BEST OF 2010 (part 1)

While not officially on the "Best of 2010" list, here are two of my very favorite things:

my lovely daughter, seen here showing the ol' man some affection, and Executioner's 1986 LP In The Name Of Metal.

Welcome back on this cold solstice eve and the night of the bloody red lunar eclipse, brothers and sisters. It's that time of year once again. Time for me to spew my wildly narcissistic and totally unqualified opinions about the cultural flotsam that I enjoyed most in 2010. I'll be posting one favorite release every day for the next 10 days (and of course I'll cheat by adding "honorable mentions"). It's just like The Twelve Days of Christmas except there's only 10 and God is dead. Don't blame me, the hacks over at Left Hand Path told me to. Enjoy while you still can...

ABSCESS

Dawn of Inhumanity
(Tyrant Syndicate/Peaceville)

Conflict of interest? Sure. Bias? You bet! Since when is metal (or music reviews for that matter) anything but subjective opinionated bullshit anyway? Now that we've cleared that up, Dawn of Inhumanity is the final piece in the scatological puzzle that is the Abscess legacy and what a masterful symphony of apocalyptic deviancy we have here! I'm afraid this one was swiftly buried in the understandable avalanche of enthusiasm surrounding Autopsy's reunion, which is a shame 'cause this is a fantastic swansong and undoubtedly one of the lost jewels of 2010. This is the kind of recording that screams for headphones, black candles, a ouija board and a baseball bat. Murky horrorscapes are your only relief from the bludgeoning deathpunk assault of new classics like Divine Architect of Disaster, Goddess of Filth And Plague, Torn From Tomorrow and the weird dirge of Dead Haze. Never Sane Again comes charging off the leash like a stinking gangrenous dog (don't take my word for it, I'm paraphrasing Chris Reifert) before collapsing into a Danny Coralles lead that will have Autopsy fans drooling like invalids until Joe "Kill" Allen's eerie bass line erupts into a headbanging stampede and the whole fucking cavalry spirals down into a psychedelic toilet of doom. Speaking of "Kill", the title track is practically a Von homage with its cryptic haiku and reverb incantations. In case your trip wasn't going bad enough already, Fenriz and Nocturnal Culto have decided to swing by the party with some unsettling news: you're fucked. It's probably completely coincidental but I love the way Dark Side Of A Broken Knife opens up like the old Cro Mags song Face The Facts. Coincidental or not, it makes me want to jump up and smash things. These are some of Reifert's most inspired lyrics to date and he delivers them with the insane ferocity of Oscar the Grouch herniating to shit on your grave. To top it all off, this final Tyrant Syndicate/Peaceville shiv comes sheathed in a beautiful digi-book featuring lyrics, photos and Reifert's psychederelict drawings. The cover art ain't bad either. If I may be so bold, this is a labor of love from the TRUE metal underground. Someone please release this on gatefold vinyl! Peaceville, are you listening?

Honorable Mention:

MACHETAZO

Necrocovered

(Parasitic Records)

Putting a covers collection on a list like this felt like cheating but the new Machetazo EP on Parasitic Records is a total ripper and features great Daniel "War Master" Shaw cover art! Chris Reifert perfectly channels the pissed off ghost of Carnivore with his guest vocals on Sex & Violence. "If you can't eat it or fuck it...KILL IT!!!!" R.I.P. Lord Petrus Steele. Take it easy...

Reifert at MDF just before the triumphant rebirth of Autopsy!

Photo by Carmelo Espanola.