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Are you hungry for a new Fates Warning album? Well, despite the fact that every one of the members was or is in Fates Warning, it is a very different beast. It is much heavier than anything Fates Warning has done in a little while, perhaps due to the return of John Arch on vocals, forging its own identity from Fates Warning's style. The technicality on this album is amazing, and makes it easily worth any Fates Warning fan's (or prog metal fan in general) time.

Recommended Tracks:
Stained Glass Sky
Any Given Day
Neurotically Wired

9. Riot's Immortal Soul

A classic heavy metal record of the finest caliber. Reminiscent of early Judas Priest, this hard rocking album will kick you in the balls and then some. With explosive opener, "Riot," you know this album will take no prisoners. Filled with great riffs and some excellent soaring vocals, this album is here to show that Riot can still kick ass and take names.

Recommended Tracks:
Riot
Sins of the Father
Insanity

8. Theocracy's As The World Bleeds

Wow. Just wow. A monolithic slab of progressive power metal greatness. Just listen to the outstanding opener, "I Am." Granted, Theocracy is a Christian band and the lyrics can get a tad bit....preachy. It's a bit overbearing for me, and I am a Christian as well. But the musical talent of the band is just so outstanding that it is easy to ignore the lyrics and just listen to the phenomenal guitar work or the excellent drumming or the soaring vocal style.

Recommended Tracks:
I Am (Sorry, no video)
The Gift of Music
The Master Storyteller (No video either, sorry)

7. Mastodon's The Hunter

This is an excellent return to Mastodon's early style, removing many of the prog elements that became so prevalent on their later albums. While their prog tinged albums were phenomenal, it is quite refreshing to put in this CD and just rock out. From beginning to end, this album is filled with top quality heavy metal, the guitars are amazing, the vocals are stunning, and the drumming is great. Can you really ask for more?

Recommended Tracks:
Spectrelight
Black Tongue
Octopus Has No Friends

6. Rhapsody of Fire's From Chaos To Eternity

Rhapsody really stepped up their game on this one. The guitars are far more blistering and faster paced than almost any of their previous works, and the riffs are fantastic. Fabio Lione remains one of the best modern heavy metal vocalists, his powerful voice soaring throughout the album. Is it Rhapsody's best work? Quite possibly. Unfortunately, it is also the end of an era, as long time guitarist Luca Turilli and bassist Patrice Guers have left the band after finishing the album. While we may not get a Rhapsody album of this quality in a while, you can enjoy it for its simply amazing songwriting and insane guitars. Also, Christopher Lee's narration continues to be awesome.

5. Absu's Abzu

Think Slayer's classic Reign in Blood. Then add a good healthy dose of black metal. Now you have a pretty good idea of what Absu's latest album sounds like. With its extremely short running time, the record constantly blazes ahead in a frenzy of blackened thrash mayhem. By the time you come out at the end of it, you are battered, beaten, and sore. The riffs are insanely fast and infinitely head bangable. The tortured vocals perfectly fit the light speed music, creating the best black metal album since Sigh's Scenes from Hell. That's right, it's better than Enslaved.

4. Symphony X's Iconoclast

RIFFS!!! This album riffs so hard. It's full of excellent guitar playing from modern guitar god, Michael Romeo. Every song has at least one (usually more though) amazing riff. This album is quite heavy for a Symphony X album, and the pummeling drums and strong rumbling bass help this atmosphere. And of course, Russell Allen is still one of the best vocalists around. Also, make sure you get the 2 CD edition! It contains some of the best songs off the album!

Recommended Tracks:
Reign in Madness
Iconoclast
The Lords of Chaos

3. Voyager's The Meaning Of I

This is a great spacey progressive metal album that slipped under a lot of people's radars. The album's excellent uses of synthesizer along with fantastic riffs create an atmosphere that seems to perfectly capture the feel of the emptiness of space. Just listen to the opener, "Momentary Relapse of Pain," which seems to fit almost perfectly the idea of being trapped in the coldness of space. Daniel Estrin's vocals enhance this feeling even more, his almost machine like delivery creating the atmosphere of a long space journey. Just pop this in and go boldly where no man has gone before...

2. The Devin Townsend's Project's Deconstruction

The best way to describe this album is distilled insanity. The sheer craziness that goes on in this album is mind blowing. This is easily Devy's heaviest work since SYL, and arguably some of his best in a while. Just listen to "The Mighty Masturbator" to get an idea of what I mean. Or perhaps "Juular," which seems like a demented waltz. What is the genius of this album is how Devin manages to take elements throughout his career and merge them together in a bubbling cauldron of whimsical heaviness. Listen, and prepare for your mind to explode.

Recommended Tracks:
The Mighty Masturbator
Juular
Planet of the Apes

1. Vektor's Outer Isolation

Wow......this album renders me speechless. It is an exercise of carefully controlled aggression, an album that threatens to break down and degenerate into a mindless assault on your aural senses. But it doesn't. It is tempered with a good dose of intelligence and technical skill. The lyrics are amazing, not the usual thrash fare, fixating on interesting philosophical concepts and sci fi stories. A lot more interesting than fast cars or killing, eh? The dissonant riffs have a vague Voivod influence, but they take it and make it all their own, making it faster paced, more technically demanding, and a vocalist whose throat destroying vocals are insane. Listen to the opening of "Tetrastructual Minds," and David DiSanto's scream outshines even Tom Araya on his best days. Don't think it is all speed, though, they have some excellent mid-paced sections that gives the listener a much needed reprieve in order to continue the blitzkrieg of shredding guitars, pulverizing drumming, absolutely monster vocals, and an excellent slap bass undertone. Really, I could talk all day about this album and its amazingness. But the best way for you understand that is listen to it yourself. This is one of the best thrash albums in years.

Recommended Tracks:
Tetrastructural Minds
Cosmic Cortex
Dying World