The best albums of 2010

As I've done for a few years now, here's my top 5 albums of the year.
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1. Black Country Communion
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Absolutely no contest, streets ahead of the competition. Yes, it could have been made at any time since 1974, but it wasn't. Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian, Jason Bonham and, of course, Glenn Hughes join together to make the best supergroup of the moment.
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Smothered in influences from Purple to Sabbath, from Free to AC/DC, it is the record of the year. I just hope to get to see them in 2011.
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2. Iron Maiden "The Final Frontier"
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1980 is a long time ago, and it feels that way on this, Maiden's fifteenth studio album.
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If the short, sharp, punchy tracks of their early years is your forte, then this isn't for you. If Genesis did heavy metal, this is what it would sound like. Sectioned, thoughtful and challenging, it isn't for all, but, if you have the patience, you'll recognise a band at the peak of their genre, still filling football stadiums the world over.....and they come to our capital city (Cardiff) on 1st August next year. Bring it on!

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3. Deep Purple "Come Taste The Band" (reissued 2010, original 1975)
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I'm not sure that reissues count in such rundowns, but it's my blog so I'll make the rules.

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Superbly remastered and repackaged, the unloved mark 4 version of Deep Purple finally get their moment in the sun, posthumously of course for Tommy Bolin.

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Funky in parts, heavy in others, it is the forgotten illegitimate product of Purple's many complex relationships, and merits a 2nd Top 5 entry this year for Glenn Hughes (bass / vocals shared with David Coverdale), for whom 2010 surely stands out as much a creative high as it has for many years, if not ever.

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4. Ratt "Infestation"

A great seventh album from the American rockers. Such a shame that their future is so uncertain as tensions within the outfit seem to have resurfaced, and are officially on hiatus.
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5. Airbourne "No Guts No Glory"

If my top 4 are a little backward looking, then who's going to take hard rock forward. Debateably, Airbourne can help. AC/DC tribute outfit? Maybe. 3 chord wonders? Possibly. Loud, proud and entertaining? Certainly.

I always like to throw an unexpected one into my top 5 and this is it. Yes it's unsophisticated, but the no nonsense, balls to the wall rock of the Aussie energymeisters just begs to be noticed on this, their 2nd album. And I just can't help but love the anthemic Steel Town, which should be the background music for this blog.

There were other worthy contenders of course: Slash and his many vocalists, Manic Street Preachers returning to form, the excellent (final?) Scorpions album, and a solid Halford solo product.

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There you go.

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