… or The Faves of 2016 and our most awaited releases in 2017!

A new year has started and our staff members Kiki, Pia and Steffi have been thinking about the music that the past year brought and the albums to come this year.

Our favourite albums of 2016.

Kiki’s pick: EPICA’s “The Holographic Principle”.

Kiki: It certainly won’t surprise anyone that my favourite album of the past year comes from my favourite band, Dutch Symphonic Metallers EPICA. I talked about it at length on my video-review of  “The Holographic Principle” but just know that if you haven’t listened to it yet, you’re totally missing out on some amazing music. Exhibit A:

Pia’s fave: DEADLOCK’s “Hybris”.

Pia: That’s an easy choice! I was so surprised about the DEADLOCK-album “Hybris“! I knew the band before and didn’t expect much. But I wasn’t able to get this album out of my head. It’s a good example for how important a singer is for the band, because I don’t like their old stuff with Sabine singing. With Margie, they have a powerful and talented new female singer and the album itself kicks ass. If you haven’t, yet, you should definetly listen to “Hybris“. Best songs: ‘Epitaph’ and ‘Ein Deutsches Requiem’.

Steffi’s choice: OCEANS OF SLUMBER’s “Winter”.

Steffi: Wow, that’s a hard question, sooo many awesome albums were released in the last year. EPICA, DELAIN, LACUNA COIL, TARJA – a lot of the well known bands in symphonic metal released a great collection of music! But my favorite is OCEANS OF SLUMBER – “Winter”. I was just speechless while listening to that album, it has a very special sound I’ve never heard before. An overwhelming surprise of 2016 in my opinion!

And what will the new year bring?

Kiki is counting the days until XANDRIA’s “Theater Of Dimensions “drops.

Kiki: And luckily that countdown is coming to an end soon – on January 27th the boys and girl from XANDRIA are releasing their next album. In the last years the German-Dutch band has developed a heavy but beautifully melodic sound, their unique kind of Symphonic Metal. And what we have heard of the new album is great – this could be their best record yet:

Pia can’t wait to listen to new music from THE CHARM THE FURY.

Pia: I’m so looking forward to THE CHARM THE FURY‘s new album! It’ll be their second album in it will be out in March via Nuclear Blast – the band just signed there recently. I saw them live at FemME 2015 and what could I say? They where overwhelming! So powerful and such a good performance. Their singer Caroline Westendorp can do both, clean vocals and growls. So I’m very excited about a new album with a big lable on their side. I think, they don’t have a title, yet.

Steffi looks forward to ELUVEITIE’s “Evocation II”.

Steffi: ELUVEITIE – “Evocation II”! There is more than one reason to be curious about it: First, after the great crush last year, four new band members may changed the sound, we will see… Second, it is an acoustic album, I love acoustic folk songs 😀 Third, it’s Eluveitie 😉 Yippiy-yippy-yeah \m/  \m/

What is your favourite 2016 release and what are you looking forward to this year? Tell us in the comments!