CAVEAT: This list represents the best of the 2009 albums THAT I'VE HEARD.
There are many (such as the new Sysygy) that
would definitely make the list if I'd heard them in time. Also, the
sequence could well change if I were to construct this list in a weeks time -
and I had particular difficulty with the top 5.
Nevertheless, for better
or worse, here's the list...
1 The Future Kings Of England -- The Viewing Point
2 Mastodon -- Crack the
Skye
3 Morglbl -- Jazz For The Deaf
4 Beardfish -- Destined Solitaire
5 OSI -- Blood
6 Porcupine Tree -- The Incident
7 Mellotron -- And Go
8
Jupiter Society -- Terraform
9 Riverside -- Anno Domini High Definition
10
Decemberists, The -- The Hazards of Love
11 Big Big Train -- The Underfall
Yard
12 Wobbler -- Afterglow
13 Satellite -- Nostalgia
14 Gonin-Ish --
Naishikyo-Sekai
15 Sebkha Chott -- De La Persistance De La Mythologie
Chottienne En ??? V�los
16 Transatlantic -- The Whirlwind
17 Indukti --
Idmen
18 Tamandua -- Eternal Anteater Of The Universe
19 Ava Inferi --
Blood Of Bacchus
20 IQ -- Frequency
21 Phideaux -- Number 7
22 Sylvan
-- Force Of Gravity
23 Gaza -- He Is Never Coming Back
24 Po90 -- Jitters
25 Magma -- Emehntehtt-Re
26 Manning (Guy) -- Number Ten
27 Wilson,
Steven -- Insurgentes
28 Roswell Six -- Terra Incognita: Beyond the Horizon
29 Redemption -- Snowfall On Judgement Day
30 Karda Estra -- Weird Tales
31 Isis -- Wavering Radiant
32 UKZ -- Radiation
33 Circa -- HQ
34
Ajalon -- This Good Place
35 Factory Of Dreams -- A Strange Utopia
36
Counter-World Experience -- Metronomicon
37 Dream Theater -- Black Clouds And
Siver Linings
38 Jolly -- Forty-Six Minutes, Twelve Seconds of Music
39
Cantata Sangui -- On Rituals And Correspondence In Constructed Realities
40
Nile-Those Whom the Gods Detest
Late Addition:
(Yes, I'm breaking the rules by adding this well after the article's initial publication!)
On re-listening to Epica's Design Your Universe, it ought to have been near the top of my list.
It's an excellent goth / operatic / neo-classical metal album, with a tasteful (and appropriate) insertion of death growls for a beauty-and-the-beast sound.
It is significantly better than anything the band has done in the past.
Mark Davies
As I write this I'm in jet lag
hell after 10 weeks in the States, I've also just got the news that a Facebook
campaign to make Rage Against The Machine Christmas No 1 in the U.K charts was
successful. This marks a milestone over on these shores as every year the winner
from our reality show X-Factor has been Christmas No 1 for as long as I can be
bothered to remember, a victory for rock music I think. I knew this time would
come and I've been pondering for hours what to include and what to leave out.
With so many highlights in 2009 and such a wealth of material on offer from the
varying genres I'm drawn to it's not been an easy task, well here ��.
Best Albums Of 2009:
The Top 5
1.Paradise Lost - Faith
Divides Us Death Unites Us
2 Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
3
Mastodon - Crack The Skye
4 Lamb Of God - Wrath
5 Megadeth - Endgame
The Full List
Mastodon - Crack The Skye (A pure metal
masterpiece, takes the concept to a new level)
Lamb Of God - Wrath (It pumps through my veins like
mercury, this band just set the standard)
Paradise Lost - Faith Divides Us
Death Unites Us (Their 'Black' album, probably my album of 2009, they enter a
new realm with this release)
BigElf - Cheat The Gallows (Released last year
in the U.S but only got to us this year in the U.K. Where have I been? Total
BigElf convert, get those bell bottom trousers on�love them)
Alice In Chains
- Black Gives Way To Blue (Took some balls and took some time but the results
speak for themselves� I still keep singing 'Check My Brain' months later,
'California's alright�..')
Lynyrd Skynyrd - God & Guns (The Grim Reaper may
have taken his toll on this band but they came back with a stormer)
The
Parlor Mob - And you Were A Crow (Down and dirty rock n' roll from these
American grafters, deserve more success)
Winger - Karma (Great comeback from
the poodle haired kings, surprisingly heavy with plenty of Reb Beach guitar)
Daughtry - Leave This Town ( O.K stop laughing!!! You cannot deny this guy has
one hell of a voice and amazingly catchy songs)
Megadeth - Endgame (Is it the
end? Hope not, a Mustaine modern metal classic�no doubt)
Evile - Infected
Nations (Excellent British thrash, sadly overshadowed with the tragic death of
bass player Mike Alexander, destined for exceptional success)
Porcupine Tree
- The Incident (Today's Pink Floyd, their albums form masterpieces that get
better with age)
Muse - The Resistance (Thought they couldn't get bigger and
bolder�how wrong was I? Progressive music for 2009)
Dream Theater - Black
Clouds And Silver Linings (This certainly took some spins, but was so worth it)
Amorphis - skyforger (Finland's finest progressive metal pioneers, great stuff)
Also Worth a Mention:
The Answer- Everyday Demons
Chickenfoot -
Chickenfoot
Blind Ego - Numb
Guilt Machine - On This Perfect Day
Devildriver - Pray For Villains
Five Finger Death Punch - War Is The Answer
Slayer - World Painted Blood
Kiss - Sonic Boom
Chevelle - Sci-Fi Crimes
Warbringer -Waking Into Nightmares
Best Gigs Of 2009:
Kiss - @The Pearl, Las Vegas (Where Better to see Kiss than a 2,200 capacity
theater with full pyro in the City of Sin)
Mastodon - @Sheffield Corporation U.K
(Blinding club gig where the whole of Crack the skye was performed end to end)
Lamb Of God - @Sheffield Corporation U.K (Another cracking club gig added onto
their tour at the last minute, pure metal excellence)
Progressive Nation Tour
- @Manchester Apollo U.K (My first BigElf experience and two masters of their
art Dream Theater & Opeth)
Graspop Metal Meeting - @Dessel Belgium (Probably
the best festival I've ever been to for organization, band line up & atmosphere)
Metallica/Machine Head - @Sheffield Arena U.K (I was in metal heaven, got to
meet Machine Head, drink their beer and meet Rob from Metallica.. pure metal
masturbation!)
Rob Zombie - @The Pearl Las Vegas (Not seen him since the
White Zombie days and he sure knows how to put on a show)
Muse Homecoming
Show - @Teignmouth Devon U.K (The earth literally shook! 10,000 people take over
a small seaside town and Muse showed why they sell out enormo-domes on a regular
basis)
Down - @Hellfest Clisson France (Phil and the boys brought Nola to
rural France, downright sweaty southern metal)
Alice In Chains - @The Joint
Las Vegas (They were on too early in the day at Sonisphere in Knebworth earlier
in the year. This headline show proves why they should carry on, Rooster simply
stunned the crowd).
Worth a Mention:
AC/DC - @LG Arena
Birmingham U.K
Trans -Siberian Orchestra - @ Orleans Arena Las Vegas
Machine Head - @ Sonisphere Festival Knebworth U.K
Manowar - @Hellfest
Clisson France
Testament- @Sheffield Corporation U.K