A look forward to 2011

New albums/ material from all over the place; Many of the No Sleep til Auckland bands I talked to, Arch Enemy, Inflames, The Haunted, Opeth, Lamb of God, Machine Head, Amon Amarth, Ulcerate, Origin, Obscura, Cavalera Conspiracy, Hate Eternal, All Shall Perish, Unearth, Converge, Devin Townsend, Septic Flesh, Testament, Children of Bodom, Devil Driver, Darkest Hour, Deicide, Turisas, Korpiklaani, Winds of Plague, Mastodon, Megadeth, Bleeding Through,
And the list goes on...

Also, System of the Down (I remember a few years ago, Random guy, my brother and I were out with a few of my mates at a favourite bar of my mates, when we decided to leave for cheaper beer. As we left, we had to side step an american couple excitedly talking to another american chap. As we got to the end of the road my borther turns around saying "That guy seems familiar" without breaking step and simultaneously Random Guy & I say "Yeah, It's Serj Tankian from S.O.A.D" "Oh, really? holy shit I got one of their cds" my brother replies, "He's metal isn't he? don't you wanna go talk to him?" again we reply "meh") and possibly more importantly (for me), At the Gates are both 'reforming' probably just for a limited run of big festival dates.

Judas Priest is winding up, apparently retiring in 2011.
The Melvins with High on Fire are lined up to visit and play several dates in NZ.

Disturbed with Trivium and As I Lay Dying are here in May, nothing interesting here, they've all visited relatively recently and often more than once. I missed As I Lay dying when they came last, but I hoped there be atleast a song from Austrian Death Machine...

In hilarious but "hmmm, could be interesting" news but  January, Kenny Rogers is playing Vector Arena (I had a good long hearty laugh when I heard this, which continued when my brother tells me he's excited that he's got his ticket to it..), a week or so later (or something) same with Joe Cocker & George Thorogood and the destroyers, ZZ Top in April- don't really know the ZZ Top details too much but they are touring Aussie with Rose Tattoo.

What lays ahead in terms of international metal acts visiting, and whether or not No Sleep Til fest returns, or whether the mammoth Soundwave fest announce they'll eventually have a NZ show- is all a mystery to me, but there's a lot of new albums with a lot of touring opportunities.