It’s that time of the year again. 2010 flew by so fast, I’m actually leaning against the desk here so I don’t fall over from the headspinning dizziness. I thought 2009 was pretty sweet, given the two Devin Townsend Project albums and the new BTBAM (which will be the case for 2011!!), but I think 2010 just blew last year out of the water when it comes to the piles of new releases that I’ve enjoyed.

As arbitrary as it may be, it is customary for us to assert out opinions once again by making a huge ruckus about how awesome 2010 was in regards to how awesome metal is. Here’s my take on the matter.

COMMENCE THE COUNTDOWN!

15. Veil of Maya – [id]

This album didn’t really get me at first like I had originally hoped, but it grew on me like a fungus—especially after I saw them perform live on this year’s Summer Slaughter Tour. They can put on a mean live show; they played flawlessly and they can command the crowd with gusto. The grooves are infections and the weird guitar lines are catchy, giving Veil of Maya’s [id] just enough momentum to find themselves at the tail-end of my list of favorites.

14. After the Burial – In Dreams

I was surprised by this album. I was kind of just expecting another Rareform, which I wasn’t too fond of, to be honest. In Dreams sports more developed songwriting, catchy, yet sparingly used clean singing, and top-notch production, which Rareform seems to be lacking. I know a lot of people thought In Dreams was a step down for After the Burial, but I must be in the minority in singing its praises as a step up. After the Burial capture both a groovy and anthemic vibe in In Dreams, and that’s something I can get behind.

13. Iron Thrones – The Wretched Sun

Iron Thrones made their presence know damn near out of thin air when they signed up for Scion’s No Label Needed contest earlier this year. Everyone went to check out the competition and the blogosphere was practically unanimous in its love of Iron Thrones and their debut album Visions of Light, which was released last year. While technically an EP, The Wretched Sun beats out many alleged full-length albums that came out this year in length (ie. the two guilty parties above that barely crack half an hour). There has been a slight growth as a unit on The Wretched Sun when compared to Visions of Light, which speaks volumes considering there has only been a year between the two releases. There’s no doubt in my mind that Iron Thrones will someday be huge names in metal; hell, they’re already on their way right out of the gate.

12. Cloudkicker – Beacons

I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anyone say anything negative about Cloudkicker. Ben Sharp is a master at his craft at bringing a balance of post-metal and Meshuggah-influenced polyrhythms. Beacons is no doubt his best work yet, showcasing a strangely emotional and momentum-building atmosphere of guitars. It is very phenomenal adventure music.  There’s not much else to say about Beacons other than GET IT NOW. IT IS FREE.

11. Intronaut – Valley of Smoke

I’ve admittedly blown off Intronaut for a while. It’s shameful, really. It all worked out though, as my first taste of Intronaut came in the form of Valley of Smoke. After taking a look at the band’s discography, I’m convinced that this is their opus. The introduction of clean vocals on this record were certainly put to good use, adding extra textures via smooth harmonies that make the songs that much more memorable. The title track, featuring two drum and bass tracks, will definitely blow minds. This is what I wish Baroness were. Shout out to commenter/friend/troll/TNOTB writer Alex_P for this recommendation!

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I was a little pressed to come up with this list at first attempt. Much of my listening for 2010 had consisted of releases from 2009 that I found my-self late to the party to from bands like Animals As Leaders, Circle of Contempt, and Poison the Well. But with a little mental elbow grease I was able to work it out, remembering a few albums that had fell under my radar as a result of my infatuation with the groovier releases of 2010. Speaking of, groove is definitely a word that will be mentioned plenty here due to the nature of my selections. That being said, I present my Top 10 of 2010:

10) System Divide – The Conscious Sedation

I found this to be a very enjoyable follow up to System Divide‘s EP, meeting all my expectations. The Conscious Sedation included a few choice tracks from The Collapse while also demonstrating a growth in sound and song structure. The highlight of System Divide for me is undoubtedly their female vocalist, providing the perfect contrast to the growls and screams of Sven De Caluwe. The melody of Miri Milman’s vocals could lull me to sleep no matter how many times I hear them. For me, this was a fresh breath of air in the genre of metalcore.

9) Wretched – Beyond The Gate

This was very strong follow up to Wretched’s The Exodus of Autonomy. Wretched opted for less chugs and more shreds with this release and it worked great. They also chose to again include perfectly crafted instrumentals that experimented with music from Spanish culture, while also dabbling in Eastern Indian culture as well. Combine this with relentless shredding, blast beats, and carefully placed proggy riffs with choice chugs, and you’ve got a great death-metal album that stands out from the rest.

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While there are only 10 on my list, there were many, many good albums this year. But not all of them rocked the socks off me. The following 10 did. Enjoy!

10. Carbon Based Lifeforms – Interloper

Ambient Blog Is Ambient. In fact, as you’ll notice progressing through this list, Interloper is one of two ambient albums on my top 10. Perhaps I’m breaking the rules here, but I don’t care. Carbon Based Lifeforms has been an interest of mine for about 2 years now and the Swedish duo have yet to put out a bad album. Honestly, anything on Ultimae Records is phenomenal and if you’re into a more relaxed side of music, that is the label to start from. But Interloper manages to do what so few ambient albums don’t: draw the listener in. With enveloping pads and keys (“Central Plain”), abstract arrangements of vocals (“Right Where It Ends”) and just an overall atmosphere that projects utter zen, this is a must-have.

9. High on Fire – Snakes For The Divine

The theme of my list seems to revolve around underdog bands. High On Fire has always been pretty good in my eyes, but I never saw their music as must-haves. However, Snakes For The Divine went from good to great with tracks like “Fire, Flood & Plague” and landed the number 9 spot on my list for being badass stoner metal (something I’m also not hugely fond of). Its thick, grungy sound is unprecedented. FROST HAMMAH!

8. Cephalic Carnage – Misled by Certainty

The name Cephalic Carnage up until a few months ago always slipped my mind. Simply because being the presumptuous d-bag that I am, I thought this band would be lame goregrind act #3486. And yet, they aren’t. Forgetting the assuming label I bestowed upon this band, Misled by Certainty had further proven me wrong. This is an amalgamation of many genres that is not only heavy as fuck, but catchy and memorable too. If you haven’t listened to their music before because the name puts you off or whatever bullshit you’ve heard, don’t hesitate any longer. Check out this amazing genre-fusion slab of metal.

7. Piotrek Gruszka – Cosmogenesis

Ah, instrumental metal. Where would the world be without you? This is a nobody album of 2010, but for reasons I can’t understand. When amazing musicianship like this gets the backseat to garbage bands like Attack Attack! it frustrates the living hell out of me. The soaring, bright melodies, underlying space-y synths and rhythmic approach really capture the intentions of the album. Best of all: it’s free. If you’re looking for something to tide you over until the next Animals As Leaders album, you might want to check out Cosmogenesis. It’s guitar wizardry without the sloppy.

6. Cloudkicker – Beacons

Beacons is the defining moment and magnum opus of Cloudkicker‘s short lifespan, in my opinion. Not only can you hear the maturity and evolution, but the emotion as well. It’s an absolute masterpiece of proggy instrumental metal that ups the ante on all fronts. Like Cosmogenesis, this album is free as well. Although I’m sure all of our readers have it… right? Either way, this deserved a spot on my top 10 list. It may not be better than the albums below, but it’s certainly a reason why 2010 kicked fucking ass.

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2010 has been a year with many great records from all across the metal spectrum, as is apparent when you see that pretty much all the albums on my list come from different sub-genres of heavy music.  Of course, there’s also been a steady and much larger stream of crap being released all year long, but thankfully it hasn’t been too hard to sift through. I actually had some trouble picking only ten albums; there’s plenty of great music that came out this year that isn’t on this list. I’m sure all the good stuff will get at least some amount of coverage between all of us here at Heavy Blog Is Heavy though. Anyways, here’s my top 10:

10. I Am Abomination – To Our Forefathers

A rrelatively young band, I Am Abomination released their sophomore album this past summer. Although I’m not a big fan of the autotuned vocals and synth [Which these guys don't actually have on this album - ed.], these guys make the stuff bearable, and even enjoyable, which is saying a lot for me. The highlight of this album for me is the technical and melodic guitar playing, which I’m a sucker for, being the guitarist that I am. There’s also quite a bit of a catchy element here too. Good stuff.

9. Beneath The Massacre – Marée Noire

Oh man, this is the stuff right here. There is so much adrenaline and substance packed into this short little EP. I really don’t know how these guys play this stuff and keep it all tight and together, because it’s just insane. The biggest complaint I have about their previous releases is the monotony, but I believe they’ve gotten rid of that with this EP. Some might complain about the production, saying that it’s too robotic and crisp or that the drums are too triggered, but the production is perfect for this type of music.

8. Haste The Day – Attack Of The Wolf King

Haste The Day just recently announced that they are breaking up, making this their final release. It’s without a doubt their best album though, so at least they are bowing out on a high note. With this album the band have mixed in some progressive elements with their metalcore, upping the technicality and throwing in plenty of odd time signatures to boot. The choruses are catchy as ever too, which is to be expected from them. The biggest blemish the album has is the awful cover song that is the final track, but let us not speak of that. I’ve seen this band live a few times and they always put on a good show, they will be missed.

7. Norma Jean – Meridional

Arguably their best release to date, it seems Norma Jean have finally found the perfect balance between their various styles of music with this album. From crazy mathcore chaos that makes up much of The Anthem Of The Angry Brides, to the catchy choruses found on many of the tracks, this album grooves and flows all the way through. I honestly didn’t even like this band until listening through this album, but it changed my mind pretty quickly.

6. Tides Of Man – Dreamhouse

Okay, so this isn’t really a heavy/metal album. Tides Of Man classify themselves as math rock, the majority of the vocals on this album are sung, and most of the songs follow traditional song structure. This album takes number 6 on my list though because it is simply amazing. When I first heard these guys, they made me think of a more technical Coheed And Cambria, which is a very good thing in my book. The album is stuffed full of melodic and mathy tunes accompanied by catchy vocal melodies, and I had the privilege of seeing the band play them live recently. They did so flawlessly, making me love them even more.

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2010 was one of the best years for metal in recent history, in my opinion. If you put my #1 album last year (Between the Buried and Me‘s The Great Misdirect) on this list, it would more than likely be only #6 or #7.  That shows how great a year 2010 was. Let’s not waste any time, shall we? Let’s hit this list, starting with #20.

20. Through the Eyes of the Dead – Skepsis

I was rather suprised at the lack of publicity this album got. I found this album to be a rather great deathcore/tech-deathcore album. The guitar work was very adept, and the drumming was just spectacular. A great listen from beginning to end.

19. Motionless In White - Creatures

An absolutely spectacular post-hardcore release.

18. Melechesh – The Epigenesis

This album is amazing. So fucking heavy, yet so beautiful, with the two instrumentals in the middle to balance out the insanity. Ashmedi’s scream is amazing. And the record is so damn catchy.

17. The Contortionist – Exoplanet

You want to talk about epic, sweeping albums?  Here you go. This album quickly became one of my favorites for quite some time. This would be MUCH higher if it wasn’t for all the great releases this year.

16. Veil of Maya – [id]

Was it original for Veil of Maya?  Unfortunately, no. But was it one of the best albums of the year, and a standout in the genre of deathcore?  You better fucking believe it.

15. Parkway Drive – Deep Blue

I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for Parkway Drive. I find their guitar lines epic and they’re songs catchy. And with Deep Blue, they perfected their sound. Tracks like “Karma” and “Sleepwalker” was some of the most epic tracks I’ve subjected myself to all year.

14. Pin-Up Went Down – 342.

So unique. So beautiful. So fucking weird. A total winner.

13. Ihsahn – After

This album was the first great album of 2010. I remember listening to it over and over and OVER again.  This album will be what Ihsahn is remembered for. None of his work in Emperor or his solo work compares to this album.  And just for a personal note: Hearing the saxophone on ”On The Shores” was one of the greatest music moments of 2010 for me.

12. Mutiny Within - Mutiny Within

Wow.  Just wow.  Operatic vocals, amazing guitar, great piano, and great drumming. The songs are amazing.  I still listen to this album a ton, even though the album was released very early in the year. Just a testament to how powerful this album is.

11. The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis

I don’t really feel like I need to say a few words about this album. We all know it’s amazing.  Read the review, buy the album, and be amazed.

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