1. Narnia - From Darkness To Light
Veteran Swedish act Narnia release perhaps its finest work to date in its eighth full-length album (and seventh to feature founding members vocalist Christian Liljegren and guitarist Carl Johan Grimmark) From Darkness To Light. One great song after another as the group imbues its signature melodic metal with aspects of neo-classical, power, symphonic and even progressive metal.
2. Neal Morse - Jesus Christ - The Exorcist
Two-disc rock opera masterpiece encompasses a literal all-star cast of vocalists and musicians in telling the ‘Story of Stories’. Ten years in the making, Jesus Christ - The Exorcist underscores all musical forms in which Morse has gained renown but within a theatrical if not dramatic landscape.
3. Lovewar - Lovewar
Comeback of the year award goes to Lovewar, whom released in its self-titled sophomore offering its first album in over twenty-five years. The group maintains the musical variances of its 1993 debut Soak Your Brain - metal, hard rock, groove, funk, blues, progressive, etc - but overall heavier in highlighting some of the years catchiest hooks and riffs.
4. The Neal Morse Band - The Great Adventure
Third album from The Neal Morse Band amalgamates aspects of progressive, classic and hard rock in maintaining the Pilgrim’s Progress concept themes (noting 2016 predecessor The Similitude Of A Dream) but from the standpoint of Christian’s angry, abandoned son Joseph. Stellar musicianship comes in the form of guitarist Eric Gillette, keyboardist Bill Hubauer, bassist Randy George, drummer Mike Portnoy and Morse himself.
5. Saint - The Calf
Veteran classic metal act Saint follows up on five year hiatus with its ninth full-length album and best package of songs since Hell Blade from ten years ago. New front man David Nelson complements the muscular Saint sound with his raspy and assertive style.
6. Michael Sweet - Ten
Aptly entitled ‘tenth’ solo album of Stryper front man maintains the heavier melodic metal and hard rock propensities of the band in which he is better known. Each of the albums songs features a guest lead guitarist appearance, noting the work of Joel Hoekstra, Howie Simon, Traci Guns and Gus G. among others.
7. Signum Regis - The Seal Of A New World
A dozen equally good songs of melodic power metal from Senec, Slovakia based Signum Regis. Standing out in the process is new vocalist Jota Fortinho, whom lends an added dimension to the bands sound with his versatile (high end and soaring to lower register) style.
8. No Other God - Take It By Storm
The first of three projects to feature iconic vocalist Dale Thompson, No Other God traverses straightforward hard rock to heavy metal territory (with periodic progressive facets) on debut Take It By Storm. It also proves international in scope from matching Thompson (residing in New Zealand) with Brazilian musician’s guitarist Nenel Lucena, bassist Raphael Dafra and drummer Alexandre Aposan.
9. The World Will Burn - Nothing’s As Real As It Seems
Dale Thompson remains in fine form in collaborating with American multi-instrumentalist Alan Zaring in the modern meets hard rock - not to mention periodic leaning towards outside the box inventiveness - that is The World Will Burn. The group’s third full length Nothing’s As Real As It Seems is heavier in comparison to its predecessors in addition to playing up the bigger hooks and melodies overall.
10. Evans & Stokes - Children Of God
Third multi-national act Evans & Stokes, consisting of American guitarist John Evans and New Zealand vocalist Jenny Stokes, musically draws upon its first two albums, Beyond The Gates (2017) and Valley Of The Kings (2018). On one hand, Children Of God mirrors the darker, melancholic vibe to the former, but on the other, aligns with the rawer, straightforward hard rock nature of the latter.
11. S91 - Along The Sacred Path
Female fronted progressive metal with symphonic edges from Italy delivers a conceptual theme on third album Along The Sacred path by ‘tracing the history of Christianity but through the life of several key figures of European origin’. Songs accordingly base around Constantine the Great, Joan Of Arc, Martin Luther and Dietrich Bonhoeffer among others.
12. Darkwater - Human
By combining the progressive leanings to 2007 debut Calling The Earth To Witness and accessibility of 2010 sophomore effort Where Stories End, Darkwater has created a best of both worlds scenario on third album Human. It is also concept related from ‘(welcoming) you into a world of you and me, how we affect the world around us and the struggles we deal with as humans’
13. Angelica - Without Words
Comeback of the year runner up Angelica returns with its fifth album (and first since 1992) Without Words, which as its namesake suggest takes an instrumental hard rock heading. Good news is that Without Words is not a boring shred fest in that guitarist Dennis Cameron forsakes neither melody nor composing interesting material by striking the perfect balance between musicianship and songwriting.
14. True Strength - Sanguinary Vivification
True Strength steps up its game with third album of straightforward heavy metal pointing towards classic US power metal, referencing the occasional leaning towards the progressive and doom like. With its title translating to mean the giving of life involving bloodshed’, Sanguinary Vivification conceptually bases around ‘the parallel between the ‘Prophecy of the Suffering Servant’ in the Book of Isaiah, and the life of Jesus Christ, and how He fulfilled the prophecy written nearly 700 years before His birth’.
15. Darkhorse Hero - Darkhorse Hero
Self-titled Darkhorse Hero debut from vocalist and guitarist Andrew Gazeway emphasizes eighties influenced melodic metal and hard rock in making catchy melodies, searing guitar solos and soaring vocals its focal point. Science fiction themed cover art rates with best of the year.
16. Perpetual Paranoia - Between the Altar & the Cross
Sophomore Perpetual Paranoia album (and third project from vocalist Dale Thompson) maintains the straightforward metal with thrash leanings to 2018 debut The Reapers) but branches out into progressive territory with occasional forays towards the modern side of things. Joining Thompson and guitarist Tiago De Souze are numerous guest performers, including guitarists Paul Jackson (Bloodgood), Oz Fox (Stryper) and Troy Thompson (Bride) and vocalists Les Carlsen (Bloodgood) and Chaz Bond (Biogenesis).
17. LEAH - Ancient Winter
Vancouver, BC native and songstress Leah McHenry switches gears on fifth album Ancient Winter from the symphonic metal of past efforts with a ‘winter holiday’ themed medieval folk to ambient to Celtic musical bent. Cover art also deserves strong consideration for years finest.
18. Pastor Brad - One Holy Night
Guitarist and full time minister Brad Windlan delivers the year’s second holiday themed album but with a musical bent towards traditional metal with eighties melodic metal hooks. Pastor Brad’s first conceptual release, One Holy Night lyrically depicts the Christmas story as told in the New Testament and in the process gives prominence to some of the artists best riffs and hooks to date.
19. Sunroad - Heatstrokes
Brazil’s Sunroad on eighth album Heatstrokes the penchant for composing catchy metal and hard rock with hints of bluesy groove it initiated on 2017 predecessor Wing Seven. Founding member and drummer Fred Mika maintains the bands core line up to also include vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Andre Adonis.
20. Lordchain - Civil War
Its first full-length album in nine years, Civil War finds Lordchain continuing to focus on groove based hard rock with light modern underpinnings. Lone change is how the group ups heaviness in leaning towards the metal side of things to the point some thrash like angst rises to the surface.
21. Diviner - Realms Of Time
On sophomore album Realms Of Time, Diviner continues the musical trending of 2015 debut Fallen Empires by traversing traditional and power metal territory. Vocalist Yiannis Papanikolaou returns with his full bodied and effortless low tenor voice capable of a delicate melody or darker resonance not unlike Ronnie James Dio (either way).
22. True Wisdom - Towards…
Melodic doom metal of Macedonia native and multi-instrumentalist Zarko Atanasov meets expectations with its joining of the moody and ethereal with soprano female vocals of spouse Marina Atanasov. The follow up to the True Wisdom 2007 debut EP Ecclesiastes 7:2 circumvents in the process any potential overbearing extreme elements often inherent to the doom genre.
23. Midnight Worship - Midnight Worship
Speaking of the moody and ethereal, Sombre Holiday vocalist and guitarist Terry Friesen mixes self-described ‘meditative metal with God’s Word for humanity’ on self-titled debut of his Midnight Worship project. What I hear is Gothic influenced progressiveness infused with the intricately woven doom-like but lightened with heavy use of acoustic guitar and classical instrumentation.
24. Zion - Thunder From The Mountain 2.0
Thirty years subsequent to the release of its debut Thunder From The Mountain, Sioux Falls, South Dakota based Zion returns with a highly upgraded re-mixed and re-mastered version to the album fittingly re-titled with a 2.0 suffix at the end. Alongside one of the years stronger cover art statements (noting the improvement over the original), is a high quality previously unreleased bonus track in “The Big Fall”.
25. XT - Revived: Standing For Jesus Christ
XT duo of guitarist Björn Stigsson and vocalist Sonny Larsson compile in Revived re-recorded versions to twelve songs originally appearing on its first three albums, XT (1992), Tax Free (1993) and Extended Empire (1995). Musical trending draws heavily upon the melodic hard rock of the former two but with classic rock elements not unlike fourth album Saved By The Blood (2017).
Honorable Mentions: Roland Bühlmann - Crucial, Faith Head - Gensys (EP), Fred Mika - Withdrawal Symptoms, Pastor Brad - Rock This World, Sardis - Viral (EP)
Re-issues
Due to the overwhelming volume of re-issues released in 2019 it was (sadly) not possible to review everything. That said, it deserves note the excellent job done by re-issue labels Girder, Retroactive and Roxx Records in that quality to re-mastering and packaging has never been higher. As far as this list is concerned (and due to time and space limitations), we are going to focus on re-issues (listed alphabetically) of albums on the obscure and hard to find side in which the sites readership might not have been previously aware or had the opportunity to listen.
Armada - Frontline
One of the better and more prolific unsigned acts from the eighties, Armada recorded three full-length custom cassette demos of which its 1988 sophomore effort Frontline saw re-release on Retroactive Records. Musically, it impresses as straightforward heavy metal interwoven with accessible melodic hard rock to AOR qualities.
Les Carlsen - 1971
A cassette only release recorded (as its namesake implies) in 1971 and not seeing the light of day until re-issued by Girder Music, 1971 represents the first musical project of iconic Bloodgood front man Les Carlsen, Yes, musically it might be a bit dated with its joining of classic rock, blues, funk, art rock and light progressive nuances (in musically drawing upon the times at hand), but I find it a refreshing listen all the same.
Deliverance - Greeting Of Death
Deliverance initial demo Greeting Of Death from 1986 started an influential melodic speed metal and thrash legacy that remains to this day, noting how it sold an impressive 5000 cassette copies. Retroactive re-issue was re-mastered and re-released with the original black & white cover art in addition to the two tracks Deliverance recorded for the California Metal compilation, “Attack and “A Space Called You”.
Michael - The Battle Rages On
Credit Roxx Records for again making available the debut offering (originally an obscure custom cassette release) of Michael entitled The Battle Rages On. For those into AOR and melodic hard rock (noting the ministry based lyrics) along the lines of Sweet Crystal, Fighter, Idle Cure and Petra.
Traxter - Rock N’ Race
My choice re-issue of the year goes to Traxter and its 1991 independent offering Rock N’ Race, which attributes to Roxx Records. The group composes strong melodies within a melodic metal framework but is also not afraid to explore progressive territory, noting how it can extend its material into the six to seven minute range.
Whiteray - The Collected Works
Credit Retroactive Records for the two CD set The Collected Works, which complies the four custom cassette releases of Louisville, Kentucky based Whiteray, whom later changed its name to Killed By Cain and signed to R.E.X. Records. The group presents with catchy hooks, melodies and riffs in touching upon melodic metal and hard rock with the occasional foray into heavier thrash territory.