Botb's Top Music Of 2010
My top music of 2010, prolly forgot some shit, oh well, etc. Top 10 are in order(ish) the rest are alphabetical. |
| 1 |  | Amia Venera Landscape
The Long Procession
This album is pretty much just a juggernaut and deserving of the top spot on my list.. It's over an hour long, and filled with some of the most intense, most gorgeous, and most importantly, most original music I've heard in ages. Take post-metal soundscapes a-la Isis, melodic and emotional passages that would make Misery Signals tip their hats, and crushingly heavy parts that would make Jacob Bannon and crew blush. It's pretty much the sickest post-metal-melodic--ambient-epic-core album I've heard in a long time and if you haven't heard it, you need to, hands down. |
| 2 |  | My Epic
Yet
My Epic has always been kind of a favorite of mine. In 2008 they put out I Am Undone, which is one of my favorite albums of all time. It's filled with some of the most emotionally stirring music I've ever heard. This album doesn't QUITE live up to its predecessor but it's still filled with some of the best music of 2010. The best way I can describe this band is metal and hardcore influenced melodic rock/indie. It's filled with gorgeous vocal harmony filled driving and passionate music that will touch your heart, regardless if you believe in what they sing about. This is pretty much love in audio form. |
| 3 |  | Letlive
Fake History
This album was kind of a surprise for me. I had never heard any of their stuff until this album and I was blown away. It shares a lot of the same qualities as Glassjaw does. Emotion-filled personal lyrics, driving and interesting music, and an almost DIY rockstar attitude. As far as classic-sounding (not Rise Records) post-hardcore, you'd be hard pressed to find a band doing it better in the present than letlive. Oh, and if you haven't seen this band live, you're missing out on an incredible experience. How personal and touching the lyrics and vocal delivery in this is what really sold me. Jason Aalon Butler is an incredible singer/frontman. |
| 4 | | This Or The Apocalypse
Haunt What's Left
In a world of same-y metalcore, it's always nice to find a band doing something a little different. Coming from the same town as August Burns Red and Texas in July, TOTA do well to stand out amongst the throngs of boring, saturated metalcore. Instead of building songs around breakdowns and having little to no musicianship in between, TOTA really shines on the musicianship standard (there are still breakdowns, but they rule). Two capable and creative guitar players and honestly just one of the best damn drummers in the genre and enough variation to keep one interested for 10 songs, this album is just kind of a hypebeast of fun that has kept me smiling since it came out. |
| 5 |  | The Dillinger Escape Plan
Option Paralysis
Anyone that knows me knows that whenever a live music discussion happens, I'm the first to bring up that this band puts on the best live show I've ever seen. Everyone knows this band's formula... controlled chaos at its finest, and this album is full of it. However, what makes Option Paralysis stand out even more is the more melodic parts that the band doesn't explore as much as they should to counteract the chaos. Songs like Farewell, Mona Lisa, Gold Teeth On A Bum, and Widower show a side of DEP that isn't often showed with beautiful soaring melodic parts and even haunting Scarlet-like sections and makes the chaotic sections hit even harder. |
| 6 |  | More Than Life
Love Let Me Go
Woah bewbz on the cover? that means you should listen to this.
No but really this is some of the most solid melodic hardcore I've heard. This album is pretty perfect for a breakup (which i've dealt with immensely this year). The whole thing is filled with heartbreaking lyrics and passionate music and is generally just top notch. |
| 7 |  | Deftones
Diamond Eyes
This is the best thing this band has done since White Pony, plain and simple. It's filled with atmosphere, and amazing choruses. This album is pretty much filled with dark, brooding, yet beautiful music. If you like less nu-metally deftones and more atmospheric, haunting deftones, this album is all for you. Chino Moreno makes this album truly shine, his vocals are perfect for the music. |
| 8 |  | Counterparts
Prophets
Another shining example that not all metalcore is bad. Take part Comeback Kid, part Misery Signals, and add in The Ghost Inside breakdowns and you pretty much have counterparts. They're a young band from Canada that's putting the hardcore sound back in melodic metalcore. This album is very much influenced by bands like Verse and Comeback Kid, but still takes equal influence from bands like Misery Signals, It Prevails, and The Ghost Inside. Tasty choppy breakdowns this does have though, and Goodbye, Megaton has one of the best ones this year. |
| 9 |  | Rinoa
An Age Among Them
2010 was the year of soundscapes for me, and Rinoa, a now defunct post-hardcore/post-rock/post-metal/post-whateverelseyoucanthinkof band from the UK's slow moving climaxes and strong expressive vocals made it stand above most of the others. This album is full of long, drawn out, multiple-climaxing songs that are just a wonderful listen if you're into post-metal or post-rock. |
| 10 |  | Periphery
Periphery
Oh Periphery's debut. What a love, hate relationship I've grown to have with this album. It's full of what-ifs and possibilities and overall an unsettling feeling. The main qualm most people, me included, have with this album is vocalist Spencer Sotello. He's an extremely capable vocalist, covering a huge range of cleans and harsh. However, in the higher registers his clean tone is more grating and his harsh is very much airy and lacking in body. Mix this with the recent (when this album came out) departure of old vocalist Chris Barretto who albeit did not have an as impressive clean range, had infinitely more profound harsh vocals and was just generally a more likeable fellow. However this being said, the musicianship is absolutely the tip toppest of notch, the clean vocal melodies (for the most part) are extremely catchy and memorable, and the 12 songs on the album are ultimately incredibly enjoyable. And if, like some people do, you have a problem with the vocals then this album is also available completely instrumental so you can groove all day. |
| 11 |  | Ceremony
Rohnert Park
It's Ceremony being awesome in the present. What more could you want? Hardcore. |
| 12 |  | The Chariot
Long Live
Another one of the best live bands around puts out a great 2010 release. Chaotic metalcore. |
| 13 |  | Circa Survive
Blue Sky Noise
Circa Survive puts out probably their best collection of songs yet, and while it doesn't have bangers the quality of "Act Appalled" or "In Fear And Faith" it's ultimately better than both of the preceding albums. Progressive Rock. |
| 14 |  | Cloudkicker
Beacons
Instrumental post-metal with tons of groove and dem riffz. Pretty impressive for a one-man project. |
| 15 |  | Comeback Kid
Symptoms + Cures
In my opinion this is the best album this band has done since Wake the Dead. Equal parts melody that I love comeback kid for and surprisingly heavy moshy parts, this album is just fun. Melodic Hardcore. |
| 16 |  | The Contortionist
Exoplanet
A journey through space from a bunch of jazz-influenced musicians playing lots of noodly pretty stuff and then really heavy parts. Progressive Metal. |
| 17 | | Dangers
Messy, Isn't It?
One of the most intense and plain pissed-off records of 2010. There's a lot of great intelligent lyricism to be found here though. This album will make your stomach church. Hardcore. |
| 18 |  | Envy
Recitation
Extremely post-rock influenced post-hardcore band from Japan with great vocals. Envy continue to be a really good band. |
| 19 |  | The Ghost Inside
Returners
generic but still fun melodic metalcore. |
| 20 |  | HORSE The Band
Desperate Living
This has some of Horse the Band's best written songs yet and continues the more intricate song-writing they explored in their last album, but still enough of that signature HTB silliness to make it a blast. I guess this is considered metalcore? |
| 21 |  | Hundredth
When Will We Surrender
Really refreshingly passionate hardcore influenced melodic metalcore, along the same lines as It Prevails or Life In Your Way. |
| 22 |  | Kvelertak
Kvelertak
One part black-metal, one part hardcore, and the glue holding them together is Black Sabbath. Yes, this is as ridiculous AND fun as it sounds. |
| 23 |  | Miles Away
Endless Roads
More awesome melodic hardcore, this time from down under. Equal parts aggression and melody. Occasionally undoubtedly brings da mosh. |
| 24 |  | Oceansize
Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up
Boasts the best-named song of 2010 by far: "Build Us A Rocket Then, You Rocket-Building Cunt". Some of the coolest drum work this year. They rule at making odd-time signature music. Progressive Rock. |
| 25 |  | Orbs
Asleep Next To Science
With members from Fear Before The March of Flames, BTBAM, and some girl that shreds on classical piano from some band, this album is one of the weirdest things I heard in 2010, but it's pretty cool and worth at least a spin or two. Progressive Rock. |
| 26 |  | Porcupine Tree
The Incident
One of my favorite bands with my favorite drummer in it. Great album, definitely one of the weaker ones they've put out in the past several years but it still has some really awesome parts. Progressive Rock/Metal |
| 27 |  | Rosetta
A Determinism Of Morality
More awesome post-metal with tons of atmosphere. If you liked Amia Venera Landscape and/or Rinoa, check this out too. |
| 28 |  | Rufio
Anybody Out There
This is my favorite pop-punk band's reunion album. They finally got back together and are writing music again, and it doesn't have the flair and the musicianship that the old stuff did but it's still damn catchy and fun. |
| 29 |  | Russian Circles
Geneva
Instrumental 3-piece post-rock/post-metal band. This is the best thing they've done since Enter. This band is like a more gradually climaxing, post-rocky Scale The Summit. Lots of cool loop pedal usage and as always neat tapping stuff. |
| 30 |  | Sed Non Satiata
Sed Non Satiata
If the french can do anything right it'd be screamo. This band is post-rock influenced skramz at it's pretty much finest. |
| 31 | | This Time It's War
Terror Plots
Good friends of mine put out a great progressive metal album. Seriously go listen to this. You can download it at their bandcamp for a "name your price". |
| 32 |  | They Found Her In Pieces
Victorian
More friends of mine put out an awesome melodic death metal album. No seriously though, the most impressive drumming and the best vocals in Richmond can be found on this cd. No for real though, Wesley is a fucking phenomenal vocalist. |
| 33 |  | Tides of Man
Dreamhouse
A rise records band that doesn't suck in the least! Weird. Tillian Pearson is a fantastic vocalist on par with Jonny Craig in my opinion, and he's not a piece of shit. This album has lots of cool guitar work and "Not My Love 2" is one of the best songs of the year. Progressive Rock/Post-Hardcore |
| 34 |  | Underoath
Disambiguation
I was skeptical of how this was going to turn out with the absence of longtime-member/vocalist/drummer Aaron Gillespie but I must say, the new drummer filled his shoes nicely. A lot of creative, cool drumming and Spencer Chamberlain's best vocal performance to date. Metalcore (but not the boring, chuggy kind) |
| 35 |  | Wretched
Beyond The Gate
More great melodic death metal from these NC boys who are unfortunately signed to Victory. The fantastic and classically influenced guitar work still makes them really stand out to me in a sea of same-y sounding bands. |
| 36 |  | Within The Ruins
Invade
Honestly the only thing that makes this stand out is it's solid in a genre that is just plain boring most of the time these days. There's some pretty creative guitar-work on this cd though, it just has a metric ton of breakdowns to wade through. Deathcore. |
| 37 |  | Your Demise
The Kids We Used To Be
To be completely honest with this one as well, I only like like half of this cd, but that half is pretty damn solid. Hardcore with metal influences. |
| 38 | | Best EPs of 2010:
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| 39 |  | The Dear Hunter
Branches
This band simply rules and this little 3 song EP is no different. Progressive Rock. |
| 40 |  | Haunted Shores
Cyclamen/Haunted Shores Split
Haunted Shores's songs with Chris Barretto are an epic win. Cyclamen's songs with Travis Orbin are pretty close behind. Also has some of the coolest album art I've ever seen. Progressive Metal. |
| 41 |  | Kerouac
Cold And Distant, Not Loving
UK Hardcore with the chaotic and throat-slitting tendencies of Converge with a great sense of melody and atmosphere. This will kick your ass. |
| 42 |  | Touche Amore/La Dispute
Searching for a Pulse/The Worth of the World
Touche Amore puts out some of their solid signature mid 90's screamo-influenced hardcore and La Dispute follows it up with a one-two punch of some of the best material they've ever written. |
| 43 | | United Nations
Nevermind the Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures
Members of Thursday, Glassjaw, Converge, and The Number 12 Looks Like You follow up their debut with more screamo/power-violence/post-hardcore/awesome music and it generally rules. |
| 44 |  | TesseracT
Concealing Fate
Incredibly atmospheric, groovy, and pretty post-metal. Dan Tompkins is one of the best metal vocalists around and showcases it here by melting your ear drums with his voice. |
| 45 |  | Volumes
The Concept of Dreaming
Intake is the best song this band has ever, and will ever write. Period. Also includes 5 other songs that can't ever hope to touch Intake but all are pretty good I guess. |
| 46 | | Stuff I forgot:
because i'm sure I will |
| 47 |  | Norma Jean
Meridional
Considering their last album being garbage I didn't expect much from this, but lo and behold this is the best thing they've done since like 2002. Unexpectedly I liked the inclusion of the cleans on this album for the most part. Metalcore. |
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