Best albums

1. Eternal Legacy - Lifeless Alive
An extremely polished sophomore effort from the young band from Cleveland, Ohio on Bill Peter's Auburn records. The album is solid from front to back, utilizing a blend of thrash and classic metal backed up by great songwriting to create something that is melodic and memorable without losing its aggressive edge. A release I've been looking forward to for several years, I can't help but rep. such a talented band from my home town.

2. Porcupine Tree - The Incident
If there ever were a band to be called my generation's Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree would be it. The Incident contains a fifty-five minute epic title track that is comprised of 14 parts, and were it a lesser band, would have come off as pretentious and indulgent. Combining progressive, electronic, and psychedelic elements, this album is all at once dynamic and chilled out at the same time, and truly creates a mood that brings the listener on a cerebral journey.

3. Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue
Many were unsure if Alice in Chains could possibly live up to the high standards they set in the 90s after singer Layne Stayley died, and rightfully so. Fourteen years after their last studio album, the band hasn't missed a beat. One of the most satisfying comeback records I have heard, Black Gives Way to Blue sounds at home with anything from the band's back catalog, even if newcomer William DuVall does not get many chances to shine.

4. Shadows Fall - Retribution
After releasing a decidedly average record on Roadrunner with Threads of Life, I was certainly expecting Shadows Fall to continue into a downward spiral of mediocrity. Fortunately, I was proven wrong on this year's release. Retribution continued in the vein of 2004's The War Within with some of the more mainstream, melodic elements heard in its predecessor. A satisfying romp in the thrashy, New Wave of American Heavy Metal to be sure.

5. Megadeth - Endgame
Though Dave Mustaine had come back from his hand injury in early 2000, his two previous "comeback" albums contained few redeeming songs, painting a picture of Megadeth as a shell of their former selves. Endgame may have been the record that surpassed my expectations most this year. While not a thrash classic comparable to their 80s material, this record is arguably Megadeth's finest since Countdown to Extinction, due in no small part to the pyrotechnic fretwork of ex-Nevermore and Jag Panzer axeman Chris Broderick. Giving even Marty Friedman a run for his money and having reportedly inspired Mustaine to pick up his game, he is one of the biggest reasons this record is so solid.

Biggest disappointments

- The 'big four' not hitting NA. It had been something rumored about on the internet for many months, and has been dreamed about by fans of metal since the 80s, but the big four of thrash playing together on the same stage was finally confirmed toward the end of the year. Unfortunately, there has been no plan for Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax to embark on a full fledged-tour that hits North America and other major cities around the globe. I think this one speaks for itself...

- Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
I had a lot of hope for this band after creating their most ambitious, and (in my opinion) best work in Colors. Unfortunately, the band felt the need to show their progression and maturation as musicians with needless wankery and narrative elements at the expense of songwriting. The opposite of what Porcupine Tree achieved with their release this year, The Great Misdirect is awkward and lumbering with four songs over or approaching the ten-minute mark and containing an ill-attempted multi-part concept song.

- Them Crooked Vultures - s/t
I'm a fan of Dave of Grohl and almost anything he touches. I'm a fan of the 70s hard rock aesthetic of Led Zeppelin. I'm not so much a fan of Queens of the Stone Age. A supergroup of talented musicians none-the-less, I was unimpressed with the stock-sounding, sand-rock of the whole. While I certainly felt the spirit was there, the songwriting was just not as well-executed as either Grohl or Jones' previous works. The biggest nail in the coffin here is the lack of Dave Grohl's emotive pipes.


- Jon Schaffer's decision to embark on a solo album. Instead of working on a new Iced Earth or Demons and Wizards record, Jon Schaffer decides to go and create a motorcycle-ridin', leather-wearin', patriotic-themed solo project called Sons of Liberty. His last two Iced Earth concept albums ranking amongst the worst in the band's catalog, Schaffer takes away the only redeeming component of the band in Matt Barlow by doing all of the vocals himself, and then decides to do more ill-conceived, politcal-agenda-spewing concepts in his songs.

- The fact that I did not discover The Incident until researching what records came out in 2009. (Self explanatory. :p )

Best live concerts

1. Metallica - 11/12/09 (Buffalo, NY)
Metallica aren't getting any younger and I had yet to see them from the floor. Despite Hetfield's lack of expletives and in-your-face attitude of yesteryear and Lars' uninspired drumming, the band put on a high-energy show and pulled out some rarities in "Damage Inc.", "No Remorse", "Am I Evil?" and "Phantom Lord." It was great to see the band riding the wave of nostalgia for Death Magnetic with a set list comrpised entirely of classic tunes.

2. Eternal Legacy - 11/31/09 (Cleveland, OH)
Maybe it's because of the small, intimate nature of the club setting and my familiarity with the tunes, but I enjoy EL's live performances more than any "triple-A" concert. This band is one of the hardest working up-and-coming bands, with a live show that just exudes energy and attitude. Guitarist Shaun Vanek has one of the best stage presences I think I've ever seen. Being the band's release party for Lifeless Alive, this performance was especially well-done with a full, themed stage set and banner and amp-covers featuring their new logo and artwork. Their closing cover of Metallica's "Ride the Lightning" was the closest I have ever gotten to feeling the energy of how it was originally played in that band's halcyon days.