1. Megadeth – Endgame (Roadrunner)

Two-and-a-half minutes of guitar shredding (a throwback to 1988′s So Far, So Good… So What!?) is a goddamn great way to start a record. Follow it up with a slew of shredding songs and you’ve got a recipe for the year’s most spun record. Full disclosure: I’m a Megadeth fanboy that still owns Risk. And even listens to it from time to time. But this is easily Deth’s best record since Countdown or Rust In Peace.

2. Revocation – Existence Is Futile (Relapse)

After all the fanfare and expectations that came with signing with Relapse, Existence Is Futile might not be as awesome as the band’s last album, but hot damn – it’s still fucking great thrash, with tons of musicality.

3. Immortal – All Shall Fall (Nuclear Blast)

About damn time they finally put something out again. Great band with a great vision and not one bit of disappointment after such a long wait.

4. Skeletonwitch – Breathing The Fire (Prosthetic)

A more-than-worthy follow-up to 2007′s big breakthrough, Beyond The Permafrost. More shred, and still doused with beer-soaked riffs that stay catchy and memorable.

5. Absu – Absu (Candlelight)

Sure, it came out almost a year ago now – so maybe that’s why it won’t end up on a lot of year-end lists. But hot damn if the first new record in eight years from the long-running Texas black metallers isn’t scorching… even if some of the song titles are ridiculously long and – well, ridiculous.

6. Baroness – Blue Record (Relapse)

It’s pretty universal at this point in time – aside from a few Suckers’ dissenting opinions – that Blue Record is a triumph – although the album is in a different, more melodic and hook-driven vein than Red Album, or any of Baroness’ prior output for that matter. Regardless of any shift in musical construction, it’s powerful, catchy, and a keeper.

7. Swallow The Sun – New Moon (Spinefarm)

Doom, gloom, and tons of heaviness makes Bob Cock a happy camper. Good thing New Moon‘s got plenty of all of it, plus it’s a way different approach than last year’s Plague of Butterflies EP.

8. Saviours – Accelerated Living (Kemado)

More shredding than last year’s breakout, Into Abaddon? More trashiness? A new axeman to duel with frontman Austin Barber? Sign me up for all that… and some rad riffs. Lots of rad riffs.

9. The Black Dahlia Murder – Deflorate (Metal Blade)

Being a big fan of John Kempainen’s soloing, his departure was reason enough for concern for The Black Dahlia Murder and their now tried-and-true sound. Thankfully, Arsis’ Ryan Knight more than fills the void, bringing a fresh new aspect the band’s music.

10. Oak And Bone - Oak And Bone 7″ (Hex)

Soembody’s got to play the hip vinyl card on their top twenty list, right? Well, consider that card played.  Oak and Bone’s brand of crusty hardcore-meets-stoner riffage did it well enough on the band’s debut to crack into this guy’s top twenty.

The Best of the rest (in no particular order):

Animals As Leaders – Animals As Leaders (Prosthetic)

Seems like it took more than a couple years for Tosin Abasi’s solo effort to come out after Reflux’s not-quite-impromptu dissolution, but was it worth the wait? Much like the Chinese Democracy syndrome, it paid off in these eyes. Abasi’s stellar leads and knack for melody in instrumental form isn’t just heavy, or just good, or just incredibly memorable – it’s all three… and then some.

Behemoth – Evangelion (Metal Blade)

Consistently consistent, Behemoth didn’t disappoint with Evangelion. Nergal’s leatherclad, facepainted penchant for uncompromising blackened death metal is stuffed with over the top riffs and the frontman’s trademark Satan-spawning growls.

Deströyer 666 – Defiance

Another January release that might got looked over in favor of more recent offerings -but Defiance shouldn’t get left out. Deströyer 666’s first new full-length since 2002 is a slab of great black metal enveloped not in grimness, but shrouded in thrash tendencies.

The Funeral Pyre – December EP

Sure, it’s just an E,P but this is where The Funeral Pyre seem to be hitting their stride. Wearing their influences on their sleeve (or backpatches or whatever), the SoCal black metal scumbags sound more Swedish than ever, and with the re-addition of guitarist Justin Garcia again teaming up with longtime axeman – and lifer – James Joyce, it’s more experimental than ever, but also rife with riffs and modern misanthropy.  Now they’ve just got to hurry up and get the next full-length out in 2010.

Katatonia – Night Is The New Day

One could gain a newfound appreciation for Katatonia after hearing the band’s latest foray into progressive doom and gloom. One could also appreciate bandleaders Anders Nyström and Jonas Renske’s longstanding devotion to their craft. So while it might have taken three years to be released, at least we got something this year. And it’s damn good, too.

Kylesa – Static Tensions (Prosthetic)

The next logical step for Kylesa, albeit performed in an illogical manner. Seeing them headline some sold out shows Stateside was also a treat, especially when following up Saviours. If it’s wholly believable, though, Kylesa is even better live than on record.

Mastodon – Crack The Skye (Reprise)

Ten years ago, who would have thought that the Georgia prog-scummers would be topping year-end lists, gaining huge praise in the mainstream, headlining huge venues, and retaining the worship of longtime fans? While the band has obviously changed, that’s not a bad thing. Arguably the most ambitious effort they’ve committed to tape (err, whatever they call it now), the gamble has paid off, marking Skye as a huge step forward from 2006’s all-over-the-place Blood Mountain.

Noriega – Desolo (Viable)

Desolo is only an EP, but it’s still a really rewarding listen.  Noriega was formed by three former members of the now-defunct Black Sheep Wall; Noriega songs are way shorter, but don’t lack any of the interesting structures or creative collusion of doom, hardcore, and heavy (albeit open and airy) heft that made BSW so great. Hopefully, Noriega will last longer than that band did.

Porcupine Tree – The Incident (Roadrunner)

Porcupine Tree deal in lofty aspirations (the fifty-five minute title track stretches across the girth of the entire first disc), but their creativity and musicality allows them to get away it.  Steven Wilson and company obviously have this ‘music’ thing down, and it’s reassuring to see them get credit where credit is due. And, heck, it only took twenty-something years for everyone else to take the hint and get on board.

Rimfrost – Veraldar Nagli (Season of Mist)

Okay, it’s out now in Europe with a January 2010 Stateside release through Season Of Mist. But that sort of counts, right? Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure I’ll weasel this one onto my 2010 list, too. Ditching the corpsepaint and adopting even more rock n’ roll into their thrash-laden Immortal-worship paid off, too. After a three year gap and a well-deserved signing, Veraldar Nagli is finally out, and Abbath should be proud.

Honorable mentions:

Black Breath – Razor To Oblivion (Southern Lord)

Following a self-funded release in 2008, Southern Lord smartly scooped these Northwesterners, re-releasing Razor To Oblivion and quickly getting the band into the studio to record a full-length with Kurt Ballou. That crusty soundtrack to a well-accompanied beer bender should be out this coming spring. Sabbath would be proud.

Cannibal Corpse – Evisceration Plague (Metal Blade)

Gorod – Process of a New Decline (Prosthetic)

God Dethroned – Passiondale (Metal Blade)

The Helm – Home (Hex)

Scale The Summit – Carving Desert Canyons (Prosthetic)

Slough Feg – Ape Uprising! (Cruz del Sur)

Stratovarius – Polaris (Victor)

Wolf – Ravenous (Century Media)

Things still not in the collection that almost undoubtedly will pop up on others’ lists:

Converge, Between The Buried And Me, Brutal Truth, Gorgoroth, Slayer, Funeral Mist, Goatwhore, Cobalt, Marduk, Suffocation, Dying Fetus

-BC