THE BEST METAL ALBUMS OF 2010, AS CHOSEN BY METAL MUSICIANS THEMSELVES — PART VII
FEATURING MEMBERS OF KYLESA, DARKTHRONE, BRUTAL TRUTH, KATAKLYSM, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, TEXTURES, SWASHBUCKLE, THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE, DISFIGURING THE GODDESS, BURNING THE MASSES, CHRISTIAN MISTRESS, MISERY, AND GRIFTEGARD
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 twelve musicians at a time twice a day for the rest of the week.
After the jump, check out the seventh 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.)
PHILLIP COPE, KYLESA
1. Kvelertak, Kvelertak
2. Melechesh, The Epigenesis
3. Alcest, Ecailles de Lune
4. Cephalic Carnage, Misled By Certainty
5. All Pigs Must Die, EP
6. Ghost, Opus Eponymous
7. Coffinworm, When All Became None
8. Deathspell Omega, Paracletus
9. Sweet Cobra, Mercy
10. Nu-Kle-Er Blast Suntan, Blot Out the Worthless Sun
FENRIZ, DARKTHRONE
HELLO EVERYBODY!!
Before you just take this list and use it, know this: Albums are just the tip of the iceberg. The most important releases this year were, as usual, demos.
Of all the people you ask for these lists, most of them have barely even heard ten new albums this year, so the tips are really far-fetched/lame in most cases.
Ideal people to ask for these lists are, for example, the editors of underground pressese worldwide. Only a handful musicians are as drenched in music listening as myself :D
Also, we all love lists, even though we all know top ten lists are bullshit and that MUSIC IS NO COMPETITION.
Ghost, Opus Eponymous (Sweden) — Astounding album, but is it heavy metal occultism or death-rock? Who cares…
Deathhammer, Phantom Knights (Norway) — It is not possible to make a more 1985 deathrash black album than this. Simply not possible.
Burzum, Belus (Norway) — Back almost exactly where he left off with Filosofem.
Enforcer, Diamonds (Sweden) — Managed to create an album so old school it doesn’t even of traces of the first Metallica record.
Cauchemar, Le Verge Noire (Canada) — Extremely old school sounding epic heavy metal/doom/NWOBHM.
Knuste Ruter, Gjennom Veggene (Norway) — Very engaging album in the vein of the infamous Norwegian “blitz” style punk/HC style.
Grave Desecrator, Insult (Brazil) — South American death, meaning a lot of black vibes… but also sounds like it’s 1986. Great solos.
Murderess, The Last Thing You Will See… (USA) — Shockingly organic crust, and vocals that sound involuntarily like Burzum.
Körgull the Exterminator, War of the Voivodes (Spain) – They finally turned 80s on us, and what a result — an onslaught of die hard metal.
Whip Striker, S/T (Brazil) — Incredibly old school and vicious underdog from Brazil, cool songwriting that takes from the 70s as well as 80s.
Züül, Out of Time (USA) — It’s heavy metal rock in a most glorious way.
Nekromantheon, Divinity of Death (Norway) — Norwegian thrashers do very little to disappoint here…
Hell Darkness, Rockin’ Underground (Israel)
Vomitor, Devil’s Poison (Australia)
Hellish Crossfire, Bloodrust Scythe (Germany)
Metal Inquisitor, Unconditional Absolution (Germany)
Christian Mistress, Agony and Opium (USA)
Children of Technology, It’s Time to Face the Doomsday (Italy) – It’s time to face the doomsday
Autopsy, The Tomb Within
Abscess, Dawn of Inhumanity (USA)
Enslaved, Axioma Ethica HOUDINI (Norway) — hahaha
Masakari, The Profit Feeds (USA)
Dishammer, Under the Sign of the D-Beat Mark (Spain)
Bombus, S/T (Sweden)
Smoke Mohawk, The Dogs are Turning Red (Norway)
Cathedral, The Guessing Game (England)
Hooded Menace, Never Cross the Dead (Finland)
Atlantean Kodex, The Golden Bough (Germany)
Kvoteringen, Samhällets Förrädare (Sweden)
Demon’s Gate, S/T (Australia)
…and probably the new Electric Wizard, but I haven’t heard it yet.
…and VERY probably the Bastard Priest album as wel — haven’t heard it yet, but I KNOW it kills!
And don’t tell me to pick out ten faves!!!
RICH HOAK, BRUTAL TRUTH, TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION
1. FU, Love I Love CD
2. The Bastard Noise, A Culture of Monsters LP
3. Black Ganion, “First” CD
4. Cortisol, Peace of Meat CD
5. Flag of Democracy, Home Lobotomy Kit CD
6. Real Ugly, Demo 2010 CD
7. F.U.B.A.R., Doomed to Consume CD
8. Rotten Sound, Napalm CD
9. Monsters of Pot,“Live” cassette
10. Grind Bastards Volume 4 compilation cd
MAURIZIO IACONO, KATAKLYSM, EX DEO
1. Accept, Blood of the Nations
2. Overkill, Ironbound
3. Kataklysm, Heaven’s Venom
4. W.A.S.P., Babylon
5. Keep of Kalessin, Reptilian
6. Alter Bridge, III
7. Black Label Society, Order of the Black
8.Swashbuckle, Crime Always Pays
9. Exodus, Exhibit B
10. Arsis, Starve for the Devil
CAM PIPES, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD
1. Enslaved, Axioma Ethica Odini — One of the most consistent quality bands of the past fifteen years. Every album is well thought out and inspired. Their sound has evolved naturally over the years and maintained a distinct Enslaved trademark. Every album feels like a new chapter in an endless saga. Axioma Ethica Odini shows that the band is nowhere close to slowing down, but are getting more inventive, blending atmospheric ambiance with the brutal viking metal that they cut their teeth on.
2. Bison B.C., Dark Ages — A band to keep an eye on if you haven’t already been doing so. This is their third album and probably their best to date, yet they will likely top themselves in heaviness with each new record. No bullshit or pretenses with this band, just in-your-face power.
3. Holy Grail, Crisis In Utopia — These up and coming trad metal warriors are a force to be reckoned with. With their first full length, they continue to showcase their love of true metal, as they did with the Improper Burial EP. Now with an expanded repertoire of killer cuts, these youngsters are showing what real metal is all about.
4. Iron Maiden, The Final Frontier — Maiden’s back, but they never really went anywhere. The Final Frontier shows that Maiden still have something to teach all the young bucks out there. Even this deep into their career, they continue to be relevant and aren’t afraid to try new things. Not surprising that they are bigger today than they were in the 80’s
5. Blind Guardian, At the Edge of Time — The wait for each new Blind Guardian album is sometimes agonizing, but well worth it. Each song is a journey into a mystical world, telling a story that sends the listener into a realm of high fantasy. At the Edge of Time maintains Blind Guardian’s place as the lords of power metal.
6. Triptykon, Eparistera Daimones — Like many people, I took the most recent dissolution of Celtic Frost quite badly. Luckily, Tom G. Warrior didn’t hang up his musical hat and continued on with Triptykon. Eparistera Daimones will satisfy CF fans and fans of dark metal in general.
7. Accept, Blood of the Nations — As skeptical as I was when I heard Accept was reuniting without Udo Dirkschnieder, they actually managed to put out a really good record with a different singer. Mark Tornillo does a nice job in Udo’s absence, while the rest of the gang still deliver that unmistakable Accept sound. A nice return by the German boys.
8. Early Man, Death Potion — Its been way too long since the last Early Man release, but here it is, better late than never. It’s unmistakably Early Man, and they’re still dishing out tasty, thrash-laden riffs. Death Potion will fit nicely in your collection.
9. Witchery, Witchkrieg — Witchery got a lot more sinister since I last heard them. The addition of ex-Marduk vocalist Legion gives Witchery an extra ferocity that most bands wish they had. Witchkrieg is a step in a slightly different direction musically, but they’ve done a superb job with this record.
10. Exodus, Exhibit B: The Human Condition — Another band that has maintained its presence and relevance over the years is Exodus. Since bringing in Rob Dukes on vocals, Exodus has demonstrated that they are still capable of blowing imitators and a lot of their contemporaries away.
STEF BROKS, TEXTURES
1. Karnivool, Sound Awake
2. Chimp Spanner, At The Dream’s Edge
3. The Dillinger Escape Plan, Option Paralysis
4. Dead Letter Circus, This Is The Warning
5. Deftones, Diamond Eyes
6. TesseracT, One
7. Cube X, Kanzi’s Wordlist
8. 30 Seconds to Mars, This is War
9. Periphery, Periphery
10. Anathema, We’re Here Because We’re Here
ADMIRAL NOSEBLEED, SWASHBUCKLE
1. Misery Index, Heirs to Thievery
2. Gadget/Phobia, Split LP
3. Forbidden, Omega Wave
4. The Crown, Doomsday King
5. Hail of Bullets, On Divine Winds
6. Twilight, Monument to End Time
7. Unleashed, As Yggdrasil Trembles
8. Death Angel, Relentless Retribution
9. Rotten Sound, Napalm
10. Barren Earth, Curse of the Red River
RICKY ARMELLINO, THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE
1. Deftones, Diamond Eyes — Is there anything that I can’t say about this record? You can definitely hear what this band is going through, and they don’t even directly mention it once on the album. It’s awesome to see that a band we listened to in middle school can still make an album that is characteristic of themselves, that they can be just as relevant as they were ten years ago, and not just a novelty. Longevity is a beautiful thing.
2. Conditions, Fluorescent Youth — Every song on this record is a heartfelt anthem for anyone between the ages of 20 and 30. Some of the nicest dudes on Earth, a great band, and they definitely made a pop-rock CD that wasn’t just moving in on the hearts of prepubescent girls.
3. 30 Seconds to Mars, This is War Deluxe Edition — Shut up. Just shut up. This record is brilliant, and the addition of Kanye on “Hurricane” fucking rules.
4. Bring Me The Horizon, There is a Hell Believe Me I’ve Seen it There is a Heaven Let’s Keep it a Secret — This band made a record ill enough to not even need to rock the whole hipster “guilty pleasure” moniker alongside it. It’s just an awesome mash-up of all of the garbage kids these days are listening to that somehow cuts through the confusion.
5. Cloudkicker, Beacons — Just listen to it. Melodic, technical, and you can jam it over the speakers at the retail shop you work at without worrying about getting fired.
6. TessarecT, Concealing Fate — It took just a few minutes of listening to this record before I realized that I was stoked on slap bass for the first time in… eight years? Nine years? I don’t know, man, I don’t keep track of this shit.
7. Drake, Thank Me Later — I don’t think this needs too much of a description. The kid is clever. A few of us actually stage managed one of his gigs at a college a few months ago, and I don’t even know what was going on, mostly because we barged in on the female basketball team’s house party and cleared them out of their party punch. Where were we?
8. Periphery, Periphery — Touring with this band was a harsh reminder that I needed to practice. A lot more. A flawless live band with a record that does whatever the hell it wants to. I love these guys.
9. Katy Perry, Teenage Dream — Get this album. Shut the fuck up. Hit the gym. Lawyer up. Delete your facebook. Get your life started.
10. The Acacia Strain, Wormwood — I have to listen to bands desperately try to mimic these songs every single night of my stupid life. It’s torture. Oddly enough, I sort of love it when it’s done right.
CAMERON ARGON, A.K.A. BIG CHOCOLATE, DISFIGURING THE GODDESS, BURNING THE MASSES
1. Defeated Sanity, Chapters of Repugnace — Most brutal album in existence. ‘Nuff said.
2. Meshuggah, Alive — It’s like if Meshuggah wanted a greatest hits album… Took all their greatest hits… and re-recorded them… Oh, and it’s a live recording.
3, Excision, Shambhala 2010 –Excision is a EDM producer/dj that puts together a mix of a large collection of dubstep, drum and bass, and other EDM sub genres. It’s not all ‘Excision tracks/remixes,’ but by all means I listened to this mix too many times not to put it on my favorite ‘releases’ of 2010. An hour and a half of 2010’s finest tracks by various producers. Plus, putting this mix along in my top ten can cover the many single/EP releases by these producers instead of flooding my top ten with singles.
4. Ion Dissonance, Cursed — Always been a big Ion D fan. Fan of all of their previous albums.
Solace is an all-timer for me and I actually really enjoyed Minus the Herd‘s ‘heavier/chuggier’ sound change. This album sounds like a perfect hybrid of Minus the Herd and Ion D’s older more ‘in your face’ grindy math core sound. Win-win for me.
5. Noisia, Split The Atom — Drum and bass tyrants Noisia’s 2010 LP. Gods of production and bass. Really enjoyed this album because it’s not 100% drum and bass the entire time. They switch up the style a lot without changing their sound and originality.
6. Skrillex, Scary Monsters and Nice Spirtes — Skrillex’s newest EP, featuring mind blowing originals and some of the best remixes and collaborations in the EDM music genre. Top notch American EDM.
7. Hour of Penance, Paradogma — HoP’s last release was one of my favorite albums of all time, so I was pretty eager to get my hands on some new material. Changed the feel a little bit, but didn’t change the style. Perfect follow-up album.
8. Immolation, Majesty and Decay — Real sludgy. Real evil. Real good.
9. Beneath the Massacre, Maree Noire EP — EP release always stick to me better than LPs, for a few reasons… The artist has his concentration on much fewer song,s and the fact that there are less songs on the release means it takes less time to get in sync with all the songs. This EP is a great tech death release. Sounds like a big huge brutal gorilla on vocals, which I LOVE. The recording is real tight, and the songwriting includes some real solid heavy elements.
10. Daughters, Daughters — I’ve oddly always been quite a fan of Daughters, along with their style changes. It’s a real mature album from Daughters, it’s not 100% controlled randomness. A few parts in this album strike me as a metal/ rind version of the band Health. Anyways, a great album if I’m in the mood for it.
REUBEN STOREY, CHRISTIAN MISTRESS
1. Milk Music, Beyond Living LP– American rock music. Like if the Grateful Dead plowed instead of danced. This record jams.
2. Ghost, Opus Eponymous LP — Sounds to me like Blue Oyster Cult and Mercyful Fate jamming together in haunted house. It’s poppy, sugary, and slick but it RIPS. The writers are obviously geeks and super self aware but they pull it off and made a killer heavy metal record with a subtle wink.
3. Mach II, S/T LP — Mach II has the attitude of Van Halen but with a more subdued and heavy metal execution. Whiskey, women, scummy dives… no plastic, just grime. They sound like they live it. Honest and dirty, a serious ripper.
4. Furdidurke , Native 7″ EP — Another anxious record. This is a guitar record, drums and vocals are superfluous. Maybe the only reason they are there at all is so a niche market will listen. Regardless, the guitar sings. It’s beautiful.
5. HPP, S/T LP — Honest and dark music. Killer writers that love to shoot themselves in the foot. Self deprecation is the order and they serve it mean.
6. Bone Sickness, S/T demo MC — The band is made up of assholes and who better to play death metal? They carry the torch of delusional hierarchy. For that reason the music is genuine and vile.
7. White Boss, S/T LP — White Boss makes scary music. This record reeks of anxiety and paranoia. It’s unnerving for me to listen to, fully affective.
8. Realmbuilder, Summon The Stone Throwers CD — Got the LP last year, but as the CD came out in 2010 I feel fine putting it here. Really bizarre sounding US Heavy Metal. Thin, weak, small… some of my favorite attributes when applied with the sincerity that these guys portray. Totally killer record.
9. Dead Head, S/T demo MC — Hard blues. Sounds like riffs that were created and forgotten or lost during the writing of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Powerful and unique. Dead Head takes you on a ride.
10. Ultra, Roman Holiday 2xLP — Disgusting display of humanity’s underbelly. Good record to lose yourself and loved ones in. Permanently.
JOHN LOCASTO, MISERY
1. Fear Factory, Mechanize — I like the way Fear Factory went back to their roots.
2. Kingdom of Sorrow, Behind the Blackest Tears — Enjoyed Jamey Jasta’s vocal range on this album.
3. All that Remains, For We Are Many — Talented musicians that draw crowds and sell albums.
4. Sick of it All, Based on a True Story — Old school NYHC!!
5. Kataklysm, Heavens Venom — Brutal heavy metal.
6. Kittie, In the Black — Their album grew on me after touring with them.
7.In this Moment, A Star Crossed Wasteland — Awesome vocals, great hooks.
8.Overkill, Ironbound — Still thrash metal monsters.
9.Exodus, Exhibit B — Should be part of the big five.
10. Death Angel, Relentless Retribution — Pure Metal.
PER BRODDESSON, GRIFTEGARD
1. Procession, Destroyers of the Faith — Great classic doom metal album. If they don’t become huge, the world is not a fair place!
2. The Wounded Kings, The Shadow Over Atlantis — Wonderful hypnotic doomy album. I keep pressing “play” after the last song ends, wondering where the time went. Recommended!
3. Dawnbringer, Nucleus — All the best ingredients from old Maiden, some black metal, some prog, all wonderfully mixed into their own style.
4. Night Bitch, Sex and Magic — This tape came with a bottle of bitch nips. How can you not love metal served up like that? LP version coming as well — I ordered two copies!
5. Spiritual Beggars, Return To Zero — I love my classic hard rock, and I was nervous about this one, with a new singer and all. But I didn’t have to worry. If you liked’ em before, you still will — but those Michael Schenker melodied are they rip-offs or tributes? I’d say it’s the latter!!!
6. Onda Radio, Seizure the Moment — A bit rock, a bit metal, a bit doom, a bit grunge (but in the best way!). Well thought out song structures. A surprise, but I keep coming back to it. Give these guys a professional budget and studio and they’ll have a deal in no time… the again, the world is not a fair place.
7. Ludicra, The Tenant — I just love it! Great metal I’ not sure is black… whatever they are, they rule! And if you happen to have a spare copy of the vinyl version, sell/give/trade it to me. It’s all I need to complete my collection!
8. Jex Thoth, Witness — This EP only has one problem — it’s not an EP and it’s not a full-length. You don’t know Jex Thoth? Check ‘me out, or feel the wrath of five furry beasts! (Not Manowar.)
9. Hour Of 13, The Ritualist — First time you hear this piece of wax you feel instantly at home… great listening for any occasion.
10. Earthride, Something Wicked — Still new to Earthride I am, but I keep coming back to this album, so it must be great — no comparisons to the old albums since I haven’t heard them.
