Well, it's that time of year again. The holidays are upon us and the music industry is pretty quiet which is fairly typical of this time of year. Every year I choose what I feel are the top albums of the year. 2002 was interesting in the fact that there weren't alot of albums from major artists. It was a year of possible change in the scene. Nothing to drastic, but you can see things slowly shifting. This is good in my opinion. We listen to our music as a form of entertainment and I feel it is getting back to that. Instead of being depressing and angry, music is shifting to a more upbeat but still heavy scene. The one other element that is important to mention is the vocal styles of some of the more modern acts. The vocals have gotten quite a bit more melodic and that is what I am liking quite a bit. Anyway, let's get right to it. Still am loving the traditional metal scene. It still delivers! First category is albums! You can click on the covers to get to the review for each album.
1.
Heavy Metal Resource Album of the year!
Pandemic-Angry Sky
I've been saying it all year. These guys are really good and are very deserving of this award. Where alot of bands have label money for production, Pandemic did it themselves and released a top notch effort worthy of album of the year! Nice job guys!
Another great release from band featuring Tony Harnell, Bruno Ravel, Mark Real, and John O'Reilly. A continuation from what the band offers. This album really hit the mark in terms of quality. Really doesn't have any weak music. Love the Black Sabbath cover of 'Neon Knights'.
This band is really good. Vocally, the band are better than most of the domestic more recent metal bands. The band really back it all up with some great songwriting. This album really offers alot to it's audience in terms of quantity and quality especially for the small retail price. Came late for the running but really makes it's mark.
The band really refined their sound on their latest release. Frank's vocals have never sounded better and there is a bit more edge on this disc. This album recieved alot of praise from critics and provides an excellent melodic hard rock listen. Like the cover art on this one as well.
Smokin' release from these longtime metal greats. This album just reached out and grabbed me by the throat. There is a certain discipline here in the technical area, but the band also let it all hang out. Very good balance of both make this one hard to get out of the deck.
This one really caught me off guard. Wasn't sure who Dave Martone was when this one showed up. Well, he got my attention pretty quick. This album is pretty amazing. This is one instrumental based album that will keep your attention due to it's strong composition and atmosphere!
This release just has something cool about it. I knew these guys had promise from their demo a while back. This is the bands first release and has heavy stuff, groove laden rockers, and just an overall great presentation. Another great act showing promise for the future of the genre.
Amazing album from another Japanese act and probably my favorite since Loudness. These guys are technically inclined musically and just have a natural talent for writing great music that will get the adrenalin pumping. Keep an eye on this band!
The Motor City Madman does it again. I really liked this release alot due to it's humor and approach. This is the kind of album you expect from Nugent and he really delivers one of my favorites by him since 'Little Miss Dangerous'. Great listening from one of rocks greatest warriors!
If you wanted an Accept album, this is about as close as it's gonna get. Former Accept frontman Udo Dirkschneider releases a great album with 'Man and Machine' that will really please you traditional metalists. There is a pretty good duet with Doro as well. Nicely done!
This 2 disc set is of the highest quality. Great sound and picture and an excellent show as well. Really liked the special features on the disc as well. Great interviews and the Day in the life segment was fun as well. The band really never seems to do anything half way and is deserving of top honor. Dts and Dolby 5.1 are included.
Maybe the last offering from the band...?? Hope not, but being a big Megadeth fan from the beginning, this set is alot of fun. Definitely has a great track listing with good sound and picture. Their is some extra stuff on this as well that is interesting for the fans. Will the band be back?? Time will tell. Dolby 5.1 included.
Just an all around fun disc to spin. It has it all. Videos, live stuff, interviews, and some unreleased stuff. A great big collage of goodies can be found here. This disc has Dolby 5.1 and Dts which is an added bonus. A lot of bang for the buck for sure.
It's hard to believe I have been listening to these guys for as long as I have. It all started for me with 'Cultosaurus Erectus'. This is a good balanced set with old tunes and new. There are some interviews included and Dolby 5.1 and Dts are included as well. Fun set. See, older people still rock!
Now some are gonna say'Wait, it's not Rob so how can it be that great?'. Well, it's alot of fun to watch and Ripper does a good job. There is alot of classic Priest here with some newer stuff added in for good mixture. Not as keen on the oversized jewel, but I'll live. There are a few bonus features and Dolby 5.1 is included.
Well, there you have it. My personal picks for 2002. It's been an interesting year. Not a lot of big bands releasing, but there was definitely some quality product put out. Looking at Pandemic's #1 slot, these guys really put alot of effort into their release. They really turned some heads at Ultrasound a few years back. They were under the Town Cryer XXI name back then. The band did things the old fashioned way and really hit a home run! Congratulations! As far as the Iron Maiden dvd, this disc is pure quality. The band really took their time to do it right. A fine 2 disc set that really offers fans alot.
As far as the genre in general, I think there are some positive things happening. Metal has remained strong in various areas of the world as it has for some time. In the States, more modern era acts are saying that 80's metal is cool which is a change from being the bastard child of musical era's. This reflects to a point in some of the more modern metal hitting stateside. Not a lot of it, but it's slowly getting better. There have been some good reissues in recent years alhough 2002 was a bit slower than it has been across the board. That music always holds a fondness with fans and deserves to come out of the vaults. Hopefully studios who have been doing a good job will continue and those who are a real pain in the ass continue to suffer from their bad decision making. 2003 will probably be more of the same. The industry king of looks like it is in the test the waters phase. There is a lot of lost money and a real tough market. Your album sales will be the difference. Hopefully the new year brings metal a lot of prosperity!
In ending, I would like to thank you, the readers for making the Resource a success. It really is a labor of love. This site isn't a living by any means, just more of a hobby. I do it for you! Thanks also to the labels who support and make it easy on the pocketbook. Thanks also to the bands I work with. You all know who you are and you make it great. Everyone have a safe holiday and a rockin' new year!
