[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 . . .)

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[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 »

The latest issue of REVOLVER magazine arrived in the mail yesterday, because our subscription still hasn’t expired. Not likely we will renew it; the percentage of bands the magazine covers that we care about has been dropping steadily over time.

The current issue includes the magazine’s list of “THE 20 BEST ALBUMS OF ’10”. This list tends to confirm our dissatisfaction with REVOLVER’s drift.

On the one hand, Watain and Bison B.C. are actually on the list. On the other hand, they’re at the very bottom, eight and nine spots below — wait for it — Ozzy Osbourne‘s Scream. That makes us want to scream.

On the one hand, the list includes Deftones, Fear Factory, Triptykon, and Nachtmystium. We wouldn’t put those on our personal lists of Top 20 albums for the year, but that’s mainly a matter of taste. At least we can understand why those bands are appearing on lots of Best of 2010 lists we’ve seen, because the albums are good. On the other hand, Korn, Rob Zombie, and The Devil Wears Prada are also on the list.

And then there’s REVOLVER‘s choice for the album of the year. Well, see for yourselves. The whole list is after the jump. Feel free to agree or disagree (violently) in the comments. Continue reading »