Every year, I tend to hand out awards (read: dole out sarcasm and pithy remarks) to individual and collective performances of merit in the metal world. This year is no exception.
The William S. Burroughs Award for Strangest Mix of Genres
Although Shining released Black Jazz this year, an abortive yet intriguing attempt to make "black metal jazz" it has been done before (*cough* Vintersorg *cough*) with varying success. But this year's award goes to Japanese weirdos Sigh for their mix of black metal mock-horror, bright mariachi horns and Western soundtrack strings in their record Scenes from Hell. Of course, they add David Tibet of Current 93 fame to make it even more batshit insane. Good record, though.
The David Hasselhoff Award for Poor Vanity Album Production
The collaboration of melodic metal heavyweights Russell Allen and Jorn Lande (no, that wasn't a crack at their weight) has been successful, yielding now three albums chock full of power metal cheese and 80s prog metal guitar...explosions. But unfortunately, Jorn Lande can scarcely be heard, Mr. Allen singing rings around him. I guess Jorn had better things to do, such as taking his poodle to the manicurist, or something.
The Donald Trump Award for Most Obvious Cash-grab
Though the releases by German progressive ensemble The Ocean merits much praise, their record label, Metal Blade Records are laughing all the way to the bank by releasing their stellar records entitled Heliocentric and Anthropocentric independently of one another, three months apart. Forking out $60AU (retail) for what is essentially a double album sounds ludicrous. Because it is. Therion did it right - in 2004 they released Lemuria and Sirius B together to the delight of all. Of. All.
The Milli Vanilli Award for Strangest Case of Plagiarism
Dimmu Borgir are often maligned for not being "black metal enough" considering their new found popularity and propensity to produce their records to a degree above pitiful. Nevertheless, in their new record Abrahadabara they've opened up a new front from which electronic slings and arrows can be thrown at them - ripping off Aussie pub rock legends and human gyration enthusiasts Midnight Oil. The opening riff from the Demiurge Molecule sounds eerily similar to Power and the Passion. If Peter Garrett finds out, I expect they'll get a tap on the shoulder from Steve Conroy at Soundwave in 2011.
Stay tuned for my top 10 and other 2010 commentary in metal at Metal As Fuck :)