WATAIN's 'Lawless Darkness' Tops CLOSE-UP MAGAZINE's 2010 List

Sweden's Close-Up magazine has published its list of the top 20 albums of 2010 based on individual selections from all of its writers. It is as follows:

01. WATAIN: Lawless Darkness
02. KYLESA: Spiral Shadow
03. CRUCIFYRE: Infernal Earthly Divine
04. BRING ME THE HORIZON: There Is A Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret
05. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN: Option Paralysis
06. DEATHSPELL OMEGA: Paracletus
07. IMMOLATION: Majesty And Decay
08. KHOMA: A Final Storm
09. BAD RELIGION: The Dissent Of Man
10. HIGH ON FIRE: Snakes For The Divine
11. DESULTORY: Counting Our Scars
12. DANZIG: Deth Red Sabaoth
13. NEVERMORE: The Obsidian Conspiracy
14. OVERKILL: Ironbound
15. ALCEST: Écailles De Lune
16. WITCHERY: Witchkrieg
17. DEFTONES: Diamond Eyes
18. DANKO JONES: Below The Belt
19. ELECTRIC WIZARD: Black Masses
20. BOMBS OF HADES: Chambers Of Abominations

In an interview published in the magazine and conducted by writer Lars Martinsson, WATAIN frontman Erik Danielsson says he is not at all surprised by all the praise the band's "Lawless Darkness" album has received. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Close-Up: Congratulations, Erik Danielsson, to the position as number one on the Close-Up Magazine list with the 20 best albums of 2010. Are you surprised?

Erik: "No. Actually, if only half of the boastful outbursts I've made about the album during this year were true it would still end up as number one on your list. What I think about the album and what I expect people to think about it is irrelevant. This just goes to prove that I wasn't very far from the truth myself."

On other albums released during 2010:

Erik: "There have been two or maybe three good albums released during this year, to my knowledge. And that is — apart from 'Lawless Darkness' — 'Devils Poison' by VOMITOR from Australia as well as the Swedish band GHOST's debut album, 'Opus Eponymous'. Apart from that, this year has been very weak in terms of good albums."

On the new NACHTMYSTIUM album:

Erik: "Nope, they are not on my list, I can tell you that right away. I've heard them, we're toured with them and they are cool guys, but I don't like the music.

On THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN:

Erik: "Ah, right. I forgot that one. Forget everything else I've said, and include only THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN.

Close-Up: Are you serious?

Erik: "No. I don't like them.

Close-Up: BLOOD OF THE BLACK OWL?

Erik: "Never heard of.

Close-Up: SHINING from Norway? FURZE? You must like ABIGOR?

Erik: "Nope. Nope. No. I am actually quite turned-off by this cavalcade of excrements. Just goes to prove what I said: there haven't been much quality in the record business this year. But that's just the sign of the times, I guess."