BRAD CAPLAN
2010 - Albums of the Year (Hard Rock/Metal)
Here are my albums of the year. I am not too hung up on the actual order, but there were
some surprises this year. I have never been a huge A7X fan, but their new album was very
diverse and a great metal album. While Alter Bridge (Creed with Myles Kennedy on vocals)
would not be considered metal, they probably released my favorite album of the year. Iron
Maiden's release was similar to their past 2-3 albums, but I am amazed at how they
continue to create great metal in a style that only Maiden can. The new Stone Sour album
is solid and helped hold me over until the next Slipknot release - hoping for late 2011,
but I am guessing not. Godsmack's release was solid, but perhaps a little too much of the
same thing. Ironically, Sully Erna's solo album (Avalon) while not even rock music may
have been a better album.
1 Alter Bridge - AB III
2 Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare
3 Megadeth - Endgame
4 Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra
5 Scar Symmetry - Dark Matter Dimensions
6 Vanden Plas - The Seraphic Clockwork
7 As I Lay Dying - The Powerless Rise
8 Slash - Slash
9 Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns
10 Black Label Society - Order of the Black
11 Atreyu - Congregation of the Damned
12 Stone Sour - Audio Secrecy
13 Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier
14 Avantasia - Wicked Symphony/Angel of Babylon
15 Soilwork - The Panic Broadcast
16 Riverside - Anno Domini
17 Ratt - Infestation
18 Skillet - Awake
19 Bullet For My Valentine - Fever
20 We Are The Fallen - Tear Down The World
21 Godsmack - The Oracle
I don't typically include live albums or DVD's, but the Opeth "Live at the Royal
Albert Hall" was outstanding. In the "non-metal" category, my
favorite album of the year was from Beth Hart "My California". She also sang a
couple of tunes with Slash this year. Wishes for 2011: New albums and tours from
RUSH, Testament, Sonata Arctica, Slipknot, Nightwish, and Lamb of God!!
BEN MCCRAW
1. Immolation - Majesty And Decay
2. Exodus: Exhibit B: The Human Condition
3. Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy
4. Killing Joke - Absolute Descent
5. Burzum - Belus
6. Kataklysm - Heaven's Venom
7. Fear Factory - Mechanize
8. Abigail Williams - In The Absence of Light
9. Cradle of Filth - Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
10. Ozzy Osbourne - Scream
CHRIS KINCAID
Top 5 Metal albums for the year:
1. Crazy Lixx - New Religion
2. Blaze Bayley - Promise And Terror
3. Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier
4. Ratt - Infestation
5. Annihilator - Annihilator
David Loveless
Top CD's of 2010 (In Order)
1. Ion Dissonance: Cursed
2. Periphery: Periphery (Instrumental Version)
3. Nachtmystium: Addicts: Black Meddle, Pt. II
4. The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza: Danza III, The Series of Unfortunate Events
5. Deftones: Diamond Eyes
6. TesseracT: Concealing Fate EP
7. Carach Angren: Death Came Through A Phantom Ship
8. Oranssi Pazuzu/Candy Cane: Split CD
9. Enslaved: Axioma Ethica Odini
10. Dead Letter Circus: This Is The Warning
11. Angst Skvadron: Sweet Poison
12. Nechochwen: Azimuths to the Otherworld
13. Demians: Mute
14. Cradle of Filth: Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
15. Mekong Delta: Wanderer On The Edge Of Time
Honorable Mentions:
1. James Labrie: Static Impulse
2. Ihsahn: After
3. Lantlos: .neon
EC
Best Album Of The Year: Hardcore Superstar - "Split Your Lip"
Song Of The Year: Death Angel - "I Chose The Sky"
Top Five Albums Of 2010:
1. Hardcore Superstar - Split Your Lip
2. Helloween - 7 Sinners
3. Sister Sin - True Sound Of The Underground
4. Death Angel - Relentless Retribution
5. Accept - Blood Of The Nations
Worst Album Of 2010: Sonic Syndicate - "We Rule The Night"
Comeback Album Of The Year: Accept - "Blood Of The Nations"
Best Live Show Of The Year: Megadeth/Testament/Exodus
Most Disappointing Album Of The Year: Motorjesus - "Wheels Of Purgatory"
Biggest Metal News - Dio passing
Frank Hill
Album Of The Year: Overkill - Ironbound
Runners Up by the Dozen:
Holy Grail - Crisis in Utopia
Dawn of Silence - Wicked Saint Or Righteous Sinner
Sister Sin - True Sound Of The Underground
Hardcore Superstar - Split Your Lip
Volbeat - Beyond Hell Above Heaven
Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR
Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier
Grand Magus - Hammer of the North
Blind Guardian - At the Edge of Time
Poisonblack - Of Rust and Bones
In This Moment - A Star-Crossed Wasteland
Accept - Blood Of The Nations
Tank – War Machine
SINNERCORP
Best of 2010
Death Angel - Relentless Retribution
Murderdolls - Women And Children Last
Sully Erna - Avalon
Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition
Danzig Deth Red Sabaoth
Ratt - Infestation
Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier
Dio - Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987
Halford - Made of Metal
HELLYEAH - Stampede
Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (Special Edition)
High On Fire - Snakes for the Divine
Accept - Blood of the Nations
Powerglove - Saturday Morning Apocalypse
White Wizzard - Over the Top
2010 Historical Moment
Metallica/Slayer/Megadeth/Anthrax : The Big 4 - Live from Sofia, Bulgaria (5
CD/2 DVD Set)
R.I.P.
Ronnie James Dio
Paul Gray (Slipknot)
Peter Steele (Type O Negative)
VERITAS
1. Dark Tranquility – We Are the Void – Up against Dark Tranquility's back
catalogue this album is another solid entry, but probably not their best. However, up
against other bands, DT are continuously superior.
2. Eluveitie – Everything Remains As It Never Was – I don't know what I'm a
bigger sucker for, Swedish melodic death metal or folk metal with traditional
instruments…
3. Avantasia – Angel of Babylon & The Wicked Symphony – Technically two
albums but they're both going to snag the #3 spot on my list. The Wicked Symphony is a bit
stronger, but both of these albums showcase Tobi Sammet's explosive creativity.
4. Melechesh – The Epigenesis – Be on the lookout for my upcoming review of this
black metal adventure.
5. Holy Grail – Crisis in Utopia – This album is a lot of fun; singer James Paul
Luna sounds jut like Halford in his glory days.
Honorable Mention: Kalmah – 12 Gauge
Underachievers
1. Masterplan – Time to be King – Particularly disappointing given it marks
vocalist Jorn Lande's return to the band.
2. Equilibrium – Rekreatur – It's surely impossible to top 2004's Turis Fratyr,
but is it time to write these guys off after two subpar releases in a row?
3. Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra - Simply underwhelming.
JONAH HAZE
30 Reasons from 2010 to still believe in Satan Claws!
Dream Evil - In the Night
Accept - Blood of the Nations
Black Country Communion cd/dvd
Scorpions - Sting in the Tail
O$$Y O$bourne - Scream
Black Label Society - Order of the Black
David Rock Feinstein - Bitten by the Beast
Danzig - Deth Red Sabaoth
Ratt - Infestation
Heaven and Hell Live at Wacken cd/dvd
Dio - Live at Donnington 2 cd
House of Lords - Cartesian Dreams
Cradle of Filth - Darkly Darkly Venus Aversa
Tarja Turunen - What Lies Beneath
Rhapsody of Fire - The Frozen Tears of Angels
Robert Plant - Band of Joy
Winger - Kharma
Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition
Mob Rules - Radical Peace
Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra
Charred Walls of the Damned - s/t
Halford - Made of Metal
George Lynch - Orchestral Mayhem
Elvenking - Red Silent Tides
Overkill - Ironbound
Masters of Reality - Pine
Europe - Last Look at Eden
Yngwie Malmsteen - Relentless
Borknagar - Universal
Manticora - Safe
15 Reasons to use those gift cards!
Unruly Child - Worlds Collide
Y&T - Facemelter
Heathen - the evolution of chaos
Airborne - No Guts, No Glory
Moonstone Project II - Rebel on the Run
David Reece - Universal Language
Bangalore Choir - Cadence
Allen/Lande - The Showdown
Krokus - Hoodoo
Broken Teeth - Viva La Rock, Fantastico!
Exiter - Death Machine
Forbidden - Omega Wave
Helloween - Seven Sinners
Star One - Victims of the Modern Age
Kiske/Sommerville - s/t
Top 25 CD's of 2010 to NOT waste your time and money on!
Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier
Metallica - Six Feet Down Under EP import live
Metallica - Six Feet Down Under EP Pt. 2
Methods of Mayhem - A Public Disservice Announcement
Slash - Slash
Firewind - Days of Defiance
Armoured Saint - La Raza
Jorn Lande - DIO Tribute
Ross the Boss - Hailstorm
Pantera - Cowboys From Hell (ultimate limited edition 3cd)
GWAR - Bloody Pit of Horror
Manowar -Battle Hymns 2011
The Big Four - Live from Sofia, Bulgaria 5 cd/2 dvd
Serj Tankian - Imperfect Harmonies
Bret Michaels - Custom Built
Bon Jovi - The Circle
Joe Perry Project - Have Guitar Will Travel
Vince Neil - Tequlia and Tattooes
Joe Elliott's Down N Outz - My Regeration
L.A. Guns - Covered in Guns
Black Sabbath - Live At Last (reissue)
Avantasia - Wicked Symphony
James LaBrie - Static Impulse
Flotsam and Jetsam - The Cold
Circle II Circle - Consequence of Power
21 (so far) Looking forward to 2011:
Whitesnake
Mr. Big
Baz
Motorhead
King Diamond
Mercyful Fate
Nelson
John Norum
Motley Crue
Alice Cooper
Marduk
Naflgar
Burzum
Nocturnal Rites
Hanoi Rocks
Stephen Pearcey
Rolaf/Turner
Immortal
Tesla
Quiet Riot
Bruce Dickinson