I don't know how much the VE is into music so I don't know if this will be a successful thread or not. I'll start off with some of my favorite releases this year.

I don't think I can put them in order, but some of my favorite music that's best released this year is:

Radiohead - In Rainbows
Combines the things I loved about Kid A and OK Computer and put it into one nice little (not to mention free ) package.


Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
Possibly the catchiest album I've heard this year.
Listen to Big Casino: http://myspace.com/jimmyeatworld

Circa Survive - On Letting Go
Spacey rock with an amazing highpitched singer: http://myspace.com/circasurvive

Eisley - Combinations
Indie rock (on a major label, for good measure!) with three beautiful singing sisters: http://myspace.com/eisley


Other albums I was really into:
Portugal. The Man - Church Mouth
Thursday - Kill The House Lights
Paramore - Riot
Between The Buried and Me - Colors
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga
Menomena - Friend & Foe
Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden, I Miss Everyone
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vol. 1 and 2: Fire and Water
Straylight Run – The Needles The Space


I just named more than I intended to! If anyone wants links to where to listen to these or wants a track or two, just ask me on IRC!

I wish that Maiden tour spent more time in the US.

Ironically, Immortal is touring Australia (The Sons of Northern Darkness go "down under").

As for releases I like this year...
The new The Lord Weird Slough Feg album is quite oldschool and very, very nice.

The new Nux Vomica album melds Crust Punk/Death Metal with some melody thrown in rather nicely.

Honestly, though...I mostly listen to older albums...and I obsess over metal and folk and mixtures of the two.

Iced Earth are alright, but I always thought that there were bands that pulled the thrash/power metal mix off better than they do...I'm not a very big fan of that style anyway (despite how awesome both thrash and power metal are).

I was always more of a fan of the US style power metal, you know, the kind that ditches the keyboards and isn't quite as melodic. Ditches the falsetto and adds a hint of traditional heavy metal and a dash of thrash to give power metal some real power...some BALLS for once?

Bands like Metal Church, Crimson Glory, Twisted Tower Dire, The Lord Weird Slough Feg, older Jag Panzer, plus a billion others. This list really could just go on and on.

However, looks like this "Pagan Fest" has a nice line-up of Ensiferum (despite the fact that they lost their TRUE talent), Tyr, Turisas, and Eluveitie. I'd go to that just for the sake of Tyr. And for the fact that European folk metal bands NEVER tour the US (except for Finntroll).