5. Black Sabbath-The Dio Years (Rhino/WEA)Ok, I know this is a best of CD but how can you not include the era of Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio? (whom I still hail as one of the best singers in music) While you can never discount what Ozzy did, Dio reminds everyone yet again that he--along with Iommi, Appice and Ward--created a barrage of classics of their own. With one of the best riffs ever, “Heaven and Hell” is a beast of a metal song and “The Devil Cried” only adds to their already great repertoire.  

4. Between The Buried and Me-Colors (Victory)Challenging listeners to venture into more complex and textured music, BTBAM brought together a collection of songs that I can only describe as a chaotic juxtaposition of keyboard-laced melodies and off-time guitars. Songs such as “Foam Born: (a) The Backtrack” and “Sun of Nothing” continue to extend the savagery with flawless execution. It may sound complicated at first but keep an open mind and you will hear heavy music in a very different way.  

3. The Brothers Martin-self titled  (Tooth and Nail) Every few years, a number of bands like to pay homage to New Order and many other great British new wave bands. Few actually capture the essence and style so flawlessly. The Brothers Martin (brothers Jason and Ronnie) have created a 34-minute mixture of blissful synthpop and grandiose guitarwork.   

2. Bad Brains-Build A Nation (Megaforce) If there was one record I have been looking forward to since I heard it was in the making, it was this. While Build A Nation is more grounded into their reggae than hardcore roots, it does not disappoint. Very fluid, very potent, it’s a great reminder of even after 25 years, Bad Brains is still capable of making a timeless record.   

1. Every Time I Die-The Big Dirty (Ferret)

Coming in at number one, this record brings the spirit of the Sunset Strip to the Hot Topic crowds. As I stated before in one of my reviews, it’s a sonically pleasant collage of filth with its own penicillin shot, well suited for a night of debauchery. It has been in constant rotation since I got my hands on it and probably will appear on many folks top 10 lists. Take a listen and you will hear many reasons why. I even have their main single “We’rewolf” as my song on my own MySpace page.