damn, that was thorough 
1. Mastodon - Crack the Skyelove it, agreed with what was said about them being way more prog than stoner, just having that nice warm gibson/marshall sound, which works so well for them. though I love stoner metal and smoke trees on the reg
I was a big fan of Mastodon when Remission was released in 2002. I loved their unique sound, and the killer drumming was a huge selling point for me given that I had never been able to get into Brann Dailor’s far crazier previous band, Lethargy. (I finally came around on Lethargy, but I still vastly prefer Mastodon.) Mastodon’s next two albums, however, did not impress me nearly as much. I missed the busy drumming, and the songs did not grab me like they did on Remission and their debut EP, Lifesblood. So I expected to like Crack the Skye, but I did not think it would significantly impact me in any way. To my great surprise, Mastodon created a classic. Crack the Skye is one of those rare albums that sweeps me away in its epic scope, and I lose myself amongst the brilliant soundscapes. This is Mastodon at their most progressive and ambitious, yet that never diminishes their capacity to craft engaging and memorable songs. Their use of predominantly clean vocals (that oddly smack strongly of Ozzy) on this album has allowed them to create infectious melodies to go along with the impressive musicianship. Crack the Skye is a shining example of the wonderful world a metal band can create for their fans.
2. Artillery - When Death Comessick album, caught them live to and they killed, despite most of them looking like my father.
This is easily the best comeback album by a classic thrash band, though I suppose When Death Comes is a second round comeback since the band released B.A.C.K. in 1999, nine years after their stellar third album, By Inheritance. B.A.C.K. was an acceptable album at the time, but it certainly was not a return to form for one of the most memorable bands during the glory years of thrash. Now, ten years after B.A.C.K., Artillery has come roaring back with a CD that can go toe to toe with their thrash classics Terror Squad and By Inheritance. Gone are the unique vocals of Flemming Rönsdorf, but the acquisition of his replacement, Søren Adamsen, is a huge coup for these elder statesmen of thrash. Adamsen’s voice is the perfect mix of aggression and melody. He sounds similar enough to Rönsdorf to retain the classic Artillery sound, but he definitely adds a novel and greatly appreciated edge to the band’s tunes as well as some smoother choruses. As an old thrasher, I am always eager to hear what many of my favorite bands from back in the day have to offer me in modern times, but their work always pales in comparison to the albums that have been a part of my life for twenty years. Artillery bucked that trend, and I cannot thank them enough for doing so.
3. Exivious - s/tkinda bored me, love new cynic and love textures though.
After the best thrash comeback album comes the best substitute comeback release ever and my favorite instrumental disc of all time. Of course, I am cheekily referring to Exivious as a substitute for the godly bliss of Cynic – Focus. The members of Cynic had clearly moved on from the sound of their debut rather quickly after releasing it, and although I can enjoy Traced in Air for what it is, it is certainly not Focus. Not even close. Enter Tymon Kruidenier, the primary force behind Exivious. I had followed his work for years, as he released one very Focus-like demo (even down to the vocoder vocals), followed years later by his even jazzier instrumental myspace samples. These samples were then removed while Tymon reconceptualized the Exivious sound. I assumed this guy would never get his act together enough to actually release an album. However, in 2008, Tymon joined Cynic for their comeback effort and announced that the full length Exivious debut would finally see the light of day. My (expected) disappointment in Traced in Air in 2008 primed me for the Exivious release this year, but it cannot be held responsible for my intense appreciation of this instrumental offering. The very best complex music leaves you in awe of each individual’s performance on their respective instruments and always gives you something new on which to focus. Exivious accomplishes this rare feat and also manages to maintain a metallic edge throughout their flights of fusion fancy. The student has become the master.
12. Candlemass - Death Magic Doomgreat album, agree on all points. Rob Lowe is the man. can't wait to see them in August.
Candlemass finally did it! They finally listened to me! They picked up the pace and released a very likable traditional metal album. Okay, there’s as much doom as standard metal on Death Magic Doom, but the energy and pace are higher than is typical from the masters of doom. Robert Lowe’s vocals are excellent. In fact, I prefer them to Messiah’s work on the band’s classics. This kills the new Sabbath disc for me and beats out Nightfall as my favorite album from the band. To put my appreciation of this CD in context, I only own three other doom albums: Nightfall and Tales of Creation and My Dying Bride – Turn Loose the Swans. Having a Candlemass album at number 12 on my year-end list is perhaps the surprise of 2009 for me.
16. Obscura - Cosmogenesiskinda the same deal as exivious. all the right influences, but nothing moved me to much. Don't think I ever got through the whole album in one sitting.
No, they sound nothing like Gorguts. Twisted into Form was hardly a Bay Area thrash band either. Get over it. Given that Obscura contains the drummer and second guitarist that played on Necrophagist – Epitaph, it is not surprising that there are frequent nods to the reigning kings of brutal complex death metal (though I have to wonder if Necrophagist will ever release another album as they’ve been touring in support of Epitaph for over five years now, and a whole cadre of bands following their musical lead have taken up the torch). Despite their origins, Obscura is far from a Necrophagist clone. They incorporate a fair amount of latter day Death in their sound as well as a good deal of melody amidst the brutality. I am also very pleased to say that many of the songs highlight some of the coolest fretless bass I have heard on a death metal album.
17. Dååth - The ConcealersI like their style, but generally they bore me. I like the lead guitarist a lot, he has a great bluesy shred vibe to him.
I don't think much of their previous disc, The Hinderers (2007), but The Concealers is an energetic and fun death metal disc. There is not much here in the way of progginess or brutality. Just catchy, thrashy death metal riffs - one after another.
20. Redemption - Snowfall on Judgment Daygood stuff, classy prog metal.
The Fullness of Time (2005) and The Origins of Ruin (2007) are not only two of the best traditional prog metal releases ever, they also make it onto my overall list of all-time favorite discs. Given that, this latest effort from Nick van Dyk and crew clearly came with the highest of expectations. I cannot say I appreciate Snowfall on Judgment Day as much as its two amazing predecessors, but I obviously still found a lot to like on Redemption’s fourth CD. The song “Walls” with its awesome percussion and killer chorus is one of the band’s best tracks as well as one of my favorite songs of 2009. “Peel” and “Leviathan Rising” meet my high bar for Redemption’s music as well. The rest of the songs are enjoyable, even the pseudo-hair metal power ballad “What Will You Say”, but they do not impact me they way my favorite material from the band does. The majority of my slightly dampened enthusiasm has to do with my perception that most of the songs on Snowfall are not as busy as those on the previous two discs. I hear fewer time changes and interesting drum fills accompanied by more streamlined song structures. The lyrics remain a major strength for the band due to their thoughtfulness, maturity, and impressive use of language. There is no greater testament to this I can give than when I tell you that I sing along to “Leviathan Rising”, a Libertopian screed antithetical to everything I believe. I can hear Nick sneering at my commie ass throughout the song, and yet I cannot help but admire the writing. Hopefully, he won’t include a song about Ladder Theory on the next album.