Your favorite CDs of 2015.

It's December again.
Have you thought about what are your favorite CDs of 2015?
I always need some time to decide what my top 3 will be.

My Top 5 albums released this year:
1. Five Iron Frenzy - Between the Pavement and the Stars
2. TIE - John Mark McMillan - Live at the Knight and John Mark and Sarah McMillan - You Are the Avalanche EP
3. Ethan Luck & the Intruders - Invasion! (this may be cheating. I've only heard two songs and the full EP is released next week but I love those two songs...)
4. How the West Was Won - Wild and Waste
5. Adele - 25 (don't judge me!)

My Top 5 albums I got that weren't released this year:
1. John Mark McMillan - Borderland (2014)
2. Minor Threat - Complete Discography (I had this when I was a teenager and lost it about 10 years ago. I gave in and bought it again and am so glad I did!)
3. Tony Bennett and Count Basie - Together at Last/The Perfect Combination: Complete Recordings
4. Lust Control - Tiny Little Dots
5. TIE - Deluxtone Rockets - self-titled and Green Room Blues

I recently bought a few that will probably be contenders for a top 5 slot....so it will be the end of the month before I can compile my list.  The new Stryper will certainly be up there near the top.

I've brought hardly any this year.  But Signum Regis is probably going to be the top.  Love the EP, and am keen to hear the full album too.

ishmael81 wrote:

5. Adele - 25 (don't judge me!)

I just heard her new single and I have to confess it is really good.  (the video was a bit over the top though).  That lady knows how to write a song with a hook in it big enough to catch a whale.

Staybrite wrote:

ishmael81 wrote:

5. Adele - 25 (don't judge me!)

I just heard her new single and I have to confess it is really good.  (the video was a bit over the top though).  That lady knows how to write a song with a hook in it big enough to catch a whale.

Yeah, I know. She isn't Christian (that I know of) or metal, or even punk, rock or polka, but I like her stuff. She owes way more to Billie Holiday, Dusty Springfield, and Etta James than she does to Madonna or anyone like that. Very organic stuff.

2015 was an odd year for me. It seemed like nothing was really coming out, but looking back, there was some pretty good stuff out there. Some of my favorites, in no particular order:

Signum Regis  (two releases, both excellent)
Teramaze - Her Halo (an absolute masterpiece)
Flawed By Design - A New Creation (good debut, looking forward to more)
Gloriam Dei - The Covenant  (haven't had it long, but it's impressive)
Ancient Prophecy - Pounded By Our Sins (not many thrash releases this year, but this is a good one)
Diviner - Fallen Empires  (another strong debut album from a band I hope will be around for a while)

ishmael81 wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

ishmael81 wrote:

5. Adele - 25 (don't judge me!)

I just heard her new single and I have to confess it is really good.  (the video was a bit over the top though).  That lady knows how to write a song with a hook in it big enough to catch a whale.

Yeah, I know. She isn't Christian (that I know of) or metal, or even punk, rock or polka, but I like her stuff. She owes way more to Billie Holiday, Dusty Springfield, and Etta James than she does to Madonna or anyone like that. Very organic stuff.

Yep, I gotta agree with all of that.  I would love to hear her do an old Dusty Springfield or Etta James standard.

I still need to buy the new Adele. I have her two previous albums and the bluray. 

Anyway. I still have to many albums i need to listen to. One that has to be in my list is Kamasi Washington. He released a killer jazz album. As far as i know it's his debut. Also Leon Bridges' debut album nsome top notch classic soul.

metaldude wrote:

Ancient Prophecy - Pounded By Our Sins (not many thrash releases this year, but this is a good one)

This will definitely be on my list as well.

Oh man, it's been a great year for Christian metal!

Christian:
Adorned Graves - The Hand Of Death EP
Aspiration - Babel EP
Blood Thirsty - Woe To The City Of Blood EP
Dalit - Descent
Orationem - Orationem
Orationem - Fulfiller, Sustainer, Preserving Protector
Sardis - Reel Live Metal
Signum Regis - Through The Storm EP
Signum Regis - Chapter IV: The Reckoning
Skald In Veum - 1260 Days EP
They Wither - They Wither EP
Vardoger - Ghost Notes
Vials Of Wrath - Days Without Names

Secular:
Iron Maiden
Ahab - The Boats Of The Glen Carrig (I still need to buy this one)
Angra - Secret Garden (I still need to buy this one)
Kauan - Sorni Nai
My Silent Wake - Damnatio Memoriae
A Sickness Unto Death - The Great Escape
Within Silence - Gallery Of Life

ApologetiX -Play Nice
ApologetiX -Music is as music does
Armageddon USA -Up in Flames
Signum Regis - Through the Storm
Stryper - Fallen
Sweet & Lynch - Only To Rise
Wonrowe Vision - 2 Headed Beast

(got the following 2015 title, but I haven't listened to it yet... so I can't say if it's a fav yet or not)
Lucifer's Doom -Lucifer's Doom

It will be a few days before I can sit and really think about this.  However, I don't expect anything new to come out that will probably change my thoughts.  I don't have Diviner or Gloriam Dei yet, but I don't think that they will be game changers.

Not a good year for my style of music. 

Stryper ran away and hid with the prize for this year. Worldview and Sweet Lynch were also good records.

Follower of Jesus wrote:

Not a good year for my style of music. 

Stryper ran away and hid with the prize for this year. Worldview and Sweet Lynch were also good records.

You just mentioned 3 of my top 5.  Your right, not a lot of good melodic metal/hard rock this year (at least in the "Christian" market).

I only purchased 13 new releases this year, so I am only going to do a top 5 (instead of a top 10).

1. Stryper - Fallen (wow, just another fantastic album from these guys)
2. W.A.S.P. - Golgotha (some people complained it was "samey"....but WASP is kinda like AC/DC all of their stuff sounds the same....either you like it or you don't)
3. Worldview - Chosen Few (would love to see this line-up do another album)
4. Scandinavian Metal Praise - Glory and Power Part 1 (great late addition to the year)
5. Gloriam Dei - The Covenant (just enough AOR and melodic rock to balance with the power-metal sound make this a great album...at least for me).

Here's my list:

5. Armageddon USA - Up In Flames
4. Worldview - The Chosen Few
3. Signum Regis - Chapter VI: The Reckoning
2. Ancient Prophecy - Pounded By Our Sins
1. Stryper - Fallen

OK, time for mine:


1.  STRYPER - Fallen
2.  GX Project - Raize Some Hell
3.  Apologetix - Easter Standard Time
4.  Kutless - Surrender
5.  Disciple - Vultures
6.  Seventh Day Slumber - Redline
7.  Apologetix - Music Is As Music Does
8.  Armageddon USA - Up In Flames
9.  The Righteous Blues Band - He Gave Us Freedom
10.  Millennial Reign - Carry The Fire
11.  Gideon's Army - Grace (Remaster)
12.  Scandinavian Metal Praise - Power & Glory Part 1
13.  Worldview - The Chosen Few


I reserve the right to edit this as I am awaiting the new release by the band Spoken.

Nice lists everyone.  Here are my selections:

My two favorites consist of:

Stryper - "Fallen"
LEAH - "Kings & Queens"

Very close seconds:

Worldview - "The Chosen Few"
Gloriam Dei - "The Covenant"
W.A.S.P. - "Golgotha"
Millennial Reign - "Carry The Fire"
Sweet & Lynch - "Only To Rise"
The Neal Morse Band - "The Grand Experiment"

Also very good:

Waken Eyes - "Exodus"
Within Silence - "Gallery Of Life"
Impellitteri - "Venom"
Diviner - "Fallen Empires"

Strong honorable mentions for new albums from Armageddon USA, GX Project, Ancient Prophecy and Signum Regis.  I did not include new Scandinavian Metal Praise album in that more often than not I cannot get into rock and metal praise- a song or two on an album in such a direction is fine but an entire album worth I find to wear thin.

In the secular realm, I also enjoyed albums by One Hand Dan, April Mae &The June Bugs, Samantha Fish, Def Leopard, and John Nickel.  Most of those are fellow cigar box guitar builders.

I need some more time to get my list ready this time.

rockerVu2 wrote:

I need some more time to get my list ready this time.

No worries, take your time.

Staybrite wrote:

rockerVu2 wrote:

I need some more time to get my list ready this time.

No worries, take your time.

As long as it's done by 5 PM EST today

Through The Dark Radio wrote:

Staybrite wrote:

rockerVu2 wrote:

I need some more time to get my list ready this time.

No worries, take your time.

As long as it's done by 5 PM EST today

I thought that was ESP.  I thought we just had to read her mind by 5 PM!

Kidding, we are, of course!