Who doesn’t like a top 5 list? I did a shout out and called 51 people to ask them what their top 5’s of 2015 were. I left it to the person as to what category/topic the list should be. There’s a real mix in here, some serious and some not so much. I hope you enjoy and all the very best for 2016!

Important note: To get full context of these lists and reasons behind each choice, I highly recommend listening to the actual episode. Some of them won’t make sense otherwise… or at least make even less sense!

1. Top 5 ‘gigs‘ of 2015 by Chris from Sydney, Australia

1. Abbath at The Manning Bar, Sydney
2. Behemoth/Watain/Bolzer – The Metro, Sydney
3. Dimeshow – The Lewisham, Sydney
4. Disentomb/Wretch/Diminish the Gods/Nekrology – The Bald Faced Stag, Sydney
5. Metal United Downunder – The Valve, Sydney

2. Top 5 ‘metal releases‘ of 2015 by Dan from California, USA

Check out Dan’s YouTube Channel featuring live metal videos here.

1. Armored Saint – Win Hands Down
2. Death Dealer – Hallowed Ground
3. Magnus Karlsson – Free Fall
4. Stratovarius – Eternal
5. Empires of Eden – Architect of Hope

3. Top 5 ‘board games‘ of 2015 by Matt from Ballarat, Australia

1. Letters from Whitechapel
2. Dominion
3. Pandemic
4. Ticket to Ride
5. Game of Thrones Monopoly

4. Top 5 ‘insulting/derogatory words‘ of 2015 by Mark from LORD and mork & andee

1. Malaka
2. Faggot
3. Dead Shit
4. Drongo Cunt
5. Arseclown

5. Top 5 ‘books I’ve read‘ of 2015 by Dave from Sydney

1. Confessions of a Heretic – Adam Nergal Darski
2. The Never, Um, Ever Ending Story – Ian Molly Meldrum
3. American Sniper – Chris Kyle
4. Face the Music: A Life Exposed – Paul Stanley
5. How to Make Love Like a Porn Star – Jenna Jamison

6. Top 5 ‘reasons to be happy‘ in 2015 by Adam from Sydney (Session drummer for LORD)

1. The Hateful Eight – Quentin Tarantino’s new movie
2. On the whole, humans are trying to be much nicer and respectful to each other.
3. I can access pornography literally anytime, anywhere from my mobile phone.
4. Tony Abbott is no longer our Prime Minister.
5. You’re alive.

7. Top 5 ‘things I should probably feel worse about but I don’t‘ of 2015 by Broden from Bendigo, Australia and soon-to-be-released ‘Answers to Questions Nobody is Asking’ podcast.

1. Blowing off Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden.
2. Intimidating a teenager in the middle of the night in his undies.
3. Didn’t stop to check on girl walking on road with no shoes on.
4. Blamed another kid for spilling paint in school.
5. Waging class in year 11 to see an early screening of Batman Begins.

8. Top 5 ‘albums‘ of 2015 by Lucas from Brisbane, Australia

1. Trivium – Silence in the Snow
2. Coheed and Cambria – The Color Before the Sun
3. Atreyu – Long Live
4. Bring Me the Horizon – That’s the Spirit
5. Parkway Drive – Ire

9. Top 5 ‘metal album cover designs‘ of 2015 by Ishaan from New Delhi, India and of Headbangers India

1. Unleash the Arches – Time Stands Still
2. Apocalyptica – Shadowmaker
3. Enslaved – In Times
4. Disturbed – Immortalized
5. Nile – What Should Not Be Unearthed

10. Top 5 ‘albums‘ of 2015 by Wayne from Manchester, UK

1. Fear Factory – Genexus
2. Nekrogoblikon – Heavy Meta
3. Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction
4. Soilwork – The Ride Majestic
5. Periphery – Juggernaut

11. Top 5 ‘Aussie thrash bands‘ of 2015 by Dave from Metal Evilution and Steel Assassins Metal Festival

1. Harlott
2. Desecrator
3. Hellbringer
4. In Malice’s Wake
5. Asylum

12. Top 5 ‘Aussie hardcore releases‘ of 2015 by Johnny of Under Nights Cover

1. I, Valiance – The Reject of Humanity
2. Northlane – Node
3. Parkway Drive – Ire
4. Thy Art is Murder – Holy War
5. In Hearts Wake – Skydancer

13. Top 5 ‘things‘ of 2015 by Andrew from Sydney, Australia

1. Proudest moment – Son said ‘Daddy’ for the first time.
2. Top disappointment/disgust – ISIS
3. Top concert – LORD at The Metro with Helloween 
4. Top release – LORD – What Tomorrow Brings
5. Top food – Cronuts

14. Top 5 ‘gigs I’ve shot‘ of 2015 by Mick of MickG Photography

1. KISS in Newcastle
2. AC/DC in Sydney
3. Rise Against in Sydney
4. John Farnham/Olivia Newtown-John in Sydney
5. Legions of Steel Festival in Melbourne

15. Top 5 ‘public figures who need to fuck right off‘ of 2015 by Jez of Armidale, Australia

1. Ronda Rousey
2. Jarryd Hayne
3. Bindi Irwin
4. Malcolm Turnbull
5. Adele

16. Top 5 ‘double track listings from Tribulation – Children of the Night ‘ of 2015 by Django from Sydney, Australia

1. Strange Gateways Beckon/Melancholia
2. In the Dreams of the Dead/Winds
3. Sjalaflykt/The Motherhood of God
4. Strains of Horror/Holy Libations
5. Cauda Pavonis/Music from the Other

17. Top 5 ‘music releases‘ of 2015 by Alasdair from Under Nights Cover

1. Miles Away – Tide
2. Mowgli/Featherweight Split
3. Parkway Drive – Ire
4. August Burns Red – Found in Faraway Places
5. Thy Art is Murder – Holy War

18. Top 5 ‘Scotches‘ of 2015 by Mark from Under Nights Cover

1. Bowmore Small Batch
2. Cragganmore 10 Year Old
3. Alberlour 12 Year Old Double Cask Matured
4. Laphroaig 10 Year Old
5. Bruichladdich Octomore 6.1

19. Top 5 ‘albums that I’ve kind of enjoyed‘ of 2015 by Riju (aka Dr. Hex) of Albatross and Primitiv 

1. Satan – Atom by Atom –
2. LORD – What Tomorrow Brings –
3. Iron Maiden – The Book of Souls –
4. Raven – ExtermiNation –
5. Ghost – Meliora

20. Top 5 ‘concerts that I’ve played‘ of 2015 by Stu from Silent Knight

1. Helloween at The Capitol in Perth
2. Hammersonic Festival in Indonesia
3. Black Label Society at The Metropolis in Fremantle
4. David Ellefson at The Civic Hotel in Perth
5. Silent Knight album launch at The Amplifier in Perth

21. Top 5 ‘tins‘ of 2015 by Steve of Defenders of the Metal Faith Radio Show

1. Sapporo tin
2. Lazy Yak tin
3. Carlsberg tin
4. Asahi tin
5. Heineken tin

22. Top 5 ‘albums‘ of 2015 by Nico from Terrorfest

1. All Them Witches – Dying Surfer Meets his Maker
2. Clutch – Psychic Warfare
3. Watchtower – Radiant Moon EP
4. Horsehunter – Caged in Flesh
5. Elder – Lore 

23. Top 5 ‘list items from a top 5 list‘ of 2015 by Tim from LORD 

1. Item number 3
2. Item number 1
3. Item number 2
4. Item number 4
5. Item number 5

24. Top 5 ‘things‘ of 2015 by Chris from Vanishing Point

1. Accepted my baldness
2. Finished writing an album
3. Buying another guitar
4. Tony Abbott has fucked off out of politics
5. New albums by Black Majesty, Harlott and Orpheus Omega.

25. Top 5 ‘indie games that you aren’t playing enough of this year‘ of 2015 by TJ from Rule 34 

1. Ingress
2. Stranded Deep
3. Rouge Legacy
4. One Way Heroics
5. Quest for infamy

26. Top 5 ‘ProgPower USA 2015 artists‘ of 2015 by Alan from Demorest, Georgia, USA

1. Voyager
2. Riverside
3. Native Construct
4. Jeff Scott Soto
5. Helker 

27. Top 5 ‘artists I’ve had on rotation‘ in 2015 by Belinda from Made By Miss B 

1. Alice in Chains
2. Truckfighters
3. Queens of the Stone Age
4. Alkline Trio
5. Mark Lanegan

28. Top 5 ‘picks for Triple J’s Hottest 100‘ of 2015 by Jerry from Sydney

1. British India – Wrong Direction
2. Bring Me the Horizon – Drown
3. Chvrches – Clearest Blue
4. Boo Seeka – Deception Bay
5. The Wombats – Be Your Shadow

29. Top 5 ‘reasons why I’m not going to see Star Wars at the cinema‘ of 2015 by Luke from Perth 

1. I’d rather for it to go on the internet so I can download it and chill with my lady friend.
2. I don’t go to party at sausage fests, why would I go to the cinema.
3. Disney has given me an unrealistic expectation on how women should be.
4. There’s a court order in place that prevents me from using the force.
5. Open to interpretation

30. Top 5 ‘guitar gear‘ of 2015 by Peter from I Heart Guitar Blog 

1. Jason Becker’s Carvin ‘Numbers’ signature model guitar – HERE.
2. Zakk Wylde’s Wylde Audio – HERE.
3. The rise of Ormsby Guitars – HERE.
4. Gibson USA 2016 model range custom flexibility – HERE.
5. Blackstar Amplifier Fly 3 – HERE.

31. Top 5 ‘favourite albums of the week‘ (what?) of 2015 by Brendan from Leeton, Australia

1. Alison’s Halo – Eyedazzler
2. Lagerstein – Drink til we Die
3. Dark Tranquility – Haven
4. Ayreon – The Human Equation
5. The pHloggs Collection

32. Top 5 ‘crazy things that have happened to us on tour‘ of 2015 by Jason from Truth Corroded 

1. Having a loaded machine gun pointed at us while we were in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
2. Being put on the terrorist watchlist while we were in England.
3. Being drugged by the Yakuza in Tokyo.
4. Seeing a two headed lady in Prague.
5. Partying and drinking with the Chinese drug lords in Shenzhen, China.

33. Top 5 ‘albums‘ of 2015 by Chris from Truth Corroded

1. Hope Drone – Cloak of Ash
2. Rivers of Nihil – Monarchy
3. The Black Dahlia Murder – Abysmal
4. Sylosis – Dormant Heart
5. Red Apollo – Altruist

34. Top 5 ‘encounters‘ of 2015 by Mat from Melbourne, Australia

1. Jonathan Barwick
2. Ronda Rousey
3. Dave Mustaine
4. Yngwie Malmsteen
5. Zakk Wylde

35. Top 5 ‘meals i’ve cooked at home‘ of 2015 by Rob from Carbon Black

1. Cheese fondue.
2. Pizza’s in my outdoor oven.
3. Chicken laksa noodle soup.
4. Lamb saag spinach curry.
5. Lasagne.

36. Top 5 ‘cheeses‘ of 2015 by Flynn from Stormforge 

1. Mainland Smoked Cheddar
2. Mamma’s Feta
3. Alpine Valley Colby
4. Mozzarella
5. Mainland Cheddar Masters Matured Cheddar

37. Top 5 ‘albums‘ of 2015 by Patrick of I Probably Hate Your Band 

1. Psycroptic – Psycroptic
2. Harlott – Proliferation
3. In Malice’s Wake – Light Upon the Wicked
4. Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction
5. King Parrot – Dead Set

38. Top 5 ‘things‘ of 2015 by Mitch from Hemina

1. Getting my Ibanez RG927 WZCZ
2. Having amazing band mates
3. Album: Teramaze – Her Halo
4. Discovering Southern Sons
5. Recording our third album, due out next year.

39. Top 5 ‘records‘ of 2015 by Dougie from Hemina

1. Teramaze – Her Halo
2. Bring Me the Horizon – That’s the Spirit
3. Leprous – The Congregation
4. Caligula’s Horse – Bloom
5. Hiatus Kaiyote – Choose Your Weapon

40. Top 5 ‘vocal influences‘ of 2015 by Anne from Melbourne, Australia

1. Lord Tim
2. Bruce Dickinson
3. Deborah Harry
4. John Arch
5. Anne Wilson

41. Top 5 ‘beers‘ of 2015 by Andrew from Taree, Australia

1. The Chancer Golden Ale – James Squire
2. Little Creatures Pale Ale
3. Murray’s Whale Ale –
4. Nine Tales Amber Ale – James Squire
5. White Rabbit Dark Ale

42. Top 5 ‘gigs‘ of 2015 by Cam from Silent Knight

1. John Farnham at Kings Park, Perth
2. The Eagles at Perth Arena
3. Cold Chisel at Perth Arena
4. Helloween at The Capitol in Perth
5. Opeth at The Astor Theatre, Perth

43. Top 5 ‘memes I’ve seen‘ of 2015 by Mick from Aversions Crown and Widow the Sea 

1. HERE
2. HERE
3. HERE
4. HERE
5. HERE 

44. Top 5 ‘foods with bacon in it‘ of 2015 by Craig from Sydney

1. Hamburger with bacon and cheese, no salad.
2. Bacon and egg roll.
3. French toast with crispy bacon.
4. Pancakes, maple syrup and bacon.
5. Sauteed onion, mushroom, bacon, pepper/salt, bit of garlic – when it’s done, add some double cream and finely chopped coriander

45. Top 5 ‘tins of beer‘ of 2015 by Roxx from Catalano and ex-De La Cruz 

1. XXXX Gold
2. Karhu
3. Suntory Premium
4. Tooheys New
5. Pabst Blue Ribbon

46. Top 5 ‘terrible zombie movie titles‘ of 2015 by Michelle from Adelaide

1. Zombie Cats from Mars
2. Crack House of the Dead
3. Attack of the Psychedelic Zombies, Man
4. Me and My Mates Vs the Zombie Apocalypse
5. Milfs vs. Zombies

47. Top 5 ‘gigs I probably should have seen, but didn’t‘ of 2015 by Dieter from Metreya 

1. Bolt Thrower – Unfortunately cancelled. RIP Martin.
2. AC/DC in Sydney
3. Lamb of God  /Killer Be Killed in Sydney
4. Machine Head in Sydney
5. Abbath in Sydney

48. Top 5 ‘movies‘ of 2015 by Chris from Orpheus Omega 

1. The Martian
2. Ant-Man
3. Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation
4. Straight Outta Compton
5. Star Wars – The Force Awakens

49. Top 5 (actually 4) ‘music releases‘ of 2015 by Mitch from Sydney

1. Turnstile – Step 2 Rhythm
2. Young Wolf – Familiar Comfort
3. Reactions – Soul Witness
4. ??? No idea what Mitch has said – Any ideas?
5. N/A

50. Top 5 ‘music releases‘ of 2015 by Mik from Iceland

1. Swallow the Sun – Songs from the North I, II, & III
2. Skepticism – Ordeal
3. Misþyrming – Söngvar elds og óreiðu
4. Katatonia – Sanctitude
5. Rolo Tomassi – Grievances 

51. Top 5 ‘things‘ of 2015 by Karl from In Malice’s Wake

1. Got endorsed by Spector Basses
2. Recorded In Malice’s Wake’s new album ‘Light Upon the Wicked‘
3. Went scuba diving for the first time.
4. Went snowboarding for the first time.
5. Played Rugby again for first time in 10 years.