Discovolante's Best of: 1999
Back to basics. From the beginning of the year to the end, via the Sputnik release calendar. |
| 1 |  | Mathematik
Ecology
Canadian underground emcee made art with the release of his debut "Ecology", with boasts tight beats and almost out-of-this-world lyricism which is delivered with such ease it is ridiculous. An album that definitely deserves much more shine in the underground rap world. |
| 2 |  | Therapy?
Suicide Pact - You First
Eerie, heavy and downright captivating, "Suicide Pact" is one of the very best album releases from Irish alt metal legends Therapy?. |
| 3 |  | Bread and Water
Strength in Numbers
The first release from one of the best hardcore bands ever. It brilliantly sets up the foundation for them to work and expand on to even higher levels. |
| 4 |  | Sandwich
Grip Stand Throw
Filipino rock superstars Sandwich made their big splash onto the scene in 1999 with the release of their debut "Grip Stand Throw". It is subtly heavy with a strong alternative center and sets up a fantastic trilogy of homeruns which gave Sandwich a fitting reputation as one of the best rock bands to emerge from the Philippines. |
| 5 |  | Cage (USA-NY)
For Your Box
The release that proves why Cage is one of the best emcees in rap history. |
| 6 |  | Bugz
These Streets
Clever lyricism and pretty decent production when considering the kind of budget that must've went in, "These Streets" is the sole solo release of Detroit emcee Bugz. A fantastic release that showcases the strong potential of a rapper with a very bright future that ultimately was taken way too soon. |
| 7 |  | Beastie Boys
The Sounds of Science
A fantastic compilation that amazingly sums up one of the best rap groups ever. |
| 8 |  | A Tribe Called Quest
The Anthology
See above. |
| 9 |  | Lunachicks
Luxury Problem
"Luxury Problem" was last out of five albums from the legendary all-female punk band Lunachicks, and it ends up being one of their best alongside their very first, "Babysitters on Acid", from 1990. It's both fun and ferocious while maintaining a high level of re-listenability. Very possibly the best straightforward punk album from the turn of the century. |
| 10 |  | Eminem
The Slim Shady LP
Self-deprecating morbid black humor mixed together with superb production and top-of-the-line lyricism, adds up to one of the top 3 rap albums of all time IMO. |
| 11 |  | Bis
Social Dancing
"Social Dancing" is Bis's magnum opus in the sense that it acts like a fantastic transitional from their pop punky beginnings to their more sophisticated electronica phase. It takes the best of both worlds and is a total masterpiece all around. |
| 12 |  | Insane Clown Posse
The Amazing Jeckel Brothers
"The Amazing Jeckel Brothers" was ICP's biggest commercial success, as well as one of their most beloved efforts as well. It's a lot more rap-centered than their previous album "The Great Milenko" and is brimming with misanthropy, with the usual fantasy-horror elements and dark humor in tact. One of their best albums to date. |
| 13 |  | Switchblade Symphony
The Three Calamities
The best album out of the three, Switchblade Symphony's 1999 swan song "The Three Calamities" is full of sorrow and mystique, with the goth rock elements all but gone at this point. Despite there not being any real goth rock influences, the album is still as haunting as their other two, if not more so. |
| 14 |  | Limp Bizkit
Significant Other
"Significant Other" was Limp Bizkit's rocket to superstardom, and the album was considered by many to be a great improvement over their debut. "Significant Other" was a far more polished and diverse effort with most of the songs on here being solid to this day. |
| 15 |  | Slipknot
Slipknot
Not only the best Slipknot album, but one of the best... get ready for this... metal albums in general, in my opinion. Classic. |
| 16 |  | Kool Keith
Black Elvis/Lost in Space
Black Elvis is another one of Kool Keith's many, many aliases, with this album unfortunately being the only album released as Black Elvis. Probably my personal favorite Kool Keith album, even above the Dr. Octagon album. |
| 17 |  | American Football
American Football
An emo classic. |
| 18 |  | The Dillinger Escape Plan
Calculating Infinity
One of the true masterpieces in avant-garde metal history. |
| 19 |  | Dr. Dre
2001
Ever since I was a child, I've felt that "2001" was the far better effort when compared to "The Chronic". And don't get me wrong, while "The Chronic" was a revolutionary rap album in what it did, the much more depth "2001" goes into makes it the superior album by far. So damn good. |
| 20 |  | DMX
...And Then There Was X
Although it may be controversial, I firmly believe that "...And Then There Was X" was a far better effort than the previous "Flesh of My Flesh...". Although this album is definitely a far more poppy effort, I feel its efforts to expand Darkman's sound was great. It also contains some of his most iconic tracks in his catalog. Ultimately DMX's final great effort. |
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