Top 10 of 2010 so far

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

I don't see my list changing dramatically before Dec 31st so here goes:

1. Accept: Blood of the Nations. Now this is an album that should be selling in Disturbed numbers but sadly it won't. From beginning to end this is a modern take on old school metal that delivers. BOTN, Pandemic, Bucketful of Hate, No Shelter... every song is great! No sub genres, just pure metal. This ranks up with their 80's classics.

2. Blaze Bayley: Promise and the Terror. Pure British metal. Unlike the new Maiden which serves watered down prog to the Millennial audience. I didn't think any other album would knock it from my top spot.

3. Haken: Aquarius. Celestial Elixir

4. Iron Maiden: The Final Frontier. Yep for all it's faults it's still a Maiden record. Bruce singing Blaze era knockoffs is still ok in my book.

5. Aspera: Ripples. Joyful Prog.

6. Midlake: The Courage of Others. A very moody, low key album that always satisfies.

7. Armored Saint: La Raza. Much, much better than their first reunion record. Nice to hear Bush sing with a band as opposed to a track here and there for various compilations.

8. Blind Guardian: At the Edge of Time. A strong return to form but sadly nowhere near their 90s output.

9. Yoso: Elements. More Toto than Yes but overall a pleasant listen.

10. Sabaton: Coat of Arms. Diet soda as opposed to regular. Probably the best of the pastiche 80's metal bands out there now.

 

[Skykhan]

Can't say much about top 10 but Blood Of Nations is the best album of the year for sure. Some might also want to check Hell's Thrash Horsemen album called Going Sane. Interesting band from Russia. I can easily say best new school thrash I've heard so far. Riffs on that album are sick.

 

[poundingmetal74]

In no order:
Dream Evil - In the Night
Fozzy - Chasing the Grail
State of Rock - A Point of Destiny
Armored Saint - La Raza
Ratt - Infestation
Accept - Blood of the Nations
Vanden Plas - Whatever their new one was called
Powerglove - Saturday Morning Apocalypse

Still waiting for the new Allen-Lande and Firewind which will both likely be in my top 10. Exciter too! If the new Betrayer album ever comes out - whatever year that is - will likely top that year's list.

White Wizzard's Over the Top was quite good, as was their Canadian counterpart's Striker. The Avantasia albums were good, but will be quickly forgotten. Pretty Maids was good, but it sounds more like Nocturnal Rites than it does Pretty Maids. New BLS was good too, the last 2 were pretty meh. I'm not really into Rhapsody (of Fire), but I liked a few tracks from their new one.

 

[Bryant]

I haven't really thought about it enough, but Accept "Blood of the Nation" and Vanden Plas "The seraphic Clockwork" definitely get the top spots so far. I don't expect any challenges to bring either of those down from the top rankings.

Bryant

 

[mdmatt4ever]

1 ratt- infestation :had little hope for this album and it blew me away
2 jeff beck- emotion and commotion :beck godlike as always
3 overkill- ironbound :not a huge fan of the band but one of the best new releases from an older thrash band
4 tom petty-mojo : Most of the songs have an allman brothers feel. nice bluesy album
5 nevermore- obsidian conspiracy : wow the five year wait was worth it. great vocals
6 ringo starr- y not :i've liked ringo's newer albums but this is his best album since the late 90's album vertical man
7 black label society- order of the black: for me this is BLS 4th best album
8 scorpions- sting in the tail :their last album supposedly but i thought humanity hour 1 was stronger
9 willie nelson- country music :willie's best album since the early 80's
10 keel- streets of rock :solid return to form by one of the best 80's singers


i expect the new accept and flotsam and jetsam to take 2 spots on this list so willie nelson and keel will fall which is a shame since both albums are good.

big surprises:
ozzy- scream: his best album in 15 years

biggest letdowns:
-heart- red velvet car: 6 years for a less than 40 minute album with bad production
-zz top-still no new album
-crosby,stills and nash- no new album. how long does it take to complete a cover tunes album?
-aerosmith- more than likely over as a band and no new album since 2001 of original material
-rob zombie- hellbilly deluxe 2: rob's worst solo album. sounds nothing like the first hellbilly album
-slash- self titled: compared to the previous works of slash since leaving GNR this album is just mediocre. i had high hopes for it too.

 

[kuier]

Top 10 so far
Ratt - Infestation
Accept - BotN
Svartsot - Mulmets Viser
Istapp - Blekinge
Sister Sin - TSotU
Krokus - Hoodoo
Y & T - Facemelter
White Wizzard - OTT
Pretty Maids - Pandemonium
State of Rock - Pointy of Destiny

Cool finds of 2010 (persoanlly)
Hooded Menace - Never Cross The Dead ... not normally a doom/stoner fan
Saving Abel - Miss America ... quite surprised by this one

Surprises of 2010
Scorpions - Sting in The Tail ... best comeback
Stone Temple Pilots - STP ... see, Grunge was a bad idea for all

Dissapointments of 2010
Hole - Nobody's Daughter .. sounds like a bad Marianne Faithful
Bret Michaels - Custom Built .. Bad country
Slash - Slash ... all over the place

Other mehs
Iron Maiden - FF ... nothing lavish
Ozzy - Whisper ... needs to retire

 

[mdmatt4ever]

i forgot to mention slash and maiden let me down and rob zombie's new album was pretty bad.


weird people though ozzy's new album was so bad. i thought it was his best since ozzmosis and if you drop the first few songs and replaced them with some of the import/itunes bonus tracks its better than ozzmosis

 

[carnut]

uptill now for me 2010 is a rather dissapointing year.

Good albums from Haken, Accept, Fracture, Overkill, Wolfspring and Nick Magus.

 

[poundingmetal74]

i forgot to mention slash and maiden let me down and rob zombie's new album was pretty bad.


weird people though ozzy's new album was so bad. i thought it was hios best since ozzmosis and if you drop the first few songs and replaced them with some of the import/intunes bonus tracks its better than ozzmosis

Ozzmosis had Perry Mason (aka the best song Ozzy's done in 15 years). All the of the passable songs on Scream don't add up to anything that comes close.

 

[wdiv]

On the list:
Accept
Blind Guardian
Armored Saint
Orphaned Land
Iron Maiden
Danzig

Didn't quite make the cut:
Nevermore
Charred Walls
Jon Oliva's Pain

Wishlist:
Masterplan
Wuthering Heights
Scorpions

Eagerly anticipating:
Therion
Virgin Steele
Control Denied
Slough Feg
Kamelot
Circle II Circle

 

[tsorl]

These are very good:
Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier
Echoes - Nature/Existence
Rage - Strings To A Web
Armored Saint - La Raza
Jon Oliva's Pain - Festival

These are "OK":
Charred Walls of the Damned - s/t
Masterplan - Time To Be King

These haven't made a big impression, at least not yet:
Haken - Aquarius
Andre Matos - Mentalize
Vanden Plas - The Seraphic Clockwork
Gamma Ray - To The Metal!

These I haven't even heard yet:
Danzig - Deth Red Sabaoth
Royal Hunt - X
Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time
Accept - Blood Of The Nations
Ratt - Infestation
Avantasia - both
Roswell Six - A Line In The Sand

And finally, the stuff coming out in the next 4 months:
Helloween - The Seven Sinners
Grave Digger - The Clans Will Rise Again
Star One - Victims Of The Modern Age
Virgin Steele - The Black Light Bacchanalia
Kamelot - Poetry For The Poisoned
Therion - Sitra Ahra
Black Country Communion - s/t
Angra - Aqua
Iron Fire - Metalmorphosized
Halford - Made Of Metal
Seventh Wonder - The Great Escape

...and who knows what else. There is in fact such thing as too much of a good thing! :zombie:

 

[Wyvern]

These haven't made a big impression, at least not yet:

Andre Matos - Mentalize

That's a 2009 realese.

And finally, the stuff coming out in the next 4 months:
Helloween - The Seven Sinners
Star One - Victims Of The Modern Age
Angra - Aqua
Seventh Wonder - The Great Escape
[/quote]

Very skeptic about Hellowen, high expectations about Star One, unimpressed about Angra and didn't know about Seventh Wonder

 

[kuier]

I dunno why people say that this is a dissappointing year so far. Looking back at 2009 it's pretty much on par ... yes, granted, there were some big established names releasing stuff, e.g. Megadeth, Bon Jovi, WASP, Kiss, Saxon, Candlemass, et al. but there better releases came from newer bands such as Wolf, Chickenfoot, November's Doom, Solstafir, Vreid, etc. So apart from Heaven & Hell, last year was pretty meh in terms of the older bands.

This year, older bands so far: Accept, Armored Saint, Airbourne, Buchcherry, Keel, Raven, Sevendust, Vince Neil, Darkthrone, BLS,

Newer bands: White Wizzard, Heidevolk, Grand Magus, Finntroll, Equilibrium

I don't care who you are, looks pretty impressive to me so far

 

[mdmatt4ever]

i can not remember my list from last year but i recall having a lot of older artist in my top 10

 

[Marco Spain]

I consider 2010 a very good year if we talk about new releases. Some of them:

NEVERMORE: I consider "Dead heart in a dead world" maybe the best album in the last decade. After that, I don´t like "Enemies..." and "This godless" is good but not overwhelming. New one is absolutely great.

OVERKILL: In 20 years, their best release.

FIRST SIGNAL: With Harry Hess from Harem Scarem on vocals. Need more to say? Amazing!

Y & T: Not perfect but a very solid effort with the best song from 2010: "I´m coming home"

PRETTY MAIDS: In spite of playing live they have lost a lot (specially Ronnie Atkins) every new studio album is a highlight.

TERRY BROCK: This guy´s everywhere: Giant, Strangeways reunion,... but his new solo effort is fantastic.

HOODED MENACE: Best doom/death this year. Melodic but dark, twisted and powerful.

TREAT: What a surprise! "Coup the grace" is as great as their classic stuff. Gods!

CRASHDIET: After the second average album they have returned with a vengeance. Catchy sleazy hard rock from Scandinavia.

TRYPTYKON: Natural follow to Celtic Frost´s monotheist. Dark as hell, totally atmospheric and Tom G Warrior reigning as ever.

Besides, a couple of spanish great stuff:

ANGELUS APATRIDA: They signed with Century Media. If you like thrash metal in your face, check "Clockwork". Kick ass!!

http://www.myspace.com/angelusapatrida

AUIMEEN BASOA: They´re from Basque Country and sings in "euskara" (a language from that region). They exist since a decade ago but now they have released their first full lenght and it´s excellent. pagan/folk/black original and with a lot of traditional instruments

There are more very good albums: Accept, Burzum, Crazy Lixx,...

Some disappointings: Maiden (but I expected nothing), Airbourne, Blind Guardian (well, it´s better than the 2 previous but that´s not enough), Death Angel, Jon Oliva´s Pain,...

And I´m waiting: Enslaved, Therion, Virgin Steele (though their last album is bad)...

 

[carnut]

Looking at Tsorl's list I see I forgot to mention Roswell Six - A line in the Sand. Probably the release I like most uptil now ...
And the Echoes album indeed is very good too !!

Mmm, have to re-concider, maybe it's not that bad of a year after all

 

[Wyvern]

PRETTY MAIDS: In spite of playing live they have lost a lot (specially Ronnie Atkins) every new studio album is a highlight.

Olé!

 

[mdmatt4ever]

another big surprise was how good the vince neil covers album was plus the 2 original tunes were pretty good

 

[kuier]

OVERKILL: In 20 years, their best release.

FIRST SIGNAL: With Harry Hess from Harem Scarem on vocals. Need more to say? Amazing!

TERRY BROCK: This guy´s everywhere: Giant, Strangeways reunion,... but his new solo effort is fantastic.

TREAT: What a surprise! "Coup the grace" is as great as their classic stuff. Gods!

CRASHDIET: After the second average album they have returned with a vengeance. Catchy sleazy hard rock from Scandinavia.

I have a strange feeling my top 10 will change after I hear these ...

 

[SoundMaster]

Not in true order:

Triptychon
Iron Maiden
Anathema
Wuthering Heights
Borknagar
Sabaton
Heathen
Exodus
Ihsahn
Astra
Nachtmystium
Mogwai (live album)

I've yet to hear the Accept & Blind Guardian releases.