Judas Priest’s Firepower won the top spot in WJCU’s Metal On Metal Best Albums Of 2018 year-end show, which aired on December 28. The eighteenth studio album from the British heavy metal legends towered above the competition with a commanding 2-to-1 margin of victory.

“It doesn’t matter what sub-genre of metal you are a fan of,” says Metal On Metal host Bill Peters, “there’s a good chance you were at some point in your life or still are a Judas Priest fan.  Priest crossover to just about every heavy metal fan on the planet. I started with them on their first album Rocka Rolla and have been a diehard fan ever since.   It’s cool to see the band still relevant and releasing great music in 2018. Despite what several older bands and musicians have said recently, fans still do what to hear new original music from their favorite classic  artists as long as it is good and up to standards. Judas Priest has delivered the goods yet again with Firepower.”

Night Demon’s Live Darkness finished a strong second, a very high chart position for a live release and the only one to make Top 25. The double-live album was recorded at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio last December. Night Demon’s Darkness Remains was the top vote getter in 2017’s listener poll. “That’s amazing!”, says Night Demon frontman Jarvis Leatherby who was listening online while the show aired. “I didn’t even know if the live album would be in the Top 10. #1 would have been sweet, but totally flattered anyway. The Cleveland support is real!” This was the 35th year of the poll, which is always Metal On Metal’s most popular and listened to program. Listeners were asked to nominate their top three albums of 2018 in no particular order. 642 ballots were cast with a total of 69 different albums nominated. “It’s a simple voting process but it works”, adds Peters. “We’ve never changed the formula. You are getting the cream of the crop when you ask for only three.  Each year our chart never ceases to amaze me.  Sure there were a few personal favorites of mine that didn’t make the cut but overall it’s a very good list.  It’s great for me personally to see underground bands like Mount Atlas, Visigoth, Bullet and Ironflame receive the recognition they deserve.  I love turning listeners on to new and lesser known bands.  That’s always been the primary objective of this radio show.  Some of these bands from far away lands would be surprised to find out just how many fans they have here in Cleveland, Ohio USA!  Just ask Jarvis from Night Demon. He’ll tell ya. (laughs)” WJCU’s Metal On Metal can be heard every Friday night from 6:30 to 9:30 PM EST on 88.7 FM in the Cleveland, Ohio area or streamed live worldwide at WJCU.org.  2019 will mark the 37th year of Peters hosting the show.

Metal On Metal WJCU 88.7 FM Top 25 Albums Of 2018
1.  Judas Priest – “Firepower” (Epic)
2.  Night Demon – “Live Darkness” (Shadow Kingdom)
3.  Visigoth – “Conqueror’s Oath” (Metal Blade)
4.  Ghost – “Prequelle” (Loma Vista)
5.  Powerwolf – “The Sacrament Of Sin” (Napalm)
6.  Amorphis – “Queen Of Time” (Nuclear Blast)
7.  YOB – “Our Raw Heart” (Relapse)
8.  Primal Fear – “Apocalypse” (Frontiers)
9.  The Skull – “The Endless Road Turns Dark” (Tee Pee)
10.  Dee Snider – “For The Love Of Metal” (Napalm)
11.  Satan – “Cruel Magic” (Metal Blade)
12.  Bullet – “Dust To Gold” (SPV/Steamhammer)
13.  Mount Atlas – “Titan” (Ripple Music)
14.  Saxon – “Thunderbolt” (Silver Lining Music)
15.  Voivod – “The Wake” (Century Media)
16.  Fu Manchu – “Clone Of The Universe” (At The Dojo)
17.  Michael Schenker Fest – “Resurrection” (Nuclear Blast)
18.  Monster Magnet – “Mindfucker” (Napalm)
19.  High On Fire – “Electric Messiah” (eOne)
20.  Lovebites – “Clockwork Immortality” (Nuclear Blast)
21.  Earthless – “Black Heaven” (Nuclear Blast)
22.  U.D.O. – “Steelfactory” (AFM)
23.  Greenleaf – “Hear The Rivers’ (Napalm)
24.  Ironflame – “Tales Of Splendor And Sorrow” (Divebomb)
25.  Sleep – “The Sciences” (Third Man)