Favorite albums:

1. Galneryus - Ultimate Sacrifice

2. Bloody Tyrant - Solitary Eagle

3. Ayreon - The Source

4. Septicflesh - Codex Omega

5. Paradise Lost - Medusa

6. Solstafir - Berdreyminn

7. Iron Reagan - Crossover Ministry

8. Sun of the Sleepless - To the Elements

9. Loviatar - Loviatar

10. Droid - Terrestrial Mutations

11. Over Kill - The Grinding Wheel

12. Wintersun - The Forest Seasons

13. Xandria - Theater of Dimensions

14. Alestorm - No Grave but the Sea

15. Fogalord - Masters of War

16. Kartikeya - Samudra

17. Iced Earth - Incorruptible

18. Phaeton - The Sign of the Curse

19. Ensiferum - Two Paths

20. Dream Spirit - General Triumphant

Greatest compilation:

Deep Purple - Limitless

Best extended play:

Epica - The Solace System 

Most outstanding live album:

Amorphis - An Evening with Friends at Huvila 

Greatest split release:

Opeth & Enslaved - Live in Plovdiv

Most amazing songs:

1. Annihilator - Pieces of You

2. Paradise Lost - Symbolic Virtue

3. Alice Cooper - Paranormal

4. Axel Rudi Pell & Bonnie Tyler - Love's Holding On

5. Helloween - Pumpkins United

6. Deadlift Lolita - Pump Up Japan

7.Deep Purple - Time for Bedlam

8. Over Kill - Goddamn Trouble

9. Iron Reagan - Fuck the Neighbors

10. Moonspell - Todos os Santos

11. Ningen-Isu - Voice of Nihility

12. Orden Ogan - Gunman

13. Suicide Silence - Doris

14. Eisbrecher - Was ist hier los?

15. Alestorm - Mexico

16. Elvenking - Draugen's Maelstrom

17. Aldious - We Are

18. Gothminister - Ich will alles

19. Stahlmann - Nichts spricht wahre Liebe frei

20. Deathrabbits - Spring

Coolest music video:

Deadlift Lolita - Pump Up Japan

Ladies and gentlemen!

It's this time of the year again! Here is a list of my favorite movies of the year. You can find specific reviews for each and every single film on the list on my blog.

Enjoy! Sebastian

The twenty best movies of 2017 so far

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is based upon a French science-fiction comics series and convinces with what might be this year's most stunning visuals in cinema along with Ghost in the Shell earlier this year. Directed by visionary Luc Besson, this highly entertaining film is a breathtaking cinematic experience for the five senses.

However, once you look beyond the incredible special effects, this film suffers from the same flaws as Ghost in the Shell. The story is average at best since it meanders a lot and turns out to be quite predictable. 

Since the comics series consist of numerous parts adding depth to the universe, the cinematic adaptation only shows us a few glimpses of a giant universe. Instead of adding depth to a few select characters or tribes, the movie tries to introduce us to an entire universe in just above two hours which is just too short. The script should have been more concise and focused.

The acting performances are also average at best. Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevigne look young, stylish and cool but they are lacking acting skills. Their characters behave like two silly teenagers gone wild which doesn't fit to the more serious and tense story line. The acting performances such as the body language and delivery of dialogues could have been more authentic, emotional and profound. Obviously, it's hard to say whether the slightly superficial and almost exchangeable performances are due to bad acting, average directing or a weak script. Maybe it's a combination of all three elements. Overall, the acting just isn't all that memorable.

The movie focuses mostly on its stunning sound and visual effects and is an engaging roller coaster ride. While the film is great for what it is, I wouldn't recommend watching this more than once or even purchasing it. Once you go beyond the special effects, you will uncover an unconvincing plot, lack of depth and average acting performances. The film overall rather feels like a video game than a movie. To be honest, I've come across video games with more depth than this film. In the end, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is an entertaining experience but nothing more.

There it is: the end of the end. Black Sabbath has massively influenced heavy rock music in the first ten years of its gigantic career and has managed to go out with a bang over the past five years of its career, including a strong comeback album, an outstanding final extended play and a series of concerts including the very last one from their hometown of Birmingham included here. There exist numerous versions of what might be Black Sabbath's final release. Any fan should definitely go for a version including the entire concert plus a final recording session of five Black Sabbath classics in a vivid live in studio approach. The band shows that it hasn't lost any of its atmosphere, charisma and energy after forty-nine years and it will be missed dearly.

The concert summarizes one last time everything Black Sabbath has always stood for. Bluesy, gloomy and precise riffs, hypnotizing guitar solos, dominating bumblebee bass guitar sounds, tight drumming with occasional percussive elements, eerie melodic vocals, mysterious and occult lyrics and a show with only few special effects but a true front man with a humble attitude, great sense of humor and, most importantly, a close connection to the audience. The sound of the release is authentic, energetic and unpolished. The video section is acceptable even though it includes a few too many cuts and split screen sequences which is a problem most contemporary concert movies suffer from but it certainly isn't among the worst of its kind. The atmosphere at the beginning and the end of the show is amazing but I found that the audience was at times surprisingly quiet in between.

Obviously, some elements such as the set list could be criticized here but that wouldn't do the band justice. Is this concert the best show ever recorded by the band? It certainly isn't but it's clearly above average and the historical context of the show makes it an unforgettable milestone in the history of music. Should you own this package? If you like rock and metal music of any kind, you most definitely should. Thank you for the music and God bless Black Sabbath.

Happy Death Day tells the story of the condescending, dismissive and self-centred student Theresa who gets killed by a masked assailant on her birthday. However, she doesn't die and wakes up in the morning of the same day. Theresa quickly realizes that she must uncover her assailant's identity to survive her birthday and therefore break the curse of experiencing her own death over and over again. Along with a male acquaintance she spent the night with, she starts investigating her potential enemies, their motives and alibis. While doing so, Theresa realizes how her own flaws have let to this tragic situation and she attempts to become a better person.

Happy Death Day is one of best horror movies in recent memory. Instead of focusing on gore and special effects, the film works with a desperate, gloomy and mysterious atmosphere and a few efficient jump scares. 

However, the film has much more going for it. It focuses on a stunning character development as a superficial, rude and egocentric teenage girl slowly becomes a profound, joyful and empathetic young woman. This film can be considered a coming-of-age drama and it's one of the best of its kind.

As if those elements weren't enough, Happy Death Day also tells us an interesting love story that becomes more and more profound as the film progresses. 

It also deals with family and friendship issues in a dramatic way. 

To lighten things up, the movie also includes humorous parts which mostly consist of absurd situation comedy and a few quirky dialogues. 

However, this movie succeeds where films and franchises like Evil Dead and Scream have failed before: the humorous elements never take away from the sinister moments as Happy Death Day feels perfectly balanced. 

The movie is genuinely entertaining from start to finish and once it's over, you simply feel like watching this roller coaster ride again and embrace this movie's unique atmosphere. 

Some critics and viewers have slammed the movie for having a plot that borrows heavily from the concept of Groundhog Day. This is true but Happy Death Day is executed with so much energy and originality that it simply doesn't matter. Even if you are familiar with the concept, this film will still keep you guessing from start to finish. You probably won't see this movie's outcome coming either.

In the end, Happy Death Day is among the very best movies of the year and massively exceeded my expectations. If you like clever horror and coming-of-age movies, you can't get around this film. Happy Death Day is best enjoyed around Halloween with your friends.