AOTY #40: Cancer Bats - Dead Set On Living

Toronto's Cancer Bats have become a perennial entrant on my Top 40 lists. Dead Set On Living. As with Bears, Mayors, Scraps and Bones, just squeaks onto the list. This band always makes me want to move and scream out the lyrics. DSOL took me a little longer to get into than previous releases but once it grabbed hold it never let go. 'R.A.T.S.' and 'Road Sick" in particular caused some sore throats. Their Southern fried hardcore (ugh, I feel so cliched even typing that) is basically a really fun, high energy formula for having a good time. Their positive energy rubs off on the listener. I am really looking forward to FINALLY seeing them live this February.
Buy it from Metal Blade here.

My 40 Favourite Albums of 2010: 40-31

*DISCLAIMER! All rankings are based on 3 major factors. 1. I actually have to like the album. Nothing is included because it's on everyone else's list or because I think it would make my list look better. 2. I
can listen to it no matter what I am in the mood for. 3. Overall play count/I actually paid money for it. Remember, this is my opinion. It's not overly analytical. Most, if not all, rankings are VERY fluid.
Don't get your panties in a bunch because your favourite band is lower than "that fucking piece of shit band!"*


#40: haarp - The Filth (USA, Housecore): Filthy, slow and heavy as shit.  A grizzly bear is dragged out of hibernation and forced against his will to  party like Marilyn Manson at Mardi Gras. *The Filth* sounds like the morning  after. The production could use some work but the album leaves me feeling  exhausted and relieved. Just listening to it gets out all the anger and  tension. It very cathartic. Standout track: "Plurimus Humilus, Ciacco"

#39. Cancer Bats - Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones (CAN, Distort): The first  Canadian act on the list. These Torontonians continue to deliver their own flavour of Southern-fried hardcore. It's not much different (or better) than previous effort, Hail, Destroyer but why ruin a good thing? B,M,S & B is  loaded with catchy riffs and scream/sing along vocals. This is tonnes of fun to listen to and vocalist Liam Cormier might have the most fuct-up  hair in metal.  Standout track: "Dead Wrong"

#38. Hour of Penance - Paradogma (ITA, Unique Leader): Italy's Hour of  Penance shatter any preconception you may have had that Rome is a nice place. Nice places don't breed the kind of brutality on display here. Thisis fucking death metal the way I like it. Fast, brutal, and played with the kind of skill that lets you know these dudes are pro without being a total wankfest. (I'm looking at you Sumerian Records) If I'm in the right mood, this could rank Top 20 easy. I hear HoP just signed to Prosthetic. Hopefully
that means more people will be exposed to this wicked band. Standout track: "A Thousand Christs"

#37. Melechesh - The Epigenesis (NED, Nuclear Blast): Originally from Israel, Melechesh relocated to the Netherlands and I think the move had some influence on the record. Maybe being in Europe pushed them into a more straight ahead black metal album than Emissaries. Yet it still maintains plenty of Middle Eastern influence. Most notably in the cadence and instrumentation. This album could easily rank much higher but I
haven't had much time with it. Standout track: "Defeating the Giants"