I know I know, this blog is a little late but January has been a crazy month for me. I just turned 31 (ahhhhhhhh), I got a promotion at work, and my current position as been like the Titanic sinking. So forgive me for not having time to do this. I hope to be better I promise.

I plan on giving you my top ten albums but really I’m going to only go into depth on my top 3, cause those are the only ones that matter. 2018 for me was about finding new bands while revisiting a few ones and realizing that Adam Gontier was Three Days Grace and without him they are utter crap. Like dog shit on your shoe crap. Like almost as bad as the teams the Red Sox destroyed in the playoffs (SKANKEES). So without further delay here is 10-4.

10.And Justice For None- Five Finger Death Punch

9. Evolution- Disturbed

8. Vicious- Halestorm

7. Avatar Country- Avatar

6. Ember- Breaking Benjamin

5. When Legends Rise- Godsmack

4. Reborn- Warkings

 

3. The Shadow Theory- Kamelot

Continuing on the theme from the last album, Haven, Kamelot explores more dystopian themes and dark futures, with the hint of light at the end of the tunnel. The album took a bit to grow on me but once it did, it really is a great album. Now it isn’t even close to Silverthorn, but it’s a good follow up to that and Haven. Twilight Hours is a duet about (or at least this is what Im guessing) a ghost who longs for his lover when he was alive. Then you got Phantom Divine, which I covered in my song reviews, plus many others.

2. Prequelle- Ghost

Ghost may have took the top song of 2018 (Rats is just such a great track and great opener), but it cannot take the top spot for albums. Take away the instrumentals and really prequelle is only 8 songs. Yea the instrumental Miasma is a great track and makes sax metal, it’s the other tracks that make the album. Prequelle is a departure for Ghost from there older material. Based of the black plague in the 14th century, tracks like Rats, Dance Macabre, and Witch Hunt tell a dark story about death and what those people felt like as the ones around them died. Witch Hunt’s chorus sums it up perfectly. “While you sleep in earthly delight, someone’s flesh is rotting tonight.” Or Dance Macabre chorus “Just wanna be, wanna be with you in the moonlight.” telling about being someone before the plague hits either one of you. Under these lyrics though is a great rock record. It just doesn’t keep the strength from start to finish like number 1 does.

1. Firepower- Judas Priest

There are very few records out there that really carry from start to finish. Nightmare, Painkiller, Powerslave are a few that I can think of, and that is not bad company to be with. Firepower is 14 tracks of just kick you in your face, watch you bleed from your ears, heavy metal. THE PRIEST IS BACK (They never really left.) From the opening track Firepower, to the World War 1 ballad Sea of Red, Judas Priest is showing you that they can still rock and they are pissed that you said otherwise. When Redeemer of Souls came out, I was a little disappointed. Yes it was a typical Priest record but it was missing something. Like I didn’t want them to go out on that record. If Priest retires tomorrow (they won’t, I can almost guarantee we will get one more album) I would be OK with this being the last record. This is in my top 3 Priest records for sure, and gives a good case to be number 1. And the artwork and title screams METAL!!!!! With all the music editors not giving this album enough love (They really loved Ghost this year) I am proud to say that it is my number one album of 2018, and it is well deserved.