Twenty-ten, as you're about to discover, was a glorious 12-month stretch for megaton riffage, snarling grooves and screaming solos. The fluffy piano ballads and adult-alternative goo of years past gave way to pure and unadulterated rawk.Hard music for hard times, I suppose.
Leaving behind the indie ghetto once and for all, The Sword's third full-length, the insanely ambitious Warp Riders, which is Rhapsody's rock album of the year, is proof the band has evolved into authentic gods, ones with an encyclopedic knowledge of two stone-cold classics: Deep Purple's Machine Head and Rainbow's Rising. No talk of hard-rock immortality is complete without bowing down before the (often) shirtless guitarist Matt Pike, whose band High on Fire dropped a doom/thrash epic: Snakes for the Divine. Cranking this record is the sonic equivalent of Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff pile driving you 10 times in a row. Speaking of doom/thrash, three upstarts from Savannah, Ga., who go by the name Black Tusk further cemented the South's reputation as a hotbed for heavy-metal nefariousness by dropping Taste the Sin, a debut album falling squarely in the Baroness/Kylesa zone. Regrouping after the loss of longtime bassist Chi Cheng, who remains in a coma after a tragic car crash in 2008, Deftones gave fans Diamond Eyes, the group's best, and most adventurous, album in a decade, since the now-classic White Pony, in fact.
Despite all the killer hard rock and metal, 2010 also taught us heaviness comes in myriad guises. It isn't always about volume and feedback; sometimes mood, feel and lyricism are what grab you. Producer Daniel Lanois had a hand in making two records that bleed these attributes: Neil Young's spacey Le Noise and Black Dub, the self-titled debut album from Lanois' new band. Black Dub features the neo-soul vocals of Trixie Whitley, daughter of cult artist Chris Whitley. Then there's Laura Marling. She might be a diminutive, 20-year-old singer-songwriter from the U.K., but she's no narcissistic sensitivo with an annoying chirp. Her sophomore effort, I Speak Because I Can, is a powerful slab of rumbling folk-rock: passionate, dark, stormy and mysterious. Lots of modern mavens have been tagged "the next Sandy Denny," but Marling is the only one who even comes close.
Another big winner in 2010 was blues-rock, albeit blues-rock with a twist. On Sea of Cowards Jack White's latest outfit, The Dead Weather concocts a mutant hybrid of blues, garage and progressive rock — dig the Yes-inspired breakdown in "The Difference Between Us" — that's really quite stunning in its expansiveness. The Black Keys' Brothers, the duo's dirtiest joint in quite some time, sounds downright traditional in comparison. And let's not forget JJ Grey & Mofro's Georgia Warhorse. While mainstream rock radio continues to sleep on the guy, his mix of Southern soul and swamp rock attracts more and more fans with each passing year. The guy is a serious talent for sure. Of course, more than a few of you will have serious problems with this list. Hell, you might even think I'm a total jackass who doesn't know a thing about music. That's cool — please leave as many comments as possible, including your own best-of lists. At the same time, definitely keep an open mind when exploring these albums; maybe, just maybe, you'll discover one that will blow your mind.
To check out a bunch of jams from the records listed, simply go to the end of this post. Or, you can check out an expanded playlist here.
20.
10 Years Feeding the Wolves
Feeding the Wolves, 10 Years' fifth full-length since 2001, is the band's most consistent and fully developed album to date. This shouldn't come as any surprise, considering top-shelf producer Howard Benson has been one of the key behind-the-scenes architects of post-grunge and alternative metal. Benson helps 10 Years balance their twin loves: punishing, Tool-inspired epics ("Dead in the Water," "The Wicked Ones") and brooding balladry ("One More Day"). — Justin Farrar
19.
Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs
God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise
With each album, LaMontagne sounds more and more like an early '70s classic rocker. Featuring his backing band, The Pariah Dogs, God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise is the singer's most vintage-sounding album to date: a pedal steel-laced mix of country soul, roots rock, intimate folk and funk rock, recalling the likes of Joe Cocker, Delaney & Bonnie, and Woodstock-era Dylan. Earthy production only cements the comparisons. Instead of working in a pro studio with his usual producer, Ethan Johns, LaMontagne pulled a Basement Tapes and recorded God Willin' at his home in rural western Massachusetts. — J.F.
18.
Kings of Leon
Come Around Sundown
At this point in Kings of Leon's careers, the Southern rock and garage influences marking their earliest releases are all but gone — and so is the youthful exuberance. A good portion of Come Around Sundown consists of moody, midtempo ruminations on alienation and estrangement. In other words, this is the band's celebrity-life-is-wearing-on-us record. Sonically, Kings of Leon aren't doing anything terribly unique: post-grunge fed through a vaguely post-punk gloom. However, tunes such as "Mary," "Beach Side" and "The Immortals" reveal a newfound interest in dream pop and tropical retro-pop. — J.F.
17.
Drive-By Truckers
The Big To-Do
Though ostensibly the Truckers' return to straight-ahead rock, this album will win no drag races: five of Patterson Hood's eight high-pitched contributions approach or exceed five minutes, and they take their drowsy time getting there. But Crazy Horse distortion adds beauty and viscosity, and four-day binges, perverted preachers, bodies in the lake and a trapeze accident in Detroit provide compelling subject matter. The underutilized Mike Cooley scores with a two-stepping unemployment boogie woogie, some choogling murk about a bad birthday at a brothel and parting advice from a sad dad. — C.E.
16.
Linkin Park
A Thousand Suns
The onetime rap-metallers move into almost prog territory with their fourth studio album. Electronic beats still bump underneath, but the songs on A Thousand Suns are built around distinct melodies, somber subject matter and structures that develop at a decidedly deliberate pace, with cinematic sound bites introducing each cut. While the move toward a sort of Radiohead-influenced sound works, it's the tribal rapping on "When They Come for Me" that'll bring both die-hard fans and newcomers into the Linkin Park fold. — M.M.
15.
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
After years in limbo, S.T.P. forfeit none of their knack for big bubbly hooks on their sixth album. Various tunes suggest Urge Overkill making Batman drug-pusher puns and Franz Ferdinand going country boogie — not to mention, in "Huckleberry Crumble," a hardier '70s Aerosmith homage than Aerosmith has managed in ages, full of tongue-twisted jive-talk and chunky rolling riffs. Appropriately, "Fast As I Can" is the fastest song, and "First Kiss on Mars" is a decent Bowie rip. All in all, this is concisely crafted and encouragingly upbeat. Today's dreary radio-rock bands could still learn from these old farts. — C.E.
14.
Guster
Easy Wonderful
Easy Wonderful has a charming late-'80s feel to it. The way Guster grabs all manner of Beatles-certified hooks and tricks and filters them through radio-friendly roots pop is very Crowded House, Hooters, BoDeans, et al. In terms of arrangements and production, the band has pulled out all the stops (shimmering pianos, finely layered choruses, scratchy little guitar licks, etc.) without ever falling into sonic decadence. Maybe it's way uncool to compare adult-alternative squares like Guster to those indie hipsters known as Dr. Dog, but both groups are mining similar territory. — J.F.
13.
Black Tusk
Taste the Sin
Savannah, Ga., is a hotbed for sludge. There's Baroness, Damad, Kylesa and, of course, Black Tusk. On Taste the Sin, the group mirrors its fellow Georgians in the way it produces a heavy music that is both brutal and expansive. The track "Twist the Knife" is a perfect example. It contains a mix of vicious breakdowns, crust/thrash chaos and technical alacrity. At the same time, Black Tusk never allow these elements to shroud the hardcore muscularity pushing the grooves relentlessly forward. When all is said and done, Black Tusk are a bunch of lunkheads making surly and aggressive music. — J.F.
12.
Grinderman
Grinderman 2
Nick Cave's midlife crisis continues with Grinderman 2. A fusion of frigid post-punk and garage-fried goth, this record is just as ferocious and malignant and virulent as its predecessor. Honestly, this is the hardest-rocking music the guy has churned out since The Birthday Party came to an end all the way back in 1983. Like a grizzled loner traversing a civilization ravaged by flesh-eating zombies, the frontman scowls, cries and snarls with poetic mystery. Warren Ellis, meanwhile, plays his psychotic sidekick, incessantly strangling his guitar and producing a litany of feedback hysterics. — J.F.
11.
JJ Grey & Mofro
Georgia Warhorse
JJ's fifth studio album since 2001 opens with a funky, smoky swamp-rock groover that recalls the great Tony Joe White at his most sultry. It's exactly the kind of bluesy jam that will help you understand why Grey and his band Mofro have become such a popular draw throughout the South. Georgia Warhorse also proves Grey's twin abilities as country-soul balladeer ("Gotta Know") and acoustic-flavored singer-songwriter ("King Hummingbird"). The album's top highlight is "The Sweetest Thing," featuring both Toots Hibbert and a horn section that is all about vintage Stax. — J.F.
10.
Creepjoint
Good Cookie
Throughout his myriad projects — Masters of Reality, Bogeymen, Master Frequency & His Deepness, and Creepjoint — Tim Harrington's brilliant, if schizophrenic, vision has vacillated between proto-metal eccentricity and intensely arty power-pop that feels inspired by the great Roy Wood. On Good Cookie, it's the latter that dominates. Among the album's many highlights is "Unbroken." This tune is vintage Harrington: the Wizzard-like melody, all chirpy and hummable, is drilled into the skull via snarling distortion, plodding riffage and the singer's radioactive wheeze. — J.F.
9.
Laura Marling
I Speak Because I Can
It's been pointed out numerous times before, but there's no getting over the fact that Marling, age 20, sounds like she's lived a thousand lifetimes. First off, there's her deep, husky voice that shifts effortlessly from mystery to tenderness to flat-out defiance. Then there's the songwriting. A disciple of Joni Mitchell, she crafts touchingly intricate tunes that feel more like journeys than mere pop songs. If I Speak Because I Can is any indication, Laura Marling has a long career ahead of her. — J.F.
8.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Mojo
This album, which is Tom Petty's best in years, will blow away even his most hardcore fans. Eight years separates Mojo and The Last DJ, Petty's last release featuring the Heartbreakers. Interestingly enough, the record sounds a lot like his Southern rock project, Mudcrutch, albeit filtered through the California haze of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's Deja Vu. Rock music doesn't get any more classic than the thick organ, jazzy guitar licks and floating harmonies of "First Flash of Freedom," "The Trip to Pirate's Cove" and "Something Good Coming." Great stuff for sure. — J.F>
7.
Black Dub
Black Dub
Black Dub's debut album isn't perfect, but it does flirt with the sublime. Using Trixie Whitley's husky cry as a focal point, producer, guitarist and songwriter Daniel Lanois attempts to craft a kind of ambient-infused soul rock. He succeeds on tracks such as "Ring the Alarm" and "Slow Baby." Both are exquisite soundscapes built from cloudy atmospherics, dubby basslines and monochromatic organ drone. The album's less successful tunes, in contrast, find Lanois and company backing away from his studio-as-instrument aesthetic. A ballad like "Surely" is pretty, but way too adult contemporary. — J.F.
6.
Deftones
Diamond Eyes
The Deftones climbed a mountain of adversity in the two years preceding Diamond Eyes. It began when bassist Chi Cheng slipped into a coma after a car crash in 2008. The group then mysteriously scrapped Eros, an experimental affair that was supposed to be their sixth album. In its place the group offers an album that plays things fairly straight. Then again, this is the Deftones we're talking about. Diamond Eyes is still more eccentric and arty than your average slab of mainstream metal. — J.F.
5.
The Dead Weather
Sea of Cowards
Now that we know Jack and Meg aren't of blood relation, The Dead Weather has us wondering about Jack and Alison. Less than a year after its debut, the band releases album No. 2, an even more seditious shouting match than the first. If you like your rock with luster, step away. This is abrasive and abusive. The guitars (mostly credited to Dean Fertita) gurgle and grate with every bit of raw energy a six-string is meant to symbolize; Mosshart sounds like she's trying to scream her way out of an asylum, even sniggering through "I'm Mad"; White retorts with seething doses of sibling-like rivalry. — S.B.
4.
The Black Keys
Brothers
Since 2008's Attack and Release, Dan Auerbach went solo, Patrick Carney formed Drummer, and both collaborated in the hip-hop/rock group Blakroc. It's all been nothing but inspiration for the Akron natives, who are starting to sound like true Southern boys. They open with the funky shoop of "Everlasting Light"; bring back Danger Mouse for some R&B swagger on "Tighten Up"; and cover Jerry Butler with "Never Gonna Give You Up." It sounds like the Keys boogieing with the ghosts of blues and soul. Then again, maybe they were: Brothers was recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Studio. — S.B.
3.
High On Fire
Snakes for the Divine
High-test doom metal badass Matt Pike delivers a fifth studio album with the same crew he used for Death Is This Communion: that's bassist Jeff Matz and founding drummer Des Kensel. At over eight minutes, the opener sets the tone, with trebly riffage a la Celtic Frost (when they aren't playing opera) and a solo as psychedelic as it is shred-tastic. From there, Pike and company churn forth seven more doom-thrash workouts of unassailable heaviness. His Lemmy-as-caveman vocals and the fractured solo on Bathory homage "Fire Flood & Plague" are things you don't want to miss. — M.M.
2.
Neil Young
Le Noise
This is a stunning album. Sure, the lyrical themes aren't all that out of the ordinary: love, war, death and politics filtered through either cryptic meditation or preachy protest. What makes Le Noise special is its sound. With help from producer Daniel Lanois and his penchant for foggy atmospherics, Young sinks his folk balladry in a shoegaze-tinged wash of reverb, low-end rumble and electronic experimentation. If you're a fan who thinks his best records are the out-there ones (Rust Never Sleeps, Trans, Arc Weld, the Dead Man soundtrack), then Le Noise will totally blow your mind. — J.F.
1.
The Sword
Warp Riders
The third record from Austin stoner metal band The Sword, Warp Riders manages to shut up any naysayers whispering about indie rock roots with its fluttering riffs and suitably spaced-out tough-guy vocals. The band's love for Zeppelin may be the most interesting thing about them (check the awesome drumming on "Lawless Lands"), but it's when they manage to channel Captain Beyond's "Dancing Madly Backwards" (again on "Lawless Lands") that they become more than just hipster metal; down-tuned guitars always sound good. — M.M.
Honorable Mention:
As I Lay Dying: The Powerless Rise
Anberlin: Dark Is the way, Light Is a Place
Avenged Sevenfold: Nightmare
Bison B.C.: Dark Ages
Black Country Communion: Black Country Communion
The Cough: Ritual Abuse
Disturbed: Asylum
Godsmack: The Oracle
Heart: Red Velvet Car
Hellyeah: Stampede
The Hold Steady: Heaven Is Whenever
Hole: Nobody's Daughter
Iron Maiden: The Final Frontier
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan: Hawk
John Mellencamp: No Better Than This
Masters of Reality: Pine/Cross Dover
Melvins: Bride Screamed Murder
Moondoggies: Tidelands
Ratt: Infestation
Stone Sour: Audio Secrecy
Widespread Panic: Dirty Side Down
Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah DogsGod Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise
With each album, LaMontagne sounds more and more like an early '70s classic rocker. Featuring his backing band, The Pariah Dogs, God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise is the singer's most vintage-sounding album to date: a pedal steel-laced mix of country soul, roots rock, intimate folk and funk rock, recalling the likes of Joe Cocker, Delaney & Bonnie, and Woodstock-era Dylan. Earthy production only cements the comparisons. Instead of working in a pro studio with his usual producer, Ethan Johns, LaMontagne pulled a Basement Tapes and recorded God Willin' at his home in rural western Massachusetts. — J.F.
18.
Kings of LeonCome Around Sundown
At this point in Kings of Leon's careers, the Southern rock and garage influences marking their earliest releases are all but gone — and so is the youthful exuberance. A good portion of Come Around Sundown consists of moody, midtempo ruminations on alienation and estrangement. In other words, this is the band's celebrity-life-is-wearing-on-us record. Sonically, Kings of Leon aren't doing anything terribly unique: post-grunge fed through a vaguely post-punk gloom. However, tunes such as "Mary," "Beach Side" and "The Immortals" reveal a newfound interest in dream pop and tropical retro-pop. — J.F.
17.
Drive-By TruckersThe Big To-Do
Though ostensibly the Truckers' return to straight-ahead rock, this album will win no drag races: five of Patterson Hood's eight high-pitched contributions approach or exceed five minutes, and they take their drowsy time getting there. But Crazy Horse distortion adds beauty and viscosity, and four-day binges, perverted preachers, bodies in the lake and a trapeze accident in Detroit provide compelling subject matter. The underutilized Mike Cooley scores with a two-stepping unemployment boogie woogie, some choogling murk about a bad birthday at a brothel and parting advice from a sad dad. — C.E.
16.
Linkin ParkA Thousand Suns
The onetime rap-metallers move into almost prog territory with their fourth studio album. Electronic beats still bump underneath, but the songs on A Thousand Suns are built around distinct melodies, somber subject matter and structures that develop at a decidedly deliberate pace, with cinematic sound bites introducing each cut. While the move toward a sort of Radiohead-influenced sound works, it's the tribal rapping on "When They Come for Me" that'll bring both die-hard fans and newcomers into the Linkin Park fold. — M.M.
15.
Stone Temple PilotsStone Temple Pilots
After years in limbo, S.T.P. forfeit none of their knack for big bubbly hooks on their sixth album. Various tunes suggest Urge Overkill making Batman drug-pusher puns and Franz Ferdinand going country boogie — not to mention, in "Huckleberry Crumble," a hardier '70s Aerosmith homage than Aerosmith has managed in ages, full of tongue-twisted jive-talk and chunky rolling riffs. Appropriately, "Fast As I Can" is the fastest song, and "First Kiss on Mars" is a decent Bowie rip. All in all, this is concisely crafted and encouragingly upbeat. Today's dreary radio-rock bands could still learn from these old farts. — C.E.
14.
GusterEasy Wonderful
Easy Wonderful has a charming late-'80s feel to it. The way Guster grabs all manner of Beatles-certified hooks and tricks and filters them through radio-friendly roots pop is very Crowded House, Hooters, BoDeans, et al. In terms of arrangements and production, the band has pulled out all the stops (shimmering pianos, finely layered choruses, scratchy little guitar licks, etc.) without ever falling into sonic decadence. Maybe it's way uncool to compare adult-alternative squares like Guster to those indie hipsters known as Dr. Dog, but both groups are mining similar territory. — J.F.
13.
Black TuskTaste the Sin
Savannah, Ga., is a hotbed for sludge. There's Baroness, Damad, Kylesa and, of course, Black Tusk. On Taste the Sin, the group mirrors its fellow Georgians in the way it produces a heavy music that is both brutal and expansive. The track "Twist the Knife" is a perfect example. It contains a mix of vicious breakdowns, crust/thrash chaos and technical alacrity. At the same time, Black Tusk never allow these elements to shroud the hardcore muscularity pushing the grooves relentlessly forward. When all is said and done, Black Tusk are a bunch of lunkheads making surly and aggressive music. — J.F.
12.
GrindermanGrinderman 2
Nick Cave's midlife crisis continues with Grinderman 2. A fusion of frigid post-punk and garage-fried goth, this record is just as ferocious and malignant and virulent as its predecessor. Honestly, this is the hardest-rocking music the guy has churned out since The Birthday Party came to an end all the way back in 1983. Like a grizzled loner traversing a civilization ravaged by flesh-eating zombies, the frontman scowls, cries and snarls with poetic mystery. Warren Ellis, meanwhile, plays his psychotic sidekick, incessantly strangling his guitar and producing a litany of feedback hysterics. — J.F.
11.
JJ Grey & MofroGeorgia Warhorse
JJ's fifth studio album since 2001 opens with a funky, smoky swamp-rock groover that recalls the great Tony Joe White at his most sultry. It's exactly the kind of bluesy jam that will help you understand why Grey and his band Mofro have become such a popular draw throughout the South. Georgia Warhorse also proves Grey's twin abilities as country-soul balladeer ("Gotta Know") and acoustic-flavored singer-songwriter ("King Hummingbird"). The album's top highlight is "The Sweetest Thing," featuring both Toots Hibbert and a horn section that is all about vintage Stax. — J.F.
10.
CreepjointGood Cookie
Throughout his myriad projects — Masters of Reality, Bogeymen, Master Frequency & His Deepness, and Creepjoint — Tim Harrington's brilliant, if schizophrenic, vision has vacillated between proto-metal eccentricity and intensely arty power-pop that feels inspired by the great Roy Wood. On Good Cookie, it's the latter that dominates. Among the album's many highlights is "Unbroken." This tune is vintage Harrington: the Wizzard-like melody, all chirpy and hummable, is drilled into the skull via snarling distortion, plodding riffage and the singer's radioactive wheeze. — J.F.
9.
Laura MarlingI Speak Because I Can
It's been pointed out numerous times before, but there's no getting over the fact that Marling, age 20, sounds like she's lived a thousand lifetimes. First off, there's her deep, husky voice that shifts effortlessly from mystery to tenderness to flat-out defiance. Then there's the songwriting. A disciple of Joni Mitchell, she crafts touchingly intricate tunes that feel more like journeys than mere pop songs. If I Speak Because I Can is any indication, Laura Marling has a long career ahead of her. — J.F.
8.
Tom Petty & The HeartbreakersMojo
This album, which is Tom Petty's best in years, will blow away even his most hardcore fans. Eight years separates Mojo and The Last DJ, Petty's last release featuring the Heartbreakers. Interestingly enough, the record sounds a lot like his Southern rock project, Mudcrutch, albeit filtered through the California haze of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's Deja Vu. Rock music doesn't get any more classic than the thick organ, jazzy guitar licks and floating harmonies of "First Flash of Freedom," "The Trip to Pirate's Cove" and "Something Good Coming." Great stuff for sure. — J.F>
7.
Black DubBlack Dub
Black Dub's debut album isn't perfect, but it does flirt with the sublime. Using Trixie Whitley's husky cry as a focal point, producer, guitarist and songwriter Daniel Lanois attempts to craft a kind of ambient-infused soul rock. He succeeds on tracks such as "Ring the Alarm" and "Slow Baby." Both are exquisite soundscapes built from cloudy atmospherics, dubby basslines and monochromatic organ drone. The album's less successful tunes, in contrast, find Lanois and company backing away from his studio-as-instrument aesthetic. A ballad like "Surely" is pretty, but way too adult contemporary. — J.F.
6.
DeftonesDiamond Eyes
The Deftones climbed a mountain of adversity in the two years preceding Diamond Eyes. It began when bassist Chi Cheng slipped into a coma after a car crash in 2008. The group then mysteriously scrapped Eros, an experimental affair that was supposed to be their sixth album. In its place the group offers an album that plays things fairly straight. Then again, this is the Deftones we're talking about. Diamond Eyes is still more eccentric and arty than your average slab of mainstream metal. — J.F.
5.
The Dead WeatherSea of Cowards
Now that we know Jack and Meg aren't of blood relation, The Dead Weather has us wondering about Jack and Alison. Less than a year after its debut, the band releases album No. 2, an even more seditious shouting match than the first. If you like your rock with luster, step away. This is abrasive and abusive. The guitars (mostly credited to Dean Fertita) gurgle and grate with every bit of raw energy a six-string is meant to symbolize; Mosshart sounds like she's trying to scream her way out of an asylum, even sniggering through "I'm Mad"; White retorts with seething doses of sibling-like rivalry. — S.B.
4.
The Black KeysBrothers
Since 2008's Attack and Release, Dan Auerbach went solo, Patrick Carney formed Drummer, and both collaborated in the hip-hop/rock group Blakroc. It's all been nothing but inspiration for the Akron natives, who are starting to sound like true Southern boys. They open with the funky shoop of "Everlasting Light"; bring back Danger Mouse for some R&B swagger on "Tighten Up"; and cover Jerry Butler with "Never Gonna Give You Up." It sounds like the Keys boogieing with the ghosts of blues and soul. Then again, maybe they were: Brothers was recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Studio. — S.B.
3.
High On FireSnakes for the Divine
High-test doom metal badass Matt Pike delivers a fifth studio album with the same crew he used for Death Is This Communion: that's bassist Jeff Matz and founding drummer Des Kensel. At over eight minutes, the opener sets the tone, with trebly riffage a la Celtic Frost (when they aren't playing opera) and a solo as psychedelic as it is shred-tastic. From there, Pike and company churn forth seven more doom-thrash workouts of unassailable heaviness. His Lemmy-as-caveman vocals and the fractured solo on Bathory homage "Fire Flood & Plague" are things you don't want to miss. — M.M.
2.
Neil YoungLe Noise
This is a stunning album. Sure, the lyrical themes aren't all that out of the ordinary: love, war, death and politics filtered through either cryptic meditation or preachy protest. What makes Le Noise special is its sound. With help from producer Daniel Lanois and his penchant for foggy atmospherics, Young sinks his folk balladry in a shoegaze-tinged wash of reverb, low-end rumble and electronic experimentation. If you're a fan who thinks his best records are the out-there ones (Rust Never Sleeps, Trans, Arc Weld, the Dead Man soundtrack), then Le Noise will totally blow your mind. — J.F.
1.
The SwordWarp Riders
The third record from Austin stoner metal band The Sword, Warp Riders manages to shut up any naysayers whispering about indie rock roots with its fluttering riffs and suitably spaced-out tough-guy vocals. The band's love for Zeppelin may be the most interesting thing about them (check the awesome drumming on "Lawless Lands"), but it's when they manage to channel Captain Beyond's "Dancing Madly Backwards" (again on "Lawless Lands") that they become more than just hipster metal; down-tuned guitars always sound good. — M.M.
Honorable Mention:
As I Lay Dying: The Powerless Rise
Anberlin: Dark Is the way, Light Is a Place
Avenged Sevenfold: Nightmare
Bison B.C.: Dark Ages
Black Country Communion: Black Country Communion
The Cough: Ritual Abuse
Disturbed: Asylum
Godsmack: The Oracle
Heart: Red Velvet Car
Hellyeah: Stampede
The Hold Steady: Heaven Is Whenever
Hole: Nobody's Daughter
Iron Maiden: The Final Frontier
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan: Hawk
John Mellencamp: No Better Than This
Masters of Reality: Pine/Cross Dover
Melvins: Bride Screamed Murder
Moondoggies: Tidelands
Ratt: Infestation
Stone Sour: Audio Secrecy
Widespread Panic: Dirty Side Down
Portions of album content provided by All Music Guide © 2011 All Media Guide, LLC ® 1999-2011 Rhapsody International Inc.
Neil Young's album is probably the worst in the history of rock n roll. You have rated it #2 album of the year 2010. You're fu*king kidding me. Mellancamp ought to get the grammy award this year for the album "no better than this". Tom Petty ought to be listed in the top five at least of your rock n roll list and ought to be in the top 50 overall albums of 2010. Both artists are getting better, state of the art work on their repective albums. Neil Young's album was even in your top 50 albums of the year. I am a big fan of Neil Young. However the album and its lyrics are very amatuerish and simple minded. There's a difference between simplicity/raw rock and simple minded amatuerish lyrics. How is it Neil's album was rated that high? Did you pay Neil or did Neil pay you? John Mellancamp on the other hand is coming into his own. What I mean is mellancamps new album is by far a standout, a classic, one of the finest albums ever made. It will be a crime if Mellencamp does not get the grammy for best album of the year 2010. Tom Petty is also to be applauded for MOJO. Tom like John are getting finer in their music making. And I hope they can live long lives continuing to make that good of music. It is also a crime to acknowledge Neil's album which sucks and is probably the worst album of the history of rock n roll and rhapsody has rated it the #2 album of 2010 and the #34 album over all of 2010. You ought to have both Mellancamp's and Petty's albums in the overall albums top 50 of 2010 and instead you have Neil Youngs worst album of all time in the history of rock n roll at #31 or #34 or something very pathetic like that.
This reminds me of the "best metal of the decade" list that Rhapsody did last year. It's a great for finding new albums to try out, but thinking too hard about how the list was made (was a dartboard involved?) is a good way to give yourself a headache.
My top album of 2010 [FREE ENERGY, (Self Titled Album) ] mops the floor with most albums on this list (you can't go wrong with the Black Keys).
Check it out! You'll thank me later.
Can't believe all these lists overlook Heart's "Red Velvet Car" - one of the best true rock records in 2010.
No Alter Bridge? Not even on the honorable mention?
There are some great albums on that list, but ABIII is certainly among them. At least ahead of Linkin Park, 10 years and the like (and especially ahead of some of the atrocities mentioned on the honorable mention).
Pay better attention, Rhapsody team.
Kings of Leon? Please.
I was glad to see new albums from The Sword and Cold War Kids. After I heard them, I wasn't so glad.