Best albums of the year
In no particular order.
I don’t usually buy more than 10 new releases a year, and I don’t hardly have that many this year. I actually own all but a couple of these, and those that I don’t own (only downloaded) I fully intend to buy.
Yob - The Unreal Never Lived
Three of the nicest doom metalers you could ever meet. I swear they just get better with each album.
Yob:
Red Sparowes - At the Soundless Dawn
One of the guys from Isis is in this band. Great stuff. Melodic atmospheric doom is what I think of it as. Have no idea if that’s an accurate description though. Let’s see what allmusic.com classifies them as…
* Intense
* Brooding
* Circular
* Complex
* Dreamy
* Indulgent
* Eerie
* Elaborate
* Atmospheric
Those fit. All instrumental.
Red Sparowes:
Pelican - The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw
Similiar to Red Sparowes. Can’t get enough of this stuff. Really awesome live, too. And super nice guys. A review on allmusic.com says:
There’s a new style of metal rising in the early 21st century; one that is light on the vocals and heavy on the instrumentals. But this certainly isn’t your dad’s familiar metal instrumental — prog-like overindulgence has given way to sounds that alternate between dreamy soundscapes and crushing riffs — as evidenced by groups like Pelican.
Pelican:
Opeth - Ghost Reveries
It’s kinda ridiculous to call these guys death metal anymore, they’re so much more than that. One of the most brilliant bands recording music today. Actually, I’d go so far as to say *the* most brilliant band recording music today.
New Model Army - Carnival
One of my favorite bands released a new album, and I haven’t spent much time on it yet, but I’m still including it in my best of the year. Because I know it is regardless! (What I have taken in is great.)
NMA:
Low - The Great Destroyer
I love everything about it. Everything.
Low:
Hellacopters - Rock’n'Roll is Dead
I can’t say enough good things about these guys. Love love love. Here’s how allmusic.com describes them:
* Uncompromising
* Hedonistic
* Energetic
* Harsh
* Raucous
* Intense
* Freewheeling
* Thuggish
* Aggressive
* Visceral
* Cathartic
Heck yeah!
Daft Punk - Human After All
This is considered house music, which I never would’ve guessed. I just love the catchy repetitive beats and the robot voice. Music needs more robot voice.
Magnolia Electric Co. - What Comes After the Blues
Funny that I love stuff that sounds like Neil Young, but I’m not very into Neil himself. Only in small doses. But I can listen to this album over and over again. And I love the title.
Let me know if you want to hear samples of any of them and I’ll post to the radio.blog.
I’m with you on Low and Magnolia Electric Co. I only listened to What Comes After the Blues after you recommended it over on Kulturblog. The lead singer has the best voice for country that I’ve heard since Jay Farrar. And he’s a better singer. I’ve been loving that album.
The Great Destroyer is neck-and-neck with Sufjan Stevens’ Illinoise as my favorite of 2005. Deerhoof’s The Runners Four is not far behind.
The rest of your list, though . . . I’ll just say there’s no accounting for taste.
Actually, I haven’t listened to any of them except for a snippet here and there. I’ve just never had much of a taste for extreme metal. The Mars Volta and Deerhoof are the heaviest bands I’ve enjoyed this year, and they’re not all that heavy. The heaviest music in my collection is stuff like Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Pixies, and the White Stripes.
Comment by Tom — December 31, 2005 @ 4:41 pm
I wouldn’t call any of them but Yob extreme metal. But it’s all relative, I guess! I want to check out Deerhoof. I keep confusing them with Hoof (Tad Doyle’s new band).
The Hellacopters are very much straight-up rock, not metal–garage rock.
Opeth is very melodic and complex, very prog-oriented. The singer alternates betweens singing normally and doing the death metal growl, using the contrast to create some awesome tension. Except for on the album Damnation, which uses no death metal vocals at all. I’m serious when I say these guys are brilliant. Really just incredible–I especially love the way their song structure relates to what’s happening lyrically in the songs.
Comment by Susan M — December 31, 2005 @ 5:43 pm
In which country do you live? :)
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