BravePicks 2018 - The Scribes Speak!
Carl Begai

Top 20 of 2018
1) JUDAS PRIEST - Firepower (Epic)
2) NORTHWARD - Northward (Nuclear Blast)
3) BEHEMOTH - I Loved You At Your Darkest (Metal Blade)
4) KATAKLYSM - Mediations (Nuclear Blast)
5) DIMMU BORGIR - Eonian (Nuclear Blast)
6) IMMORTAL - Northern Chaos Gods (Nuclear Blast)
7) INTO ETERNITY - The Sirens (M-Theory)
8) REDEMPTION - Long Night's Journey Into Day (InsideOut)
9) LEE AARON - Diamond Baby Blues (Faithful)
10) KOBRA AND THE LOTUS - Prevail II (Napalm)
11) AMORPHIS - Queens Of Time (Nuclear Blast)
12) SEASON OF GHOSTS - A Leap Of Faith (Invictus)
13) HALESTORM - Vicious (Atlantic)
14) DEE SNIDER - For The Love Of Metal (Napalm)
15) ALIEN WEAPONRY - Tü (Napalm)
16) AMARANTHE - Helix (Spinefarm) 
17) IHSAHN - Àmr (Spinefarm)
18) STRYPER - God Damn Evil (Frontiers)
19) KAMELOT - The Shadow Theory (Napalm)
20) ACE FREHLEY - Spaceman (eOne)     

Top 3 Concerts
1) HELLOWEEN - Brose Arena - Bamberg, Germany
2) CRADLE OF FILTH / MOONSPELL - Hirsch - Nuremberg, Germany
3) KAMELOT - ColosSaal - Aschaffenburg, Germany

Top 5 Brave Embarrassments
LORDI - Sexorcism (AFM Records)
Further proof that it's possible to maintain a lucrative music career with cookie cutter songs if you have the right make-up and costumes.

LEAVES' EYES - Sign Of The Dragonhead (AFM Records)
The messy split with original vocalist and namesake Liv Kristine in 2016 has overshadowed the music, regardless of quality. Best to change the name of the band before moving forward.

TNT - XIII (Frontiers)
Please stop dragging a once great and respected name in heavy music through the mud. There is no shame in calling it a day.

AXEL RUDI PELL - Knights Call (SPV)
Just as repetitive and boring as my annual complaint that his new album is repetitive and boring.

STEPHEN PEARCY - View To A Thrill (Frontiers)
It's fun watching things catch fire with the initial spark, but this one burns out much too quickly after only a few listens. Please get your shit together and give us the Ratt album we deserve.

Thoughts On 2018
Lots of great music from all sides / corners / realms this year. Whether you're a black metal heathen, thrash fan, prog head, melodic death metal purist, poofed-up closet '80s poser or somewhere in between, 2018 most certainly served up something one could sink his / her fangs into. And shows upon shows... maybe it's just my imagination, but it seems that bands / artists are upping their respective games on the live front given that this "new" music industry offers them nothing in terms of money when it comes to releasing albums. The live presentation is where the payday is - such as it is - and I can count on one hand the number of gigs I walked away from this year thinking "Wow, they sucked balls." Respect all round to the ladies and gentlemen working their asses off on stage and on tour, from the "rock stars" down to the caterers, all of whom clearly take pride in the jobs.

What/Who Needs To Stop In 2019
First off, I need to thank Gene Simmons for not being as big of a pain in the eyes and ears this year as compared to 2017. Although he did make several appearances in the media in 2018, his presence was nowhere near as goddamn fucking annoying as in 2017. 

As for things that need to stop in 2019, these so-called "reaction" channels on YouTube that are so blatantly following each other one-to-one and trying to come off as unbiased. Yes, the internet is populated by small-minded sheep that buy into the act, but there is something to be said for originality, which is why BraveWords continues to give Lost In Vegas the exposure.

Metal Predictions For 2019
1) KISS will be picked apart and bashed from here to kingdom come for delivering more hype than show on their End Of The Road Tour.

2) Children Of Bodom fans will finally stop bitching about wanting a follow-up to Follow The Reaper, Hatebreeder and Hate Crew Deathroll once they hear the new album, Hexed.

3) Mötley Crüe will make a big splash with new music that accompanies the release of The Dirt biopic, and Vince Neil's monumental weight loss.

Check out our BravePicks 2018 countdown where Behemoth took the top spot here.

More Scribes Speak:
Mark Gromen
Aaron Small
Gregg Pratt