There’s one facet of this blog you either love or hate: metal reviews. I’m not even going to front, doing metal reviews on the Mishka Bloglin is one of my favorite jobs. It really makes me search vigorously through the internet for new bands and reach out to up and comers who are yearning for exposure. 2009’s Doom and Metal Top 10 lists were well-received so I decided to group all metal genres into one killer fucking top 10 list!
Check out Prolly is Not Probably’s Top 10 Metal Albums of 2010 below!
#10 Lightning Swords of Death – The Extra Dimensional Wound
Dissection worship at its finest. The Lightning Swords of Death’s new album The Extra Dimensional Wound is everything you want in blackened thrash; heavy, to the point punches.
#09 Hellish Crossfire – Bloodrust Scythe:
Blackened thrash from Hellish Crossfire and Bloodrust Scythe sets the tone for these thrashed out metalheads. Complete with bitchin’ artwork, Bloodrust Scythe brings it hard, heavy and fast.
#08 Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
Discharge, Entombed and early Cave-In. That’s how I’d sum up Black Breath’s newest endeavor, Heavy Breathing. I first heard their 4-track EP Razor to Oblivion not too long ago after Southern Lord signed them. Expecting something completely different, I was pleasantly surprised by the Seattle-band’s approach to old school death and hardcore-infused thrash. I.e. not really Southern Lord’s forte. Heavy Breathing is a nostalgic trip back to your youth. All the bands you grew up listening to with a fresh new edge and face.
#07 Ghost – Opus Eponymous
This is NWOBHM, or New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Bands that embody the sounds of the great metal bands from the early English heavy metal movement. Think Iron Maiden, Venom, Witchfinder General and later, Cathedral. Ghost has made quite the ripple in the sea of metal blogs. Even Darkthrone listed them as an influential band and well, if it’s good enough for them… But these guys are Swedish. What? Yeah. Think about Mercyful Fate, hailing from Copenhagen: stranger things have happened. Opus Eponymous is one demented album!
#06 Bongripper – Satan Worshiping Doom
Satan Worshipping Doom is as much of a satirical jab at the instrumental doom genre as anything. How could something be Satanic without vocals? Duh. Get some evil-ass album art! Opening the abyss is the first track “Hail” which picks up where Hate Ashbury left off. The distinct sound, the picking of the riffs, the colliding percussion and the shear fucking weight of it all. Bongripper is like a ton of bricks.
#05 Fukpig – Belief is the Death of Intelligence
Necro-punkers Fukpig have returned from the grindcore and d-beat trenches to annihilate us all with their 2010 release Belief is the Death of Intelligence. Coming brutally strong-armed off their 2009 release, Spewings from a Selfish Nation, the UK super-group wants one thing for 2010: your pretty face covered in a gas mask. Social slaughter, eco-terrorism and greed machines aligned to their side, there is nothing that will stop the Fukpig machine!
#04 Darkthrone – Circle the Wagons
From their roots as a death metal band, to their rise to fame in the black metal scene, the Norwegian-duo Darkthrone is constantly re-inventing their shit-stomping, d-beat, crust punk, blackened thrash metal sound. Coming a year and a half after Hiking Metal Punks, Circle the Wagons proves that Fenriz and Nocturno Culto are true Norwegian metalheads.
After prison time and an 11-year hiatus, Varg “Count Grishnackh” Vikernes is back at it. Here’s where I put a disclaimer out there; I am in no way advocating Varg’s antisemitism. There was a huge upset over the title for his new album, Belus, which can be translated roughly to “The White God”. Knowing his background, some might say it was intentional, but Varg has stated that Belus is the “name of the ancient European solar deity of light and innocence”.
#02 Electric Wizard – Black Masses
If you know me, then you’ll know that I’m a huge Electric Wizard fan. As far as I’m concerned, they are one of the only bands still alive today that have perfected the occult-influenced stoner doom machine. While many try to emulate their sadistic style, only the ‘Wizard can come close to cultivating such an original and ground-breaking sound. Their seventh full-release, Black Masses shook the metal charts of 2010. Following the hallowed Witchcult Today, Black Masses continues the dark and trippy direction the band had earlier laid forth for their fans.
#01 Hooded Menace – Never Cross the Dead
Ever since first hearing their early EP, The Eyeless Horde, I knew Hooded Menace would one day put out a full-length that would shake the walls and crumble empires. Low and behold, in 2010 they released Never Cross the Dead, a masterpiece of slow and fucking intense doom crossed with spine-chilling death metal vocals. Everything about this band crushes. If you want commanding drums, they got it. If you want slow and calculated riffs, they got that too. Never Cross the Dead is putting Finland’s metal scene back on the map.
Well, there they are, my Top 10 Metal Albums of 2010. If you haven’t heard any of these bands yet, go to their Myspace pages and give them a listen! Also, be sure to check out last year’s Top 10 lists:
Prolly is Not Probably’s Top 10 Doom Albums of 2009
Prolly is Not Probably’s Top 10 Metal Albums of 2009
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