A beginner's guide to genuine blasting. Call it Gothenburg, call it extreme power - whatever, it's always enjoyable.

Now ranked for even more win.

1.Wintersun - Wintersun

2.Children Of Bodom - Hate Crew Deathroll

3.Kalmah - Seventh Swamphony

4.Kalmah - 12 Gauge

5.Blood Stain Child - Idolator

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Ranked in order. Full lengths only. Rated 6-10.

1.Ea - Au Ellai

2.Carach Angren - Death Came Through A Phantom Ship

3.Agrypnie - 16[485]

4.Negură Bunget - Vîrstele Pămîntului

5.Immolation - Majesty And Decay

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1.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

2.Marillion - Brave

3.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

4.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

5.Insomnium - Across The Dark

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1.Agalloch - Marrow Of The Spirit

2.Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here

3.Helevorn - Forthcoming Displeasures

4.Melechesh - The Epigenesis

5.Witchery - Witchkrieg

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1.Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy

2.Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

3.Fear Factory - Mechanize

4.Helloween - 7 Sinners

5.Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time

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1.Arsis - Starve For The Devil

2.Cynic - Re-Traced

3.Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

4.Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra

5.Fear Factory - Mechanize

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1.Van Halen - Women And Children First

2.Rush - Moving Pictures

3.Rush - Signals

4.Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

5.Iron Maiden - Powerslave

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My top 10 albums of the year 2010.

1.Enthrope - Tomorrow's Dead Days

2.Kalmah - 12 Gauge

3.The Absence - Enemy Unbound

4.Equilibrium - Rekreatur

5.Lemuria - Chanson De La Croisade

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My 2 cent on last year's releases. After this retrospective, I'm highly doubtful that 2011 can get any better. I'd rate this year as 8/10. YES, NOT EVERYTHING THAT'S GREAT MUST GET…

1.Kalmah - 12 Gauge

2.Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

3.Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier

4.Equilibrium - Rekreatur

5.Sigh - Scenes From Hell

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1.Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR

2.Kalmah - 12 Gauge

3.Barren Earth - Curse Of The Red River

4.Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

5.Thulcandra - Fallen Angel's Dominion

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It's always changing.

1.Moonsorrow - V: Hävitetty

2.Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet

3.Equilibrium - Sagas

4.Týr - Ragnarok

5.Finsterforst - Rastlos

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There's some outstanding releases from this year. Overall not that special though.

1.Watain - Lawless Darkness

2.Dråpsnatt - Hymner Till Undergången

3.Equilibrium - Rekreatur

4.Ghost - Opus Eponymous

5.An Autumn For Crippled Children - Lost

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This list isn't really in a set order except the first five, which really were just far and away my top 5. Then everything up to Aspera (or Above Symmetry as they are now called...I will keep it as…

1.Alcest - Écailles De Lune

2.In Mourning - Monolith

3.Barren Earth - Curse Of The Red River

4.Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

5.Mar De Grises - Streams Inwards

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2010 had a lot of great releases. Here are some my favorites that will look like other people's favorites.

1.Ihsahn - After

2.Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

3.Finntroll - Nifelvind

4.Barren Earth - Curse Of The Red River

5.Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR

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This is my top 10 this year. Read it and weep.

1.In Mourning - Monolith

2.Solution .45 - For Aeons Past

3.Decrepit Birth - Polarity

4.Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra

5.Kalmah - 12 Gauge

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