We've been counting down the finest slabs of metal from the last year, as chosen by the devout scribes here at BW&BK;/BraveWords.com. As with previous years, each writer was asked to pick his top 20 albums of the year (no live records, compilations or covers etc...). We perform a little behind-the-scenes metal math and voila, we have our list! We'll be counting down the Top 30 all month - yup, one a day until we get to New Year's - yes, we're aware that December has 31 daze but we thought we'd let you hang until January 1st!

So now we've reached the much-anticipated TOP TEN! Drum roll please...

#6 - IRON MAIDEN - The Final Frontier (EMI)

Certainly a heated debate these days in the BW&BK; offices with some scribes sticking by these British legends and others finding their proggy direction a little hard to swallow. No matter, the numbers show the band's power: bloody 'ell, The Final Frontier charted #1 in 21 Eddie-loving countries around the globe!

Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood commented: "On behalf of Bruce, Dave, Adrian, Janick, Steve and Nicko, l would like to thank YOU our Maiden Clan for all for your phenomenal support - without which these chart entries just wouldn't have happened. You are the BEST."

In his epic BraveWords.com review Dom Lawson wrote: More popular than ever and globally revered in a way that no other metal band has ever come close to achieving, let alone sustaining for three decades, Iron Maiden continue to inspire debate because what they do matters to the metal community as a whole. The last decade saw the band capitalize on the momentum generated by that much-anticipated reunion with singer Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith by releasing three exceptional studio albums and embarking on the kind of grueling tour schedules that most bands of this vintage would avoid like the plague. The fact is, Maiden do things differently, with an intense work ethic and respect for both their fans and their own art that makes them largely unique, and whether you have stayed with them for all these years or lost interest somewhere along that long road, it’s hard to imagine a world without a new Eddie, a new stage show and some epic new songs every few years. This time round, however, things seem even more feverish and hyped-up than usual; a testament to the fact that Maiden seem to be defying age and logic by getting bigger than even in their '80s heyday. With a new generation of fans eagerly accepting the Brits’ status as metal’s acknowledged kingpins, the excitement surrounding the release of 'El Dorado' as a free download and the server-crashing race to see the full, sci-fi grandeur of the video for this album’s title track were monumental in their intensity.

Read Dom's entire review here.

Brave Picks Top 30 Of 2010

#30 - STONE SOUR: Audio Secrecy (Roadrunner)

#29 - APOCALYPTICA - 7th Symphony (Sony)

#28 - TWILIGHT: Monument To Time End (Southern Lord)

#27 - HAIL OF BULLETS - On Divine Winds (Metal Blade)

#26 - FORBIDDEN - Omega Wave (Nuclear Blast)

#25 - KROKUS - Hoodoo (Columbia)

#24 - AIRBOURNE - No Guts. No Glory. (Roadrunner)

#23 - SOILWORK - The Panic Broadcast (Nuclear Blast)

#22 - TRIPTYKON - Eparistera Daimones (Century Media)

#21 - DARKTHRONE - Circle The Wagons (Peaceville)

#20 - NEVERMORE - The Obsidian Conspiracy (Century Media)

#19 - FOZZY - Chasing The Grail (Riot)

#18 - EXODUS - Exhibit B: The Human Condition (Nuclear Blast)

#17 - MISERY INDEX - Heirs To Thievery (Relapse)

#16 - ARMORED SAINT - La Raza (Metal Blade)

#15 - BLIND GUARDIAN - At The Edge Of Time (Nuclear Blast)

#14 - GAMMA RAY - To The Metal (earMusic)

#13 - MURDERDOLLS - Women And Children Last (Roadrunner)

#12 - RATT - Infestation (Loud & Proud/Roadrunner)

#11 - BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - Order Of The Black (E1)

#10 - KYLESA - Spiral Shadow (Season Of Mist)

#9 - FEAR FACTORY - Mechanize (Candlelight)

#8 - IHSAHN - After (Candlelight)

#7 - DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN - Option Paralysis (Party Smasher/Season Of Mist)

#6 - IRON MAIDEN - The Final Frontier (EMI)