As you know it, I buy and review a lot of metal CDs every year and I like to rate them and share my thoughts with you. And once a year, I compile the results to provide you my list of the best albums of the year.

So here is the list with the albums sorted in order of preference (highest to lowest):

1) Pagan’s mind - God equation (9,0/10)
2) Mötley Crüe - Saint of Los Angeles (9,0/10)
3)  Metallica - Death magnetic (9,0/10)
4)  Avantasia - The scarecrow (9,0/10)
5) Imperia - Queen of light (9,0/10)
6)  AC/DC - Black ice (8,5/10)
7)  Brainstorm - Downburst (8,5/10)
8)  Firewind - The premonition (8,0/10)
9)  Nickelback - Dark horse (8,0/10)
10)  Iced earth - The crucible of man (8,0/10)
11)  Apocalyptica - Worlds collide (8,0/10)
12)  Freedom call - Dimensions (8,0/10)
13)  Dragonforce - Ultra beatdown (8,0/10)
14)  Gamma ray - Land of the free II (7,5/10)
15)  Lordi - Deadache (7,5/10)
16)  Evergrey - Torn (7,5/10)
17)  Judas Priest - Nostradamus (7,5/10)
18)  Guns N’ Roses - Chinese democracy (7,0/10)
19)  Alice Cooper - Along came a spider (4,0/10)

Pagan’s Mind is my discovery of 2008. Metallica made a superb comeback to their roots with Death Magnetic. Mötley Crüe surprised me a lot with Saints of LA too.

Can’t wait to see what 2009 will bring us!!!

…but they gave a damn good show yesterday night at the Medley here in Montreal. The Florida-based band was back in town with Matt Barlow back at the mike. I was the first time I could see him sign live for Iced Earth and he definitely kicks ass!!! The band played a full set of a duration of 1h40 which pleased every fan in the crowd.

At some point the show got interrupted because a stupid moron in the audience had the brilliant idea to spit on Jon Schaffer (pictured up here), the lead gutarist and leader of the group during Night Of The Stormrider. Very bad idea because Schaffer was really pissed off and screamed at the moron to invite him for a fight. Of course, the moron tried to leave the place but amazingly, the crowd pulled him back to the front of the stage where he was taken care of by angry fans. Weird scene but that was good for him! The band actually appreciated the response from the rest of the crowd and were then boosted to deliver the rest of the show.

Besides that, Iced Earth performed a quite interesting setlist. Among others, we were able to hear Behold The Wicked Child, I Walk Alone, Come What May, 10000 Strong, Declaration Day, the complete Gettysburgh set (3 tracks), Dracula, Burning Times, Watching Over Me, Night Of The Stormrider, Vengeance Is Mine, Melancholy and of course Iced Earth. Very satisfying for an Iced Earth fan.

Only one negative aspect: the volume was damn too loud. My right ear still makes me suffer 24h later…

Two power metal supergroups were in town last Friday and gave a hell of a show: Gamma Ray and Helloween. In fact the two German groups were sharing the stage for this event that was held at the Medley. Once again Gamma Ray and Helloween did not deceive their fans, blasting them powerful classic tracks like Somewhere Out In Space, Into The Storm, Empress, Heaven Can Wait, Ride the Sky (these one played by Gamma Ray), Halloween, Future World, Power, Eagle Fly Free, Mr Torture, As Long As I Fall (these one played by Helloween). In other words, this event was a blast for every power metal fan. Especially when the two groups joined forces together on stage and played I Want Out to close the show! Delicious!!! And it was, as usual, very rough on the ears and tympanums. But what the hell, that’s how we like it huh?!

Ho yesss… I just got my tickets for the Nightwish/Sonata Arctica, Helloween/Gamma Ray and Iced Earth shows! The fall’s gonna be hot my friends! And my ears will suffer a bit I think. But metal shows are so entertaining… espacially when Nightwish is in town!

For more information about these shows, please refer to the Brave Concerts website.