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Colonel Blast's debut release manages to put an original twist on the death metal genre without stepping too far outside of the invisible boundaries of the style.  By utilizing vocals that drip with emotion, occasional clean guitar parts, and interesting song arrangements, the band creates a unique atmosphere on For the Greater Good.  Hopefully this band will eventually find the audience it deserves.
Colonel Blast - For the Greater Good
10
MYSPACE
Hour of Penance - Paradogma
9
MYSPACE
Hour of Penance, along with a few of its peers, is helping lead the recent Italian death metal onslaught.  With Paradogma, Hour of Penance deliver an unrelenting sonic punch to the gut of Christianity with intensity, precision, and power.
Deathspell Omega - Paracletus
8
MYSPACE
Deathspell Omega's latest is a discordant, dissonant, clanging headfuck of an album.  It's certainly not the kind of album that you will choose to blast as you cruise in your car with the windows down.  It is however extremely addictive and fascinating.
Flesh Consumed - Ecliptic Dimensions of Suffering
7
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Flesh Consumed has really stepped it up with its latest release, Ecliptic Dimensions of Suffering.  I really enjoy the band's past work, but Flesh Consumed is beginning to move closer to the top of the death metal pack with this album.  Ecliptic Dimensions of Suffering flows well as an album from start to finish.  The performances of the musicians are even stronger this time around, and the songs are catchy while maintaining just enough complexity to keep the listener coming back for more.
Arkaik - Reflections Within Dissonance
6
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Reflections Within Dissonance is one of the strongest brutal death metal debuts I have heard in ages.  This young band has impressive technical chops, but it avoids drifting down the road of complete show-off wankery.  Arkaik writes intense, jaw-dropping songs that you can actually remember.  Stunning.
Barren Earth - Curse of the Red River
5
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Barren Earth is an all-star band consisting of members / ex-members of Amorphis, Kreator, Moonsorrow, and Swallow the Sun.  Barren Earth deals in catchy, melodic, folk-influenced songs similar to classic Amorphis.  Fans of older Amorphis and the Barren Earth members' other projects should find this album hard not to like.
Alcest - Écailles de lune
2
MYSPACE
As a fan of the original shoegaze movement, epic metal, and depressing music in general, I find Alcest's latest to be an absolutely moving and powerful masterpiece.
Triptykon -  Eparistera Daimones
4
MYSPACE
Tom Warrior does it again.  Triptykon's debut full-length manages to top Celtic Frost's Monotheist.  Somehow Triptykon is able to recall the Celtic Frost sound - listen to that (un)godly guitar tone! - while also sounding fresh and modern. 
Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit
3
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Agalloch has added another excellent release to its gradually expanding discography.  Marrow of the Spirit takes some getting used to upon the first few listens, but the album quickly sinks its hooks into the listener and doesn't let go. 
Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini
1
MYSPACE
BAND'S WEBSITE
Enslaved has come a long way since its early days, and with Axioma Ethica Odini the band proves that trip has been well worth it.  With this album, Enslaved has released one of the strongest albums of its career.  If you're looking for a heavier, more metal Enslaved than what the band has been displaying in recent years, you'll find it with Axioma Ethica Odini.  If you're looking for variety that includes moments of melodic beauty, you will definitely find that too.  Axioma Ethica Odini has something for any Enslaved fan who approaches the album with an open mind.  Enslaved is going to have a hard time topping this one.
2010
Roswell47
Reviewer
Please check out my full review by clicking on the album artwork to the left.
Please check out Jesse and Chris' full reviews in the REVIEWS ARCHIVE.
Please check out my full review by clicking on the album artwork to the left.
Please check out Matt's full review by clicking on the album artwork to the left.
Please check out my full review by clicking on the album artwork to the left.
2010
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Please check out my full review by clicking on the album artwork to the left.
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2010
2010 was a surprisingly impressive year for metal.  This makes choosing a top ten list for the year quite a difficult undertaking.  Newer bands and veterans alike released some amazing material.  There are simply too many good options to make it easy to narrow a list to ten albums. 

The order of my list is likely to shift slightly from day-to-day depending on my mood, but for the most part it is in the "correct" order.  One thing is for sure, Enslaved came out on top with their latest masterpiece.  I chose my list by thinking about which albums I truly enjoyed the most and what albums spent the most time in my stereo as opposed to what releases were the most innovative and/or groundbreaking (although sometimes these traits went hand-in-hand). 

The biggest (positive) surprise of the year was easily Fear Factory's Mechanize.  While you won't find it in my top ten, I'm still shocked that the band had such a strong album left in them after all these years of releasing poor albums.
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HONORABLE MENTIONS
YEAR END REVIEW
I would also like to take a moment to mention some bands whose 2010 releases were excellent despite the fact that they didn't quite make it onto my list.

In alphabetical order:
Atheist, Dawnbringer, Decrepit Birth, Defeated Sanity, Father Befouled, Negura Bunget, Stargazer, Warbeast, and Watain.
BAND'S WEBSITE
Please check out Jesse and Matt's full reviews in the REVIEWS ARCHIVE.
BAND'S WEBSITE
Please check out Chris' full review by clicking on the album artwork to the left.