Before revealing the results of this new TOP WAVES, let's take a look at the official French rankings for physical record sales (source Snep).
In terms of physical sales, Mass Hysteria's "Tenace - Part 1" takes first place.
Metallica's "72 Seasons" ranks 9th
Depeche Mode's "Memento Mori" ranks 11th
Maneskin's "Rush" is 21st
Immortal's "War Against All" comes 25th (a black metal album comes 25th in a French chart: just goes to show that anything is possible!!!)
Ghost's "Phantomine" ranks 26th
Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" Live at Wembley is 43rd
Cattle Decapitation's "Terrasite" lands in 55th place (a death metal album with such an appealing cover 55th: definitely like what...)
"Mirror to the Sky" by Yes is 60th (an album by one of the leading figures in progressive rock 60th: no, definitely, this top is not real)
Imagine Dragons' "Mercury Act I" is 70th
Muse's "Will of the People" is 72nd
Elegant Weapons' "Horns for a Halo" is 80th
Boss Bruce Springsteen survives at #94 with "Only the Strong Survive
Def Leppard's "Drastic Symphonies" is 95th
For this TOP WAVES GENERAL MAY 2023, we have not one but two winners.
The first of these is Ana Popovic with her new album: "Power is a powerful record in terms of the feelings it reveals and its interpretation, full of contrasting emotions, powerful in its simplicity, its sublime arrangements, its tender, wild voice, but also its fragility" (ThibautK).
ANA POPOVIC Power
The second is Host!
"You liked "Host" and "Believe In Nothing" from Paradise Lost? Then you'll love "Xi" from Host, the new project from Nick Holmes and Greg Mackintosh!" (Childeric Thor)
HOST Ix
And Revolution Saints completes the podium.
"Revolution Saints are back in top form with "Eagle Flight", which will stun hard-melomaniacs and Journey fans in particular." (Lynott)
REVOLUTION SAINTS Eagle Flight
Detailed General ranking
ANA POPOVIC: Power (Blues) 15
HOST: Ix (Gothic Metal) 15
REVOLUTION SAINTS: Eagle Flight (Melodic Hard Rock) 12
NOISEWORKS: Evolution (Rock) 10
OMNEROD: The Amensal Rise (Progressive Metal) 10
GHOST: Phantomime (Heavy Metal) 7
CATTLE DECAPITATION: Terrasite (Death Metal) 6
AD INFINITUM: Ad Infinitum Chapter Iii - Downfall (Melodic Metal) 6
KICK MURPHYS: Okemah Rising (Rock) 6
OBITUARY: Dying Of Everything (Death Metal) 6
SUPERSONIC REVOLUTION: Golden Age Of Music (Melodic Metal) 6
LIV SIN: Kaliyuga (Heavy Metal) 5
DISTANCE H: Intimacy (Rock) 5
THOMAS CHARLIE PEDERSEN: Employees Must Wash Hands (Rock) 4
VILLE VALO: Neon Noir (Gothic Metal) 3
ASHES OF SAINT LAURENT: Obvoluta (Heavy Metal) 3
AUGUST BURNS RED: Death Below (Metalcore) 1
AMPLIFIER: Hologram (Alternative Rock) 1
GRAND DESIGN: Rawk (Melodic Hard Rock) 1
HANGING GARDEN: The Garden (Atmospheric Metal) 1
LODZ: Moons And Hideaways (Metal Fusion) 1
MICHAELLE DIONI: Dix Huit (Rock) 1
TREPONEM PAL: Screamers (Industrial Metal) 1
May 2023's TOP WAVES METAL is won by... Ghost...
"Phantomime is a well-balanced EP, which brings the pleasure of rediscovering some very good 70s/80s pop rock tracks, but Ghost unfortunately doesn't take any adaptation or re-writing risks here..." (ProgRacer)
GHOST Phantomime
Second place is shared by two groups. The first of these is Hanging Garden.
"The Garden sees Hanging Garden condense its purpose but lose in depth what it gains in impact." (Loloceltic)
HANGING GARDEN The Garden
And Ad Infinitum...
"Epic, seismic and continuously melodic, this "Chapter III - Downfall" will allow Ad Infinitum to take its place in the big league of its world." (Lynott)
AD INFINITUM Ad Infinitum Chapter Iii - Downfall
Detailed Metal ranking
GHOST: Phantomime (Heavy Metal) 17
HANGING GARDEN: The Garden (Atmospheric Metal) 14
AD INFINITUM: Ad Infinitum Chapter Iii - Downfall (Melodic Metal) 14
OMNEROD: The Amensal Rise (Progressive Metal) 12
SUPERSONIC REVOLUTION: Golden Age Of Music (Melodic Metal) 12
HOST: Ix (Gothic Metal) 10
OBITUARY: Dying Of Everything (Death Metal) 8
LODZ: Moons And Hideaways (Metal Fusion) 7
VILLE VALO: Neon Noir (Gothic Metal) 7
AUGUST BURNS RED: Death Below (Metalcore) 6
CATTLE DECAPITATION: Terrasite (Death Metal) 6
LIV SIN: Kaliyuga (Heavy Metal) 5
NIGHT DEMON: Outsider (Heavy Metal) 3
ASHES OF SAINT LAURENT: Obvoluta (Heavy Metal) 3
TREPONEM PAL: Screamers (Industrial Metal) 1
ALIENATOR: Regrets (Hardcore) 1
The first two places on the TOP WAVES ROCK MAY 2023 are shared by Revolution Saints and Ana Popovic respectively... with third place going to Noiseworks...
"Evolution" marks the dazzling return of Noiseworks, who has taken the best from all the trials they've been through to offer a collection of tracks of infectious, euphoric optimism." (Loloceltic)
NOISEWORKS Evolution
Detailed Rock ranking
REVOLUTION SAINTS: Eagle Flight (Melodic Hard Rock) 22
ANA POPOVIC: Power (Blues) 16
NOISEWORKS: Evolution (Rock) 11
KICK MURPHYS: Okemah Rising (Rock) 10
TYGERS OF PAN TANG: Bloodlines (Hard Rock) 8
DOMINIC MILLER: Vagabond (Pop) 7
AMPLIFIER: Hologram (Alternative Rock) 6
THOMAS CHARLIE PEDERSEN: Employees Must Wash Hands (Rock) 6
DISTANCE H: Intimacy (Rock) 5
GRAND DESIGN: Rawk (Melodic Hard Rock) 4
MICHAELLE DIONI: Dix Huit (Rock) 1
DEMONS DOWN: I Stand (Melodic Hard Rock) 1
YVAN LE BOLLOC'H & MA GUITARE: Esperanza (Autres) 1
TAD MOROSE: March Of The Obsequious (Hard Rock) 1
More informations on http://www.musicwaves.fr/