Since Metal Meltdown's inception in late 1997, I have always paused at the end of the year to count down my favorite releases of the moment. Looking back at these lists would surely cause me to reevaluate both which albums are missing and the individual rankings, and for that reason each list is simply presented here as it was given to the radio audience at the time.
Top 22 Albums of 2010
1) Blind Guardian - At the Edge of Time
2) Volbeat - Beyond Hell/Above Heaven
3) Sabaton - Coat of Arms
4) Grand Magus - Hammer of the North
5) Accept - Blood of the Nations
6) Avantasia - The Wicked Symphony
7) Overkill - Ironbound
8) Rhapsody of Fire - The Frozen Tears of Angels
9) Masterplan - Time To Be King
10) Van Canto - Tribe of Force
11) Tarja - What Lies Beneath
12) Gamma Ray - To the Metal
13) Jon Oliva's Pain - Festival
14) Dark Tranquillity - We Are the Void
15) Dream Evil - In the Night
16) Soulspell - The Labyrinth of Truths
17) Sister Sin - True Sound of the Underground
18) Winterstorm - A Coming Storm
19) Elvenking - Red Silent Tides
20) Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra
21) Kiske-Somerville - Kiske-Somerville
22) Death Angel - Relentless Retribution
2) Volbeat - Beyond Hell/Above Heaven
3) Sabaton - Coat of Arms
4) Grand Magus - Hammer of the North
5) Accept - Blood of the Nations
6) Avantasia - The Wicked Symphony
7) Overkill - Ironbound
8) Rhapsody of Fire - The Frozen Tears of Angels
9) Masterplan - Time To Be King
10) Van Canto - Tribe of Force
11) Tarja - What Lies Beneath
12) Gamma Ray - To the Metal
13) Jon Oliva's Pain - Festival
14) Dark Tranquillity - We Are the Void
15) Dream Evil - In the Night
16) Soulspell - The Labyrinth of Truths
17) Sister Sin - True Sound of the Underground
18) Winterstorm - A Coming Storm
19) Elvenking - Red Silent Tides
20) Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra
21) Kiske-Somerville - Kiske-Somerville
22) Death Angel - Relentless Retribution