MORE MOTHERTRUCKIN’ YEAR END LIST ARGUIN’ TO BE DONE: MSN NARROWING TOP 20 LIST DOWN FROM 135 ALBUMS!

Agalloch’s Marrow of the Spirit: Apparently not a candidate for best album of the year.

Yep yep yep: the right honorable Mr. Phil Freeman of MSN’s “Headbang” blog has revealed the 135 finalists which will soon be whittled down for his “Twenty Best Metal Albums of 2010” list, which will presumably be published sometime in the coming weeks. You can go here to read it, and then leave Phil angry comments about how your favorite album isn’t even on this list of 135 records.

That was certainly my first instinct! I have nothing but respect for Freeman, but I can’t believe that on a list this long, which includes what is, in my opinion at least, some real drek (Chelsea Grin? Miss May I? All That Remains? IN THIS MOTHERTRUCKIN’ MOMENT?!?), there was no room for a certain Agalloch album. Or this year’s offerings from Intronaut, East of the Wall, Alcest, Ihsahn, Nevermore, or Daath… I mean, I hate to sound like exactly the kind of whiny little bitch who sends me death threats because I panned Bring Me the Horizon or whatever, but come on, dude!

Maybe these are just some oversights on Freeman’s part, or maybe we just have to agree to disagree on some of these picks (and to his credit, he has included plenty of great albums, including ones by Wormrot, Salome, and Nachtmystium). And I also understand — and am severely sympathetic to — the fact that metal writers get sent SO MANY albums, it’s almost impossible to give all of them due consideration, which can lead to many a “D’OH!” moment when you hear something great six months after the fact… although I’d argue that everyone and anyone should make time to listen to some of the aforementioned missing albums. In any case, this is why year-end lists are fun: because we all get to be butt hurt for no good reason whatsoever.

Like I said, you can read Freeman’s preliminary list here. In your opinion, is he missing any other big dogs?

-AR