Patterns, yay! I think the end of the year is making me crave shorter albums and greater efficiency—so yes, expect more of these in threes. Here’s “Evermore Darkly”, “Carbon-Based Anatomy”, and “Dromomania” for intensifying your holiday season.

Rating: 5/5
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At its core, Decapitated is still a brutal, in-your-face explosion of death metal, but “Carnival is Forever” offers more—a solemn nod to the past and a fierce charge forward for the reformed group. I think Vitek would be proud of his big brother.

Rating: 3/5
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If the songs were a little more refined, diverse and complex, it would go a long way. I’ll direct my hope to the next album, for my love and respect for this band will always be strong as Koskenkorva.

Rating: 2.5/5
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Most of the songs on “Blood Magick Necromance” are pretty good, but that doesn’t make it a good album. It has lots of potential in many different areas, but none of them quite meet the standards they’ve set in the past. Don’t waste your time with this album unless you’ve exhausted their older releases.

Rating: 4/5
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Lilith is a cunt. That’s mostly what Cradle of Filth wants you to remember on their ninth studio effort, “Darkly, Darkly Venus Aversa”, which functions as somewhat of a feminine companion piece to the depraved masculinity found throughout “Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder”.

Rating: 4.5/5
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Although Melechesh may not be living in Israel anymore, they still incorporate the spirit and sound of their homeland and ancestors—this is what makes them appealing. Well, that and their mesmerizing, captivating songs, which leaves audiences yearning for more. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another four years before their sixth album comes out.

Rating: 4/5
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If you are a fan of great thrash with one foot in the old school and the other in present times, I cannot recommend “Relentless Retribution” enough. It’s great to see these classic masters of the Bay Area scene showing the young bucks how it’s done.

Rating: 3.5/5
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While “Abrahadabra” is a solid album, it certainly won’t be appearing on any best-of lists. This is still the Dimmu Borgir we’ve known for over a decade now. The problem there is that any time you stay in stasis for that long, not much progress can be made. I do, however, see a little forward movement here that could suggest big change in the future.

Rating: 5/5
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Enslaved keeps on exploring their boundaries and are eclipsing the black metal subgenre with “Axioma Ethica Odini”. This time they’ve reached a pinnacle of heavy music; the Norwegian band has released one of the strongest contenders for 2010 Album of the Year!

Rating: 4.5/5
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Peace indeed, “Blood of the Nations” is a fearless declaration of war if I’ve ever heard one. A Best of 2010 pick!