The Best of Steff Metal: 2010

In 2010, Steff Metal hit over 300 articles and reached over 30 000 readers, which blows my mind. The fact that there’s so many of you reading the thoughts of a no-name writer down here in New Zealand makes me feel all warm and giggly inside. I love your emails, comments and discussions on the blog, and on Facebook and Twitter.

I’ve really enjoyed the topics I’ve written on this year: everything from album reviews to prom advice to Christian metal to Indie music. In case you’re new here, or think you might have missed something good, I’ve compiled a list of some of the best articles on Steff Metal this year. Consider it a metal holiday reading list:

Fashion for Metalheads: Black Metal Fashion – the grymmest of the grymm in dark metak fashion.

42 Ways to Krieg Up Your Life – a little bit of silliness

Steampunk Birthday Party: The Great Bogan Train Robbery – 20 metalheads, a steam train, some corsets, a flintlock pistol and a fat conductor. What could possibly go wrong?

101 Ways to Cheer Yourself Up – The most popular post on Steff Metal. I still receive emails every week about this article.

10 Ways to Get Involved in the Metal Subculture WITHOUT Being a Poser – go to festivals, start a zine, support local bands, and heaps more.

Metal History: Caligula – the first metal history post, chronicling the life of my favorite crazy Roman emperor, Caligula.

Heavy Metal Phrasebook – you have to get the lingo right.

Metal History: Countess Bathory – the subject of countless metal songs and concept albums, I investigate the history of the blood countess.

How did YOU Discover Metal? – The songs that changed our lives.

I am in Egypt, being silly

Folk Metal Week: I started the week with Folk Metal: Origins, Theory and Discussion, interviewed Svartsot, investigated the History of Beer and discussed the finer aesthetic principles of Folk Metal Fashion.

Metal Travel: 5 Metal Things to Do in Egypt – It’s been a dream of mine since I was 7 years old to visit Egypt, and I finally did!

Indie Music: A friend asked me on Facebook “Why do Metalheads Hate Indie Music?” In Why I Hate Indie Music and Why I Love Indie Music, I attempt to answer this question.

Metal History: The Grand Guginal – the Theatre of Horror – Explore the original horror theatre, Paris’ Grand Guginal.

Ask a Bogan: Making Friends with Metalheads – One of the hardest things in the whole world is making new friends, especially if your potential friends stare you down every time you attempt to approach them. We put our heads together to come up with some tips.

Top Ten Metal Albums of 2010 … So Far – my mid-year list of the best, with plenty of discussion in the comments, amid outrage at my appalling taste (I make no apologies)

Ronnie James Dio Tributes – Honoring a Dead Hero or a Cash Cow? – My take on the discussion surrounding Manowar’s release of a Dio tribute album.

Dealing with Rejection … the Metalhead Way – We talk about how to deal with the shittier aspects of life.

Learning German with JBO – If you’ve never heard of JBO, well … now you have.

Christian Metal Week: It all started with “White Metal” Exploring the Oxymoron that is Christian Metal music. I then delved into the History of Christian Metal Music, and finished with 5 Christian Metal Albums Reviewed.

5 Metal Things to Do in Hamburg – If you ever happen to be in this beautiful German city.

Summer Metal Festival Survival Guide – My tips for surviving a European metal festival like Wacken Open Air.

Overcoming Negative Body Image: How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love My Weird Face – an article about my own struggles with negative self image with heaps of tips and advice for others dealing with similiar issues.

Fashion for Metalheads – How to Win Hot Girls and Influence People – an article I wrote exploring the possible ways metal fashion can be “read” by other people and how you might be able to use this to ‘win hot girls and influence people’.

HP Lovecraft week: Cthulhus and Shoggoths and mad Arabs, oh my. Have a look at the HP Lovecraft Horror Film Round-Up, HP Lovecraft’s influence on heavy metal music, 5 HP Lovecraft Metal Albums Reviewed, Cthulhu Gift Guide and Your Summer Reading List: 10 HP Lovecraft and Cthulhu Mythos Books.

Origins of Metalcore – an AWESOME guest post by Chris about the origins of metalcore, with some great discussion in the comments.

Ask a Bogan: My Friend Copies Me – I give a bit of advice to a fellow metal lass dealing with a clingy friend.

Steff Metal’s Favorite Black Metal Albums – I’m not, by any stretch, a tr00 kvlt krieg grymm nekro evvvvvvvil black metaller, but I share a few of my favorite black metal albums.

Metal Pet Peeves – Even though we love metal, sometimes it annoys the shit out of us. From long intros on albums to “untitled” tracks to overly-complicated genre classifications.

Halloween Costumes for Metalheads – from Alice Cooper to Zombie Dead to Nietzsche.

Halloween: Steff Metal style – My own Halloween costume – Jack the Ripper – complete with three filthy London whores.

Categorizing Your CD Collection – alphabetically? by genre? The debate rages on

Metal History: Bastard Pirate Girls – a swashbuckling true story of pirate wenches by guest blogger Louise Curtis.

Pirate Metal Albums reviewed – I’ve enjoyed adding a few music reviews to my site this year, and here is a list of some of the more popular pirate metal albums.

Top Ten Metal Albums of 2010 – from Accepts Blood of the Nation to Ihsahn’s After, I review my ten picks for the best albums of 2010.

Best and Worst Experiences at a Metal Show – from being punched in the face to getting your hair caught in the rafters, we discuss the pros and cons of the live music experience.

How to Make a Gingerbread Viking Ship. Step-by-step instructions for creating the most epic of culinary creations – complete with photographs.

How’s that for a little summer reading?