2004
in retrospect! Kimmo: 2004 was a rather average year. Looking back at my own reviews and other albums,
there wasn't a single album that was even close to getting the full points. And frankly, a couple of the "nines" I
gave were handed out a little too easily.
When it comes to AOR, I guess all those Fabrizio V. Zee Grossi-guided projects were the "thing" of 2004. He and Frontiers had a nice winning streak with them, but it seems that it might be over, since the latest project (Tommy Funderburk) was a bit bland. Well, it might be just a bump in the road.
A personal triumph for me was to see my friends' Human Temple CD released. It took a while to be completed, but it turned out great. Let's see if they can get a new one out next year and take the world by storm!
A kind of a letdown were the comeback albums: Europe, Dokken, Zero Nine, House Of Lords...all quite disappointing. Only the good ol' Scorpions succeeded with the decent "Unbreakable", and of course the Stage Dolls, who released their strongest album to date. Still, it was nice to see some of these bands returning to the scene. I finally got to see both Europe and Scorpions live last year, and on stage they didn't disappoint!
Nightwish went on to become a big international success with "Once". I wasn't totally won over by the album but again, the band was very good live and brought a major production to Turku. I also must mention W.A.S.P., another eighties' legend who stormed these shores in May - a decent show too! The 80'ies nostalgia doesn't seem to go away anytime soon, as both Judas Priest and Mötley Crüe are about to return...
What about 2005? Last year I hoped for more success for the
smaller labels, and good, successful albums from the "veterans" like Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Def Leppard...It didn't exactly go as I hoped, but maybe this year!
Urban: Another year has come and gone and I believe that metal actually made a small comeback in 2004. The new Annihilator CD really surprised me as Waters must have done some of his best work ever here. Heck, even Exodus and Motörhead did some fine albums this year. Nothing from the mighty Judas Priest though and I seriously hope that 2005 will bring us a new, traditional, great, Priest album, instead of those horrible ones with Ripper Owens. Speaking of Ripper, the material of the new Iced Earth album suited him so much better.
It was otherwise a fine prog-year with Evergrey (metal) and Marillion (rock) at the top of my list. I definiteley prefer the Fish years instead of the Hog, but Marbles is a great album nontheless. I even got some pomp up there (Magnum) and two CD's with the might Glenn Hughes as lead vocalist. Not that many superb "pure" AOR albums this year, but we got some excellent classic rock/melodic hardrock ones instead. Check out that TMG album for starters.
Disappointments? Well, how about that new Europe CD, Aerosmith, House Of Lords, The Sign, Tesla, etc. Not my cup of tea I'm afraid. I must however say that 2004 was over all a slightly better year than 2003. At least if you enjoy all the genres from Thrash, Power & Heavy Metal, to Prog, Classic, and Melodic/AOR. It was otherwise a quite awful ending of the year with that horrible tsunami thing in Asia. 150.000 dead at least... and it even seems to be the worst Swedish disaster for almost 200 years. We haven't been at war since back then and now we have many tourists dead and/or missing. It can't be compared with the complete disaster for the people down there though. They need all the help they can get.
2005 kicks off in a great metal spirit style the new Masterplan and Firewind. That Shy album is quite excellent too. Let's hope for another year with lots of good and even better music.
1. Nightwish - Once (Nuclear Blast)
RockUnited.Com review: "On this album the band has been able to merge elements of classic and metal almost to perfection and they created a bombastic and powerful album that will set standards for this type of music."
TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2004, POSITIONS 2-20:
2. TNT - My Religion (MTM)
3. Evergrey - The Inner Circle (InsideOut)
4. Annihilator - All For You (AFM)
5. Jeff Scott Soto - Lost In The Translation (Frontiers)
6. Private Line - 21st Century Pirates (Bad Habits)
7. Final Frontier - The Second Wave (Z Records)
8. Magnum - Brand New Morning (SPV)
9. Marillion - Marbles (Intact)
10. Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden (SPV) 
11. Over The Edge - Over The Edge (Frontiers)
12. Human Temple - Insomnia (MTM)
13. Wicked Sensation - Exceptional (MTM)
14. Stan Bush - Shine (Frontiers)
15. Twilightning - Plague-House Puppet Show (Spinefarm)
16. Scorpions - Unbreakable (BMG)
17. Rhapsody - Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret (SPV)
18. Grand Illusion - Ordinary Just Won't Do (Escape)
19. Kotipelto - Coldness (Century Media)
20. Eclipse - Second To None (Frontiers)
| The
personal album charts of the team! |
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Kimmo:
6. Last Autumn's Dream: s/t (Frontiers) 11. Pride Of Lions: The Destiny Stone (Frontiers) 21. Deacon Street: s/t (AOR Heaven) |
Urban:
11. Grand Illusion - Ordinary Just Won't Do (Escape)
21. Final Frontier - The Second Wave
Bonus CD for a rainy day: Green Day - American Idiot
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Bandi:
11. Wicked Sensation - Exceptional (MTM) Disappointments of the year: the new Heart and Europe albums.
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Satu:
11. Private Line - 21st Century Pirates (Bad Habits)
21. Rhapsody - Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret (SPV)
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Petri:
1. Private Line - 21st Century Pirates (Bad Habits) 2. Nightwish - Once (Spinefarm) 3. Tesla – Into the Now (Sanctuary) 4. Twilightning - Plague-House Puppet Show (Spinefarm) 5. Lordi - The Monsterican Dream (BMG) 6. Zero Nine – NE Files (Poko Rekords) 7. ZILLION: "S/t" (Frontiers) 8. Negative: Sweet & Deceitful (GBFam Records) 9. Scorpions - Unbreakable (BMG) 10. WASP – The Neon God Part 1 & 2 (Sanctuary) 11. Velvet Revolver – Contraband (BMG) 12. Kotipelto - Coldness (Century Media) 13. Dokken – Hell to Pay (Sanctuary) 14. Brides of Destruction – Here Come the Brides (Sanctuary) 15. Dio - Master of the Moon (Sanctuary)
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Martien:
11. Nightwish - Once
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Jorge:
11. Sleepy Buildings - The Gathering
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