10. Triptycon: Eparistera Daimones- While, Celtic Frost maybe done, lead metal-master Tom Warrior continued on with this debut album from his newest exercise in extreme metal. A perfect follow-up to the last Frost album, this one is a darkly glorious mix of doom and black metal, that stands as a slow, heavy, and gloomy musical exertion.
9. Watain: Lawless Darkness- Man, when it comes to straight-out brutal, pissed-off, anti-Christian black metal few bands can top the out-right viciousness and glorious evil of Watain. And, while their two albums before this are great, it's this one that reigns in as their satanic masterpiece. Heavy and head-ripping this album only get better with each listening. The final song is a long complex track, but every song is heavy and crushing. Without a shadow of doubt, Watain are on the way to become one of the true masters of the blackest of the musical arts.
8. Ov Hell: The Underworld Regime- While, the latest Dimmu Borgir is mostly mediocre and forgettable, this side project by lead signer Shagrath and Gorgorth bassist King Ov Hell fucking kills! Dark, evil, and heavy this is everything that Dimmu ain't right now. With songs dealing with evil and horror, this ranks as one of black metal's best and still undiscovered, by some. I hope they make more albums, cause Ov hell fucking rules!!!
7. Avenged Sevenfold: Nightmare- While, I don't think this is the album of the year, as
Revolver picked to be, it is the seventh best of the year. It's also A7X's best work, to date. To come from the tragedy of the death of the Rev, and make such a heavy and angry album is understandable. What is amazing is just how good it is. The opening title track and
God Hates Us rip and kill. As always, the band is one of the single most technically sounding bands to achieve mainstream success in many a moon. It also might have the year's best album cover!
6. Overkill: Ironbound- Many times overlooked or underrated (in particular by those on the westcoast), these New Jersey thrash gods have made their best album in years. It's heavy, fast, and kick ass. While, many a list will stupidly not mention it, I gladly throw the devil horns up for them and rank 'em in at #6!
5. Accept: Blood of the Nations- Here is the year's biggest surprise as well as the year's best come back. I never would have thought that a new Accept album, much less with a new signer (he formerly of T.T. Quick), would be so fucking AMAZING! It's heavy and ass kicking and even the ballad works. Shit, he might even be a better signer than the original dude. If you ain't got this yet, you are seriously missing out!!!
4. Dark Tranquillity: We Are the Void- Also an underrated band (and this list seems to have it's fair share of that), this is yet another killer album from one of melodic death metal's best acts. Featuring amazing guitar work, this is just light years of what many bands in the sub-genre are doing. I also happen to be a huge fan of the vocals on this band.
3. Fear Factory: Mechanize- After two mostly forgettable albums the masters of industrial, with tinges of death, metal are back! In fact, this is one of their best albums ever! It's totally brutal, yet completely listenable. As a huge fan of them, I am overjoyed that they are back motherfuckers!!!!
2. Deftones: Diamond Eyes- Much like FF, the Deftones last album was, well, largely forgettable. But,
Diamond Eyes is a masterpiece. In fact, also like FF, it's their best in years. At times rocking, at others soft, but always captivating this a beautiful sounding alt-metal trip. The song playing and signing are their peak, and it makes for an album that is more and more listenable each and every time you play it.
1. Sigh: Scenes from Hell- Black metal's most original act have given us not only THE best release of the year (and, I have to say picking the top release this year was NOT easy), but also the most original sounding. In fact, I would say no band sounds anything like they do. And, it is in their refinement (and not just of black metal, but metal in general), that this band succeeds, greatly. The use of horns and the fast, heavy, melodic music is beautiful and haunting. This is art, man, and my favorite album of 2010. And, their, so far, crowning masterpiece.
Honorable mentions:
Disturbed- Asylum
Death Angel- Relentless Retribution
All That Remains- For We Are Many
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Now playing:
Fear Factory - Controlled Demolitionvia FoxyTunes
