Year End Reflections 2007
Rachel Jablonski
Top 10 Albums of the Year
Most Disappointing Album of the Year
Project 86 – Rival Factions
Song of the Year
“Now I Lay Thee Down” by Machine Head
Best Show Seen this Year
Most Underrated Band of the Year
Between the Buried and Me
All Around Musician
Justin Broadrick of Jesu
Vocalist of the Year
Brittany Bindrim of i:scintilla
Guitarist of the Year
Bassist of the Year
Joe Lester of Intronaut
Drummer of the Year
Mario Duplantier of Gojira
Most Memorable Moments of the Year
Interviewing Sammy Duet of Goatwhore at Sounds of the Underground in Milwaukee, WI; getting lost in the music of Jesu twice at The Picador in Iowa City, IA; being blown away by the live performance of Between the Buried and Me at The Picador in Iowa City, IA; buying a condo; owning my first ever ipod; the firing of Taliban Callahan as head football coach at Nebraska; being ill for what seems like most of the year due to an endless list of causes.
Goals for Next Year
Get and stay healthy; finish my Masters in Systems Engineering; see as many live shows as possible (hopefully some involving Finch, Devin Townsend, and maybe a miracle of Raunchy in the U.S.); my brother Danny becoming my friend again.
Brian
McLean
Top 10 Albums of the Year
Onslaught - Killing Peace
Candlemass - King of the Grey Islands
Down - Over the Under
Kamelot - Ghost Opera
Nightwish - Dark Passion Play
Obituary - Xecutioner's Return
Solitude Aeturnus - Alone
The Sword – self titled
Best Live Performance
Belphegor - Ridglea Theater (Fort
Worth, Texas)
Belphegor supported Krisiun
and Unleashed but it was Austria’s Belphegor who claimed ownership
and conquered the crowd. Belphegor delivered extreme metal in its
tightest form. Front man Helmuth commanded the stage like no other
with his presence and intensity.
Honorable Mention
Kamelot - Ridglea Theater.
Favorite Venue
The Ridglea Theater
located in Fort Worth, Texas is a perfect venue that holds roughly
1200.
No Surprise
Addnerim was awarded
Artist of the Year and Best Hard Rock Act at the FW Weekly Music
Awards. In January 2007 Addnerim was virtually unknown in the Dallas
Fort Worth area. A lot can change in the matter of one year with
hard work and dedication.
Disappointment in 2007
Down not playing Dallas
for their new album Over the Under.
Looking at 2008
The band to keep an
eye on in 2008 is the four-piece, young metal band Black Tide from
Miami. With major label support from Interscope, these young guys
may take the thrash scene by storm. Another band to keep an eye
out for would be west coast thrashers Warbringer who will release
their debut through Century Media in February 2008. Two great thrash
bands ready to bring back the old school vibe.
Obvious
The days of the angry
young man screamer bands are numbered. The sound has grown tiresome
and is unoriginal. People are tired of it. There’s only one
Phil Anselmo and he’s moved on and the copy cats should do
the same or learn how to carry a tune. A lot of these bands write
great music but the vocals just plain suck and kill it.
Andy
Valentine
Top 10 Albums of the Year
Bloodsimple
– Red Harvest
Disarmonia Mundi – Mind Tricks
Down – Over the Under
Dimmu Borgir – In Sorte Diaboli
Tub Ring – The Great Filter
Deadlock – Wolves
Machine Head – The Blackening
Volbeat – Rock the Rebel / Metal the Devil
Chimaira – Resurrection
Iced Earth – Framing Armageddon
Honorable Mention
Megadeth for United Abominations
Most Disappointing Album of the Year
Type O Negative – Dead Again.
These guys are so fucking good. Is this really the best they can
do after four friggin’ years?
own” by Machine Head
Best Show Seen this Year
Lamb of God, Machine Head, and Trivium
at the Palladium in Dallas in March
Most Underrated Band of the Year
Raunchy is the most underrated band
this year and every other year.
Vocalist of the Year
Phil Anselmo for making the comeback
of the century, and staying completely sober to do it.
Honorable Mention
Speed String for all around ownage
on-stage.
Guitarist of the Year
Tie: Phi Demmel and Rob Flynn for
the best American-come-Scandinavian melodic metal guitar duo out
there.
Bassist of the Year
Jean-Michel Labadie of Gojira for
having the best damn stage presence of any bass player I’ve
seen in a long damn time. This guy does things that should be physically
impossible for most people.
Drummer of the Year
Morten Toft Hansen of Raunchy is
an insane drummer who doesn’t get the respect he deserves.
His feet move so fast they look like they’re vibrating.
Most Memorable Moments of the Year
Seeing Lamb of God, Devildriver,
and Soilwork all on stage at the same time playing Five Minutes
Alone in Dime’s honor… even if they did totally Butcher
the song.
Goals for Next Year
Cross my fingers and hope that
Opeth comes out with a new album in 2008.
Hawk
Chavez
Top 10 Albums of the Year
Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Priscilla Hernandez – Ancient Shadows
Chrystina Tomlin – Storm
One Republic – Dreaming Out Loud
Zeitgeist – Love, Horror, Adult Themes
Caleb – Sorrow EP
Red – End Of Silence
Duran Duran – Red Carpet Massacre
Finger Eleven – Them vs. You vs. Me
Silbermond – Verschwende deine Zeit
Most Disappointing Album of the Year
Linkin Park – Minutes To Midnight
Best Show Seen this Year
Didn’t have a chance to go
to any.
Most Underrated Band of the Year
Blonde Redhead
Vocalist of the Year
Chiba of The Birthday Massacre
Guitarist of the Year
Keram Malicki-Sanchez
Bassist of the Year
Fieldy of Korn
Drummer of the Year
Pete Wilhoit of Fictionplane
Best band of all time
INXS
Most Underrated band
of all time
Faith No More
Mike
Schlabsz
Top 10 Albums of the Year
Between the Buried and Me - Colors
Jesu - Conqueror
Machine Head - The Blackining
Intronaut - Challenger EP
Poison the Well - Versions
Devin Townsend - Ziltoid the Omniscient
Cephalic Carnage - Xenosapien
Nile - Ithyphallic
Infernaeon - A Symphony of Suffering
Clutch - From Beale Street to Oblivion
Most Disappointing Album of the Year
Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
Best Show Seen this Year
Jesu (headlining), Tourche, and Yakuza
Most Underrated Band of the Year
Poison the Well (nobody listened to this cd, and
its very different and interesting. It expands on hardcore and makes
it multidimensional)
Vocalist of the Year
Tommy Rogers of Between the Buried and Me
Guitarist of the Year
Ryan Primack of Poison the Well
Bassist of the Year
Nick Schendzielos of Cephalic Carnage
Drummer of the Year
John Merryman of Cephalic Carnage
Most Memorable Moments of the Year
Seeing Jesu again at the Picador in Iowa City,
after becoming very familiar with their music and being able to
truly appreciate.
Goals for Next Year
Watch live and be a part of the reemergence
of Finch, one of my personal all time favorite bands. If you haven’t
listened to their second CD, Say Hello to Sunshine, please
give it a shot with an open mind.
