For our 6th annual Highlighting feature, we're doing things a little differently. Normally, we select our top 25 most anticipated releases for the whole year, but we realize that it's tough to really gauge EVERYTHING that may release throughout a given year when we're making the list in January. So, for 2012, we're splitting the year into TWO pieces -- January to June and July to December (Click here for Part 2). Also, we're making each list 15 artists/releases for a total of 30 in 2012. So, without further ado, we give you Highlighting First-Half 2012!

	9 of 15   #9. Demon Hunter True Defiance Release Date: April 10, 2012 With each new album, Demon Hunter gets progressively softer and softer from the "hardcore" label that they are associated with. While I am excited to see what is produced this time around, I am hoping for a little more of the throat wrenching growls that caught my attention back in the early 2000's.         - Kevin Hoskins Demon Hunter kept getting heavier and heavier, but kept losing my attention as well. 2010's stunner from the guys, The World Is A Thorn (arguably their heaviest and most metal material to date), gave me no choice but to love nearly every song on the album. I can say I'm a Demon Hunter fan again, and I can't wait to hear what they've cooked up this time around.         - Scott Fryberger Though some may be dismayed at more line-up changes within the band, the one constant remains: Ryan Clark. If the man behind the band is in place, you can count me in for a new Demon Hunter release any day. While The World is a Thorn was nowhere near the band's best, I have enormous expectations for this album. Giving the band's comments on their distaste for the current metal scene--and I agree with the points they made--this should be an epic release, as well as the heaviest and most aggressive of the band's career.         - Michael Weaver The World is a Thorn was possibly Demon Hunter's best work to date, but you never really know where this band is going from album to album. As one of the current godfathers of Christian Metal, this is a band that never seems content to settle on a specific sound, often trying to mix in a variety of influences in their music, with perhaps mixed results. More often than not, however, these guys have been able to put together some truly excellent metal, and there's no reason to think this upcoming album will be an exception.         - Timothy Estabrooks Visit our Demon Hunter page for more information about them... 2012 Countdown: 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 ©January, 2012 Jesusfreakhideout.com