#phantom elite

It's time to present you guys with my top 10 favorite albums of 2018. There were a lot of amazing albums this year, but these 10 stole my heart. If you want to see my top 5 favorite EP's of the year, you can check out that post here. And just like on that post, we're going to see the honorable mentions first before we dive into the top 10. Let me explain my ranking system before we dive into this first though. If a release is followed by **, that means that I really enjoyed the album, but it wasn't enough to make it to the top 10. Now if a release is followed by ***, that means it had the potential of being on the top 10 and was an amazing release. One last thing before we get into this: I am a metalhead, so majority of the albums are metal albums (which I have the genres listed next to each release so you'll get to see that first hand). Ok, time to get on with it and look at the MANY honorable mentions.

Hell City - Flesh and Bones** (hard rock) Dimmu Borgir - Eonian** (symphonic black metal) Kamelot - The Shadow Theory** (symphonic power metal) Visions of Atlantis - The Deep and the Dark** (symphonic power metal) The Atlas Moth - Coma Noir** (sludge/stoner metal) CupcakKe - Ephorize** (rap/hip hop) Purest of Pain - Solipsis** (death metal) Fairy Bones - 0% Fun** (punk/alternative rock) Orphaned Land - Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs** (oriental symphonic metal) Elephants in Paradise - Wake Up** (hard rock) Anna von Hausswolff - Dead Magic** (dark ambient) Chaostar - The Undivided Light** (classical/dark ambient) Profane Burial - The Rosewater Park Legend** (symphonic black metal) Shadowrise - Shadowrise** (symphonic metal) Miss FD - Transcendence** (industrial) Collibus - Trusting the Illusion** (djent/progressive metal) Alexandra Martin - Fragments and Reflections** (classical) Caliban - Elements** (djent/metalcore) Whyzdom - As Time Turns to Dust** (symphonic metal) Lyria - Immersion** (symphonic metal) Graveshadow - Ambition's Price** (symphonic metal) Temperance - Of Jupiter and Moons** (symphonic power metal) Light Among Shadows - Under the Waves** (gothic metal) Emphasis - Soul Transfer** (progressive symphonic metal) Neophobia - Monstermind** (symphonic metal) Caligatum - Epidemus** (symphonic gothic metal) Apparition - The Awakening** (symphonic metal) Caedeous - Domini Tenebrarum** (symphonic black metal) Amorphis - Queen of Time** (melodic metal) Little Dead Bertha - Age of Silence** (blackened symphonic death metal) Midnattsol - The Aftermath** (symphonic metal) 11th Dimension - Paramnesia** (progressive metal) Witch Moutain - Witch Mountain** (doom metal) Inner Core - Soultalker** (symphonic metal) Lovelorn Dolls - Darker Ages** (gothic rock/metal) A Sound of Thunder - It Was Metal** (heavy metal) Sinistro - Sangue Cassia** (post metal) Meden Agan - Catharsis** (symphonic metal) Phosphenes - Find Us Where We're Hiding** (ambient/post rock) 69 Chambers - Machine** (progressive metal) Aeternitas - Tales of the Grotesque** (symphonic gothic metal) Florence + the Machine - High as Hope** (indie pop) Distorted Harmony - A Way Out** (progressive metal) Exlibris - Inertia** (power metal) Sacrificed - Enraged** (hard rock) Frozen Crown - The Fallen King** (symphonic power metal) Manes - Slow Motion Death Sequence** (dark alternative metal) Ängie - Suicidal Since 1995** (trap hop) Cinnamun Beloved - Stain** (gothic metal) Opera Queen - Phantasmagoric Symphony** (symphonic metal) Beyond the Black - Heart of the Hurricane** (symphonic power metal) Black Mirrors - Look into the Black Mirror** (psychedelic rock/rock n roll) Ethernity - The Human Race Extinction** (progressive metal) Cher - Dancing Queen** (pop) Zahna - Red for War** (alternative metal) Sick N' Beautiful - Element of Sex** (heavy metal) Mother Feather - Constellation Baby** (punk) Sylvaine - Atoms Aligned, Coming Undone** (shoegaze/post metal) Promethee - Convalescence** (progressive metal/metalcore) Dark Sarah - The Golden Moth** (symphonic power metal) Haken - Vector** (progressive metal) And Then She Came - Kaosystematiq** (alternative metal) Shadygrove - In the Heart of Scarlet Wood** (folk) My Merry Machine - Ignition** (gothic rock) I:Scintilla - Swayed** (industrial) Northward - Northward** (hard rock) In the Woods... - Cease the Day** (progressive doom metal) Décembre Noir - Autumn Kings** (doom death metal)

MaYaN - Dhyana*** (symphonic death metal) Amaranthe - Helix*** (modern metal) Rivers of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name*** (progressive death metal) Ionnalee - Everyone Afraid to be Forgotten*** (synth-pop) Sanguine Glacialis - Hadopelagic*** (progressive gothic death metal) Realm of Glass - Reveries From the Haunted*** (progressive metal) Eleine - Until the End*** (symphonic gothic metal) TesseracT - Sonder*** (djent/atmospheric progressive metal) Kobra and the Lotus - Prevail II*** (heavy metal) Follow the Cipher - Follow the Cipher*** (power metal) Pryapsime - Epic Loon*** (avant-garde metal) Crownless - Confines of Silence*** (symphonic power metal) Trillium - Tectonic*** (symphonic power metal) Purple Nail - Red Sky*** (gothic metal) Dol Ammad - Cosmic Gods: Episode II - Astroatlas*** (progressive symphonic metal) Elyose - Reconnxion*** (symphonic modern metal) Dimilight - Kingdom of Horrors*** (symphonic extreme gothic metal) Piqaia - Artifact*** (djent/atmospheric progressive metal) Sirenia - Arcane Astral Aeons*** (symphonic gothic metal) Poppy - Am I a Girl?*** (experimental pop) Meg Myers - Take Me to the Disco*** (alternative) Solborn - Dark Lights of Delirium*** (symphonic metal) Enemy Inside - Phoenix*** (hard rock/metal) The Anix - Shadow_Movement*** (synth-rock) Circus of Fools - Rex*** (gothic metal) Marcela Bovio - Through Your Eyes*** (chamber prog) Circles - The Last One*** (djent/progressive metal) Voices From the Fuselage - Odyssey: The Founder of Dreams*** (djent/ambient/progressive metal) Aeonian Sorrow - Into the Eternity a Moment We Are*** (atmospheric gothic doom metal)

Now for my absolute favorite releases of the year!

10. Phantom Elite - Wasteland (symphonic metal)

If you enjoyed Marina La Torraca in Exit Eden, then you'll be able to get a different feel for her voice on this album. This is her main project outside of Exit Eden and their sound is so cool. The mixing could've been a bit better, but that doesn't bother me too much. In fact it gives it some extra character. I'm really excited to hear what these guys come up with next. This album really took me by surprise to just how good it turned out to be and how dramatic it got at times.

Favorite songs: 1. Revelation 2. Wasteland 3. Siren's Call

9. My Indigo - My Indigo (indie pop)

When I found out that Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation) was going to be releasing a solo album, I was really curious about what kind of sound she'd go for. I couldn't have imagined a better sound for her. Not a single dud on this album. It's so lovely and a breath of fresh air for her. You get a really great feel for her vocal range and there's some pretty cool vocal lines on here. Definitely a beautiful and touching album from start to finish.

Favorite songs: 1. Starcrossed Lovers 2. Out of the Darkness 3. Lesson Learned

8. Marmozets - Knowing What You Know Now (alternative rock)

I don't remember ever subscribing to their YouTube channel, but I'm so glad I did, because I found one of my top 10 favorite albums of the year because of it. Their sound is so in your face and on the verge of being alternative metal, but it's toned down enough to not be at that level. It definitely works for them. The music is so fun and absolutely wonderful to just jam out to. One of the most random discoveries I've made that I absolutely adore.

Favorite songs: 1. Play 2. Major System Error 3. Habits

7. Dream Ocean - Lost Love Symphony (symphonic metal)

I learned about these guys through a Facebook friend at the beginning of the year and wound up really enjoying them. This album is pure symphonic metal. It's got drama, power, energy, strong riffs, amazing orchestrations, and a mezzo-soprano with a gorgeous voice. I find it kind of funny that Mark Jansen is featured on a track called Never Enough knowing full well that Epica have a song of the same name. I'm definitely am gonna be keeping my eye on these guys.

Favorite songs: 1. Somewhere Untouched 2. The Last Dance 3. Divine Light

6. The Hardkiss - Залізна ластівка (progressive pop/rock)

These guys are evolving so much. This album is definitely a lot more on the rock side, but it still has a bit of that pop element. I'm waiting for them to take the plunge and release a full blown metal album. I think this album is a good first step in that direction. The production gives this album a bit of a sci-fi feel to it that I really like. It's so different compared to their previous releases and really stands out. I also really like how majority of the songs are in Ukrainian. It's always been the other way around for them, so it's a nice change.

Favorite songs: 1. Complicity 2. 00:00 3. Koxaнці

5. Silent Stream of Godless Elegy - Smutnice (folk doom metal)

I really started taking a liking to these guys in the later part of last year after falling madly in love with their song Mokoš, so I knew I had to check out the new album when it dropped. This album turned out to be a lot more pretty than what I was expecting it to be. It's so beautiful and powerful. Every song has its own dynamic to it and not one song sounds similar to the other. And I just adore the folk instruments they use. It really adds to the beauty of the album.

Favorite songs: 1. Malověrná 2. Synečku 3. Za nevěstou

4. Witchcraft - Cinema (progressive gothic metal)

It was so hard to rank this one at number 4, because it's neck and neck with my number 3 pick. This album turned out to be so much better than I had anticipated it being. It's beautiful, raw, and very unique. I love the samplings to other iconic songs on a few tracks (Requiem for a Dream and the themes for Silent Hill and The X Files are the ones I easily picked out). Their sound has evolved so much over the years and I feel as if this is the best of their releases. It shows off everything that is absolutely amazing about this band.

Favorite songs: 1. Реквием 2. Silent Hill 3. На разных планетах

3. Oceans of Slumber - The Banished Heart (progressive doom metal)

Winter was a wonderful album, but holy shit did they outdo themselves with this album. It's a lot darker, a whole lot darker. Cammie's voice also sounds a lot better on this album. I don't know what it is, but seems as if her voice is a lot stronger and has more emotion attached to it on these songs. There also just seems to be a lot more emotion in these songs in general. It's such a stunning album from start to finish. If you wanted Winter to be more doomy and intense, The Banished Heart definitely lives up to that want.

Favorite songs: 1. The Banished Heart 2. No Color, No Light feat. Tom Englund (Evergrey) 3. At Dawn

2. Elvellon - Until Dawn (symphonic metal)

It shouldn't come as any surprise that this album is high up on my list. This was my favorite album of the year for the longest. It's such an amazing symphonic metal album that was definitely worth the wait (in terms of it being released, not in the shipping issues that I ran into with receiving it). These guys are definitely ones to look out for in the symphonic metal scene. Nele's voice just stands out so much compared to the many ladies in the scene. The stories told in each song are absolutely wonderful and the production is everything.

Favorite songs: 1. King of Thieves 2. Fallen into a Dream 3. Shore to Aeon

1. Once - After Earth (symphonic metal)

This is the album that took Until Dawn's place of being my favorite release of the year. I honestly wasn't expecting to love this album as much as I do. This album is so powerful, dramatic, beautiful. It even has a whimsical vibe to it that I absolutely adore. The writing, production, and execution are everything with this album. You get a beautiful feel for Alina's voice on this album and just how talented she is. The orchestrations are turned up a bit high on this album, but it doesn't take away from the experience, but instead compliments it so well. This album is just perfection and I can't wait to see what these guys have in store for us.

Favorite songs: 1. The Sins of Saints 2. Awake 3. The Hour of Eden's Fall

Phantom Elite ➢ Sangre Mala [✧]