10. Meshuggah - Alive
The first time I saw Meshuggah was on the Nothing tour, and while it truly hurts me to say it, they were nothing (no pun intended) close what I had been expecting. With no production and on a small, shoddy stage, my first live glimpse at the band was something that us Americans encounter on a regular basis–due to the insane costs that European bands incur upon embarking on a stateside tour, they’re forced to run with a scaled down setup, thus resulting in somewhat of a letdown. With Alive, I’ve finally gotten the chance to see the band how they are meant to be seen.

9. Exodus - Shovel Headed Tour Machine (Live At Wacken & Other Assorted Atrocities)
Seriously, how many DVDs from this list were filmed at Germany’s Wacken festival?

Shovel Headed Tour Machine (Live at Wacken and Other Assorted Atrocities) chronicles Exodus’ July 2008 appearance at the legendary festival, plus a documentary following the band through the past five years of touring. Additional bonus footage features extensive photo galleries as well as all of the group’s music videos.

8. Heaven & Hell – Neon Nights: 30 Years of Heaven & Hell: Live at Wacken
While touring in support of The Devil You Know, Heaven & Hell took the stage at the Wacken festival in Germany last summer for what would become Ronnie James Dio’s last filmed concert appearance. An incredible performance from the legendary band, Heaven & Hell played an invigorating set, incorporating a collection of tracks from their newly released album with classic staples from the band’s 30-year reign.

7. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax – The Big Four Live from Sofia, Bulgaria
It was a far stretch for any metal fan to think the day would come that Metallica and Megadeth would share a stage and enjoy it, but this summer, with Slayer and Anthrax in tow, not only did it happen–it happened 7 times! News of the “Big 4” shows sent shock waves across the globe, with metal heads uniting at the Sonisphere festivals in Poland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Bulgaria for a glimpse at history in the making. Entire sets from all four bands at the June 22nd show are compiled within this five hour DVD, in addition to behind-the-scenes footage of the bands backstage. An absolute must-have for any fan of heavy music!

6. Megadeth – Rust in Peace Live
Widely considered one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time, Megadeth’s Rust in Peace celebrated its 20th anniversary with a commemoratory tour (say that three times fast) throughout much of this year. Documenting their highly anticipated homecoming, the band’s LA appearance at the Hollywood Palladium was filmed for Rust in Peace Live, and features the album performed in its entirety, as well as an array of fan favorites like “Peace Sells” and “Symphony of Destruction.”

5. The Haunted - Road Kill
From the ashes of At the Gates came The Haunted, the Björler brothers (and former, founding drummer Adrian Erlandsson’s) preservation of the melodic death metal scene. After releasing their sixth studio album, Versus, in 2008, the band returned this year with their second DVD offering, Road Kill. Showcasing an intense live performance at Melkweg in Amsterdam, Road Kill also features an in-depth tour documentary produced by guitarist Anders Björler. Additionally, the accompanying CD contains the full live-show audio, as well as five previously unreleased studio tracks from the Versus recording sessions.

4. Behemoth – Evangelia Heretika
After a trying year for the Polish death metal band, Behemoth finally released their second DVD outing, Evangelia Heretika, early last month. The impressive three-disc set features two live performances (“Live in Paris 2008” and “Live in Warsaw 2009”) in entirety, as well as every music video the band has made and a tour documentary with interviews and more.

3. Down - Diary of a Mad Band
In the summer of 2006, Down embarked on a wholly grassroots, DIY tour throughout much of mainland Europe and the UK. Bringing cameras along for the unknown road ahead, the band filmed their six-week journey, compiling raw footage that would become their first DVD release. The completely behind-the-scenes documentary follows Down from their small club and theatre performances to a main stage appearance at the Download Festival in Donnington. As an added bonus, the “Tirades and Shenanigans” are quite possibly the funniest ten-minutes to ever be caught on film.

2. Opeth - In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall
There are not many bands that could perform for three hours and leave fans yearning for more, but earlier this year, Opeth did just that through their insanely successful (and very short) 20th anniversary tour. The band filmed their show at London’s legendary Royal Albert Hall, which frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt jokingly referred to as “bringing death metal into the halls of high culture.” Encased in three CDs and two DVDs, In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall is an impressive display of this band’s unprecedented talent and their evolution through the past twenty years.

1. At the Gates – The Flames of the End
As the true proprietors of the Gothenburg sound, At the Gates announced plans to reunite in 2008 as a means to bring closure to their abrupt 1996 disbandment. The band toured the US and Canada as part of their “Suicidal Final Tour,” followed by a handful of European festival dates including the Wacken festival in Germany. The Flames of the End chronicles their historic, 75-minute set, in addition to a collection of rare and archived live performances and a documentary filmed and directed by guitarist Anders Björler.