MetalReviews

Awards 2010

13 reviewers shared their picks for 2010.

← 2009 2011 →

Danny

Top Albums

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  4. 4.
    Grave Digger - The Clans Will Rise Again
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  16. 15.
  17. 15.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
    Crashdiet - Generation Wild
  3. 3.
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  5. 4.
    Dawn Of Silence - Wicked Saint Or Righteous Sinner
  6. 5.

Alex

Top Albums

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  15. 15.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
  5. 5.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 4.
    Grave Digger - The Clans Will Rise Again
  5. 5.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.

Aleksie

Top Albums

  1. 1.
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  8. 7.
    Helloween - 7 Sinners
  9. 8.
    Marty Friedman - Bad D.N.A.
  10. 9.
  11. 10.
  12. 10.
  13. 11.
  14. 12.
  15. 12.
  16. 13.
    Sons of Liberty - Brushfires of the Mind
  17. 13.
    Overkill - Ironbound — After a slew of alright records and commendable persistence, the east coast skullcrushers blitzed us with a helluva showing - excellent!
  18. 14.
  19. 14.
  20. 14.
    Overkill - Ironbound — After a slew of alright records and commendable persistence, the east coast skullcrushers blitzed us with a helluva showing - excellent!
  21. 14.
    Heathen - The Evolution Of Chaos — If not counting Overkill, the best thrash offering of the year. Lovely riffage!
  22. 15.
  23. 15.
  24. 15.
    Sons of Liberty - Brushfires of the Mind — Social commentary made convincing and heartfelt the American way - no mean feat at all. More lovely riffage!
  25. 15.
    Sons Of Liberty - Brush-Fires Of The Mind — Social commentary made convincing and heartfelt the American way - no mean feat at all. More lovely riffage!

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
    Instanzia - Ghost
  3. 2.
    Instanzia - Ghosts — Canadian power metal? Heck, seems it can be really good.
  4. 3.
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  6. 5.

Disappointments

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  4. 4.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Keep it metal!

Goat

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Shining (Nor) - Blackjazz — It was really the only possible choice. A remarkable and astonishing album that has never strayed far from my playlist since I first heard it.
  2. 2.
    Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini — As condescending as Charles was about it in his best-of list, Enslaved here prove yet again just why they are one of the best bands in Black Metal. Long may their path continue to reap such rewards for us all.
  3. 3.
    Watain - Lawless Darkness — I didn't expect this to be this good, but there you go, the filthy black metallers making an album as much metal as it is black.
  4. 4.
    The Meads Of Asphodel - The Murder Of Jesus The Jew — A proper follow-up to Damascus Steel that builds on its strongest points and marks the Meads' name as one of the brightest lights in the underground.
  5. 5.
    Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here — Sadness at its most beautiful, Anathema have struggled to make their voice heard in recent years. This should change that, a simply lovely album.
  6. 6.
    Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones — The moment I heard Tom's unmistakable 'UGH!' at the start of this album, I knew it would be brilliant. And it is.
  7. 7.
    The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis — More independent, more experimental, more metal - Dillinger again prove they are one of the most exciting acts around.
  8. 8.
    Krieg - The Isolationist — A remarkable album from a remarkable project, Krieg are at the forefront of USBM, and this proves why.
  9. 9.
    Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR — Unjustly criticised by some for not being up to the high standards set by Mabool, ORwarriOR is still a great album in its own right. With a daft name, of course.
  10. 9.
    Ihsahn - After — The Emperor returns with his best solo work, a masterly combination of Post-Black Metal, Prog and wonking saxophone.
  11. 10.
    Cathedral - The Guessing Game — Lee and the boys have some fun here, but never at the listener's expense. Cathedral have never written better songs, sounded more joyous and life-affirming.
  12. 11.
    Solefald - Norrøn Livskunst — The Norwegian wizards have done it again!
  13. 12.
    Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent — The title says it all. Rock's most unappreciated band releases another masterpiece.
  14. 13.
    Canopy - Menhir — A project which has grown to great heights, Menhir is the sound of Death Metal done to perfection. The bar is set even higher for the next one, guys...
  15. 14.
    Alcest - Écailles De Lune — Following its predecessor up perfectly, Neige does it again. Great stuff.
  16. 15.
    Atheist - Jupiter — A great comeback for a great band.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    The Pineapple Thief - Someone Here Is Missing — A band I discovered almost by accident, The Pineapple Thief offer a promising modern prog style all of their own, with a very enjoyable album.
  2. 2.
    In Vain - Mantra — Excellent prog-death from Norway, In Vain prove that there's always something else worthy of discovery in the underground.
  3. 3.
    Imperium Dekadenz - Procella Vadens — Germanic black metal par excellence. Do not ignore this.
  4. 4.
    Odem Arcarum - Outrageous Reverie Above The Erosion Of Barren Earth — Or this! More brilliant Black Metal from Germany.
  5. 5.
    Carach Angren - Death Came Through A Phantom Ship — Black Metal with a sense of style Cradle have been lacking for years, these guys know what they're doing.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    Cephalic Carnage - Misled By Certainty — Surprised to find that I wasn't surprised by this, as I usually am by Cephalic Carnage albums. The sound of a band on autopilot.
  2. 2.
    Kiuas - Lustdriven — A unique band start to sound like everyone else.
  3. 3.
    Mandrake - Innocence Weakness — Following up a great album with an average one will never win you many fans.
  4. 4.
    Soulfly - Omen — After the excellent Conquer, we get... this. Meh.
  5. 5.
    Therion - Sitra Ahra — Weak stuff from a band who we've come to expect better of.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
    Disiplin - Radikale Randgruppe — Disco totaliterianismo!
  2. 2.
    The Acacia Strain - Wormwood — Mosho repetitivo!
  3. 3.
    Ov Hell - The Underworld Regime — Leftovers for a loser's lunch.
  4. 4.
    Landmine Marathon - Sovereign Descent — Bolt Thrower but bad, and with a girl singing. Exactly.
  5. 5.
    Severe Torture - Slaughtered — The epitome of soulless death metal tripe. Look elsewhere for your meaty needs.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — 2010 was a great year for metal, as proved by the albums listed above. They're just a fraction of what I could have listed, and many agonising minutes were spent wondering which album to place where, whether I could rightfully leave artists off altogether. Obviously I have done, and I feel bad, as the likes of Dark Tranquillity, 1349, Fear Factory, Abigor, Deftones, Aborym, Burzum, Hate, High On Fire, Rotting Christ, Soilwork, Orphaned Land and Drudkh all released great albums that I enjoyed a lot. This doesn't include bands that I suspect have released great albums that I havne't yet bent my ears around properly, Blind Guardian and Deathspell Omega two of my most shameful gaps. Despite being such a good year for metal, it's been the nearest yet I came to giving up on the genre and this site, as the two are quite close in my mind. Regular readers can't help but notice that my weekly contributions have dropped like a stone - and not just because of a busy life otherwise, although that's certainly a factor. I think I would have come to quickly regret leaving, yet there's no doubt the desire was there, however briefly, meaning that the new year will see a lot of soul-searching as to what I want from metal, and what I'm getting from it. That's how you know the top 15 are really good, incidentally - these albums, amongst others, helped save my metal soul. Where will my metal soul be in a year's time? Who knows, as long as I'm enjoying the journey I'm happy to wait and see. Here's to 2011.

Thomas

Top Albums

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Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — As you guys can see, 2010 wasn't much to write home about for me, partly because I'm getting more and more picky and partly because I simply find most of what's released nowadays extremely average and hard to find joy in. Here's to a better 2011. Anyway, this was my last year as a reviewer for the site, and I would like to thank all my fellow reviewers and especially Alex, Zadok (Goat) and Chris for guidance and understanding. Keep up the good work and keep metalreviews.com the best metal reviewing site on the web for many years to come. You guys rock.

Charles

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Ihsahn - After — This was a good year for saxophones in metal. But whilst Shining's Blackjazz left the instrument curiously under-used (despite having the word 'jazz' in the title) and Solefald continued their irritating and twee usage of the instrument. So it was left to Ihsahn's amazing metal album to show how unexpected instrumentation in metal can really work. This isn't the only thing to note about it, of course. It's just that the way he used it was symptomatic of the progressive spirit that illuminated After. This has the same creative spirit as Cynic's Traced in Air but channels it into some genuine extremity, and that puts it in quite a special position.
  2. 2.
    Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones — The idea that this record would not feature highly in just about anybody with ears' end of year lists is inconceivable. It misses out on the top spot, though, because it is a little inconsistent. There is no reason for A Thousand Lies to be on this album. Why put in some thrash when you are so clearly not making a thrash album? Why not stick the tunes from the Shatter EP on instead?
  3. 3.
    Immolation - Majesty and Decay — There isn't much to say about this: death metal played with consummate mastery.
  4. 4.
    Deathspell Omega - Paracletus — Continuing to make black metal conservatives sad, and therefore me happy! A slightly frustrating album at times, but I stand by the statement made in my review a thousand times over: no black metal band is currently capable of producing music quite like this.
  5. 5.
    Murmuüre - Murmuüre — This was a short and strange oozing of 'outsider black metal' which, having given it a stingy mark in my review, I realised I could not live without. Even if I don't listen that often, it is comforting to have the CD in the house.
  6. 6.
    Chrome Hoof - Crush Depth — Goat told me at the time that he thought I was overrating this record, because I was so fed up with listening to 'traditional' (i.e. utterly devoid of imagination) black metal. But you're wrong, Goat! I love this deeply eccentric and jubilantly eclectic album now more than ever! Especially after seeing them live, with their big gong.
  7. 7.
    Twilight - Monument to Time End — I went off this for a long time, and almost left it off this list entirely. But listening to it the other day everything just clicked again. Better than Enslaved's Axioma Ethica Odini!
  8. 8.
    Ghost - Opus Eponymous — This sort of thing is far too tuneful for me. But somehow, the exquisite construction of the melodies and the riffs- the latter in particular always seeming to be at the perfect tempo and the perfect level of heaviness. Stupid album name, though.
  9. 9.
    Thou - Summit — I got so fed up with reviewing sludge albums that I ignored this. Then I was tempted back by that album cover. And thank goodness! What makes this so good is the invention of the textures used. Those piano lines on Grissecon...
  10. 10.
    Cathedral - The Guessing Game — Doom and rap, together at last! Who knew we were missing so much?
  11. 11.
    Shining (Nor) - Blackjazz — In the end I felt slightly disappointed by this. You are led by a highly skilled saxophonist, so why did you leave out the rapidfire unison sax and rhythm lines on your cover of 21st Century Schizoid Man? Why?
  12. 12.
    Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini — This should go in because it's a very clever record with some stunning moments. I don't understand quite the level of awe this band attracts, however. Still, I could listen to the first few minutes of Lightening all day. That's just as well because when you listen to the whole track it seems to go on that bloody long.
  13. 13.
    Master - The Human Machine — It's not what you can do for your country, it's what your country can do for you!
  14. 14.
    Melechesh - The Epigenesis — A little hit and miss, this record. But at their best Melechesh still sound phenomenal. The title track is endlessly evocative, and one of my very favourite metal tunes of the year.
  15. 14.
    Book of Sand - Destruction, Not Reformation — There is something particularly addictive about this record, though it's hard to say exactly what. It is not, however, for everybody. In fact I'd go so far as to say it will barely appeal to anybody. But I find it oddly powerful.
  16. 15.
    Pensees Nocturnes - Grotesque — I left Vacuum off my list in 2009, and I told myself if Grotesque was an improvement there was no way I could justify not finding a space for Vaerohn. This is such a mad album. And you may be interested to know that in the accordion breakdowns in Monosis enable it to challenge Mystic Forest's Romances for the title of 'Frenchest black metal record known to man'.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    Angst Skvadron - Sweet Poison — I must say, I was not aware that the guy from Urgehal has such an eccentric and lovable sci-fi side project.
  2. 2.
    The Ocean - Heliocentric — You may not have been surprised but I bloody was. The shouty sludge band I got very bored by when they supported Opeth and Cynic released an album seemingly influenced by Tool and Elton John... and it was really good!
  3. 3.
    Menace Ruine - Union of Irreconcilables — Oh, how close I came to putting this deeply unhappy slab of blackened noise in my top 15. Still, I'd never heard the band before so it's surprising, right? Then it can go here. But having now picked up 2008's beautifully batshit Cult of Ruins I can see why longer term followers of the group might have been disappointed.
  4. 4.
    Vit - - — Actually, it isn't at all surprising that the North American underground is producing such great black metal, is it? We've known that for a while. This is fantastic, and a great find by Jaime.
  5. 5.
    Al-Namrood - Estorat Taghoot — Such a huge improvement on their last record.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    Drudkh - Handful Of Stars — What's that, Drudkh? I'm sorry I nodded off. Still, perhaps it's unfair calling it a disappointment. I nodded off in Microcosmos and Estrangement as well. I wasn't really disappointed by anything else. No bands I'd expected great things from released any howlers, and the crap records I heard were by bands I either new were crap, or had never listened to before.
  2. 2.
    Burzum - Belus — This year, the iconic figure in black metal returned to show us what this music is really all about. Turns out what it is all about is playing the same thing over, and over, and over again, for a long time. Maybe Drudkh were onto something after all.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
    The Way of Purity - Crosscore — This is silly.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — If you're interested, I have quite a lot of opinions still to express.

    I had intended to present you with some very important modifications to this top 15, but in the end I wussed out. I chose to stick to the rules of only including full albums. If not, the split release between Ash Borer and Fell Voices would have taken the number one spot.

Khelek

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Deftones - Diamond Eyes — These guys never disappoint me
  2. 2.
    Coheed & Cambria - Year Of The Black Rainbow — While I didn't enjoy this as much as NWFT, it is still an excellent album
  3. 3.
    Angra - Aqua — While not as heavy as their last album, Aqua is another great addition to an impressive catalog
  4. 4.
    Kvelertak - Kvelertak — A young band with tons of potential
  5. 4.
    Overkill - Ironbound — One of my favorite veteran thrash bands, this album slays
  6. 5.
  7. 5.
    Kvelertak - Kvelertak — A young band with tons of songwriting talent and the potential for great things
  8. 6.
    Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void — Definitely their best album since Character
  9. 7.
    Year Long Disaster - Black Magic; All Mysteries Revealed — Just a fun, energetic hard rock album
  10. 8.
  11. 9.
    Spiritual Beggars - Return To Zero — An old-school stoner metal band returns with a killer album
  12. 10.
    Helmet - Seeing Eye Dog — A slower take on their sound, this album has really grown on me
  13. 11.
  14. 12.
    Black Label Society - Order Of The Black
  15. 12.
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  22. 15.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    Quest For Fire - Lights From Paradise — Strange yet very listenable
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Disappointments

  1. 1.
  2. 1.
    Woe Of Tyrants - Threnody — It's tough when a young band with a ton of potential disappoints you
  3. 2.
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    Soilwork - The Panic Broadcast — Although definitely better than their last release, I still found this to be quite inconsistent
  5. 3.
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Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 2.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Metal lost several excellent and iconic vocalists in 2010. Being a big fan of Type O Negative, I was sad to hear of the passing of the great Peter Steele. Then only a short month later the death of the legendary Ronnie James Dio was another shock to the metal world. I still have trouble believing both of these great talents that I grew up listening to are gone. On a brighter note, there were some great albums released. My love of the sludge metal genre grew as I explored bands like Weedeater, Kylesa, and Rwake. I also got more into the doom/stoner genre as well, which I found very enjoyable. I have not forgotten my love for great melodeath, though 2010 was somewhat of a slow year for it. Dark Tranquillity's We Are The Void was one of the few that really caught my attention, with God Dethroned and Orwell also releasing solid material. As always, looking forward to what the new year will bring.

Kyle

Top Albums

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
    Overkill - Ironbound — Thrash metal the way it SHOULD be done! Ironbound is not only one of the best thrash albums in recent years, but also one of Overkill's best albums, ever.
  3. 3.
    Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini — More black metal than Pink Floyd for this outing, Enslaved continues to tastefully evolve and makes another unique and amazing record.
  4. 4.
    Equilibrium - Rekreatur — Not quite as exhilarating as 2008's Sagas, but Rekreatur still turns out to be the best folk metal album of the year.
  5. 5.
  6. 6.
    Heljareyga - Heljareyga — Masterful progressive folk / power metal brought to us by Tyr's frontman. Definitely the biggest surprise of 2010!
  7. 7.
    Wuthering Heights - Salt — Fails to meet the masterful standard set by Wuthering Height's previous album, The Shadow Cabinet... but just by a hair.
  8. 8.
    Angra - Aqua — Angra returns after four years sounding like they never went away. Beautiful, melodic, and exciting.
  9. 9.
  10. 10.
    Atheist - Jupiter — Simply put, this is one of the most fascinating reunion albums ever made. Atheist hasn't lost an ounce of talent.
  11. 11.
    Alcest - Écailles De Lune — A masterpiece blending of black metal and shoegaze. Easily the most ethereal sounding record of the year.
  12. 12.
    Dark Fortress - Ylem — Dark Fortress has never been a very remarkable band, but Ylem changes that. It's diverse, well-written, and isn't afraid to explore territories rarely traversed in black metal.
  13. 13.
  14. 13.
    Fleshgod Apocalypse - Mafia — Is it an EP? Yes. Does it fucking rock? Most definitely yes. I'll take more Fleshgod any day, in any form.
  15. 14.
  16. 15.
    Sigh - Scenes From Hell — One of the most twisted Sigh offerings to date, but also one of the best.
  17. 15.
    Impaled Nazarene - Road to the Octagon — One of IE's best albums to date, Road to the Octagon is a perfect summary of the best parts of the band's sound.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    Sinbreed - When Worlds Collide — Really cool old school speed / power metal!
  2. 2.
    Pathfinder - Beyond The Space, Beyond The Time — These guys could very well end up being the next big thing in power metal. If a mix of Dragonforce and Rhapsody sounds appealing to you, you'll likely really enjoy Pathfinder.
  3. 3.
    White Wizzard - Over the Top — Very well-done traditional / melodic heavy metal.
  4. 4.
    Wrath And Rapture - Wrath And Rapture — Melodeath + Prog + Power + Metalcore = Wrath and Rapture. I assure you, this EP is not nearly as bad as it sounds on paper.
  5. 5.
    The Wounded Kings - The Shadow Over Atlantis — DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM Metal in the vein of Reverand Bizarre.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    Avantasia - The Wicked Symphony — I really liked The Scarecrow, but this simply doesn't approach the quality I expect from an Avantasia album.
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
    Volbeat - Beyond Hell / Above Heaven — The formula's growing stale guys... time to shake things up a bit on your next album.
  4. 4.
    Gamma Ray - To The Metal! — Half-fantastic, half-filler.
  5. 5.
    Dream Evil - In The Night — Yeah, I just wasn't feeling this one. A major step down from United.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
    Jaldaboath - Rise of the Heraldic Beasts — "Kill! Burn! Waste the wenches! Hark the herald! The King wants blood!" Yeah, and I want blood too after hearing this ear-destroying piece of shit.
  2. 2.
    <b>Hellyeah</b> released a new album this year, right? Well, if I had listened to it, it would've gone in this space.
  3. 3.
    <b>Mike Portnoy</b> - <i>All Black Clouds, No Silver Linings</i> (also known as <i>De-Railed Train of Thought</i>) — Seriously Mike, what's your fucking deal?

Tyler

Top Albums

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  22. 14.
  23. 15.
    — Lower Than Atlantis- Far Q
  24. 15.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
  2. 2.
    Lower Than Atlantis- Far Q
  3. 2.
  4. 3.
  5. 3.
  6. 4.
  7. 4.
  8. 5.
    Shrapnel - Hellbound — Includes Mhorgl- Antinomian
  9. 5.
  10. 5.
    Lower Than Atlantis
  11. 5.
    Lower Than Atlantis- Far Q

Disappointments

  1. 1.
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  8. 4.
  9. 4.
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  11. 5.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
    Guns N Roses- Chinese Democracy — Yes, still
  2. 1.
    Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent — Best album with "joke" in the name
  3. 2.
  4. 3.
    Drown in Solitude- Cold Sense of Suffering — Keep Elephants out of metal, 2011
  5. 3.
    Darkthrone - Circle the Wagons — Joke's on you, Darkthrone rule, as does Circle the Wagon.
  6. 4.
    Escape the Fate- Escape the Fate — See Bullet for my Valentine comment. Fuck these guys too
  7. 5.
    Disturbed- Asylum — Except noone is really laughing anymore (hear that, Korn and Limp Bizkit?)

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Ok, so first thing that I must address: those "dissappointments" up there. You might gave noticed that that list is made up of critically acclaimed, beloved 2010 releases. But truth is, I didn't listen to any releases in 2010 that I was truly dissappointed by. My only real dissappointments were the albums that I did not get to listen to. So what I have listed are five of the albums that I had very little, if any, time with; there are many more albums than the five I listed. Unfortunately, there is never enough time to get around to listening to all of the new albums that I want to, regardless of the buzz surrounding them. Hopefully, I'll find the time to check them out in 2011, but as with every year, there were plenty of 2010 releases that I SHOULD listen to but inevitably won't.

Jaime

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Celeste - Morte(s) Nee(s) — Unrelelenting, heavy, viscious. Everything black metal should be by a band that aren't exactly in that genre. I will never tire of praising this band.
  2. 2.
    Mar de Grises - Streams Inwards — Absolutely stunning album that a huge number of bands should take hints from.
  3. 3.
    Ihsahn - After — His last two solo albums were just "alright" for me. This one though just hit the nail on the head straight away.
  4. 4.
    11 As In Adversaries - The Full Intrepid Experience of Light — It was a good year for French bands without question. Another left-field and hard to define album but works in so many ways.
  5. 5.
    Shining (Nor) - Blackjazz — It's just mindboggling. A tough listen for the unprepared but once you get into it it'll stay stuck in your head. Blackjazz Deathtrance is just fantastic.
  6. 6.
    Les Discrets - Septembre et Ses Dernières Pensées — Another French band. I put this higher than Alcest due to the fact that it struck a chord with me a lot quicker than Alcest did. It's easier to get into but has the same sort of listening experience.
  7. 7.
    The Ocean - Anthropocentric — As far as concept albums go then this is a doozy. Epic in all the right ways and overshadows the band's other album of the year completely.
  8. 8.
    Cloudkicker - Beacons — Talking of epic concept albums, Cloudkicker hit the mark as well. The man knows no bounds and just gets better and better with each release.
  9. 9.
    Alcest - Écailles De Lune — Kinda commented about this when talking about Les Discrets as all the same things apply. An excellent album
  10. 10.
    Tesseract - Concealing Fate — It took them bloody long enough to bring something out! But it was well worth the wait, and their full length will definitely be on this list next year.
  11. 10.
    Tesseract - Concealing Fate EP — It took them bloody long enough to bring something out! But it was well worth the wait, and their full length will definitely be on this list next year.
  12. 11.
    Canopy - Menhir — Proving that Sweden can still innovate when it comes to death metal. These just so many things right with this album and hopefully the masses (and labels) will pick up on it soon.
  13. 12.
    Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini — While not as good as their previous albums Enslaved still manage to deliver the goods as always.
  14. 13.
    Mantric - The Descent — Formed from the ashes of Extol, they pick up most, if not all of the bands good parts and lots more. Deep and intricate at points, heavy at others, soaring everywhere else.
  15. 14.
    Mose Giganticus - Gift Horse — It's just a fun, short album that's filled to the brim with energy that you can either casually nod your head to or just go nuts with.
  16. 15.
    Winterfylleth - The Mercian Sphere — Proving that good black metal doesn't just come from the mainland of the continent.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    Vit - - — This came straight out of nowhere. An USBM album that screams atmosphere and fulfils that black metal vibe that a huge number of those bands seem to miss when I'm listening to them.
  2. 2.
    Drudkh - Handful Of Stars — Got to be honest, this was my first Drudkh album and I was pleasantly surprised with it. The vocals didn't exactly fit the music, but the latter was undoubtedly the star here.
  3. 3.
    Salome - Terminal — Ball crushingly heavy and utterly menacing to boot.
  4. 4.
    Howl - Full of Hell — This band play the whole "stoner doom" (what a horrible phrase...) like monsterous veterans of the genre on their first album. The follow up will hopefully continue on from here.
  5. 5.
    Fejd - Eifur — Because, quite frankly, it's a ballsy move to put out something like this. It's metal that's not metal, go figure.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    Agalloch - Marrow of The Spirit — The moment an Agalloch album fails to hook me within the first minute it the moment that something isn't right. It may just need more time to settle in, but for now this is a pretty painful let down from a band that I expect so much from.
  2. 2.
    Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR — Compared to Ocean Land it's just lacking and didn't sink in at all.
  3. 3.
    Ludicra - The Tenant — I really don't get all the praise this band are getting. Nothing here really seems all that special compared to other bands out there in the genre.
  4. 4.
    Slough Feg - The Animal Spirits — As with Agalloch, I expected something from this band and they just didn't deliver it. A real shame too as it's not a bad album.
  5. 5.
    Periphery - Periphery — When you listen to the instrumental tracks that were created under Misha Mansoor's Bulb banner you think they're fantastic. It's amazing how much damage the vocals have done to mute that feeling of awe. Again, not a bad album but given a choice between this and the instrumental versions then it's an easy pick.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
    Jaldaboath - Rise of the Heraldic Beasts — Just no. Not funny in the slightest. Not good in any real way.
  2. 2.
    WIVE - PVLL — Yea... it suffers from the one thing that no music should be labeled with. It's fucking boring. And that violin, Jesus H. Christ in a wheelbarrow race.
  3. 3.
    Therion - Sitra Ahra — Sadly Therion have stuck to the same route they chose on that... thing Gothic Kabbalah. Seems like there's now way back now.
  4. 4.
    Nachtmystium - Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. 2 — To put it bluntly, I've taken shits that have more depth than this band and were far more evil to boot. Don't bother with the "oh they're trying something different so it must be your fault for not getting it" lines. This is The Emperor's New Clothes in musical form.
  5. 5.
    Hellyeah - Stampede — ...Really?
  6. 5.
    Symphorce - Unrestricted — Just bad. I'm glad that this isn't going to be the future for power metal, but the sad fact that people still put out albums like this under that banner will keep dragging the genre down.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Sadly there were a few albums I had to leave of the list such as Kylesa, Triptykon, Star One, Chimp Spanner, Powerglove and Anathema. I honestly didn't expect the list to be so difficult to pick but the last five were a struggle. A noticable poor showing from power metal this year but hopefully Stratovarius's new album will remedy that next year. A good year for French bands as well it seems and, finally, some decent British (or English, if you're really picky) bands breaking through in the form of Tesseract and Winterfylleth. Naturally, one can't go without mentioning the number of deaths that have rocked the scene this year. It has been a bad year to lose the likes of Dio and Pete Steele, even Paul Gray. Regardless of how you view Slipknot, for a large number of people they served as a gateway into our choice of music and such a thing cannot be overlooked. Hopefully the next year will be better in that regard if nothing else. A thanks is in order towards my writing colleagues for allowing me to join the team and all that in entails. I don't really have much else to say, I kind of suck at these sort of things. So aye, to 2011!

Crash

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Sigh - Scenes From Hell — Sigh is one of my absolute favorite bands. After Hangman's Hymn I didn't think there was much else that they could do with this style but they proved me wrong once again. Scenes From Hell is a gloriously bombastic album that never fails to get me going. Songs like Vanitas and The Soul Grave are among their best work. Cheers.
  2. 2.
    Little Women - Throat — "This is what you should listen to if you want your brain scooped out of your skull and handed to you." - Anthony Fantano. This album is just pure unfiltered chaos. Somehow this musical word vomit somehow turns into music. It isn't something to like as much as something to experience.
  3. 3.
    Foxy Shazam - Foxy Shazam — Foxy Shazam make some of the most unapologetically fun music around. This is joy in music form.
  4. 4.
    Ghost - Opus Eponymous — Ghost is fucking awesome. This band is about as old school metal as it gets. Listen to this if you'd rather listen to Blue Oyster Cult than anything else.
  5. 5.
    Martriden - Encounter the Monolith — A progressive black metal concept album about 2001: A Space Odyssey. Need I say more?
  6. 6.
    Equilibrium - Rekreatur — This album is not Sagas. It actually is just Sagas Jr. But there are a good five songs on this album that are great and would fit right in on Sagas so I'll take it.
  7. 7.
    Atheist - Jupiter — The only good technical death metal I heard this year. Atheist have a character about them that is impossible to replicate.
  8. 8.
    Abigail Williams - In the Absence of Light — Somewhere, Abigail Williams decided to stop sucking and write good black metal. I admit that my first review of 93 was way too high. I'd give it an 85 now. Those extra points are the initial shock that this band could ever release something that I would actually like. Coolio.
  9. 9.
    Subhuman - Profondo Rozzo — Best thrash album of the year. Raw, dirty, and ugly. Subhuman are quick and to the point which is all that I ever ask of thrash.
  10. 9.
    Shining (Nor) - Blackjazz — Holy crap. This album is King Crimson writing the soundtrack to the matrix. I love it. Move this up to number 6, cuz I'm too lazy to do it.
  11. 10.
    Powerglove - Saturday Morning Apocalypse — There is a cover of Winnie the Pooh on this album.
  12. 11.
    Fear Factory - Mechanize — With Dino back and Hoglan at the kit, this is easily the best Fear Factory album since Obsolete. In fact, it's the only album since Obsolete worth listening to.
  13. 12.
    Watain - Lawless Darkness — Watain do one thing very well: Write catchy and accessible black metal. I never need more than a few songs at a time, but Watain never fails to satisfy.
  14. 13.
    Deathspell Omega - Paracletus — If I had more time with this album it would easily have a higher rank, but truth be told it is not an easy album to figure out. It will take me many months before I'm comfortable giving it a final verdict, but there was no way that I could not include it on this list.
  15. 14.
    Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time — Definitely my least favorite of Guardian's albums. But still, this album has plenty of worthy material.
  16. 14.
    Jaldaboath - Rise of the Heraldic Beasts — I've only heard this one a few times and you know what, it is not the most memorable album of the year by a longshot. I probably won't listen to it too often, but it is instantly gratifying and it's a nice change to hear James Labrie matched by some growling.
  17. 14.
    Mike Patton - Mondo Cane — Mike Patton can do no wrong. There, I said it. Actually to be fair, Patton can at least never be blamed for not doing exactly what he wants to do, for better or worse. In this case, he has made an extremely light and enjoyable album. The album gives him a chance to just sing. Something he has never done before. I don't love everything Patton releases, but I can never say I am less than surprised at his choices. Some songs like "Deep Down" get the repeat button quite a bit with me.
  18. 15.
    Nails - Unsilent Death — It's fourteen minutes long. I wish more grind bands would see what a good idea this is. Heavy, unrelenting, and brief. This is grindcore done great.

Surprises of the Year

  1. 1.
    Little Women - Throat — Thank god that I got a recommendation about this. Completely took me by surprise.
  2. 2.
    Ghost - Opus Eponymous — I only heard about this band a week ago, but their album is truly splendid.
  3. 3.
    Martriden - Encounter the Monolith — Another new band for me, this album completely took me by surprise.
  4. 4.
    Abigail Williams - In the Absence of Light — Like I said, I never thought I'd ever like anything by this band.
  5. 5.
    Hemina - As We Know It — Quality prog. Let's hope the album uses their potential.

Disappointments

  1. 1.
    Arcade Fire - The Suburbs — So, being that this band is hailed as the next Beatles I had to take a listen. It definitely isn't bad, but I can't fathom why this band gets the rep they do when there are plenty of indie bands writing catchier and more interesting music without the pretentious overtones. The Black Keys, Sigur Ros, Of Montreal etc. are all way more worthy of your time.
  2. 2.
    Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy — If you told me a year ago that I would hate the new Nevermore album I would burn your house down and kill your family.
  3. 3.
    Finntroll - Nifelvind — By no means a bad album, but Finntroll seem to have lost their fun. This album is good metal, but not the insane party band I fell in love with years ago.
  4. 4.
    Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time — Another album that is not bad, but a let down all the same. Rather than expanding on their sound this album is essentially a combination of their entire careers worth of sounds. That should be awesome, but in the end it just feels like their ideas are watered down. Songs about books just aren't as exciting as they used to be. Plus, the orchestra is a complete waste. This album should have been crazier and more bombastic than A Night at the Opera. In the end, it's Imaginations diet. Still good, but not great. And that is exactly what I expect from this band: Greatness.
  5. 5.
    Helloween - Seven Sinners — Helloween are incredibly hit or miss. This is more in the middle. Meh.

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
    Decrepit Birth - Polarity — I gave this album a high review because for it's genre, it's quite good. Unfortunately, the genre of absurdly tech death pretty much flat out sucks. There is no variety at all. A one trick pony with a pretty boring trick.
  2. 2.
    Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy — Nevermore have gone heavier and in the process dumbed down their songs, lyrics, and themes. I always said that they either needed to go into a more prog direction or a heavier direction. Unfortunately, being heavier meant writing bad songs.
  3. 3.
    Star One - Victims of a Modern Age — I thought this album would rock. it sounded liek Arjen was going to finally make that really heavy metal album he always wanted to. Instead, it's just disc 3 of 1011100001100010100111000.
  4. 4.
    Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare — God dammit Mike Portnoy.
  5. 5.
    Me — For not hearing the new "Tallest Man on Earth" album. I don't know what's wrong with me, his last album was great and I straight up ignored this one. For shame.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Every year I hear a handful of people say, "This wasn't a good year for metal." Well after hearing a good couple dozen albums this year I can say that it is never a bad year for metal. This year will not stand out in history for metal music, but there was plenty of stuff worth my time. Plus, with Dio and Peter Steele gone, Nergal contracting leukemia, and worst of all Mike Portnoy leaving Dream Theater we have all suffered losses. But we shall prevail as it is in the metal spirit.

Tony

Top Albums

  1. 1.
    Woe - Quietly, Undramatically — Great USBM from Philly
  2. 2.
    Watain - Lawless Darkness — The Swedes never disappoint
  3. 3.
    Overkill - Ironbound — Seeing them live again was awesome. Seeing them live performing the masterworks of Ironbound was a liberating expierience.
  4. 4.
    Krieg - The Isolationist — Maximum madness. I have come to expect a combination of brilliance and brutality from Krieg. Wrest on bass makes this album that much more powerful and star studded.
  5. 5.
    Hirax - Noise Chaos War — Great 3 EP compilation from Katon and his troupe of tough guys.
  6. 6.
    Gwar - Bloody Pit of Horror — More fun from the irreverant monstrosities.
  7. 7.
    Finntroll - Nifelvind — SOLSAGAN!!!
  8. 8.
    Dark Fortress - Ylem — This album bears the intensity and voraciousness that can match any BM but has the shine and craftsmanship worthy of the score and more.
  9. 9.
    Satanic Warmaster - Nachzehrer — Sargeist and SW are interchangeable here. Great work from the Finns in 2010
  10. 10.
    Sargeist - Let the Devil In — One of the outstanding Finnish releases of the year.
  11. 11.
    Burzum - Belus — The haggard villain is back from lockdown, releasing a great comeback.
  12. 12.
    Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier — It never gets old.
  13. 13.
    Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time — Probably the only Power Metal band I care about anymore.
  14. 14.
    Aldaaron - Nous Reviendrons Immortels — Very good French BM.
  15. 15.
    Acrassicauda - Only the Dead See the End of War — Great to hear the fortitude of the Metal community even reaches Iraq

Joke of the Year

  1. 1.
    Ov Hell - The Underworld Regime — That cover is so lame
  2. 2.
  3. 3.
  4. 5.
    Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra — They are descending down the path of Cradle of Filth...

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Note - Top 15 is not in order. 2009 was an excellent year for Metal. I entered 2010 with concerns about how the year could even come close to 2009. I was pleasantly surprised with some outstanding releases descending from Valhalla early in the Spring. It was a really fun first year with MR and I plan on continuing to review good work for all of you. Let's hope 2011 slays as much as the last 2 years, and plenty of great material hits my desk.

Jake

Top Albums

  1. 1.
  2. 1.
  3. 2.
    The Sword - Warp Riders
  4. 2.
    Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier — It's always a joy to hear from Iron Maiden, one of the oldest bands in heavy metal and easily the single greatest, but The Final Frontier exceeds even the considerable expectations that come with a Maiden release.The band haven't stopped being reliable for thirty years, and have been putting out consecutive fantastic offerings since the classic lineup reunited in 2000, but TFF is their best album since 1988's Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son and arguably what they've been building toward over their entire career. Like their prior post-reunion albums, TFF delivers a series of proggy, melodic epics, but bassist/perennial songwriter Steve Harris has brought the compositions back in touch with the hard-rock roots that were evident in the golden age albums, so that these songs are as much a culmination of 80s epics like Hallowed Be Thy Name and To Tame A Land and as they are a continuation of Maiden's work from the past decade. Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers rip out lightspeed bluesy solos as always, while drummer Nicko McBrain shows off his immense technical skill in the creation of inventive beats that bear in mind the lessons in dynamism learned on the albums of the 00s—and best of all, perhaps reinvigorated by the neoclassicist riffcrafting, Bruce Dickinson sounds like a young man again, leaping to high notes with the menace and resonant clarity that made him a legend and redefined hard rock singing in the 80s. The appealing darkness of the last album (A Matter Of Life And Death) is gone, but the energy of The Number Of The Beast is back, packaged together with the fierceness of Piece of Mind and Powerslave, the atmospheric ambition of Seventh Son, and the prog-rock noodling of Dance of Death. More than anything they've ever done, The Final Frontier is a celebration of Maiden's entire career. Nobody (including the band, from the looks of it) wants to see Iron Maiden come to an end, but The Final Frontier would have been the perfect final album, and not just for its title.
  5. 3.
  6. 3.
  7. 4.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 5.
  11. 6.
  12. 6.
    The Sword - Warp Riders
  13. 7.
    Enforcer - Diamonds
  14. 7.
  15. 8.
  16. 8.
  17. 9.
  18. 9.
  19. 10.
    Shining - Blackjazz
  20. 10.
  21. 11.
  22. 11.
  23. 12.
  24. 13.
  25. 14.
  26. 15.

Words / Final Thoughts

  1. 0
    — Well, as the newest member of the MetalReviews team, I'm still fairly starry-eyed about all of this. That's why I left Surprises, Disappointments and Jokes blank; I'm simply overwhelmed by the enormity of selecting that many albums when I haven't had my ear to the ground all year the way writing for this site is starting to allow me to--especially given my self- inflicted compulsion to write something about every album I listed.