Best albums

- Opeth - Watershed
Yet another truly brilliant release from the immensely gifted Swedes, fronted by maestro Mikael Åkerfeldt. Exhilarating and multifaceted; in short, a rewarding listening experience. Album of the year, end of story.

- Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God
The Swedish Vikings unleashed their best effort since Versus The World. Not to say that their records in between have not been up to standard, quite the contrary, but this one contained tunes whose appeal and punch was remarkable, without losing the characteristic heaviness.

- Judas Priest - Nostradamus
Highly anticipated concept album which was not maybe the typical Priest-ish heavy metal. However, the legendary gents´ ambition shall not only be praised but resulted in a captivating musical journey over two discs; epic, dramatic and mighty. Fantastic melody work and inspired mid-range vocals from Rob Halford.

- Metallica - Death Magnetic
Well, speaking of anticipated albums... The metal colossus returned in style: although the song material does not convince fully (it is however unfair to compare DM with the band´s classic albums) and the mixing/mastering has - rightfully - been critisised, this is a very strong Metallica record. The hunger was back; personified by James Hetfield´s aggressive vocals and a vast array of monumental, frenetic riffs; as was Kirk Hammet´s soloing - another impressive feature here.

- Testament - The Formation Of Damnation
After years of setbacks, the Bay Area veterans finally released the long-awaited follow-up to the monstrous The Gathering. With the gifted Alex Skolnick back in the fold, and Chuck Billy singing better than ever, the comeback showcased great songs throughout. Whether groovy or intense, these tracks make you want to bang your head.

- Journey - Revelation
The AOR institution in splendid form. Youtube find Arnel Pineda proved a true gem, drawing comparison to a certain Steve Perry, and the rockers and ballads presented on the disc is classic, tasteful Journey.

- Children Of Bodom - Blooddrunk
A big improvement on their previous album, Blooddrunk has all the ingredients we have come to expect from the Finnish party animals: vicious riffs, memorable melodies, spiteful vocal delivery and blistering guitar work.

- Avantasia - The Scarecrow
Sure enough, Tobias Sammet does not reinvent the wheel this time around either, but one cannot deny the man's extraordinary talent for coming up with tunes which effectively etch themselves onto the listener's mind. Simply put, the hooks and grandness in songs like the magnificent title track is just pure class. Add the masterful vocal contributions of names like Jorn Lande, Bob Catley and Michael Kiske and you get the point.

- H.E.A.T. - H.E.A.T.
Quite amazing debut from the young Swedes. Reminiscing of Toto and Giant, their songs are of high quality indeed. Likewise, the crisp sound, proficient musicianship and talent of vocalist Kenny Leckremo made this release a most pleasant surprisee.

- Bob Catley - Immortal
The Magnum singer´s fifth solo album is perhaps his most consistent. This time written by workaholic Magnus Karlsson, the compositions can yet again be described as heavy melodic rock with exquisite, emotive melodies. And Catley´s voice is of course as wonderful as ever.

Runner-ups: Tesla - Forever More, Volbeat - Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood, Dismember - Dismember, Draconian - Turning Seasons Within, AC/DC - Black Ice, Firewind - The Premonition, Bonded By Blood - Feed The Beast, Satyricon - The Age of Nero, Grand Magus - Iron Will

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DVD's worth mentioning:

- Nevermore - The Year Of The Voyager
Appearing much later than was intended, the dvd was nevertheless worth the wait. An extensive, classy product which includes fabulous live footage by one of the best metal bands of today.

- Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes
Nicely capturing a stunning performance by an equally stunning band.

- Arch Enemy - Tyrants Of The Rising Sun
Highly enjoyable disc with top-notch musicians playing their distinctive quality metal for their ecstatic Japanese fans.

- Get Thrashed
Another long-awaited documentary which offers great insight into the thrash metal phenomenon, incorporating entertaining clips and interesting comments from various known names of the genre.

Best live concerts

- Metallica, Poland
Having missed the concert in Stockholm last summer due to work, I took the trip to Poland to catch the first date of Metallica´s European tour. An extraordinary display; James and co played with aggression and passion, and the heaviness of the sound was frightening. The setlist was a dream as well.

- Rage, London
A great night with superb heavy metal, remarkably tight performed by the three-piece - virtuoso guitarist Viktor Smolski was particularly impressive. The smile on the faces on both crowd and band was a sight to behold.

- Down, London
The super-group from New Orleans served Brixton Academy with a fantastic set of heavy groove which produced a warm, electric atmosphere inside the venue.

- Ace Frehley, London
The legendary, revered rocker's gig at the Astoria was an absolute privilege to attend. Playing classic after classic, a good-humoured Space Ace sent his fans, many having travelled from foreign countries, to heaven.

- Metallica, Berlin
Ok, adding another Metallica concert to my list might reveal that they are my favourite band, but the uniqueness of this show also qualifies it. On the date when the hugely awaited new album, Death Magnetic, was released, Metallica played a special release party gig at the O2 World - also the first concert at the brand new arena. Being one of those who got to hear five songs from Death Magnetic - plus various classics and a couple of surprises - live for the first time felt special.

- Gotthard, Sweden Rock Festival
A majestic performance by the Swiss group, whose beautiful tunes created an atmosphere of euphoria in front of the Festival Stage.

- Airbourne, Sweden Rock Festival
The Australian mad rockers' massive energy and high-octane party music was a veritable knockout.

- Iron Maiden, Gothenburg
A recreation of the legendary World Slavery tour production and setlist, backed with additional classics, this was some heavy metal concert… The Rime of the Ancient Mariner was pure magic.

- Bonded By Blood, London
A vicious thrash attack one does not witness that often.

- Hanoi Rocks, London
A splendid performance by a truly amazing live band, fronted by a genuine rock star, Michael Monroe. On their last tour before calling it quits, Hanoi Rocks are definitely going out on a high note.

- Dark Tranquillity, London
In a shoe-box venue with a capacity for a couple of hundred, a wonderful intimacy was created between the innovative, exhilarating band and their fans.

- Testament, Sweden Rock Festival
The thrash titans showed how it´s done with a brilliant assault, making yours truly follow the familiar command from the imposing Chuck Billy: Into the pit!

Other events

- Sweden Rock Festival
As always, the 4-day event was a celebration of great music and friendly, joyful atmosphere. Meeting my Metal Covenant colleagues was a pleasure, as was bumping into various prolific figures backstage.

- Anvil! The Story Of Anvil, screening at London Film Festival
Aphenomenal documentary about a true cult band which moved me greatly: it was sad and funny, tragic and hilarious, entertaining and inspiring. To top it off, the screening was concluded with a short live set by the affable Canadians. Might just be my personal highlight of this metal year.