkh - Autumn Aurora | | 1. Exodus - Tempo Of The Damned | |
| 2. Deathspell Omega - Si Monument. Req. ,Circ. | 2. Angra - Temple Of Shadows |
| 3. Witchcraft - Witchcraft | 3. Quo Vadis - Defiant Imagination |
| 4. Nyktalgia - Nyktalgia | 4. Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh |
| 5. Hirilorn - Revenge is Near | 5. Dragonforce - Sonic Firestorm |
| 6. Arsis - A Celebration of Guilt | 6. The Chasm - The Spell of Retribution |
| 7. Battalion - Into Harms Way | 7. Arsis - A Celebration Of Guilt |
| 8. Drunkard - Hellish Metal Dominate | 8. Hirax - The New Age Of Terror |
| 9. Armagedda - Ond Spiritism | 9. Edguy - Hellfire Club |
| 10. Angantyr - Sejr | 10. Dungeon - One Step Beyond |
| 11. Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve | 11. Heathen - Recovered |
| 12. Myrddraal - Falling Sky | 12. Necrophagist - Epitaph |
| 13. Denouncement Pyre - The Storm to End All Wars (Demo) | 13. Behemoth - Demigod |
| 14. Lethal - Demolition (Demo) | 14. Vader - The Beast |
| 15. Damnation - Destructo Evangelia | 15. Suffocation - Souls To Deny |
| Best Album Cover: Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve | Best Album Cover: Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden |
| It"s so stark, and beautifuly captures this feeling | | This may well be the best painting type artwork Ive ever seen done on an album. Totally amazed! | |
| of solidarity. |
| | |
| |
| |
|
| Worst Album Cover: Graveland - Dawn of Iron Blades | Worst Album Cover: Isis - Panopticon |
| That image just irritates me. | | Was never into arial photos and this just plain sucks! | |
| |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| Best DVD: Opeth - Lamentations | Best DVD: Reign In Blood Live: Still Reigning |
| | | Slayer just keeps raining blood! Best DVD ever! | |
| |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| |
| Best Local Act: | Best Local Act: Dungeon |
| | These guys never cease to amaze me. They work very hard and live gigs own! 2004 was the year of Dungeon. |
| Best Unexpected Release: Witchcraft - Witchcraft | Best Unexpected Release: Angra - Temple Of Shadows |
| | Have this album come out earlier, it would be on everyones top 5 lists by now! Total force! |
| Most Disappointing Release: Woods of Ypres - Persuit of the Sun... | Most Disappointing Release: Megadeth - The System Has Failed |
| Ahhg! Against the Seasons was so damn great. This was just such an anti-climax... alas, it still has it"s good moments which saves it from becoming a frisbee. | The system has failed for Megadeth, simple as that. Dave please retire and pursue your MD45 solo career.
|
