BravePicks 2018 - The Scribes Speak!
Rich Catino

Top 20 of 2018
1) STRIKER – Play To Win (Record Breaking)
2) ICARUS WITCH - Goodbye Cruel World (Cleopatra)
3) WITHERFALL - A Prelude to Sorrow (Century Media)
4) SNAKEBITE – Rise of the Snake (Maniac Attack)
5) MANIMAL – Purgatorio (AFM)
6) ARTILLERY - The Face of Fear (Metal Blade) 
7) STRYPER – God Damn Evil (Frontiers) 
8) BURNING WITCHES – Hexenhammer (Nuclear Blast)
9) W.E.T. – Earthrage (Frontiers) 
10) DREAM CHILD - Until Death Do We Meet Again (Frontiers)
11) DYNAZTY- Firesign (AFM)
12) MIKE LEPOND’S SILENT ASSASSINS - Pawn and Prophecy (Frontiers)
13) SKULL FIST - Way of the Road (NoiseArt)
14) ANVIL – Pounding the Pavement (Steamhammer)
15) KOBRA AND THE LOTUS - Prevail II (Napalm)
16) CAULDRON – New Gods (The End)
17) GUS G) – Fearless (AFM)
18) ANGRA – Ømni (Shinigami)
19) RIOT V - Armor Of Light (Nuclear Blast)
20) NORTHWARD – Northward (Nuclear Blast)
  
Top 3 Concerts
HELLOWEEN – Irving Plaza, New York
WINGER – Harrah’s Casino, Pennsylvania
ICED EARTH/SANCTUARY - Grammercy Theater, New York

Top 5 Brave Embarrassments
BULLETBOYS - From Out of the Skies (Frontiers)
With only one original member (singer Marq Torien), they haven’t put out an album true to themselves since Za-Za in 1993. But whatever came from out of the skies is just trying to be modern and with the times of American rock radio.

RED DRAGON CARTEL – Patina (Frontiers) 
I love the axman’s era in Ozzy and Badlands, but with RDC his dirty guitar tone is too unpolished and bluesy. I’d like to see a happy medium between his Ozzy and Badlands work.

GHOST – Prequelle (Loma Vista) 
Yes, they are huge now and can play arenas, but a great song and melody is what counts. This album is too commercial and poppy.

ACE FREHLEY – Spaceman (eOne) 
A far cry from his KISS and Comet days; it’s clear Ace is stuck in one moment in time and never evolved as a player.

GRAVE DIGGER – The Living Dead (Napalm)
Not that it’s a bad album, but this and Healed By Metal are too much of a retread and average cliché power metal.

Thoughts On 2018
2018 was again, unfortunately, another difficult year for the present state of traditional heavy metal music because the majority of the listeners continue to rely just on the legacy and legendary names, neglecting, not putting the same support into the new younger bands. Why? They are the future. Kiss, Scorpions, Deep Purple, Slayer on farewell tours, Motley Crue already “retired”, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Saxon are still going strong, but the clock is ticking. Same problem happened from 1995-2005 (at least in North America), not the European countries who thankfully had better taste. Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, Grave Digger, Running Wild, Stratovarius, Gamma Ray, HammerFall, Edguy, and Primal Fear were the logical next generation, but to this day still only able to play midsize venues in North America. At least Nighwish and Kamelot are packing bigger venues. Luckily we have those great outdoor European festivals where these bands often headline and play to thousands. Well, your second chance has been here people, since 2005. Watch for Wolf, Firewind, Striker, Enforcer, Skull Fist, Cauldron, Snakebite, Night Demon, Burning Witches, and Icarus Witch.  And Metal Church’s new album Damned If You Do dropped way too late in the year.

Metal Predictions for 2019
Looking forward to the King Diamond Abigail Live and Helloween live CD/DVD for the Pumpkins United World Tour (followed by a new album in 2020). A full album from 3 Headed Snake, but get the EP in the meantime. A new album from Sanctuary with the singer from Witherfall. Maybe the Trans-Siberian Orchestra machine will finally allow some time for Savatage to play some live shows? It is always great to see Iron Maiden, but this Legacy Of The Beast tour needs a completely new, unique setlist, minus all the standards. Gimme “Purgatory”, “Invaders”, “Sun & Steel”, “Back in the Village”, “Flash of the Blade”, “Stranger in a Strange Land”, and “Alexander the Great”!

What / Who Needs To Stop In 2019
Not digging the idea of a Ronnie James Dio hologram tour. And this Kiss charade of someone else in Ace and Peter’s makeup may come to an end after this three year farewell tour? Oh, who am I kidding, they will hire four new guys to go out in the makeup and costumes, and people will pay to see the cover band as well. Phil Anselmo parade of bands and his barking, grunting or screaming. And George Lynch please limit yourself to two hats; Lynch Mob and Dokken.

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

More Scribes Speak:
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Carl Begai
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