Your favorite new albums from the first half of 2012

[lordxizor]

We're rapidly approaching the halfway point of 2012. I thought it would be a good time for everyone to recap their favorite new albums and make recomendations to other DTFers.

Personally, I haven't been blown away by anything new I've heard so far in 2012. A few good, but not great albums from Flying Colors, The Mars Volta, Children of Nova, and Sigur Ros, but none of those are albums I would want to put in my top 5 at the end of the year. My favorite so far has probably been from the David Crowder Band, a christian group, but being a double album it feels a little unfocused and overly long.

What have been your favorites so far?

[snapple]

I haven't gotten many albums, but probably Flying Colors.

[Zantera]

My two favorites so far would be: Ancestors - In Dreams and Time, and The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now.
I will most likely compile a list over my top30-40 albums of 2012 (first half), but maybe not in another week or two. (and technically it isn't halfway through until June is over)

[Zydar]

My five favourites in no particular order:

Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth
Beach Boys - That's Why God Made The Radio
Rush - Clockwork Angels
Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
Caligola - Back To Earth

[lordxizor]

My two favorites so far would be: Ancestors - In Dreams and Time, and The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now.
I will most likely compile a list over my top30-40 albums of 2012 (first half), but maybe not in another week or two. (and technically it isn't halfway through until June is over)

I'm not sure if I envy or pity people who have enough free time to check out that many new albums. I think my personal best is 25 in a whole year, and that was before I had two kids.

[eric42434224]

Sugar Lane by Look Right Penny.

[BanksD]

my current top 10 of the year so far

1. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
2. Be'Lakor - Of Breath and Bone
3. Hour of Penance - Sedition
4. Celldweller - Wish Upon a Blackstar
5. 3 Inches of Blood - Long Live Heavy Metal
6. Asphyx - Deathhammer
7. Overkill - The Electric Age
8. Primal Fear - Unbreakable
9. Allegaeon - Formshifter
10.Spawn of Possesion - Incurso

[crazyaga]

Hmmmmm....

Anathema's Weather Systems is pretty much fucking awesome

[BlobVanDam]

Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth

This by far. VH really nailed it with this one.

[TAC]

Accept- Stalingrad

Saxon-Heavy Metal Thunder-Eagles Over Wacken
    A tremendous live package!

[obscure]

Children Of Nova - Impossible Landscape
Arjen Anthony Lucassen's  - Lost In The New Real
Paradise Lost - Tragic Idol
The 11th Hour - Lacrima Mortis
Circus Maximus - Nine
Beyond The Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit
Overkill - The Electric Age
Primal Fear - Unbreakable
Abigail Williams - Becoming
Biohazard - Reborn In Defiance
Lacuna Coil - Dark Adrenaline
Band Of Skulls - Sweet Sour
Pallbearer - Sorrow And Extinction
Ministry - Relapse

[crazyaga]

Epicloud is going to be the best album of 2012.

[Zantera]

My two favorites so far would be: Ancestors - In Dreams and Time, and The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now.
I will most likely compile a list over my top30-40 albums of 2012 (first half), but maybe not in another week or two. (and technically it isn't halfway through until June is over)

I'm not sure if I envy or pity people who have enough free time to check out that many new albums. I think my personal best is 25 in a whole year, and that was before I had two kids.

I don't think it's that much to be honest. For 2011 I think I had around 100 albums spread over the whole year, and it will most likely be something similar this year. I tend to listen to an album at least 5 times, but often up to 10 times before judging it.
And another thing that makes it easy for me to listen to so much music is the fact that I'm currently a student and have no school right now. (even when I had I could easily squeeze in 4-5 hours of music listening per day)
I also tend to move "forward" when it comes to music. While I do listen to stuff I already know, I can easily get bored with things that are familiar, and I'd say 70% of my music listening is new artists and bands, new albums.

Also, I saw a guy on another forum that had already listened to 250 albums this year. That I call crazy. 

[BlobVanDam]

I've only checked out 2 "new" albums this year so far. One well exceeded my expectations, and one fell far short.
I've checked out a lot of new music and bands this year I haven't heard before, but it's all older stuff that's just new to me, and not 2012 releases.

[a51502112]

Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth

Haven't heard new Rush yet.

Really wanted to like Flying Colors but, not into it.

[crazyaga]

Im disappointed from you guys. Y U NO LOVE WEATHER SYSTEMS???

[Zantera]

Im disappointed from you guys. Y U NO LOVE WEATHER SYSTEMS???

Weather Systems is pretty amazing, but if I had to rank it among Anathema's albums I'd say its around 5 or 6. Still solid, but I don't consider it good enough to be among the best so far.

[lateralus88]

The two best of the year so far, hands down, are Sigh's "In Somniphobia" and Diablo Swing Orchestra's "Pandora's Pinata". These albums are among the best things I've heard in a long time.

Other worthy mentions from the first half of the year are in no particular order:
Akphaezya - Anthology IV: The Tragedy of Nerak. This album almost ranks up there with the two previously mentioned. One of the best "avant-garde" metal releases in a good while.
Primal Rock Rebellion - Awoken Broken. Wasn't expecting this to be as good as it is, but this is simply a really cool album. Adrian Smith and Mikee Goodman of Sikth come together to form this unique sounding hard rock album. Love it.
Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I. Mmmmm progressive black metal goodness.
Cannibal Corpse - Torture. Death metal album of the year, right hurrr.
Meshuggah - Koloss. Easily one of the heaviest things to come out this year. And it's fucking awesome as all fuck.
Kreator - Phantom Antichrist. I think this might be one of Kreator's best releases in a good while. Definitely beats the living shit out of Hordes of Chaos.

[lonestar]

Beyond the Bridge- The Old Man and the Spirit
Van Halen- A different Kind of Truth

[Heretic]

Weather Systems is my #1 of the year so far. Equal to WHBWH, I don't care what anyone says. Anyways:

Anathema - Weather Systems
Periphery - Periphery II: This Time It's Personal
The Tallest Man on Earth - There's No Leaving Now
Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Right Away, Great Captain! - The Church of the Good Thief
In Mourning - The Weight of Oceans
If These Trees Could Talk - Red Forest
Atoma - Skylight
mewithoutYou - Ten Stories
Sigur Ros - Valtari
Flying Colors - Flying Colors
Sent By Ravens - Mean What You Say
fun. - Some Nights
Baroness - Yellow & Green
Linkin Park - Living Things
Agalloch - Faustian Echoes
Crippled Black Phoenix - Mankind (The Crafty Ape)
Scale the Summit - Redwoods
Alcest - Les Voyages De L'Ame

[Mebert78]

OSI - Fire Make Thunder
Anathema - Weather Systems
Rush - Clockwork Angels

[Zydar]

I forgot about Unisonic. Pretty great album.

[Mladen]

Unisonic and Flying colors were pretty awesome. I also liked Thick as a brick 2, the new Blaze Bayley album, and Of Montreal's Paralytic stalks.

[TAC]

Really wanted to like Flying Colors but, not into it.

Same here.

I forgot about Unisonic. Pretty great album.

Unisonic is pretty easy on the ears, that's for sure.

[Elite]

Nice boring list:

Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit
Flying Colors - s/t
Anathema - Weather Systems
Arjen Anthony Lucassen's Lost in the New Real
Affector - Harmageddon

[Sigz]

The big standout albums for me:

Ne Obliscaris - Portal of I
El-P - Cancer 4 Cure
Sigh - In Somniphobia

[Zydar]

Really wanted to like Flying Colors but, not into it.

Same here.

Yeah, I was not bowled over by that one.

[?]

Paradise Lost: Tragic Idol
Sonata Arctica: Stones Grow Her Name
OSI: Fire Make Thunder
Storm Corrosion: Storm Corrosion
Anathema: Weather Systems
Barren Earth: The Devil's Resolve

[Nekov]

Anathema and Flying Colors are the only two I have really enjoyed.

The biggest letdown was Circus Maximus.

[The Letter M]

Here's a list of what I have bought this year that is new, and the bolded ones are my top picks:
Spock's Beard - X-Tour Live 2CD/1DVD (February 14th)
Barbieri & Hogarth - Not The Weapon But The Hand (February 28th)
Steven Wilson - Catalogue/Preserve/Amass (February 28th)
Adrenaline Mob - Omertā (March 13th)
OSI - Fire Make Thunder (March 23rd)
Flying Colors - Flying Colors (March 27th)
The Mars Volta - Noctourniquet (March 27th)
Hostsonaten - Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, Chapter One (April 8th)
Fabio Zuffanti - Merlin: The Rock Opera (2CD) (April 8th)
No-Man - Love And Endings CD/DVD (April 10th)
Anathema - Weather Systems (April 17th)
Hasse Froberg & The Musical Companion - Powerplay (April 23rd)
Arjen Anthony Lucassen - Lost In The New Real (April 23rd)
Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion (May 8th)
Morse-Portnoy-George - Cover2Cover (CD/DVD Bundle) (May 22nd)
Rush - Clockwork Angels (June 12th)

Still looking forward to the 2nd half, with the Flower Kings in a week, and then Neal Morse, Marillion and Muse in September.

-Marc.

[Elite]

Oh, yeah. I forgot Storm Corrosion.

[skydivingninja]

Out of what (admittedly little by my usual standards) little I've listened to this year, my favorites have been:

Rush-Clockwork Angels
Flying Colors-s/t
Sigur Ros-Valtari
Storm Corrosion-s/t

I'm going to be checking out Ne Obliviscaris soon and there are probably a few albums I really need to catch up on.

I'm looking forward to Sugar Glyder's new album, and I'm looking VERY forward to Epicloud.

[True Death of Life]

Foxy Shazam-The Church of Rock and Roll
Eluveitie-Helvetios
Bruce Springsteen-Wrecking Ball
Meshuggah-Koloss
The Shins-Port of Morrow
Shinedown-Amaryllis
Anathema-Weather Systems
Sigur Ros-Valtari
Melvins-Freak Puke


And I'm psyched for Gojira's L'Enfant Sauvage!
AND EPICLOUD

[Scorpion]

Affector - Harmagedon

This. This album is soooo good, especially the title track.

[obscure]

Akphaezya - Anthology IV: The Tragedy of Nerak. This album almost ranks up there with the two previously mentioned. One of the best "avant-garde" metal releases in a good while.

Sigh - In Somniphobia

Eluveitie-Helvetios
Shinedown-Amaryllis

exactly!!!! especially Akphaezya and Sigh!!!!