2019 has come to an end. Whether this year has been a great success to you or a complete disaster, it’s undeniable that throughout these 365 days a lot of brilliant music was released. 2019 was one of the biggest years for metal in quite a while with a couple of long-promised new records that we have been looking forward to for years, such as TOOL, RAMMSTEIN, and SLIPKNOT.
Tuonela Magazine‘s staff took a look at all the releases, and each member of the staff choose their favorite ones for each category. Today we’d like to introduce you to our reporter David Araneda‘s list.
Note: As you can see we have a division within Finnish bands. Given our focus on young bands and rising stars, we also want to share several talents from the Finnish metal scene that have managed to capture our attention within the past year. We refer to these bands as local bands, even though some of these bands are growing incredibly fast. Think of them as the most promising acts the Finnish metal scene hosts.
Top 10 International Albums
- Cellar Darling – The Spell
- Soen – Lotus
- Soilwork – Verkligheten
- Possessed – Revelations of Oblivion
- Myrath – Shehili
- Kryptos – Afterburner
- Allegaeon – Apoptosis
- Arch/Matheos – Winter Ethereal
- Evergrey – The Atlantic
- Queenrÿche – The Verdict
Read more: Cellar Darling – The Spell (Review) | Soen – Lotus (Review) |Myrath – Shehili (Review) |Cellar Darling (Interview) |Myrath (Interview) |Cellar Darling in Helsinki (Live Report) |Soen in Helsinki (Live Report) |Soilwork in Helsinki (Live Report)
Top 10 Finnish Albums
- Wheel – Moving Backwards
- Insomnium – Heart Like a Grave
- Brymir – Wings of Fire
- Beast in Black – From Hell with Love
- Battle Beast – No More Hollywood Endings
- Bloodred Hourglass – Godsend
- Children of Bodom – Hexed
- Hevisaurus – Bändikouluun!
- Lost in Grey – The Wasteland
- Timo Tolkki’s Avalon – Return to Eden
Read more: Wheel – Moving Backwards (Review)| Insomnium – Heart Like A Grave (Review), Brymir – Wings Of Fire (Review)|Beast In Black – From Hell With Love (Review)| Battle Beast – No More Hollywood Endings (Review)|Bloodred Hourglass – Godsend (Review)| Children Of Bodom – Hexed (Review)| Lost In Grey – The Wasteland (Review)|Wheel (Interview)|Insomnium (Interview)| Brymir (Interview)| Beast In Black (Interview)| Bloodred Hourglass (Interview)| Lost In Grey (Interview).
Best concert
SLAYER at Tuska Open Air 2019
Read more: Live report of Slayer Tuska Open Air
Best Finnish Live Act
BATTLE BEAST
Read more: Battle Beast at Savonlinna | Battle Beast in Helsinki | Battle Beast – No More Hollywood Endings (Review)
Best Newcomer
WHEEL
Read more: Wheel – Moving Backwards (Review) | Wheel – The Divide EP (Review) |Wheel in Helsinki | Interview with Wheel (2018) | Interview with Wheel (2019)
Best Finnish music videos
- Battle Beast – No More Hollywood Endings
2. Beast in Black – From Hell with Love
3. Children of Bodom – Under Grass and Clover
4. Insomnium – Valediction
5. Wheel – Vultures
6. Timo Tokki’s Avalon – Promises
7. The Dark Element – Songs of the Night Sings
8. Hevisaurus – 100
9. Bloodred Hourglass – Waves of Black
10. Brymir – Wings of Fire
Best music videos
Cellar Darling – Death
Soen – Lotus
Evergrey – Weightless
Kadavar – Children of the Night
Leprous – Below
Myrath – No Holding Back
Sabaton – Bismarck
Soilwork – Feverish
Delain – Masters of Destiny
Behemoth – Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica
Dream Theater – Paralyzed
Devin Townsend – Genesis
Gloryhammer – Gloryhammer
HammerFall – (We Make) Sweden Rock
Arch/Matheos – Straight and Narrow
Best lyric videos
Kryptos – Mach Speed Running
Insomnium – Pale Morning Star
Cellar Darling – Hang
Avantasia – Starlight
Within Temptation – Mad World
Majestica – Night Call Girl
Best international songs
I suggest 10 since I can’t pick 5.
- Soen – Lascivious
- Arch/Matheos – Tethered
- Cellar Darling – Death Pt. 2
- Evergrey – Departure
- Kryptos – Mach Speed Running
- Leprous – Distant Bells
- Soilwork – Witan
- Savage Messiah – Under no Illusions
- Sabaton – Bismark
- Queensrÿche – Dark Reverie
Read more: Soen – Lotus (Review) |Soen in Helsinki (Live report) | Leprous – Pitfalls (Review) |Leprous (Interview) |Leprous in Helsinki (Live report) | Cellar Darling – The Spell (Review) | Cellar Darling (Interview) |Cellar Darling in Helsinki (Live report) | Savage Messiah in Helsinki (Live report)
5 Best domestic songs
- Battle Beast – The Golden Horde
- Beast in Black – From Hell with Love
- Children of Bodom – Hexed
- Insomnium – Mute is My Sorrow
- Timo Tolkki’s Avalon – Guiding Star
Read more: Battle Beast – No More Hollywood Endings (Review) | Beast In Black – From Hell With Love (Review) | Beast In Black (Interview) | Children Of Bodom – Hexed (Review) | Children of Bodom last show in Helsinki | Insomnium – Heart Like A Grave (Review) | Insomnium (Interview)
5 best local songs
Given our focus on young bands and rising stars, we also want to share several talents from the Finnish metal scene that have managed to capture our attention within the past year.
- Wheel – Wheel
- Bloodred Hourglass – Waves of Black
- Brymir – Chasing the Skyline
- Shiraz Lane – Do You
- Lost in Grey – Wolves Among Men
Read more: Wheel – Moving Backwards (Review)| Wheel (Interview)| Wheel in Helsinki| Bloodred Hourglass – Godsend (Review)| Bloodred Hourglass (Interview)| Bloodred Hourglass in Helsinki| Brymir – Wings Of Fire (Review)| Brymir in Helsinki| Brymir (Interview)| Lost In Grey – The Waste Land (Review)| Lost In Grey (Interview)
10 best last-minute songs
- Lovebites – When Destinies Align
- Sylosis – I Sever
- Carcass – Under the Scalpel Blade
- Demons & Wizards – Diabolic
- Nanowar of Steel – Valhalleluja
- British Lion – The Burning
- Sons of Apollo – Fall to Ascend
- Annihilator – Armed to the Teeth
- Running Wild – Stargazed
- Psychotic Waltz – Devils and Angels
Best cover art
Aenimus – Dreamcatcher
Avantasia – Moonglow
Cellar Darling – The Spell
Chaos Magic – Furyborn
Eternity’s End – Unyielding
Fleshgod Apocalypse – Veleno
HammerFall – Dominion
Myrath – Shehili
Opeth – In Cauda Venenum
Wormwitch – Heaven That Dwells Within
Read more: Cellar Darling – The Spell (Review) | Cellar Darling (Interview) |Cellar Darling in Helsinki (Live report) | Myrath – Shehili (Review)| Myrath (Interview) | Opeth – In Cauda Venenum (Review) | Fleshgod Apocalypse – Veleno (Review) | Avantasia – Moonglow (Review) | Avantasia (Interview)
5 Best collaborations/guest appearances
- Avantasia – Book of Shallows (Hansi Kürsch, Mille Petrozza, Ronnie Atkins, Jørn Lande)
- Soilwork – Needless and Kin (Tomi Joutsen)
- Hevisaurus – 100 (pretty much everyone)
- Timo Tolkki’s Avalon – Promises (Todd Michael Hall)
- Within Temptation – Firelight (Jasper Steverlinck)
Read more: Avantasia – Moonglow (Review) | Avantasia (Interview) | Hevisaurus – 100 (Featured single)
5 Best live releases
- King Diamond – Songs for the Dead Live
- Helloween – United Alive
- Riot V – Live in Japan
- Tribulation – Alive & Dead At Södra Teatern
- Evil Invaders – Surge Of Insanity: Live In Antwerp
Read more: Tribulation in Helsinki (Live report) | Tribulation (Interview) | Evil Invaders in Helsinki (Live report)
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