So, after some time to think about it, here's my top ten albums for the year.
10. Opeth - Watershed
This record is so fucking good. Beautiful proggy stuff. More Damnation than Deliverance, but "Heir Apparent" is one of the heaviest songs the band has ever written. Fantastic. "The Lotus Eater" is one of my favorite Opeth songs, though it's called "The Louts Eater" on my copy of the album on vinyl.
9. Kanye West - 808's and Heartbreaks
I'm not typically a fan of rap, but this isn't a typical rap album. It sounds like a 80's pop record, with the 808 drum machine and the auto tuned vocals, and it's a wonderful thing. "Heartless", "Paranoid", and "Love Lockdown" are my favorites. His raw emotion comes through the almost synthetic vocals, and it's a record everyone should give a chance.
8. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
Well, apparently Trent Reznor just can't stop writing. Two records in one year, with The Slip being the better of the two. "1000000" is the danciest, most badass NIN song in years. Year Zero was a phenomenal record, but this seems a bit more in your face. There's not a bad track on the album. Seriously.
7. Cursed - III: Architects of Troubled Sleep
Cursed is fucking mad. Really fucking mad. Every goddamn track on this album oozes a vile, dystopian view of the world, and with good fucking cause. The world is fucked up. Nothing is changing. The music business is a mess. While touring the record, Cursed was robbed and subsequently broke up. It's sad, because they truly were Canada's heaviest export.
6. Jesu/Battle of Mice split
It's only four songs, but the split contains the best Jesu songs yet. Two, majestic, slow, beautiful songs. The Battle of Mice songs are no slouches either. Even though they aren't the best songs the band has recorded, they are better than most songs released this year.
5. Metallica - Death Magnetic
It's not a perfect record, but it's better than anything the band has produced in almost 20 years. It's a proper successor to ...And Justice For All, it's just too bad that there was all of the bullshit between the two records. It's nice to hear them hungry again. For christs sake, there are fucking TRIPLITS in "Broken, Beat & Scarred". So fucking good.
4. The Bronx - The Bronx III
The new Bronx record is a near perfect blast punk record. The leads are amazing, something the band has never done before, and the vocal hooks are top notch. Eleven badass songs with no filler. My only complaint is that there aren't any of the slower tunes, the other records had at least one each, and it would have been a nice change in pace.
3. The Misfits - Walk Among Us
I know this record didn't come out this year, but I hadn't found it until now. I truly love this band and had no idea. It only took me 24 years to realize how amazing this album is. The hooks are amazing. The riffing is top notch. Just a wonderful time.
2. Spylacopa - Spylacopa EP
Greg from the DEP can do no wrong. Last year, the DEP record was better than the rest, and this EP is almost as good. With Greg and Julie Christmas, of Battle of Mice/Made Out of Babies fame, sharing vocal duties, I knew that this record would own. 5 great tunes. The final tune "I Should Have Known" sounds like Pink Floyd and Radiohead blended together in the best possible ways. My only complaint is the lack of Julie Christmas, who apparently came to the project late and will be more prevalent on the next EP due out early next year. Bring it on.
1. Torche - Meanderthal
Torche have produced a perfect record this year. I can't skip a single track on the 13 track gem. Not only are the songs all kicking strong, but the album also has the best packaging for the year. Just buy the vinyl and you'll know. Amazing packaging. Amazing tunes. Goddamn goodness.
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4 comments:
kenye west beat meshugga, that is treason my friend.
For one, it's Meshuggah. Two, yes. Even though I loved Obzen, I have listened to the Kanye more in three weeks than I have the Meshuggah all year. Meshuggah would have been 11, had the list gone that high. It was also hard not to put Black Sails on the list. They are a Canadian band as heavy as Cursed. They would be 12 and 13 for their two releases this year.
Well what do you say to this, I thought both the new trivium album and the debut trenches album was better than the new metallica.
I thought the Trivium was hit or miss. I didn't hear the Trenches album. I thought that the Metallica was a superb effort. The first 5 tracks alone were better than most bands outputs this year. There were a lot of albums I dug that didn't make it. The Verse en Coma ep, the one new Slayer song, the one new GlassJAw song, the Protest the Hero album, the Nachtmystium album, the Made Out of Babies album, the Gods and Queens album, the Fall of Troy ep, the Disfear album, the Cynic album, the Cradle of Filth album was actually good as well. It was very hard. I just went the records I listened to the most, the ones that really hit me right. You should go buy the Torche album. It's amazing.
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