2010: Year in Metal

It's been another strong year in metal this year. We endured some tragedies, such as the deaths of Ronnie James Dio and Peter Steele, but we also had some amazing albums. Filling out a Top 10 list this year has been a little difficult, I had several albums that I wanted to include, but ultimately did not.

Unfortunately, I missed out on a lot of albums the last couple of months due to the unsettled nature of my law practice, but I will catch up eventually.

Now, for the Top 10:
10. DARKTHRONE: CIRCLE THE WAGONS
Darkthrone has been veering away from black metal or years. This album found the band experimenting with more traditional heavy metal and hardcore sounds. It's also Darkthrone's best album in years, sounding like a black metal band covering Motorhead.

9. ORPHANED LAND: THE NEVER-ENDING WAY OF ORWARRIOR
For a long time, this was my top album of the year, an absolutely breath-takingly epic concept album. Orphaned Land combines middle Eastern melodies and instrumentation into their progressive metal. This gets the nod for the most beautiful metal album of the year.

8. ENFORCER: DIAMONDS
It seems like every year a traditional metal album comes out of nowhere and blows me away. 2010's edition is this album from Enforcer, a band devoted to playing NWOBHM-style metal. Having the pop sensibility of Def Leppard certainly helped them as they put out some amazingly catchy songs on this release.

7. IMMOLATION: MAJESTY AND DECAY
Immolation has continued to put out amazing release after amazing release. One of the most consistent bands in death metal, Immolation's twisted and sadistic riffs keep getting better. The best death metal album of the year.

6. MELECHESH: THE EPIGENESIS
It has been a long time since the last release by Melechesh, and there was some question whether the band would be able to match their last amazing album. Well, question answered. Another classic album from these Middle Eastern blackened thrash merchants.

5. WATAIN: LAWLESS DARKNESS
Watain has long been saddled with the tag "The Next Dissection", and while not earning that tag, they have put out some good albums. With this release though, Watain has really come into their own. The addition of traditional metal elements has made this a truly amazing black metal album.

4. OVERKILL: IRONBOUND
Probably the comeback album of the year. Overkill has never released a bad album, but this one may possibly be one of the band's greatest albums ever. Blitz Ellsworth still has his trademark sneering vocals and the twin guitar attack is still in top form. This is incredible thrash metal. Overkill deserves a lot more accolades than they have received.

3. ROTTING CHRIST: AEALO
The Greek black metal outfit once again has put out a truly exceptional album. Essentially sounding like the soundtrack to an Ancient Greek battle, Rotting Christ's album is melodic and powerful, and eerily beautiful.

2. WARBEAST: KRUSH THE ENEMY
The thrash metal album of the year comes from an unusual place. Made up of members of long-gone Texas thrash metal bands Gamacide and Rigor Mortis, and released on Phil Anselmo's Housecore label, this is extremely aggressive and razor sharp, raw thrash metal. Forget all the retro bands, this is the real shit.

1. TRIPTYKON: EPARISTERA DAIMONES
Amazing album, all the way around. Tom G. Warrior's new band picks up right where Celtic Frost's last album left off. It's dark and eerie, and heavy as hell. The most amazing thing about it though is that it sounds better every time I hear it.


DISAPPOINTMENTS: This does not mean I don't like the albums, but they were overhyped or overanticipated.
SIGH: SCENES FROM HELL
I loved Sigh's last album. It was an incredible mix of black metal, thrash metal, and symphonic bombast. Unfortunately, on this release, the symphonic elements were a little overdone. It's not a bad album, but not nearly as good as their prior album.

IRON MAIDEN: THE FINAL FRONTIER
Again, not a bad album, and I do like it a little more than their last one, but it's not the return to Brave New World that it was hyped up to be. Besides, what is the deal with missing Eddie?

ARMORED SAINT: LA RAZA
I was very excited when I heard Armored Saint would be releasing a new album. I always thought John Bush's voice was better suited to traditional metal than his time in Anthrax. Unfortunately, this album sounds more like Nickelback than older Armored Saint.

ELUVEITIE: EVERYTHING REMAINS AS IT NEVER WAS
If I had not heard their prior album, this would have been amazing. But I have, and this is virtually the same album.

CARNIFEX: HELL CHOSE ME
It's got a great cover and it had some hype that it was a cross between deathcore and melodic death metal. Unfortunately, it just was not a very good album. It's certainly brutal, but that's not the most important thing in the world.


SURPRISES: Other than Enforcer and Warbeast, there were some surprisingly good albums from unusual places.
DANZIG: DETH RED SABAOTH
Danzig came back and released an album on par with his first four albums. I am not sure anyone really expected that.

LAETHORA: THE LIGHT IN WHICH WE ALL BURN
I did enjoy their previous album, but I was not originally all that excited to hear this one, however, this is an incredible album.

DECREPIT BIRTH: POLARITY
Technical death metal is not one of my favorite genres, but this was not just any other technical death metal album. It is an epic album in the purest sense, just amazing musicianship.


GROWER:
DARK FORTRESS: YLEM
When I first heard this album, I was not terribly impressed by it, but as I continued to listen to it, I liked it more and more. When I recently re-evaluated my Top 10, this was #11.


ALBUMS THAT HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO SINK IN: New albums that I have not heard enough yet to evaluate.
LIMBONIC ART: PHANTASMAGORIA

HAIL OF BULLETS: ON DIVINE WINDS

KAMELOT: POETRY FOR THE POISONED

HELLOWEEN: 7 SINNERS


CONCERT EXPERIENCE: I saw the Killfest 2010 tour featuring Woe of Tyrants, Evile, Warbringer, God Dethroned, Vader, and Overkill. I missed the first two bands, but the other four were amazing. Overkill is a fantastic live band. I own the most recent albums by all of the bands and enjoy them all.


FAVORITE SONGS:

TRIPTYKON: "GOETIA"

WATAIN: "WATERS OF AIN"

OVERKILL: "THE GREEN AND BLACK"

ENFORCER: "RUNNING IN MENACE"

ROTTING CHRIST: "DEMONOM VROSIS"


ALBUMS I MISSED OUT ON THAT I PLAN TO CHANGE:
GRAND MAGUS: HAMMER OF THE NORTH
ELECTRIC WIZARD: BLACK MASSES
THE CROWN: DOOMSDAY KING
FORBIDDEN: OMEGA WAVE
ATHEIST: JUPITER


ALBUMS I LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2011:
SODOM
COFFINS
DIM MAK
AMON
SKELETONWITCH
MORBID ANGEL
PRIMORDIAL
AUTOPSY
WINTERSUN (maybe?)