Now that was an excellent year, gems dropping from all corners, and I'm certain I still have a lot to discover! The amount of great stuff was indeed staggering.
Off with the ramblings, on with the albums:
- the first 7 albums are those I consider to be this year's ultimate best, but they're in alpha order as I couldn't make a preference order out of them
- then, the 23 others are in alpha order too. No preferences, just great stuff all around!
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1.
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Alchemist - Tripsis
More 'one-dimentional' than the rest of their albums, but many bands would kill to combine melody and aggression so skillfully. |
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2.
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Dødheimsgard - Supervillain Outcast
Crazy weirdo black indus. Disliked by most, but certainly not by me ;) |
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3.
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Machine Head - The Blackening
One of the monuments of this fantastic year. Nothing less. |
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4.
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Mekong Delta - Lurking Fear
A catastrophic sound, a lame singer, yet Mekong Delta's return is awesome. "Moderato" is reason enough. |
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5.
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Neurosis - Given To The Rising
Crushingly Neurosis. Who expected them to be so heavy? |
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6.
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Primordial - To The Nameless Dead
So intense, so emotional, so beautiful. |
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7.
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The Ocean - Precambrian
Another fabulous wonder. Complex post-hardcore stuff with so many other golden nuggets thrown in... |
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8.
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Aeon Spoke - Aeon Spoke
Beautiful soft rock with the Masvidal/Reinert touch. |
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9.
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Anaal Nathrakh - Hell Is Empty And All The Devils Are Here
Supposedly one of their weakest. What a blast! |
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10.
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Blackfield - Blackfield II
Emotional, moving, pop-rock. Oh well, damn, count me in! |
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11.
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C-187 - Collision
Tech death meets gansta rap meets jazz. Wow. |
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12.
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Dååth - The Hinderers
Catchy melodic death stuff with bits of electronics. I'm game. |
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13.
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Dark Tranquillity - Fiction
A slight step backward for this favorite band of mine, but nonetheless filled with fantastic songs. |
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14.
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Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omniscient
"Greetings, humans. I am Ziltoid, the Omniscient." |
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15.
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Entombed - Serpent Saints - The Ten Amendments
They're back. And they kick ass. |
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16.
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Exodus - The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A
Ouch!... That's a violent slab of thrash... |
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17.
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Ghost Brigade - Guided By Fire
First step of an already great band. |
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18.
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Hardingrock - Grimen
Beautiful folk stuff from Norway. Warning, Ihsahn inside. |
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19.
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Iced Earth - Framing Armageddon (Something Wicked - Part 1)
The full Wicked story? Count me in! |
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20.
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Manes - How The World Came To An End
Not really metal anymore, but who cares? |
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21.
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Maserati - Inventions For The New Season
Post-rock for lenghty nightly roadtrips. |
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22.
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Mass Hysteria - Une Somme De Détails
Back in shape - OK, that doesn't mean much - with some great dancefloor friendly stuff. |
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23.
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Ministry - The Last Sucker
One last album of Bush hatesongs, and some great ones at that. |
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24.
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Paradise Lost - In Requiem
Without doubts their best of the decade. |
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25.
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Project: Failing Flesh - The Conjoined
Crazy Voivod-influenced weird thrash. |
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26.
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Scarve - The Undercurrent
Technical, whimsical, aggressive, all I could want! |
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27.
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Sepia Dreamer - The Sublime
Because instrumental stuff like this is good. |
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28.
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Shining (NOR) - Grindstone
A weirdo jazzy thingie, this one. Awesome. |
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29.
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Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - In Glorious Times
Those musicians are really unhinged. That's why they're so great. |
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30.
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Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters
If only for "Vastness And Sorrow", this is a must-listen! |
