Rachel's National Tour of the Year: Sounds of the Underground (Chicago review)

Brian's Best DVD Release of the Year: Journey (Escape Tour Live in Houston 1981) with bonus audio disc

Brian's Best Special Packaged / Collectors Release of the Year: Nile’s (Annihilation of the Wicked Limited Edition Collector’s Sarcophagus)


Most Memorable Moments of the Year

Brian: Visiting Darrell Abbott’s resting place with a dear friend of mine from the early Pantera days. He will always been known as Darrell Abbott to me.

Matt: No real moment, just all of the wonderful people I’ve met and the monstrous burdens I’ve shed, however if I trace it all to a single moment it would be the 51 Peg show at the Vault in Baltimore in early March.

Rachel: Unfortunately, I would probably consider the worst three weeks of my life, which happened in September, to be the most memorable. But learning about (F)Red Chennies (Schoendienst), telling a millionaire to put his money where his mouth is, intense Couronne tournaments with my bro Danny, hearing a fan scream “There’s no place like Nebraska” in all seriousness at a Husker football game, seeing Nine Inch Nails live for the second time, and becoming good friends with my wonderful writers Matt and Brian are significant as well.

Goal for Next Year

Brian: Keep on writing.

Matt: To get a steady job and concentrate more on writing.

Rachel: Strenuously keep up SOC, improve my writing skills, meet the rest of Rotting Corpse in weird places across the country, see 51 Peg play out East, visit Minneapolis, and win the Rachel’s School of Thought 2006 NCAA March Madness Men’s Basketball Tournament pool.
Year End Reflections 2006

Top 10 Albums of the Year

Brian

Candlemass – Candlemass
Cathedral – Garden of Unearthly Delights
Evergrey – Night to Remember Live 2004
Gamma Ray – Majestic
High on Fire – Live at the Relapse Contamination Festival
Journey – Live in Houston 1981 Escape Tour CD/DVD
Judas Priest – Angel of Retribution
Kreator – Enemy of God
Nile – Annihilation of the Wicked
Opeth – Ghost of Reveries
Nevermore – This Godless Endeavor


Matt

Chrysalis EP
Aeva Disaster – Signals and Skylines
KMFDM – Hau Ruck
The Birthday Massacre – Violet
Mankind is Obsolete – Rise
Mindless Self Indulgence – You’ll Rebel to Anything
Relenter – Through the Mirror
Danko Jones – We Sweat Blood
51 Peg Live
Rammstein – Rosenrot


Rachel

Opiate for the Masses – The Spore
Opeth – Ghost Reveries
Clutch – Robot Hive/Exodus
A Life Once Lost – Hunter
Queens of the Stoneage – Lullabies to Paralyze
Relenter – Through the Mirror
Fear Factory – Transgression
10 Years – The Autumn Effect
Strapping Young Lad – Alien
Lamb of God – Killadelphia

 

Most Disappointing Album of the Year

Brian: Demons and Wizards – Touched by the Crimson King

Matt: Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth

Rachel: Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth

Song of the Year

Brian: “The Garden” (26:58 in length) by Cathedral

Matt: “Miscarriage” by Chrysalis

Rachel: "Pain & Panic" by A Life Once Lost

Best National Tour of the Year

Brian: Judas Priest

Matt: I haven’t seen any this year, but let’s say NIN

Rachel: Nine Inch Nails & Sounds of the Underground

Best Show Seen this Year

Brian: Symphorce’s 45-minute set at ProgPower VI in Atlanta

Matt: 51 Peg and Chrysalis at Fletcher’s in Baltimore on my birthday

Rachel: Nine Inch Nails & Sounds of the Underground both in Chicago

Best New Band of the Year

Brian: No new band impressed me

Matt: Aeva Disaster

Rachel: Opiate for the Masses

Most Underrated Independent Band of the Year

Matt: Firewerk

Rachel: Relenter

Vocalist of the Year

Brian: Andy B. Franck of Symphorce for vocal ability and stage presence

Matt: Bilaal of Chrysalis

Rachel: Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth

Guitarist of the Year

Brian:

Matt: Carlo Pizarro of 51 Peg/Aeva Disaster

Rachel: Matt Pike of High on Fire

Bassist of the Year

Brian: Byron Stroud of Strapping Young Lad for pulling double duty with SYL and Fear Factory on the same tour

Matt: Luis Castellanos of Chrysalis

Rachel: Byron Stroud of Strapping Young Lad & Fear Factory

Drummer of the Year

Brian: Martin Lopez of Opeth

Matt: Jon Siren of Mankind is Obsolete

Rachel: Seven Antonopolous of Opiate for the Masses

Favorite Random MySpace Page

Brian: Rotting Corpse guitarist Luke Brewer. He has a new account, send love his way. http://www.myspace.com/gentlemanluke