Varg Is A Cool Guy...

He kills band mates and doesn't afraid of anything.

Top 50 Albums of the Decade - With Regrets

No, I will not drop the subject.

Anyway, below is a list of albums that, given only a slight change of mood when compiling my top 50 list, could have ended up on the countdown. As a result, I feel compelled to at least mention them and, as such, implore you to check them out if interested.

Mastodon - Blood Mountain

Gojira - From Mars to Sirius

Daft Punk - Alive 2007

A Silver Mt Zion - Horses in the Sky

Deerhunter - Microcastle

Hauschka - Ferndorf

Melt-Banana - Bambi's Dilemma

Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero

Tool - Lateralus

Okay, I'll stop now; I promise.

Top 50 Albums of the Decade - Part 3 (15-1)

Let's do this thing.

15. Electric Wizard - Dopethrone

To quote tolkkii from HolyFuckingShit40000:

"It's one of my favourite albums, but honestly it sounds like the following events occurred.
Hey man, let's jam!
Ok, let's play some Black Sabbath, some Master of Reality stuff.
Sure bro, let me roll a fattie first.
*smokes*
What were we going to do with these instruments?
Fuck, I don't know.
*Jams*
Duuuuuude"

14. Cult of Luna - Salvation

This and Isis' Oceanic are the two benchmarks which all post metal should strive to. A stunning album from beginning to end.

13. Converge - Jane Doe

Behold, metalcore done well. 12 punches in the face delivered with intensity levels rarely seen in music. Might take a while to digest, but it's worth it and then some. Just thinking about the sheer awesome of 'Concubine' and 'Homewrecker' is making me a little giddy.

12. Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness

Recorded over 5 years, spanning 2 discs, containing an accompanying 70-page booklet and going so far as to have individually painted discs, Deathconsciousness is clearly an album close to the heart of its two creators. And why wouldn't it be? Spanning multiple genres and moods, Deathconsciousness is a masterful achievement and, arguably, the best concept album of the decade.

11. Church of Misery - Houses of the Unholy

I've discussed both this band and album at length previously so all I'll say is fuck yes.

10. Melt-Banana - Cell Scape

9. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion

Embarrassingly gushed over here. Still the best album of 2009 (bite me, Scott).

8. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam

Just edging out its follower, Strawberry Jam epitomises what I like about Animal Collective. It's light and fun, but with some fascinating musical ideas to help give it some substance. Besides how can you resist an album with both 'For Reverend Green' and 'Fireworks'.

7. Mouse on the Keys - Sezession

Shamelessly fanboyed over here. Probably my best relatively unknown discovery of the last 12 months.

6. Boris - Flood

Ah, Boris...If I didn't give myself the 2 album restriction then this list would probably have at least 5 releases by this band (you see that I've already crammed 2 of their collaborations in here). Consisting of a single 70 minute track, Flood is like being slowly crushed by the ocean...but somehow in a good way.

5. Kashiwa Daisuke - Program Music 1

After I made a Japanese music post at Green Gravy, this was recommended to me by, again, Alex from Whatever Takes Your Fancy. This was, probably, the best album recommendation that I've ever received. Think of the electronic-influenced post-rock of World's End Girlfriend, then imagine it...better. Quite easily the best electronic album I've heard from this decade, if not ever.

4. Isis - Oceanic

The album that got me into sludge/post-metal and, really, metal in general. Crushingly heavy in parts, gorgeous in others, Oceanic is a masterpiece.

3. Radiohead - KidA

The musical shift from The Bends to OK Computer was matched if not surpassed when KidA was released. This caused quite the initial backlash but, as people actually started listening to Radiohead's new sound, they found that they were just as good as ever. I won't say too much more as KidA has been topping pretty much every best of list, but listen to the first 5 seconds of 'Everything in its Right Place' and you know that this is something special.

2. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

The theme of Godpeed's F♯A♯∞ was, quite easily, the apocalypse, and it was awesome. The band's next full follow up, Lift Your Skinny Fists etc etc, didn't really seem to posses any central idea or premise. Instead, what Skinny Fists does is show the full spectrum of...existence, both the good and the bad. And it is through this simple idea that Godspeed are able to tell us more than they had previously. This would all mean nothing if the music wasn't there to back it up, but the nine-piece are in full form, from their trademark crescendos to, for the first time, drone and rock(ish) styles. In my opinion, the pinnacle of post-rock.

1. Boris - Boris at Last: -Feedbacker-

I wish I could describe how incredible this is and why it's the best album of the last 10 years, if not of all time, but words seem to lose me whenever I think about this album. This review does a better job than I could, but words can only get you so far. Listen to this album. Now.

Like I said at the start, I'm sure there are other albums released this decade, I haven't yet heard, that I'll like just as much if not more than those listed here. But that doesn't stop this list from being, in my opinion, fantastic releases and all highly recommended. Also, I'm quite willing to upload any album on this list at request so shout out if interested

Top 50 Albums of the Decade - Part 2 (30-16)

Let's jump straight back in and continue the countdown (hopefully blogger won't screw around with text sizes this time).

30. A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step

29. Mouse on the Keys - An Anxious Object

28. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O

Despite being Godspeed's worst release, Yanqui is still a powerful and moving album. 'Rocket Fall on Rocket Falls' in particular is a gorgeous track. For a band to be able to express just how pissed off they are without using any vocals whatsoever is quite an extraordinary feat.

27. Isis - Celestial

Deconstucting. Fucking. Towers. That is all.

26. Foetus - Flow

Despite a few 'dud' tracks, when J.G Thirwell gets it right, it's nothing short of spectacular.

25. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

24. Between the Buried and Me - Colors

Quite simply, an amazing achievement of progressive metal. It all seemed a little too sporadic and inconsistent at first, but slowly it all started to make sense and become one of the few not only listen-able, but good metalcore releases ever.

23. Boris with Merzbow - Rock Dream

Reviewed here though it's grown on me a lot since then.

22. World's End Girlfriend - Dream's End Come True

21. Radiohead - Amnesiac

Kid B you say? Bah, I say. This is a perfect complement to their 2000 masterpiece, though can stand perfectly fine on its own. Pyramid Song, Like Spinning Plates, Life in a Glasshouse, astounding.

20. The Antlers - Hospice

I don't think an album has ever made me cry as much as this one. Listening to the whole thing with lyrics handy is absolutely crushing.

19. Sunn O))) & Boris - Altar

As you probably know, I'm very much a fan of drone music. Well, this is the album that started it all. Retaining the distinctive sound of both bands, but still sounding completely unlike either have released (I've once heard it described as a bastard love child of the two bands that was beaten regularly during childhood), any lover of drone-doom can't not have this in their collection.

18. Earthless - Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky

17. Neurosis - The Eye of Every Storm

Taking a 'less is more' approach, Neurosis deliver their best album yet.

16. The Ocean - Precambrian

I detest this adjective, but this album is truly deserving of the word epic. Two discs of pure joy.

Final instalment (15-1) will be posted whenever I get the time so hopefully some time over the next few days. What will be #1 (though if you know my music tastes even a little, you probably already know the answer to this question)?

Top 50 Albums of the Decade - Part 1 (50-31)

Over the next few days, I'll be counting down what I feel are the fifty best albums that I've listened to from the 2000-2009 period. I'm sure there's plenty of stuff that I've yet to experience that's awesome, but I guess you need to have a cut-off at some point.

Note that I've only allowed 2 albums per artist/band in this list, though collaborations are considered separate. Also to save giant posts, I'll only be making additional comments about albums if I feel like it. But enough introductions, part 1 is 50-31

50. Set Fire to Flames - Sings Reigns Rebuilder

49. Kayo Dot - Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue

48. a-fei - Nymphéas

47. sgt. - Stylus Fantasticus

Thanks to Whatever Takes Your Fancy for turning me on to this one.

46. Khanate - Clean Hands Go Foul

This album is, quite easily, the heaviest album I've listened to. Not due to that it's really fast or really loud, it's neither of those things. What Khanate does is play doom metal stripped back to a snail's pace, but with the most agonising vocals I've ever heard. The result is a sound so emotionally heavy, listening to it is quite physically draining. Definitely a unique experience.

45. Sunn O))) - Black One

44. Ben Frost - By The Throat

43. Wolves in the Throne Room - Two Hunters

42. Neurosis - Given to the Rising

41. Death From Above 1979 - You're A Woman, I'm A Machine

I can't stress just how...fun this album is. Death From Above 1979 have no pretensions of grandeur or significance, they're just here to rock, which they do well. Very well.

40. Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow

My concert review should already tell you that I think these guys are pretty awesome.

39. Massive Attack - 100th Window

Release the new album already!

38. Om - God is Good

37 - Thom Yorke - The Eraser

36. mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind

Despite my occasional criticisms of this album, I can't deny it's brilliance.

35. Venetian Snares - Songs About My Cats

lol, breakcore.

34. Sunn O))) - La Mort Noir En Esch Alzette

33. mono - You Are There

Gorgeous.

32. At The Drive In - Relationship of Command

There's a reason there aren't many post-hardcore bands these days. There's no point now that Relationship of Command has come and gone.

31. Mastodon - Crack the Skye

Great album by a great band.

Stay tuned for tomorrow post where I count down 30-16.