| ALEŠ PODBREŽNIK | Slovenia: 1. Bakalina Velika – Prvi krajec “What its predecessor “Španabije” (2017) hinted at in the closing track Ko se je dielu sviet, “Prvi krajec” fully delivers. With the new album, Bakalina Velika cunningly stretched their artistic reach: they loosened up and livened up the arrangements, confidently grabbed tricks and ideas they hadn’t tried before, and not only kept their homegrown character but dug into it even deeper and lifted it to a whole new artistic level. When poetry and music “click” perfectly together and give birth to a brilliant achievement that practically bends under the weight of its eclecticism and uniqueness! (RockLine review)” 2. Same Babe – Vražji bend (RockLine review) 3. Mary Rose – Resničen svet (RockLine review) 4. Martin Ramoveš – Rob (RockLine review) 5. Dežurni krivci – Narobe svet (RockLine review) 6. Orlek – Živel Rokenrol (RockLine review) 7. ŠKM Banda – Nouvi sad (RockLine review) 8. Up N’ Downs (U.N.D.) – Vse kar sem pozabil II. (RockLine review) 9. Teo Collori in Momento Cigano – Kamerato Muzikante (RockLine review) 10. John F Doe – Druga stran (RockLine review) 11. Jernej Zoran – Stik (RockLine review) 12. Koromač – Kontrapunk (RockLine review) 13. Dan D – Knjiga pohval in pritožb (RockLine review) 14. Indigo – Nikrmana (RockLine review) 15. Wild Strings Trio – Bendjistan (RockLine review) Our special feature on the Slovenian albums that came out in 2019 and left a real mark on the scene is just a click away: https://en.rockline.si/slovenski-glasbeni-albumi-ki-so-v-letu-2019-zapustili-poseben-pecat/ International: Melodic Rock / AOR 1. Angel – Risen “Fifteen new tracks from a cult seventies band, all wildly varied in ideas and structured in all sorts of ways, built on a clear premise: finding the ideal balance between classic rock’n’roll, infectious AOR hooks, and noticeable detours into seventies prog rock. All in one! A finished package! Essential and one of a kind, carved straight from the unique Angel recipe. Yes. It’s possible. Even in 2019. (RockLine review)” 2. Jeff Lynne’s ELO – Out Of Nowhere (RockLine review) 3. Jim Peterik & World Stage – Winds Of Change (RockLine review) 4. Michael Sweet – Ten (RockLine review) 5. Tony Mills – Beyond The Law (RockLine review) 6. Alan Parsons – The Secret (RockLine review) 7. Lonerider – Attitude (RockLine review) 8. Rob Moratti – Renaissance (RockLine review) 9. Toby Hitchcock – Reckoning (RockLine review) 10. House OF Shakira – Radiocarbon (RockLine review) 11. Fortune – II (RockLine review) Progressive rock / Progressive metal / Art Rock 1. Bryan Beller – Scenes From The Flood “ From metal to blues, electronic music, jazz, even classic prog rock and psychedelic shenanigans. Want a surprise? Expect the unexpected. (RockLine review)” 2. IQ – Resistence (RockLine review) 3. Adrian Belew – Pop Sided (RockLine review) 4. Voyager – Colours In The Sun 5. Arch/Matheos – Winter Ethereal (RockLine review) 6. Devin Townsend – Empath (RockLine review) 7. Hawkwind – All Aboard The Skylark (RockLine review) 8. The Aristocrats – You Know What (RockLine review) 9. Flying Colors – Third Degree (RockLine review) 10. Leprous – Pitfalls 11. Steve Hackett – At the Edge OF Light (RockLine review) 12. Opeth – In Cauda Veneum (RockLine review) 13. Gong – The Universe Also Collapses (RockLine review) 14. Soen – Lotus (RockLine review) 15. Evergrey – The Atlantic (RockLine review) 16. Vanden Plas – The Ghost Experiment – The Awakening (RockLine review) 17. The Flower Kings – Waiting For Miracles (RockLine review) Hard Rock / Glam Rock & Metal 1. Phil Lanzon – 48 Seconds “Phil Lanzon is best known as the keyboardist of the legendary Uriah Heep. Over the past two years he’s put out two solo studio albums, both magnificent achievements that show off Lanzon’s remarkable musical range, top-notch layered craftsmanship, and playful flexibility. At its core “48 Seconds” is a hard rock record, but it’s got tangible touches of pop, prog rock, neoclassical music, even thirties cabaret chanson, which gives it a clear art rock outline. Several vocalists, male and female, take a turn on “48 Seconds”, and so does Lanzon himself, who naturally also uses a wider range of keyboards than Uriah Heep boss Mick Box would ever allow him. Given how easy on the ear these otherwise dynamic compositions are, it’s not hard to draw the line and conclude that from 1986 right up to today, Phil Lanzon has been one of the essential building blocks of the Uriah Heep sound, and one of the players who decides which musical direction any given Uriah Heep album will take. It was precisely thanks to Lanzon’s sharp arranging instincts and top-class virtuoso layering that the album “Raging SIlence” (1989) “saved” Uriah Heep’s skin during the eighties identity crisis. (RockLine review)” 2. The Darkness – Easter Is Cancelled (RockLine review) 3. Michael Schenker Fest – Revelation (RockLine review) 4. Crashdiet – Rust (RockLine review) 5. Burning Rain – Face The Music (RockLine review) 6. Whitesnake – Flesh And Blood (RockLine review) 7. Lucifer’s Friend – Black Moon (RockLine review) 8. Steel Panther – Heavy Metal Rules (RockLine review) 9. Pretty Maids- Undress Your Madness (RockLine review) 10. Hardline – Life (RockLine review) Heavy Metal / Thrash Metal: 1. Tygers Of Pan Tang – Ritual “Tygers Of Pan Tang have come a long way. The legendary British quintet, hailing from the pioneering days of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement, plays a bit differently today than in the early eighties, when the cult records “Wildcat”, “Spellbound” and “Crazy Nights” were born, even though the way they write material hasn’t changed. Still, the new stuff doesn’t trail behind the greatness of the band’s golden days. After a period of instability, namely when singer Jacopo Meille joined, the band found its footing again and proves that even in the autumn of its life it’s got no shortage of creative dynamite. After the excellent “Tygers Of Pan Tang” (2016), the great new album “Ritual” keeps up the band’s incredible creative drive, and it’s got no shortage of signature, charismatic, classically cut phrases and pompous chorus melodies. Add some hearty solos, an internalized whiff of gloom and the occult, plus an authoritative vocal performance, and there it is: a wrecking-ball of a record riding the thin invisible line between classic metal and hard rock! (RockLine review)” 2. Diamond Head – The Coffin Train (RockLine review) 3. Angel Witch – Angel Of Light (RockLine review) 4. Iron Savior – Kill Of Get Killed (RockLine review) 5. Exhorder – Mourn The Southern Skies 6. Sacred Reich – Awakening (RockLine review) 7. Flotsam And Jetsam – The End Of Chaos 8. Herman Frank – Fight The Fire (RockLine review) 9. Picture – Wings (RockLine review) 10. Ram – The Throne Within |
| NINA GRAD | 1. Vltimas – Something Wicked Marches In 2. Rotting Christ – The Heretics 3. Death Angel – Humanicide 4. Novembers Doom – Nephilim Grove 5. Soen – Lotus 6. Jinjer – Macro 7. Possessed – Revelations of Oblivion 8. Flotsam and Jetsam – The End of Chaos 9. October Tide – In Splendor Below 10. Mgla – Age of Excuse |
| ROK KLEMŠE | 1. Fvneral Fvkk – Carnal Confessions 2. Gatecreeper – Deserted 3. Spirit Adrift – Divided By Darkness 4. Memoriam – Requiem For Mankind 5. Possessed – Revelations of Oblivion 6. Vltimas – Something Wicked Marches In 7. Sacred Reich – Awakening 8. Idle Hands – Mana 9. Year of the Goat – Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis 10. Flotsam and Jetsam – The End of Chaos Honorable mentions: Bewitcher – Under the Witching Cross Botanist – Ecosystem Devin Townsend – Empath Gaahls Wyrd – GastiR – Ghosts Invited Opprobium – The Fallen Entities Death Angel – Humanicide Xoth – Interdimensional Invocations Midnight Priest – Aggressive Hauntings Batushka – Panihida Xentrix – Bury the Pain Exhorder – Mourn the Southern Skies Exhumed – Horro Novembers Doom – Nephilim Grove Avatarium – The Fire I Long For Firelink – The Inveterate Fire |
| PRIMOŽ NOVAK | Prog rock/jazz fusion/blues rock 1. Thank You Scientist – Terraformer 2. Opeth – In Cauda Venenum 3. Bryan Beller – Scenes from the Flood 4. IQ – Resistance 5. The Aristocrats – You Know What? 6. Ed Wynne – Shimmer Into Nature 7. Klone – Le Grand Voyage 8. Kenny Wayne Shepherd – The Traveler 9. Eric Gales – Bookends 10. Snarky Puppy – Immigrance Metal 1. Tool – Fear Inoculum 2. Devin Townsend – Empath 3. Periphery – IV: Hail Stan 4. Cattle Decapitation – Death Atlas 5. Blood Incantation – Hidden History of Human Race 6. Allegaeon – Apoptosis 7. As I Lay Dying – Shaped By Fire 8. Voyager – Colours in the Sun 9. Red Handed Denial – Redeemer 10. Hypno5e – A Distant (Dark) Source 11. In Mourning – Garden of Storms 12. Nile – Vile Nilotic Rites 13. Equipoise – Demiurgus 14. Hannes Grossman – Apophenia 15. Dethrone the Corrupted – Sinthropia 16. Death Angel – Humanicide 17. Soen – Lotus 18. Vitriol – To Bathe from the Throat of Cowardice 19. Leprous – Pitfalls 20. Candlemass – Door to Door Honorable mentions: Insomnium – Heart Like A Grave Novembers Doom – Nephilim Grove Borknagar – True North Inter Arma – Sulphur English Swallow the Sun – When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light Soilwork – Verkligheten Killswitch Engage – Atonement After the Burial – Evergreen Misery Index – Rituals of Power Fit For an Autopsy – The Sea of Tragic Bests Despised Icon Purgatory Korn – The Nothing Lacuna Coil – Black Anima In Flames – I, The Mask Rammstein – Untitled |
| PETER PODBREŽNIK | 1. IQ – Resistance 2. Devin Townsend – Empath 3. Opeth – In Cauda Venenum 4. Hawkwind – All Aboard the Skylark 5. Steve Hackett – At the Edge of Light 6. Gong – The Universe Also Collapses 7. Big Big Train- Grand Tour (RockLine review) 8. The Flower Kings – Waiting for Miracles 9. Eloy – The Vision, the Sword and the Pyre, Part 2 (RockLine review) 10. Flying Colors – Third Degree 11. Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso – Transiberiana 12. Nad Sylvan – The Regal Bastard 13. Lucifer’s Friend – Black Moon 14. Alan Parsons – The Secret 15. The Neal Morse Band – The Great Adventure |
| JERNEJ VENE | All three lists are in alphabetical order, not ranked by any kind of priority… Prog / Eclectic / Instrumental: Bryan Beller – Scenes From The Flood Devin Townsend – Empath Dream Theater – Distance Over Time (RockLine review) Opeth – In cauda venenum Paul Gilbert – Behold Electric Guitar (RockLine review) Queensryche – The Verdict (RockLine review) Soen – Lotus The Aristocrats – You know what…? Tool – Fear Inoculum Vinnie Moore – Soul Shifter (RockLine review) Voyager – Colours In The Sun Hard rock / AOR / Metal: Alan Parsons – The Secret Burning Rain – Face the Music D–A–D – A Prayer for the Loud Diamond Head – The Coffin Train Eclipse – Paradigm (RockLine review) Hardline – Life Jeff Lynne’s ELO – From Out Of Nowhere Last in Line – II Michael Schenker Fest – Revelation Rammstein – Rammstein Soto – Origami Tesla – Shock (RockLine review) Thunder – Please Remain Seated Tom Keifer – Rise Slovenia: Dan D – Knjiga pohval in pritožb Ecliptic – The Path Of 01 Fed Horses – Sinner (RockLine review) Hamo & Tribute 2 Love – 4K Indigo – Nikrmana Jernej Zoran – Stik John F. Doe – Druga stran Mary Rose – Resničen svet Okustični z Jadranko Juras – Enkratna, neponovljiva Orlek – Živel rokenrol Panda – Daleč stran |
| SEBASTIJAN VIDEC | 1. Devin Townsend – Empath 2. Insomnium – Heart Like A Grave 3. Amon Amarth – Berserker (RockLine review) 4. Soilwork – Verkligheten (RockLine review) 5. Cyhra – No Halos in Hell 6. Evergrey – The Atlantic 7. Borknagar – True North 8. Unleash the Archers – Explorers (EP) 9. Rotting Christ – The Heretics 10. Sabaton – The Great War (RockLine review) |
