As Metal Director/DJ at WRUV, plus owner of this website, I get sent a metric shit ton of new music every year. I was once able to house my entire MP3 collection on a 160 GB iPod Classic, but as the inevitable digital shift progressed, my virtual library grew exponentially.

Cole not only hits us with his Top 10, but also includes reviews of All Pigs Must Die ‘God is War’ and Textures ‘Dualism’.

Willie’s rundown actually has a few great titles we never fully reviewed, plus a little PS with honorable mentions and non-Metal favorites.

The Breath of Mozym utters his infernal list for the tenebrous masses.

There are 53 bands represented, with 39 receiving short recaps of 21 words or less, in 12 different groupings.

Straight from Oslo into YOUR FACE, Mats Johansen reveals the fifteen Metal albums (and three non-Metal albums) that caught his eyes and ears in 2011.

Our first 2011 list from Brad Barratt, who sets ablaze a top 10 of doom legends, stoner stalwarts, and modern masters.

I first read the original list of rules back in 2004, and as far as I can tell, the Google searches date it back as early as February 2002. Before that, it most likely circulated the internet via email chains (remember that shit?). So it’s probable that the original 101 Rules of Black Metal is nearing its 10-year anniversary (or perhaps recently passed it). What better way to commemorate it than debunking the whole thing and re-writing it for today’s black metal fanatics? As contradictory as it seems to “remaster” a work in the name of black metal, here it is:

Our final Best of 2010 is from Brad Barratt, who lists six studio albums and one live release in this lineup of releases he reviewed.

I haven’t heard any of the honorable mentions, but Willie’s Top 10 Metal albums are pretty sweet. That’s him behind the guitar there, and wearing a Death shirt (if you can’t tell).