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Well, I suppose everyone's doing this now. If you're just passing by, check these out.

DISCLAIMER: this isn't proof read and I don't care if you spot mistakes. >_<
Also, I'm right, since I have the best musical taste ever. But if you do want to challenge me, recommend me something I haven't heard/missed this decade.

None of any of this is in any particular order.

Best albums from the 00s

In order to do this, I decided to write up a short list, and then a list of finalists, before the final 5:

Devin Townsend - Terria
Devin Townsend - Synchestra
Devin Townsend - Ziltoid The Omnicient
DragonForce - Ultra Beatdown
Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
Agalloch - The Mantle
Sylvan - Posthumous Silence
Shadow Gallery - Room V
Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Dream Theater - Live Scenes From New York
IQ - The Seventh House
God Is an Astronaut - God Is An Astronaut
This Will Destroy You - This Will Destroy You

Not a bad set, but the chosen ones must be:

Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
I chose this above their "magnum opus", The Mantle, for a number of reasons, but Ashes itself wasn't received well by the fans. The main reason for this was the lack of folk elements - there's still acoustic stuff, but not as much as before. It's heavier overall, which is brilliant. The album's dominated by more epic tracks, like an Opeth album. Falling Snow (mentioned later ^_^) has to be my favourite black/death metal song. Limbs opens it brilliantly. The epic at the end is also very good, particularly Bloodbirds. What does bring this down is the last track, which is actually just noise, but even without that, it's 52 minutes of post black metal. YES.

Devin Townsend - Synchestra
Ah man, this album has everything. It's the most varied of all my choice, in all aspects. There's the soft acoustic brilliance of the opener, Let it Roll, to the quirky and brutal Hypergeek, proggy Triumph, doom metal styled Judgement, gloriously overdrived A Simple Lullaby, the oddly relaxing Sunset, and a great finale from Notes from Africa and Sunshine and Happiness. Brilliant. If there ever was a man to nail my musical taste, it would be this genius right here.

Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
I can never neglect the good old fashioned symphonic rock bands such as Genesis or Yes. Transatlantic are brilliant because they're a super-group intent on bringing back that classic sound. Members of Marillion, Dream Theater, The Flower Kings and the one and only Neal Morse make an amazing sound together, crafting their music quickly but leaving it well refined. Their first album was good but this one really is great. The two epic which bookend the album - Duel With the Devil and Stranger in Your Soul - are up there with the immortal epics of the 70s, with the less brilliant Suite Charlotte Pike appealing particularly to Beatles fans. The album also features the awesome piano ballad Bridge Across Forever itself. I can't wait to see them live.

Shadow Gallery - Room V
Generic prog metal? Well, perhaps, but this album really is awesome. The second album in a series of 2 concept albums, Room V features everything it needs to succeed - amazing musicians (particularly the guitars, giving us amazing Encrypted), awesome vocals (RIP Baker), a cool story (cheesy as it may be, it's not quite Ayreon), intense riffs and mind blowing instrumental sections. I would go as far as saying this is better than anything Dream Theater has offered us this decade. Highlights include Torn, VowThe Archer of Ben Salem, and the utterly amazing Rain.

IQ - The Seventh House
I was surprised to see myself putting this down. Is it really that good? The Wrong Side of Wierd is a great opener. Erosion brings things down a little, but the is the title track is full of fantastic passages. IQ have always been "generic" prog, but that hasn't got in the way of it being awesome. The classic Supper's Ready finale deserves its place in this track. Zero Hour is awesome, building to a fantastic finale, and the almost perfect Guiding Light. This deserves to be here. It's definitely not the best one, but it's in the top 5.

So, top songs? I'll make this painless for you. Still no particular order:

A Three-Legged Workhorse
The most beautiful song ever. If only all Post Rock was like this. The riff is amazing, drums are spot on, the intensity, the emotion... ah, they may have arrived late to the scene, but This Will have a long, long career ahead of them.

Falling Snow
Mentioned above, this track really is a brilliant song. I'm no expert on black metal but I doubt, in my travels, that I'll find anything above this. Epic lyrics, brilliant riffs, crazy drumming...

Guiding Light
Also mentioned above, this is a piano ballad with a brilliant, indulgent, proggy instrumental section, strapped into the middle. Should it work? Maybe not, but if just flows together so well, particularity the ending, with a short but sweet, screeching guitar solo.

Stagnant
I could have equally chosen Slow Me Down here, since both tracks are similar in essence. They're short, heavy, and, admittedly, a bit poppy, but that won't stop me - the lyrics to Stagnant are uplifting beyond any power ballad, the solo is excellent, the vocals are amazing... I can't praise this enough.

Rain
EPIC WIN. Prog metal at its best.
My flesh and blood it's all that's left my heritage!
From life to death to dust so through the woods I search!
Complete disconnect!
Your shelter comes to cover meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

So this is my attempt at making a list of my 100 favorite albums of the past decade. You know the drill. Hopefully the albums here can make up for the predictability of the list...

You can find the full list (with 50 more albums, an explanation of the list and will hopefully include mini-reviews soon): here


1. Agalloch- The Mantle
2. maudlin of the Well- Leaving Your Body Map
3. Steve Roach- Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces
4. Boards of Canada- Geogaddi
5. Drudkh- Autumn Aurora
6. Stars of the Lid- The Tired Sounds Of
7. Godspeed You! Black Emperor- Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!
8. Wolves in the Throne Room- Two Hunters
9. Isis- Oceanic
10. Aphex Twin- Drukqs

11. Weakling- Dead as Dreams
12. dälek- Absence
13. Warning- Watching From a Distance
14. Cannibal Ox- The Cold Vein
15. Sigur Rós- ( )
16. Stendeck- Faces
17. Eluvium- Copia
18. Have a Nice Life- Deathconsciousness
19. Natural Snow Buildings- The Dance of the Moon and the Sun
20. Agalloch- Ashes Against the Grain
21. Steve Roach- New Life Dreaming
22. Jóhann Jóhannsson- Fordlândia
23. Enslaved- Below the Lights
24. Jesu- Silver
25. Isis- Panopticon

26. Lykathea Aflame- Elvenefris
27. Tool- Lateralus
28. Boards of Canada- In a Beautiful Place Out in the Country
29. Björk- Vespertine
30. Opeth- Blackwater Park
31. Negură Bunget- Om
32. Radiohead- Kid A
33. Gas- Pop
34. Arcturus- The Sham Mirrors
35. My Dying Bride- The Dreadful Hours
36. Ulrich Schnauss- Far Away Trains Passing By
37. Boris- Flood
38. Autechre- Confield
39. Dolorian- Voidwards
40. Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion
41. Sun Kil Moon- April
42. Aesop Rock- Labor Days
43. Lunar Aurora- Andacht
44. Esoteric- Subconscious Dissolution Into the Continuum
45. Drudkh- Blood in Our Wells
46. Bohren & der Club of Gore- Sunset Mission
47. Carbon Based Lifeforms- Hydroponic Garden
48. Darkspace- Dark Space II
49. Primordial- To the Nameless Dead
50. Blonde Redhead- 23

51. The Ruins of Beverast- Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite
52. Genelec & Memphis Reigns- Scorpion Circles
53. Gorguts- From Wisdom to Hate
54. Opeth- Deliverance
55. Boris- Pink
56. Ocean- Here Where Nothing Grows
57. CunninLynguists- A Piece of Strange
58. Skepticism- Farmakon
59. Pan Sonic- Kesto
60. J-Live- All of the Above
61. Deathspell Omega- Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice
62. The December Sound- The December Sound
63. ColdWorld- Melancholie²
64. Gridlock- Formless
65. Belong- October Language
66. Reverend Bizarre- III: So Long Suckers
67. Emperor- Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise
68. Walknut- Graveforests and Their Shadows
69. Wintersun- Wintersun
70. Discordance Axis- The Inalienable Dreamless
71. Nadja- Radiance of Shadows
72. Sweet Trip- Velocity : Design : Comfort
73. Vindensång- Terminus: Rebirth in Eight Parts...
74. 柏 大輔- Program Music I
75. Blut aus Nord- MoRT
76. Nile- In Their Darkened Shrines
77. Devin Townsend- Terria
78. The Flaming Lips- Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
79. Lurker of Chalice- Lurker of Chalice
80. Squarepusher- Ultravisitor
81. !T.O.O.H.!- Řád a Trest
82. Enslaved- Isa
83. Absu- Tara
84. múm- Finally We Are No One
85. Tenhi- Maaäet
86. Velvet Cacoon- Genevieve
87. Gojira- From Mars to Sirius
88. Sigh- Imaginary Sonicscape
89. Tim Hecker- Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again
90. A Silver Mt. Zion- He Has Left Us Alone but Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corner of Our Rooms...
91. Six Organs of Admittance- Dark Noontide
92. Immolation- Close to a World Below
93. Reflection Eternal- Train of Thought
94. Alcest- Souvenirs d'un autre monde
95. maudlin of the Well- Part the Second
96. Ulver- Perdition City
97. M83- Saturdays = Youth
98. Shining- III - Angst - Självdestruktivitetens Emissarie
99. Deerhunter- Microcastle / Weird Era Continued
100. The Knife- Silent Shout

Albums that I listened to after making this list that might have made the cut (since I'm too lazy to revise the list right now)... or I forgot about and probably should have included somewhere...:
Baroness- Red Album
Something by Converge
The Flaming Lips- Embryotic
The Flashbulb- Soundtrack to a Vacant Life
Kylesa- Static Tensions
Nasum- Shift

Ohhh... and if you got some recommendations up your sleeve, I'd appreciate it if you could dish them out. We all know they're more helpful than snide elitist remarks (although not quite as amusing)! But if you so insist, let me fuel the fire by stating that, at one point in my life, I did not know what the word "snide" meant. Take that as you will.

But seriously... some recommendations would be appreciated, and I'd be glad to return the favor!

2009 has proven to be a fruitful year for metal. I've already listed my picks for best Death, Black, and Doom Metal Albums (Yob's new one is now in the best Doom Metal albums) Here's all the rest that fits, was forgotten, and didn't live up to task

Katatonia-Night Is The New Day-The bands best since The Last Fair Deal Gone Down, NITND sees the band further embracing Prog, without betraying what makes them what they are. If anything, it enhances it, as songs like The Longest Year and Nephilim can attest. Absolutely essential.

Baroness-Blue Record-I know, it's cliche at this point to include this, but Goddamn this album is fucking great. Improving on the template Red Album (also a great album) offered, "Blue Record" sees Baroness continuing to expand upon their horizons, embracing Sludge, Prog, Psychedelia and more. Not a single note is wasted or feels like filler, and it's one of the best records of it's kind for a reason-it really feels like a record.

Isis-Wavering Radient-After the disappointing In The Abscence Of Truth, Isis return with a vengeance, offering an album that offers tight compositions, as well as giving each member of the band a place to shine-like Blue Record, not a moment on it feels wasted or overblown, and it all works together as a cohesive unit.

Kylesa-Static Tensions-The band's best album yet, "Static Tensions" sees the band evolving, melding their Sludgey riffs with a psychedelic, evocative atmosphere. It may not be as heavy or Doomy as prior albums, but as a whole, "Static Tensions" is a class all it's own.

Mastodon-Crack The Skye-While the inevitable (but dumb) backlash against the band continues, "Crack The Skye" might not win over newcomers, and it let down a few fans, it's still a great album even if it doesn't top prior works. This time, the band gets even Proggier, only now it's even more explicit, as songs like the awesome Quintessence (which could go down as one of their best songs IMO) and The Czar continue to show the band experimenting, while not losing what makes them what they are.

Thy Catafalque-Róka hasa rádió-Avant-Garde Metal at it's best, RHR sees Thy Catafalque capturing a sound that sounds like a blend of Arcturus, Cynic and Themes From William Blake's The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell era Ulver, this is a must for those looking for something different in their metal.

Shrinebuilder-Shrinebuilder-A project with Scott Kelly, Wino, Dale Crover and more? Sign me up.

Megadeth-Endgame-No, it won't top past the lies of Rust in Peace, but hearind the band go back to their thrash roots is still a good thing, and more impressive is how well they pull it off. This is the album I wanted World Painted Blood to be.

Amorphis-Skyforger-A worthy follow up to Silent Waters, "Skyforger" is a splendid mix of Prog, Melodic Death Metal and Folk Metal-something the band has mastered in the past, but fans of those works should (or likely do) enjoy this one.

Ensiferum-From Afar-After a few lackluster albums, Enisferum returns in a big way with "From Afar." It's all the Folky Power Metal/Melodic Death Metal you'd expect, but done with such conviction that you can't help but be swept along. Oh, and if you don't like the song Stone Cold Metal, you have no soul.

Sólstafir-Köld-An impressive blend of Sludge and Post Metal, "Köld" could be looked at as what would happen if members of Neurosis, Fen and Sigur Rós got together to form a band.

Tombs-Winter Hours-A catchy but too short blend of Sludge, Post Metal and Shoegaze, "Winter Hours" is an impressive follow up album with equal parts great riffs and lyrics.



I still need to check out these new albums from

Devin Townsend
Nokturnal Mortum
OM
Animals as Leaders
Peste Noire
Isole
Giant Squid
Klabautamann
Pyramids with Nadja


Let me know if they are worth it



Honorable Mention

Wolves in the Throne Room-Malevolent Grain-While "Black Cascade" may have been a let down, this EP is actually not a bad listen. It may not be up to task with prior albums, but it's still worth a listen.

L'Acephale-Stahlhartes Gehäuse-Black Metal with elements of Black Ambient, Neo-Folk and more. It's a long album that occasionally meanders, but it's still pretty good, and offers a lot to look forward to.

Circle of Ouroborus-Tree of Knowledge-It's not perfect, but it's the best thing they've done thus far, and sees them coming closer to reaching their full potential.

Iron Man-I Have Returned-Another comeback of sorts, "I Have Returned" may not be great or groundbreaking, nor is it as good a comeback as Count Raven had, but it's still good to see Al Morris is back.

Procer Veneficus-Convoy (Pt. 2)-Yep, the band's description of itself is still pretentious. That out of the way, this is his best album yet, coming off as an almost Shoegazy Velvet Cacoon

Caïna-Caïna-Musically, this is the most metal the project has sounded since Some People Fall, and while not as diverse and great as Mourner and Temporary Antennae, it;s still some good stuff.

Lux Divina-From The Tomb To Nature's Blood-Some neat (but not spectacular) Pagan/Folk Black Metal. It's not a classic, but it does leave me interested in what they can do next.



Most Disappointing

Paradise Lost-Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us-Well, I really wanted to like this one, but the songs just feel so unmemorable, and it feels too much like they are trying to recapture past glory. Too bad.

Wolves in the Throne Room-Black Cascade-I have to give them credit for trying to capture what makes their live shows so great, but the end result is an album that misses the mark. Hopefully next time.

Immortal-All Shall Fall-Not a bad album, but not everything I was hoping it would be. Maybe it's my fault, and I hoped it would capture past triumphs too much?

Gorgoroth-Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt-The good news? Pest is back.The bad news? The new album is a let down. Maybe they can get their groove back next time.

Slayer-World Painted Blood-Another album I really wanted to like. By no means a bad album, but not a great one either. It's just sort of...there.



Still Can't Get Into Them

Krallice-Maybe this is a band I'm told I should like.



A Request

Please AV Club: Stop writing about metal. I like you usually, but it's become obvious to me that you don't know what you're talking about in that regard. And give us more "My Year In Flops" please.

Some artists/bands whose album(s) didn't make the list, but deserve a mention: Altar of Plagues, Asphyx, Astra, Atrium Carceri, Augury, Clutch, Devin Townsend, dälek, Dysrhythmia, Ghost Brigade, Goatwhore, GREYMACHINE, Jesu, Krallice, Lustmord, Nicole, OM, Portal, Riverside, Swallow the Sun, The Chasm, The Devil's Blood, The Mars Volta, The Red Chord, Totalt Jävla Mörker, Urfaust, Voivod, Weedeater, Zoroaster


30. Napalm Death - Time Waits For No Slave



To be honest, I didn't expect an album this good. It took Napalm Death a surprisingly long time of 3 years to get this album out, and it truly shows - Time Waits for No Slave proves that Barney & co. can still grind their asses off, and create songs that sound fresh in these times of horrible plastic music.

Highlight track: Time Waits For No Slave


29. Karl Sanders - Saurian Exorcisms



Nile's Karl Sanders' anticipated second solo album proved worthy of the five-year wait. Saurian Exorcisms is nothing more or less than quality dark ambient from the beginning to the last sample.

Highlight track: Shira Gula Pazu


28. Temple Of Baal - Lightslaying Rituals



Fact: Lightslaying Rituals is the angriest, most ruthless album I've heard all year. Maybe even too angry at times, as it seems like this French machine sometimes tends to forget innovation and variation, and just settles for destroying everything in their way, which is fine too...at least for a couple of listens.

Highlight track: Piercing The Veils Of Slumber


27. Skeletonwitch - Breathing The Fire



A rare gem in the sea of mediocre 21st century thrash. Not as good an album as its predecessor Beyond the Permafrost, but still a powerful thrash assault with A LOT of great riffs.

Highlight track: Where the Light Has Failed


26. Drudkh - Microcosmos



While it's definitely not the Ukrainians' best release, Microcosmos is still a damn great album with all the things you can expect from a solid Drudkh album: Slavic mythology, pure emotion, and beautiful soundscapes.

Highlight track: Distant Cries of Cranes


25. Cobalt - Gin



Propably one of the most interesting bands in the rapidly growing scene of psychedelic American black metal, but there's still something that prevents me from enjoying this album full-heartedly. Maybe a few more listens will enlighten me to Cobalt's ways, but until then Gin shall stay at 25. in this list.

Highlight track: Arsonry


24. Isis - Wavering Radiant



The second straight non-memorable album by arguably post-metal's biggest name. Wavering Radiant is best described as "dissapointing, but still good".

Highlight track: 20 Minutes / 40 Years


23. Black Cobra - Chronomega



Dark, sludgy, heavy, and nasty= another great sludge metal album by Black Cobra.

Highlight track: Chronosphere


22. Porcupine Tree - The Incident



The album is massive with its two cds and length of 75 minutes, but Steven Wilson still somehow managed to keep things in order. The Incident is definitely a grower, but I still feel that there's just too many fillers to justify it a higher ranking.

Highlight track: Octane Twisted


21. Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions



Another massive album by the masters of drone doom, and yet another showcase of how powerful the practise of minimalism can be. Attila Csihar provides, once again, some of the creepiest vocals mankind has ever encountered. Another day at the office.

Highlight track: Aghartha


20. Wolves in the Throne Room - Malevolent Grain + Black Cascade




Pure psychedelic black metal madness. Some say that Wolves in the Throne Room are losing their edge, but that's total bs. Black Cascade might not be WitTR's best work, but it's still a respectable addition to their discography. Note: Malevolent Grain EP acts as a great intro to Black Cascade.

Highlight track: Ahrimanic Trance


19. Lightning Bolt - Earthly Delights



Brian Chippendale and Brian Gibson show once again why they rule the noise rock scene supremely. The beauty of the organized chaos this duo creates album after album is beyond comprehension, and Earthly Delights is no aberration to the familiar pattern. Earthly Delights is a lovely album filled with content not so delightful for any sane listener's ears.

Highlight track: Transmissionary


18. Kylesa - Static Tensions



Static Tensions is a great album by a (formerly) average band, and also one of this year's biggest surprises for me. Although resembling Baroness' Red Album, Kylesa still come of clean from being copycats as Static Tensions is sludge metal at its best. The opening song "Scapegoat" is a noteworthy contender for this year's best song.

Highlight track: Scapegoat


17. Ajattara - Noitumaa



This is an album that you just can't call "ok". You either like Ajattara's acoustic black metal masterpiece, or you don't. It's that simple. I find Noitumaa a truly interesting album. Beneath the mentally sick and occultist lyrics and music is just something that makes this album work for me. Hard to explain, but just take a listen and judge Noitumaa yourself.

Highlight track: Kielletyn sanat


16. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect



About what was to be expected, and just a little more. My favourite work to date by them, and yes, I prefer The Great Misdirect over the almighty Colors.

Highlight track: Obfuscation


15. Hacride - Lazarus



Lazarus has to be my #1 choice for the most pleasant surprise of 09. I'm still shocked that a band this mediocre can come up with something as good as Lazarus. In a more quiet year Lazarus could've easily made the top 10, or heck, even top 5.

Highlight track: To Walk Among Them


14. The Axis of Perdition - Urfe



Actually this is more of a horror soundbook than a proper album, as most of the 90 minutes are spoken word with an ambient background and there's only a few metallish parts. The story and storytelling are magnificent and truly bring the listener to the edge of his/her seat. The alternating and playing with feelings of disgust, anxiety, pure horror and ultimately relief, is so brilliantly done that there isn't a single moment when you lose concentration. In addition, the ending minutes of the first cd are some of the most intense I've ever experienced.

Highlight track: Grief Of The Unclean VI


13. Nile - Those Whom The Gods Detest



I didn't really expect too much of this album after the massive dissapointment caused by Ithyphallic, but Nile is back! Those Whom the Gods Detest is pure Nile in the vein of In Their Darkened Shrines and Annihilation of the Wicked. The lyrical content is still a bit dull (compared to the first few albums), but this is, nevertheless, a damn great album.

Highlight track: Iskander D'hul Karnon


12. Baroness - Blue Record



It was clear that Baroness couldn't possibly make a record better than Red Album, but they came close. At first I had mixed feelings about Blue Record's more "poppish" sound and lo-fi production, like most Baroness fans, but it turned out to be a great album.

Highlight track: The Sweetest Curse


11. Mastodon - Crack The Skye



The endless evolution of Mastodon continues to...prog rock/metal? If this lighter approach is what the band always wanted to sound like, like Brent Hinds mentioned in an interview, I wonder what their next masterpiece will sound like.

Highlight track: Crack The Skye


10. Harvestman - In A Dark Tongue



Steve von Till and his endless Holy grail of awesomeness have once again awarded us with an epic album. Nothing more to add.

Highlight track: By Wind and Sun


9. Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive



The first album by this supergroup already promised a bright future, but their new one tops the expectations easily. Darkness Come Alive is some of the most fresh sounding stoner metal released in a while.

Highlight track: Come Alive


8. The Ruins of Beverast - Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite



After two pretty good albums Alexander von Meilenwald has created something that will never be forgotten by fans of experimental black metal. Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite is a pure showcase of what black metal sounds like at its best.

Highlight track: Blood Vaults (II: Our Despots Cleanse the Levant)


7. Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse



Rarely does an album's cover art represent so perfectly what you're about to hear. Scott Hull's latest creation is just as chaotic and freakishly composed as you can assume from what you see above, and also has some of the most genius and hilarious lyrics I've encountered in a long time. Modern grindcore at its best.

Highlight track: Agorapocalypse Now


6. Sólstafir - Köld



Looks like these Icelandic cowboys have finally discovered their identity with Köld. After a few good, but not too great, albums they have created something truly unique.

Highlight track: Love Is the Devil (And I Am in Love)


5. Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs



Neige delivers again with yet another atmospheric masterpiece, and is becoming a true household name in the French music scene. The first, and last, Amesoeurs album is at times beautiful and subtle, at times heavy and raw, but always awe-inspiring.

Highlight track: La Reine Trayeuse


4. Oranssi Pazuzu - Muukalainen Puhuu



I have no idea where these guys came from, but their combination of black metal, psychedelic rock, and even dub, is something I fell in love with immediately. I felt sad when Kuolleet Intiaanit announced a break, but if Juho Vanhanen and Oranssi Pazuzu continue to make records like this I can't complain.

Highlight track: Kangastus 1968


3. Blut aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue with the Stars



The fourth French album in this list... these baguette biters are truly raising the French flag high on the mountain of modern metal. Blut Aus Nord is arguably the most praised French black metal band, so it's not a surprise that people expected an epic album when the follow-up for 1996's Memoria Vetusta I: Fathers of the Icy Age was announced. I don't think that anyone expected something this epic, though. Memoria Vetusta II is pretty close to a perfect album in my books. The fact that this one is ranked only third shows what a great year this was for music.

Highlight track: The Formless Sphere (Beyond the Reason)


2. Deströyer 666 - Defiance



Another one that took me by surprise. Although as great a band as Deströyer 666 is I never believed that something this tight was on its way. Defiance was close of being named as my album of the year, but is still, in my opinion, topped by one release.

Highlight track: Human All Too Human


1. Converge - Axe To Fall



Axe to Fall is one hell of an album. Although any of the albums listed in my top 6 could have made it to the top spot, I still decided to go with Converge's newest one for obvious reasons. The alternating between pure chaos and atmospheric parts, and Jacob Bannon's intense and sincerely emotional vocal attack (that has been lost since Jane Doe) make Axe to Fall easily their best release since 2004, and that's a lot said right there.

Highlight track: Dark Horse

When I heard Devin Townsend was going to release two records in 2009; after a two year absence where he lost his skullet, disbanded his most successful project, and quit cold turkey on smoking weed, drinking booze and looking at porn; I was almost certain that at least one of them would be my favourite of this year.

And (haha, surprise!) they have taken spots 1 & 2, despite stiff competition from Mastodon and Lady Of The Sunshine (and god DAMN I'm looking forward to the new Angus & Julia Stone record for next year). Two more Townsend records are slated for next year, half done and put on hold while the band tours on the first two records.

So uh... this was the first glimpse I got of Devin for 2009 -



...I'd be forgiven for thinking that the upcoming record was going to be a goofy exercise in insanity, right? The next two videos are actually even weirder.

But Ki threw Townsend fans a curveball.

So much of his work in the past has been a musical assault; whether with Strapping Young Lad, The Devin Townsend Band, or solo, he's always absolutely packed the soundscape with pounding drums, and schizophrenic ambience, most often paired with bludgeoning guitars and roaring vocals.

Townsend explains the disbandment of Strapping Young Lad to Terrorizer - "I had some horrible things happening in the last couple of years, that ten years ago I would've written a ferocious Strapping album about. But I changed. Pretending that I'm still angry would be cashing in on that past honesty."

For Metal Hammer re: the response to Strapping Young Lad's Alien- "...I had so many people in my world that were like, 'Yeah yeah yeah, do it again,' but I was like, 'Dude, this is really hard for me, this is emotionally fucking punishing, and in all honesty, this is going to fucking kill me if I do it again'. But they're going, 'Yeah yeah yeah', and I'm thinking to myself, 'So you want me to die? No fucking way. and you're not my friend if that's what you're after."

With this in mind, it maybe shouldn't have come as a surprise to fans that Devin's main influence here seems to be jazz (his sound owes as much to Ravi Shankar as it does to Morbid Angel, both Townsend favourites). But it's not a bombastic, heavy swing like we've seen in the past on tracks like Bad Devil; it's a quiet, brooding prowl, predominantly driven by the bass of Jean Savoie rather than the guitars, that occasionally lashes out with unexpected violence. Devin mostly sings cleanly, often not much louder than a whisper. Even when he does bring out the odd roar, it mainly accentuates a dynamic shift in the music that never seems to fulfill its threat; rather receding back into its shell to bubble ominously. The guitars and drumming on Ki reflect the vocal shifts tightly.

Duris Maxwell, ex-Gene Simmons, The Temptations and Jefferson Airplane, is a marvel. His drumming is always solid, whether loud or soft; he hits with the confidence of experience, even during the album's heavier moments where he must be unfamiliar. He seems to explore every beat at his leisure, throwing in slight but gorgeous fills and licks whenever he feels like it, though never so much that it's distracting.

The ambience of Townsend records has always been on par importance with the instrumentation; Devin can take a repeating riff and fill in the soundscape with whooshes, whirls, clicks and buzzes to expand the sound immensely and stop it from being monotonous. He does so here as well, aided by the impeccable Dave Young (who also contributes "kick-ass-ery", according to the liner notes). The ambience is almost entirely made up of echo, and barely-there synthesised hums and sighs, but also has sirens, distant thunder, zaps, and helicopter chops. It accentuates the oppressive silence around each track with a gorgeous sense of subtlety.

Devin, again for Terrorizer - "Silence is so... heavy. i wanted to make a record that doesn't demand your attention, that can play in the background, and the fourth time you hear it you'd say, 'I didn't notice that'. By the tenth time you'd say ''Hey, this is really fuckin' heavy'. And by the twentieth time you'd wonder if it's the same record you listened to the first time."

And it's true. Ki plays really well in the background when reading a book or surfing the net, but displays an incredible depth upon closer inspection, and rewards repeated listening.


The 3D cover - by Konrad Palkeiwicz. The rest of the art is great too

A Monday begins with a slow, relaxing acoustic guitar, echoing into the distance, brimming with beauty and tension. Bass and ambience heavy, A Monday manages to be loud without being violent. It seems to reach a point where it's about to take off... and then fades. It's a motif (emotionally, and musically) that's repeated throughout the album.

A Monday hisses into Coast over a throbbing buzz reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails. But where Townsend fans of old, indeed Townsend himself, might have expected an opening track to explode into a flurry of sound within seconds, Coast rises and falls rapidly; but gently and beautifully, contrasted with an undercurrent of tension that builds without ever seeming to rupture. It's marked by the same echoing guitar as A Monday, and clean, beautiful vocals. It ends in a rush of static and blurry vocals that threaten to whirl into a tornado... but never do.

Disruptr begins on a bassy riff, as Townsend expresses his frustration at being stuck in a musical and emotional rut. It's instantly heavier than Coast, and slowly builds over clean yet chugging riffs, ominous wails and bells from Young and heavy hitting from drummer Duris Maxwell. Townsend throws another curveball here; after the listener expecting the record to stay in a quiet mode, Devin suddenly starts shouting, and picking his clean guitar strings as if he trying to break through them while air-raid sirens howl in the background... but then it fades out again. This repeats and then is given some room to breathe deep through a snarling bridge, before receding and then rising yet again. It's really heavy, but not brutally so. The violent wall of sound one expects from Townsend is diminished almost entirely.

Gato follows a similar musical path to Disruptr, waving tension and release with a pummelling bridge that is reigned in at the last minute. It features excellent female vocals by another first-time collaborator, Che Dorval. The lyrics are... weird. Dynamic shifts are pitched over proggy, jazzy guitar licks that descend into distorted chugging, and a busy drum beat by Maxwell, while Savoie carries the tune and Young's ambience keeps the tension to the forefront. It again ends on a defiant shout by Townsend, receding relucantly into bitter buzzing and distant howling.

The buzzes change form suddenly, and gently wave into a slight, gorgeous acoustic number, Terminal (co-written with Dave Young... and you can really tell). Townsend croons softly, letting the ambience of the song shine over fantastically slight performances by all the musicians. It gently rises and falls, with its louder (but still quiet) moments surging with pride, and it's soothing softness just begging to lift up again. It's carried out by fading synth and a brief, but beautiful, piano solo.

Barely heard studio banter and a bouncy drum beat introduces Heaven Send, under an ominous, groovy clean riff. Townsends lyrics explore his spiritual beliefs, with Dorval returning for a chorus that will get stuck in your head. The tension through the verses seems even deeper than the previous tracks, propelled mainly by Maxwell's heavy drumming and the ever-present ambience. When the tension does finally split, it's into a smashing distorted riff that is carried by all of the instruments at once, heavier than ever before... which then disintegrates into a jazzy jam, and what is easily Devin's best guitar solo ever. A tiny breath of silence, and then back into the rolling verse. The chorus slams back into existence, this time really exploding into a brutal riff and hoarse vocals that ends the track... Or so you'd think. Townsend calmly asks if they want to start again, and then SMASH, the chorus resumes. Townsend screams in the background, and the riff pounds viciously to its conclusion.

Heaven Send disappears in an instant as ...Ain't Never Gonna Win takes over. It's a jazzy, drum'n'bass driven studio jam, where all the instrumentalists simply do their own thing, Townsend actually scatting softly over the top while barely playing his guitar at all. The tension of the last few tracks has disappeared completely.

Echoes carry the jam into Winter, again drum'n'bass, which repeats the same vocal refrain softly as Young's ambience sways gently in the background. There's a brief breakdown in the middle of the track, stopping and starting, and letting the bass and guitar stretch out, before swirling back into the vocally reinforced verse. It fades gently out of existence carried by savoie's bass noodling.

Then um... what? A train toots, Maxwell rolls out the drums, and Townsend swings into an Elvis drawl; backed by piano, a tooting keyboard and a simple bouncing riff, singing about girls on stripper poles and chugging trains. Then... ambience! Trainfire echoes the more bombastic moments of Synchestra for a little while, even exploding into a flurry of incongruous snarls and pounding riffs, then back into a jazzy pop, then screaming out again, then operatic vocals, and then bounces back into almost nothing. It's a weird but compelling piece. After an echo-y jam break, Che Dorval returns to sing a gorgeous double-tracked outtro into complete silence.

Lady Helen is a beautiful, relaxed piece. It makes a slow crescendo over Young's lovely piano and Savoie's powerful bass, while Devin sings in a voice just above a whisper. The drums come in at just the right moment to carry the song upward into a loud, yet gentle, bridge. It seems to have that same sense of pride and joy as Terminal, building in much the same way. It fades into a slow echo-y guitar piece, backed with beautiful synth.

Ki, the album's title track is introduced by a sitar that disappears as suddenly as it arrives, then a brief guitar noodle, and then a gorgeous acoustic lick that is backed by Townsend's trademark vocal layering. It's given a short triumphant spell, then fade-out, then into a short passage that's actually rescued from Soft, a demo Townsend recorded on "a shitty old cassette" in 1994. It repeats and echoes in a gorgeous crescendo, then fades into almost nothing. An acoustic and electric guitar noodle over and around each other for a little while, then begins a gorgeous series of acoustic arpeggios. A rapid, distorted guitar fades in, dozens of Devin's singing a nonsense verse gently, and faint double-kicked drums (if that really is Maxwell, then holy shit that man is good). It explodes into a gentle, loud, soft, heavy chorus that just KEEPS BUILDING, and refusing to relent. It's ethereal, holy, beautiful in every sense of the word. Then Devin unleashes an operatic howl over the top, and vicious screaming pushed to the background underneath. It continues pushing and pushing and then simply ceases to exist. It's a pinnacle among Townsend's musical achievements, mixed to perfection.

A soft acoustic number, the aptly named Quiet Riot, breaks in, backed by restrained piano. The drums and bass have disappeared, not to be seen again. It's relaxed as if in a sense of accomplishment from what's gone before.

A few seconds of silence precedes Demon League; a soft, tense number that seems akin to A Monday. Soft, echoed vocals lift over the track, and subtle synth increases the tension. It fades out quickly, and there's a rattle of studio equipment as if Devin is putting down his guitar and turning off the tape, and just like that, Ki is over.


Subtle yet refined, loud and soft, relaxed and tense, a mess of emotions and contradictions, and overall simply gorgeous; this is Devin's most honest work since Terria, and shares that same sense of beautiful mystery. It's a fantastic return from the mislabeled "madman", that can only promise more brilliant offerings in the future.

Best of 2009
Worst of 2009 (NSFW)

Feel free to leave your thoughts or start your flamewars.

Related shit

MastodonChris CornellThe Flaming LipsMegadethRaekwonSlayerLamb of GodShpongleEminemBetween the Buried and MeNirvanaThem Crooked VulturesRadioheadHannah MontanaDevin TownsendThe Devin Townsend ProjectWeezerAlice in ChainsBlack Eyed PeasKISSDrakeEmmureLil WaynePuddle of MuddInsane Clown Posse

I know a lot of people are doing these lists for the decade but I can’t be bothered, despite the fact that this past decade saw me transition from a metal newbie (the mainstream shite like Pantera and Machine Head) to what I am now. 10 years ago I was just beginning to get into Extreme Metal, I thought Dimmu Borgir, Cradle of Filth and In Flames were good bands. Now I know better of course. 10 years ago I was just starting to explore classical music, I became aware of Godspeed You Black Emperor and Nick Cave, two artists who’ve contributed a lot to my musical development. Earlier this decade I began my introduction to prog with King Crimson. 5 or 6 years ago I began getting into jazz and electronic music. Although I’m still taking babysteps with electronic music. I consider myself permanently damaged by the crappy dance/techno “music” I was exposed to in my early teens, I feel I’m beginning to appreciate it fully, from noise stuff of Merzbow and Kylie Minoise, to the abstraction of Aphex Twin and Autechre, to the blissful ambient of Robert Rich and Raison d’etre, to early industrial artists like Einsturzende Neubauten and Skinny Puppy and the pioneering work of Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk.

Anyway, I seem to be going off on a tangent. Without further adue, and in no even remotely coherent order, here is my list of highlights and lowlights of the musical year 2009 of the Gregorian Calender of the common era.



Highs

Albums


Sunn O)))-Monoliths and Dimensions: Recent work from this band had begun to suggest to me that they were perhaps better off releasing experimental live albums than experimental studio work. Then they released this. This is their best studio effort alongside their early work and Black One. Despite the various collaborators and different things going on, it remains a strongly focused album. Sunn O))) are proof of just how far drone can be taken and further proof that even when one takes things back to their roots and simplifies, the possibilities remain endless.

The Chasm-Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm: The Chasm are now comfortable within their own skin. No longer a Doom band searching for a new direction, they are the perfect embodiment of a visionary band with their own identity. The Chasm are the greatest Melodic Death Metal band in the history of the genre. Bands like Soilwork and Dark Tranquility aren’t fit to be a turd in this band’s toilet. Given the mediocrity that this style is synonymous with, it seems sacrilegious at best to associate such a great band with such a term. You won’t find anything new on this album, basically just further refinements in this bands unequallable style. The last three songs on this album are among the best this band’s ever written.

The Gathering-The West Pole: When news came that Anneke was leaving The Gathering and going on her own, and the band was continuing in her absence, many were skeptical. I too was skeptical but not because of the departure of Anneke, more because I’ve found their output since the brilliant How to Measure a Planet? album to be inconsistent in quality. I can honestly say that this is the band’s best work since that monumental work. The experimental elements are still there, but these have not been sacrificed for writing good songs. Silje Wergeland is a more than adequate replacement, she has a lovely voice and range, but she clearly isn’t an Anneke wannabe.

Ahab-The Divinity of Oceans: Ahab are among the best new bands in Doom. This album further solidifies their reputation and builds upon 2005's The Call of the Wretched Sea. Not content with setting to music Melville’s literary masterpiece, the band chose to go the source of the Melville’s novel: the tale of the Essex, a whaling ship attacked and sunk by a large sperm whale. The survivors landed on the Pitcairn islands and soon exhausted all natural food sources and then resorted to cannibalism to survive. Ahab’s music is as grim as the tale itself.

Blut Aus Nord-Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue with the Stars: Ever since this band’s transformative (sorry) release The Work Which Transforms God, this band has been dabbling further and further into the industrial field. While these releases haven’t been terrible, they also haven’t been matching in quality to this band’s earlier output. So now we come to an album which blends the past with the present, and the results are quite impressive. Simply, this is the best BAN album since The Work. Wether they can sustain this remains to be seen.

Portal-Swarth: Asides from The Chasm, this was the album that held the most anticipation for me. Portal’s unique style of Death Metal shows that Death Metal doesn’t have to go the route of Job for a Cowboy to evolve. This album is just more of what we've come to expect from this singular band.

Altar of Plagues-White Tomb: Another winner from Profound Lore records. While not the most original release ever, its without a doubt one of the stronger BM releases this year. Quite epic song construction adds to the quality.

The Lord Weird Slough Feg-Ape Uprising: The only thing better than a new Slough Feg album, is a Slough Feg album inspired by Planet of the Apes. Slough Feg’s newest release incorporates some Doom influences but otherwise maintains the fun spirit and great riffing that this band is rightly renown for. Dr. Zaius, you finally made a monkey out of me.

YOB-The Great Cessation: I was disappointed like a lot of other people when it was announced this crushing band were breaking up. It came as a shock to me to discover they’d gotten back together and had released a new album. The Great Cessation does not disappoint and fits in very well with this band’s crushing discography.

God Dethroned-Passiondale: I’d given up on them since 2001's very disappointing Into the Lungs of Hell. I’d heard a few songs from the next 2 albums and wasn’t very impressed. So I barely noted it when they released Passiondale earlier this year. But then I began to read very positive reviews, and other details, mainly that it was a concept album and that the groove approach had been jettisoned. So I finally tracked down a copy and without a doubt, this is their best since Bloody Blasphemy. Hell, it may even be better than that. An album of equal mix intelligence and brutality, showing that it is possible to make intelligent music without toning anything down.

Honourable Mentions

Morphine-At Your Service

Alice in Chains-Black Gives Way to Blue

Ruins of Beverast-Foulest Semen of a Shattered Elite

Arckanum-ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ

Funebrarum-The sleep of Morbid Dreams

Diablo Swing Orchestra-Sing Along Songs for the Damned and the Delirious

Whisper Room-Birch White

Master Musicans of Bukkake-Totem One.

Jamie Saft-Black Shabbis

Candlemass-Death Magic Doom

Black Sabbath-The Devil You Know

Musical discoveries of the year:
65days of static
Venetian Snares
Kylie Minoise
Morphine
Faustcoven
Circle of Ouroboros
Bal-Sagoth
Firebird
Mael Mordha


Best gigs of the year:
Esoteric in Derby, January.
Supersonic, July
Hellfire Fest November
Firebird & Church of Misery. April


Worst

A random selection of what disappointed me this year.

Amesoeurs-Amesoeurs. Takes everything that was good about the Ruines Humaines EP and chucks it out the window.

Slayer-World Painted Blood. Further proof that Thrash is dead

Pestilence-Resurrection Macabre: You mean Resurrection Mediocre

Jesu-Infinity & Opiate Sun: Broadrick’s starting to stretch himself too thinly

Various Artists-And in the Darkness Bind Them: A Tribute to Summoning: I know, I know, expecting a tribute album to be good is far too much to ask. But on this double album there are only 2 decent songs, it even features two bands covering the same song. All this album does is demonstrate how wide the void is between your average BM band and Summoning. Props to Morgan The Bard’s cover of Mirkwood, who realized that Summoning’s sound cannot, and should not, be imitated, and with this stripped down cover provides a fresh perspective on a wonderful song.

Augury-Fragmentary Evidence: In the words of Shakespeare, this was the cruellest cut of all. I had high hopes for this band, one of very few new DM bands to make an impression on me with their debut when it was released a few years ago, an album that showed chops, intelligence and potential. Now they sound like a novelty band.

Katatonia-Night is the New Day. The greatest of Last Fair Deal Gone Down is but a distant memory now. Proof that heavier does not equate with better.

Devin Townsend-Ki. About as coherent as a paraplegic deaf mute reciting Homer in ancient Greek.



Gigs I missed thanks to this wonderful recession and the phrase “you’ve been made redundant.”

Bloodstock August
Nadja August
Sunn O)) & Om December


Those are all the musical high and low-lights of this past year. I hope you enjoyed it and may next year be better.






SlayerAugurySunn O)))OMNadjaWhisper RoomBirch WhiteBlack SabbathHeaven and HellKatatoniaDevin TownsendJesuPestilenceMorgan the BardFirebirdChurch of MiseryThorr's HammerBal-SagothMorphineFaustcovenVenetian SnaresKylie Minoise65daysofstaticCandlemassCircle Of OuroborosBlack ShabbisDeath Magic Doommaster musicians of bukkakediablo swing orchestraThe Sleep Of Morbid Dreamsfoulest semen of a shattered eliteBlack Gives Way To BlueAt Your ServicePassiondaleThe Great CessationApe UprisingWhite TombSwarthNord-Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue with the StarsThe Divinity of OceansThe West Polefarseeing the paranormal abyssmMonoliths and dimensionsMorphineThe ChasmThe GatheringKatatoniaAhabThe GatheringSlough FegThe Lord Weird Slough FegArckanumSlough FegThe Lord Weird Slough Feg

1. Truckfighters- Mania
2. The Atomic Bitchwax - 4
3. Danko Jones - B-sides
4. Devin Townsend - Ki
5. Buckethead - A Real Diamond In The Rough
6. Baroness - Blue Record
7. Steel Panther - Feel The Steel
8. 65daysofstatic - Escape From New York
9. Isis - Wavering Radiant
10. White wizzard - High Speed GTO

===============
Honourable Mentions

11. The Company Band - The Company Band
12. Spice And The RJ Band - Shave Your Fear