2010 is almost over so that means it’s time for my year end awards! It’s been another awesome year for Hard Rock and Heavy metal and I have listened to more new albums, discovered more new bands and watched more new DVDs than any other year in Heavy Metal Addiction’s almost five year history! I have had more albums submitted for review this year than any other year as digital promos have taken over as the easiest way to get the word out as quickly as possible and I have done my part as a consumer and purchased plenty of new and old albums & DVDs from record stores, Ebay, online vendors and direct from bands and labels.

With all this music it’s been every hard to keep up so this has been the worst year for posting but I have made a serious push in November and December to listen to as many CDs, and watch as many DVDs, as possible to prepare for my year end lists. I have piles on my desk and boxes right next it chock full of CDs and DVDs released in 2010, as well as, albums I missed in 2009 so there’s a lot to write about and I will try and catch up on as many 2010 reviews as I can in early 2011. I have been re-listening to as many 2010 albums that I can so I can post my best and worst of 2010 lists, last year I did a Top 40 Best Of but this year I will pair it back down to a Top 30 again. I will post those picks along with my top 5 DVD picks, albums I missed in 2009 that could have made my best of 2009 list, and the last CD Scavenger Hunt of 2010…..a new feature will be The Top Miscellaneous Releases of 2010 and that will include any live albums, greatest hits packages, reissues, etc. that were released and need to be mentioned. I’ve got my sights set on 2011 and I expect and even bigger year in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal as I keep checking out new releases and catching up on things I missed from 2010!

Here is the schedule for the 2010 Awards Week:

Friday 12/24 — The final CD Scavenger Hunt of 2010

Saturday 12/25 — Albums I Missed in 2009

Sunday 12/26 — The Best Miscellaneous Releases of 2010

Monday 12/27 — The Top 5 DVDs of 2010

Tuesday 12/28 — The 5 Worst Albums of 2010

Wednesday 12/29 — The Top 30 Albums of 2010 (#21-#30)

Thursday 12/30 — The Top 30 Albums of 2010 (#11-#20)

Friday 12/31 — The Top 30 Albums of 2010 (#1-#10)

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For the last few years, a bunch of us bloggers/writers out there have linked our year end lists together and 2010 continues the tradition. The best thing about these lists is that there is always room for debate and there are always many albums some of us may have missed during the year. Please check out the websites below for more best of/worst of 2010 lists by some excellent writers with a serious passion for music. Some of the websites published their lists earlier in the month, some later and some as a month long daily post so check out the websites’ December 2010 archives for everyone’s picks. There may also be some lists that extend into January 2011 so bookmark these excellent websites and check them out daily for superb Hard Rock and Heavy Metal coverage.

All Metal Resource — http://allmetalresource.com/ 

Bring Back Glam — http://bringbackglam.squarespace.com/

Hair Metal Mansion — http://hairbangersradio.ning.com/

Hard Rock Hideout — http://hardrockhideout.com/

Hard Rock Nights — http://hardrocknights.com

Heavy Metal Addiction — http://heavymetaladdiction.com/

Heavy Metal Time Machine — http://metalmark.blogspot.com/

Imagine Echoes — http://www.imagineechoes.com/

Layla’s Classic Rock — http://laylasclassicrock.blogspot.com/

Metal Excess — http://metalexcess.com/

The Metal Minute — http://rayvanhornjr.blogspot.com/

Metal Odyssey — http://metalodyssey.wordpress.com/

The Ripple Effect — http://www.ripplemusic.blogspot.com/