1.	Mastodon - Crack The Skye	558
2.	Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue	257
3.	Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs	84
4.	Voivod - Infini	65
5.	Therapy? - Crooked Timber	29
6.	Waltari - Below Zero	28
7.	Rammstein - Liebe Ist Für Alle Da	17
8.	Living Colour - The Chair In The Doorway	12
9.	Harvestman - In A Dark Tongue	11

1.	Epica - Design Your Universe	511
2.	Sirenia - The 13th Floor	134
3.	Delain - April Rain	89
4.	Leaves' Eyes - Njord	81
5.	Madder Mortem - Eight Ways	75
6.	Stream Of Passion - The Flame Within	70
7.	Whyzdom - From The Brink Of Infinity	41
8.	Amberian Dawn - The Clouds Of Northland Thunder	35
9.	Elysion - Silent Scream	34
10.	Lunatica - New Shores	15

1.	Immortal - All Shall Fall	426
2.	Anaal Nathrakh - In The Constellation Of The Black Widow	112
3.	Wolves In The Throne Room - Black Cascade	92
4.	Deströyer 666 - Defiance	65
5.	Shining - VI - Klagopsalmer	64
6.	Woods Of Ypres - Woods IV: The Green Album	56
7.	Vreid - Milorg	39
8.	Oranssi Pazuzu - Muukalainen Puhuu	35
9.	The Ruins Of Beverast - Foulest Semen Of A Sheltered Elite	19
10.	Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With The Stars	13
	Marduk - Wormwood	13
12.	Nazxul - Iconoclast	11
13.	Cobalt - Gin	10

1.	Behemoth - Evangelion	373
2.	Nile - Those Whom The Gods Detest	279
3.	Obscura - Cosmogenesis	190
4.	Asphyx - Death... The Brutal Way	43
5.	Fleshgod Apocalypse - Oracles	40
6.	Gorod - Process Of A New Decline	38
7.	Vomitory - Carnage Euphoria	26
8.	Necrophobic - Death To All	22
9.	Pestilence - Resurrection Macabre	21
10.	Vader - Necropolis	19

1.	Candlemass - Death Magic Doom	317
2.	While Heaven Wept - Vast Oceans Lachrymose	112
3.	Isole - Silent Ruins	84
4.	Process Of Guilt - Erosion	75
5.	The 11th Hour - Burden Of Grief	44
6.	Swallow The Sun - New Moon	38
	My Dying Bride - For Lies I Sire	38
8.	Forsaken - After The Fall	30
9.	My Lament - Broken Leaf	26
10.	Spiritus Mortis - The God Behind The God	20
11.	Griftegård - Solemn, Sacred, Severe	12

1.	Ahab - The Divinity Of Oceans	233
2.	Colosseum - Chapter 2: Numquam	53
3.	Mournful Congregation - The June Frost	47
4.	Mourning Dawn - For The Fallen...	31
5.	Arcana Coelestia - Le Mirage de l'Idéal	27
6.	Longing For Dawn - Between Elation And Despair	25
7.	Stabat Mater - Stabat Mater	21
8.	Moss - Tombs Of The Blind Drugged [EP]	17
9.	Urna - Iter ad Lucem	14
10.	Profetus - Coronation Of The Black Sun	13
11.	Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions	10

1.	Katatonia - Night Is The New Day	396
2.	Lacrimosa - Sehnsucht	301
3.	Paradise Lost - Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us	269
4.	Graveworm - Diabolical Figures	79
5.	Trail Of Tears - Bloodstained Endurance	70
6.	Theatre Of Tragedy - Forever Is The World	41
7.	Darzamat - Solfernus' Path	38
8.	Elis - Catharsis	35
9.	Vanguard - Hydralchemy	16
	Cemetery Of Scream - Frozen Images	16
11.	Lacuna Coil - Shallow Life	11

1.	Napalm Death - Time Waits For No Slave	261
2.	Cattle Decapitation - The Harvest Floor	89
3.	Brutal Truth - Evolution Through Revolution	59
4.	Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse	47
5.	Mumakil - Behold The Failure	32
6.	Antigama - Warning	21
7.	Afgrund - Vid Helvetets Grindar	15

1.	Gotthard - Need To Believe	174
2.	Clutch - Strange Cousins From The West	120
3.	The Devil's Blood - The Time Of No Time Evermore	75
4.	Hardcore Superstar - Beg For It	61
5.	Ace Frehley - Anomaly	51
6.	KISS - Sonic Boom	18
7.	Crucified Barbara - 'Til Death Do Us Party	16
8.	Europe - Last Look At Eden	13

1.	Amorphis - Skyforger	475
2.	Heaven And Hell - The Devil You Know	219
3.	W.A.S.P. - Babylon	139
4.	3 Inches Of Blood - Here Waits Thy Doom	108
5.	Saxon - Into The Labyrinth	57
6.	The Lord Weird Slough Feg - Ape Uprising	41
7.	Bloodbound - Tabula Rasa	30
8.	Wolf - Ravenous	28
9.	Old Season - Archaic Creation	22

1.	Be'lakor - Stone's Reach	329
2.	Insomnium - Across The Dark	247
3.	Eternal Tears Of Sorrow - Children Of The Dark Waters	175
4.	Novembers Doom - Into Night's Requiem Infernal	92
5.	Nightrage - Wearing A Martyr's Crown	61
6.	Hypocrisy - A Taste Of Extreme Divinity	40
7.	Luna Mortis - The Absence	36
8.	Destroy Destroy Destroy - Battle Sluts	30
9.	Scar Symmetry - Dark Matter Dimensions	25
10.	Coram Lethe - ...A Splendid Chaos	14

1.	Converge - Axe To Fall	129
2.	The Agonist - Lullabies For The Dormant Mind	118
3.	Neaera - Omnicide - Creation Unleashed	65
4.	Sworn Enemy - Total World Domination	33
5.	Burnt By The Sun - Heart Of Darkness	29
6.	It Dies Today - Lividity	24
7.	Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage	19
	Chimaira - The Infection	19
	Five Finger Death Punch - War is the Answer	19
10.	Black Bomb A - From Chaos	17
11.	Shadows Fall - Retribution	11

1.	Ensiferum - From Afar	488
2.	Arkona - Goi, Rode, Goi!	223
3.	Týr - By The Light Of The Northern Star	134
4.	Suidakra - Crógacht	75
5.	Finsterforst - ...Zum Tode Hin	69
6.	Heathen Foray - The Passage	19
7.	Black Messiah - First War Of The World	15
	Fjoergyn - Jahreszeiten	15
	Wolfchant - Determined Damnation	15
10.	Dalriada - Arany-Album	12
	Korpiklaani - Karkelo	12
	Eluveitie - Evocation I - The Arcane Dominion	12

1.	Diablo Swing Orchestra - Sing-Along Songs For The Damned & Delirious	277
2.	Isis - Wavering Radiant	164
3.	Sólstafir - Köld	83
4.	Pelican - What We All Come To Need	50
5.	Long Distance Calling - Avoid The Light	42
6.	Minsk - With Echoes In The Movement Of Stone	34
7.	Russian Circles - Geneva	33
8.	Jesu - Opiate Sun [EP]	25
	Giant Squid - The Ichthyologist	25
10.	Buried Inside - Spoils Of Failure	21

1.	Sonata Arctica - The Days Of Grays	277
2.	Dark Moor - Autumnal	117
3.	Heavenly - Carpe Diem	79
4.	Adagio - Archangels In Black	78
5.	Primal Fear - 16.6: (Before The Devil Knows You're Dead)	67
6.	Fairyland - Score To A New Beginning	60
7.	Savage Circus - Of Doom And Death	42
8.	Stratovarius - Polaris	23
9.	Dawn Of Destiny - Human Fragility	21
10.	HammerFall - No Sacrifice, No Victory	18
	Powerwolf - Bible of the Beast	18
	Wizard - Thor	18
13.	Cain's Offering - Gather The Faithful	17
14.	Alestorm - Black Sails At Midnight	14

1.	Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings	318
2.	Kalisia - Cybion	186
3.	Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition	181
4.	Devin Townsend - Addicted	165
5.	Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect	110
6.	Redemption - Snowfall On Judgment Day	38
7.	Echoes Of Eternity - As Shadows Burn	31
8.	Freak Kitchen - Land Of The Freaks	24
9.	Darkology - Altered Reflections	17
10.	Porcupine Tree - The Incident	16

1.	Baroness - Blue Record	201
2.	Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs	165
3.	Kylesa - Static Tensions	83
4.	Om - God Is Good	46
5.	Shrinebuilder - Shrinebuilder	42
6.	Church Of Misery - Houses Of The Unholy	26
7.	Birds Of Prey - The Hellpreacher	18
8.	Khanate - Clean Hands Go Foul	17
9.	Tombs - Winter Hours	16
10.	Saviours - Accelerated Living	10

1.	Megadeth - Endgame	432
2.	Slayer - World Painted Blood	252
3.	Artillery - When Death Comes	76
4.	Kreator - Hordes Of Chaos	72
	Profane Omen - Inherit The Void	72
6.	Warbringer - Waking Into Nightmares	65
7.	Gama Bomb - Tales From The Grave In Space	28
8.	Sacrifice - The Ones I Condemn	26
9.	Suicidal Angels - Sanctify The Darkness	25
10.	Vektor - Black Future	22
11.	Savage Messiah - Insurrection Rising	17
12.	Lamb Of God - Wrath	12

1.	Vader - Fight Fire With Fire (Metallica)	226
2.	Jorn - I Walk Alone (Tarja Turunen)	98
3.	Leaves' Eyes - Scarborough Fair (Traditional English song)	83
4.	W.A.S.P. - Burn (Deep Purple)	69
5.	Fferyllt - Lai Lai Hei (Ensiferum)	54
6.	Grave Digger - Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy)	33
7.	W.A.S.P. - Promised Land (Chuck Berry)	29
8.	Vanguard - Black No. 1 (Type O Negative)	19
9.	Netherbird - Nepenthe (Sentenced)	17
10.	Ensiferum - Vandraren (Nordman)	12
11.	Kalisia - I Am The Black Wizards (Emperor)	10

1.	Kalisia - Cybion	281
2.	Guilt Machine - On This Perfect Day	90
3.	Whyzdom - From The Brink Of Infinity	67
4.	The 11th Hour - Burden Of Grief	62
5.	Oranssi Pazuzu - Muukalainen Puhuu	53
6.	My Lament - Broken Leaf	27
7.	Ironwood - :Fire:Water:Ash:	19
8.	Cain's Offering - Gather the Faithful	15
9.	Tenet - Sovereign	14
10.	Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs	13
11.	Unsilence - Under A Torn Sky	12
12.	Griftegård - Solemn, Sacred, Severe	11
	Fleshgod Apocalypse - Oracles	11
14.	Crimfall - As the Path Unfolds...	10

1.	Iron Maiden - Flight 666	114
2.	Dark Tranquillity - Where Death Is Most Alive	98
3.	Therion - The Miskolc Experience	30
4.	Metallica - Français Pour Une Nuit	28
5.	Agalloch - The Silence of Forgotten Landscapes	26
6.	Leaves' Eyes - We Came With The Northern Winds - En Saga I Belgia	21
7.	Rotting Christ - Non Serviam - A 20 Year Apocryphal Story	20
	Emperor - Live Inferno	20
9.	Anvil - The Story Of Anvil	17
	Pain Of Salvation - Ending Themes: On The Two Deaths Of Pain Of Salvation	17
11.	Cain's Offering - Gather the Faithful	15
12.	Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs	13
13.	Fleshgod Apocalypse - Oracles	11
14.	Crimfall - As the Path Unfolds...	10

1.	Behemoth - Ov Fire And The Void	72
2.	Rammstein - Pussy	57
3.	Epica - Unleashed	34
4.	Amon Amarth - Guardians Of Asgaard	28
5.	Ensiferum - From Afar	22
6.	Megadeth - Headcrusher	21
7.	Kamelot - Love You To Death	20
8.	Within Temptation - Utopia	17
	Mastodon - Divinations	17
10.	Arkona - Goi, Rode, Goi!	16
11.	Cain's Offering - Gather the Faithful	15
12.	Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs	13
13.	Fleshgod Apocalypse - Oracles	11
14.	Crimfall - As the Path Unfolds...	10

1.	Wintersun - Time (for not being released yet)	45
2.	Lacuna Coil - Shallow Life	40
3.	Slayer - World Painted Blood	39
4.	Sonata Arctica - The Days of Grays	37
5.	1349 - Revelations of the Black Flame	36
6.	Dio - Hearing that Ronnie James Dio has Cancer	23
7.	Rammstein - Liebe Ist Für Alle Da	20
8.	Scar Symmetry - Dark Matter Dimensions	18
9.	Korpiklaani - Karkelo	17
	Helloween - Unarmed - Best Of 25th Anniversary	17
11.	Cain's Offering - Gather the Faithful	15
12.	Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs	13
13.	Fleshgod Apocalypse - Oracles	11
14.	Crimfall - As the Path Unfolds...	10

1.	Megadeth - Endgame	47
2.	Kalisia - Cybion	39
3.	Be'lakor - Stone's Reach	30
	Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue	30
5.	Immortal - All Shall Fall	24
6.	Mastodon - Crack the Skye	21
7.	Epica - Design Your Universe	19
8.	Sonata Arctica - The Days of Grays	18
	Obscura - Cosmogenesis	18
	Diablo Swing Orchestra - Sing-Along Songs For The Damned And Delirious	18
11.	Cain's Offering - Gather the Faithful	15
12.	Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs	13
13.	Fleshgod Apocalypse - Oracles	11
14.	Crimfall - As the Path Unfolds...	10

Dimmu Borgir - Bassless Keyboardless Garden (299 votes)

Former keyboardist Mustis broke the news he and bassist ICS Vortex were no longer with the band, and not by their own accord in a sane, well worded piece that thanked fans for their support, noted his contributions towards their albums, and, some might say, professionally, backed off direct shots at the band. Instead he noted it would be in the hands of lawyers. (Yay! Lawyers! m/!) The next day the band responded citing, basically, they were tired of dealing with "unprofessionalism" (not a real word) and then proceeded to air their dirty laundry in a completely unprofessional "TL,DR" statement that exceeds any of Tolstoy's masterpieces in length and perhaps matches the Encyclopedia Britannica in word count. The big losers in all this? The Dimmu fans who go to gigs will no longer be able to enjoy the charismatic Vortex's stage antics. If they are lucky, the high point of their evening will now be catching part-time touring drummer Hellhammer teasing his hair? if they aren't lucky, the best part of their night will be watching Galder make ridiculous faces.

Fear Factory vs. Fear Factory (149 votes)

Fear Factory have pulled a Gorgoroth with a twist. Former band members Burton C. Bell and Dino Cazares, who had left the band, kissed, made up with each other - but not their other former band mates - and decided to get the band back together. So Dino and Burton reformed as Fear Factory. Despite the fact Christian Wolbers and Raymond Herrera, the other half of Fear Factory, were still active as? you guessed it, Fear Factory. Seeing as each individual represents ¼ of Fear Factory Incorporated, that pits two original members against two original members. Woe is us. What is the legal system to do? Our suggestion? Have them appear on a special episode of a resurrected Fear Factor, where host Joe Rogan has them compete - eating moose testicles, lighting themselves on fire, and throwing themselves out a 3rd story window for rights to the name.

Grumpy Old (Sabbath) Men (94 votes)

Ozzy and Iommi are at it. Again. 2009 saw Ozzy take legal action against Iommi, in what are clearly not his words, given their coherency, to protect Iommi from taking sole ownership of the Black Sabbath name. Per the former reality tv star, the "brand" of the metal gods was "literally in the toilet"? and he claimed it was the work of his management company (SHARON!) that helped resurrect interest and the net value of the "brand" name. Well, that, and the fact the group reunited a dozen years ago and toured some? Per the former Pepsi pitch man, apparently Iommi toiling in clubs under the moniker in the early 90's was a far worse transgression to the Black Sabbath "brand" than whoring his family out to appear on eMpTy Vee? and this has nothing to do whatsoever with the recent return of Dio and the Heaven and Hell project. Bits and pieces of this write up have been partially sanitized, lest Sharon, Kelly, and co show up at MetalStorm HQ at MetalStorm Towers in MetalStormistan and pelt the lot of us with eggs.

Danthrax No More! (63 votes)

Dan Nelson, who replaced Joey Belladonna, who replaced John Bush, who replaced Joey Belladonna, who replaced Madonna, who replaced Vince Turbin as the front man for Anthrax was booted from the band, a la Turbin, Madonna, Belladonna, Dan Spitz, Pope John Paul II, Frank Bello, Bush (both John and George W.), Rob Caggiano? (Jesus! Scott and Charlie fire more people than Trump!) The official line was due to illness. The rumor 'round the net was that Nelson had taken a shit on bassist Frankie Bello's back. If there was a vaguely credible source that this happened, this paragraph would be titled "Spreading the Feces" in honor of their classic album. In the mean time, Nelson, the previously relatively unknown front man, has proven himself just as big a douche as the Ian & Benante Two Man Firing Squad by claiming Anthrax gained fans because of him. Rumor has it Bush (John, not W.) might rejoin the band. Else maybe they can host Anthrax Idol on VH-1 to find a replacement.

Negura Bunget vs. Negru Bunget (42 votes)

The band had agreed to split from continued cooperative projects together and simply cease to exist as Negura Bunget with nothing more than a short, simple, boring press release. Hupogrammos and Sol Faur were to continue as band TBA (now Dordeduh), and Negru as Din Brad. Instead Negru opted to hijack the name and carry on under the Negura Bunget moniker; despite the fact Hupogrammos and Sol Faur composed virtually all of the band's lyrics and music. While perhaps the most sad of our Gorgoroth-inspired splits of '09 (NB were coming off a highpoint in "Om", as opposed to the other bands pulling a Gorgoroth, who have long passed their creative bests) - this is perhaps the most boring as there is only some insinuations into motives as opposed to trashtalking, myspace fights, and back-shitting, let alone the good old public threats and stabbings we used to get from feuding black metal musicians.

Dio - Stomach cancer (18, write-in vote)
Rammstein - Pussy Videoclip (12, write-in vote)