My Top 25 of 2010 (spoiler- You Tube links galore)
- Thread starter Harvester
- Start date
Metal66
Member
Hey Glen just wanted to say thank you for telling me about Kingcrow. cd will definetly be on my top 2010 list. I do want to pay u forward and tell you about a band called ECHOES. You should love these guys an awful lot.Nature/existence is the title. thanks again
edgeofthorns
24 Hours Ago...
PAPEdROGA
New Metal Member
Hi to all,
I'm Giampiero Ulacco, the mixing engineer who worked with Diego Cafolla on the production of Phlegethon by Kingcrow.
I just want to thank all of you for your appreciation and compliments about Kingcrow's Production.
I'm glad to see Phlegethon on the top of Harvester's list.
Thanks!
Bye
G
spag
I am a leaf on the wind
I had never checked out Kingcrow until recently. I don't have Phlegethon, I think mine is insider, or insight or something like that. Old album. This is off the top of my head, don't have my iPod with me at the moment. Anyway, it was kind of an unexpected listen, and re-listen, repeat. I haven't played it in a while, but this makes me want to. I'll have to check out the new one.
OrbWeaver
BECAUSE FALCONER
The new Tarja is pretty much amazing. Even my non-Tarja-fan friends think the new album is good. Hell, even Met-Al kind of likes it, and if you know Met-Al, you know how much he hates operatic vocals in heavy music. 
I really dig the new Blind Guardian, too. It reminds me of their Nightfall in Middle Earth album.
I really dig the new Blind Guardian, too. It reminds me of their Nightfall in Middle Earth album.
spag
I am a leaf on the wind
I found some samples. One I heard made me think immediately of Porcupine Tree. Did you make that connection at all with it?
Jasonic
Doom On!
Azrael LenGraden
Lake Of Fire
labrekk
Member
I think their first 2 discs suck more or less. Hammer of the North is their best for me, Iron Will was very good too. They became a fine band with Wolf's Return IMO.
Glenn, I won't bitch about your taste in music (mostly because it rocks), but you have to give the bellydancing thing SOME credit - it brought Elize to Atlanta.
Now let's see if Amaranthe has enough staying power to make an Atlanta appearance!
Maybe they could open for Blackguard?
No-Mercy
Feanor
that sinbreed track is killer. right up my alley.
and yes, blind guardian makes me dance at the ren fair as well...ahahah. but actually. have you heard the acoustic version of war of thrones? im actually more a fan of that then the album version...both still very good though.
and yes, blind guardian makes me dance at the ren fair as well...ahahah. but actually. have you heard the acoustic version of war of thrones? im actually more a fan of that then the album version...both still very good though.
Lots of awesomeness in this OP. Making a note to pick up Overkills latest, they just continue put a smile on my face. Cheers Glenn.
DADRocks
Member
- Jul 14, 2006
- 851
- 4
- 18
Thanks to your review of Kingcrow's earlier in the year I didn't have to wait for this list.
New cd's from this list that I probably wouldn't of picked up if they didn't make your list:
1. Aspera. Wow!! What an awesome cd from beginning to end. Can't stop listening.
2. Sinbreed. Fantastic fun listen.
3. Blind Guardian. Didn't care too much for these guys in some of their previous stuff, gotta say the new one is great.
4. Anathema. It's taken a few listens but it's groing on me.
Gotta make my way through more of them, looking forward to the Engel cd, sounds great.
New cd's from this list that I probably wouldn't of picked up if they didn't make your list:
1. Aspera. Wow!! What an awesome cd from beginning to end. Can't stop listening.
2. Sinbreed. Fantastic fun listen.
3. Blind Guardian. Didn't care too much for these guys in some of their previous stuff, gotta say the new one is great.
4. Anathema. It's taken a few listens but it's groing on me.
Gotta make my way through more of them, looking forward to the Engel cd, sounds great.
drmetal8
Graphic Design
Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in. Although it’s been a pretty shitty year for me personally, I have had the chance to buy and listen to most of the music I wanted to. Not everything I wanted to, but overall I was able to get the main CDs I wanted. I think 2010 was a better year for metal than 2009, and was a great year for my favorite genre, THRASH! This year my list has my Top 16 instead of just 10.
#16: FIREWIND - Days of Defiance (Media Book Edition)
‘Days of Defiance’ is the sixth album for Firewind, and is yet another solid release for Greek guitarist Gus G and his main band. (Gus is now Ozzy’s guitarist as well.) I own everything Gus has played guitar on, and he never disappoints. This album fits in nicely with the other classics Firewind have recorded. The only difference line-up wise from the last album is that former Metalium drummer Michael Ehre has now replaced Mark Cross, and he does a great job. Standout tracks include “World On Fire,” “Chariot,” and “Kill In The Name of Love.” Stellar artwork and packaging - I really recommend buying the limited edition “Media Book Edition” of this CD, it comes with a sticker, guitar pick and three excellent bonus tracks.
#15: HOLY GRAIL - Crisis In Utopia
This band came out of nowhere for me this year. I had never heard them before seeing them on tour with Exodus, and they blew me away with their youth and energy. I picked up their ‘Improper Burial’ EP and enjoyed it. ‘Crisis In Utopia’ came out right after that and features two re-recorded tracks from that EP, “Fight To Kill” and “Immortal Man.” I really dig this band, they’ve got a modern metal sound that nods to old school thrash and an excellent vocalist in James Paul Luna.
#14: EXODUS - Exhibit B: The Human Condition
The sticker on the front of this CD reads: “12 songs of super fast, aggressive and epic technicallity.” I’d have to agree with that description. Put the CD in, and an acoustic intro segues another punishing lesson in pissed-off violence. Bay-area thrash legends Exodus are in top form on Exhibit B. I like this album even more than Exhibit A. Seeing the band perform some of these songs live this year confirmed my belief that this band is still among the best out there. Songs like “Hammer and Life,” “Downfall,” and one of my personal favorite songs of the year, “Burn Hollywood Burn” are great, angry fun. Andy Sneap’s production, mix and mastering is, as usual, crisp and dynamic. Colin Marks’ kick ass artwork is simply the icing on the cake.
#13: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - The Cold
For the record, Flotsam and Jetsam have been around since 1982– 28 years and counting! After 2005’s ‘Dreams of Death’ (easily the worst F&J album), I wondered if the band had enough inspiration to make another decent album (or another album at all). Well, ‘The Cold’ is a near-return to form for F&J. The best F&J albums are the ones where Eric AK is pissed off, and I’m happy to say that he is finally pissed off again! His lyrics and vocals are the heart and soul of F&J, and they are what makes this album. The music is solid, not the best the band has ever done, but no matter, the talent shines through. Tracks like “Take,” “Blackened Eyes Staring” and the melancholy of “Better Off Dead” are pretty pessimistic, but that’s the way the best F&J material sounds. “Black Cloud” is my favorite song of the year. The frustration in that song is real, and is something I identify with. Since this album was released, guitarist Mark Simpson has left the band, finally reuniting the guitar team of Ed Carlson and Michael Gilbert. Here’s hoping F&J can move forward with more good music. I’d love to see them work with a producer like Andy Sneap one day.
#12: GAMMA RAY - To The Metal!
No denying Gamma Ray are one of the greatest German power metal bands ever. Their last release, 2007’s ‘Land of The Free II’ was good, but did not blow me away. I like ‘To The Metal!’ a lot more and I think the title track is one of the best songs they’ve ever written, even if it is fairly simple for Gamma Ray. Check out “All You Need To Know” for another taste of the early Helloween era, as the song features guest vocals by Michael Kiske. “Shine Forever” and “Chasing Shadows” are blistering speed metal anthems. The double disc digibook is a pretty sweet design, even though the “Making of” DVD is nothing special. In the end, this really is a fun album. The credits say: “Produced by the Spirit of Freedom - Hell yeah!” That pretty much says it all. Hail to the Metal!
#11: CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED
The awesomely-named Charred Walls of The Damned is a project comprised of metal veterans Steve DiGiorgio (Death, Sadus, Testament, Futures End) on bass, Richard Christy (Iced Earth, Death, Control Denied) on drums, Tim “Ripper” Owens (Yngwie, Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Beyond Fear) on vocals and guitarist/producer Jason Suecof (producer of this CD, Trivium, Death Angel and many other bands). CWOTD have a death/speed metal sound on most songs, with a little tech metal thrown in. It’s great to hear a band this heavy without ‘cookie monster’ vocals, which I am not usually a fan of. Lead-off track “Ghost Town” remains my favorite, although I really like “Manifestations,” “The Darkest Eyes” and "Fear In The Sky" as well. This is one of my favorite Tim Owens performances, he sounds great and hits high notes all over the place. There are also loads of excellent harmonies as well. The star of this CD is Richard Christy, who wrote all the music and lyrics and lets loose with tons of sick double bass drumming throughout. At nine tracks, the CD clocks in at only 35 minutes, but it is a satisfying 35 minutes. This CD was recorded right up the road from me in Sanford, Florida. It comes with a ‘Making of’ DVD (seems like a lot of bands are doing these now) which is pretty hilarious in parts. I love this band, I hope they continue to make music together.
#10: HELLOWEEN - 7 Sinners
Sony is touting this album as a “return to form.” Not sure why, as Helloween are in the prime of their career, and are really firing on all cylinders. ‘7 Sinners’ has 13 up-tempo songs, only one of which is a ballad (“The Smile of The Sun.”
Some of the best songs they’ve ever written are on this album: “Where The Sinners Go” and “Are You Metal?” lead off the album and are solid anthems. Then Saxon’s Biff Byford provides a spoken intro to the pummeling “Who Is Mr. Madman?” My two favorite songs are “Raise The Noise” (check out the flute solo!) and the speed/thrash metal of “Long Live The King,” both of which capture the rollicking euphoria I love about Helloween. I would put “Long Live The King” (written by Deris) up against any other song this year. That song destroys! I also dig “The Sage, The Fool, The Sinner.” Andi Deris sounds awesome, the guitars and bass sound great, and drummer Dani Loble’s drumming is phenomenal and takes the band into thrash territory occasionally. (Third album now with him behind the kit.) The album cover/artwork is one of their best as well, I really dig the move away from cartoonish covers.
#9: FORBIDDEN - Omega Wave (Digibook Edition)
The sticker on the front claims this CD is “The most anticipated metal album of the year.” I’m not sure if that’s true, but this is a far, far better album than people are giving Forbidden credit for. This is not just a comeback for a great thrash band, this is a manifesto. It’s been eight long years since ‘Green’ was released and the band sounds determined to make up for lost time. (‘Omega Wave’ is Forbidden’s fifth album.) Russ Anderson’s voice has served him well and he sounds awesome on ‘Omega Wave.’ The current lineup of Forbidden features Anderson, Craig Locicero on guitar, Matt Camacho on bass, as well as new members: All-star guitarist Steve Smyth (Nevermore, Testament, Vicious Rumors, etc.) and drummer Mark Hernandez (ex- Heathen and Vio-Lence). I love the build-up of intro “Alpha Century,” leading into the blast of “Forsaken At The Gates.” Great opening for the album. My favorite track, “Overthrow” follows, featuring background vocals by Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza and Chuck Billy, which sound downright vicious! “Adapt or Die” is definitely one of the best songs on the album. Other great songs include “Dragging My Casket” and “Inhuman Race.” Appropriately, after beginning with “Alpha Century,” the album ends with “Omega Wave,” the title track, and one of the best songs on the album. The album has a simple, yet killer cover and layout that references the ‘Forbidden Evil’ album. I had high hopes for Forbidden in 2010, and I was not disappointed. The successful tour with Overkill revealed them to be still at the top of their game.
#8: HEATHEN - The Evolution of Chaos
More Bay-area thrash! ‘The Evolution of Chaos’ is a monumental comeback for the legendary Bay-area band Heathen, whose prior albums ‘Breaking The Silence’ and ‘Victims of Deception’ are classics of the genre. Some have called this new album a “masterpiece of modern thrash,” and I couldn’t agree more. This is actually only Heathen’s third proper album, their first in 19 years! (2004’s ‘Recovered’ is considered an EP.) There are special guests galore on this album, like ubiquitous bassist Steve DiGiorgio, vocalist Rob Dukes and guitarist Gary Holt of Exodus, and legendary Bay-area guitarist Terry Lauderdale. Every song on this album is solid, standout cuts being “Dying Season,” “Arrows of Agony,” and “Undone.” At over 11 minutes in length, the centerpiece of the album is “No Stone Unturned,” which features an acoustic interlude, a fretless bass solo by DiGiorgio, and a thrashing shout-along chorus at the end. Vocalist David White (aka David Godfrey) still sounds great, but he does not hit the crazy high notes much anymore. The guitars are the perfect tone, still capturing the Heathen sound. Really, it’s the quality of the songwriting that keeps you coming back for more listens. The production is top notch, and the album features great artwork by Travis Smith as well. Clocking in at over 68 minutes, ‘The Evolution of Chaos’ is well worth the investment.
#7: SINBREED - When Worlds Collide
Sinbreed is based in Wiesbaden, Germany, and ‘When Worlds Collide’ is their debut album. It is mainly a project of German guitarist Flo Laurin, which features him on guitar and keyboards, along with vocalist Herbie Langhans (Seventh Avenue), drummer Frederik Ehmke (Blind Guardian) and bassist Alexander Schulz. It is full-speed ahead fist-pumping metal all the way. This is the kind of album I can throw in the car and drive 100 miles per hour. 'When Worlds Collide' fills the need for no-frills power metal, yet has enough sophistication to keep you coming back for repeated listens. I love to sing along with songs like “Newborn Tomorrow” and “Dust To Dust,” but really the whole album is enjoyable.
#6: BLIND GUARDIAN - At The Edge of Time (2-Disc Deluxe Digipak Edition)
Nuclear Blast Records says it best: “Blind Guardian possess a track record and back catalogue of classic staples that perhaps only Iron Maiden can match.” 'At The Edge of Time' stands proudly alongside all the classic Blind Guardian albums. Any year we are blessed with a new Blind Guardian album is a good year, and the band is at the top of their game in 2010. The album begins with a slow building, soaring intro to “Sacred Worlds,” the longest song on the album at over nine minutes. It picks up steam and blasts off three minutes into the song. The orchestration and horns are interesting additions. “Tanelorn" follows with Hansi Kursch’s trademark soaring vocals. “The Road of No Release” is next, a track that may have been at home on the ‘Nightfall In Middle Earth’ album. Killer chorus, and one of the best songs on the album. “War of The Thrones” is an excellent ballad. “A Voice In The Dark,” was the first single/video from the album, and is my favorite track. That song and “Wheel of Time” probably have the best choruses on the whole album. “Wheel of Time” is a pretty orchestral track, and mixes in horns and some arabic beats in the middle section. (There is a more orchestral version of this song on the bonus disc.) Great guitar work from Andre and Marcus. Bass is again played by Oliver Holzwarth. Frederik Ehmke has to be mentioned again. His drumming is superb, and he contributes flute and bagpipes as well. Gorgeous artwork and layout by Felipe Franco, which is mainly Egyptian-themed, although there are some different pieces in the 28-page booklet. The digibook comes with a bonus disc that features a video, demo tracks, and other assorted extras like a cover of Australian singer John Farnham’s hit song “You’re The Voice.” There is also a code that you can enter on the Nuclear Blast website to download exclusive content, like photos, wallpapers and (what sounds like a demo) version of “Valkyries.” Can’t recommend this album enough!
#5: ANGELS OF BABYLON - Kingdom of Evil
Angels of Babylon are a melodic power metal band assembled by Holy Hell drummer Rhino (aka the best drummer Manowar ever had.) Rhino began compiling the songs on ‘Kingdom of Evil’ over the past couple years, choosing to wait until he had the right lineup to complete his vision. Angels of Babylon features metal vets David Ellefson on bass, Ethan Brosh on guitar and former Masi and Hawk vocalist David Fefolt. (Fefolt previously worked with Rhino in the band Forgotten Realm.) Fefolt states: “I think this album will surprise a lot of people due to its classic metal sound, but with such majestic arrangements throughout.” And it’s true, it was a surprise to hear such high-quality songs from a project like this. The album has 13 songs, the first nine are classics in my opinion. The music is great, but the star of this album is Fefolt. His vocals are stellar, especially on “Night Magic,” “Tear Out My Heart,” “Tarot” and the title track. Also, he has a nice duet with Jeannie Lavelly on “House of Pain.” There are some cool drum fills by Rhino, especially on “Night Magic,” “Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen” and “Kingdom of Evil.” Probably a surprise that ‘Kingdom of Evil’ would make my top 5, but I love it. The CD stayed in my player for a long time this year. In a perfect world, AOB would sell a million copies of this album. Metal Heaven released this album after its initial release on Burnhill Union Records. I highly recommend tracking it down.
#4: DREAM EVIL - In The Night (Digibook Edition)
I love Dream Evil and this is my favorite album of theirs since the debut. Dream Evil’s positive energy cannot be denied. The first time you hear them, you may question if they are for real or not. Are these guys really that into metal and ‘winning the fight?’ After five albums, two EPs and a compilation-- it’s no doubt, yes -- Dream Evil are the ambassadors of Heavy Metal! These songs really get your head banging and your first pumping. The production is immaculate and this album is sonically perfect. After the initial punch in the face of “Immortal,” the instant classic title track announces “Hail Metal!” and from then on, it’s classic cut after classic cut. “Bang Your Head,” “See The Light” and “Electric” are favorites. The whole album is a headbanger’s delight. The digibook has 2 awesome bonus tracks, “Good Nightmare” and “The Return.” (The Japanese version has two more bonus tracks: “Save Yourself" and "Black Hole.") Gustavo Sazes’ artwork is worth mentioning, as it’s my favorite album cover of the year, and the photography/layout in the booklet is simply awesome. Great idea with the alter-egos. Can’t wait to see them live at ProgPower next year!
#3: HELSTAR - Glory of Chaos
If you haven’t been following Helstar since they reformed, then you are missing out on one of the best bands in the world. Their 2008 release ‘The King of Hell’ was awesome and the album they released this year, ‘Glory of Chaos’ will totally shred your face off! There aren’t too many bands with the ferocity of Helstar. “Angels Fall To Hell,” “Pandemonium” and “Bone Crusher” are favorites from this album. Bonus points for the song “Dethtrap” for being based on the movie “Cube.” Vocalist James Rivera can still peel the paint off the wall with his voice, the guy is amazing. This album is heavy as hell power metal, with speed and thrash influences. Helstar have been on AFM Records since reforming in 2007. There are 12 songs, all being totally ass-kicking, except for the last song, which is an instrumental outro. The album also contains two bonus tracks, covers of Saxon’s “Heavy Metal Thunder” and Scorpions’ “Animal Magnetism.”
#2: ACCEPT - Blood Of The Nations (Bonus Track Edition)
Accept’s resurrection is easily the comeback of the year, if not the decade! Former T.T. Quick singer Mark Tornillo stepped in and really saved the day. Simply a great metal album, really inspiring. Every song is worth repeated listens. “Teutonic Terror” is one of my favorite songs and videos of the year. Also love “Locked and Loaded,” “Rolling Thunder” and the title track. The bonus track edition is worth buying for the song “Time Machine.” Accept totally killed at ProgPower this year.
#1: OVERKILL - Ironbound
Overkill celebrates 30 years of existence in 2010 and ‘Ironbound’ is their 15th studio album. They are the most reliable and persistent band in heavy metal and they still sound hungry on ‘Ironbound,’ which is the culmination of progression through the last several albums. The band is at their peak, and they sound absolutely venomous! Standout tracks are, well...all of them, but I am particularly fond of “The Green and Black,” “Bring Me The Night,” “Give A Little” and the title track. Overkill sound incredibly tight. Bobby Elsworth’s voice has never sounded better and Ron Lipnicki’s drumming is absolutely blistering. This is just a fun album to listen to. Their tour with Forbidden, Evile, etc. cemented Overkill as one of the top bands in the business. Also one of the best album covers of the year. Kneel down and worship at the thrash altar!
-----------------------------------------
Honorable Mentions (In no particular order):
Rhapsody - The Frozen Tears of Angels
Ratt - Infestation
Kamelot - Poetry For The Poisoned
Pretty Maids - Pandemonium
Death Angel - Relentless Retribution
Jon Oliva’s Pain - Festival
Therion - Sitra Ahra
Allen-Lande - The Showdown
Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy
Masterplan - Time To Be King
Virgin Steele - The Black Light Bacchanalia
Favorite Songs:
Flotsam and Jetsam - “Black Cloud” - Best lyrics of the year.
Overkill - “Ironbound” “Bring Me The Night”
Dream Evil - “See The Light”
Angels of Babylon - “Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen”
Accept - “Rolling Thunder” “Teutonic Terror”
Exodus - “Burn, Hollywood, Burn” - I couldn’t have said it better than this song does.
Forbidden - “Overthrow”
Heathen - “No Stone Unturned”
Firewind - “World on Fire”
Halford - “The Mower” - Only wish the rest of the album was this awesome.
Sinbreed - “Dust To Dust” Cool video for this song.
Helloween - “Raise The Noise” (Flute solo!) “Long Live The King”
Favorite Album Covers:
1. Dream Evil - In The Night
2. Firewind - Days of Defiance
3. Overkill - Ironbound
4. Blind Guardian - At The Edge of Time
5. Jon Oliva’s Pain - Festival
6. Kamelot - Poetry For The Poisoned
7. Heathen - The Evolution of Chaos
8. Therion - Sitra Ahra
9. Helloween - 7 Sinners
10. Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition
Favorite CD Layouts:
1. Dream Evil - In The Night (Digibook)
2. Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition
3. Blind Guardian - At The Edge of Time (Digibook)
4. Kamelot - Poetry For The Poisoned (Digibook)
Favorite Videos:
Accept - “Teutonic Terror”
Blind Guardian - “A Voice In The Dark”
Exodus - “Downfall”
Helloween - “Are You Metal?”
Kamelot - “The Great Pandemonium”
Firewind - “World On Fire”
Favorite Books:
Mustaine - (Dave Mustaine autobiography)
Mean Deviation - Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal - by Jeff Wagner
Tattoos and Tequila - Vince Neil
White Line Fever - (Lemmy autobiography. No, it didn’t come out this year, but I just read it this year.)
Hit Hard - Joey Kramer autobiography (Ditto)
Slash - Slash autobiography (Ditto)
Thanks for reading. Sorry for any typos.
Have a great New Year!
-Alex
#16: FIREWIND - Days of Defiance (Media Book Edition)
‘Days of Defiance’ is the sixth album for Firewind, and is yet another solid release for Greek guitarist Gus G and his main band. (Gus is now Ozzy’s guitarist as well.) I own everything Gus has played guitar on, and he never disappoints. This album fits in nicely with the other classics Firewind have recorded. The only difference line-up wise from the last album is that former Metalium drummer Michael Ehre has now replaced Mark Cross, and he does a great job. Standout tracks include “World On Fire,” “Chariot,” and “Kill In The Name of Love.” Stellar artwork and packaging - I really recommend buying the limited edition “Media Book Edition” of this CD, it comes with a sticker, guitar pick and three excellent bonus tracks.
#15: HOLY GRAIL - Crisis In Utopia
This band came out of nowhere for me this year. I had never heard them before seeing them on tour with Exodus, and they blew me away with their youth and energy. I picked up their ‘Improper Burial’ EP and enjoyed it. ‘Crisis In Utopia’ came out right after that and features two re-recorded tracks from that EP, “Fight To Kill” and “Immortal Man.” I really dig this band, they’ve got a modern metal sound that nods to old school thrash and an excellent vocalist in James Paul Luna.
#14: EXODUS - Exhibit B: The Human Condition
The sticker on the front of this CD reads: “12 songs of super fast, aggressive and epic technicallity.” I’d have to agree with that description. Put the CD in, and an acoustic intro segues another punishing lesson in pissed-off violence. Bay-area thrash legends Exodus are in top form on Exhibit B. I like this album even more than Exhibit A. Seeing the band perform some of these songs live this year confirmed my belief that this band is still among the best out there. Songs like “Hammer and Life,” “Downfall,” and one of my personal favorite songs of the year, “Burn Hollywood Burn” are great, angry fun. Andy Sneap’s production, mix and mastering is, as usual, crisp and dynamic. Colin Marks’ kick ass artwork is simply the icing on the cake.
#13: FLOTSAM AND JETSAM - The Cold
For the record, Flotsam and Jetsam have been around since 1982– 28 years and counting! After 2005’s ‘Dreams of Death’ (easily the worst F&J album), I wondered if the band had enough inspiration to make another decent album (or another album at all). Well, ‘The Cold’ is a near-return to form for F&J. The best F&J albums are the ones where Eric AK is pissed off, and I’m happy to say that he is finally pissed off again! His lyrics and vocals are the heart and soul of F&J, and they are what makes this album. The music is solid, not the best the band has ever done, but no matter, the talent shines through. Tracks like “Take,” “Blackened Eyes Staring” and the melancholy of “Better Off Dead” are pretty pessimistic, but that’s the way the best F&J material sounds. “Black Cloud” is my favorite song of the year. The frustration in that song is real, and is something I identify with. Since this album was released, guitarist Mark Simpson has left the band, finally reuniting the guitar team of Ed Carlson and Michael Gilbert. Here’s hoping F&J can move forward with more good music. I’d love to see them work with a producer like Andy Sneap one day.
#12: GAMMA RAY - To The Metal!
No denying Gamma Ray are one of the greatest German power metal bands ever. Their last release, 2007’s ‘Land of The Free II’ was good, but did not blow me away. I like ‘To The Metal!’ a lot more and I think the title track is one of the best songs they’ve ever written, even if it is fairly simple for Gamma Ray. Check out “All You Need To Know” for another taste of the early Helloween era, as the song features guest vocals by Michael Kiske. “Shine Forever” and “Chasing Shadows” are blistering speed metal anthems. The double disc digibook is a pretty sweet design, even though the “Making of” DVD is nothing special. In the end, this really is a fun album. The credits say: “Produced by the Spirit of Freedom - Hell yeah!” That pretty much says it all. Hail to the Metal!
#11: CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED
The awesomely-named Charred Walls of The Damned is a project comprised of metal veterans Steve DiGiorgio (Death, Sadus, Testament, Futures End) on bass, Richard Christy (Iced Earth, Death, Control Denied) on drums, Tim “Ripper” Owens (Yngwie, Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Beyond Fear) on vocals and guitarist/producer Jason Suecof (producer of this CD, Trivium, Death Angel and many other bands). CWOTD have a death/speed metal sound on most songs, with a little tech metal thrown in. It’s great to hear a band this heavy without ‘cookie monster’ vocals, which I am not usually a fan of. Lead-off track “Ghost Town” remains my favorite, although I really like “Manifestations,” “The Darkest Eyes” and "Fear In The Sky" as well. This is one of my favorite Tim Owens performances, he sounds great and hits high notes all over the place. There are also loads of excellent harmonies as well. The star of this CD is Richard Christy, who wrote all the music and lyrics and lets loose with tons of sick double bass drumming throughout. At nine tracks, the CD clocks in at only 35 minutes, but it is a satisfying 35 minutes. This CD was recorded right up the road from me in Sanford, Florida. It comes with a ‘Making of’ DVD (seems like a lot of bands are doing these now) which is pretty hilarious in parts. I love this band, I hope they continue to make music together.
#10: HELLOWEEN - 7 Sinners
Sony is touting this album as a “return to form.” Not sure why, as Helloween are in the prime of their career, and are really firing on all cylinders. ‘7 Sinners’ has 13 up-tempo songs, only one of which is a ballad (“The Smile of The Sun.”
Some of the best songs they’ve ever written are on this album: “Where The Sinners Go” and “Are You Metal?” lead off the album and are solid anthems. Then Saxon’s Biff Byford provides a spoken intro to the pummeling “Who Is Mr. Madman?” My two favorite songs are “Raise The Noise” (check out the flute solo!) and the speed/thrash metal of “Long Live The King,” both of which capture the rollicking euphoria I love about Helloween. I would put “Long Live The King” (written by Deris) up against any other song this year. That song destroys! I also dig “The Sage, The Fool, The Sinner.” Andi Deris sounds awesome, the guitars and bass sound great, and drummer Dani Loble’s drumming is phenomenal and takes the band into thrash territory occasionally. (Third album now with him behind the kit.) The album cover/artwork is one of their best as well, I really dig the move away from cartoonish covers.#9: FORBIDDEN - Omega Wave (Digibook Edition)
The sticker on the front claims this CD is “The most anticipated metal album of the year.” I’m not sure if that’s true, but this is a far, far better album than people are giving Forbidden credit for. This is not just a comeback for a great thrash band, this is a manifesto. It’s been eight long years since ‘Green’ was released and the band sounds determined to make up for lost time. (‘Omega Wave’ is Forbidden’s fifth album.) Russ Anderson’s voice has served him well and he sounds awesome on ‘Omega Wave.’ The current lineup of Forbidden features Anderson, Craig Locicero on guitar, Matt Camacho on bass, as well as new members: All-star guitarist Steve Smyth (Nevermore, Testament, Vicious Rumors, etc.) and drummer Mark Hernandez (ex- Heathen and Vio-Lence). I love the build-up of intro “Alpha Century,” leading into the blast of “Forsaken At The Gates.” Great opening for the album. My favorite track, “Overthrow” follows, featuring background vocals by Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza and Chuck Billy, which sound downright vicious! “Adapt or Die” is definitely one of the best songs on the album. Other great songs include “Dragging My Casket” and “Inhuman Race.” Appropriately, after beginning with “Alpha Century,” the album ends with “Omega Wave,” the title track, and one of the best songs on the album. The album has a simple, yet killer cover and layout that references the ‘Forbidden Evil’ album. I had high hopes for Forbidden in 2010, and I was not disappointed. The successful tour with Overkill revealed them to be still at the top of their game.
#8: HEATHEN - The Evolution of Chaos
More Bay-area thrash! ‘The Evolution of Chaos’ is a monumental comeback for the legendary Bay-area band Heathen, whose prior albums ‘Breaking The Silence’ and ‘Victims of Deception’ are classics of the genre. Some have called this new album a “masterpiece of modern thrash,” and I couldn’t agree more. This is actually only Heathen’s third proper album, their first in 19 years! (2004’s ‘Recovered’ is considered an EP.) There are special guests galore on this album, like ubiquitous bassist Steve DiGiorgio, vocalist Rob Dukes and guitarist Gary Holt of Exodus, and legendary Bay-area guitarist Terry Lauderdale. Every song on this album is solid, standout cuts being “Dying Season,” “Arrows of Agony,” and “Undone.” At over 11 minutes in length, the centerpiece of the album is “No Stone Unturned,” which features an acoustic interlude, a fretless bass solo by DiGiorgio, and a thrashing shout-along chorus at the end. Vocalist David White (aka David Godfrey) still sounds great, but he does not hit the crazy high notes much anymore. The guitars are the perfect tone, still capturing the Heathen sound. Really, it’s the quality of the songwriting that keeps you coming back for more listens. The production is top notch, and the album features great artwork by Travis Smith as well. Clocking in at over 68 minutes, ‘The Evolution of Chaos’ is well worth the investment.
#7: SINBREED - When Worlds Collide
Sinbreed is based in Wiesbaden, Germany, and ‘When Worlds Collide’ is their debut album. It is mainly a project of German guitarist Flo Laurin, which features him on guitar and keyboards, along with vocalist Herbie Langhans (Seventh Avenue), drummer Frederik Ehmke (Blind Guardian) and bassist Alexander Schulz. It is full-speed ahead fist-pumping metal all the way. This is the kind of album I can throw in the car and drive 100 miles per hour. 'When Worlds Collide' fills the need for no-frills power metal, yet has enough sophistication to keep you coming back for repeated listens. I love to sing along with songs like “Newborn Tomorrow” and “Dust To Dust,” but really the whole album is enjoyable.
#6: BLIND GUARDIAN - At The Edge of Time (2-Disc Deluxe Digipak Edition)
Nuclear Blast Records says it best: “Blind Guardian possess a track record and back catalogue of classic staples that perhaps only Iron Maiden can match.” 'At The Edge of Time' stands proudly alongside all the classic Blind Guardian albums. Any year we are blessed with a new Blind Guardian album is a good year, and the band is at the top of their game in 2010. The album begins with a slow building, soaring intro to “Sacred Worlds,” the longest song on the album at over nine minutes. It picks up steam and blasts off three minutes into the song. The orchestration and horns are interesting additions. “Tanelorn" follows with Hansi Kursch’s trademark soaring vocals. “The Road of No Release” is next, a track that may have been at home on the ‘Nightfall In Middle Earth’ album. Killer chorus, and one of the best songs on the album. “War of The Thrones” is an excellent ballad. “A Voice In The Dark,” was the first single/video from the album, and is my favorite track. That song and “Wheel of Time” probably have the best choruses on the whole album. “Wheel of Time” is a pretty orchestral track, and mixes in horns and some arabic beats in the middle section. (There is a more orchestral version of this song on the bonus disc.) Great guitar work from Andre and Marcus. Bass is again played by Oliver Holzwarth. Frederik Ehmke has to be mentioned again. His drumming is superb, and he contributes flute and bagpipes as well. Gorgeous artwork and layout by Felipe Franco, which is mainly Egyptian-themed, although there are some different pieces in the 28-page booklet. The digibook comes with a bonus disc that features a video, demo tracks, and other assorted extras like a cover of Australian singer John Farnham’s hit song “You’re The Voice.” There is also a code that you can enter on the Nuclear Blast website to download exclusive content, like photos, wallpapers and (what sounds like a demo) version of “Valkyries.” Can’t recommend this album enough!
#5: ANGELS OF BABYLON - Kingdom of Evil
Angels of Babylon are a melodic power metal band assembled by Holy Hell drummer Rhino (aka the best drummer Manowar ever had.) Rhino began compiling the songs on ‘Kingdom of Evil’ over the past couple years, choosing to wait until he had the right lineup to complete his vision. Angels of Babylon features metal vets David Ellefson on bass, Ethan Brosh on guitar and former Masi and Hawk vocalist David Fefolt. (Fefolt previously worked with Rhino in the band Forgotten Realm.) Fefolt states: “I think this album will surprise a lot of people due to its classic metal sound, but with such majestic arrangements throughout.” And it’s true, it was a surprise to hear such high-quality songs from a project like this. The album has 13 songs, the first nine are classics in my opinion. The music is great, but the star of this album is Fefolt. His vocals are stellar, especially on “Night Magic,” “Tear Out My Heart,” “Tarot” and the title track. Also, he has a nice duet with Jeannie Lavelly on “House of Pain.” There are some cool drum fills by Rhino, especially on “Night Magic,” “Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen” and “Kingdom of Evil.” Probably a surprise that ‘Kingdom of Evil’ would make my top 5, but I love it. The CD stayed in my player for a long time this year. In a perfect world, AOB would sell a million copies of this album. Metal Heaven released this album after its initial release on Burnhill Union Records. I highly recommend tracking it down.
#4: DREAM EVIL - In The Night (Digibook Edition)
I love Dream Evil and this is my favorite album of theirs since the debut. Dream Evil’s positive energy cannot be denied. The first time you hear them, you may question if they are for real or not. Are these guys really that into metal and ‘winning the fight?’ After five albums, two EPs and a compilation-- it’s no doubt, yes -- Dream Evil are the ambassadors of Heavy Metal! These songs really get your head banging and your first pumping. The production is immaculate and this album is sonically perfect. After the initial punch in the face of “Immortal,” the instant classic title track announces “Hail Metal!” and from then on, it’s classic cut after classic cut. “Bang Your Head,” “See The Light” and “Electric” are favorites. The whole album is a headbanger’s delight. The digibook has 2 awesome bonus tracks, “Good Nightmare” and “The Return.” (The Japanese version has two more bonus tracks: “Save Yourself" and "Black Hole.") Gustavo Sazes’ artwork is worth mentioning, as it’s my favorite album cover of the year, and the photography/layout in the booklet is simply awesome. Great idea with the alter-egos. Can’t wait to see them live at ProgPower next year!
#3: HELSTAR - Glory of Chaos
If you haven’t been following Helstar since they reformed, then you are missing out on one of the best bands in the world. Their 2008 release ‘The King of Hell’ was awesome and the album they released this year, ‘Glory of Chaos’ will totally shred your face off! There aren’t too many bands with the ferocity of Helstar. “Angels Fall To Hell,” “Pandemonium” and “Bone Crusher” are favorites from this album. Bonus points for the song “Dethtrap” for being based on the movie “Cube.” Vocalist James Rivera can still peel the paint off the wall with his voice, the guy is amazing. This album is heavy as hell power metal, with speed and thrash influences. Helstar have been on AFM Records since reforming in 2007. There are 12 songs, all being totally ass-kicking, except for the last song, which is an instrumental outro. The album also contains two bonus tracks, covers of Saxon’s “Heavy Metal Thunder” and Scorpions’ “Animal Magnetism.”
#2: ACCEPT - Blood Of The Nations (Bonus Track Edition)
Accept’s resurrection is easily the comeback of the year, if not the decade! Former T.T. Quick singer Mark Tornillo stepped in and really saved the day. Simply a great metal album, really inspiring. Every song is worth repeated listens. “Teutonic Terror” is one of my favorite songs and videos of the year. Also love “Locked and Loaded,” “Rolling Thunder” and the title track. The bonus track edition is worth buying for the song “Time Machine.” Accept totally killed at ProgPower this year.
#1: OVERKILL - Ironbound
Overkill celebrates 30 years of existence in 2010 and ‘Ironbound’ is their 15th studio album. They are the most reliable and persistent band in heavy metal and they still sound hungry on ‘Ironbound,’ which is the culmination of progression through the last several albums. The band is at their peak, and they sound absolutely venomous! Standout tracks are, well...all of them, but I am particularly fond of “The Green and Black,” “Bring Me The Night,” “Give A Little” and the title track. Overkill sound incredibly tight. Bobby Elsworth’s voice has never sounded better and Ron Lipnicki’s drumming is absolutely blistering. This is just a fun album to listen to. Their tour with Forbidden, Evile, etc. cemented Overkill as one of the top bands in the business. Also one of the best album covers of the year. Kneel down and worship at the thrash altar!
-----------------------------------------
Honorable Mentions (In no particular order):
Rhapsody - The Frozen Tears of Angels
Ratt - Infestation
Kamelot - Poetry For The Poisoned
Pretty Maids - Pandemonium
Death Angel - Relentless Retribution
Jon Oliva’s Pain - Festival
Therion - Sitra Ahra
Allen-Lande - The Showdown
Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy
Masterplan - Time To Be King
Virgin Steele - The Black Light Bacchanalia
Favorite Songs:
Flotsam and Jetsam - “Black Cloud” - Best lyrics of the year.
Overkill - “Ironbound” “Bring Me The Night”
Dream Evil - “See The Light”
Angels of Babylon - “Oh How The Mighty Have Fallen”
Accept - “Rolling Thunder” “Teutonic Terror”
Exodus - “Burn, Hollywood, Burn” - I couldn’t have said it better than this song does.
Forbidden - “Overthrow”
Heathen - “No Stone Unturned”
Firewind - “World on Fire”
Halford - “The Mower” - Only wish the rest of the album was this awesome.
Sinbreed - “Dust To Dust” Cool video for this song.
Helloween - “Raise The Noise” (Flute solo!) “Long Live The King”
Favorite Album Covers:
1. Dream Evil - In The Night
2. Firewind - Days of Defiance
3. Overkill - Ironbound
4. Blind Guardian - At The Edge of Time
5. Jon Oliva’s Pain - Festival
6. Kamelot - Poetry For The Poisoned
7. Heathen - The Evolution of Chaos
8. Therion - Sitra Ahra
9. Helloween - 7 Sinners
10. Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition
Favorite CD Layouts:
1. Dream Evil - In The Night (Digibook)
2. Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition
3. Blind Guardian - At The Edge of Time (Digibook)
4. Kamelot - Poetry For The Poisoned (Digibook)
Favorite Videos:
Accept - “Teutonic Terror”
Blind Guardian - “A Voice In The Dark”
Exodus - “Downfall”
Helloween - “Are You Metal?”
Kamelot - “The Great Pandemonium”
Firewind - “World On Fire”
Favorite Books:
Mustaine - (Dave Mustaine autobiography)
Mean Deviation - Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal - by Jeff Wagner
Tattoos and Tequila - Vince Neil
White Line Fever - (Lemmy autobiography. No, it didn’t come out this year, but I just read it this year.)
Hit Hard - Joey Kramer autobiography (Ditto)
Slash - Slash autobiography (Ditto)
Thanks for reading. Sorry for any typos.
Have a great New Year!
-Alex
Metalmilitia2000
UM's Resident Asshole
Here is mine, reposted from Facebook:
Well, I finally got around to it, and have been putting it off, but here it is now. I try to do this every year, even if only for my own reading. These albums have been kicking my ass, even if they haven't all been in constant rotation.
I think for the first time ever, I will not have a decisive winner. My number one pick is a tie. This year also brought around some very honorable mentions, that didn't quite make the cut. 2 extreme disappointments as well, from two bands I would never expect to disappoint me, but it is what it is.
This year has been both a great and terrible year for metal. First and foremost, we lost one of the founding fathers, Ronnie James Dio. I'm still sad about it. Everyone that listens to metal has to give thanks to and have respect for this man. It's because of him that metal is the way it is today. Sure, he didn't do it by himself, but goddammit, he helped. Christians believe that God said, "Let there be light." I don't believe that, but I do believe that Dio said, "Let there be metal." There is almost no other metal musician in this world who is celebrated like he was, or have such a long and esteemed career and catalog. He will be missed.
I also got to see some killer shows this year. Thanks to Nathan (Swordlord) Block and Steve Ledin for most of them. By far, one of the greatest live bands I have ever witnessed, Accept, finally got to hand my ass to me and make me ask for seconds. They showed that they have not slowed down a bit and that they are still capable of writing "balls to the wall" metal (see my pun? haha). Overkill. Wow. This show was back in May (I think?), and my neck STILL hurts from it. Absolutely a crushing band live, and on disc. If you were at Progpower USA this year, you also got treated to Kamelot without Roy, with Michael from Circus Maximus filling in. I'm not the worlds largest Kamelot fan, but it was a great show. Iced Earth/Sons of Liberty in Chicago at the House Of Blues was also a great show. It was great to see them again, having been a good year and a half since seeing IE last, and never having seen Sons of Liberty before. Megadeth doing the entire Rust In Peace album from front to back, then getting to hang out with David Ellefson after the show... priceless. Iron Maiden in Chicago was great too, even if I'm not a fan of their new album. Nevermore on Halloween night. What a great show that was, not to mention getting to hang out with Jim Sheppard (Bass) for a few days afterward while he crashed with me. If everything goes correctly, I should be going to Seattle at the end of next month to see the first Sanctuary reunion show. Finally, Primus. Yes Primus. I finally got to see one of my bucketlist bands live. They were amazing, everything I expected.
Ok, without further ado, on to the metal!
10. Antithiesis - Dreaming Reality. It's been quite a while since this band released anything, but man, I picked this up at Progpower (Krusty had it there early) and it floored me. It's a great mixture of power metal and thrash metal. It's very reminiscent of Jag Panzer, but I actually prefer this band to them, for the most part. I look forward to their next album, I just hope it doesn't take them another 9 years...
9. Halcyon Way - Building The Towers. Some of you might not have any clue who this band is, but they have been long time friends of mine, from years back. Hell, they were even kind enough to play my mostly unattended going away party in GA, rofl! While their first album was good, I have always thought that it was flawed. It wasn't any individual (as the only lineup change in the band has been the departing of the vocalist, Sean Shields (who is very talented and fit very well), who was replaced by Steve Braun), but more the writing itself. I'm not knocking it, because I absolutely loved the first album, but they hadn't hit their potential yet. I do believe that they did with this album. Based around the events of the government taking control of our freedoms and basically throwing our country even further into the military industrial complex. This is at least how I understood it. Jon, Zane, Ernie, Kris, if I'm wrong, haha, please let me know. I should have tagged you all on this.
8. Christian Mistress - Agony & Opium. I just got turned on to this band very recently, but WOW! I normally am not a fan of bands with female vocalists, as they usually just don't do it for me, but Christine Davis does it for me. This band basically could have come out in UK 30 years ago easily and fit right in. They sound like a mixture between OLD Judas Priest, Diamond Head, Angel Witch, etc... and goddamn it's awesome! This is a band to watch, I see good things coming for them.
7. Fear Factory - Mechanize. Byron Stroud AND Gene Hoglan? Yes please! We might as well call this band Strapping Young Factory or Fear of a Young Lad. This album crushes, more so than several of their previous outings. I regret not being able to see them earlier this year, but I had to make a choice between them and Maiden, and Maiden won. There is really nothing but good things to say about this album, it's absolutely fantastic. Heavy, melodic, fast as hell, what more could you want from these guys? I hope this lineup stays intact, and they keep releasing quality material like this.
6. Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy. I wanted this to be higher on the list, because it's such a great album, but it's got some stiff competition. It's about time that Nevermore bring us what we have come to expect from them, being a full 5 years after their previous album came out. Although this is not their best album, it's definitely among some of their best work, being reminiscent of In Memory at times and such. Almost no filler on this beast, it definitely did not disappoint.
5. Sons of Liberty - Brush-fires of the Mind. You can call Jon Schaffer whatever you want, but one thing you cannot call him is unpatriotic. He loves his country but absolutely hates what's being done to it. I've been a huge fan of this album since he put it on the net for a free download (he said he was not trying to make money, just wanted to get the message out), but it formally came out on cd earlier this year from Century Media. I was very relieved to know that someone I'm such a big fan of has the same theories as me and believes the same things are happening to us as a country.
4. Annihilator - Annihilator. (Insert Fanboy Rant Here) No, seriously, I love this album. Even by my already stringent Annihilator standards, this album smokes. Dave Padden has definitely cemented himself as someone who certainly belongs in this band. Jeff is in top form, shredding from the first note all the way until the last (being a cover of Romeo Delight by Van Halen). He let Dave write some on this album too, which is awesome, because my favorite song is one he wrote, called "Death In Your Eyes", which just slays. It's not the best Annihilator album, but I do think it might be the best with Dave on vox. It's pretty tied up with Schizo Deluxe and All For You, but it crushes Metal.
3. Ghost - Opus Eponymous. What can I say about these guys? Not much, unfortunately, because no one knows who they are. They all wear executioners hoods on stage, and the lead singer is dressed up basically like a satanic pope. Think Mercyful Fate, mixed with Diamond Head, Angel Witch, and Blue Oyster Cult. You get Ghost. Definitely another one of those bands who could have come out in the late 70s and no one would have batted an eye. These guys got turned on to me about 2 months ago, and I haven't gone a week without spinning this disc a couple of times, at least. Killer stuff.
2./1. or 1./2. However you want to look at it, it's a tie.
Overkill - Ironbound. Holy shit. That's all I can say. I haven't had a thrash disc kick my ass like this one has, in years. I honestly am one of the people who was quickly losing faith in Overkill, Killbox 13 being the last listenable album they did, in my opinion. This album took all of my doubts, wrapped them in TNT, and blew them the fuck up. Just wow. They are all in top form on this, lyrically, musically, and attitude. I got to see them earlier in the year and they kicked my ass all the way around Station 4. They cannot come back or put out a new album fast enough.
Accept - Blood Of The Nations. I honestly didn't know what to expect from these guys. To be quite honest, I heard the recordings of Balls to the Wall and I forget the other song, with Mark on vox, and they didn't really do anything for me. Because of this, I was apprehensive and was not really expecting much, if anything from this record. Boy was I wrong. From the moment Beat the Bastards starts, I knew I was in for a treat. Every song making me feel like I was in 1985 and Accept was still king. Then, Bucket Full Of Hate came on, the last song on the record. It's the epitome of a perfect Accept riff. I don't know what more to say that to say that this album is absolutely perfect. PERFECT. And while we are at it, Bucket Full Of Hate is my song of the year. It sat as my ringtone on my phone for several months and is currently back in that position now. As I said earlier, I got to see them at Progpower this year, and goddamn, they were the best live band I'd ever seen. They were playing like they had something to prove to the world (and technically, they kind of do, seeing that Udo is not in the band anymore), but they proved it, and proved it big! Mark fits into the band perfectly, and just slays live. Wolf and Peter looked like kids on stage, having a blast and playing their hearts out. I dare say that this is the best record that Accept ever did.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now on to the honorable mentions and disappointments of this year.
Honorable Mentions:
Atheist - Jupiter. I like this album, but I don't LOVE it. It's no Unquestionable Presence or Piece of Time, but it's good. My biggest complaint about it is the production. If the production had been better, it might have found a place on my list.
Suicidal Angels - Dead Again. Just got turned on to these thrashers earlier in the week, and just haven't really haven't had a chance to absorb it much, although my initial response is that these guys definitely belong in the pantheon of the new thrash guard.
Ihsahn - After. I love this album, and it almost made it into my top 10, but I couldn't quite figure out what to get rid of.
Forbidden - Omega Wave. This album absolutely slays, but unfortunately, I couldn't decide what to take out of my top 10 to put it there. Honestly, it almost became my top 11 of 2010, but I thought that 10 from 2010 would be better. They impressed the hell out of me when I saw them about a month back. Steve Smyth fitting very well in the band, and Russ Anderson, not quite having the pipes he had back on Twisted Into Form and Forbidden Evil, can still belt it out and make it sound very, very convincing.
DISAPPOINTMENTS:
There are two, and it breaks my heart to even type them out.
Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier. Ok, I get it, you want epic, grandiose records at this stage in your career. I can get on board with that. I LOVED Brave New World and Dance of Death, but guys... please... put Kevin Shirley out to pasture. His ears are shot, he doesn't know how to produce anything anymore, much less a goddamn Iron Maiden record. For that matter, if Steve Harris is co-producing, please, just stop. You're an amazing bass player, one of the most solid in metal, but please, just stop. I think that this band could put out some absolutely killer material if they were to get a new producer to kick them in the ass and really put the screws to them.
Halford - Made Of Metal. Dear god, erhm... Metal God, please... stop writing bad lyrics. I know that you've said that this album was very personal for you because you wrote most of it and almost all of the lyrics, but please, stop. Resurrection is one of the finest metal masterpieces ever created. Crucible is not too far behind that record either. Nostradamus, I enjoyed immensely, but this album, I just can't do it. It's horrible. Maybe I built it up too much, maybe I wanted it to be the most perfect album ever conceived by the minds of man (or Metal God in this case), but it's terrible. It's not even listenable. Rob, you're my favorite musician ever, I have everything you've ever done on cd, and almost all of it on vinyl. I paid 400 dollars for a Judas Priest meet and greet a couple of years ago. I drove to Chicago to see you. I have a Judas Priest tattoo. I have countless Judas Priest, Halford, and Fight shirts. I feel like I'm doing all of the work here man... You could record your taking a shit and I would probably listen to it, but not this. This was horrible. Please, please, please, please, let this be a fluke.
Well, I finally got around to it, and have been putting it off, but here it is now. I try to do this every year, even if only for my own reading. These albums have been kicking my ass, even if they haven't all been in constant rotation.
I think for the first time ever, I will not have a decisive winner. My number one pick is a tie. This year also brought around some very honorable mentions, that didn't quite make the cut. 2 extreme disappointments as well, from two bands I would never expect to disappoint me, but it is what it is.
This year has been both a great and terrible year for metal. First and foremost, we lost one of the founding fathers, Ronnie James Dio. I'm still sad about it. Everyone that listens to metal has to give thanks to and have respect for this man. It's because of him that metal is the way it is today. Sure, he didn't do it by himself, but goddammit, he helped. Christians believe that God said, "Let there be light." I don't believe that, but I do believe that Dio said, "Let there be metal." There is almost no other metal musician in this world who is celebrated like he was, or have such a long and esteemed career and catalog. He will be missed.
I also got to see some killer shows this year. Thanks to Nathan (Swordlord) Block and Steve Ledin for most of them. By far, one of the greatest live bands I have ever witnessed, Accept, finally got to hand my ass to me and make me ask for seconds. They showed that they have not slowed down a bit and that they are still capable of writing "balls to the wall" metal (see my pun? haha). Overkill. Wow. This show was back in May (I think?), and my neck STILL hurts from it. Absolutely a crushing band live, and on disc. If you were at Progpower USA this year, you also got treated to Kamelot without Roy, with Michael from Circus Maximus filling in. I'm not the worlds largest Kamelot fan, but it was a great show. Iced Earth/Sons of Liberty in Chicago at the House Of Blues was also a great show. It was great to see them again, having been a good year and a half since seeing IE last, and never having seen Sons of Liberty before. Megadeth doing the entire Rust In Peace album from front to back, then getting to hang out with David Ellefson after the show... priceless. Iron Maiden in Chicago was great too, even if I'm not a fan of their new album. Nevermore on Halloween night. What a great show that was, not to mention getting to hang out with Jim Sheppard (Bass) for a few days afterward while he crashed with me. If everything goes correctly, I should be going to Seattle at the end of next month to see the first Sanctuary reunion show. Finally, Primus. Yes Primus. I finally got to see one of my bucketlist bands live. They were amazing, everything I expected.
Ok, without further ado, on to the metal!
10. Antithiesis - Dreaming Reality. It's been quite a while since this band released anything, but man, I picked this up at Progpower (Krusty had it there early) and it floored me. It's a great mixture of power metal and thrash metal. It's very reminiscent of Jag Panzer, but I actually prefer this band to them, for the most part. I look forward to their next album, I just hope it doesn't take them another 9 years...
9. Halcyon Way - Building The Towers. Some of you might not have any clue who this band is, but they have been long time friends of mine, from years back. Hell, they were even kind enough to play my mostly unattended going away party in GA, rofl! While their first album was good, I have always thought that it was flawed. It wasn't any individual (as the only lineup change in the band has been the departing of the vocalist, Sean Shields (who is very talented and fit very well), who was replaced by Steve Braun), but more the writing itself. I'm not knocking it, because I absolutely loved the first album, but they hadn't hit their potential yet. I do believe that they did with this album. Based around the events of the government taking control of our freedoms and basically throwing our country even further into the military industrial complex. This is at least how I understood it. Jon, Zane, Ernie, Kris, if I'm wrong, haha, please let me know. I should have tagged you all on this.
8. Christian Mistress - Agony & Opium. I just got turned on to this band very recently, but WOW! I normally am not a fan of bands with female vocalists, as they usually just don't do it for me, but Christine Davis does it for me. This band basically could have come out in UK 30 years ago easily and fit right in. They sound like a mixture between OLD Judas Priest, Diamond Head, Angel Witch, etc... and goddamn it's awesome! This is a band to watch, I see good things coming for them.
7. Fear Factory - Mechanize. Byron Stroud AND Gene Hoglan? Yes please! We might as well call this band Strapping Young Factory or Fear of a Young Lad. This album crushes, more so than several of their previous outings. I regret not being able to see them earlier this year, but I had to make a choice between them and Maiden, and Maiden won. There is really nothing but good things to say about this album, it's absolutely fantastic. Heavy, melodic, fast as hell, what more could you want from these guys? I hope this lineup stays intact, and they keep releasing quality material like this.
6. Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy. I wanted this to be higher on the list, because it's such a great album, but it's got some stiff competition. It's about time that Nevermore bring us what we have come to expect from them, being a full 5 years after their previous album came out. Although this is not their best album, it's definitely among some of their best work, being reminiscent of In Memory at times and such. Almost no filler on this beast, it definitely did not disappoint.
5. Sons of Liberty - Brush-fires of the Mind. You can call Jon Schaffer whatever you want, but one thing you cannot call him is unpatriotic. He loves his country but absolutely hates what's being done to it. I've been a huge fan of this album since he put it on the net for a free download (he said he was not trying to make money, just wanted to get the message out), but it formally came out on cd earlier this year from Century Media. I was very relieved to know that someone I'm such a big fan of has the same theories as me and believes the same things are happening to us as a country.
4. Annihilator - Annihilator. (Insert Fanboy Rant Here) No, seriously, I love this album. Even by my already stringent Annihilator standards, this album smokes. Dave Padden has definitely cemented himself as someone who certainly belongs in this band. Jeff is in top form, shredding from the first note all the way until the last (being a cover of Romeo Delight by Van Halen). He let Dave write some on this album too, which is awesome, because my favorite song is one he wrote, called "Death In Your Eyes", which just slays. It's not the best Annihilator album, but I do think it might be the best with Dave on vox. It's pretty tied up with Schizo Deluxe and All For You, but it crushes Metal.
3. Ghost - Opus Eponymous. What can I say about these guys? Not much, unfortunately, because no one knows who they are. They all wear executioners hoods on stage, and the lead singer is dressed up basically like a satanic pope. Think Mercyful Fate, mixed with Diamond Head, Angel Witch, and Blue Oyster Cult. You get Ghost. Definitely another one of those bands who could have come out in the late 70s and no one would have batted an eye. These guys got turned on to me about 2 months ago, and I haven't gone a week without spinning this disc a couple of times, at least. Killer stuff.
2./1. or 1./2. However you want to look at it, it's a tie.
Overkill - Ironbound. Holy shit. That's all I can say. I haven't had a thrash disc kick my ass like this one has, in years. I honestly am one of the people who was quickly losing faith in Overkill, Killbox 13 being the last listenable album they did, in my opinion. This album took all of my doubts, wrapped them in TNT, and blew them the fuck up. Just wow. They are all in top form on this, lyrically, musically, and attitude. I got to see them earlier in the year and they kicked my ass all the way around Station 4. They cannot come back or put out a new album fast enough.
Accept - Blood Of The Nations. I honestly didn't know what to expect from these guys. To be quite honest, I heard the recordings of Balls to the Wall and I forget the other song, with Mark on vox, and they didn't really do anything for me. Because of this, I was apprehensive and was not really expecting much, if anything from this record. Boy was I wrong. From the moment Beat the Bastards starts, I knew I was in for a treat. Every song making me feel like I was in 1985 and Accept was still king. Then, Bucket Full Of Hate came on, the last song on the record. It's the epitome of a perfect Accept riff. I don't know what more to say that to say that this album is absolutely perfect. PERFECT. And while we are at it, Bucket Full Of Hate is my song of the year. It sat as my ringtone on my phone for several months and is currently back in that position now. As I said earlier, I got to see them at Progpower this year, and goddamn, they were the best live band I'd ever seen. They were playing like they had something to prove to the world (and technically, they kind of do, seeing that Udo is not in the band anymore), but they proved it, and proved it big! Mark fits into the band perfectly, and just slays live. Wolf and Peter looked like kids on stage, having a blast and playing their hearts out. I dare say that this is the best record that Accept ever did.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now on to the honorable mentions and disappointments of this year.
Honorable Mentions:
Atheist - Jupiter. I like this album, but I don't LOVE it. It's no Unquestionable Presence or Piece of Time, but it's good. My biggest complaint about it is the production. If the production had been better, it might have found a place on my list.
Suicidal Angels - Dead Again. Just got turned on to these thrashers earlier in the week, and just haven't really haven't had a chance to absorb it much, although my initial response is that these guys definitely belong in the pantheon of the new thrash guard.
Ihsahn - After. I love this album, and it almost made it into my top 10, but I couldn't quite figure out what to get rid of.
Forbidden - Omega Wave. This album absolutely slays, but unfortunately, I couldn't decide what to take out of my top 10 to put it there. Honestly, it almost became my top 11 of 2010, but I thought that 10 from 2010 would be better. They impressed the hell out of me when I saw them about a month back. Steve Smyth fitting very well in the band, and Russ Anderson, not quite having the pipes he had back on Twisted Into Form and Forbidden Evil, can still belt it out and make it sound very, very convincing.
DISAPPOINTMENTS:
There are two, and it breaks my heart to even type them out.
Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier. Ok, I get it, you want epic, grandiose records at this stage in your career. I can get on board with that. I LOVED Brave New World and Dance of Death, but guys... please... put Kevin Shirley out to pasture. His ears are shot, he doesn't know how to produce anything anymore, much less a goddamn Iron Maiden record. For that matter, if Steve Harris is co-producing, please, just stop. You're an amazing bass player, one of the most solid in metal, but please, just stop. I think that this band could put out some absolutely killer material if they were to get a new producer to kick them in the ass and really put the screws to them.
Halford - Made Of Metal. Dear god, erhm... Metal God, please... stop writing bad lyrics. I know that you've said that this album was very personal for you because you wrote most of it and almost all of the lyrics, but please, stop. Resurrection is one of the finest metal masterpieces ever created. Crucible is not too far behind that record either. Nostradamus, I enjoyed immensely, but this album, I just can't do it. It's horrible. Maybe I built it up too much, maybe I wanted it to be the most perfect album ever conceived by the minds of man (or Metal God in this case), but it's terrible. It's not even listenable. Rob, you're my favorite musician ever, I have everything you've ever done on cd, and almost all of it on vinyl. I paid 400 dollars for a Judas Priest meet and greet a couple of years ago. I drove to Chicago to see you. I have a Judas Priest tattoo. I have countless Judas Priest, Halford, and Fight shirts. I feel like I'm doing all of the work here man... You could record your taking a shit and I would probably listen to it, but not this. This was horrible. Please, please, please, please, let this be a fluke.
drmetal8
Graphic Design
Holy crap dude, I also had Overkill and Accept tied on my Facebook posting. (I made them #1 and #2 for this listing.)
I would have put Sons of Liberty on my list as well, but technically that came out in 2009.
I was going to list Maiden and Halford as my disappointments as well. I try to remain positive in my reviews, but those 2 kind of let me down.
First off, let me say that I absolutely worship Maiden. My beef with The Final Frontier is that there are no choruses on the album. It's just Bruce singing over the music. They don't even double track his vocals. And you're right, the production is flat. Again.
Halford has one of the best lineups in metal and they have made some uninspired music. I don't know why. The only song I really like on the album is The Mower. Still trying to figure out that song title btw.
Metalmilitia2000
UM's Resident Asshole
I completely agree with this as well. By the way, The Mower kicks ass. I had such high hopes for the album based on that song, then Halford shit all over me.
