Top Ten Lists - 1998

1. The Gathering How To Measure A Planet?
2. Theatre Of Tragedy Aegis
3. Opera IX Sacro Culto
4. Hades $avior$elf
5. Witchery Restless & Dead
6. System Of A Down System Of A Down
7. Candlemass Dactylis Glomerata
8. Bal-Sagoth Battle Magic
9. Queens Of The Stone Age Queens Of The Stone Age
10. Spiritual Beggars Mantra III

1. Iced Earth Something Wicked This Way Comes
2. Slayer Diabolus In Musica
3. Fear Factory Obsolete
4. Bruce Dickinson The Chemical Wedding
5. Death Sound Of Perseverance
6. Cradle Of Filth Cruelty And The Beast
7. Helloween Better Than Raw
8. Blind Guardian Nightfall In Middle Earth
9. HammerFall Legacy Of Kings
10. Iron Maiden Virtual XI

As is typical in recent years, my top ten have practically nothing in common with the Internet's top ten. Another year with no clear #1, and several good (rather than great) albums. Nice to see some old friends with strong comebacks, though (Hades, Candlemass).

Not many surprises (except Iron Maiden, arguably a vote for the band rather than the album), as power metal, mostly of the Euro variety, has the upper hand here.