Welcome to the Great Southern Brainfart’s “Top 11 of ’10!” So you must be asking yourself, “Mr. Brainfart, why do you have a “Top 11” instead of a “Top 10?” Well because we learned from Spinal Tap that “11” is one louder. 2010 was a fucking amazing year for me as a fan of music. This was the year that classic German metal band Accept came back with a new singer and a new album that completely caught us all off guard. This was also the year of new blood like Holy Grail and White Wizzard bringing back a classic metal sound that was though to have been lost and forgotten. Iron Maiden proved that they still have their best days ahead of them by releasing the melterpiece “The Final Frontier.” On the other end of the rock spectrum The Black Crowes managed to take the old and make it new again, Georgia rockers Drivin’ N Cryin’ proved that they still had some amazing tricks of their sleeve with “The Great American Bubble Factory” and Oklahoma’s Taddy Porter released one of the most exciting new rock records of the year! These are just a few highlights of the Top 11 of 2010 so settle in and dig deep into The Brainfart’s Top 11 of ’10!
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Taddy Porter – Taddy Porter
Four young guys from Stillwater, OK put out an album in 2010 that really hit a chord with me. Taddy Porter’s self titled debut album literally came out of nowhere and proved to me that Rock & Roll is far from dead. While obviously inspired and influenced by classics like Free, Bad Company, Aerosmith and The Black Crowes, Taddy Porter managed to put all of these influences into one big pot, make it all their own and put out an album that captured the true essence of what kind of band they are. Taddy Porter’s debut album also managed to capture their live energy which is a rare thing. It’s a well produced, well played album with some of the best songwriting I’ve heard in many years. Taddy Porter without a doubt had my favorite album of 2010 and I cannot wait to hear what these guys have in store for us in the future. Taddy Porter is a band to look out for.
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Holy Grail – Crisis in Utopia
Holy Grail are one of the two New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal bands that completely melted my face off. From the original line up of White Wizzard came Holy Grail who not only put out an amazing, shredtastic album of epic proportions but put out one of my most listened to album of 2010. Everything about this album and band is classic metal. If you can’t listen to “Fight To Kill” of this album and not want to just body check the first person in your sight there is something wrong with you! Each song is as good and classic sounding as the other. These guys bleed for their fucking art and it shows on this album. There is enough sweep picking to make all guitar dorks lose control of their bodily functions and a singer whose voice makes me want to throw my fist in the air with every high note. Holy Grail lived up to their name as I feel that’s exactly what I found when I stumbled upon this band. 2011 will be a great year for these guys and hopefully many more to come! HAIL THE GRAIL!
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Riotgod – Riotgod
2010 was the year of plesant surprises for me. I was pointed in the direction of some pretty amazing bands and Riotgod is one of those bands. Based on their name alone, I had no idea what to expect but the minute “Light of the Sun” came across my speakers, my face was gone. These guys were psychedelic stoner metal at it’s finest. These guys really reminded me more of a modern day Captain Beyond with groove oriented hard rock tunes with a singer named Sunshine who can sing his ass of. With not a bad song on the album, Riotgod’s debut got many repeat listens and still does as we speak. If you like groove oriented, moving hard rock, check these guys out. Nothing short of stellar.
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The Black Crowes – Croweology
What I love about this album is that the Black Crowes took what was old and made it new. 2010 was the year that the Black Crowes announced that they would be taking an indefinite hiatus. This news was bittersweet because while they will be missed they totally went out on top of their game playing some of the best shows I have seen them play in 15 years. “Croweology” was a unique way to do a “Greatest Hits” album. This is definitely an album for the fans! Instead of just re-releasing the songs everyone had, they went in and totally re-recorded all of the songs as acoustic arrangements and this was a fucking stellar release. “Croweology” is an amazing thank you gift to all the fans that have stuck with them for 20 years. I love this album and there’s nothing like hearing these classic songs sound new. Thanks fellas, you’ll be missed.
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White Wizzard – Over The Top
When I first heard the song “Over The Top,” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. These guys sounded like the 2nd coming of Iron Maiden and/or Judas Priest. Twin harmony guitars, killer bass playing that would make Steve Harris proud and a singer that even blew away Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson enough that he invited them as guests on his radio show in England. This album song for song is epic classic metal. Much like Holy Grail, White Wizzard is introducing that classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal sound to a whole new generation who wasn’t even born for the original movement. The songs and production are solid and full of punch. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen them live and since the albums release this year they have had 4 lineup changes. Dysfunction and inconsistency seem to be working against White Wizzard but this album will always be a timeless classic and one of my favorite metal albums of 2010.
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Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
2010 was the year that Iron Maiden fans were gifted with a stellar album. I couldn’t believe my fucking ears when I heard this album. It is easily the best thing they have done since Seventh Son of a Seventh Son and the songs on this album are epic fucking Maiden. Killer arrangements, Bruce Dickinson nailing it on the vocals and some of the best guitar playing I have heard from the three guitar line up to date. Even Janick managed to step it up and do some really tasty stuff on this one. “El Dorado” was released as the first single and it was such a facemelt that I couldn’t wait to hear what the rest of the album would be like and I was not disappointed. The title track opener has a really annoying intro to me but once it kicks in, “The Final Frontier” just kills and is totally a repeat track. “The Talisman”, “Coming Home” and “The Man Who Would Be King” are great examples of Iron Maiden proving the masses wrong. The band we all thought was on it’s way out took a total u-turn and proved to us once and for all that Iron Maiden’s best days are still ahead of them. If they would only quit hatin’ on the USA and tour here. I’d love to hear these songs done live!
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Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ – Whatever Happened To The Great American Bubble Factory?
Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ surprised fans both old and new by putting out their greatest album since 1989’s “Mystery Road” album. “Whatever Happened To The Great American Bubble Factory?” is an absolutely amazing collection of songs that has Drivin’ N Cryin’ doing just what they do best. Kicking ass with good old working class Rock N’ Roll! It’s obvious that Kevn Kinney & Co. finally made an album after all these years where they called the shots and made the album that THEY wanted to make. “Pre-Approved, Pre-Denied”, “I See Georgia” and “This Town” reflect Drivin’ N Cryin’s reflection on the working class woes and Southern living while “Detroit City” is a face ripping rocker and the title track sounding like it could be a wall of sound Phil Spector classic. This is a classic album it it’s own right and a piece of rock n’ roll that every one should own and love.
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Axel Rudi Pell – The Crest
German guitar great Axel Rudi Pell was an artist that I would have never known of had it not been for my buddy Jon but after one listen to “The Crest” I was sold. This guy knows what he’s doing. His love and passion for playing classic metal as he’s been doing for over 20 years comes across loud and clear on this album and his singer (former Hardline vocalist) Johnny Gioelli is a metal god that people should be aware of. The performance, production and over all vibe of “The Crest” is totally live. It’s hard to believe that Gioelli and Pell were on two different continents recording this album. Songs like “The Devil Zone”, “Too Late” and, “Dreaming Dead” are total facemelters while the closing track “The End of Our Time” closes the album like like a movie cliffhanger and has you wanting more. This is truly an epic metal album that while sounding classic does not sound dated or stale. It’s very much a testament that the classic sound can still be pulled off by a classic artist in these modern times.
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In This Moment – A Star Crossed Wasteland
In This Moment managed to, in my opinion, get it completely right on their 2010 album. Their debut album was so aggressive and lacked in a melodic level in my opinion. I thought their follow up “The Dream” was close but they sounded like they were trying to hard but it’s on this album that I feel like they really developed a signature sound and delivered it with confidence and a real kick in the nads. “Just Drive”, “Blazin’” and “The Gun Show” are great examples of the bands ability to be melodic and heavier than most yet they step back for songs like the title track and show that they can be versitile in their writing and their performing. This is without a doubt their strongest release to date and this album got many repeat spins from me. Each time I listen to the album I find something new that I love about it. The production is stellar and the bands performance on this one sounds like a band that isn’t trying so much as just doing it. They nailed their sound on this one and I can’t wait to see where they go from here.
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Exodus – Exhibit B – The Human Condition
I swear this was the year that metal just seemed to rise up with a stronger fist to the ground than I’ve seen in many years. Exodus released their “Exhibit B” album to rave reviews and it’s not a surprise. This has to be one of the best thrash albums put out by a classic act in a really long time. Exodus sounds like a band ½ their age yet they play with all the confidence and energy of a band of seasoned pros. “Downfall”, “The Ballad of Charles and Leonard” and “The Sun Is My Destroyer” are my three favorites but each song is a fucking powerhouse of facemelting proportions. “Good Riddence” closes the album out and after listening to this I totally felt like I was hit by a train. The album is full of some amazing songwriting and at times plays like a thrash metal soundtrack to CNN. “Exhibit B” is a testament that not only is metal alive and well but Exodus still has plenty of awesomeness in store for us.
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Accept – The Blood of Nations
This album completely blindsided me and hit me like a foul ball upside the head. In my 30+ years of being a metal fan, I never really though of Accept as a band that put out amazing albums. Yeah, “Balls To The Wall” was cool but that was about it so how come 27 years later was Accept putting out one of the best albums I’d heard all year? Well, your guess is as good as mine but all I can say is that this album fucking kills. Their first with new singer Mark Tornillo, “Blood of the Nations” starts out with a blow to the dome with “Beat The Bastards Down” and Tornillo fucking owns. His voice is so powerful it sounds like it could cut through cinderblock. “Teutonic Terror”, “Rollin’ Thunder” and the title track are nothing short of audio lava that not only melts my face but my entire head. This isn’t an old band just going through the motions and making a half assed album. “Blood of the Nations” is an album from a band that obviously had something to say and they say it loud and fucking crystal clear. If you’ve heard a lot of hype on this album this year, BELIEVE IT! It’s worth every inch of hype it gets. It is not only one of the best of 2010 but an instant and timeless classic that will still be speaking in volume 20 years from now!
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