Viking's Choice: 2010's Best Metal And Outer Sound

Enlarge this image Courtesy of At a Loss Recordings Courtesy of At a Loss Recordings

In the middle of recording their year-end conversation about metal, drone and outer sound on Dec. 17, NPR Music producer Lars Gotrich and All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen heard about the passing of Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart. It seemed fitting, then, in the midst of progressive metal and meditative drone music, to pay a small tribute to the man who inspired many musicians to think "out."

Lars Gotrich's analog, year-end list-making technique has become more bloodthirsty this time around (now with video!). In this episode, then, it shouldn't be that surprising when he describes one album as a "looped liturgy for the apocalypse" and another as "fire coming out of the fog." But in the midst of all the heavy chaos, he still finds music that levitates.

Click here for more entries in our Best Music of 2010 series.

Hear past Viking's Choice year-end shows: 2008 and 2009.

