Since Metal Meltdown's inception in late 1997, I have always paused at the end of the year to count down my favorite releases of the moment. Looking back at these lists would surely cause me to reevaluate both which albums are missing and the individual rankings, and for that reason each list is simply presented here as it was given to the radio audience at the time.
Top 23 Albums of 2005
1) Sentenced - The Funeral Album
2) Demons & Wizards - Touched by the Crimson King
3) Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny of Souls
4) Frameshift - An Absence of Empathy
5) Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds
6) Savage Circus - Dreamland Manor
7) Gamma Ray - Majestic
8) Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy
9) Dark Tranquillity - Character
10) Grave Digger - The Last Supper
11) Kamelot - The Black Halo
12) Buckcherry - 15
13) Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore Superstar
14) Freedom Call - The Circle of Life
15) Paradise Lost - Paradise Lost
16) Rob Rock - Holy Hell
17) Gun Barrel - Bombard Your Soul
18) Primal Fear - Seven Seals
19) Russell Allen/Jorn Lande - The Battle
20) Symphorce - Godspeed
21) Morgana Lefay - Grand Materia
22) James LaBrie - Elements of Persuasion
23) Thunderstone - Tools of Destruction
2) Demons & Wizards - Touched by the Crimson King
3) Bruce Dickinson - Tyranny of Souls
4) Frameshift - An Absence of Empathy
5) Alice Cooper - Dirty Diamonds
6) Savage Circus - Dreamland Manor
7) Gamma Ray - Majestic
8) Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy
9) Dark Tranquillity - Character
10) Grave Digger - The Last Supper
11) Kamelot - The Black Halo
12) Buckcherry - 15
13) Hardcore Superstar - Hardcore Superstar
14) Freedom Call - The Circle of Life
15) Paradise Lost - Paradise Lost
16) Rob Rock - Holy Hell
17) Gun Barrel - Bombard Your Soul
18) Primal Fear - Seven Seals
19) Russell Allen/Jorn Lande - The Battle
20) Symphorce - Godspeed
21) Morgana Lefay - Grand Materia
22) James LaBrie - Elements of Persuasion
23) Thunderstone - Tools of Destruction