Another year, another list. 2010 brought yet another onslaught of heavy metal, and we at Metal Review sifted through the gross majority of it. Finally, the dust has settled, and all that remains are our Top 25 Albums of 2010. Like previous years (2008 and 2009), the MR Staff pooled their favorite albums into a giant morass of metal–well over 130 releases were nominated–and the highest-ranking entries made the final cut. That final cut now stands before you.
In the interest of haste, we’ll get to the point: Here stand the mightiest, most essential wares of 2010:
25. NEGURA BUNGET – VIRSTELE PAMINTULUI
• • • •
24. TWILIGHT – MONUMENT TO TIME END
• • • •
23. WOE – QUIETLY, UNDRAMATICALLY
• • • •
22. FEAR FACTORY – MECHANIZE
• • • •
21. STARGAZER – A GREAT WORK OF AGES
• • • •
20. CHRISTIAN MISTRESS – AGONY & OPIUM
• • • •
19. ACCEPT – BLOOD OF THE NATIONS
• • • •
18. LUDICRA – THE TENANT
• • • •
17. JUMALHÄMÄRÄ – RESIGNAATIO
• • • •
16. BURZUM – BELUS
• • • •
15. ALCEST – ÉCAILLES DE LUNE
• • • •
14. LES DISCRETS – SEPTEMBRE ET SES DERNIERES PENSEES
• • • •
13. UFOMAMMUT – EVE
• • • •
12. IMMOLATION – MAJESTY AND DECAY
• • • •
11. BLOOD REVOLT – INDOCTRINE
• • • •
10. SLOUGH FEG – THE ANIMAL SPIRITS
• • • •
9. IHSAHN – AFTER
• • • •
8. DAWNBRINGER – NUCLEUS
• • • •
7. DEATHSPELL OMEGA – PARACLETUS
• • • •
6. IRON MAIDEN – THE FINAL FRONTIER
• • • •
5. DARKTHRONE – CIRCLE THE WAGONS
• • • •
4. OVERKILL – IRONBOUND
• • • •
3. HIGH ON FIRE – SNAKES FOR THE DIVINE
• • • •
2. ENSLAVED – AXIOMA ETHICA ODINI
• • • •
1. AGALLOCH – MARROW OF THE SPIRIT
• • • •
…and who else could claim those coveted top spots than Enslaved and Agalloch? The former can seemingly do no wrong, defying convention with a perfect balance of consistency and adventurousness. And Marrow of the Spirit was, arguably, the most universally-anticipated disc of the year. A full four years between albums is an eternity for fans, and those that revered their last release, 2006’s Ashes Against the Grain, had plenty to chew on this time around. The five (plus) epics of Marrow of the Spirit were a virtual lock for our top spot.
And there they lie, legions. Feel free to embroil oneself in critical fisticuffs below, ’cause it’s what you do best. Thank you for reading, supporting, criticizing, and sustaining Metal Review in 2010. We truly appreciate every reader and every comment; you keep this thing alive, and for that, we thank you. Here’s to another great year in 2011. Cheers.
