Best Non-Extreme Metal Albums of 2018

In 2018 extreme metal albums were more interesting than the non-extreme albums. It's been like that for long time, with rare exceptions. I think this happens because extreme metal experiments more in general.

But non-extreme metal albums of 2018 deserve a list, too. Although most of the albums are safe and don't offer many new things.

The Top Ten

1 Firepower - Judas Priest

I LOVE this album. The best song on here is Lightning Strike.

Oh yeah! Now we're talking metal in 2018!

2 Thunderbolt - Saxon

3 Ømni - Angra

Power metal from Brazil with vox by Fabio Lione from Rhapsody (Of Fire)

4 The Living Dead - Grave Digger

I was never a fan of this power metal band but I heard this album got very positive reviews in Germany - the home country of the band - and I got interested.

So I gave a listen to 3 songs (only 3 were available) and it was what I expected - nothing special, just standard power metal. Same music templates (music cliche) over and over again. Those 3 songs were not bad, just...generic.
Germans are known for making the best power metal and expectations are very high which partly explains my disappointment. Although I didn't expect much from this particular band.
However, I think most of the power metal fans would like the album.

5 Apocalypse - Primal Fear

Primal Fear sound like Judas Priest Jr.
Godly singer and twin lead guitars but this band had much better albums.

However, this album is exactly what Primal Fear fans would expect from the band based on their previous albums. No change in the style/genre (it's still heavy metal, power metal, and maybe some hard rock).

6 The Shadow Theory - Kamelot