10 Picks For '10

Here are my picks for the ten best albums of 2010. Several have already been reviewed by The Rock Maiden, so please check out previous posts for further details!

#1 and #2 (tied) Chasing the Grail By Fozzy & Order of the Black by Black Label Society
(Note: Maybe I'm completely biased toward these two bands, but I honestly can't pick between these two albums for who takes the number one spot. Both albums have had a major impact on me this year, and I think they show promise for hard rock and heavy metal albums for the coming decade.)



#3 Slash by Slash



#4 Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold



#5 Stampede by Hellyeah



#6 Scream by Ozzy Osborne



#7 Hands All Over by Maroon 5
(Note: I know this isn't the usual fare that's covered on The Rock Maiden, but this upbeat pop-rock album was produced by the legendary Mutt Lange who is probably most famous for working with Def Leppard and AC/DC. It's a fun CD to pop in for a party due to its mass appeal, and it comes from one of the few bands I can tolerate and actually like when I'm forced to listen to Top 40 radio in somebody's car.)



#8 Black Country Communion by Black Country Communion



#9 The Gracious Few by The Gracious Few



#10 Dio at Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 by Dio
(Note: Although this double album was recorded live more than 20 years ago at two different Monsters of Rock festivals, it was not see the light of day until 2010--as the first official release on the late Ronnie Jame Dio's and wife Wendy's very own Niji Entertainment Group--to commemorate the life and death of the legendary metal singer.)