Picking the “best” albums of any year is a duplicitous venture at best; a struggle to pare down—hopefully not laboriously round out—the list into something comprehensible/agreeable. Inevitably however, someone gets forgotten or shuffled out of a deserved place, people disagree and we’re left wondering how we could have possibly chosen only 10 children, leaving the others to torment in purgatory, obscurity or whatever the hell happens once these lists are done. Though, if you think about it, even these tabulations inevitably wind up suffering the same fate when we do it all over again twelve months later. At that, we provide you with a starting block for razing discussions over what are, in fact, the TOP 10 METAL RECORDS OF 2010. Our choices:

10. Rusted Dawn – The Black Tides Of War (D5R)

Packed with unbridled rage, tenacity and some killer fuckin’ riffs, The Black Tides Of War proves just how modern thrash metal can pull directly from its formative inspiration yet still blindside with fresh perspectives. Loose enough to feel genuine yet clearly full of musical prowess and more bile than a drunkard’s vomit, this surprising assailment from Canada’s East Coast proves that not all Maritimes people are without animosity. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

9. Bison B.C. – Dark Ages (Metal Blade)

If ever there was a central point for all genres of metal to converge without becoming mired in individualistic tendencies, Bison B.C.’s Dark Ages is it. Uniting aspects such as death metal’s general imposition/vocals, technically-slanted thrash structures, doom’s lumbering imposition and the grandiose scope and epic nature of prog-metal, these seven tracks don’t reinvent the wheel so much as embrace its obvious perfection, then celebrate its existence. Inventive, dark and monumental, this slab of thunderous acerbity simply rules. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

8. Jucifer – Throned In Blood (Nomadic Fortress/Relapse)

From the rumbling dirge of the title track through aptly-titled closer “Armageddon,” these primal onslaughts of no-frills sludge-driven aggression are equal parts enthralling and kind of scary. While Jucifer has always had a way to make their minimalist experiments in extremity overwhelming, this sucker reaches new levels of obliteration. It’s as if The Exorcist protagonist Regan MacNeil was the one doing the possessing, taking over both pieces of this guitar/drum duo & creating one hell of a din. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. Black Breath – Razor To Oblivion (Southern Lord)

If anything is impossible to fake, it’s that steely-eyed state of distemper some metal bands inherently maintain. You can feel the malice dripping out of their music in some thrillingly dangerous way, a state Seattle’s Black Breath amplify on this beastly bout of thrash/death metal. So powerful, it deserves one of those caustic substance stickers, not some piddly explicit content warning. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. High On Fire – Snakes For The Divine (Relapse)

After issuing outright ass-kickers such as 2005’s Blessed Black Wings and 2007’s Death Is This Communion, you’d think that Oakland, California’s High On Fire couldn’t possibly make their innately apocalyptic, groovy doom metal even more monumental, sinister or rhythmically brilliant. Wrong. Snakes For The Divine is the culmination and refinement of such brimstone-fueled frenzy into their purest form of malevolent metallic mastery yet. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis (Party Smasher Inc./Season Of Mist)

Everyone’s heard that old adage about expecting the unexpected in certain circumstances. When it comes to jazz-influenced mathematical time-bomb Dillinger Escape Plan, that still doesn’t work. We’re waiting for some crazy shit on fourth effort Option Paralysis so what does the band do? Pare it back… with piano even! Still, it’s not like the quartet is venturing into balladry here. This thing explodes with ample shrapnel and ventures into some weird fuckin’ territory. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Torche – Songs For Singles (Hydra Head)

Proving that stoner-influenced sludge metal can be kind of catchy while not losing its inherent potency, Miami’s Torche issue a set of songs that could very well be singles unto themselves. Rich, lush and powerful while still beastly, progressive and pummeling, this is the band’s most cohesive work to date. In fact, “Cast Into The Unknown” is easily one of the best songs ever. Virulence hath a new name: Torche. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Arson Anthem – Insecurity Notoriety (Housecore)

Once again, it takes a mutiny of old school cranks to show these limp-wristed, cardigan-wearing arseholes who call themselves “punk” and “metal” what it’s all about. Vicious, volatile and voracious, this relentless sophomore crossover masterpiece features 17 songs, 31 minutes and absolutely no mercy. Thank the likes of grind guru Mike Williams (Eyehategod), Pantera/Down mastermind Phil Anselmo, Colin Yeo and countrified punk Hank III for the lesson. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. Danzig – Deth Red Sabaoth (The End)

Welcome back to reality, Danzig. With its reversion/regression to the days of simplified blues-infused metal riffs, overtly catchy choruses and imposing bleakness instead of affected attitude (read: self-conscious struggling to stay cool in a weird mid-life crisis kind of way), Deth Red Sabaoth is what we’ve been waiting for from Glenn Danzig’s namesake band for ages. This album is actually so cool, it almost erases every shitty move after 1992’s How The Gods Kill including Blackacidevil. Almost. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

1. Pasadena Napalm Division – Pasadena Napalm Division (Abyss Records)

Loud, trashy, self-deprecating and featuring insane riffs bolstered by killer double kick-drum and inventive craftsmanship, these six songs say more in their ephemeral 15 minutes than most bands can flatuate out in an entire career. Essentially, this EP creates a dichotomously rousing but leveling argument for the current state of crossover. Then again, when the band features 1/5 hardcore founders Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, 3/5 prog-thrashers Dead Horse and 1/5 brash punks Verbal Abuse, how couldn’t it? ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………