It has slowed down - halfway thru the year.....

[LarryD]

Man, all of sudden the music has stopped cold ........ it was a good beginning to the year, and all of a sudden it stopped dead..... and it's time for the halfway thru the year Top 10 ( or Top whatever ) post mid-year..... putting together my Top list now ...... will post soon ........

Darkwater still has my #1 spot .... nothing can knock that off ...... But, Vanden Plas coming out with a new disc in August, it could happen ....... meanwhile.......

[GaetanL]

Maybe a new Psychotic Waltz album this year?

This is the most anticipated album I have in my mind right now...

[Nos]

I feel the same way. The first three months of the year were full of stuff that, even when it wasn't great, was at least interesting. These last three months have been downright boring.

I've still got stuff I like a lot, but not as much as I would have thought when Spring was rolling in. With few releases upcoming I'm excited for, this is shaping up to be a terrible year. At least for me.

[Hearing Aid Man]

I think it's been a great year so far. Off the top of my head I would rank my top 10...

1. Arch / Matheos
2. Dream Theater
3. Darkwater
4. Lance King
5. Hollow
6. Queensryche
7. M.I.God
8. Teramaze
9. A.C.T
10. Sweet Oblivion

I expect Thank You Scientist (7/19/19) and Vanden Plas (release date 10/11/19?) to likely join the top 10 so we'll see what eventually drops down.

[LarryD]

I think it's been a great year so far. Off the top of my head I would rank my top 10...

1. Arch / Matheos > I want to like this, but I can't do Arch vocals.
2. Dream Theater > In my Top 10
3. Darkwater > My #1 disc of the year
4. Lance King > Nope.
5. Hollow > Double nope - I was so disappointed hearing this.
6. Queensryche > Very good disc, will not make the Top 10
7. M.I.God > My # 2 disc of the year
8. Teramaze > Have not heard, but the mixed reviews are not inspiring
9. A.C.T > I had hopes, but those videos turned me right off to it
10. Sweet Oblivion > Have not heard, but I have hope

I expect Thank You Scientist (7/19/19) and Vanden Plas (release date 10/11/19?) to likely join the top 10 so we'll see what eventually drops down.

BRING ON THE VANDEN PLAS !!!!! I'm guessing we have 4 discs in the Top 10 together based off this list ........

[gazinwales]

Still some great new releases this month, Turilli/Lione Rhapsody, Abbath and Sabaton I am looking forward to checking out.

[Digital Man]

This has been the slowest first half of the hear for me that I can remember. Not sure how much of that is just me vs. the releases. There have only been a few that have really got my attention so far.

1) Arch Matheos - Winter Ethereal
2) Jordsjø - Nattfiolen
3) Darkwater - Human

I have a bunch of others that should be on the list, but they just haven't been doing it for me for some reason. Probably need to give them more attention.

[Random Axe]

Strange, but I can only recall a couple of discs I purchased this year and can only rank two of them because they are my top choices, MIGod and Darkwater. The rest is in a white noise, lifeless vacuum that I'll eventually revisit this year to see if anything resembling worthiness comes to forefront.

I'm still waiting for discs from Ascendia, Innerwish, Black Fate and Sunburst. THAT would be a helluva year!

[Harvester]

Full speed ahead here.....both in Prog and "Outside of Prog"

Prog:

Allaegaeon- Apoptosis
Arch Echo- You Won't Believe What Happens Next
Artificial Language- Now We Sleep
Darkwater- Human
Devin Townsend- Empath
Dream Theater- Distance Over Time
Evergrey- The Atlantic
M.I.God- Specters on Parade
Myrath- Shehili
Periphery- Periphery IV: Hail Stan
Soen- Lotus
Swallow the Sun- When Shadow is Forced into the Light
Sweet Oblivion- Sweet Oblivion
Thank You Scientist- Terraformer
The Neal Morse Band- The Great Adventure

"Outside of Prog"

Avantasia- Moonglow
Beast in Black- From Hell with Love
Candlemass- The Door to Doom
Cellar Darling- The Spell
Death Angel- Humanicide
Eluveite- Ategnatos
Flotsam & Jetsam- The End of Chaos
Gloryhammer- Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex
Majestica- Above the Sky
Our Destiny- Awakening
Queensryche- The Verdict
Sabaton- The Great War
Savage Messiah- Demons
The Cosmic Range- The Gratitude Principal
Xaon- Solipsis

[introclaus]

I think this is one of the better years in recent memory - I’ve bought more albums in this first 6 months than I probably bought entire last year.

[AllMediaReviews]

Arch / Matheos
Foals
Local Natives
Dirt Poor Robins
Owel
Claypool / Lennon Delirium
Motorpsycho
Thank You Scientist
Courtney Swain
Dream Theater
Jon Anderson
East of the Wall
The Mercury Tree
Biffy Clyro
The Pneumatic Transit
Cats in Space
Snarky Puppy

[elendil]

Oh, there's a new Dirt Poor Robins album? I am intrigued by them, though I've never put down money for one of their releases. Not sure they've put it all together yet.

Here's another one I'm enjoying a lot, although I'm not sure whether anyone here will like it. It's electronic/jazz/prog with a bassy bottom end reminiscent of hip-hop. I'm surprised I like it, but it's really good: The Comet Is Coming, Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery. https://www.last.fm/music/The+Comet+Is+ ... f+Creation

[AllMediaReviews]

Dirt Poor Robins released a new EP last week, but they also are planning to release 2 more EPs later this year.

All of them with the "Dead Horse" title.

[elendil]

Dirt Poor Robins released a new EP last week, but they also are planning to release 2 EPs more later this year.

All of them with the "Dead Horse" title.

Interesting. I'll definitely check them out.

[sez]

Wow, no love for Devin Townsend's Empath? I still can't stop playing it...

[Sir Exar Kun]

Wow, no love for Devin Townsend's Empath? I still can't stop playing it...

That's probably my #1 of the year right now, followed by Arch / Matheos.

Really solid second tier, in no particular order....

Darkwater
Dream Theater (funny, though, as I had forgotten this even came out this year until reading this thread)
The End Machine (Dokken, but with Robert Mason on vocals instead of Don)
Evergrey
Neal Morse

[BumZen]

I think it's a very solid year so far in all genres. Many established bands that I like are dissapointing me (Soilwork, Sabaton, Fallujah, In Flames, Amon Amarth, Evergrey) but many relative newcomers are shocking me (Equipoise, Sühnopfer, Vehemence, Klingwall, and Darkwater)
Here are some favorites that will most likely make my top 20:

Sühnopfer - Hic Regnant Borbonii Manes
Medieval black metal. Excellent one man band that is a strong contender for album of the year for me. Excellent atmosphere and songwriting. For me this is the first album that really puts France ahead in the black metal world.

Vehemence - Par le sange Versé
Medieval Black Metal. Great melodies that give the true medieval vibe.

Klingwall/Black - Sentience
Not metal, but has many of the same gloomy elements that makes it appealing to metal fans. Also, Klingwall is mostly known for metal bands such as Loch Vostok and Anima Morte.

Candlemass - The Door to Doom
Just another great album by the legends.

Dream Theater - Distance over Time
A great step up from their last output.

Equipoise - Demiurgus
Fantastic and groundbreaking tech-death. Especially for fans of fretless bass.

Inanimated Existence - Clockwork
Probably their best album yet. Excellent tech death.

Arch Matheos - Winter Ethereal
Not as good as the debut, but very enjoyable. Arch is awesome.

Darkwater - Human
Probably the best true prog album of the year.

Stormlord - Far
Just an enjoyable listen. Don't know how to categorise it? Folky symphonic blackened death metal? Now that I think about it, I shouldn't like it as much as I do.

M.I.God - Specters on Parade
Good prog/power.

Possessed - Revelations of Oblivion
Sounds like they were never gone.

Jinjer - Micro
Just an EP, but it's really freaking good.

Continuum - Designed Obsolescence
Decent tech death with the classic Unique Leader sound. But not as good as the classic Unique Leader bands.

Allegaeon - Apoptosis
Very good and melodic proggy/techy death metal.

Xaon - Solipsis
While I don't agree with hype I've heard about this album, I can't argue that I have listened to it a lot, and that I really enjoy. This is how I became a huge fan of Sabaton (not comparing them in sound).

Legion of the Damned - Slaves of the Shadow Realm
Just another solid slab of groovy thrash/death metal.

Beast in Black - From Hell With Love
I love me some cheese from time to time. And the new Sabaton is not up to par, as they fucked up the vocals in the production.

Vltimas - Something Wicked Marches In
Not groundbreaking, but damn solid death metal.

Morild - Så kom mørket og tog mig på ordet/En sort sky af minder/I afgørende stunder/Frosset fast til mit indre/Jeg håber det forsvinder med lyset/At dø eller blive fri
Yes, that's the title. Overall a letdown from their last fantastic release, but it's still freaking good.

[Harvester]

Sühnopfer - Hic Regnant Borbonii Manes
Medieval black metal. Excellent one man band that is a strong contender for album of the year for me. Excellent atmosphere and songwriting. For me this is the first album that really puts France ahead in the black metal world.

Vehemence - Par le sange Versé
Medieval Black Metal. Great melodies that give the true medieval vibe.

I went and checked both of these out based on the "medieval" tag. Unfortuantely, they were both still too trve kvlt for me. I need to stay in the poser lane with Dimmu I guess.

[introclaus]

Sühnopfer - Hic Regnant Borbonii Manes
Medieval black metal. Excellent one man band that is a strong contender for album of the year for me. Excellent atmosphere and songwriting. For me this is the first album that really puts France ahead in the black metal world.

~25 years ago Daemonium / Akhenaton created two amazing black metal albums that not only were the best French black metal albums ever but still stands the test of time as some of my favorites in the genre overall.

[BC]

Sühnopfer - Hic Regnant Borbonii Manes
Medieval black metal. Excellent one man band that is a strong contender for album of the year for me. Excellent atmosphere and songwriting. For me this is the first album that really puts France ahead in the black metal world.

Vehemence - Par le sange Versé
Medieval Black Metal. Great melodies that give the true medieval vibe.

I went and checked both of these out based on the "medieval" tag. Unfortuantely, they were both still too trve kvlt for me. I need to stay in the poser lane with Dimmu I guess.

Have you checked out Belzebubs? Pantheon of the Nightside Gods is fantastic and the videos are hilarious.