2003 Albums - Your Favs? Disappointments?

As the title reads, what do you folks think of this years albums that have been released? Post your favorites of the year. Also, post the albums that you found disappointing. You can even go ahead and post albums you are anticpating for later in this year.

I buy metal CDs, so I really only will be talking about metal bands.

Favorites.
Omnium Gatherum / Spirits and August Light - I can't get enough of this album. I've been playing it at least once every day since I've obtained it. Great metal album.
Nevermore / Enemies Of Reality - Another great release by these guys. Guitar playing is great on this album as are the vocals / lyrics.


Disappointments.
Kovenant / S.E.T.I. - Just not my thing... A little too industrial I guess.
Metallica / St. Anger - Just a disaster. Horribly overrated / overhyped. The production is very weak. Just what I expected to happen.

Stuff that I'm looking forward to
Arch Enemy / Anthems Of Rebellion - Heard some stuff sounded great
Zyklon / Aeon - Really looking forward to this album.
Morbid Angel / Heretic - More great music from these guys, hopefully.

I could list more but I want to hear what other people have to say!

I agree with the St. Anger thing. It was extremely disappointing, but expected from the money grubbing music machine that is Metallicrap. The song "St. Anger" is just downright annoying. My 7 year old could write better lyrics. Hell I think I had thrown out better song ideas than something like that song. If I were Bob Rock I would deny ever being in Metallicrap HQ in the studio. I give it the "Not even worth the time to piss on and light on fire" award for worst album of their career. Forget about making cash guys, and get back to what's important... the music.

As for albums I liked, I rather enjoyed:

The Ataris: So long, Astoria. It's rare you find a whole album where all the songs had single potential...

Bowling for Soup: Drunk Enough to Dance... Just one hell of a witty album. Cracks me up every time I hear it.

100% Pure Metal: 3 disc compilation... A hair band must have. Some really good live cuts from Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, etc.

[Edited by hairbndrckr on 08-10-2003 at 08:39 PM]

I fully agree about that lyrics... They're horrible. "I'm Madly In Anger With You!" "FRANTIC-TOC-TICTICTIC" Blah.. horrible.

The whole ST.ANGER album is pretty bad. In the words of Jason Newstead "It's not very pleasent to listen to." I agree. I think that it was cool to do it live but the y could've fixed the sound.

I liked Oriental Melody(Satch) That's all i can think of now.

Both Zwan and Audioslave's debut albums were great...im not like most people. Even though they did sell out and even though their thrash stuff cannot be beat, i think that the black album, Load, and Reload are pretty good albums and they have some good songs on them...but now i have to agree with everyone; St. Anger Bites the dust big time...its just not very good at all: no great riffs, no beatiful solos, nothing memorable...maybe were spoiled by the great music Metallica has put out over the years, but even then St. Anger just isn't that good...

Originally posted by Enslaved2Metal
Even though they did sell out and even though their thrash stuff cannot be beat, i think that the black album, Load, and Reload are pretty good albums and they have some good songs on them...but now i have to agree with everyone; St. Anger Bites the dust big time...its just not very good at all: no great riffs, no beatiful solos, nothing memorable...maybe were spoiled by the great music Metallica has put out over the years, but even then St. Anger just isn't that good...

Im talking about Metallica NOT Zwan and Audioslave just so you know...

Opeth - Damnation

Best release + performance of the year.

Originally posted by Enslaved2Metal

Originally posted by Enslaved2Metal
Even though they did sell out and even though their thrash stuff cannot be beat, i think that the black album, Load, and Reload are pretty good albums and they have some good songs on them...but now i have to agree with everyone; St. Anger Bites the dust big time...its just not very good at all: no great riffs, no beatiful solos, nothing memorable...maybe were spoiled by the great music Metallica has put out over the years, but even then St. Anger just isn't that good...

Im talking about Metallica NOT Zwan and Audioslave just so you know...

what I like about this year 2002/2003 is that we have many of the stars of the 90s. Pretty much everybody who did not passed away released an album this year.Audioslave, Zwan, Jane's Addiction are the first who appear in my mind.Many people blame these bands for going too comercial. I personally don't care.It is evident that there always will be rock bands in the charts and I really prefer these bands to be like Audioslave, Zwan, Janes not like Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit or worse - like The White Stripes, The Strokes, The Darkness(Oh i particularly hate these guys) and all the The ________s type of bands. It is really importanant for people to realize that there MUST be quality artists in the charts because of the educational role(that does not sound good) that charts have. I know that people who post on this board (well the majority of them) are grown up enoug not to care about such things. But there are kids who are being influenced and I prefer Chris Cornel, Billy Corgan and Perry Farrel to tell them whats right and whats wrong.
Well this was offtopic but has some relation. I just had this argument with a friend of mine who says that guys like the mentioned should retire, because they have nothing to
offer, they repeat themselves, want only to make lots of money and blah blah blah.

I have to agree with some of these people, Audioslave does rock. But Zwan... i can't really say much good from the songs i've heard. And my opinions on St. Anger are still the same.

Ah, St.Anger...I just remembered reading this hilarious quote in a "Guitarist" magazine from Kirk Hammett,

"We're sick of superficial people, this album is all about being real"

Or words to similar effect...couldn't stop laughing.

That reminds me of Slipknot's bassist saying something along the lines of "We're just as good as Linkin Park and on this next record we're gonna prove it!"

I still laugh out loud today when I think of him saying that.

when i first heard the song 'St. Anger', i was thinking 'alright lets see what they got', then part way through thinking 'its ok, but hopefuly kirk can save it.'
at the end 'where the **** is the solo?! where the **** is the lead?! man this song bites!'

the big two are:

Impressive: audioslave
least impressive: st. anger

The rest i have not either listen to or feel they were not worth mentioning...

My Favs for this year:
311-Evolver
Staind-14 Shades of Grey
Cold-Year of the Spider
Godsmack-Faceless
Nothingface-Skeletons
Deftones-Deftones
Pillar-Fireproof
Lynyrd Skynyrd-Vicious Cycle
Smile Empty Soul-Smile Empty Soul

Dissapointed:
Metallica-St. Retard
Linkin Park-Meteora
Live-Birds of Pray