Edenbridge – Solitaire (Napalm Records)
Remember years ago when rarely a female singer cross into metal terrain? Sure, we cherish Doro Pesch and Leather Leone for their escapades, but the mid-to-late 90’s saw an explosion of femme fatale sirens...
Black Tusk – Taste the Sin (Relapse Records)
We’ve now hit the point where anything or anyone associated with Mastodon is supposed to be good, exalted, praised, etc. Well, that’s not how it works, as a lot of the bands in line...
Sabaton – Coat of Arms (Nuclear Blast Records)
One of the acts from Sweden gaining critical acclaim for their brand of traditional power metal with lyrical war themes is Sabaton. Coat of Arms represents their sixth album and biggest label development, gaining the attention...
Kingdom of Sorrow – Behind the Blackest Tears (Relapse Records)
One of the rare instances when a pairing does in fact, sound like the sum of its parts, Kingdom of Sorrow return with their second effort, Behind the Blackest Tears. The combo of Jamey Jasta...
The Devil’s Blood – The Time of No Time Evermore (Van Records)
Blast you, European releases. Initially released last fall, The Time of No Time Evermore will unfortunately not be a part of this scribe’s Top 10 for 2010, which is a crime – it’s that good. A refreshing blast...
Bonded By Blood – Exiled To Earth (Earache Records)
At this point in the latest young regeneration thrash wave, most bands can’t rest on their laurels if they hope to sustain any sort of career musical aspirations. Sure your debut effort may resurrect...
Solution .45 – For Aeons Past (AFM Records)
Congratulations, Christian Alvestam, you are now the sole and lone owner of the most annoying clean vocals in melodic death metal. If the Swede’s saccharine-beyond-all-hell vox weren’t nauseating enough during his run with Scar...
Annihilator – Annihilator (Earache Records)
Armed with his usual bag of tricks and a reported 66 guitar solos (!), The Jeff Waters Band...er, Annihilator return with their 13th studio album in the form of plain 'ole Annihilator. For someone who...
Witchery – Witchkrieg (Century Media Records)
This scribe remembers a time when the grand plan for Witchery was to release an album every year, which in this day and age, is unthinkable. They were on pace during the Restless and Dead/Dead,...
The Chant – This Is the World We Know (Full Metal Records)
Awash with Paradise Lost/Katatonia melancholic splendor, Finland’s The Chant serve up one of those patented, shimmering Goth metal albums that while light in more places than one, carry a dense emotional weight that is...