So settle down and compare your annual favourites with our top team’s top choices from the last 12 months.
Richard Holmes (Reviews Editor)
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
1. Mastodon – Once More ‘Round The Sun
Imaginative, technically astonishing, even a little bit groovy – Once More ‘Round The Sun proved once again that Mastodon are true masters of their craft. There seems to be no stopping the four headed leviathan from Atlanta.
2. Nachtmystium – The World We Left Behind
3. Myrkur – Myrkur
4. Electric Wizard – Time To Die
5. Bast – Spectres
6. Dread Sovereign – All Hell’s Martyrs
7. Krieg – Transient
8. At The Gates – At War With Reality
9. Sick Of It All – Last Act Of Defiance
10. Primordial – Where Greater Men Have Fallen
GIGS OF THE YEAR
1. Bolt Thrower – Damnation Festival, Leeds University, Leeds
A rare UK appearance from the extreme metal titans, many fans had been waiting their whole lives for this show… and they weren’t disappointed. Both Thrower delivered a set which marked Damnation’s tenth anniversary in some style.
2. Iron Maiden – Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth
3. Mastodon – O2 Academy, Newcastle
4. Winterfylleth – Damnation Festival, Leeds University, Leeds
5. Fucked Up – The Cluny, Newcastle
Self Made Man (Ian Murtagh)
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
1 Blackberry Smoke – The Whippoorwill
Southern flavoured rock and rollers finally took the UK by storm with record that bested label mates Rival Sons.
2 Counting Crows – Somewhere Under Wonderland
3 Pink Floyd – The Endless River
4 Rival Sons – Great Western Valkyrie
5 Bob Seger – Ride Out
6 Blues Pills – Blues Pills
7 AC/DC – Rock Or Bust
8 Joe Bonamassa – Different Shades Of Blue
9 Augustines – Augustines
10 Black Keys – Turn Blue
GIGS OF THE YEAR
1 Aerosmith/Joe Bonamassa – Clapham Calling, London
There was little to choose between the old stagers and the new kid on the blues block on a day when Clapham found its true calling.
2 Rival Sons/Blues Pills – O2 Academy, Newcastle
3 The Who – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle
4 Counting Crows – O2 Academy, Newcastle
5 Temperance Movement – Newcastle University, Newcastle
Adam Keys
ALBUMS OF THE YEAR
1. Royal Blood – Royal Blood
Royal Blood urged us to believe the hype…and we did. Killer debut from the new darlings of heavy rock.
2. American Hi-Fi – Blood and Lemonade
3. Band of Skulls – Himalayan
4. Shadowclub – Goodbye Wild Child
5. Let it Happen – Cause and Effect
6. Steel Panther – All You Can Eat
7. Issues – Issues
8. Villains – Villains
9. The Xcerts – There Is Only You
10. LostAlone – Shapes of Scream