BravePicks 2016 - The Scribes Speak!
Kelley Simms

Top 20 of 2016
1) METAL CHURCH - XI (Rat Pak Records)
2) FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - Flotsam and Jetsam (AFM Records)
3) TESTAMENT - Brotherhood Of The Snake (Nuclear Blast)
4) DEATH ANGEL - The Evil Divide (Nuclear Blast Records)
5) FATES WARNING - Theories Of Flight (Inside Out Music)
6) OPETH - Sorceress (Moderbolaget Records)
7) MEGADETH - Dystopia (Universal)
8) MESHUGGAH - The Violent Sleep Of Reason (Nuclear Blast)
9) METALLICA - Hardwired… To Self-Destruct (Blackened)
10) GOJIRA - Magma (Roadrunner Records)
11) ABBATH - Abbath (Season Of Mist)
12) VEKTOR - Terminal Redux (Earache Records)
13) THEOCRACY - Ghost Ship (Ulterium Records)
14) ANTHRAX - For All Kings (Megaforce Records)
15) DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT - Transcendence (HevyDevy Records)
16) AVATAR - Feathers & Flesh (eOne Music)
17) HOLY GRAIL - Times of Pride and Peril (Prosthetic Records)
18) HELSTAR - Vampiro (Ellefson Music Productions)
19) HERMAN FRANK - The Devil Rides Out (AFM Records)
20) RUNNING WILD - Rapid Foray (Steamhammer / SPV)

Top 3 Concerts
METAL CHURCH - Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, IA
TED NUGENT - Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines, IA
JOURNEY/DOOBIE BROTHERS - Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA

Top 5 Brave Embarrassments

OPERATION: MINDCRIME - Resurrection (Frontiers)
Oh how far Geoff Tate has fallen while his ex-bandmates continue to shine. The musical/lyrical comparisons between the two camps are like night and day.

IN FLAMES - Battles (Eleven Seven)
At this point in their career, taking one step forward is like taking four steps backward.

SONATA ARCTICA - The Ninth Hour (Nuclear Blast)
I love power metal, but I’ve never seen the allure of this band.

GHOST - Popestar (Loma Vista / Spikefarm)
They should have saved new song “Square Hammer” for a new full-length release and scrapped this EP full of uninteresting and mostly unknown cover tunes.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD - The Stage (Capitol)
In hindsight, releasing an album with no promotion probably wasn’t a good idea. And I was starting to warm up to these guys, too.

What/Who Needs To Stop In 2017?
The CD reissue craze ... it’s a waste of time and it’s just a cash grab for the labels. Plus, whatever bonus material is included usually gets listened to once and then quickly forgotten.

Thoughts On 2016

It was a good year for the old guard of thrash, with strong releases from Death Angel, Testament, Anthrax, Flotsam and Jetsam, Metallica and Megadeth. 2016 was also a sad time due to the loss of quite a few of our musical heroes such as Prince, David Bowie, Keith Emerson and Greg Lake, to name just a few.

Metal Predictions For 2017
- I’m looking forward to strong releases from Kreator, Grave Digger and Overkill, as well as Iced Earth (to be released in May via Century Media).
- Expect Black Country Communion to be back with a stellar new album from the original gang of four consisting of Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham, Joe Bonamassa and Derek Sherinian.
- Hopefully, more rockers will consider writing their memoirs such as Sebastian Bach, Carmine Appice and Harley Flanagan did in 2016.
- The new concept of Metalhead Box (www.themetalheadbox.com) will catch on.

Read more rants below:

Mark Gromen
Greg Pratt
Carl Begai
Jason Deaville
Kim Baarda
Aaron Small
David Perri
Nick Balazs.
 

Check out our BravePicks 2016 countdown where Metallica reigned supreme here.