THE BEST METAL ALBUMS OF 2010, AS CHOSEN BY METAL MUSICIANS THEMSELVES — PART III
FEATURING MELISSA AUF DER MAUR AND MEMBERS OF WATAIN, CATTLE DECAPITATION, FORBIDDEN, VANISHER, HOWL, THE CONTORTIONIST, DISEMBODIED, EVOCATION, AND ROSALINE
For 2010, we decided to do something special as part of our regular end-of-year festivities here at MetalSucks — namely, ask musicians from across the vast spectrum of the metalsphere (or, in a few cases, the almost-metalsphere) what their favorite albums of the year were. Death metallers, thrash metallers, black metallers, stoners, grinders, and djenters alike graciously contributed lists to MS, and we’ll be running them in groups of ten to eleven musicians at a time twice a day for the rest of the week.
After the jump, check out the third group… we hope you enjoy seeing what some of metal’s heaviest hitters were into this year as much as we have!
(And please note that these are musicians and that they, um, have a lot on their minds. So some of ’em named albums that actually came out last year. Please don’t freak out.)
ERIK DANIELSSON, WATAIN
Ten albums??? Theres hardly been ten good albums released this century!! Haha!
Here are my top three for 2010:
1. Ghost, Opus Eponymous
2. Vomitor, Devil’s Poison
3. Grand Magus, Hammer of the North
Greatest expections for 2011:
1. New Negative Plane
2. New Repugnant
3. New In Solitude
I did not fall in love more than once or twice this year, so adding filler firth sake of adding up to ten seems silly…
Shining, Black Jazz — By far the most progressive and adventurous heavy album made this year. It’s intensity and musicality instantly catches you by your Viking bones and demands you to join their movement. Live they are a force to be reckon with!!!! I dare you to listen!
TRAVIS RYAN, CATTLE DECAPITATION
1. The Legendary Pink Dots, Seconds Late for the Brighton Line — After 40 albums, Edward Ka-spiel and co. still can’t do any wrong.
2. Magma, Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê — Holy shit a new Magma. They only release albums when planets align or something because they’re few and far between and alter your existence with every listen.
3. Bethlehem , Stoenkfitzchen — Everything you read about this album always says “unlike anything that has ever been released before” and shit like that. Sounds like Bethlehem to me. A great return to form by this greatly underappreciated dark metal behemoth.
4. Blessure Grave, Judged by Twelve, Buried by Six — A great album. I’ve heard all the new stuff and its even better. Awesome collection of songs.
5. Agalloch, Marrow of the Spirit — Been waiting for this one. Lived up to the wait for sure.
6. Longmont Potion Castle, Vol. 7 — The best prank call artist. Ever. Not much comes close.
7. Nader Sedek’s Ageless, In the Flesh — Awesome art project/death metal band featuring concepts/art by Nader Sedek, vocals/bass by Steve Tucker, drums by Flo Mournier and Rune does guitar. Being released shortly, be sure to grab it. Its an incredibly fresh death metal album.
8. Thomas Koner, Nunataak Gongamur and Permafrost LP reissues — Isolationist and minimal sub-tonal ambient genius. Every Ebay search session I do includes his name.
9. Interpol, Interpol — I love this band. And I don’t wear sweaters, so fuck you.
10. Boyd Rice’s NO book — Its not music but hey, its one of the more entertaining Boyd reads. You should check it out.
STEVE SMYTH, FORBIDDEN
1. Accept, Blood Of The Nations
2. Exodus, Exhibit B: The Human Condition
3. Death Angel, Relentless Retribution
4. Forbidden, Omega Wave
5. Scorpions, Sting Of The Tail
6. Y&T, Facemelter
7. Grand Magus, Hammer Of The North
8. Iron Maiden, The Final Frontier
9. Ozzy Osbourne, Scream
10. Dimmu Borgir, Abrahadabra
ADAM CODY, VANISHER, GLASS CASKET
1. The Dillinger Escape Plan, Option Paralysis
2. Mouth of the Architect, The Violence Beneath
3. Deftones, Diamond Eyes (Yes, it’s metal)
4. Dimmu Borgir, Abrahadabra
5. Napalm Death, Torn Apart/Words from the Exit Wound re-release
6. Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire, Songs of Ill Hope and Desperation
7. Trap Them, Filth Rations
8. Soilwork, The Panic Broadcast
9. Faith No More, Midlife Crisis: The Very Best of Faith No More
10. Fight Amp, split and the first two albums
TIMMY ST. AMOUR, HOWL
1. Watain, Lawless Darkness
2. Withered, Dualitas
3. Melechesh, The Epigenesis
4. The Body, All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood
5. High On Fire, Snakes For The Divine
6. Triptykon, Eparistera Daimones
7. 1349, Demonoir
8. Daughters, Daughters
9. Portal, Swarth
10. Nachtmystium, Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. II
ROBBY BACA, THE CONTORTIONIST
1. Pat Metheny, Orchestrion
2. Intronaut, Valley of Smoke
3. Deftones, Diamond Eyes
4. Cynic, Re-Traced
5. Jaga Jazzist, One Arm Bandit
6. The Red Chord, Fed Through the Teeth Machine
7. Massive Attack, Heligoland
8. The Dillinger Escape Plan, Option Paralysis
9. Coheed and Cambria, Year of the Black Rainbow
10. Minus the Bear, Omni
JOEL JOHNSON, DISEMBODIED
1. Enslaved, Axioma Ethica Odini
2. Black Breath, Heavy Breathing
3. The Acacia Strain, Wormwood
4. Terror, Keepers Of The Faith
5. Electric Wizard, Black Masses
6. Nails, Unsilent Death
7. Wolvhammer, Black Marketeers Of World War III
8. Veil Of Maya, [id]
9. Trash Talk, Eyes & Nines
10. Salome, Terminal
MARKO PALMEN, EVOCATION
1. Enslaved, Axioma Ethica Odini
2. Hail Of Bullets, On Divine Winds
3. Aeon, Path Of Fire
4. Dark Tranquillity, We Are The Void
5. Witchery, Witchkrieg
6. Sotajumala, Kuolemanpalvelus
7. Dimmu Borgir, Abrahadabra
8. Demiurg, Slakthus Gamleby
9. Unleashed, As Yggdrasil Trembles
10. Desultory, Counting Our Scars
MADISON STOLZER, ROSALINE
1. Gorillaz, Plastic Beach
2. Conditions, Better Life
3. Norma Jean, Meridional
4. PMtoday, In Media Res
5. Minus The Bear, Omni
6. The Dillinger Escape Plan, Option Paralysis
7. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
8. The Bled, Heat Fetish
9. The Chariot, Long Live
10. Circa Survive, Blue Sky Noise
