9.5 Helloween - Giants & Monsters

Only span it twice so far. Much better than the lame s/t. "Hand of God" is the most immediate highlight, on par with their old masterpieces.

05.09 Primal Fear - Domination

Pretty good but not quite on the level of the previous Code Red.

26.09 Rage - A New World Rising

WTF? Already? Does Peavy ever sleep? How does he not run out of notes and words?

26.09 Amorphis - Borderland

Need to check it out.

The albums I've heard this year are:

1. Brainstorm - Plague of Rats (****)
2. Alestorm - Thunderfist Chronicles (****)
3. Helloween - Giants and Monsters (****)
4. Primal Fear - Domination (***1/2)
5. Dynasty - Game of Faces (***1/2)

Plus two disappointments in Volbeat and Hietala.

Yup. That's the seven albums I've heard this year.

VTS