We have good intentions for 2011, and here’s to hoping we get back on track soon. Speaking of which… best wishes go out to our good friend King for his safe & speedy recovery. Can’t wait until you’re back rocking our souls.

Justin’s List:

I’m not sure if this is saying something or not, but 2010 marks the second year in a row that my #1 album is not of the metal variety (call me a sucker for spacey indie rock). But you know what? Awesome is awesome, so it’s not really up to me. This year’s choice is especially interesting, in that it comes from a local band (one of two to make the list), and one who’s members are practically young enough to be my kids. If they keep writing tunes this catchy, we might just have the next Hum on our hands.

Overall, 2010 was a bit of a dry year. Not to discount any releases on this list, but there seemed to be a lot of half-assing going on this year concerning most things metal (ourselves included). Oh well… here’s to 2011 rocking more better. Onto the rock:

10. Torche – Songs For Singles (Hydrahead)
Despite being the worst vinyl packaging in the history of records, this EP still screams Torche. Which is all it takes to make my list.
Check Out: Hideaway

9. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit (Profound Lore)
Not quite as good as “Ashes Against the Grain“, but “Marrow of the Spirit” proves once again Portland can be a cold dead place too.
Check Out: Into the Painted Grey

8. Goes Cube – Coextinction Release 2 (Coextinction Recordings)
Proving they aren’t just a Torche clone, Goes Cube lengthens their songs and tightens their songwriting. And it rules.
Check Out: Crohn’s Attack

7. Nachtmystium – Addicts: Black Meddle Part II (Century Media)
Different?  Yes. Good?  Also Yes.
Check Out: Blood Trance Fusion

6. Thou – Summit (Gilead Media/Southern Lord)
Face Rippingly Beautiful.
Check Out: By Endurance We Conquer

5. Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini (Nuclear Blast)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… better than Opeth.
Check Out: Singular

4. Weye – Friends, Family & Others (Self-Released)
A local band that rivals classic Don Cab in complexity and catchiness. Relapse should take notice and sign a real instrumental band.
Check Out: Great Hall

3. Deftones – Diamond Eyes (Warner Bros.)
It’s not a bad thing that Deftones are wearing their influences (:cough: Meshuggah :cough:) on their sleeves more than ever (enlisting Sergio Vega certainly doesn’t hurt either). Easily the best Deftones record since Around the Fur.
Check Out: Diamond Eyes

2. Cloudkicker – Beacons (Self-Released)
If this is one of the albums that defines “Djent“, I may have just found my new favorite pointless sub-genre.
Check Out: Here, Wait a Minute! Damn It!

1. Lybria – Cycles (Self-Released)
While their influences might be obvious, their songwriting skills are anything but. Deep, catchy, and hypnotic; Lybria is the next generation of rock’s “small step for man.”
Check Out: All of Them!

Ed’s List:

10. Cynic – Re-Traced (Season of Mist)
Not really a “new” Cynic album, but a different interpretation of various songs from 2008’s Traced In Air. As usual, anything and everything Cynic does blows my mind. This became my outdoor jogging soundtrack for about two months over the summer.

9. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones (Century Media)
Ex-Celtic Frost guru Tom Fischer turns it up pretty damn loud on this kick ass album. The guitars alone are enough to to melt one’s face. The H.R. Giger cover is enough period!

8. High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine (E1 Music)
Just crank the shit out of it.

7. Nachtmystium – Addicts: Black Meddle Part II (Century Media)
A polarizing metal band with an odd history of constant line-up changes, touring issues and drug dabbling. Nachtmystium take a strange stylistic turn here… and it works! Catchy songs, good riffs, and loud production – solid album.

6. The National – High Violet (4AD)
I know, I know… this isn’t metal. But it’s dark, brooding, chilled-out, and amazing. This album should be on everyone’s top 10 list, regardless of genre.

5. Atheist – Jupiter (Season Of Mist
A fierce mindwarp of progressive thrash, and their first new album in years. This record is a puzzle, but when it starts to make sense you will be spinning it non-stop.

4. Intronaut – Valley of Smoke (Century Media)
Intronaut kicks my ass. Ever since picking up “Void” a few years back I have always gotten excited about their new releases. “Valley of Smoke” turns up the psychedelia and even adds clean vocals into the mix, but the band sounds just as tight and crushing as ever. And Danny Walker might just be my new favorite drummer too.

3. Cloudkicker – Beacons (Self-Released)
This solo project of Columbus, OH-based guitarist Ben Sharp has some of the most interesting and mind-blowing guitar acrobatics of any instrumental rock or metal album I have heard in recent years.

2. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit (Profound Lore)
Incredibly expansive, dark, and thoughtful melodic black/doom metal. In my opinion one of America’s most underrated and gifted outfits.

1. Anathema – We’re Here Because We’re Here (Kscope)
Good grief… what an album. For those unfamiliar, Anathema was one of the “Peaceville 3” (along with Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride) who helped forge a new and very bleak emotional style of British doom metal back in the early 90’s. They have since moved into dreamy, atmospheric rock territory… with breathtaking results. Very well-written and a completely surreal listening experience.

Mark’s List:

It’s hard to select my top 10 albums of 2010, because quite frankly, I didn’t like 10 albums this year. There’s really only one album that I felt was worth anyone’s time and that’s Cloudkicker’s Beacons. It’s an interesting picture of the current music industry when the best and brightest offering of the year was done by a single guy with no budget, no distribution, no touring and no label. I’m sure I missed a lot over the year, but almost everything I did hear illicited a reaction somewhere between indifference and disappointment. So instead of “Top Albums“, I’m submitting my “Top Trends of 2010“. It’s been fun, but here’s hoping 2011 is better.

Metal bands playing entire albums Live

Ask yourself this question: what is a more annoying trend? Bands playing with “symphony orchestras” (Metallica, Kiss, Dream Theater, Scorpions), or bands playing their albums live “In their entirety” (Judas Priest, Megadeth, Slayer, Metallica, Life of Agony, Opeth). In the case of Opeth, they pulled it off and gave us one of the most stunning DVD/CD packages of the year. On the flipside, Priest stumbled through a pedestrian version of British Steel, Mustaine struggled with Rust in Peace and LOA’s River Runs Red was just plain embarrassing.

“Comeback” albums

Everyone loved Diamond Eyes by the Deftones, and I thought it was pretty damn good too, but then I realized, “hmm, I don’t care about the Deftones anymore” and that was the end of it. I felt the same way about Danzig’s Red Deth Saboth. Good album, but Danzig’s ship has sailed LONG ago and even if the album was the next Lucifuge, I doubt I would’ve listened to it that often. Some say metal fans are the “most loyal” and will follow a band even after a few letdowns, but I say that’s a ton of bullshit and those people that do are normally assholes that spend most of their time trying to justify St. Anger, and convince you that Volume 8: The Threat is Real “isn’t half bad”.

Popular Black Metal

Probably the fact that we’re even talking about it on an American metal website means that Black Metal has gone too mainstream, but 2010 saw the genre really seep into popular culture. Luckily, Nachtmystium’s follow up to Assassins was so disappointing and non-metal that no one will start talking about the “New Wave of American Black Metal” anytime soon. Until the Light Takes Us was a critically-acclaimed documentary discussing the early days of the genre, and although I found it quite dull, the fact that it was made and put into small-run theaters shows that people are intrigued by the culture.

Dead Metal Icons

RIP Ronnie James Dio and Peter Steele. (Probably some others that I can’t think of or that weren’t that popular)

Break-out Albums

Call this the “Curse of Mastodon”, but it seems that when a metal band is about to make a real splash onto the mainstream scene, they release an album that is incredibly dull. This year saw quite a few with High on Fire’s Snakes for the Divine, Lair of the Minotaur’s Evil Power, and the aforementioned Nachtmystium coming to mind. One might call Fear Factory’s Mechanize a “comeback”, but we thought it just plain sucked, much to the chagrin to a few FF fans that decided that we were hurting the band’s feelings.

Metal and Food

Whether its the oppressive popularity of Kuma’s Corner, Melt on Man vs Food, the Grill ‘Em All guys winning The Great Foodtruck Race or a slew of metal cookbooks, for some reason, people have finally realized that metal fans are fat, and that non-metal people that want to seem “edgy” are also fat.

Best things of the Year:

Devin Townsend live solo tour, Kuma’s Insect Warfare burger, The Walking Dead, Southern Tier Pumking, the resurrection of Phil Anselmo, King Buzzo at the World Series, Slayer Christmas lights, Bed-Intruder Song, Mustaine’s autobiography, Soundgarden is back, “basement metal”, Transatlantic at the Park West (and live CD/DVD), Nerdist podcast, Danzig buying cat litter, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, Behemoth’s videos, Three Floyd’s Apocalypse Cow (and Creeper beer dedicated to Pelican), Slayer on Kimmel, Ed’s Wacken Honeymoon, The Sword – Warp Riders, Tim & Eric Season Cinco

Worst of the Year:

Cynic’s Re-Traced, Dragonforce live albums, Iron Maiden’s lame set-list, Sepultura’s failed reunion, Ozzy’s Scream, Trooloo song, Facebook memes, Lady Gaga dancing to Metal Militia at Lollapalooza, the unnecessary Beatles cash cow on iTunes, Portnoy leaving Dream Theater and the subsequent whining and crying that followed in the all-too pretentious prog community, Metalocalypse going to 30 min, vampire bands, Halford solo tunes, Sirius-XM’s Liquid Metal, That Metal Show being renewed, South Park.

What I’m looking forward to in 2011:

A new Opeth album… Devin Townsend’s Destruction and Ghost… Scale the Summit’s new one… seeing Immortal in February… a possible Maiden:England Iron Maiden tour.

While the term “sell out” has been thrown around the music industry for years, it’s never been more true to its meaning than it is today. In the wake of major labels pinching their pennies or dropping like flies, musicians are looking for new ways to get ahead, and luckily, enterprise is right there to help.

While companies like Vans have been doing this shit for years, newer (forward thinking?) companies like Scion (a subsidiary of Toyota) are spreading cash all over the music industry, assumingly to grab a younger, “hipper” audience. Though I will admit, I’m still baffled by their approach.

If I had to guess, I’d say the people signing the checks over at Toyota probably weren’t in the pit while Cannibal Corpse performed Five Nails Through The Neck at this year’s Scion Rock Fest. Nor were they probably around when Municipal Waste were doing beer bongs onstage at the Knitting Factory last summer during a Scion-sponsored show. And I’d don’t seem to recall any Japanese businessman crowd-surfing in the latest Torche video, which also happened to be entirely funded by Scion.

So what gives? Is the head of the Scion Marketing Department a total metalhead? Are long-haired stoners suddenly a hot demographic to target?

Truth is, we’ll probably never know. But if you were to listen to Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta (in a recent interview with Decibel Magazine)…

That would’ve never happened 10 years ago. I wouldn’t have been caught dead in that car. But now it’s like, ‘It’s a free show? Yeah, let’s do it.’ So, God bless ‘em. They’re doing things that the labels aren’t doing.”

And Scion doesn’t look to be letting up anytime soon. In addition to sponsoring metal shows & producing videos, they’ve developed an entire branch of their company dedicated to art, film, music and lifestyle; which also offers weekly podcasts (interviews with underground artists, event coverage, etc) as well as a free iphone app that streams underground music from a plethora of genres.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is, forget trying to get signed… just buy a Scion and send your band’s demo to:

Scion
attn: Marketing Manager
19001 S. Western Ave
D102 PO BOX 2742
Torrance, CA 90509-2742

(and tell ‘em Reviews/Resist sent ya)

Despite mainstream television distancing themselves ever further from what’s cool, and a handful of other disappointing “metal” ventures, 2009 surely showed us a good time.

First and foremost, this was a killer year for releases from both veterans and young-bloods alike. Quality albums seemed to be dropping on a weekly basis (including some great re-releases), and the fall release schedule was unlike anything I’d ever seen… chock full of outstanding records from the likes of likes of Baroness, Immortal, Skeletonwitch, Slayer and more. There was barely enough time to keep track of everything, and I’m certain I’ll still be listening with fresh ears well into the new year.

This year also presented us with some amazingly well-crafted documentaries in Flight 666 and Anvil! The Story of Anvil. In addition to being extremely enjoyable, both films have received critical acclaim, and hopefully, helped dispel some of the bias towards metalheads worldwide (we’re not all dip-shit losers after all).

2009 has also given us a variety of cool things to spend our money on, including but not limited to: Mercyful Fate shoes, heavy metal cookbooks, Enslaved vinyl box sets, Precious Metal, and plenty of challenging tracks for the little plastic baby guitars we all own.

From the looks of it, 2010 will continue to ride the wave of awesomeness with new releases from Dillinger, High on Fire, Meshuggah, Nachtmystium, Torche (and more); as well as fantastic tours and another promising documentary for us to enjoy. Here’s to hoping we all continue to deliver. Happy New Year y’all.

Stay Heavy.

Anyways… we made a valiant attempt to get Chris to give us his top 10 picks, but he kept saying something about the Saw 6 soundtrack, so we bumped him down to five. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Mark’s List:

There were so many huge releases in 2009, it was hard to pick a top 10.  The year saw new music from metal’s heaviest hitters (Slayer, Cannibal Corpse, Megadeth, Mastodon, Anthrax) as well as comebacks from Alice in Chains and Immortal.  But ultimately, I believe 2009 will be remembered as when the new generation firmly took hold of the metal scene, as demonstrated by the outstanding releases from Skeletonwitch, Scale the Summit and Baroness.

10. Megadeth – Endgame (Roadrunner)
It’s no Rust in Peace Part-2, but with Endgame, Mustaine continues to prove that he can still crank out some great headbangers.
Check Out: This Day We Fight!

9. Slayer – World Painted Blood (American/Sony)
The second album since the return of Lombardo offers a new sound, but the same intensity.  One of the best album jackets/concepts of the year.
Check Out: Snuff

8. Devin Townsend Project – Addicted (Hevy Devy)
In a banner year for Devin, it’s the pop-metal soundtrack to a Anime-dream sequence (most likely depicting flight through a post-apocalyptic Japan).
Check Out: Hyperdrive!

7. Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plauge (Metal Blade)
Never ones to disappoint, Alex Webster and Corpsegrinder deliver the year’s most brutal offering.
Check Out: Carnivorous Swarm

6. Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue (Virgin/EMI)
Seattle’s finest create a comeback record worthy of the memory of Layne.
Check Out: Private Hell

5. Behemoth – Evangelion (Metal Blade/Nuclear Blast)
Negral conjures a maelstrom of demonic chaos that could easily convert anyone into a heretic.
Check Out: Ov Fire and the Void

4. Immortal – All Shall Fall (Nuclear Blast)
The Blizzard Beasts return with an incredible album that captures their focused and raw power.
Check Out: Arctic Swarm

3. Scale the Summit – Carving Desert Canyons (Prosthetic)
An instrumental masterpiece so rich in textures, tones and mood that it gets better with each listen.
Check Out: Dunes

2. Skeletonwitch – Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic)
A dominating statement from the Ohio thrash-masters.  An album that defines the term “thrash metal”.
Check Out: Submit to the Suffering

1. Baroness – Blue Record (Relapse)
Heavily layered with advanced concepts and dynamic playing.  Baroness once again delivers the album of the year.
Check Out: Jake Leg

Chris’ List:

Is a Top 5 acceptable?

5. Converge – Axe To Fall (Epitaph/Deathwish)
A somewhat fresh album from a familiar band that refuses to turn bad.
Check Out: Dark Horse

4. Cave In – Planets of Old (Hydrahead)
A four-song reunion works fine for me. Especially when the four songs kick tall ass.
Check Out: Retina Sees Rewind

3. Mastodon – Crack the Skye (Warner Bros.)
Bringing progress to Progressive Metal.
Check Out: Divinations

2. Baroness – Blue Record (Relapse)
The soundtrack that plays as my brothers and I descend to battle from snowy foothills astride armored polar bears, the perpetual winter sun smoldering unaware on a frozen, indifferent horizon.
Check Out: The Sweetest Curse

1. Propagandhi – Supporting Caste (Smallman)
Fast, angry, complicated. Even more so than before. The band affirms their category-defying musical identity, perhaps at the peak of their powers.
Check Out: Supporting Caste

Justin’s List:

Wow. What a fantastic year for metal. Narrowing this list down was quite a challenge… especially when I knew my top spot was reserved for a non-metal album. GASP! Yes folks… it’s true… my choice for album of the year goes to an indie rock band. But don’t worry… I’m not planning on wearing tight pants or reading Pitchfork anytime soon. In fact, I think I’ll carve “SLAYER” into my arm right now just to prove my self-worth. Eh… nevermind. That shit hurts.

10. Coalesce – Ox (Relapse)
15 years in, Coalesce continue to be one of the freshest sounding bands in the hardcore and metal community.
Check Out: Wild Ox Moan

9. Slayer – World Painted Blood (American/Sony)
Fast and raw… just how you probably like it. I know I do.
Check Out: Psychopathy Red

8. Converge – Axe To Fall (Epitaph/Deathwish)
As dynamic as it is heavy, Converge’s latest offering kicks you in the teeth before tucking you into bed. Awesome.
Check Out: Axe to Fall

7. Scale the Summit – Carving Desert Canyons (Prosthetic)
Remember the kind of music you and your friends were churning out in your early 20s? Yeah… it sucked compared to this.
Check Out: Sargasso Sea

6. Goes Cube – Another Day Has Passed (The End Records)
The Campbell’s Chunky Soup of the metal world… hearty and damn tasty!
Check Out: The Only Daughter

5. Baroness – Blue Record (Relapse)
Blue Record is one of those rare “all-emcompassing” albums. Great artwork, great music, great everything.
Check Out: The Sweetest Curse

4. Mastodon – Crack the Skye (Warner Bros.)
Like your beard, Crake the Skye really grows on you. And it totally rules.
Check Out: Oblivion

3. Revocation – Existence is Futile (Relapse)
These guys made me fall in love with shred all over again. When are we going to see the Existence is Futile tab book? (or vinyl for that matter… nudge nudge wink wink Relapse).
Check Out: Dismantle the Dictator

2. Skeletonwitch – Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic)
I Can Has Metal?
Check Out: Repulsive Salvation

1. The Life and Times – Tragic Boogie (Arena Rock/Hawthorn Street)
A non-metal album was my top choice of the year? Damn straight. Call me what you will, but me and my cred stand behind this decision. This band and album are absolutely amazing.
Check Out: Tragic Boogie

Honorable Mention:

Cave In – Planets of Old (Hydrahead)
Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue (Virgin/EMI)
Burnt By the Sun – Heart of Darkness (Relapse)
Buried Inside – Spoils of Failure (Relapse)
Propagandhi – Supporting Caste (Smallman)
Immortal – All Shall Fall (Nuclear Blast)
Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plauge (Metal Blade)

Mark’s List:

20. Nile – In Their Darkened Shrines (Relapse)
Karl Sanders’ masterpiece is the perfect soundtrack to releasing spirits from a cursed Egyptian tomb.
Check Out: Execration Text

19. Iron Maiden – Brave New World (EMI/ Sony)
Bruce and Adrian are back… well, Jannick is still there, but still, this Maiden album makes us forget the previous four and brings us back to 1986.
Check Out: The Fallen Angel

18. Killswitch Engage – The End of the Heartache (Roadrunner)
Hello Howard Jones, pleased to meet you, your band rules… and so does this album.
Check Out: Rose of Sharyn

17. Strapping Young Lad – Alien (Century Media)
Devin and the boys melt faces on an album that stands up to the legendary City.
Check Out: Zen

16. Skeletonwitch – Beyond the Permafrost (Prosthetic)
Thrash came back in a big way in the 00’s, and these guys lead the way.
Check Out: Upon Wings of Black

15. Opeth – Ghost Reveries (Roadrunner)
The proggiest of the Opeth releases was also one of the best.  Swedish metal meets George Harrison’s Maharishi.
Check Out: The Baying of the Hounds

14. Slayer – Christ Illusion (American)
Another return from some big names, this time it’s Lombardo and Rubin and voila!, Slayer makes their most inspired record in years.
Check Out: Skeleton Christ

13. Gojira – From Mars to Sirius (Prosthetic)
France’s metal titans give us one of the heaviest-sounding onslaughts in recent memory.  An open array of serenity and punishment.
Check Out: Flying Whales

12. Meshuggah – Nothing (Nuclear Blast)
The only album meant to be recorded with 8-string guitars. So heavy and hypnotic it’s made for the atmosphere of a different planet.
Check Out: Glints Collide

11. System of a Down – Toxicity (American)
An odd little metal band that turned into a huge, hard rock juggernaut after this combination of focused song writing, great production and heavy manic.
Check Out: Prison Song

10. Mastodon – Remission (Relapse)
Their first full-length release and the introduction for many to Mastodon.  The album that woke up the metal world in 2002.
Check Out: March of the Fire Ants

9. Lamb of God – Ashes of the Wake (Epic)
The album catches Lamb of God and the Adler brothers at their hungriest, right on the cusp of becoming one of the biggest bands in heavy music.
Check Out: The Faded Line

8. Baroness – The Red Album (Relapse)
A genius mixture of metal’s fury and indie-rock’s fuzz dragged through the sludge of the Georgia swamplands. John Baizley becomes a new metal hero.
Check Out: Isak

7. Cynic – Traced in Air (Season of Mist)
We waited for 15 years after Focus, and Paul Masvidal did not disappoint us.  An incredible journey of musicianship, virtuosity and elite song-writing.
Check Out: The Space for This

6. Opeth – Deliverance (Music for Nations)
The title track contains one of the best riffs of all time.  Wreath and Master’s Apprentices provide some bone-chilling moments.
Check Out: Deliverance

5. The Sword – Age of Winters (Kemado)
A hipster delight, but also a headbanging, weed-smoking, stoner-metal classic.  The raw power of every riff conjures the ghost of Iommi (wait, he’s not dead!)
Check Out: Iron Swan

4. QOTSA – Songs for the Deaf (Interscope)
Another popular release that includes perfect song after perfect song.  Dave Grohl leaves his mark, and his curse on future Josh Homme projects.
Check Out: Song for the Dead

3. Immortal – Sons of Northern Darkness (Nuclear Blast)
One of the best black metal albums of all time. Abbath creates an avalanche of riffs and mayhem.
Check Out: One By One

2. Opeth – Blackwater Park (Music for Nations)
Many consider this the breakout album for Opeth.  A collection of the band’s finest moments and some of the best metal songs of all time.
Check Out: The Drapery Falls

1. Mastodon – Leviathan (Relapse)
Mastodon’s perfect metal album and one of the best releases ever.  A true classic from the first notes of track 1.
Check Out: every song

Justin’s List:

20. Candiria – 300 Percent Density (Century Media)
Normally, shit this eclectic is reserved for prog snobs… it’s a shame they’re too busy sucking off Dream Theatre to appreciate the real deal.
Check Out: 300 Percent Density

19. Killswitch Engage – The End of Heartache (Roadrunner)
This album raised the bar previously set by Alive or Just Breathing. A feat every other modern metalcore band (including Killswitch themselves) have yet to surpass.
Check Out: Rose of Sharyn

18. Starkweather – Croatoan (Candlelight/Hypertension)
Ready for something completely new and exciting? Check out these old-timers.
Check Out: Slither

17. Skeletonwitch – Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic)
As I’ve said before… this is “Metal” personified.
Check Out: Repulsive Salvation

16. Immortal – Sons of Northern Darkness (Nuclear Blast)
Black Metal’s finest hour?
Check Out: One By One

15. Slayer – Christ Illusion (American)
Kerry King + Tom Araya + Jeff Hanneman – Paul Bostaph + Dave Lombardo = ‘Nuff Said.
Check Out: Flesh Storm

14. Baroness – The Red Album (Relapse)
Eclectic, yet cohesive. Heavy, yet poetic. Artsy, yet fucking awesome.
Check Out: Wanderlust

13. Type O Negative – Dead Again (SPV)
Absolutely epic songwriting from “The Drab Four”.
Check Out: The Profit of Doom

12. Craft – Fuck the Universe (Carnal/Southern Lord)
Black Metal’s finest hour.
Check Out: Thorn In the Planet’s Side

11. Mastodon – Remission (Relapse)
Riffs beyond your wettest dream. A game changer for sure.
Check Out: Mother Puncher

10. Torche – Meanderthal (Hydra Head/Robotic Empire)
The prefect blend of heavy and poppy. I assume this album is perfect for cruising for metal chicks on a hot summer evening.
Check Out: Healer

9. Cave In – Jupiter (Hydra Head)
The biggest 180 in the history of hardcore. But Cave In are certainly a better band for having taken the risk.
Check Out: Big Riff

8. Opeth – Deliverance (Music for Nations)
One listen to the title track and you’ll know why it’s on this list.
Check Out: Deliverance

7. Isis – Oceanic (Ipecac)
This album single-handidly turned the word “Neurosis” into “Neurisis”. Stock in metalgaze shoots through the roof.
Check Out: The Beginning and the End

6. Jesu – Jesu (Hydra Head)
Justin Broadrick shows the metal community there’s more to life than Godflesh. Much more.
Check Out: Friends are Evil

5. Converge – Jane Doe (Equal Vision/Deathwish)
Converge’s defining record… Jane Doe also happens to be the defining record for 98% of hardcore bands since.
Check Out: Concubine

4. Meshuggah – Nothing (Nuclear Blast)
Is there such a thing as “too heavy”? It turns out the answer is no.
Check Out: Straws Pulled at Random

3. Pelican – Australiasia (Hydra Head)
The perfect mix of skull-crushingly heavy and heart-breakingly emotional. The soundtrack to “flying” dreams.
Check Out: GW

2. Hopesfall – The Satellite Years (Trustkill)
An awesome post-hardcore band doing everything in their power to sound like Hum. Hey… it’s all green to me!
Check Out: A Man Exits

1. Mastodon – Leviathan (Relapse)
The metal equivalent of Dark Side of the Moon. Instant Classic. Period.
Check Out: every song

“Win! A Pair of Mastodon Vans!”

What bearded, metal aficionado could possibly resist this sweet temptation?

Wait… What? SHOES?!?

Are you fucking kidding me?

Super Sweet UPDATE!  So the new issue of Decibel is out, and our (stern, yet) loving letter is in print. I highly suggest you pick it up, our better yet… subscribe. We have many more angry letters to write.

Reunions are all the rage in metal these days, with everyone from Faith No More to Limp Bizkit announcing special shows and possible albums. Most of the time, the underlying, money-making agenda of these reunions is clouded by the fan excitement after years and years of clamoring for more. But be warned Metalheads, as more and more bands dust off the instruments for another go, your memories of them may be altered. For every Carcass, there’s Anthrax with Joey Belladonna, and much like Jordan in a Wizards uniform, a horrid final encounter changes your perception FOREVER. However, money talks, and the success of these tours and albums has guaranteed there are more to follow. I shudder to think of what legacies may be ruined, but here are 3 Metal Reunions that I foresee happening that will totally suck:

Sepultura with Max

I honestly don’t think there is any Cavalera influence in Sepultura now, but with Igor and Max together making music again, this is bound to happen. Especially since Cavalera Conspiracy probably put out one of the worst albums I’ve ever heard, and A-Lex isn’t exactly printing money for Derrick Green, Andreas Kisser and Paulo Jr (should he be “Paulo Sr” now?). Money’s tight, and there’s definitely money to be made with an old-school Sepultura tour. I’m sure this would be huge in Japan, Europe and South America and cause waves of Americans to break out their Chaos A.D. hockey jerseys. Unfortunately, these guys cant play their old stuff anymore, Max’s riffing is sloppy and the last live tracks I heard from Igor, he was changing some of the more complex parts to easier drum fills. I guess you lose some of your chops when you’re busy playing a djembe with Amazonians. I’m predicting an album title with a single word in either Portuguese or sounding sinister (“PAINLIFE“, “FUTA“, “CHUPACABRA!”)

Danzig with Original Lineup

A recipe for disaster! I’m sure everyone would like to see the “classic” Danzig lineup from the first 4 albums, but it’s an idea that should remain on paper. Now it might never happen because Glenn’s ego, but I can see it because without those other three, everything he touches turns to shit. He tried to do his own package tour, Blackest of the Black… and since I’ve never talked to anyone who’s attended, nor read a single review, I’m assuming that it’s so off-the-radar, that it’s a complete flop. Plus, the mystique of Danzig and of Glenn himself has work off. We’ve all seen his true self: a sad man with little touch with reality and a bulging waistline. When we were in high school, he was evil… now? he’s just balding. I’m sure seeing them stumble through Lucifuge tracks would only serve as a depressing reminder that we’re all older, fatter and embarrassed of our “wolf tattoos”.

Pantera

Before everyone cries, “It’ll NEVER happen!!, Phil and Vinnie hate each other!“, just hold on. Vinnie Paul is a businessman, lending his name to any cheesy money-making opportunity such as strip clubs or custom snare drums that are ugly as sin. He wants to be Gene Simmons, but with more facial hair and he wants to keep a legacy alive. Although his brother’s death ended his legitimate music career, he keeps trying to form “supergroups” that play shitty aggro-metal that appeals to rednecks, jocks and neanderthals. There will come a time where Anslemo and him patch things up, and they will release a statement to Blabbermouth saying how they “just had a urge to rock out those kickass Pantera grooves again!!” or “Dime would’ve wanted us to keep drinking and keep crushing these tunes live on stage!!” They will probably get Zakk Wydle to play guitar, he will dye his beard pink, and it will be an all-out atrocity of the highest sorts. Face it, as much as the idea first seems ludicrous, right now, you’re saying to yourself…”Yep, I can see that happening.”