My Favourite Album of 2006....

This year was a flurry of new releases from all my favourite bands. Iron Maiden finally stick with Bruce Dickinson as vocalist, and get this they're the only band with 3 guitarist - Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers, with Steve Harris still their bassists and Nicko McBrain still the crazy drummer. This is the same line-up eversince Killers, Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind... oh man they are my heroes for all time! Give me 5 secs of any song intro and I can name you the title.

Another new album release, which I had anticipated always is Gamma Ray, the frontman Kai Hansen still going strong. He should go back to Helloween and make great music with Markus Groskopf, but what to do sometimes great minds can't work together. I actually emailed Markus a few years ago, and he really did email me back. I was so amazed, and in the email he really doesn't want to explain about the break up. Anyway Gamma Ray still makes me high with the speed metal riffs.

Another one, Slayer also pushed out their new one, with xxxx Illusion. Man this band still retains their same bandsmen - Tom Araya (for info he used to be a dentist), Dave Lombardo, Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, the same guys since Show No Mercy, Seasons in the Abyss... I don't think they have ever mellowed down. Its still aggressive and fast, and good arrangements of riffs.

Metallica is another favourite, or should I say ex-favourite, eversince the St.Anger mess, I don't think they can come with another masterpiece like Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning, or even the Justice for all, at least the Black Album is still listenable. After that Load and Re-Load was total crap! Anyway not sure whats the development of this band.

But surprise - surprise, the favourite album for me, the one I have been listening to always, is My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade This is the best album I ever heard for this year, all the songs sound so good. Melodic, fast and progressive. I'm not sure what categories it falls into, but I think the band has been called Emo Rock as in emotional rock (not sure what it means though). It seems they change direction recently, and took a gamble with this type of music. Ok I know, this band can't be placed in the same category as the bands above (the ones I grew up with), its like metal vs rock... but in terms "syokness" I have to put this one as my all-time favourite for this year, because I can't stop listening to the songs, and its the one album always in my Mp3 player, never got deleted ever since. I think age is catching up to me, that's why I'm mellowing down, but deep down I'm always a metal head! Up your Irons!"