By DJ Monk

The Uber Rock Approved stampOver the course of a year, our Über team listens to literally hundreds of albums, and once again we set them the onerous task of selecting what they feel to have been the best new releases of the past 12 months.

In total, our crack team submitted almost 160 albums for consideration, with their lists then fed into our state-of-the-art musical abacus to calculate our final top ten albums of 2019.

First, here are our writer’s individual selections, not only of their favourite albums, but also their favourite album artwork, favourite live album and favourite re-issued album over the course of the year…

David O’Neill

  1. The Raven Age – ‘Conspiracy’
  2. Statement – ‘Force Of Life’
  3. Kris Barras Band – ‘Light It Up’
  4. Phil Campbell – ‘Old Lions Still Roar’

DJ Astrocreep

  1. Birdeatsbaby – The World Conspires’Artwork for The World Conspires by Birdeatsbaby
  2. Bent Knee – ‘You Know What They Mean’
  3. Dead Witches – ‘The Final Exorcism’
  4. Crobot – ‘Motherbrain’
  5. Kurokuma – ‘Sheffield’s Best Metal Bands Vol 1’
  6. Hawkwind – ‘All Aboard The Skylark’
  7. Leprous – ‘Pitfalls’
  8. Nad Sylvan – ‘The Regal Bastard’
  9. The Blackheart Orchestra – ‘Mesmeranto’
  10. Magpie Salute – ‘High Water II’
  11. Sons Of Apollo – ‘Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony Orchestra’
  12. Drab Majesty – ‘Modern Mirror’
  13. Tim Bowness – ‘Flowers At The Scene’
  14. FTR – ‘Manners’
  15. Tool – ‘Fear Innoculum’
  16. Psyence – ‘Psyence’
  17. The Pilgrim – ‘Walk Into The Forest’
  18. Rise Twain – ‘Rise Twain’
  19. The Flower Kings – ‘Waiting for Miracles’
  20. Hashshashin – ‘Badakhshan’

Best Album Artwork: Crobot – ‘Motherbrain’

Best Live Album: Sons Of Apollo – ‘Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony Orchestra’

Best Re-Issued Album: The Joy Formidable – ‘A Balloon Called Moaning’

DJ Monk

  1. The Wildhearts – ‘Renaissance Men’Artwork for Renaissance Men by The Wildhearts
  2. Backyard Babies – ‘Silver And Gold’
  3. Snake Bite Whiskey – ‘This Side Of Hell’
  4. Texas Hippie Coalition – ‘High In The Saddle’
  5. Morgan Rider And The Deep Dark River – ‘The Deep Dark River Quadrilogy Chapter II: Leviathan And The Deep, Dark Blue’
  6. Ketos – ‘First Strike’
  7. Grand Magus – ‘Wolf God’
  8. Danny Bryant – ‘Means Of Escape’
  9. Suicide Bombers – ‘Murder Couture’
  10. The Quireboys – ‘Amazing Disgrace’
  11. Black Star Riders – ‘Another State Of Grace’
  12. Mansion Harlots – ‘All Around A Fairground’
  13. Matt Mitchell And The Cold Hearts – ‘Matt Mitchell And The Cold Hearts’
  14. Conjuring Fate – ‘Curse Of The Fallen’
  15. NASA Assassin – ‘Glitterbalder’
  16. Oracle – ‘Novissima’
  17. Overkill – ‘The Wings Of War’
  18. Lacuna Coil – ‘Black Anima’
  19. Danny Vaughn – ‘Myths, Legends & Lies’
  20. Matt Pearce And The Mutiny – ‘Gotta Get Home’

Best Album Artwork: Ketos – ‘First Strike’/Skypilot – ‘The Affront’

Best Live Album: H.E.A.T – ‘Live At Sweden Rock Festival’/Bonafide – ‘Live At KB’

Best Re-Issued Album: Heavy Pettin – ‘Letting Loose’/’Rock Ain’t Dead’/’The Big Bang’

Gerald Stansbury

  1. The Sweet Things – ‘In Borrowed Shoes, On Borrowed Time’Artwork for In Borrowed Shows by The Sweet Things
  2. The Defiants – ‘Zokusho’
  3. Michael Monroe – ‘One Man Gang’
  4. Poison Boys – ‘Out Of My Head
  5. Gyasi – ‘Androgyne’
  6. Tyla’s Dogs D’amour – ‘Jack O’Byte Bluesy Vol 1’
  7. The Wildhearts – ‘Renaissance Men’
  8. Austin Meade – ‘Waves’
  9. Micky And The Motorcars – ‘Long Time Comin’
  10. The Darts – ‘I Like You But Not Like That’
  11. Billy Pettinger – ‘Look At Me, I’m Fine’
  12. Bitch Queens – ‘City Of Class’

Jess Robinson

  1. Frank Iero and the Future Violents – ‘Barriers’
  2. Motionless In White – ‘Disguise’
  3. The Faim – ‘State of Mind’
  4. The Vegan Leather – ‘Poor Girls/Broken Boys’
  5. Cemetery Sun – ‘Haunted’

Jim Rowland

  1. Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘Amyl & The Sniffers’Artwork for Amyl & The Sniffers
  2. Giuda – ‘E.V.A.’
  3. The Hip Priests – ‘Stand For Nothing’
  4. Gong – ‘The Universe Also Collapses’
  5. The Beat Feat. Ranking Roger – ‘Public Confidential’
  6. Darkthrone – ‘Old Star’
  7. The Allman Betts Band – ‘Down To the River’
  8. Bob Mould – ‘Sunshine Rock’
  9. Subhumans – ‘Crisis Point’
  10. IQ – ‘Resistance’
  11. Nebula – ‘Holy Shit’
  12. Swans – ‘Leaving Meaning’
  13. Pixies – ‘Beneath The Eyrie’
  14. Zac – ‘Zac’
  15. The Who – ‘Who’
  16. Stray Cats – ‘40’
  17. Morlock – ‘Ancient Paths’
  18. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – ‘Fishing For Fishies’
  19. Rival Sons – ‘Feral Roots’
  20. The Specials – ‘Encore’

Best Live Album: Fu Manchu – ‘Live At Roadburn 2003’

Best Re-Issued Album: Motorhead ’79  – ‘Overkill’/’Bomber’, Buzzcocks vinyl reissues – ‘Another Music In A different Kitchen’ / ‘Love Bites’ / ‘A Different Kind Of Tension’, UK Subs 10” vinyl reissues – ‘A Different Kind Of Blues’ / ‘Brand New Age’, Fu Manchu – ‘Start The Machine’ vinyl reissue

John Bedard

  1. Leah – ‘Ancient Winter’Artwork for Ancient Winter by Leah
  2. Astralium – ‘Land Of Eternal Dreams’
  3. Arx Atrata – ‘The Path Untravelled’
  4. Cockroach Clan – ‘Songs About Blunt Knives And Deep Love’
  5. Prince Daddy & The Hyena – ‘Cosmic Thrill Seekers’
  6. Halls Of Oblivion – ‘Endtime Poetry’
  7. Moonlight Haze – ‘De Rerum Natura’
  8. Sabaton – ‘The Great War’
  9. Metalite – ‘Biomechanicals’
  10. Metal De Facto – ‘Imperium Romanum’
  11. The HU – ‘The Gereg’
  12. War Cloud – ‘State Of Shock’
  13. Sum 41 – ‘Order In Decline’
  14. Crusade Of Bards – ‘Tales Of Bards & Beasts’
  15. Vorna – ‘Sateet palata saavat’
  16. Voice Of Ruin – ‘Acheron’
  17. Grylle – ‘Les Grandes Compagnies’
  18. Feradur – ‘Legion’
  19. Ancient VVisdom – ‘Mundus’
  20. Adrian Benegas – ‘The Revenant’

Best Album Artwork: Human Fortress – ‘Reign Of Gold’

Best Live Album: Ian Gillan – ‘Contractual Obligation #2 Live In Warsaw’

Best Re-Issued Album: Ewigkeit – ‘Starscape 2.019’/Vanhelga – ‘LPT Remastered’

Jonny Bakes

  1. Sabaton – ‘The Great War’Artwork for The Great War by Sabaton
  2. Mgla – ‘The Age of Excuse’
  3. Eluveitie – ‘Ategnatos’
  4. Mantra – ‘Medium’
  5. Amon Amarth – ‘Beserker’
  6. Rammstein – ‘Rammstein’
  7. Beast in Black – ‘From Hell With Love’
  8. Ancient Bards – ‘Origine’
  9. Saor – ‘Forgotten Paths’
  10. The HU – ‘The Gereg’
  11. Footprints In The Custard – A New Low’
  12. Killswitch Engage – ‘Atonement’
  13. Lagerstein – ‘25/7’
  14. Church of the Cosmic Skull – ‘Everybody’s Going To Die’
  15. Grand Magus – ‘Wolf God’
  16. Misþyrming – ‘Algleymi’
  17. Wednesday 13 – ‘Necrophaze’
  18. Pist – ‘Hailz’
  19. Forlorn Hope – ‘Over the Hills’
  20. Slipknot – ‘We Are Not Your Kind’

Best Album Artwork: Sabaton – ‘The Great War’

Best Live Album: Helloween – ‘United Live In Madrid’

Phil Cooper

  1. Vanir – ‘Allfather’Artwork for Allfather by Vanir
  2. Amon Amarth – ‘Berserker’
  3. Sabaton – ‘The Great War’
  4. Rammstein – ‘Rammstein’
  5. Killswitch Engage – ‘Atonement’
  6. Finsterforst – ‘Zerfall’
  7. Zed – ‘Volume’
  8. The HU – ‘The Gereg’
  9. Whitechapel – ‘The Valley’
  10. Bloodbound – ‘Rise of The Dragon Empire’
  11. Almost Honest – ‘Seiches and Sirens’
  12. Slipknot – ‘We Are Not Your Kind’
  13. Borknagar – ‘True North’
  14. Asomvel – ‘Worldshaker’
  15. 5Rand – Darkmother’
  16. The Devil and The Almighty Blues – ‘Tre’
  17. Wind Rose – ‘Wintersaga’
  18. Kobra and The Lotus – ‘Evolution’
  19. Volbeat – ‘Rewind, Replay, Rebound’
  20. Dream State – ‘Primrose Path’

Best Album Artwork: Killswitch Engage – ‘Atonement’

Rich Hobson

  1. Lingua Ignota – ‘Caligula’Artwork for Caligula by Lingua Ignota
  2. Venom Prison – ‘Samsara’
  3. Opeth – ‘In Cauda Venenum’
  4. Dinosaur Pile-Up – ‘Celebrity Mansions’
  5. Press Club – ‘Late Teens’
  6. Slipknot – ‘We Are Not Your Kind’
  7. Indoor Pets – ‘Be Content’
  8. Employed To Serve – ‘Eternal Forward Motion’
  9. Death Tribe – ‘Beyond Pain and Pleasure: A Desert Experiment’
  10. Puppy – ‘The Goat’
  11. Devin Townsend – ‘Empath’
  12. Mastiff – ‘Plague’
  13. The Wildhearts – ‘Renaissance Men’
  14. Baroness – ‘Gold & Grey’
  15. The HU – ‘The Gereg’
  16. Black Futures – ‘Never Not Nothing’
  17. The Specials – ‘Encore’
  18. Spotlights – ‘Love & Decay’
  19. Clowns – ‘Nature/Nurture’
  20. The Damned Things – ‘High Crimes’

Best Album Artwork: Ghost – ‘Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic’

The Dark Queen

  1. Mike Tramp – ‘Stray From The Flock’Artwork for 'Stray From The Flock' by Mike Tramp
  2. Conjuring Fate – ‘Curse Of The Fallen’
  3. Tyketto – ‘Strength In Numbers Live’
  4. Danny Bryant – ‘Means Of Escape’
  5. John ‘Harv’ Harbinson’s Twisted Mind – ‘Into The Asylum’
  6. Alter Bridge – ‘Walk The Sky’
  7. The Wildhearts – ‘Renaissance Men’
  8. Matt Mitchell And The Cold Hearts – ‘Matt Mitchell And The Cold Hearts’
  9. Morgan Rider And The Deep Dark River – ‘The Deep Dark River Quadrilogy Chapter II: Leviathan And The Deep, Dark Blue’
  10. Danny Vaughn – ‘Myths, Legends & Lies’
  11. Mansion Harlots – ‘All Around A Fairground’
  12. Ketos – ‘First Strike’
  13. NASA Assassin – ‘Glitterbalder’
  14. Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters – ‘Show Me Your Teeth’
  15. JoanOvArc – ‘JoanOvArc’
  16. Rock Goddess – ‘This Time’

Best Album Artwork: Conjuring Fate – ‘Curse Of The Fallen’

Best Live Album: Tyketto – ‘Strength In Numbers Live’

So, there you have them – our team’s individual choices of their favourite albums released during 2019. It clearly demonstrates the diversity of listening interests in our crüe.  So, now we had to set our ÜR goblins to work, crunching the numbers to work out the definitive list of  Über Rock’s Albums Of The Year – but, you’ll have to check back tomorrow to find  out who took the honours for the the best releases of this past 12 months…