Top Ten - 1995

Savatage tops the list of 43 albums reviewed from 1995. But this great album featured a 3 minute and 12 second song that eventually put Savatage on hold indefinitely. The popularity of "Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)" led to the band members forming the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, which became so successful that they literally couldn't afford to put that aside in order to record another Savatage album. No matter, though. Now we can enjoy the Savatage albums as well as TSO, Circle II Circle, Jon Oliva's Pain, and Chris Caffery. Not a bad trade-off!

1995 Top Ten:
88.57 -- Savatage - Dead Winter Dead
88.10 -- Rainbow - Stranger In Us All
88.04 -- Gamma Ray - Land of the Free
87.97 -- UFO - Walk on Water
86.88 -- Rage - Black In Mind
86.61 -- Running Wild - Masquerade
86.60 -- Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side
86.52 -- Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings
85.97 -- Morgana Lefay - Sanctified
85.19 -- Motörhead - Sacrifice

Other 1995 releases:
84.38 -- Gov't Mule - Gov't Mule
83.97 -- Sun Red Sun - Sun Red Sun
83.69 -- Aria - Night is Shorter than Day
83.64 -- Dokken - Dysfunctional
83.34 -- Iron Maiden - X Factor
80.33 -- Krokus - To Rock or Not to Be
80.16 -- Blitzkrieg - Unholy Trinity
80.07 -- Bow Wow - Bow Wow #1
78.60 -- Stratovarius - Fourth Dimension
78.10 -- Ted Nugent - Spirit of the Wild
77.96 -- Hawkwind - Alien 4
77.35 -- Uriah Heep - Sea of Light
76.93 -- Symphony X - The Damnation Game
76.88 -- Fight - Small Deadly Space
76.56 -- Tad Morose - Sender of Thoughts
75.00 -- Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons
74.99 -- Saxon - Dogs of War
74.48 -- Kamelot - Eternity
74.02 -- Van Halen - Balance
72.73 -- Pat Travers Band - Halfway to Somewhere
72.71 -- AC/DC - Ballbreaker
72.69 -- White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000
71.07 -- Praying Mantis - To the Power of Ten
70.44 -- Carmine Appice - Guitar Zeus
69.61 -- Jethro Tull - Roots to Branches
69.10 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Magnum Opus
69.08 -- Ozzy Osbourne - Ozzmosis
68.74 -- Black Sabbath - Forbidden
65.19 -- Edguy - The Savage Poetry
61.71 -- Blackfoot - After the Reign
55.14 -- Queen - Made In Heaven
51.45 -- Therion - Lepaca Kliffoth

Rock Island - Chapter Twelve

Tired of the games, you decide to go for a walk. You soon discover a pussycat swallowtail butterfly, one of the rarest in the world. As you excitedly follow the butterfly, you stumble across a thermal vent. You forget the butterfly and run back to tell Roy about your discovery. Soon everyone is taking hot baths and showers, and Roy even manages to create a hot tub using spare parts from the boat and space capsule.

Everyone appreciates your discovery. Ann Marie is especially happy. One night while enjoying a soak in the tub, she asks about the rest of your music. You finish the list:

• Socrates Drank the Conium - It's a Disgusting World
• Spirit - I Got a Line on You
• Stevie Ray Vaughan - Change It
• Styx - Lady; Lorelei; Miss America; Blue Collar Man; Renegade
• Sweet - Restless; Ballroom Blitz; Fox on the Run; Action; The Lies In Your Eyes; White Mice
• Ted Nugent - Stranglehold; Writing on the Wall; Hammerdown; Cat Scratch Fever; Smokescreen; Rawdogs and Warhogs
• Ten Years After - I'm Coming On; Standing at the Station
• The Nice - Rondo
• The Seeds - Pushin' too Hard
• The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
• The Yardbirds - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago
• Thin Lizzy - The Rocker; Angel of Death
• Tiger B. Smith - To Hell
• Toad - Thoughts
• Triumph - Ordinary Man; Too Much Thinking
• Truth and Janey - Down the Road I Go; Remember a. A Child b. Building Walls
• Tucky Buzzard - Which Way, When For Why
• UFO - Doctor Doctor; Rock Bottom; Let It Roll; Mother Mary; This Kid's (incl. Between the Walls); Too Hot to Handle; Lights Out; Love to Love; Chains, Chains; Long Gone; Makin' Moves
• Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself; Easy Livin'; The Magician's Birthday; Sell Your Soul; Red Lights; Cry Freedom; Against the Odds; Between Two Worlds; Overload
• Van Halen - Runnin' with the Devil; Eruption; You Really Got Me; D.O.A.; And the Cradle Will Rock...; Everybody Wants Some!!; Where Have All the Good Times Gone!
• Warhorse - Burning
• Wind - Dear Little Friend
• Zebra - Tell Me What You Want; Who's Behind the Door?; Wait Until the Summer's Gone; Arabian Nights

You're alone with Ann Marie. She catches you staring at her. And then you hear Roy calling for you. "I guess I need to go," you say.

Top Ten - 2000

Euro-metal ruled the releases in 2000, including the top eight albums. Perhaps many U.S. bands were taking a break or on tour, but seeing as I only rated 41 albums, I have a feeling the numbers will increase, if not change, as I review other releases from 2000. (Update: Anthem took over the top spot with their excellent re-recording of older material featuring Graham Bonnett on vocals.)

2000 Top Ten:
91.67 -- Anthem - Heavy Metal Anthem
91.28 -- Domine - Stormbringer Ruler
89.80 -- Ayreon - Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator
89.72 -- Bow Wow - Beyond
88.64 -- Helloween - The Dark Ride
86.68 -- Iron Maiden - Brave New World
86.39 -- Tad Morose - Undead
86.15 -- Motörhead - We are Motörhead
85.92 -- UFO - Covenant
85.68 -- Mob Rules - Temple of Two Suns

Other 2000 releases:
85.65 -- Persuader - The Hunter
84.83 -- Seven Witches - City of Lost Souls
84.78 -- Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite
84.25 -- Stratovarius - Infinite
84.22 -- Kamelot - The Fourth Legacy
84.01 -- Fates Warning - Disconnected
83.90 -- Lefay - . . . _ _ _ . . . (S.O.S.)
83.39 -- Alice Cooper - Brutal Planet
83.39 -- Therion - Deggial
83.05 -- Mägo de Oz - Finisterra
82.89 -- Running Wild - Victory
82.32 -- Silent Force - The Empire of Future
81.13 -- Nightwish - Wishmaster
79.47 -- Hammerfall - Renegade
78.77 -- Axel Rudi Pell - The Masquerade Ball
78.03 -- Molly Hatchet - Kingdom of XII
77.01 -- Brainstorm - Ambiguity
76.93 -- Nostradameus - Words of Nostradameus
75.09 -- Gov't Mule - Life Before Insanity
74.77 -- Dark Moor - The Hall of the Olden Dreams
74.00 -- Dio - Magica
71.97 -- Angel Dust - Enlighten the Darkness
69.19 -- Pretty Maids - Carpe Diem
69.10 -- AC/DC - Stiff Upper Lip
69.00 -- Thy Majestie - The Lasting Power
68.23 -- Chinchilla - Madness
64.09 -- Heavenly - Coming from the Sky
63.03 -- Shadow Keep - Corruption Within
61.96 -- Mötley Crüe - New Tattoo
60.94 -- Praying Mantis - Nowhere to Hide
50.09 -- Cornerstone - Arrival

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

Top Ten - 2004

I rated 48 albums from 2004. I did something unusual here and removed the highest rated album. Let me explain... Twisted Sister's re-recording of Stay Hungry (entitled Still Hungry) slightly edged out Overlorde (receiving a 91.22 rating, same as the original), but because it will be recognized in the 1984 Top Ten list, I removed it from here. Now I won't have to list the same album twice, 20 years apart.



2004 Top Ten:

90.23 -- Overlorde - Return of the Snow Giant
90.11 -- Feinstein - Third Wish
89.91 -- Megadeth - The System has Failed
89.76 -- Cornerstone - Once Upon Our Yesterdays
89.53 -- Mob Rules - Among the Gods
89.24 -- Messiah's Kiss - Metal
88.78 -- W.A.S.P. - The Neon God, Pt. 2: The Demise
88.56 -- Tad Morose - Modus Vivendi
88.25 -- Nightwish - Once
87.09 -- Iron Savior - Battering Ram

Other 2004 releases:
86.67 -- W.A.S.P. - The Neon God, Pt. 1: The Rise
86.41 -- Edguy - Hellfire Club
85.67 -- Silent Force - Worlds Apart
85.62 -- Anthem - Eternal Warrior
85.33 -- Ten Years After - Now
84.50 -- Threshold - Subsurface
84.47 -- Persuader - Evolution Purgatory
84.06 -- Saxon - Lionheart
83.91 -- Sonata Arctica - Reckoning Night
83.88 -- Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden
83.85 -- Force of Evil - Force of Evil
83.11 -- October 31 - No Survivors
82.30 -- Tarot - Suffer Our Pleasures
81.86 -- Irish Coffee - Irish Coffee
81.62 -- Seven Witches - Year of the Witch
81.57 -- Metal Church - The Weight of the World
81.50 -- Nostradameus - Hellbound
81.43 -- Cans - Beyond the Gates
80.65 -- Heavenly - Dust to Dust
80.26 -- Dream Evil - Book of Heavy Metal
79.15 -- Fates Warning - FWX
79.04 -- UFO - You are Here
78.54 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Kings and Queens
78.34 -- Dio - Master of the Moon
77.48 -- Motörhead - Inferno
77.03 -- Statetrooper - The Calling
76.89 -- Chinchilla - Take No Prisoners
76.77 -- Scorpions - Unbreakable
71.87 -- Rottweiller - Rage of War
69.61 -- Dokken - Hell to Pay
69.54 -- Bang - The Maze
66.50 -- Jørn - Out to Every Nation
63.90 -- Angtoria - God Has A Plan for Us All
62.02 -- Winterhawk - Wind from the Sun
57.86 -- The Zombies - As Far As I Can See
57.52 -- Anvil - Back to Basics
48.73 -- Anubis Gate - Purification

Top Ten - 2006

I rated 46 albums released in 2006. Quite a few classic rock artists returned with new efforts and mixed results. Once again, some lesser-known bands cracked the top ten, and you should probably get to know them. (Note: Due to some recent reviews, the Top Ten changed with the addition of both an Anthem and Wolf album).

2006 Top Ten:
90.97 -- Aria - Armageddon
90.85 -- Metal Church - Light In the Dark
89.30 -- Heavenly - Virus
88.88 -- Anthem - Immortal
88.63 -- Elixir - Mindcreeper
88.14 -- Wolf - The Black Flame
87.70 -- Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death
86.92 -- Pretty Maids - Wake Up to the Real World
85.93 -- Benedictum - Uncreation
85.81 -- Axxis - Paradise in Flames

Other 2006 releases:
85.80 -- Rage - Speak of the Dead
85.47 -- Blind Guardian - A Twist in the Myth
85.30 -- Firewind - Allegiance
84.96 -- Krokus - Hellraiser
84.81 -- Sir Lord Baltimore - III Raw
83.77 -- Bloodbound - Nosferatu
83.55 -- Astral Doors - Astralism
83.25 -- Hammerfall - Threshold
83.11 -- Manticora - The Black Circus, Pt. 1: Letters
82.55 -- Twisted Sister - A Twisted Christmas
82.48 -- Mob Rules - Ethnolution A.D.
82.06 -- Riot - Army of One
81.66 -- Tierra Santa - Mejor Morir En Pie
81.17 -- Edguy - Rocket Ride
79.76 -- Iron Fire - Revenge
79.52 -- Cactus - V
79.46 -- Beyond Fear - Beyond Fear
76.80 -- Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime II
76.47 -- Circle II Circle - Burden of Truth
76.39 -- Eddie Ojeda - Axes 2 Axes
75.83 -- Persuader - When Eden Burns
75.74 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Mystica
75.22 -- Budgie - You're All Living in Cuckooland
74.37 -- Andy Timmons - Resolution
74.36 -- Blackmore's Night - The Village Lanterne
73.96 -- Angra - Aurora Consurgens
73.95 -- Jon Oliva's Pain - Maniacal Renderings
73.16 -- UFO - The Monkey Puzzle
72.28 -- Motörhead - Kiss of Death
70.68 -- Empire - Raven Ride
69.30 -- Dominus Praelii - Bastards and Killers
65.72 -- Wizard's Hymn - Hymnal
65.21 -- Felony - First Works
62.64 -- Blackmore's Night - Winter Carols
61.98 -- Deep Purple - Rapture of the Deep
60.96 -- The Who - Endless Wire