1998 - Best Albums

[Chisel Chin]

My Top 25 best of 1998 (in alphabetical order)

 

 

Anathema - Alternative 4

Angra - Fireworks

Arena - The Visitor

Ayreon - Into The Electric Castle

The Black Crowes - By Your Side

Cold Chisel - The Last Wave Of Summer

Dare - Calm Before The Storm

Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding

Enchant - Break

Goo Goo Dolls - Dizzy Up The Girl

Iron Maiden - Virtual XI

Judas Priest - '98 Live Meltdown

Marillion - Radiation

Meniketti - On The Blue Side

Monster Magnet - Powertrip

Pain Of Salvation - One Hour By The Concrete Lake

Axel Rudi Pell - Oceans Of Time

Salem Hill - The Robbery Of Murder

Joe Satriani - Crystal Planet

Richie Sambora - Undiscovered Soul

Symphony X - Twilight In Olympus

Threshold - Clone

Train - Train

Mike Tramp - Capricorn

Zero Hour - Zero Hour (re-released in 2003 as "Metamorphosis")

 

Honourable mention:

Great White - Great Zeppelin: A Tribute To Led Zeppelin

 

Highlights this year include prog rock excellence from Arena (and my favourite album of theirs), and also the first of a pair of stunning power metal masterpieces from Symphony X. Meanwhile, Threshold debut new singer Andrew "Mac" McDermott on the brilliant "Clone" which ushers in many years of stability and consistency for the band, whilst continuing growth and maturity is demonstrated from prog metal band Pain Of Salvation which will go on for a couple more albums yet.

 

Y&T singer Dave Meniketti provides a great blues rock album which continues to show off how great a guitarist he is, and Mike Tramp also launches his solo career off to a fine start. Monster Magnet put out a great collection of commercial stoner hard rock songs, and newcomers Train offer up a pretty decent pop-rock album (I've seen mostly bad comments about them on this forum, but I like their first couple of albums at least).

 

1998 also saw Iron Maiden's second (and last) album with Blaze Bayley, which I much prefer than "The X Factor" as it doesn't feel so cramped with filler as its predecessor, and there's some great tunes on here which are given the space to breathe and which overall seem more suited to his voice. Also one of the few live albums I've included in my lists, Tim "Ripper" Owens brings a much tougher and macho sound to some old Priest classics on "98 Live Meltdown".

 

Finally, I thought I'd mention Great White's Led Zeppelin live album, just because it's great (and this was originally in my 1999 list, but looks like it belongs here after checking).

[zacharyamelie]

Danger Danger - Four The Hard Way

[Dead Planet]

Aces High - Pull No Punches

Amaze Me - Wonderland

Big Bad Wolf - S/T

Bush, Stan - Heaven

Charade - S/T

Edguy - Vain Glory Opera

Hammerfall - Legacy of Kings

Helloween - Better Than Raw

Impellitteri -Eye of the Hurricane

Intruder - Dangerous Nights

Million - Electric

Monster Magnet - Power Trip

PC69 - Electrified

Sabu - Between The Light

Shakra - S/T

Shyboy - S/T

The Things - S/T

Tower City - All Or Nothing

Von Groove - Chameleon

Wild Frontier - Thousand Miles Away

Zeno - Listen to the Light

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Things are looking slim, at this point. Probably gonna go with Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Simply a solid album, even if it is a Christmas album. And I hope to piss off a few folks with my inclusion of Van Halen's "III." Heh.

 

Hammerfall - Legacy of Kings

Gotthard - Open

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Christmas Attic

Savatage - The Wake of Magellan

Van Halen - III

[kourosofsteel3]

 

Impellitteri -Eye of the Hurricane

 

 

 

 

Someone was looking the HH database! I already have this in my 97 list!

[kourosofsteel3]

Aiming High-Metal Fighter Squadron

Blind Guardian-Nightfall in Middle-Earth

Bob Catley-The Tower

Death-The Sound of Perseverance

Destiny's End-Breathe Deep the Dark

Eniac Requiem-Space Eternal Void

Grave Digger-Knights of the Cross

Helloween-Better than Raw

Innerwish-Waiting for the Dawn

Jag Panzer-The Age of Mastery

Joe Stump-Rapid Fire Rondo

Kenziner-Timescape

Nocturnal Rites- Tales of Mystery and Imagination

Power of Omens-Eyes of The Oracle

Praying Mantis-Forever in Time

Rage-XIII

Reactor-A Short Fairytale

Riot-Inishmore

Running Wild-The Rivalry

Shadow Gallery -Tyranny

Solstice -New Dark Age

Symphony X-Twilight in Olympus

Virgin Steele-Invictus

While Heaven Wept -Sorrow of the Angels

Yngwie J. Malmsteen-Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E flat minor Op.1

Worth Mentioning

Axel Rudi Pell-Oceans of Time

Blue Oyster Cult-Heaven Forbid

George Bellas-Mind Over Matter

Hammerfall-Legacy of Kings

John West-Permanent Mark

Sinner-The Nature of evil

Solitude Aeturnus-Adagio

Takara-Blind in Paradise

Vitalij Kuprij-Extreme Measures

[Geoff]

My hugely popular incomplete list;

 

1 . Amaze Me - Wonderland - 91

2 . Fiore - Today Till Tomorrow - 86

3 . Fiore - Body Electric - 85

4 . Big Bad Wolf - Big Bad Wolf - 84

5 . Charade - Charade - 82

6 . Hotwire - Face Another Day - 82

7 . Harem Scarem - B-Side Collection - 82

8 . Jaded Heart - Mystery Eyes - 81

9 . Hush - If You Smile - 80

10 . Bad Habit - Adult Orientation - 79

11 . Harem Scarem - Big Bang Theory - 79

12 . Diary - To The Edge & Beyond - 79

13 . Keel - Back In Action - 79

14 . Stan Bush & Barrage - Heaven - 78

15 . Change Of Heart - Change Of Heart - 78

16 . Intruder - Dangerous Nights - 78

17 . Affair - Face To Face - 76

18 . Garbo Talks - Garbo Talks - 75

19 . Crown Of Thorns - Lost Cathederal - 75

20 . Askari - Askari - 74

21 . Erotic Suicide - Perseverance - 74

22 . Guild Of Ages - One - 73

23 . Aces High - Pull No Punches - 73

24 . Firefly - Where You Gonna Run - 71

25 . Blue Thunder - Blue Thunder - 71

26 . Backyard Babies - Total 13 - 71

27 . Hollywood Teasze - No Flakes - 71

28 . Dare - Calm Before The Storm - 70

29 . Gary Hughes - Precious Ones - 70

30 . Firehouse - Category 5 - 69

31 . Eternal Flame - Desire - 69

32 . Nitro - Gunnin' For Glory - 69

33 . Bonfire - Rebel Soul - 68

34 . Zeno - Listen To The Light - 68

35 . Funny Money - Funny Money - 68

36 . House Of Shakira - On The Verge - 67

37 . Departure - Departure - 66

38 . Athenaeum - Radiance - 61

39 . Adrenaline Kick - Massacre Of The Mainstream - 60

40 . Embassy - Edge of Rainbows - 57

41 . Abusement Park - I'm Not What I've Been Taught - 51

[Jez]

Arena - The Visitor

Jump - Living In a Promised Land

Threshold - Clone

Toto - XX

Robby Valentine - No Sugar Added

Dave Carl Band - Can't Slow Down

Cory Hart - Jade

Marillion - Radiation

Valensia - Valensia 3(Millennium)

Kiss - Psycho Circus

Molly Hatchet - Silent Reign Of Heroes

Kansas - Always Never The Same

Van Zant - Brother To Brother

Shyboy - S/T

Praying Mantis - Forever In Time

UFO - Walk On Water

Joe Satriani - Crystal Planet

[Gibbo]

Amon Amarth: Once Sent From The Golden Hall

Anathema: Alternative 4

Ayreon: Into The Electric Castle

The Cardigans: Grand Turismo

Cradle Of Filth: Cruelty And The Beast

Garbage: Version 2.0

The Goo Goo Dolls: Dizzy Up The Girl

Mystery: Destiny?

Threshold: Clone

Tristania: Widows Weeds

 

Not a great year ...