Best albums

- Redemption - The Fullness Of Time
Amazing progressive metal with vocalist Ray Alder from Fates Warning. With an awesome balance of heaviness and emotion with just the right amount of progressive elements, never to less of anything and never too much of anything, this is a perfect ten.

- Disturbed - Ten Thousand Fists
Powerful music that really isn't anything out of the ordinary, but it is just so damn good. Heavy crunching riffs, a great voice filled with emotion and catchy songs, that does it for me.

- System Of A Down - Mesmerize
The most innovative band of our time delivers an album that is filled with, well, about everything. Almost all songs on this album are a potential hit.

- Dark Tranquillity - Character
Dark Tranquillity has done another masterpiece. Mature and powerful melodic death and the combination of driving guitar-melodies and the use of keyboards behind the superb growls put Character high on my list.

- Communic - Conspiracy In Mind
US Power Metal that comes from Norway and that can be described as a light version of Nevermore. Their mix of my two favorite genres in thrash and progressive metal and by the way that they do it is extraordinary. The track Communication Sublime also aspires on best song of the year.
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Runner ups:
Tribuzy - Execution, Zero Hour - A Fragile Mind, Overkill - ReliXIV, Judas Priest - Angel Of Retribution, Naglfar - Pariah, Savage Circus - Dreamland Manor, Dead Soul Tribe - The Dead Word, Morgana Lefay - Grand Materia
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Not albums but most worthy of mentioning are the DVD's:
- Evergrey - A Night To Remember
They have surely managed to capture the magic that was present during their performance. It sounds great and it is also visually astonishing.

- In Flames - Used And Abused
In Flames is a band that you can rely on that they always deliver live, and this is further proof of that. Two great concerts with lots of extra material on this one surely makes it worth the money.

Biggest disappointments

- C.O.C cancels European tour
Corrosion Of Conformity was the sole reason why I went to see Motörhead, and damn did I miss them during Hardcore Superstar that was called in as replacement as special guest. However, I guess getting your house washed away by Katrina excuses their cancellation.

- Sharon Osbourne vs. Bruce Dickinson
Sharon Osbourne's behavior during Ozzfest against Bruce Dickinson is outrageous. Ok, if she had issues towards him and perhaps rightfully so, I don't have enough facts to comment on that, but there are better ways to deal with it then to ruin Iron Maiden's performance. In the extent it was also a fuck you to the audience that had spend hard earned money to attend Ozzfest only to get a concert destroyed, it was disrespectful and a professional business woman like her ought to have found better ways to deal with this matter.

- Stratovarius
I was getting my hopes up on the new album from Stratovarius. I thought that when the turbulent times surrounding the band finally had settled that they would be able to create something grand like they once was capable of but instead it turned out to be their worst album ever.

- Tarja being kicked out of Nightwish
Perhaps more a surprise rather then a disappointment but I will surely miss her the next time I see Nightwish. Sure she can be replaced but Nightwish will never be the same without her.

- Myself
The biggest disappointment I stand for myself with all the bands that I did not see at Sweden Rock Festival. Although I am perfectly happy with the festival in such and the bands I did saw, but I didn't take the time to discover new bands, instead I almost only went to see bands that I was already familiar with.

Happiest/biggest news

- Flotsam & Jetsam - Dreams Of Death
The album didn't make into my top ten but to see that they had the strength to return after more then ten years of making bad albums and internal struggles made me feel warm inside.

- The concert climate in Gothenburg
I have never experienced such a variety of concerts as this year and there have been more interesting concerts than what I have been able to attend. So I have at times felt like a child in a candy store while choosing which concerts to prioritize, and by the looks of it 2006 will continue in the same great manor.

- SVT (Swedish Television)
Heavy Metal is finally starting to get some recognition, with Iron Maiden's concert at Ullevi this summer being broadcasted live in national Swedish television I am getting my hopes up for the future of metal. And that SVT will start a weekly metal show in the beginning of 2006 is something that I think very positive about.

Best live concerts

- Iron Maiden @ Ullevi
My heroes, this is as good as it gets, nuff said.

- Overkill @ Sweden Rock Festival
Fuckin' wrecking everything.

- Judas Priest @ Scandinavium
The Priest gave a lesson in how a real metal concert is supposed to be.

- Rammstein @ Metaltown
Hu hu, lets go burn stuff, that would be cool or something. Damn I felt like Beavis and Butthead with the massive amount of fire Rammstein brought with them. A mighty performance to say the least

- Freak Kitchen @ Storan
When it comes to play guitar and to entertain an audience no one comes near Mattias IA Eklundh with his fast fingers and blabbing mouth.