2010 In Eternium
Top 20 albums for 2010. This is my first full year at Sputnik and my rfirst full year really paying rrrattention to new releases as they have rcome out. As of making this list I have rated 105 rrralbums on Sputnik rjust from this year so I think that makes my top list a little legit. |
| 20 |  | Make Do and Mend
End Measured Mile
The bottom 20 spot was a fight between this and Atheist's Jupiter but Make
Do and Mend ended up winning with the fun as hell hardcore album. I still
hate how I missed out on seeing them this year simply because the
Defeater tour couldn't find a venue in time thanks to it being so last minute. |
| 19 |  | Sed Non Satiata
Sed Non Satiata
An amazing emo album from the French band. There's just something
special about that post-rock influenced emo that is just sweet to the ears.
The emotion and the way it builds up just hits the nerves. |
| 18 |  | Fear Factory
Mechanize
The metal band returns after some major infighting and drops one of their
best albums yet. Dino brings back the Factory with the rhythm section from
Strapping Young Lad. Yes, that means Gene Hoglan is on the drums. What
else is needed to say? |
| 17 |  | Intronaut
Valley of Smoke
I'm going to go ahead and say it: BASS. Another quality post-metal album
from Intronaut that rides back and forth from organic passages of
atmosphere and driving riffs. |
| 16 |  | Kerouac
Cold and Distant, Not Loving
I didn't expect this to be as heavy when I first heard it. A brief hardcore
album that explodes of riffs and emotional yelling that wrecks ears and
feels so good. |
| 15 |  | Alcest
Ecailles De Lune
Mix of black metal and shoegaze makes for a controversial but meaningful
album. Simply said, this is just pretty beyond words. |
| 14 |  | Daughters
Daughters
Possibly the band's last album, sadly, as I think this is the band's best
album yet and they certainly seem to improve upon each one. Crazy vocals
often compared to Elvis over even more insane discordant guitar riffing
makes for a schizophrenic/exhilarating ride. |
| 13 |  | Electric Wizard
Black Masses
The band proves that there's more to them than just Dopethrone. Heavy
and catchy riffs dominate this album like Black Sabbath but surrounded by a
thick cloud of marijuana smoke. |
| 12 |  | More Than Life
Love Let Me Go
Melodic hardcore is one of the best genres to take form in the last decade
and More Than Life owns the label this year with Love Let Me Go. Melodic,
emotional, and it hits just as hard as anything Have Heart has ever done. |
| 11 |  | Starkweather
This Sheltering Night
Starkweather is most known for being one of the pioneering bands of the
metalcore genre but that still doesn't prepare you for what you'll find on
this album. Yes the metalcore elements are there but Starkweather
experiments far beyond the typical band, especially in the melodies that are eerie yet pretty at the same
time. Even after 20 years of existence, this
band proves their worth further with This Sheltering Night. It may not be
an easy listen but is far worth it. |
| 10 |  | Swans
My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
The legendary Michael Gira brought back Swans after a nearly 15 year hiatus. While I still need to listen to
the older Swans material myself, this is
still a brilliant album that proves Swans can still make excellent albums no
matter the distance between. This is a non-metal album that is far heavier
than the majority of metal bands. |
| 9 |  | Twilight
Monument To Time End
What's better than a USBM band with a cult (kvlt) following? A USBM
supergroup that features members of popular USBM bands and even the
music genius that is Aaron Turner of Isis. A huge black metal album that
mixes in post-metal elements that suit it perfectly. |
| 8 |  | Amia Venera Landscape
The Long Procession
You all know about this by now as it has recently exploded into popularity
on Sputnik. Nonetheless, this is a very big surprise from Italy. The heavy
post-metal styles of Cult of Luna merge with the more relaxed post-
hardcore tendencies of bands like Underoath (especially the clean vocals)
to produce something that fans of either style should love. |
| 7 |  | So Hideous, My Love
I Balance Daydreams on the Tip of a Knife
This may only be made of three songs but they show a promising screamo
band that further indulges into the post-rock world like an even more
curious cousin of Envy. Classical music elements are actually used in this
and make for an epic and even beautiful dense atmosphere of screams and
strings. |
| 6 |  | The Saddest Landscape
You Will Not Survive
Easily the emo album of the year. The Saddest Landscape simply aren't as
popular as they deserve to be with the perfect mix of old and new styles of
emo and even more with the emotion poured out from the singing. "And I
just want to go back to when we didn't have to drink ourselves to sleep,
back to when our dreams didn't weigh us down, back to when each day
didn't feel like something we just survived." |
| 5 |  | Throats
Throats
This is fast. This is heavy. The Converge comparisons are easy to make
but this EP is actually of the kind of quality that one would expect if
Converge made it themselves. ...And apparently they broke up earlier this month. Son of a bitch. |
| 4 |  | Kylesa
Spiral Shadow
Kylesa may be one of the most consistent bands in recent history. They
just can't do anything wrong, even from their days as Damad in the '90s.
The band consistently evolves and (I think) improves with every single
album. Spiral Shadow shows the band explore more with atmosphere,
creating a dense piece of sludge metal that's just as fun and relaxing as it
is heavy. |
| 3 |  | Nails
Unsilent Death
I don't care what you say, this is without a doubt the heaviest fucking thing
that 2010 has produced. This album does more in a mere 14 minutes than
most bands are able to accomplish in an hour. Unsilent Death is made of
pure anger and monolithic riffs fired at your face. |
| 2 |  | The Dillinger Escape Plan
Option Paralysis
A lot of people believe that DEP slipped on Ire Works but here they truly
return to their greatness with Option Paralysis, which I believe is just
behind CI as their best album. The insane mathcore sections are just as
angry as ever and the explorations of melody are extraordinary, especially
on Widower as it builds from pretty jazz piano into a crazy unleash of
dissonant chords at the end. DEP proves that they aren't going anywhere
anytime soon. |
| 1 |  | Deftones
Diamond Eyes
What did you expect? Deftones may be my favorite band of all time and
this is truly their comeback album after the infighting during and after SNW
and the horrible condition that Chi Cheng is in. Did the band give up? No,
they recruited Sergio Vega from Quicksand on bass and started a brand
new album from scratch. This is the result of an old band's newfound
energy. The Meshuggah influenced riffs in songs like CMND/CTRL to the
beautiful atmosphere in songs like Sextape makes this the best album of
2010. |
|
