Top Ten - 1993

The early to mid 90s seemed to be a transitional time for hard rock and metal. Grunge was in full swing while many of today's top metal acts were either in their infancy or not yet formed. As a result, the number of releases (of the style of music I prefer) dropped significantly during this time, culminating in 1993's low of only 30 albums reviewed.

1993 Top Ten:
90.28 -- Rage - The Missing Link
90.18 -- Saviour Machine - Saviour Machine I
87.77 -- Metal Church - Hanging in the Balance
85.64 -- Candlebox - Candlebox
84.59 -- Joe Stump - Guitar Dominance!
82.58 -- W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol
82.51 -- Threshold - Wounded Land
82.00 -- Gamma Ray - Insanity and Genius
81.89 -- Morgana Lefay - Secret Doctrine
81.86 -- Morgana Lefay - Knowing Just as I

Other 1993 releases:
80.89 -- Coverdale•Page - Coverdale•Page
77.98 -- Triumph - Edge of Excess
77.94 -- Aerosmith - Get A Grip
77.91 -- Pink Cream 69 - Games People Play
77.88 -- Blue Murder - Nothin' but Trouble
77.45 -- Savatage - Edge of Thorns
76.92 -- Diamond Head - Death and Progress
76.15 -- Tad Morose - Leaving the Past Behind
76.02 -- Butthole Surfers - Independent Worm Saloon
75.66 -- Deep Purple - The Battle Rages On
74.66 -- Motörhead - Bastards
73.09 -- Scorpions - Face the Heat
72.64 -- Angra - Angels Cry
72.34 -- Masters of Reality - Sunrise on the Sufferbus
71.62 -- Blues Traveler - Save His Soul
70.24 -- Pat Travers Band - Just a Touch
65.85 -- Praying Mantis - A Cry for the New World
65.81 -- Warrior Soul - Chill Pill
63.11 -- Pretty Maids - Stripped
58.23 -- Hawkwind - It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous

Top Ten - 1994

Judging by how quickly the ratings drop into the 70s and below, 1994 looks like a weak year in music. This may be misleading, though, because I only reviewd 31 albums, due in part because of the popularity of Grunge at the time. But things could change if I eventually include some of those bands.

1994 Top Ten:
89.52 -- Running Wild - Black Hand Inn
86.23 -- Savatage - Handful of Rain
85.66 -- Pat Travers Band - Blues Magnet
84.14 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Between the Walls
83.61 -- Bruce Dickinson - Balls to Picasso
83.42 -- Threshold - Psychedelicatessen
83.32 -- Warrior Soul - Space Age Playboys
83.21 -- Megadeth - Youthanasia
82.26 -- Dream Theater - Awake
82.00 -- Riot - Night Breaker

Other 1994 releases:
81.78 -- Doctor Butcher - Doctor Butcher
80.17 -- Helloween - Master of the Rings
79.74 -- Dio - Strange Highways
78.64 -- Foghat - The Return of the Boogie Men
78.11 -- Stratovarius - Dreamspace
76.95 -- Mötley Crüe - Mötley Crüe
76.00 -- Pretty Maids - Scream
74.14 -- Black Sabbath - Cross Purposes
74.09 -- Helloween - Chameleon
73.70 -- Mägo de Oz - Mägo de Oz
70.97 -- Alice Cooper - The Last Temptation
70.81 -- Fight - War of Words
70.33 -- Symphony X - Symphony X
70.18 -- Blues Traveler - Four
69.12 -- Annihilator - King of the Kill
68.05 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Seventh Sign
66.51 -- Queensrÿche - Promised Land
65.25 -- Emerson, Lake & Palmer - In the Hot Seat
61.35 -- ZZ Top - Antenna
58.87 -- Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
57.09 -- Fates Warning - Inside Out

Top Ten - 2001

Five lesser-known bands made the top ten, along with solid efforts by veteran bands. And 49 album reviews without a single rating above 90 (unless you round up) may look like a down year in music, but that's misleading as many bands ended up in the 80 - 85 range. (For anyone who looked at this list previously, you may notice a change. I recently got a chance to listen to and review Anthem CDs, and as you can see, I liked Seven Hills a lot.)

2001 Top Ten:
89.83 -- Anthem - Seven Hills
89.71 -- Magnitude 9 - Reality in Focus
87.92 -- Wayne - Metal Church
87.77 -- Gamma Ray - No World Order
87.62 -- W.A.S.P. - Unholy Terror
87.25 -- Iced Earth - Horror Show
86.64 -- Labyrinth - Sons of Thunder
86.62 -- Racer X - Superheroes
86.47 -- Silver Mountain - Breakin' Chains
86.09 -- Threshold - Hypothetical

Other 2001 releases:
85.54 -- Annihilator - Carnival Diablos
85.13 -- Savatage - Poets and Madmen
84.63 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Curse of the Hidden Mirror
84.27 -- Mahogany Rush - Eye of the Storm
84.24 -- Aria - Chimera
84.11 -- Saxon - Killing Ground
83.85 -- Dogface - Unleashed
83.81 -- Edguy - Mandrake
83.20 -- Brainstorm - Metus Mortis
83.01 -- Falconer - Falconer
82.77 -- Cydonia - Cydonia
82.73 -- Wizard - Head of the Deceiver
82.54 -- Lost Horizon - Awakening the World
82.38 -- Helloïse - Fata Morgana
81.80 -- Kamelot - Karma
81.76 -- Megadeth - The World Needs A Hero
81.22 -- Silent Force - Infatuator
80.77 -- Angra - Rebirth
80.24 -- Iron Savior - Dark Assault
80.13 -- Primal Fear - Nuclear Fire
78.41 -- Heavenly - Sign of the Winner
78.17 -- Balance of Power - Perfect Balance
77.65 -- Rage - Welcome to the Other Side
77.32 -- Nostradameus - The Prophet of Evil
77.11 -- Sonata Arctica - Silence
77.10 -- Michael Schenker Group - Be Aware of Scorpions
76.89 -- Arachnes - Parallel Worlds
76.69 -- Goat Horn - Voyage to Nowhere
76.28 -- Ozzy Osbourne - Down to Earth
76.26 -- Avantasia - The Metal Opera
75.68 -- Alice Cooper - Dragontown
75.53 -- Blackmore's Night - Fires at Midnight
70.44 -- Anvil - Plenty of Power
69.76 -- Manilla Road - Atlantis Rising
68.88 -- Judas Priest - Demolition
67.77 -- Aerosmith - Just Push Play
67.26 -- Beto Vázquez Infinity - Infinity
65.82 -- Demon - Spaced Out Monkey
52.33 -- Bow Wow - Another Place

Top Ten - 2002

2002 was a solid year in rock and metal. Of the 58 albums I rated, most were good to excellent, while some of the stragglers at least had a few songs that were worth checking out. The lone exception here is Def Leppard, whose album X was pretty weak overall.



2002 Top Ten:

90.49 -- W.A.S.P. - Dying for the World
90.29 -- Seven Witches - Xiled to Infinity and One
90.18 -- Wolf - Black Wings
89.46 -- Messiah's Kiss - Prayer for the Dying
88.89 -- UFO - Sharks
87.95 -- Arjen Anthony Lucassen - Space Metal
87.14 -- Iron Savior - Condition Red
86.77 -- Bow Wow - What's Going On
86.02 -- Blind Guardian - A Night at the Opera
85.97 -- Nightwish - Century Child

Other 2002 releases:
85.87 -- Rage - Unity
85.63 -- Tierra Santa - Sangre de Reyes
85.35 -- Thy Majestie - Hastings 1066
85.22 -- Dogface - In Control
84.99 -- Running Wild - The Brotherhood
84.65 -- Dream Evil - Dragon Slayer
84.57 -- Riot - Through the Storm
84.21 -- Ted Nugent - Craveman
83.82 -- Mob Rules - Hollowed Be Thy Name
83.29 -- Cornerstone - Human Stain
83.13 -- Symphony X - The Odyssey
82.49 -- Primal Fear - Black Sun
82.35 -- Dark Moor - The Gates of Oblivion
82.24 -- Blitzkrieg - Absolute Power
82.24 -- Avantasia - The Metal Opera, Pt. 2
82.17 -- Rhapsody - Power of the Dragon Flame
82.11 -- Anthem - Overload
82.02 -- Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
82.01 -- Tierra Santa - Tierras de Leyenda
81.88 -- Firewind - Between Heaven and Hell
81.48 -- Tank - Still at War
81.27 -- Pagan's Mind - Celestial Entrance
80.81 -- Dio - Killing the Dragon
80.75 -- Warlord - Rising Out of the Ashes
80.30 -- Anvil - Still Going Strong
80.24 -- Hammerfall - Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken
80.21 -- Red Wine - El Fin de Los Tiempos
79.83 -- Mountain - Mystic Fire
79.41 -- Manowar - Warriors of the World
79.01 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Shadow Zone
78.94 -- Hammerfall - Crimson Thunder
78.86 -- Vanderhoof - A Blur in Time
78.71 -- Tad Morose - Matters of the Dark
77.66 -- Arachnes - Apocalypse
77.29 -- Chinchilla - The Last Millenium
76.92 -- Pretty Maids - Planet Panic
76.61 -- Motörhead - Hammered
76.49 -- Threshold - Critical Mass
73.81 -- Annihilator - Waking the Fury
73.78 -- Warmen - Beyond Abilities
72.02 -- Tornado - Triumph of the King
70.10 -- Dokken - Long Way Home
67.04 -- Angel Dust - Of Human Bondage
65.95 -- Axenstar - Perpetual Twilight
65.94 -- Ark - Burn the Sun
64.94 -- Manilla Road - Spiral Castle
57.82 -- Wizards - The Kingdom
49.79 -- Def Leppard - X