Tis the season of giving and 2013 was certainly the year the hard and heavy metal scene gave back! There was an exhausting parade of new releases and tours to boot! Be careful what you wish cuz you just might get it, and this year it came at us from all angles. And these days it seems that the output is tenfold, as bands of all shapes and sizes can easily Protools or GarageBand it-up in their bedroom and release to the masses in numerous forms, mostly digital. But is it quality stuff? Here come the BraveWords scribes to the rescue, who tear their way through the glut and the grit and come up the finest slabs of music the year had to offer. Just one rule: studio recordings only. No compilations, covers, live albums etc…

So after days of compiling, we bring you BravePicks 2013: The 12 Days Of Metal, our nice n' tidy summary of the year that was. Of course we will start with the countdown until New Year's and then the scribes step up with their always popular Brave Embarrassments, Concerts, Thoughts On 2013, Predictions For 2014 and What / Who Needs To Stop In 2014!

So jump in, strap in and grab a cold one!!!

2013 … The 12 Days Of Metal

4) QUEENSRŸCHE - Queensrÿche (Century Media)

Without a doubt, 2013 was overshadowed by the battle of the QUEENSRŸCHE's with the original Todd LaTorre-fronted band in the ring with Geoff Tate's thrown-together version. Both released albums this year and only one truly mattered at the end of the day.

Legendary drummer and founding member of Queensrÿche Scott Rockenfield summed up matters with radio personalty and BraveWords scribe Matthew O'Shaughnessy this past July: "We've had a great last twelve months or so...which basically started a year ago when we met Todd and made our transition for Queensrÿche and we carried on. We played shows around the world. The whole culmination of writing the record last Summer and working together and then recording it; the response has been insane! You don't know what to expect but it just took off and it's going so well; the response from everybody around the world has just been fantastic! Things are just going so well. We just feel like we are back doing what is important for us and the brand of Queensrÿche and for our fans that have been wanting us to make music and play shows that they can be excited about again. I think this is a really great time for us."

About the primary game plan and approach into the new album Rockenfield added: "We just wanted to start writing music together and get ourselves back to doing what we've been wanting to do for a long time musically. Basically, we needed a singer who was enthusiastic and the right fit and Todd was the perfect match. We started writing last summer and only knew each other for a couple of months. I think the proof of the record now kind of proves that our chemistry together is a great thing; we had a great time writing songs and we've already started writing more songs."

Read the entire BraveWords interview here.

2013 … The 12 Days Of Metal

12) ANVIL - Hope In Hell (The End)

11) MEGADETH – Super Collider (Tradecraft/Universal)

10) WATAIN - The Wild Hunt (Century Media)

9) VOIVOD – Target Earth (Century Media)

8) GHOST BC - Infestissumam (Loma Vista Recordings)

7) CHILDREN OF BODOM - Halo Of Blood (Nuclear Blast)

6) EXHUMED – Necrocracy (Relapse)

5) STRYPER - No More Hell To Pay (Frontiers)

4) QUEENSRŸCHE - Queensrÿche (Century Media)

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