Post by Phosphor Glow on Jan 29, 2011 19:10:31 GMT -5
Yeah yeah, I'm really late to the party here, I know. Life has been pretty hectic for me, so it's taken me awhile to put this list together. Either way, here it is!:
First, the honorable mentions:
Underoath - Disambiguation: This was actually going to make the top 20, but I somehow forgot to put it on there...and I'm not sure there's anything I'd take off for it, so let's put it here, because it was still a really, really great record. Very Underoath, but that's not a bad thing. Awesome stuff.
Weezer - Hurley: This album was pretty good. I'd say it was a step above Raditude, but still nowhere near on the level of their first four. At this point, I'm not sure if they'll ever come close to those again, and that depresses me, considering how much of a huge fan I am of those albums. Never say never, though.
Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare: Not a horrible album, but I've always felt that A7X was never good at ballads, or slow songs in general...and there are tons on this one. Way too many. If each song was as good as "God Hates Us", it would be f***ing outstanding. But alas, that is not the case.
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach: Very chill album that I enjoyed a lot, but I don't really like them as much as I used to. Don't have much else to say about the album, really. It was just alright.
Serj Tankian - Imperfect Harmonies: In a worse year for music, this would've ended up on the top 20 list. It was pretty awesome, it just wasn't as good as a lot of the other stuff that came out last year. I'll always have a place in my heart for the man, though.
Evelyn Evelyn - Evelyn Evelyn - I love Amanda Palmer, and pretty much anything she does. This album was no exception, but it wasn't what I'd call great. It was just a silly, fun little album.
These New Puritans - Hidden: REALLY cool album. I got it on a whim and had no real idea what they sounded like. I was just sort of into expanding my horizons at the time. According to Wikipedia, these guys are art rock, and that sounds about right. The album has a very interesting sound, and I'm not sure I could compare them to anyone else. Definitely one to check out if you haven't.
Janelle Monae - The Archandroid (Suites II and III): This one was really cool as well. She's got a good flow and a good singing voice. The concept behind the album is awesome too. Once again, this is another one that definitely would've made the top 20 in a shittier year for music. Good stuff.
And now, the list itself!
20) The Saddest Landscape - You Will Not Survive: f***ing outstanding screamo album from one of the current best in the genre. When I first got into them, I didn't even know they were still around, but that tends to be something you automatically assume if you're into screamo. In any case, the atmosphere on this album is brilliant, the songwriting is great, everything is just a really complete package. If you like the genre, or are just interested in getting into it, you should seriously listen to this album.
19) Chiodos - Illuminaudio: When Craig first got kicked out of the band, I was pretty unsure of their future, so I was very glad to see this album come out. Frankly, I think their new singer is even better than Craig. His lyrics are pretty awesome, if he wrote them anyway. I'm not really sure. Either way, this album definitely is a step up in maturity. The songwriting has grown up a lot, and it's really cool to hear. It's also heavy as f***. Great, great stuff.
18) Minus the Bear - OMNI: These guys are always great if you're in the mood for some really chill, really good atmospheric stuff. OMNI isn't as good as Planet of Ice, but it's still a damn good album that has gotten tons of listens over the past year.
17) Sage Francis - Li(f)e: Sage is as good as he ever was here, but with an interesting new direction. It's definitely still hip hop, but it sounds more like he's rapping over indie rock than regular beats, and it's a really interesting sound that I feel worked REALLY well. The subject matter is great, and Sage is one of our generation's best rappers, so yeah.
16) From First to Last - Throne to the Wolves: HUUUUUUGE step up from their last album. Matt's lyrics have gotten a lot better, and the songwriting has gotten heavier and just...well, better. The album is a whole lot of fun to listen to, and really upbeat and just heavy. I liked it a lot, it reminded me of why I like From First to Last.
15) The Young Veins - Take a Vacation!: So these guys broke up REALLY fast. That said, this album was a really cool retro little album. Definitely have to say Ryan and Jon were the real talented songwriters in Panic. The lyrics are great and fun, the sound is very bouncy and 60's, and the production of the music really lends to that. Can't wait to see what Ryan and Jon do next, if they're still working together.
14) Karnivool - Sound Awake: Wow. Just wow. I went from not knowing who these guys are, to being totally in love with them. They performed with Fair to Midland early last year, and I got introduced to them through my friend and my fiancee, who got to go to the show. In any case, this is an awesome little progressive rock album, with some awesome Zeppelin-esque drums and sort of Maynard James Keenan-esque vocals. Great songwriting, great lyrics, heavy where it needs to be and slower where it needs to be...just great, great stuff.
13) Norma Jean - Meridional: I love Norma Jean. This album is really not a whole lot different from their other work, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I love their take on the whole metalcore genre. It's very raw and pounding and just...it's great. The lyrics are always awesome, too.
12) The Damned Things - Ironiclast: Goddamn. This album is just really, really f***ing good. I don't know what else I could expect considering the members, but it's seriously great. It's a pretty straightforward metal/hard rock record, with a bit of southern influence, and it's AWESOME. The lyrics are, as expected from Keith Buckley, great. And the music is goddamned outstanding too. Who would've thought that members of Fall Out Boy would end up working with Scott f***ing Ian? I didn't, but it turned out beautifully.
11) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs: I just straight up loved this album. It still wasn't as good as Funeral, but it was better than Neon Bible. Win is a fantastic lyricist, and all of the members can write the shit out of some music. It's just absolutely beautiful, sweeping stuff. I have no idea how else to describe it.
10) Snowing - I Could Do Whatever I Wanted if I Wanted: Great emo record from a band that really needs more recognition in the scene. They sound a little like Algernon Cadwallader, but I'd say they're a little faster and heavier. Just an outstanding record.
9) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: f***, this is an awesome album. I'd expect no less from Kanye, but the man is on FIRE here. He's back to rapping with this one, and the comparisons you'll find around the internet saying it's the Sgt. Pepper's of hip-hop are pretty accurate. Musically, it's all over the place, and it's another album that creates a fantastic atmosphere. He samples f***ing King Crimson and makes it work. Nicki Minaj doesn't even suck on this album, and that's a damn accomplishment if I've ever heard one. This is one of those albums you just really need to hear.
8) Deftones - Diamond Eyes: It's crazy. In the span of a few years I've gone from hating Deftones to thinking they're amazing. This album was just awesome. It's almost like just really heavy, upbeat shoegaze, with more of a focus on vocals than most shoegaze bands. Like, they use a lot of the same sorts of distortion and approach to songwriting...but with more of a metal background. Awesome, awesome stuff.
7) Orbs - Asleep Next to Science: Another supergroup on the list, this one featuring members from Fear Before, Between the Buried and Me, Cradle of Filth/Abigail Williams, and Torch Runner. It's a REALLY interesting progressive/experimental album that just beats the shit out of you with how awesome it is. The lyrics are outstanding, the vocals are great, the music is intense and beautiful...there is pretty much nothing wrong with this album.
6) Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise: So glad these guys put out another album. 3 years seemed like a really long time, for whatever reason. Seriously though, they just keep putting out really amazing material, and Blue Sky Noise is no exception. It's absolutely beautiful, and Anthony Green's voice will always give me like 20 boners.
5) My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: Wow, what a fun album. It's not as good as their earlier stuff, in fact, it's probably my least favourite MCR album...but it's still really awesome. Genre-wise, it's all over the place. It has some really upbeat dancey electronic stuff, and some legitimate old-school punk, and all kinds of shit in between. The concept is executed flawlessly, and it's just a great record beginning to end. Loved it.
4) Jimmy Eat World - Invented: What a comeback. I wasn't really sure how much I'd like their future albums if Chase This Light was any indication. That album was just okay. This one, however, is outstanding. They definitely took a lot of songwriting inspiration from their earlier album Clarity, and even a bit from Bleed American. It's absolutely beautiful and amazing, and I'm so glad it was. I missed these guys.
3) Owen Pallett - Heartland: New album from the guy who formerly went by Final Fantasy...and I'm not even sure how to describe this album. I've said beautiful several times during this list, but this album takes on an entirely different meaning of the word. The genre falls somewhere between baroque pop and experimental, and it's just...wow. Lots of strings, lots of programming, and insanely good lyrics. Owen is easily one of the best songwriters going today, and he deserves a LOT more recognition than he gets. If you're reading this and you've never listened to him, for the love of god, do it now.
2) Tides of Man - Dreamhouse: So I found these guys pretty much by chance. I was just listening to my last.fm recommended radio and they showed up...figured I'd check them out more. I got their album, and heard "Not My Love 2"...and was instantly hooked. The vocal harmonies on that song, and on this record in general, are just beautiful. If I had to compare them to anyone...I'd say they have both the experimental nature of Circa Survive and the straightforwardness of Saosin. It's an outstanding combination, and Tillian Pearson's vocals are amazing. It's a shame he got kicked out of the band right before I got to see them, though. Either way, what a f***ing amazing album.
1) Coheed & Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow: Now, I'm not going to lie. I knew this was going to be my favourite album of the year before I ever heard it. It's Coheed, I can't help it. That said, it still blew my expectations away. They worked with Atticus Ross on the production of this album, and it shows. It's definitely a different direction for them, but the songwriting and lyrics are still 100% Coheed. The album just has an...almost impending doom sort of atmosphere. Which makes sense, considering the story. But yeah, there's not a song I dislike on this album. It's absolutely 100% brilliant in every way, and shows that Coheed can evolve and grow without changing for the worse. They continue to show me why they're my favourite band with every album.
First, the honorable mentions:
Underoath - Disambiguation: This was actually going to make the top 20, but I somehow forgot to put it on there...and I'm not sure there's anything I'd take off for it, so let's put it here, because it was still a really, really great record. Very Underoath, but that's not a bad thing. Awesome stuff.
Weezer - Hurley: This album was pretty good. I'd say it was a step above Raditude, but still nowhere near on the level of their first four. At this point, I'm not sure if they'll ever come close to those again, and that depresses me, considering how much of a huge fan I am of those albums. Never say never, though.
Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare: Not a horrible album, but I've always felt that A7X was never good at ballads, or slow songs in general...and there are tons on this one. Way too many. If each song was as good as "God Hates Us", it would be f***ing outstanding. But alas, that is not the case.
Gorillaz - Plastic Beach: Very chill album that I enjoyed a lot, but I don't really like them as much as I used to. Don't have much else to say about the album, really. It was just alright.
Serj Tankian - Imperfect Harmonies: In a worse year for music, this would've ended up on the top 20 list. It was pretty awesome, it just wasn't as good as a lot of the other stuff that came out last year. I'll always have a place in my heart for the man, though.
Evelyn Evelyn - Evelyn Evelyn - I love Amanda Palmer, and pretty much anything she does. This album was no exception, but it wasn't what I'd call great. It was just a silly, fun little album.
These New Puritans - Hidden: REALLY cool album. I got it on a whim and had no real idea what they sounded like. I was just sort of into expanding my horizons at the time. According to Wikipedia, these guys are art rock, and that sounds about right. The album has a very interesting sound, and I'm not sure I could compare them to anyone else. Definitely one to check out if you haven't.
Janelle Monae - The Archandroid (Suites II and III): This one was really cool as well. She's got a good flow and a good singing voice. The concept behind the album is awesome too. Once again, this is another one that definitely would've made the top 20 in a shittier year for music. Good stuff.
And now, the list itself!
20) The Saddest Landscape - You Will Not Survive: f***ing outstanding screamo album from one of the current best in the genre. When I first got into them, I didn't even know they were still around, but that tends to be something you automatically assume if you're into screamo. In any case, the atmosphere on this album is brilliant, the songwriting is great, everything is just a really complete package. If you like the genre, or are just interested in getting into it, you should seriously listen to this album.
19) Chiodos - Illuminaudio: When Craig first got kicked out of the band, I was pretty unsure of their future, so I was very glad to see this album come out. Frankly, I think their new singer is even better than Craig. His lyrics are pretty awesome, if he wrote them anyway. I'm not really sure. Either way, this album definitely is a step up in maturity. The songwriting has grown up a lot, and it's really cool to hear. It's also heavy as f***. Great, great stuff.
18) Minus the Bear - OMNI: These guys are always great if you're in the mood for some really chill, really good atmospheric stuff. OMNI isn't as good as Planet of Ice, but it's still a damn good album that has gotten tons of listens over the past year.
17) Sage Francis - Li(f)e: Sage is as good as he ever was here, but with an interesting new direction. It's definitely still hip hop, but it sounds more like he's rapping over indie rock than regular beats, and it's a really interesting sound that I feel worked REALLY well. The subject matter is great, and Sage is one of our generation's best rappers, so yeah.
16) From First to Last - Throne to the Wolves: HUUUUUUGE step up from their last album. Matt's lyrics have gotten a lot better, and the songwriting has gotten heavier and just...well, better. The album is a whole lot of fun to listen to, and really upbeat and just heavy. I liked it a lot, it reminded me of why I like From First to Last.
15) The Young Veins - Take a Vacation!: So these guys broke up REALLY fast. That said, this album was a really cool retro little album. Definitely have to say Ryan and Jon were the real talented songwriters in Panic. The lyrics are great and fun, the sound is very bouncy and 60's, and the production of the music really lends to that. Can't wait to see what Ryan and Jon do next, if they're still working together.
14) Karnivool - Sound Awake: Wow. Just wow. I went from not knowing who these guys are, to being totally in love with them. They performed with Fair to Midland early last year, and I got introduced to them through my friend and my fiancee, who got to go to the show. In any case, this is an awesome little progressive rock album, with some awesome Zeppelin-esque drums and sort of Maynard James Keenan-esque vocals. Great songwriting, great lyrics, heavy where it needs to be and slower where it needs to be...just great, great stuff.
13) Norma Jean - Meridional: I love Norma Jean. This album is really not a whole lot different from their other work, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I love their take on the whole metalcore genre. It's very raw and pounding and just...it's great. The lyrics are always awesome, too.
12) The Damned Things - Ironiclast: Goddamn. This album is just really, really f***ing good. I don't know what else I could expect considering the members, but it's seriously great. It's a pretty straightforward metal/hard rock record, with a bit of southern influence, and it's AWESOME. The lyrics are, as expected from Keith Buckley, great. And the music is goddamned outstanding too. Who would've thought that members of Fall Out Boy would end up working with Scott f***ing Ian? I didn't, but it turned out beautifully.
11) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs: I just straight up loved this album. It still wasn't as good as Funeral, but it was better than Neon Bible. Win is a fantastic lyricist, and all of the members can write the shit out of some music. It's just absolutely beautiful, sweeping stuff. I have no idea how else to describe it.
10) Snowing - I Could Do Whatever I Wanted if I Wanted: Great emo record from a band that really needs more recognition in the scene. They sound a little like Algernon Cadwallader, but I'd say they're a little faster and heavier. Just an outstanding record.
9) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: f***, this is an awesome album. I'd expect no less from Kanye, but the man is on FIRE here. He's back to rapping with this one, and the comparisons you'll find around the internet saying it's the Sgt. Pepper's of hip-hop are pretty accurate. Musically, it's all over the place, and it's another album that creates a fantastic atmosphere. He samples f***ing King Crimson and makes it work. Nicki Minaj doesn't even suck on this album, and that's a damn accomplishment if I've ever heard one. This is one of those albums you just really need to hear.
8) Deftones - Diamond Eyes: It's crazy. In the span of a few years I've gone from hating Deftones to thinking they're amazing. This album was just awesome. It's almost like just really heavy, upbeat shoegaze, with more of a focus on vocals than most shoegaze bands. Like, they use a lot of the same sorts of distortion and approach to songwriting...but with more of a metal background. Awesome, awesome stuff.
7) Orbs - Asleep Next to Science: Another supergroup on the list, this one featuring members from Fear Before, Between the Buried and Me, Cradle of Filth/Abigail Williams, and Torch Runner. It's a REALLY interesting progressive/experimental album that just beats the shit out of you with how awesome it is. The lyrics are outstanding, the vocals are great, the music is intense and beautiful...there is pretty much nothing wrong with this album.
6) Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise: So glad these guys put out another album. 3 years seemed like a really long time, for whatever reason. Seriously though, they just keep putting out really amazing material, and Blue Sky Noise is no exception. It's absolutely beautiful, and Anthony Green's voice will always give me like 20 boners.
5) My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: Wow, what a fun album. It's not as good as their earlier stuff, in fact, it's probably my least favourite MCR album...but it's still really awesome. Genre-wise, it's all over the place. It has some really upbeat dancey electronic stuff, and some legitimate old-school punk, and all kinds of shit in between. The concept is executed flawlessly, and it's just a great record beginning to end. Loved it.
4) Jimmy Eat World - Invented: What a comeback. I wasn't really sure how much I'd like their future albums if Chase This Light was any indication. That album was just okay. This one, however, is outstanding. They definitely took a lot of songwriting inspiration from their earlier album Clarity, and even a bit from Bleed American. It's absolutely beautiful and amazing, and I'm so glad it was. I missed these guys.
3) Owen Pallett - Heartland: New album from the guy who formerly went by Final Fantasy...and I'm not even sure how to describe this album. I've said beautiful several times during this list, but this album takes on an entirely different meaning of the word. The genre falls somewhere between baroque pop and experimental, and it's just...wow. Lots of strings, lots of programming, and insanely good lyrics. Owen is easily one of the best songwriters going today, and he deserves a LOT more recognition than he gets. If you're reading this and you've never listened to him, for the love of god, do it now.
2) Tides of Man - Dreamhouse: So I found these guys pretty much by chance. I was just listening to my last.fm recommended radio and they showed up...figured I'd check them out more. I got their album, and heard "Not My Love 2"...and was instantly hooked. The vocal harmonies on that song, and on this record in general, are just beautiful. If I had to compare them to anyone...I'd say they have both the experimental nature of Circa Survive and the straightforwardness of Saosin. It's an outstanding combination, and Tillian Pearson's vocals are amazing. It's a shame he got kicked out of the band right before I got to see them, though. Either way, what a f***ing amazing album.
1) Coheed & Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow: Now, I'm not going to lie. I knew this was going to be my favourite album of the year before I ever heard it. It's Coheed, I can't help it. That said, it still blew my expectations away. They worked with Atticus Ross on the production of this album, and it shows. It's definitely a different direction for them, but the songwriting and lyrics are still 100% Coheed. The album just has an...almost impending doom sort of atmosphere. Which makes sense, considering the story. But yeah, there's not a song I dislike on this album. It's absolutely 100% brilliant in every way, and shows that Coheed can evolve and grow without changing for the worse. They continue to show me why they're my favourite band with every album.
