The Top 10 Albums Of The 2010s

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

With the 2010s ending in just a few weeks, I though I’d make one last list and talk about what I think are the best albums of the decade. The 2010s were a great year for Heavy Metal, with legends putting out some of their best material ever, and newer groups planting a firm flag into metal’s bosom, claiming a piece for their own. Some of the choices might seem strange at first, but trust me when I say that I’ll explain my picks as best as I can. That said, here are the 10 best albums of the 2010s!

2010) Ozzy Osbourne - Scream (Song)

Let’s start off this list with a classic staple. Ironically I was close to putting the Scorpion’s release in 2010 here instead, but I confess I never listened to it, so instead I’m giving it to the Prince of Darkness instead! I do admit that my love for Ozzy goes all over the place: some days I like his older & rawer music, and other days I enjoy his more commercially accessible work. Scream definitely is more accessible, and the hooks & riffs can be considered commercial at times, but I’ll bet a bunch of you younger Ozzy Osbourne fans like his newer material. It also doesn’t help the fact that after nearly a decade, he’s gracing the public with an all new record next month supposedly. Praise Ozzy!
                   
2011) Iron Savior - The Landing (Song)

A bit of an oddity on this list to be sure, but I think it earns it’s spot. The 6th release from one of Germany’s hottest Power Metal acts, The Landing is what I want from the style most of the time: hokey, goofy, cheesy, and most importantly lots of feel good vibes throughout the listening experience. There are times were I don’t mind my Power Metal to have a serious bent to it, but more often than not I want to be laughing and smiling (and maybe crying just a tiny bit) as this style of metal is playing. Speaking of a serious bent.....

2012) Sabaton - Carolus Rex (Song) & Devin Townsend - Epicloud (Song A/Song B)

True story: I had known about Sabaton as far back as 2010, and even listened to them on & off for a few years, but it wasn’t until 2016 that I became a dedicated fan (Hint Hint). In the case of 2012's ode to Sweden by the name of Carolus Rex, I’ve only owned it since 2017 after I got it from seeing my first Sabaton show.....and that’s certainly a mistake on my part! Though I still stand by the fact that it’s my least favorite out of their entire discography, that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it, nor does it mean that I don’t understand why fans of the band enjoy it so much. Power Metal to a certain degree always had some trouble really sticking here in America, but when this tribute to one of Sweden’s most powerful rulers came out, plenty of people in my country devoured it like candy from a holiday stocking. It might not be an album I actively seek out when I’m in the mood for Sabaton, but it’s always there when necessary. On the other hand.....

One record I always go for is HevyDevy’s monolith, Epicloud! I had known about Devin Townsend since his SYL days, but it wasn’t until 2012 where it really clicked for me. For a long time I thought that Devin was a bit pretentious, and I can easily understand why newcomers would think this. However, that’s an incredible disservice to this man & his musical talents, as his imagination is constantly shown off in some of the most beautiful music created in the early part of this decade! Simultaneously heavy & emotional, there’s never been a guy that could be brutal with instrumentation, but have meaningful and touching lyrics. It’s all thanks to Epicloud that HevyDevy gained me as a fan, and maybe it’ll do the same for all of you!

2013) Ghost B.C. - Infestissumam (Song)

Opinions are gonna vary among Ghost fans as to what is the best release of the band. Some would say Opus Eponymous, others Meliora, and there’s probably some that go for Prequelle from 2018. For me, I’m in the camp that says Infestissumam is the best thing that’s been put out by the spooky band. Release a few years before Tobias Forge’s ego seemed to spiral out of control, Infestissumam is an album that’s equal parts creepy, scary, cerebral, and somehow fun at the same time. From the sinister nature of Year Zero, to the notes of Secular Haze that just worm into your brain, this record will put you into the cult of Ghost, and you’ll be a nameless ghoul in no time!

2014) Septicflesh - Titan (Song)

Out of everything that came out this decade, Septicflesh’s 3rd entry in the realm of Symphonic Death Metal is an album that impacted me a lot. Despite not being a massive fan of the genre, the first couple singles & eventually the full album helped me open up my eyes as to why people like the style. Titan, at least for me, is a perfect balance between the wonderfully done symphony elements, and the absolutely brutal Death Metal. Coincidentally I never actually bought it upon it’s original release, but instead nearly 2 years after it’s release in March of 2016. Still, if there was ever a gateway into the realm of Septicflesh, or Death Metal for that matter......it’s Titan.       

2015) Motörhead - Bad Magic (Song)

I don’t think it would have been right to leave off one of the absolute legends of Heavy Metal off this list. Despite it not doing anything really different from their 2013 album Aftershock, it may very well be one of the most consistent records Motörhead in terms of quality. Hard Rock, Blues, Punk, and Heavy Metal. Each of those flavors of music can be found on this release, and coupled with the health scares that Lemmy was going through before & after Bad Magic was released, it made the music that much stronger. It’s a shame that he passed away right at the end of 2015, but before he did, the old geezer showed us one final time that he & his band of metallic misfits will always be around.

2016) Sabaton - The Last Stand (Song)

Part of me didn’t want to put a band on this list twice, but at the same time I couldn’t help myself. The Last Stand wasn’t just the first Sabaton album I ever owned....it was the first time that things ever clicked for me about this band. Like I said earlier, I knew about this guys all the way back in 2010, but didn’t really get into their discography until 2016 due to the simple fact that I couldn’t comprehend how historical warfare and Power Metal could ever get along. Then the first 3 singles for the album came out, and for whatever reason they just worked for me. When the last single was released, that when I knew that I found something special. Since then, The Last Stand is one of my go-to Sabaton albums for when I want a pick me up, and I look forward to the day where my kids (If I have any) can sit down & listen to this with me.
       
2017) Kreator - Gods Of Violence (Song)

Hordes of Chaos charted at no. 165 on the Billboard 200. Phantom Antichrist made it to number 130. Gods of Violence? It is Kreator’s highest charting album here in the United States, reaching no. 118 on the Billboard 200. That is one of the reasons it made it onto this list, but the other reason is like many of the other albums on this list: it made a huge impact on me! I was always a huge Thrash fan before I discovered one of the cornerstones of German Thrash Metal, but was always a little hesitant to dip my toes into the water (German Thrash always seemed more aggressive for my tastes). Low & behold, I loved it from the first few notes of the first song. Hell, I loved the singles when they came out seemingly immediately! Given that it came out mere weeks after we elected what may very well be the worst president in my country’s history, Gods Of Violence unintentionally became the best protest album of 2017. So, to Millie Petrozza & the rest of the Kreator crew, I salute you!

2018) Judas Priest - Firepower (Song)

2018 seemed like a kick in the pants for Judas Priest. Nostradamus from 2008 was seemingly hated by many fans of the band (Excluding myself), and while Redeemer of Souls from 2014 was a big improvement in many aspects, there were some that still didn’t seem to love it. Well, those people absolutely blown away by Firepower! Scrapping the Fantasy/Power Metal like nature of the previous two albums, this release seemed to return the band to their Hard Rock/Heavy Metal roots. Thunderous, anthemic, and most importantly.......HEAVY! Even Rob Halford’s voice goes back to that classic screech he’s so famous for on older works on many of Firepower’s songs, despite maintaining his more modern baritone in other tracks. Despite issues with the band leading up to the release, Firepower is just another feather in the cap of a household name in the world of Heavy Metal.

2019) Rammstein - Rammstein (Song) & Everfrost - Winterider (Song)

So we’ve reached the end of the decade. The 2010s, once again, were a great decade for Heavy Metal, but 2019 may have had some of the best releases of the entire time. There were a ton of choices to pick from this year, but I wanted to be a little different than some, and give some love to the old guard & the new guard. For starters, let’s talk about one of the biggest comebacks in the world of metal with what may very well be Rammstein’s final release. I stated it back when I updated the overview, and I said it a few days ago, but I’m going to say it again: listening to this album felt like meeting an old friend you haven’t seen in a decade. An old friend who’s changed a lot, and in all the right ways. Everything that these Teutonic titans have done in the over 2 decades of experience have been sharped to a fine edge, and in the process have crafted what is most likely the best thing they’ve ever done. No song seems low quality, the production is phenomenal, and the whole package is enjoyable! I can’t say anything more, other than to listen to this industrial gem.

And then there’s the new guard, and what a curious case these Finnish fellows are! If you were to tell me a year ago that there was a Power Metal that was inspired by Anime & Manga, I would have laughed hysterically. Fast forward to 2019, and I’m not laughing at all! Ironically, I sorta had a similar situation with Everfrost like I did with Sabaton: I simply could not believe this combo worked.....but it did! Winterider is literarily from top to bottom songs you can put in just about any anime, and it would work! There’s happy songs on here, sad songs on here, and then there’s songs that just take a sledgehammer right to the feels! This really was a surprise for me, and I think it was for anybody that discovered this album. It might be hard to track as far as a physical copy is concerned, but I’m not joking when I say that this is one of the most essential metal albums for Otaku & Metalheads all over the world!

And that’s what I thought the best albums of the 2010s were. A diverse list to be sure, but one that’s filled with something for everybody. I can only hope that the 2020s still keep the light of Heavy Metal alight, but until then I still have one more treat in store. See you all really soon.