The Best Heavy Metal Albums of 2010, Part 1

Once again, sorry for deviating from the subject at hand, but I needed a spot to host this, and to me, Heavy Metal and Horror go together like peanut butter and chocolate. So, in no particular order (except for maybe the top 2 or so spots), let's take a look back at what I consider the best heavy metal offerings of this year:


(18) Watain – Lawless Darkness: This is a controversial release amongst the Black Metal faithful. Some see Watain as having diluted and simplified their music to gain mainstream acceptance. Some see them as always having been posturing clowns playing up an Orthodox Satanism angle to come across as more Eeeeeevillllll, and thus, more marketable. Some are not me. This is a more melodic, yet more serious in tone, extension of their previous album, Sworn to the Dark. Alternating between “chunky, mid-paced” and “pummeling” in the tempo department, and mixing it up with a strong sense of craft in structure and technical ability, there’s a better sense of dymanics on display here than previous. E.’s vocals have evolved from the typical Black Metal shriek to a more raspy shout, still abrasive but more distinguishable from the din than before. And any album that finds a place for Fields of the Nephilim mastermind Carl McCoy (his first guest vocal appearance anywhere outside of the Nephilim universe) is okay in my book. The production is more professional-sounding and modern than many Black Metal purists will find comfortable, and its epic length (75 minutes) may put some off, but it’s like being come at with a polished chrome sledge hammer in slow motion. You can take the time to admire its sleek beauty before it proceeds to bash your skull in.


(17) Accept – Blood of the Nations: The bands that have managed to successfully replace their established frontmen are few and far between. Then there’s Accept. Who could have thought that they could replace Udo Dirkschneider, possessor of the Most Metal Name of All Time? Mention Accept to your garden variety metalhead, and the tiny Teuton is the first thing they’ll think of. But damn it all if Accept didn’t manage to do it, and manage to get it right after a 14-year absence. Blood of the Nations is instantly classic Accept, and classic Heavy Metal. Wolf Hoffmann and Herman Frank consistently deliver on mighty riffage, the rhythm section of Stefan Schwarzmann and Peter Baltes drive the band like a finely-tuned V-8, and new vocalist Mark Tornillo steps gamely into Udo’s shoes. He’s somewhat similar in style to Udo, keeping his delivery in the same range, but brings his own personality and energy to the mix. It’s a passionate and lively performance that sends this album over whatever expectations I had going in. It’s not the album of the year, but it’s the comeback of the year, hands down.


(16) Finntroll – Nifelvind: The darkness and seriousness of previous album Ur Jordens Djup has been abandoned – with great thanks. That album tried far too hard to scream “hey, we’re not a joke band, people!” and wound up as an accomplished record in purely technical terms, but lacked much of the joyful spirit that has always fueled their best works. It was a necessary move on their part, it seems, because now that they’ve established themselves as a serious force, they’ve regained their confidence. And for a band that’s basically performing songs about trolls, that lighter touch is certainly needed. It might not be as tankard-hoisting anthemic as Nattfodd or Jaktens Tid, but it’s damned fine ale-drinking music nonetheless.


(15) High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine: Stomping, brusing, crushing, rasping, thrashing, screaming, punishing, raging, heavy, heavy, heavy. HoF’s best album to date. No more need be said, because if you dig HoF, what more do you need to know? And if you don’t, I don’t want to hear about it. ‘Nuff said! Excelsior!


(14) Kvelertak – Kvelertak: Black Metal plus Punk plus the hooky melodicism of Turbonegro (minus the blatant Alice Cooper rip-offs of Turbonegro) equals this collection of shout-along (if you can shout along in Norwegian) anthems. Reminiscent at times of later Immortal (or in particular the Immortal sideband I), Kvelertak confidently blend high-octane rock and roll with Black Metal’s intensity with more success on this debut than many bands working this side of the street (I’m looking at you, Satyricon) have managed on any of their most recent albums. If their US label had any sense, they’d have had this out in the States this summer, and would have been pushing “Mjød” as the summer anthem of the year. In a just world, you’d be sick to death of these guys by now.


(13) Grand Magus – Hammer of the North: With no shortage of heavy riffing, wailing leads, and powerful vocals, GM keeps getting better and better with every album, and how they manage to break the law of diminishing returns is an inspiring thing to witness. They continue on their run of winningly combining Stoner/Doom elements with NWOBHM/Judas Priest-style energy and melody into an unrelenting and constantly driving battering ram of catchy, headbanging fury. Why these guys aren’t one of the biggest things going is a mystery to me.