As the year is comes to a close, we will be taking you through the Best of 2010. Over the next couple of days, expect top 10 album lists from most of our writers, as well as the top stories & videos of the year. Don't forget, you can still submit your Top 10 album list to be included in the overall Top Albums As Decided by the Metal Injection Junkies list.
by: Robert Pasbani
Picking my personal Top 10 list ended up being much harder than I thought it would be. Before I started compiling the list, I feared I wouldn't even have 10 albums I remembered liking this year. After sorting through all my music, I found the opposite to be true. I could easily write a Top 30 list, but the headline wouldn't be as catchy, so I forced myself to pick 10 albums. Ultimately, it came down to which albums I listened to the most and was blown away by the most. Here is what I ended up with:
10) Daikaiju – Phase 2
It's very rare that a jaded fuck like myself gets blown away by a band I've never seen or heard of before, but this band absolutely blew me away when I saw them open up for a Brent Hinds side project. Sure they are mostly a surf rock band, and not necessarily a metal band, but they shred with the best of them. It's one of the most mellow, put-it-on-at-anytime-and-immediately-feel-good albums I've listened to maybe ever. This band deserves to be huge!
9) The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza – Danza III: The Series of Unfortunate Events
Who doesn't love Danza? There was some hesitation going into this record, because everybody but vocalist Jessie Freeland had left the band, but DANZA lived on in a big way, releasing one of the most crushing albums of the year. This thing is all killer no filler from the get go up until the very end. Danza has yet to let me down with any of their releases.
8) Intronaut – Valley of Smoke
I have been a fan of Intronaut for many years now, much like fine wine, these guys get better with age. This album is their most ambitious release yet and just never stops being awesome. If I put the first track on, I am not going anywhere until I've heard the whole album. There were times when I would listen to this taking the subway somewhere, and would be legitimately upset that my stop came before the album finished. The best thing about the record is that I've seen them play tracks live, and there is no studio magic, just raw awesomeness.
7) Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis
Honestly, I almost considered not putting this on my list. This is an album that came out at the beginning of the year, and by the end, I had forgotten about it. I decided to go back and listen to it, and then I realized I would be a fool to not include this. I definitely wore this album out when it came out. It's Dillinger evolving, creating catchy numbers that wouldn't be out of place on a mainstream rock station but still having songs with that Dillinger trademarked quirk that still gives me goosebumps. I guess these guys can really do no wrong in my book. If they would only just tour again!
6) Levi/Werstler – Avalanche of Worms
I heard this album for the first time while smoking a joint in Eyal Levi's rental car at NAMM this year. Does that make me biased? I don't really think so, because I've got back to this record many times since hearing first and consistently find new things to be amazed with on this record. Forgetting about the amazing guitar work for a second, the drumming by SEAN FUCKING REINHART of Cynic delivers in every way imaginable. The man is a beast, pure and simple and can make anything sound even more interesting with his midas touch. Also, the synths performed by Eric Guenther stand out more than once as well. Oh, and the guitars. Ohhh, the guitars. This is one of my favorite records to do any sort of work to.
5) Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
If this album came out three months earlier, it might have just been my number one of the year. Every time I listen back to this record, I find something new I really like about it. Face it, this band can do no wrong. These are dudes who are not in a band to be successful, they are doing it just to produce good music. I want there to be a huge snow storm, so I can just walk around with this playing. I would walk up to grannys and give them the claw. They probably wouldn't understand why, but if they were listening to Agalloch like I was, they would totally get it. Now if only they'd play a New York show.
4) Nachtmystium – Black Meddle Part II: Addicts
If we were doing our top ten lists in June, this would've been my number one album. I was all sorts of excited when this came out. I love how Blake Judd didn't give a shit about troo or kvlt, he just wrote what he wanted to write. I spoke to Blake after a show once and commented on how I love the blackened indie sound the band go for on this record and he commented that he was doing his best to channel Interpol, and I can totally see it. The band pulls it off without coming off pretentious. Instead, I found many of the riffs and hooks stuck in my head for days. As if the band was taunting me to listen to this record again. This is a very solid record. Unfortunately, for me at least, I think I overdid it and sort of killed the record for myself. Even still, credit is due to Mr. Judd and company for creating one of the most ambitious records of the year.
3) Wormrot – Abuse
Before all the tr00 fans yell at me, to tell me that the band actually self-released this record last year, I can say that I didn't hear of them last year, I heard of them when Earache put them in front of my eyes and ears. This band is everything that is right with metal. I just can't get over how impressive this record sounds for a band that hails from Singapore, an area where there is no metal scene and yet these guys put out the best grind release of the year. This album is great to listen to, but the band is even more fun live. Everything is played faster and you can't help headbang along and generally just have a great time.
2) Veil of Maya – [id]
From the intro riff, this album had me. I love everything about it. Marc Okubo's guitar work is stellar. The dude knows how to write catchy parts and great breakdowns. Most importantly, this album brings the groove, which is a key ingredient of good music in my opinion. I saw the band live at least 3 times this year, and never once was I bored doing their performance. These guys are just doing everything right.
1) Daughters – Daughters
Due to the over-abundance of CD promos we get, I totally forgot about this release. When it was initially released, I listened to it a few times and then it just got lost in the shuffle when I had a ton of other music to listen to. Then, about 2 months ago, I watched something which had the opening track as the backing music and it reminded me: "Oh hey, Rob, go back and listen to that Daughters record!" And, I did. And it was phenomenal. Great riffs, great quirk, great spazz and an incredible frontman make the perfect formula for Rob's #1 album of the year. Frontman Alexis Marshall is one of my favorite frontman – his drawl and general don't-give-a-fuck attitude is the perfect icing on the cake for possibly the most disgusting looking cake in existance. And, I mean that as the greatest of compliments!
