Friday, 31 December 2010

Sami's best albums 2010

My best albums for 2010

19 Jan 2011, 21:14
My best of the best 2010. The list is absolutely subjective and proud to be so. I don’t even try to objectively analyze the albums since I know that there is so many people who can do it better. If you want to compare this to anything, check my list of listened tracks and if you agree with that you might also agree some to this list.

1.Barren Earth – Curse of the Red River
-Long waited album after the excellent EP. Did not let me down although the style was a bit different from the EP. Strong album in so many ways, does not wear or tear from listening tens of times.

2.Dark Tranquillity – We are the void
-Even if this album might not be just like the previous ones from DT, it is definitely a step to better for me. And hey who says that the bands can’t evolve. Fiction already made me a huge fan of this band and Void only strengthened it. Had a tough competition for the first podium with Barren Earth.

3.High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine
-The next three or four albums raced also very evenly in my list. The order could have been different in some other day, but this is how I put it now. Snakes for the Divine is just so heavy album that it really does not need a deeper analysis.

4.Brant Björk – Gods & Goddesses
-Feel good music, if you don’t feel relaxed after listening this there might be something wrong in you. Strongly reminds me of my old (past?) favorite singer Lenny Kravitz in his best days.

5.Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
-If I would have found this album earlier it could be number three in my list. Now it probably suffered from too few times of listening and just lost to those two above. A full flawless album that grows with time.

6.Soulfly – Omen
-This album does good when you want to release some pressure. Full sounds, strong bass and quite a tempo throughout the album, does not require anything from you except maybe some headbanging.

7.In Mourning – Monolith
-This should start that the album was not as good as the first one, but it would not make justice for this album. The first album is soooo good that even not as good can earn its place in top ten. Great melodic death metal that is not and tries not to be too cute.

8.Throes of Dawn - The Great Fleet Of Echoes
-Dark metal perfectly describes the music in this album. I have no experience with their previous music, but this album alone makes sure that I will familiarize myself to it, even if it will not be as good as this. Melancholic, dark music without a hint of depression (which I do not like e.g. in Katatonia’s music).

9.The Sword – Warp Riders
-Again the album that I have listened too little to say anything clever. Keeps getting better every time I listen it. A solid top ten album without a doubt though, ended up to be ninth since I had a more profound knowledge to put other above it.

10.Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy
-A total surprise even to myself that this album is in my list. I tried some of the bands music when they were signed to Tuska metal festival in Helsinki in July. The gig did not impress me much, but since there is so much to follow in this festival I might have not paid too much attention to this “unknown” band for me. For some reason I kept returning to their new release and again to my surprise started liking the complicated and yet thoroughly controlled style of progressive metal that they play. It remains to be seen if my interest spreads to the older albums I have not yet dared to break this honeymoon by introducing a third wheel into a relationship.

Tuesday, 14 December 2010

Phage's Best Albums 2010

I feel kinda obligated to write this journal. As a matter of fact, I've made this listing in several times contributing to different forums, but I somehow feel this one to be the list. I've made some changes to my list as the year approaches the end. This is based partly on my play counts in Last.fm and partly somewhat objective idea of how good the album really is. Of course things are subject to changes but this is how I see things on 31th December, 2010.

Here it goes:

1. The Sword - Warp Riders



Not the top album based on play counts but objectively the best album of the year. I think The Sword simply hit the jackpot with this one. Perfect riffs, songs, lyrics (I love concept albums) and cover art. Sound fusion between stoner rock, hard rock, old school heavy rock spiced with their very own distinctive style of playing music. Their best album and a future classic.

2. Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void



I had to be honest with this album. It generally wasn't received with big cheers but nevertheless it is by far my most played album of the year and as totally subjective fan boy, its a great album from the band I love so much. But continuing being honest, it isn't as good as Fiction was as a whole. Some songs are top notches and some are more or less average quality of the band often noted for the overall top level of the whole discography. I liked particularly of Arkhangelsk, Her Silent Tongue and Iridium for they all represent a new direction in bands sound. Dark Tranquillity has always been developing toward something new and I really hope these songs lead the way. Anyway more than 1000 songs played from We Are The Void -album speaks for itself.

3. Barren Earth - Curse Of The Red River



After Our Twilight, this was one of the most anticipated new release in addition to We Are The Void by Dark Tranquillity. It didn't let me down although the album was a bit less heavier I was expecting it to be. Curse Of The Red River is typical debut album from a super group. The influences of the other/former projects are clearly audible but I can't say it really matters since those include bands like Moon Sorrow, Kreator Amorphis, Mannhai and Swallow The Sun. Result is solid album of progressive death metal and I've spent several hours of my year listening to it.

4. Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini



I love this band. Every record is different than the previous one, the style changes every time but the band are somehow able to maintain to level and the central idea from album to album. Vertebra was mind blowing stuff and so is Axioma Ethica Odini. It maintains the progressive touch of Vertebra but while Vertebra explored the softer frontiers in the band's music, Axioma takes a huge step toward much rawer and aggressive expression. This isn't the most easiest album to start with, but in the end it is rewarding experience.

5. Brant Bjork - Gods & Goddesses



This was perfect summer album but it is a damn good album no matter the season. There is no other person who could make such floating, dreamy and groovy stuff than Brant Bjork. Man's a master, what can I say. This record flirts with stoner, blues and classical rock but the atmosphere is unique. Just listen to Radio Mecca and imagine yourself to some beach bar somewhere in California...

6. Throes Of Dawn - The Great Fleet Of Echoes



This is one of my most played albums. Beautiful, relaxing and solid records. With The Great Fleet Of Echoes this band somehow appears to found peace and certainty of the style they want to make music and the end result is very appealing and mature. I enjoyed their live performance as well. 

7. Overkill - Ironbound



There were many great thrash metal releases this year, but this one stroked me most. Perhaps the most solid entity of them all and filled with so many hit tracks a winner was found. Thrash vets keep astonishing me year after year with their never ending energy and ability to deliver year after year. I got the chance to see them live in Tuska Open Air and their gig was one of the best. 

8. High On Fire - Snakes For The Divine



With the best single track of this year, the title song Snakes For The Divine, Matt Pike and others made one killer album. Although the ride gets a little more relaxed toward the end, this album made a new definition to "heavy". Such a crushing riff storm kicked my ass worth for the 7th position.

9. Monster Magnet - Mastermind



With the ugliest covers released in this year, Mastermind totally surprised me. It continued to grew on me (and actually this is the first list I write where Mastermind makes to the top ten) to the very end of this fine year.With lots of great songs, riffs and groovy touch, I know this one will appear often on my play list.

10. Deathchain - The Death Gods



The biggest surprise of the year and also the best death metal release. Everything just clicked in this album. I simply can't sit still while listening this one, the riffs are awesome. Some Bloodbath influences are clear but yet they are able to use familiar features in new, fresh ways and end result is such a strong record. End track Cthulhu Rising is one of the best songs released this year, an epic 12 minutes long masterpiece. More of this and I continue smiling.

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This is so damn difficult to narrow the top list to ten (or to twenty, makes to difference). There's always albums that could have as well made to the top ten and only reason why they didn't is, that I don't either remember them or I just don't feel like it today. Here are some of those great, great records:

Electric Wizard - Black Masses
Solace - A.D.
Howl - Full Of Hell
In Mourning - Monolith
Sigh - Scenes From Hell
Soulfly - Omen
The Wounded Kings - The Shadow Over Atlantis
Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones
Watain - Lawless Darkness

Happy New year!