::: HEAVY PARADISE'S AWARDS FOR 2012 :::

So, another year passed by and it's the time of the year of the Heavy Paradise's Top 20 albums list!! Another excellent year full of great releases and, of course, another year of Heavy Paradise. Before we review the Top albums, and this year we have new categories, I have to give a HUGE thank you to Heavy Paradise's readers. Yes, you that have followed this site and give us a reason to go on and on and on!! You rawk!!! Also, I would like to thank the following people, sites and bands : my family, Chris Siloma, Rock Report, Wild Rose,  Nikk Reptile, Michael Bormann, Athan "Lyssa Kazakis", Ewen, Axel at Rock N Growl, Bakerteam Records, Fotis and all the team at Rock Way, Pierpaolo "Zorro" Monti and Lionville, DYNAZTY, Coldspell, The Rhyme band, David Reece, Tango Down, Terry Ilous, Joe Matera, Harry Hess from Harem Scarem, Mikael Carlsson from Lover Under Cover and everyone who helped Heavy Paradise to get along all those years! A BIG thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!!!

• HEAVY PARADISE 'S 2012 TOP 20 ALBUMS :

1. TANGO DOWN - IDENTITY CRISIS (This is a great hard rock album in an ol' fashioned way!!!)
2. H.E.A.T. - ADDRESS THE NATION (A new album with a new singer and again a HUGE release from this amazing band....it could have also ended up at number 1...)
3. DYNAZTY - SULTANS OF SIN (It rocked my world.....a future classic!!!)
4. JIMI JAMISON - NEVER TOO LATE ( The voice of 'rock' Jimi Jamison brings back the classic Survivor sound with a 'fresh' air)
5. ECLIPSE - BLEED AND SCREAM (Erik Martensson and his gang are back with another great effort)
6. LIONVILLE - II (A big future for the AOR/ Melodic Rock scene)
7. HARRY HESS - LIVING IN YESTERDAY (The voice of the great Harem Scarem is back with a brilliant solo album.)
8. SECRET SPHERE - PORTRAIT OF A DYING HEART ( The biggest 2012 surprise!!!)
9.  REVERENCE - WHEN DARKNESS CALLS (A traditional US Metal album)
10. TRIXTER - NEW AUDIO MACHINE (A simple great comeback)

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11. LOVER UNDER COVER - SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE

12. DANGER ZONE - UNDYING

13. LOVE.MIGHT.KILL. - 2 BIG 2 FAIL

14. HALESTORM - THE STRANGE CASE OF...

15. DIRTY PASSION - IN WONDERLAND

16. HOLLOW HAZE - POISON IN BLACK

17. SHINEDOWN - AMARYLLIS

18. BEJELIT - EMERGE

19. HARDLINE - DANGER ZONE

20. JEFF SCOTT SOTO - DAMAGE CONTROL

• BEST 10 MELODIC POWER METAL ALBUMS OF 2012 : 

1. SECRET SPHERE - PORTRAIT OF A DYING HEART

2. HOLLOW HAZE - POISON IN BLACK

3. BLOODBOUND - IN THE NAME OF METAL

4. EVERSHINE - RENEWAL

5. SOUND STORM - IMMORTALIA

6. BEJELIT - EMERGE

7. HOLY KNIGHTS -  BETWEEN DAYLIGHT AND PAIN

8. BURNING POINT - THE IGNITOR

9. WIND ROSE - SHADOWS OVER LOTHADRUIN

10. THY MAJESTIE - SHIHUANGDI

• BEST COMEBACK ALBUM:  

TRIXTER - NEW AUDIO MACHINE 

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• BEST VIDEO CLIP OF 2012 

"JIMI JAMISON - NEVER TOO LATE" 

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• BEST SONGS OF 2012

1. Land Of Broken Dreams : DYNAZTY
2. In And Out Of Trouble : H.E.A.T.
3. After The End Of The World : ECLIPSE
4. Never Too Late : JIMI JAMISON
5. Falling Down : HARRY HESS
6. Eternity : SECRET SPHERE
7. XTC : LOVE.MIGHT.KILL
8. Walk With A Stranger : TRIXTER
9. Crying To Me : TANGO DOWN
10. To Forget And To Forgive : BEJELIT

• HONORABLE MENTIONS IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER : 

• TYKETTO - DIG IN DEEP
• KISSIN' DYNAMITE - MONEY, SEX & POWER 
• TRAIL OF MURDER - SHADES OF ART
• EDEN LOST - BREAKING THE SILENCE
• GOTTHARD - FIREBIRTH
• DOKKEN - BROKEN BONES
• ANDY ROCK - INTO THE NIGHT
• AOR - L.A. TEMPTATION
• CHASING VIOLETS - OUTSIDE HEAVEN
• BULLET TRAIN BLAST - NOTHING REMAINS 
• A PERFECT DAY - A PERFECT DAY 
• DEVIL'S TRAIN - S/T
• JEERK - FAMOUS
• CYANIDE 4 - EVERY DAY IS A MASQUERADE
• GREAT WHITE - ELATION
• LITTLE CAESAR - AMERICAN DREAM
• WHEELS OF FIRE - UP FOR ANYTHING

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• BEST COVER ARTWORK OF 2012 :

SECRET SPHERE : PORTRAIT OF A DYING HEART 

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So, this is it folks for this year!!! An excellent year with some really brilliant releases. I would like to wish to each and everyone of you Happy Holidays, all the best for 2013 with health and great music! Keep on rockin' in Heavy Paradise.

Vassilis Hassirtzoglou (Heavy Paradise)