I wanna see Ellsworth and the gang live before i hit the grave..Heard they were mindblowin live at wacken @ nolan..
jst hope they don't call it quits soon..

Yeah they were awesome both times I saw them. When I spoke to Bobby Blitz at Wacken he said they have 3 shows lined up in India for 2011 but he's not sure when and stuff, so I hope that works out.

I can't believe i overlooked one of THE best albums of 2010:
Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier

More like The Final Yawntier, amirite?!

My pic for the most disappointing album of the year and probably of their discography..

I felt the same way when I listened to it the first couple of times but it kept growing on me with each subsequent spin. I think it's a superb album. Much better than anything they've released since X-Factor. Except for two songs - El Dorado (which is just terrible, except for the awesome solo) and Isle of Avalon (which is WAY too long and plodding) the rest is excellent. Coming Home and The Alchemist are outstanding IMO.

My point entirely. I'd add Starblind and When The Wild Wind Blows to that list. Excellent tracks, probably the best epic Maiden's done since Paschendale or Dance Of Death. The album flows brilliantly, save Isle of Avalon and The Man Who Would Be King to an extent.

Mind you, the highlight of the band for me remains Steve Harris, Nicko, Adrian & Dave. I agree that Bruce sounds strained on this one moreso than the last ones.

Yeah the production is a lot better as well compared to previous albums. Bruce sounds a bit strained here and there but he's still pulling it off. One sour point is Janick Gers solos. They're not bad but compared to the genius of Murray/Smith he's not even on the same planet. I wish he'd just lay back and contribute to the songwriting and let the other guys do their thing.

The only song I liked on this was The Talisman. Everything about it is brilliant. I almost liked it enough to buy the album but better sense prevailed. I'll just sit this out and wait for the next album. Like I did with Nostradamus.

Here's my "top 15" for 2010:

1. Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini
2. Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit
3. Decrepit Birth - Polarity
4. Allegaeon - Fragments of Form and Function
5. Melechesh - The Epigenesis
6. Demonic Resurrection - The Return to Darkness
7. Borknagar - Universal
8. Tesseract - Concealing Fate
9. Alcest - Écailles De Lune
10. Nachtmystum - Addicts Black Meddle Pt II
11. Ihsahn - After
12. Eyeless - The All Seeing Eye
13. Suicidal Angels - Dead Again
14. Amogh Symphony - The Quantum Hack Code
15. Devoid - A God's Lie

Other notable releases that I liked this year:
1. Guillotine - The Cynic
2. Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way Of Orwarrior
3. Rotting Christ - Aealo
4. Arsis - Starve for the Devil
5. Overkill - Ironbound
6. Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy
7. Burzum - Belus
8. Fueled by Fire - Plunging into Darkness
9. In Mourning - Monolith
10. Annihilator - Annihilator
11. Exodus - Exhibit B - The Human Condition
12. Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra
13. Sodom - In War and Pieces

Some great new artists I discovered this year (you may know these already, but I found them this year):
Allegaeon (USA, Technical Melodic Death Metal)
Diamond Plate (USA, Thrash Metal)
Eyeless (Canada, Technical Melodic Death Metal)
The Morningside (Russia, Atmospheric / Doom Metal)
Solstafir (Iceland, Psychedelic / Black Metal)
Suicidal Angels (Italy, Thrash Metal)
Jungle Rot (USA, Death Metal)
The Scourger (Finland, Melodic Death / Thrash Metal)
Melechesh (Israel, Black / Death Metal with middle eastern influence)