TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2012 BY REGION

Yes, it's End of the Year time.  If it seems like I haven't been putting too much stuff up here it's because I've been busy with my Year in Review stuff.  This is a teaser of what's to come: a complete rundown of the best releases (from what I've heard) from 2012, month by month, in chronological order.  Why?  Because!  It's a bit different, it's a way to get the word out on a whole ton of great music very quickly (which is the only reason to do a blog like this) and it saves me having to rank them!  We're going to do one a day starting tomorrow and then the next eleven days after ending on the final day of the year, and on the First of January I'm going to completely contradict what I just said and post a final Top 100 Most Played of 2012.

But, first up, The Paranoid Hitsophrenic Top 5 Albums of 2012, By Region.

CANADA

1. MANLORD (ST)
2. SONS OF OTIS (S E I S M I C)
3. BISON B.C. (Lovelessness)
4. DOPETHRONE (III)
5. BUFFALO THEORY MTL (Heavy Ride)

UNITED STATES (West)

1. HIGH ON FIRE (De Vermis Mysteriis)
2. MOS GENERATOR (Nomads)
3. SAINT VITUS (Lillie F-65)
4. GOYA (Demo)
5. SNAIL (Terminus)

UNITED STATES (Midwest)

1. MOON CURSE (ST)
2. RED DESERT (Damned By Fate)
3. NIGHTOSAUR (Spaceaxers)
4. IRON HILLS (Famine)
5. GHOST TOWER (Head of Night)

UNITED STATES (Texas)

1. FROM BEYOND (One Year EP)
2. VENOMOUS MAXIMUS (Beg Upon The Light)
3. WO FAT (The Black Code)
4. THE SWORD (Apocryphon)
5. FROM BEYOND (The Color Out of Space EP)

UNITED STATES (South)

1. CORROSION OF CONFORMITY (ST)
2. HOUR OF 13 (333)
3. WINDHAND (ST)
4. DOWN (Down IV Part I: The Purple EP)
5. MIDNIGHT GHOST TRAIN (Buffalo)

UNITED STATES (Northeast)

1. SUMMER LOVE (ST)
2. NATUR (Head of Death)
3. BEDEMON (Symphony of Shadows)
4. PITCH BLACK FORECAST (Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame)
5. RED HOT REBELLION (ST)

UNITED STATES (Boston / New England)

1. SONIC TITAN (Even Higher)
2. ICHABOD (Dreamscapes From Dead Space)
3. LORD FOWL (Moon Queen)
4. SET (Sacred Moon Cult)
5. ICE DRAGON (Dream Dragon)

MEXICO / SOUTH AMERICA

1. AT DEVIL DIRT (Chapter II "vulgo gratissimus auctor")
2. NECRONOMICON (The Queen of Death)
3. BLACK OVERDRIVE (ST)
4. HELLRYDE INC (Hellryde Incorporated)
5. SON OF A WITCH (ST)

UK

1. ORANGE GOBLIN (A Eulogy For the Damned)
2. ADMIRAL SIR CLOUDESLEY SHOVELL (Don't Hear It ... Fear It!)
3. WITCHSORROW (God Curse Us)
4. STEAK (Disastronaught)
5. PARADISE LOST (Tragic Idol)

FRANCE

1. SOUNDCRAWLER (The Sandcrawler)
2. ABRAHMA (Through the Dusty Paths Of Our Lives)
3. SLUT MACHINE (From Blind To Blue)
4. TOMBSTONE (Devil's Ride EP)
5. LAHIUS (ST)

MEDITERRANEAN

1. NIGHTSTALKER (Dead Rock Commandos)
2. DSW (Dust Storm Warning)
3. DALA SUN (Gegenschein)
4. UFOMAMMUT (ORO)
5. SPINE CHILLING BREEZE (Milky Way)

GERMANY

1. MOUNT FUJI (ST)
2. KADAVAR (ST)
3. HEAT (Old Sparky)
4. SEAMOUNT (Earthmother)
5. ALEPH NULL (Dale EP)

DENMARK / NETHERLANDS / NORWAY

1. MOONLESS (Calling All Demons)
2. ALTAR OF OBLIVION (Grand Gesture of Defiance)
3. YAMA (Seaquake)
4. PET THE PREACHER (The Banjo)
5. TOMBSTONES (Year of the Burial)

SWEDEN

1. SKANSKA MORD (Paths to Charon)
2. THE GRAVIATORS (Evil Deeds)
3. CAPTAIN CRIMSON (Dancing Madly Backwards)
4. WITCHCRAFT (Legend)
5. MAMONT (Passing Through the Mastery Door)

FINLAND

1. VINUM SABBATUM (Bacchanale Premiere)
2. THE WANDERING MIDGET (From the Meadows of Opium Dreams)
3. MANGOO (Neverland)
4. DEMONIC DEATH JUDGE (Skygods)
5. SEREMONIA (ST)

EASTERN EUROPE

1. SATELLITE BEAVER (The Last Bow)
2. SNAKE THURSDAY (Cruise Mode)
3. DOPELORD (Magick Rites)
4. GRIZZLY (Fear My Wrath)
5. STONER TRAIN (Hobo From the Outer Space)

AUSTRALIA / NEW ZEALAND / ASIA

1. BEASTWARS (ST)
2. VON THUNDERSVOLT (Demo)
3. MOTHERSLUG (ST)
4. BEVAR SEA (ST)
5. LAW OF THE TONGUE (ST)