Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade (2010-2019)
Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade (2010-2019)
Welcome to the first ever Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade! There are quite a few decades of great music to cover but Sleaze Roxx will start with the time period of 2010 to 2019.
This was likely the most difficult “best of” albums list that I have ever compiled for Sleaze Roxx. Given the magnitude of this list, I enlisted the assistance of four additional people, who listen to most, if not all, of the bands covered by Sleaze Roxx and who have similar taste in music, to ensure that I did not miss any great albums from this past decade (2010-2019). The four “consultants” included of course Sleaze Roxx founder and former editor Skid.
Given that Sleaze Roxx has come up with Top Ten Albums for every year of this past decade, some may wonder how come up an album that may have landed at #1 during one year did not make it onto the Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of the Decade (2010-2019). The reality is that certain albums simply hold up better over time. Sometimes, albums that sounded terrific during the particular year that they were released simply don’t resonate as strongly a couple of years later. I’d also like to emphasize that the Sleaze Roxx Top 12 Albums of the Decade (2010-2019) is also not meant to “rewrite” Sleaze Roxx’s Top Ten Album Lists for the last ten years. Those were the best albums of the year in the order chosen by Sleaze Roxx at those points in time. At the end of the day, out of the top 12 albums listed below, five finished at #1 on the Sleaze Roxx year end album lists, two at #2, one at #5, one at #7, one at #9, one at #10 and one missed the cut altogether.
At first, it was going to be the Sleaze Roxx’s Top Ten Albums of The Decade (2010-2019) but narrowing down the best albums of this last decade to only ten turned out to be quite a difficult task and I toyed back and forth with the idea of doing a Top 12 for the longest time. Eventually, I just had to expand it to 12 albums as it was simply too difficult and almost heartbreaking not to include two more records. Where to place each of the albums within the Top 12 was challenging as well as I would often change my mind each time that I would listen to one of these records. The criteria for an album to qualify for the Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade (2010-2019) was relatively straightforward. It simply had to be a great album from start to finish and one that I would still play regularly to this day. Other factors that I considered but to a lesser extent were how many albums that the group had released during this decade, how the record was seemingly perceived in the band’s discography and how important was the record to the band’s live setlist. You’ll see that there were exceptions along the way but one thing is for certain, you can’t go wrong with listening to any of the 12 albums listed below.
Without further ado, here is the Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade (2010-2019).
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1. STEEL PANTHER – Balls Out (2011)
CD Review — Band Website — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
I can see it now. Steel Panther? They are nothing more than a “parody” band! Well, Steel Panther just happen to have released some of the greatest albums of the last two decades and one of those records just happens to have been put out in the last decade. To all the naysayers who can’t get over the silly lyrics, I would say “get over it” and listen to the songs as a whole. Balls Out has some of the catchiest and most fun songs that you’ll ever hear with some killer guitar riffs and solos to boot that would make Eddie Van Halen proud. Steel Panther have actually been very busy during this past decade releasing four studio albums, one live DVD and one live acoustic record. Balls Out is definitely the cream of the crop in terms of those four studio albums with the remainder consisting of All You Can Eat (2014), Lower The Bar (2017) and Heavy Metal Rules (2019). Tracks like “17 Girls In A Row”, “Just Like Tiger Woods” and “Tomorrow Night” from Balls Out have been staples in Steel Panther‘s live set for almost a decade with good reason. Throw in that the band still plays many of the other songs live more than eight years later (such as “Gold Digging Whore”, “Let Me Cum In” and “Weenie Ride”) and Balls Out can only be viewed as a classic album and simply the best one of this last decade.
Steel Panther‘s “If You Really Really Love Me” video:
Steel Panther – If You Really Really Love Me
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2. THE LAZYS – Tropical Hazards (2018)
CD Review — Band Website — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
Don’t give up. Never ever give up. The Lazys are the epitome of perseverance as the group dates all the way back to 2007 or so yet have only made a real dent in the last five or six years with their albums The Lazys and Tropical Hazards. If you can find and listen to some of The Lazys‘ earlier records, which includes the EP Tattooed Addiction (2007), the EP Nicotine Soul (2007), the Red / Yellow EP, the Green EP (2009), the full-length Prison Earth (2010), the EP Temptation Never Like You (2011) and The Younger Years (2007-2011) (2015), you’ll find a diamond in the rough that needed a lot of polishing and refining. The Lazys never gave up and even relocated from Australia to Canada to make their rock n’ roll dreams a reality. Things for the band really seemed to turn when they hooked up with Billy Talent guitarist Ian D’Sa who co-wrote most of the songs on their brilliant album Tropical Hazards. That record is so full of killer tracks that the band doesn’t even play one of its best songs ever (in my humble opinion) — “Take Back The Town” — in a live setting. The Lazys are currently working on their follow up to Tropical Hazards and there is no need to say that this is my most anticipated release for hopefully 2020. No pressure lads!
The Lazys‘ “Nothing But Trouble” video:
The Lazys – Nothing But Trouble – Official Music Video
The Lazys – Nothing But Trouble. From the upcoming album “Tropical Hazards” out February 16th, 2018. Pre-order/Pre-save now! https://TheLazys.lnk.to/TROPICALHAZARDSID Leon Harrison – Lead Vocals Matty Morris – Lead Guitar & Vocals Liam Shearer – Rhythm Guitar & Vocals Glenn Williams – Bass & Vocals Andy Nielsen – Drums Produced by HRD Music Inc.
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3. CRASHDïET – Generation Wild (2010)
CD Review — Band Website — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
I had previously mentioned that I had “consulted” with four other people to come up with the Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade (2010-2019). There was only one album that made everyone’s list and that’s Crashdïet‘s third full-length album Generation Wild. Crashdïet have really had an incredible history as they have been able to deliver some of the greatest albums of the last 15 years with four different lead vocalists. By the time that Crashdïet released Generation Wild in 2010, they were on singer #3 with Simon Cruz getting the nod. This was after original lead vocalist and band founder Dave Lepard — who appeared on the debut full-length album Rest In Sleaze — sadly took his own life in 2006 and the failed experiment with Reckless Love singer Olli Herman (who was going under the name Olliver Twisted) who handled the lead vocals on 2008’s The Unattractive Revolution. Interestingly enough, Crashdïet were the closest to score a second album in the Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade as Rust with new singer Gabriel Keyes is also a phenomenal record. Nevertheless, it’s Generation Wild that makes the cut and I hope that one day, we’ll get to see former lead vocalist Simon Cruz resurface in the public limelight and get the full credit he deserves for stepping into a very difficult situation and delivering an amazing album with his new bandmates.
Crashdïet‘s “Generation Wild” video:
Crashdiet – Generation Wild
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4. H.E.A.T – Tearing Down The Walls (2014)
CD Review — Band Website — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
I’ve always said that when melodic rockers get a little edgier with their sound, the results can be out of this world and that’s exactly what happened with Swedish rockers H.E.A.T‘s second studio album with frontman Erik Gronwall. It seems that H.E.A.T put everything together on Tearing Down The Walls, which has many killer songs (such as “A Shot At Redemption”, “Mannequin Show” and “Point of No Return”) yet a lot of variety at the same time. In an interview with Sleaze Roxx back in late February 2020, Gronwall was told that one H.E.A.T album would be making the cut for Sleaze Roxx’s Top Albums of The Decade (2010-2019). After guessing that H.E.A.T‘s latest album H.E.A.T II was the record that made the Top Albums of the Decade but subsequently being advised that the album was not eligible (given that it was released in 2020), the frontman quickly surmised that Tearing Down the Walls had to be the album and he was right! Gronwall gave the following reasons why: (1) H.E.A.T moved towards a more aggressive and heavier melodic rock sound, (2) the songs on Tearing Down The Walls were very well written, and (3) it’s an energetic and powerful album. Gronwall is dead on!
H.E.A.T‘s “A Shot of Redemption” video:
H.e.a.t ‘A Shot At Redemption’ Official Music Video from the new album ‘Tearing Down The Walls’
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5. SISTER SIN – True Sound of The Underground (2010)
CD Review — Facebook — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
Swedish rockers Sister Sin had previously released two full-length albums Dance of The Wicked in 2003 and Switchblade Serenades in 2008. However, it wasn’t until 2010’s True Sound of The Underground that Sister Sin really found their sound opting for a slightly heavier direction in music but still highlighted by female vocalist Liv Jagrell‘s stellar vocals. Songs such as “Sound of The Underground”, “Outrage”, “Better Than Them” and “Beat Em Down” are powerful, energy filled and like a fine wine, get better every time you listen to them. In between relentlessly touring throughout the world including North America, Sister Sin released two more fantastic albums Now And Forever (2012) and Black Lotus (2014) before suddenly calling it quits in November 2015. Within days of the end of this last decade, Sister Sin‘s classic line-up of Jagrell, drummer Dave Sundberg, guitarist Jimmy Hitula and bassist Strandh announced that they were reuniting to play some festivals in July 2020. Sadly, whether those festivals happen with the Coronavirus pandemic remains to be seen but if there is one line-up that can deliver another album as good as True Sound of The Underground, it has to be Sister Sin‘s reunited line-up.
Sister Sin‘s “Sound of The Underground” video:
Sister Sin – Sound of the underground (Official)
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6. DIEMONDS – The Bad Pack (2011)
CD Review — Facebook
Diemonds‘ sophomore album The Bad Pack is the only album featured on the Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade (2010-2019) that wasn’t on a Sleaze Roxx year end list beforehand. I can’t speak on why my predecessor Skid overlooked this record but I like to think it’s simply because he was not fully aware of it at the time. As Diemonds‘ front woman Priya Panda would reveal several years later, The Bad Pack was her attempt to write a Ratt record. While The Bad Pack doesn’t really sound like Ratt, it does have a cool ’80s vibe to it but also a whole lot of attitude, sleaze and swagger from start to finish. The Bad Pack was first released by the band independently in 2011 before getting re-released on October 2, 2012 via Underground Operations who signed the band in early 2012. Diemonds would go on to release two more albums during the last decade with Never Wanna Die (2015) and Diemonds (2018). The group’s two mainstay members for all those records were Panda and guitarist C.C. Diemond. Sadly, two of the five band members who played on The Bad Pack are no longer with us as guitarist Alan ‘Yeti’ Riches passed away in December 2013 while bassist Paul ‘Cuzo’ Mancuso died in 2014. Their families and friends can be proud that they played on one of the best albums of this last decade.
Diemonds‘ “Take On The Night” video:
DIEMONDS – TAKE ON THE NIGHT
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7. ECLIPSE – Paradigm (2019)
CD Review — Band Website — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
Swedish rockers Eclipse are likely the most consistent band of the last decade as all four of their albums released from 2010 to 2019 were excellent. Eclipse‘s four studio albums this past decade — Bleed & Scream (2012), Armageddonize (2014), Monumentum (2017) and Paradigm (2019) — were all so good that either one could have made the Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade. While some people complained that Eclipse offered nothing “new” on their latest album Paradigm, it is the Eclipse record that gets the nod for the Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade given that it’s almost like a summary of the highlights that the band has had to offer this past decade. Tracks like “Viva La Victoria”, “Mary Leigh” and “The Masquerade” should be staples in Eclipse‘s setlist for many years to come. The supporting cast may change from one album to the next for Eclipse but the band’s two mainstays — frontman Erik Mårtensson and lead guitarist Magnus Henriksson — continue to deliver the goods from one album to another.
Eclipse‘s “Viva La Victoria” video:
Eclipse – “Viva La Victoria” (Official Music Video)
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8. THE WILD! – GxDxWxB (2015)
CD Review — Band Website — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
Canadian rockers The Wild!‘s debut album GxDxWxB is the highest charting debut record on the Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade. It’s also the only EP on the list and therefore the shortest album with only seven songs. That being said, those seven tracks are pure gold from the rambunctious “Roadhouse” to the sleazy yet bluesy “Slow Burn” to the AC/DC blues tinged “What About You?”. The Wild! only released two albums this past decade (Wild At Heart in 2017 being the other record) but it’s fair to say that the group has only released quality albums to date and this year’s Still Believe In Rock And Roll is no exception (review to come). The Wild! have had a few line-up changes along the way but the mainstays are band leader and chief songwriter Dylan Villain along with bassist (and the other voice of the band) Boozus. In any case, The Wild!‘s debut EP GxDxWxB is a “must own” and should be added to every Sleaze Roxx reader’s album collection.
The Wild!‘s “Roadhouse” video:
The Wild! – Roadhouse
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9. RATT – Infestation (2010)
CD Review — Band Website — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
The beginning of the last decade saw one of the greatest ’80s era “hair metal” bands return in style with a brand new studio album worthy of their best ’80s record releases. Infestation was a “return to form” for Ratt after two decades. With new recruit Carlos Cavazo (Snow, Quiet Riot) on guitar, lead vocalist Stephen Pearcy, guitarist Warren DeMartini, drummer Bobby Blotzer and bassist Robbie Crane delivered exactly what Ratt fans wanted with the classic sound and the record that should have really followed 1990’s Detonator. Unfortunately, rather than ride the Infestation momentum triumphantly into the new decade, turmoil and infighting turned the band upside down. After a 15 year run, Crane left the group in March 2012 only to be replaced by classic line-up bassist Juan Croucier. By April 2014, Pearcy walked away but with Ratt still owing one more album to Roadrunner Records and the singer’s feud with Bobby Blotzer seemingly gaining a lot of momentum. The rest of the decade for Ratt has been well publicized with Blotzer deciding to morph his Bobby Bloter’s Ratt Experience into Ratt, and lots of litigation involving Pearcy, Croucier, Blotzer and DeMartini with the singer and bassist being the lone men standing as Ratt at the end of the decade.
Ratt‘s “Eat Me Up Alive” video:
Ratt – Eat Me Up Alive [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
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10. TALES FROM THE PORN – H.M.M.V. (2017)
CD Review — Facebook — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
Who would have ever thought that a bunch of Brazilian musicians who had never met their singer in person would come up with one of the top albums of the decade? Yet that is exactly what happened as the genesis for the band dates back to 2011 when bassist Bento Mello and guitarist Andy Sun talked about putting a group together to play ’80s “hair metal” styled music. In 2014, the Brazilian duo recruited other band members and decided to try to find an American singer for the lead vocals on the debut album. Enter Tuff frontman and Metal Sludge principal Stevie Rachelle, and the Tales From The Porn group was born. Despite the distance between Brazil and sunny California, Tales From The Porn were able to successfully rekindle that ’80s spirit and come up with a collection of songs plus a rousing cover of Kenny Logging‘s “Danger Zone” that should please any music lover from that era. The big question is will there will be a follow up album? Rachelle indicated to Sleaze Roxx in an interview dating back more than a year ago that he had received some song ideas from guitarist Andy Sun but the Tuff frontman warned that it took a couple of years for Tales From The Porn‘s debut album to come to fruition.
Tales From The Porn‘s “Back To The 80s” video:
TALES FROM THE PORN – BACK TO THE 80s EXTENDED VERSION (Official Music Video)
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11. VAIN – Enough Rope (2011)
CD Review — Band Website — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
Quality over quantity seems to be Vain‘s mantra as the group only released two studio albums this past decade but what great records those turned out to be! Enough Rope finished at #1 on the Sleaze Roxx’s Top Ten Albums of 2011 and #4 on the Sleaze Roxx Readers’ Top 20 Albums of 2011. Rolling With The Punches finished at #10 on the Sleaze Roxx’s Top Ten Albums of 2017 and #13 on the Sleaze Roxx Readers’ Top 20 Albums of 2017. With Enough Rope, Vain delivered what can arguably rival their cult favorite and stellar debut album No Respect (1989). Other bands should take a page from Vain‘s playbook and perhaps take a little more time to craft their albums to ensure that the quality is there. Enough Rope may be difficult to find and/or purchase these days but if you haven’t heard this record and enjoyed Vain‘s debut album No Respect, the album should be a mandatory addition to your record collection.
Vain performing “Greener” live at the M3 Rock Festival in Columbia, Maryland, USA on April 28, 2017:
Vain: Greener
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12. CRAZY LIXX – New Religion (2010)
CD Review — Band Website — Sleaze Roxx Year End List
Out of all the bands featured on Sleaze Roxx’s Top 12 Albums of The Decade (2010-2019), Swedish rockers Crazy Lixx have been the most prolific releasing five studio albums — New Religion (2010), Riot Avenue (2012), Crazy Lixx (2014), Ruff Justice (2017) and Forever Wild (2019) — along with a live album titled Sound of The Live Minority (2016). Perhaps the best way to see how Crazy Lixx view their sophomore album New Religion is simply with what songs that make up their setlist after six studio albums under their belt and a tendency for “newer” bands to want to promote their latest album in a live setting. In an interview with The Rockpit two months ago, frontman Danny Rexon indicated that Crazy Lixx‘s setlist mostly consisted of songs from their latest two studio albums along with tracks from New Religion. Time will tell but one can only hope that Crazy Lixx continue to be as prolific in releasing studio albums as they have done in the last decade.
Crazy Lixx‘s “Rock And A Hard Place” promo video:
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