Sanctuary of Nevermore

I was a huge Guns N’ Roses fan back in the late 80’s. I think Appetite for Destruction was a flawless album, GNR Lies was good with the cover tunes they played and the original acoustic ones, and both User Your Illusion albums had great moments.

I remember when they came to play at Rock in Rio 2 in 1991. It was months before they released UYI, the band was huge, and everyone wanted to see them.

When they were touring for UYI I sort of started losing interest in the band. I did go see them in Sao Paulo in 93, but I thought they just had too many people on stage: 3 back-up singers, a keyboard player, one or two guys playing percussion, etc. Just too much. I liked it a lot more when it was just the 5 guys on stage. That’s why I still refer to their "Live at Ritz" gig back in 88 whenever I want to see them at their best.

Chinese Democracy has a couple interesting pieces here and there, but it overall doesn’t sound like something created by a band. There were just too many moving parts, too many line-up changes, so it lacks consistency.

It’s kind of cool Axl, Slash and Duff got back together to play some shows, but it’s still not the same thing. Izzy was a great songwriter, and Steve Adler’s drumming was an important part of the band’s sound. Axl’s voice seems to be better now than it was in the last several years, but then again, why do they two keyboard players and people playing bongos during Welcome to the Jungle, for crying out loud? I’m interested to see whether they’ll go into the studio to work on new music and hear what that music would sound like.

Anyway, this band was a big part of my life and I keep listening to their old stuff now and then.

#10: Oh My God

Sometime around 93 or so I sort of stopped following whatever GNR was doing. When they showed up for Rock in Rio II in 2001 they played this one song and I thought "wait... that doesn't sound like GNR... it sounds much heavier, and I like it!". It's definitely a unique and different song in their catalog, but I think it sounds cool.

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#9: Think About You

This is one of those songs that keep some memories very much alive for me.

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#8: You Could Be Mine

1991 was a year of my life I won’t ever forget, and any song released that year is kind of burned in my mind. At that time I was a big GNR fan and was looking forward to a new record, after listening to Appetite for Destruction and GNR Lies a LOT. When You Could Be Mine came out I was rather pleased: it sounded like the good material off AFD, it had a great videoclip, and it was the soundtrack to a great movie!

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#7: Paradise City

Cool video. Great song. Lots of memories.

#6: Rocket Queen

It’s hard to pick a favorite out of AFD, but this has always been one of them for me. I like how the 2nd part of the song seems to be like almost a different song. Also, the lyrics in that 2nd part are something I relate to.

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#5: Patience

Lots of memories here… I remember playing this song as a kid. And I remember playing it for years whenever I wanted to bring some memories back.

#4: Welcome to the Jungle

The opening track to their debut album is probably the best example of what this band sounded like in their good old days.

#3: Civil War

I love this song. It’s one of those where lyrics and the music are a perfect match. The tone of the music fits the lyrics and vice versa. This song was also the last one recorded with Steven Adler on drums; while Matt Sorum is a good drummer, Adler’s playing was more organic… it just fit the band better, I think… it was an important part of the band’s sound.

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#2: November Rain

I like piano, rock, good arrangements, memorable guitar solos, epic songs. November Rain has all of that in it. Plus, it’s another song that brings me back important memories.

#1: Estranged

I’m one of those people who prefer Estranged over November Rain. Slash’s guitar melodies on this song are killer, much like the liner notes on Use Your Illusion II said. Masterpiece.

Ronnie James Dio is probably my most favorite singer of all time. Out of all musicians who have passed, he is the one I felt the most. Besides being an amazing singer, there are countless stories out there from people who have met him and expressed how great of a person he was.

After creating masterpieces with Rainbow (my Top 10 list) and Black Sabbath (my Top 10 list) he went on to create a couple more masterpieces with his solo band.

When putting down the final touches at my back piece, I asked the tattoo artist to incorporate a little homage to Dio. His music will certainly live on forever through me!

#10: Sacred Heart

Another band I played with in my early days was called Sacred. Guess why?

#9: Lord of the Last Day

Heavy and sweet. Powerful vocals (couldn’t be different with Dio!)

#8: All the Fools Sailed Away

Mighty Dio!!!

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#7: Killing the Dragon

This song reminds of the DVD Dio released when touring for this album, which was around the time I moved to the U.S.

#6: Don’t Talk to Strangers

Dio and his amazing talent to move effortlessly between soft and harsh vocals.

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#5: This is Your Life

This is *THE* voice!!

#4: Rainbow in the Dark

If it wasn’t by Dio this song would be way below average for me. But the man made it great!

#3: Holy Diver

Dio, once again, turning an otherwise below average song into gold!

#2: Egypt (The Chains are On)

Great riff and cadency on this song. And of course, Dio being Dio.

#1: The Last in Line

This is the song that, for me, best summarizes Dio’s solo career. His clean vocals at the beginning of the song are smooth, calm, and then he turns it into a powerful, aggressive delivery. In fact, he shows how to sing aggressively without having to resort to growling or screaming. Not that many singers have been able to do that so successfully.

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King Diamond is one of those bands people either love it or hate it. I’m in the first group. The concept albums always based on horror stories, the great guitar work, the great drumming, the theatrical concerts, and of course, all the vocal layers King Diamond creates to give life to his stories.

Some 20 years ago I used to play about 30 King Diamond songs on the guitar, as I was getting ready to play in a cover band called Twilight Symphony. Unfortunately, we’ve only rehearsed a couple of times before splitting up (everybody was busy with other things), but learning to play those songs was a great experience.

Even before that, we used to play the song Halloween with my band from my teenage years.

I’ve always thought King Diamond should write the story for a horror movie, where he’d play one of the characters. Maybe Rob Zombie, another metalhead, who’s been directing movies for many years now, could work on that?

I’ll never forget going to a Mercyful Fate/King Diamond concert in Sao Paulo back in 1996. Seeing the two bands on the same night was out of this world!

#10: The Secret

I don't like the production on this album much, but it has some songs I dig.

#9: Twilight Symphony

This song named my King Diamond cover band back in the day.

#8: From the Other Side

Any song off this album (released in 95) reminds me of a Mercyful Fate/King Diamond gig I went to in Sao Paulo back in 96.

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#7: Into the Convent

Playing this song on the guitar years back was fun. Andy LaRocque is such a great guitarist.

#6: The 7th Day of July 1777

One of Andy LaRocque’s finest works. Great songwriting, great solo. And of course, King Diamond delivering the eerie elements the song needs.

#5: The Family Ghost

Another song that was a lot of fun to play back in the day. Also, I think Rob Zombie should team up with King Diamond and make a badass horror movie!

#4: At the Graves

#3: Sleepless Nights

The master of horror in metal doing what he does best!

#2: Halloween

This is one of the songs my band from teenage years used to play. Simple, but fun!

#1: Welcome Home

This song is my absolute #1 by King Diamond. Mikkey Dee’s drumming on it is awesome. Great guitars. Great leads. This is one of my favorite music videos, too, as it both shows the band playing as well as it tells a story. It was my favorite one to play on the guitar, too.

I dig guitar solos that are well written, memorable, and that fits perfectly in the song they were written for. I’ve never been a fan of the long guitar solo breaks some bands have at their concerts. For instance, while Kirk Hammett has written leads that fit well with Metallica songs, his solo spots at concerts have always been painful to go through for me. Playing notes up and down the neck is easy: writing meaningful leads for a song is way, way harder.

Here’s a list of 10 songs I’m a big fan of the guitar solos and how well they fit into the songs. Enjoy!

#10: Iron Maiden’s Wasted Years

Most songs by Iron Maiden feature at least one solo by each guitarist. Wasted Years is one of the few exceptions, and I think it’s for a good reason: Adrian just nailed the perfect solo for the song, and there was absolutely no need to add anything else to this song. His solo fits the song perfectly, is memorable, and I’ve been "singing" this solo every time I hear it.

#9: Jag Panzer’s Black

Joey Tafolla recorded a perfect solo for this track, written with the perfect balance between shred and simplicity. I also like his guitar tone in this lead, very clear, where I can hear every note even through the fast sections.

#8: Dream Theater’s Under a Glass Moon

I used to play this whole song on the guitar. The solo was so much fun to play!

#7: Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven

Talk about a perfect lead for a perfect song… classic!!

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#6: Judas Priest’s Beyond the Realms of Death

I remember reading somewhere that Beyond the Realms of Death was Judas Priest’s Stairway to Heaven. I have to agree. Epic song with an epic solo by Glenn Tipton. His solo on this song has all the notes that it needs; not a single note must be added or removed.

#5: Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O'Mine

Slash is such a master when it comes to creating memorable guitar solos. The kind of guitarist who doesn’t need to play a million notes in order to create meaningful leads.

#4: Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody

Short and sweet. Brian May’s guitar tone and choice of notes for his solos in this song are the perfect fit.

#3: Judas Priest’s Painkiller

Glenn Tipton again. His solo on this song sums up what I expect of a solo in a metal song. K.K.’s solo is always good and fits well with the music, but Glenn’s just absolutely perfect.

#2: Megadeth's Tornado of Souls

Best guitar solo in Thrash Metal. Period.

#1: Ozzy Osbourne’s Mr. Crowley

Randy Rhoads wrote and recorded two impeccable albums with Ozzy. Great songwriter, excellent guitar player, who wrote many memorable guitar solos. His work in Mr. Crowley is outstanding!

There are Black Sabbath fans who only like the albums with Ozzy, and others who only like the albums with Dio, and others who like the albums regardless of who’s singing. I’m included in this third group.

Some albums with Ozzy are certainly great. Others, not so much (Never Say Die and Technical Ecstasy come to mind). I like all albums with Dio. I like the one album with Ian Gillan, some songs on the one with Glenn Hughes, and most of the albums with Tony Martin. By far, my top favorite with him is Tyr, followed by Headless Cross. These two albums have the late Cozy Powell on drums. Cozy was a great drummer, and his work with Sabbath was up to par with his work in other bands (such as early Rainbow).

Speaking of Tyr specifically, I like all of the songs in that album, first thru last track. Yes, it sounds different the the band’s early work with Ozzy, but so what, since the same can be said of the afore mentioned Never Say Die and Technical Ecstasy. These albums with Tony Martin have great songs, great drumming, great vocals.

The Cross Purposes album is the next one on my list. I like the production on the album, the drummer also kicks butt (Bobby Rondinelli), and it has Geezer Butler on it!

The weakest album with Martin was Forbidden. There are still some good songs there, but overall, it’s not on the same level with the others. One interesting thing about this album for me, though: I wrote a song a few years ago called Far Away (you can read all about it here), and it includes a melody and time signature that somehow was stuck in my mind. Also some words. I really couldn’t put a finger on why exactly those things were stuck in my mind. It’s at the 2’11" mark on that song. I hadn’t listened to Sabbath’s Forbidden album for at least 18 years. Then, when I listened to it a few months ago, I figured out what was stuck in my mind: the intro and first words to the song Can’t Get Close Enough!

Another interesting fact: one of my bands from my teenage years had been renamed Anno Mundi, because we were such fans of Tyr album, and more specifically the opening track in that album, Anno Mundi.

Enough talking… off to the list!!

#10: Can’t Get Close Enough

Forbidden is the weakest album out of the Tony Martin's era with Sabbath. However, there are a couple of songs there I enjoy. For some reason, Can't Get Close Enough got stuck to my mind.

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#9: Odin’s Court / Valhalla

These two songs go together perfectly. Tony's vocals are perfect here.

#8: The Sabbath Stones

This album has so many great songs! I do not care if it doesn't have either Dio or Ozzy on it, this album is great and this is one of the best songs in it!

#7: Nightwing

Great mood, great vocals, great guitar leads and riffs, solid drumming.

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#6: When Death Calls

Tony Martin is such un underrated singer. Despite his great singing on tracks like this one, many "fans" moan that "this isn’t Ozzy…"… Whatever, dude.

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#5: Born to Lose

For some reason this song reminds me of the Born Again album.

#4: The Shining

Good song off the Tony Martin era.

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#3: Cross of Thorns

I really like this song. Lyrics, vocals, guitars, mood, the dynamics… everything does it for me. I’ve listened to it a gazillion times. I’ve even done a vocal cover a few years ago, but not good enough to post it online. I may actually do a complete cover one day.

#2: Headless Cross

The band came back with Ozzy and the rightful name of Black Sabbath. They also did it with Dio under the name of Heaven and Hell. I think they should also come back under the name of "Headless Cross". It’s sad that it wouldn’t feature the mighty Cozy Powell… but, the dude with the mustache, Mr. Iommy, and Tony Martin are still around, as well as Geezer, so good music can still flow out of these fellows.

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#1: Anno Mundi

This is probably one of the songs I’ve listened to the most in my life. Yes, I really like it that much. Again, excellent drums played by the late Cozy Powell, solid riffs written and played by Mr. Iommy, and great vocals sung by Tony Martin. I like it so much that it ended up being the name of one of my bands in my teenage years.

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I hardly ever put music to play in shuffle mode. I usually enjoy picking a specific album and let it play in its entirety. Sometimes I listen to an album by Slayer, then Nevermore, then Madredeus (?). Then, I listen to Black Sabbath, then Rush, then Vartina (?!). Once in a while, people around me ask "what the heck is that you’re listening to?".

Many people think I only listen to Heavy Metal, but that’s totally not true. There’s music I absolutely do NOT listen to, but I do enjoy finding out about music from different parts of the world that sound very different from the stuff I normally listen to.

That’s what this list is all about...

#10: Rondellus

Reading the book "How to Call Attention to Your Music", by Derek Sivers, I found out about this music group. Here’s how they caught my attention:

I just had to check them out!

#9: Iron Horse (Metallica)

I do not like Country Music, but I do like Bluegrass. I like the pace, I like the banjo, and the harmonized vocals. I like Metallica (it’s always been one of my favorite bands). Then you put the two together. That’s what Iron Horse did. Sounds like fun!

#8: Twelve Girls Band

What are those instruments?! They look funny and ancient, but this group make it sound interesting in their music. It’s different, it requires skill… I dig it.

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#7: Beatallica

#6: Baby Metal

My guitar playing skills have improved a lot due to this guy: Mr. Yngwie J. Malmsteen.

I started playing the acoustic guitar when I was 9 years old. I took a few lessons from a local teacher, learned a couple of songs, but hated it. At the time I already listened to Heavy Metal and the teacher was giving me some Brazilian songs I really didn’t like. I gave up and a few years later I didn’t even know how to hold a guitar anymore.

Fast forward it to when I was 14 years old. I saw an electric guitar at my brother’s friend’s house, and asked him if I could hold it. When I did, I knew I wanted to play it!

That year, I was listening to Guns N’ Roses quite a bit. At New Year’s Eve I started an odd tradition: I’d make sure that by midnight I’d be listening to a song by a band I wanted to learn everything on the guitar I could in that new year. I don’t remember what GNR song I listened to that year, but I did learn many of their songs and leads.

Then, next year I did the same: I’ve put on some song by Metallica, and that year I learned everything I could by them. I learned the riffs, making sure to follow James Hetfield’s down-picking, and also the leads.

And then, I had Yngwie’s first solo album spinning. The song Black Star starts with that beautiful classical guitar, and as the song develops, I’m blown away. I’m thinking, "what’s happening with the guitar here…? How’s this guy playing these licks and leads?".

That year, I had Yngwie’s tunes playing for New Year’s Eve, and I did to my best learning everything I could by him during the year.

I remember watching one of his guitar lessons (in some old VHS tape) and getting mad, because he played everything so fast (even when he said "now, slow…"). But then I realized that by learning those tricks he was showing, learning to play his songs wasn’t so hard after all.

Ok, let me clarify that: playing like he does, with all that precision, is very hard! However, hearing his work from that point on I could actually figure out what he was doing.

When I listen to the songs I wrote, I can definitely find traces of these two main influences: Metallica on the rhythm parts and Yngwie on the leads. Just check out either my One Man Band material or my band’s material, Descent Into Madness, and you’ll probably hear it, too.

Unfortunately, while I like everything in Yngwie’s early material, I don’t really care about the other albums. I mean, I pick and choose songs that I really like, but in all other albums there are songs that I really do not like.

Yngwie has had a selection of great singers with him: Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Boals, Mike Viscera, Joe Lynn Turner, Doogie White, Tim Owens. It’s a shame that he ended up getting stuck in his own formula and I lost interest in his work in the last 20 years or so.

Anyway, his contributions to the guitar world and to my own playing will never be forgotten!

#10: Gates of Babylon

Just two days ago I posted the original version of this song on my Rainbow (with Dio) Top 10 list. And now here’s this song again. Why? Jeff Scott Soto is one of my favorite singers, and at one point Yngwie Malmsteen was one of my favorite guitarists too. Put the two together playing one of my top favorite songs, and here comes greatness. Even though this is a list dedicated to Yngwie, I decided to start it with his cover of a song written by one of his main influences. He may actually not confess how much Ritchie Blackmore has influenced him, but listen to his own music, his licks, his solos, his ways to never play the same solo live (he plays just the most memorable lick and then improvise the rest), his attitude on stage, his "I’m a pain in the ass and I know it" attitude… he’s got it all. :)

#9: Don’t Let it End

#8: Pyramid of Cheops

This could very well be Yngwie's heaviest song. The riffs and chord progressions are dense, much different from most of his riffs, which usually sound weak (his a great soloist, but never been a great rhythm guitarist, as far as I’m concerned). The music goes really well with the theme (Egypt). Mike Vescera’s vocal delivery also fits in great.

#7: Overture 1383

#6: Trilogy Suite Op. 5

I remember how stoked I was back in the day when I learned how to play the first 1:30 minutes of this song...

#5: Rising Force

#4: I am a Viking

More great memories. This is another song I used to play with my band from teenage years. Our other guitarist used to play the lead, but at some point I learned to play it too, and it was really a lot of fun to play it. One of these days I’ll have to relearn it. The lyrics to this song are very cheesy, but the song itself is great, and so are the vocals.

#3: As Above So Below

Some more cheesy lyrics here, but the guitars are so good! I think this was the first Yngwie’s song I’ve learned to play note-by-note on the guitar back then. Good times!

#2: Far Beyond the Sun

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#1: Black Star

This is the first song I’ve heard from Yngwie, and I remember how it blew me away. When I listened to most bands around that time I could sort of visualize what was going on with the guitars, but then listening to this track I was like "how the hell is this guy doing this…?!". I had never heard anything like that. It was a time when I already listened mostly to Metal, but was also discovering classical music on my own. Then comes this guy playing this classical sounding guitar with a metal band. I was totally amazed by it.

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Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow with Dio was such a perfect line-up. While the band has released several albums with other singers, not a single one of them comes close to the first three albums with Dio (I like some songs with Doogie White, but still…).

Rainbow Rising is a perfect album, a masterpiece, and the other two albums also have masterpiece-level songs, but in keeping with my restrictions for these series, I could only pick 10 songs.

So here we go...

#10: Catch the Rainbow

#9: Man on the Silver Mountain

How many classic songs has Dio recorded?

#8: Kill the King

#7: Self Portrait

Put two music geniuses together such as Dio and Ritchie Blackmore, and what comes out? Great tunes!

#6: Light in the Black

This entire album is pure gold!

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#5: Starstruck

Have I mentioned this entire album is a classic?

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#4: The Temple of the King

This is the first Dio song I’ve dared to record a cover and put up online several years ago. Such a great melody and pace.

#3: Tarot Woman

#2: Gates of Babylon

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#1: Stargazer

For your convenience, I’ve created a "Top 10 Rainbow (Dio)" Play List on YouTube. :)

A couple of weeks ago I’ve posted My Judas Priest (with Halford) Top 10 List. Now it’s time for my Top 10 with Tim "Ripper" Owens.

This list focuses mainly on the two Priest studio albums recorded with Owens (Jugulator and Demolition). I did add one song from the live album (’98 Live Meltdown), though, because I think he did an amazing job on his version of Rapid Fire. Honestly, I could also have easily added his versions of Diamonds and Rust, The Ripper, and Desert Plans, because he totally killed it on those songs. But, again, I tried to focus on the songs he recorded in studio with the band. But I want to keep on the records that I absolutely dig both the ’98 Live Meltdown album, as well as the Live in London DVD. I’m very glad they’ve put out great recordings that captured his live performances.

After Priest released their flawless classic Painkiller and Halford left the band, I was one of the fans who couldn’t think how the band could possibly move forward. There was a huge legacy left by Halford, and their last album at the time was just insanely amazing.

I remember hearing rumors that Ralph Scheepers (former Gamma Ray singer) was being considered, and even though I thought he was a good singer, I didn’t think he’d work out well in Priest.

Then, here comes the news that they found some unknown guy who sung at a Priest tribute band. I didn’t know what to expect.

Then, Jugulator came out. I was blown away!! The singer sounded amazing, and the band sounded heavier than ever. I can’t think of any other band out of the so-called NWOBHM who released such a heavy album.

That was 1997. Two years before that, Iron Maiden released The X-Factor with Blaze Bailey, and a year later, Virtual XI. While Blaze’s a good singer, he just didn’t work out with Maiden, and the band certainly didn’t sound any heavier (and those albums sounded very weak). The mighty Black Sabbath, also two years before that, had released Forbidden. I’m a huge fan of Black Sabbath with Tony Martin, but that album was not good. Hell, think of Metallica, formerly a Thrash Metal band; in 1997 they release ReLoad, a year after releasing Load. What the heck was that?

And here comes Judas Priest, with guitars and drums sounds heavier than ever, and a singer just out of this world!

Even after he was out of Priest, I kept following him through his music endeavors. He sounds great in the band Charred Walls of the Damned, and his participation in some other tributes is also great. His rendition of Ozzy’s Mr. Crowley is outstanding, his version of Maiden’s Flight of Icarus is very good, and his live performance of Kind Diamond’s Abigail is surprisingly good (considering it’s very hard to do Diamond songs given his unique voice).

Looking forward to hearing more music from this great singer.

#10: Rapid Fire

Even though this song was originally record with Rob Halford I liked it so much with Owens' vocals that I had to add it to this list. It’ll be the only Halford-era song I’ll add here (even though I like others too). This version just came out so powerful. The band sounds heavier than the original recording, and Owens’ is a freakin' blast!!!

#9: One on One

#8: Feed On Me

Tim’s vocals on this song are so reminiscent of Dio’s. I like it!!!

#7: Machine Man

Cool intro riff, solid drumming, great soloing, aggressive tune. ‘nuff said.

#6: Burn in Hell

Metal!!!

#5: Blood Stained

#4: Bullet Train

I don’t care if people say this doesn’t sound like Priest. It sounds like Metal, and that’s enough for me. The band dared to sound more modern at the time, which no other "old school" band had dared to do. I really like the result, and this song is one of the best ones they’ve put out!

#3: Dead Meat

Angry intro. Angry vocals. Badass tune!

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#2: Cathedral Spires

This song is epic! I think this is Owens’ Beyond Realms of Death. Outstanding vocal lines and delivery. Great intro, heavy riffs. Solid piece of music.

#1: Jugulator

For me, this is *the* Tim Owens’ track. I remember a good friend of mine putting on this CD so I could check it out. We had been waiting a while for this. High expectations. First album after the unbelievably good Painkiller, new singer. The intro to the song kicks off, I thought it was weird (simply because it didn’t sound like the classic Priest material), but it was awesome. Then, the song really picks up: violent drumming, riffing, singing. Heavy! Modern! This is no "Breaking the Law", "Living After Midnight", or anything like that: this is Priest flirting with Thrash Metal. Perfect Track!

For your convenience, I’ve created a "Top 10 Judas Priest (Owens)" Play List on YouTube. :)

I have been having a hard time finding new music I like. New music from old bands haven’t been all that great, and new music from new bands sounds mostly like old music from the old bands, so I just end up listening to the old stuff for the most part.

So I look back at the music I purchased in 2015 (not necessarily albums released 2015) and think about which ones I actually cared enough to listened to it quite often during the year. What follows is the list I came up with.

#10: Slipknot (.5: The Gray Chapter)

I’m not even a big fan of Slipknot, but I do like some of their songs, and definitely like their live performance: high energy there! I hesitated in getting their latest album simply because there was more talk about their new masks then about their new music. When I finally broke down and got the album I dug the music.

#9: Nightwish (Endless Forms Most Beautiful)

#8: Soulfly (Archangel)

I like the fact that Soulfly has been getting heavier upon each new album. Max has been very active, putting albums with Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy, and Killer be Killed, and most of the music is pretty decent, even more so considering some old bands who struggle to release one album every 5 years or so, and when they do, the album even isn’t that great.

#7: Slayer (Repentless)

As mentioned in my My Slayer Top 10 List, I’m digging the band’s latest release. It’s my favorite one with Bostaph on drums, Gary Holt puts down some good leads on it, and the band overall sounds good to me on this album.

#6: Iron Maiden (Book of Souls)

It took me a few listens, but this album grew on me. There are things I don’t like on it, but overall, it’s a good album. Bruce still sounds awesome! The video for Speed of Light is great.

#5: Gentle Storm (The Diary)

#4: Act of Defiance (Birth and the Burial)

Good debut album by former Megadeth’s lead guitarist and drummer. Not earth-shattering, but it has better (heavier) tunes than what I’ve heard on Megadeth’s last several albums.

#3: Soto (Inside the Vertigo)

I’ve been a fan of Jeff Scott Soto since Malmsteen’s first two solo albums. I’ve always enjoyed Jeff’s voice a lot and have been spinning his latest album quite a bit.

#2: At the Gates (At War with Reality)

#1: Darkane

For your convenience, I’ve created a "Top 10 Purchases of 2015" Play List on YouTube. :)