[EDITOR’S NOTE: Here’s Part 3 of our UK contributor Andy Synn‘s retrospective on the year in metal. This one is all the bad news. We have a feeling there will be a few reader disagreements. Don’t hold back on the comments! We want to be entertained!]

Andy Synn’s List of 2010’s Most Disappointing Releases

First things first, this was honestly the hardest part of the series to put together. Just because these albums are in the “Disappointing” section doesn’t mean that they are bad per se, merely that, for whatever reasons, I found the release to be a disappointment.

Perhaps it was due to previous standards set by the band themselves, perhaps statements from the band promised something they eventually failed to deliver, perhaps it’s something more intangible. In each case I have provided some reason’s for my overall disappointment, which will hopefully go some way towards mollifying the lynch mob I am expecting this section to attract!

Either way, please read on… and don’t kill the messenger!  (yes, do read on, after the jump  . . .) Continue reading »

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Today, we’ve got three posts devoted to year-end lists; the first two — part 2 of Andy Synn’s year-in-review and NCS co-founder IntoTheDarkness’ Top 25 — are below this one. In this post, our Midwestern contributor BadWolf gives you his list of the Top 10 “most listenable” metal albums of the year. There’s one album on the list that made our eyes bug out. See if you can guess which one it is. Later on we’ll have BadWolf’s “10 best” list.]

The following is my list of ten records that completely subjugated my listening behavior patterns in 2010, and ten that nearly made it. All of these records are at least good, but this is not to say they take my opinion as the greatest works of metal as art in 2010—that’s the next list. Any albums that appear on both lists would constitute an unranked objective best albums of 2010 list.

In summary, for the lazy these are the trends: deathcore/neo thrash out. Blackened anything and retro-doom in. Sludge stays put.

Because I feel the purpose of top 10 lists is to expand taste, spur discussion, and examine contemporary metal music I have not included any ‘legacy’ acts—sorry Accept, Iron Maiden, Immolation, Blind Guardian et. al., but you don’t need me.

Honorable Mentions, unordered:

The Sword – Warp Riders
Ludicra – The Tenant
The Ocean – Heliocentric/Anthropocentric
Black Tusk – Taste the Sin
Holy Grail – Crisis in Utopia
Dawnbringer – Nucleus
Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
Atheist – Jupiter
Lair of the Minotaur – Evil Power
Christian Mistress – Agony and Opium

(BadWolf’s list of the 10 “most listenable” comes after the jump, with his comments about the choices . . .)

Continue reading »

[EDITOR’S NOTE:  IntoTheDarkness is one of the three original co-founders of this site, and although he doesn’t write for us very often, he’s been a consistent source of good musical recommendations. I twisted his arm and got him to give me his list of the year’s best releases, and in most cases he included a very few words of explanation. As usual, he didn’t capitalize anything or use punctuation, but I guess that’s what an editor is for.  🙂 ITD is our resident deathcore maven, but as you’ll see from the list, his interests don’t stop there. On the other hand, his No. 1 pick nearly made me fall out of my chair.]

Here’s my list of the best 25 albums of 2010. The first 20 albums are listed alphabetically — not ranked by quality, because I don’t want to decide — but I do list my top 5 in order at the end.

Conducting From the Grave: Revenants
much better then their first release

The Contortionist: Exoplanet
really good techy stuff

Dark Fortress: Ylem
best black metal band still making albums

Diskreet: Engage the Mechanicality
really good tech death

Draconis: The Cult of the Dragon
great find. really impressed

Enthrope: Tomorrow’s Dead Days
great melodeath

(the rest of ITD’s list follows the jump . . .)

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[EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of four posts by our UK guest contributor Andy Synn looking back at the year in metal. We will post the remaining parts over the three days that follow, culminating with Andy’s Top 10 list(s) of the best metal albums of 2010. As always, we invite your comments.]

Whilst reviewing the year 2010 in metal, I’ve chosen to split all the albums I have listened to and feel that I am capable of judging into 3 different categories. First of all you’ll get the albums which I feel are the “Greatest” releases of the year, then the albums which were all of a high standard will be presented in the “Good” category – all highly respectable, but perhaps a hair or two short of greatness.

Finally you’ll see the albums which I feel have been “Disappointing” this year, varying between them in quality from good to poor, but none of which I could, in good conscience, include in the other categories due to their inherent flaws, regardless of my personal feelings towards either band or album. That column in particular is bound to draw down some real ire, although I promise it’s all done in my honest opinion and with no agenda in mind.

Anyway, here’s a list of all the albums and EPs from this year that I have listened to and enjoyed but which, as opposed to those in the “Good” category, I believe could/should be objectively seen as “Great” by a listener other than myself. Removing subjective considerations and biases as far as possible, I’ve tried to list and comment upon all the albums I think deserve the highest accolades this year.  (Andy’s list, and his comments about it, follow the jump . . .) Continue reading »