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5 classic

Barenaked Ladies Stunt

Bob Seger Greatest Hits

Bob Seger Live Bullet

Boston Boston

Butch Walker Sycamore Meadows

Cynic Focus

DJ Shadow Endtroducing

Eagles Hotel California

Fair To Midland Fables From a Mayfly

One of the most intriguing and innovative albums of the year that will undoubtedly find a place in my Top Ten Albums of 2007 list, Fair to Midland's 'Fables From a Mayfly...' is somewhat of a smorgasbord, kitchen-sink sort of album that incorporates an enormous variety of genres. In so doing, the band flawlessly segues from piano-driven alternative to crunching hard rock to elements of progressive and folk as well. This mishmash of ideas could easily spell disaster, but on the whole, the transitions are seamless, thanks in part to vocalist to Darroh Sudderth's impressive range and Matt Langley's creative, expressive tickling of the keys. Lead single and album opener "Dance of the Manatee" is the quintessential Fair to Midland track that showcases not only the band's array of talents (see Sudderth's adjustment from "Hang us; those limbs hold no virtue" to "Oh, take a gander: the bigger they are, the harder they fall"), but also represents how fluidly and effortlessly the band maneuvers through the different styles they incorporate into their sound. For these reasons, 'Fables...' is a truly stellar, insanely catchy listen that has something for everybody - check out "Dance of the Manatee," "April Fools and Eggmen" (a track which Langley absolutely shines), "Upgrade^Brigade," "The Wife, The Kids, and the White Picket Fence," "Tall Tales Taste Like Sour Grapes," and "Vice/Versa."

Hootie and The Blowfish Cracked Rear View

Iron Maiden Powerslave

TWO! MINUTES! TO MIIIIIIIIIIIID-NIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT! Make no mistake: Powerslave is Iron Maiden's defining album and an absolutely essential album to own. I trust that I don't need to reiterate how awesome "2 Minutes to Midnight" is, but it is easily one of Maiden's best songs. The main riff on this track is brilliant, and Harris' vocals and lyrics are terrific: "We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies" is an intense line, but the chorus is [obviously] incredible to sing along to. "Aces High" and the instrumental track "Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)" can stand on their own without explanation. Ultimately, this is a must-own album for any metal or rock fan, and basically cements Iron Maiden's status as one of the elite metal acts of all-time.

Mudvayne L.D. 50

Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here

Public Enemy It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us

Red Sparowes At The Soundless Dawn

Rise Against Siren Song Of The Counter Culture

Sixx:A.M. Heroin Diaries Soundtrack

From December 1986 to December 1987 and in the middle of an intense period of heroin addiction, bassist/songwriter Nikki Sixx somehow willed his way to write in a diary on a near-everyday basis. As a memoir, The Heroin Diaries is a gripping read with Sixx chronicling his "personal Hell" due to his crippling drug problem. While it does plow through some small bouts of ennui, the soundtrack is absolutely mesmerizing. Along with longtime collaborators James Michael and DJ Ashba, The Heroin Diaries has manifold strengths, especially in terms of the flawless production and captivating songwriting. Lead single "Life Is Beautiful" is nothing short of amazing, with Michael's soaring vocals shed light into Sixx's darker past ("I was waiting for my hearse; what came next was so much worse / It took a funeral to make me feel alive") while coming out with an air of optimism. The aforementioned example is one of the most appealing traits of the album: Sixx coming to grips with his demons and his struggle to get clean. Throughout, Sixx is distinctly unashamed and unabashedly, brutally honest. Sections of the memoir are devoted to entire songs ("X-Mas in Hell" starts off the record on a particularly distinct note, "Intermission" is a beautiful segue, and many songs have bits and pieces of the memoir interspersed within as well, such as in "Girl with Golden Eyes" and "Heart Failure"). The rest of the album obviously echoes a similar vibe, but this rock-and-roll album has a flair for accessibility. Its instrumentation is phenomenally solid throughout, and Michael's brilliant vocals make The Heroin Diaries a terrific listen. "Dead Man's Ballet" is an absolute stunner, "Heart Failure" is an aggressive number complete with a bruising main riff, and "Accidents Can Happen" is a somber ballad that also shares that inherent optimism addressed earlier. I'm not going to say that this is a classic album for everybody, but what makes this such a personal classic album is how incredible the interplay between the memoir (a must-read for any rock-and-roll fan) and album truly is. The motif is a dark and depressing one, but Sixx persevered, and the end result for The Heroin Diaries is that it's one badass record.

The Red Paintings Walls [EP]

Without a doubt, the Walls EP highlights The Red Paintings at their best. With an intriguing line-up comprised of a lead vocalist and guitarist in the dynamic Trash McSweeney, a bassist, a violinst, a cellist, and a percussionist, this Australian quintet plays incredibly beautiful and haunting performances. There are two versions of the title track, "Walls," which Trash writes with an extended metaphor of a dying or already-dead relationship behind lush strings and crunching guitars. There is also a cover of Tears For Fears' "Mad World," acoustically-driven but not without the assistance of cellist Wayne Jennings to elevate the music. "The Streets Fell Into My Window" and "Portrait of a Dead Soul" are also highlight tracks, the former beginning with a deranged Alice's Adventures in Wonderland reading from Jennings that also showcases Trash alluding to other literary works, most notably the Maus series, while the percussion feverishly grows into a frenzy. The latter track is much more moderate in pace, featuring Trash's explanation as to why there is no pain or suffering after death. In all, The Red Paintings play some phenomenal, captivating music, and the Walls EP is absolutely critical and vital listening to all comers: it should be a crime if Trash's charismatic demeanor, gorgeous orchestral accompaniments, and stunning instrumentation go unheard.

4.5 superb

A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms

A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step

AFI Sing the Sorrow

Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill

Arcturus La Masquerade Infernale

La Masquerade Infernale is my favorite Arcturus release, hands-down. "Ad Astra" is an elegiac, epic track, sporting a hauntingly beautiful string quartet, piano, woodwinds, and brass instruments to give this essentially-neo-classical track a stunning symphonic feel. It is the biggest highlight on the album by far, but there are plenty of spectacular songs to go around. My dark horse favorite is "Alone," which lyrically is "From Childhood's Hour," a poem by the legendary Edgar Allan Poe. The instrumentation that supports Garm's vocals - which are excellent in their own right - is fantastic. Garm's vocals are extremely twisted and bizarre on this album, but they suit the symphonic nature of the album well because they are all sung, and not screamed. One final interesting aspect of the album is Garm's use of samples on this album. Aside from "Ad Astra" and "Alone," other noteworthy tracks include the bookend tracks - "Master of Disguise" and "Of Nails and Sinners," respectively - and also the instrumental title track. As a whole, this album is dark and dreary and will not be easily accessible to some listeners, but it's a phenomenal listen and should be looked into, especially for the neo-classical and symphonic elements employed by Arcturus.

Arcturus The Sham Mirrors

Barenaked Ladies Gordon

BATS Red In Tooth & Claw

Blue Man Group The Complex Rock Tour Live (DVD)

Bruce Springsteen Born In The USA

A superb album through-and-through. Three essential songs to listen to on this album are the title track, "No Surrender," and "Glory Days." "Born in the U.S.A." is without a doubt as strong of an album opener as you can get, also exemplifying Springsteen's political nature and stance on war. "No Surrender" is reminiscent of the tempo and content of the earlier "Born to Run" - it's fun and fresh and showcases Springsteen at his best. It's "Glory Days," however, that is my favorite song from The Boss, due to Springsteen's storytelling. In it, The Boss tells of a high school jock who hangs on to his high school memories on the field/court/wherever a little too closely, and all he does is talk about how awesome those days were, while basically painting the character as a washed-up loser in the present. Basically, I know a LOT of people who are like this that I went to high school with, and I'm sure when my high school reunions roll around, I would rather get teabagged with sandpaper than listen to these failures' pathetic stories about the "Glory Days," where their biggest claims to fame would be recalling how they were the team's bitchboy.

Butch Walker Letters

Cynic Traced In Air

To fully appreciate 'Traced in Air' - and who Cynic are, in general - it would be a good idea to spin 1993's 'Focus' first. Do you read trilogies starting with the middle book? Does "Wayne's World 2" make any sense whatsoever without having the gnarly exposition "Wayne's World" has? Sure, you could pick up 'Traced in Air' without having any idea whatsoever who Cynic are and not have an understanding as to why "Focus" is heralded by nearly everyone, but the sheer enjoyment and satisfaction that comes with listening to this record will be incomplete without that prior knowledge and experience. If you haven't yet, do it now. If you are familiar, please read on. Drummer Sean Reinert went on record proclaiming that the record would be "more upbeat, energetic, and most important of all, pretty God damn brutal," and he's absolutely right. "Focus'" biggest criticism was in the heavily vocoder-laden vocals - some people endured it, others cringed and blindly dismissed the record - but gone (for the most part) are the robotic, mechanized vocals from Paul Masvidal. Opting for cleaner, more melodic vocals in his upper-register (newcomer Tymon Kruidenier handles the harsh death growls on this record - he sounds awesome on "The Unknown Guest"), Masvidal's new delivery is stellar. Tracks like "Evolutionary Sleeper," "Integral Birth," and "Adam's Murmur" showcase these higher vocals, while stellar guitarwork from Masvidal and Kruidenier whips around the vocals. The solos are stunning - just listen to "Evolutionary Sleeper" and its concluding solo - and the lead/rhythm parts juxtapose to near-perfection throughout the record. There are an incredible number of highlights on this record -"The Unknown Guest's" mellifluous main riff, "King of Those Who Know's" Byzantine, schizophrenic crunches could have split Pangaea while soothing one's ears like aural aloe (what a beautiful outro, by the way - almost as majestic and innocent as "The Space for This's" introduction). The lyricism on the record is also top-notch and challenging; once again, Masvidal returns to theological, spiritual and philosophical issues - themes typically far removed from your average death metal act. Sean Reinert and bassist Sean Malone absolutely slay, as expected. They are quite easily one of the best rhythm sections to ever grace the Earth. Malone needs no expansive introduction: a well-versed fretless bassist who also composes for his Gordian Knot project, his lush basslines and tandem effort with the phenomenal Reinert consistently pull you in. Album opener "Nunc Fluens" (translation: "The Moving Present") starts so softly, but as soon as Reinert starts pounding away in a frenzied, almost tribal run, Malone's plunking adds just enough gasoline to set the song's low-end inferno ablaze. As for the bookend "Nunc Stans" ("The Timeless Present" - in theology and philosophy, a point in time where one cannot establish causation between the now and the past or future)? It must be heard. Actually, the whole record needs to be experienced - Cynic sound tighter than ever - and like "Focus," "Traced in Air" will challenge you to listen for things you previously may not have looked for in music, your emotions will calmly ebb and flow just as much as they will violently turn, and the seamless listen from start-to-finish will leave you speechless at first. Then again, I devoted five paragraphs and these last couple sentences talking about how brilliant this record is. What effect will 'Traced in Air' have on you? Listen once, then listen again, and again. I can't guarantee that you'll love this record as much as I've loved Cynic's work, but it's certainly possible that, if you approach their work with an open mind, Cynic will open your mind even further.

Dark Tranquillity Fiction

Last year, In Flames showcased to fans new and old that they were still musically relevant at the midway point of this decade. With 2007's 'Fiction,' Dark Tranquillity meet - perhaps even surpass - sheer relevance in the industry. This album is somewhat of a hybrid between 'The Gallery,' 'Damage Done,' and 'Character,' which preceded this album. I say this because between 'Fiction' and 'Character,' one won't find very many glaring differences; in fact, the electronics and keyboard melodies are what make these two albums so memorable. Yet, there's enough crunch to bring to mind the other aforementioned albums. Songs like "Terminus (Where Death is Most Alive)" and "Nothing to No One" are incredibly catchy, and tracks such as "Misery's Crown" and "Icipher" exemplify the band's more melancholy, shadowy traits. Ultimately, fans of 'Character' will undoubtedly enjoy this album, whereas fans of the band's older material may not as much. However, in all, this album should go down as one of metal's best releases in 2007, because it's extremely beautiful, yet grippingly intense.

Dave Matthews Band Before These Crowded Streets

I'm not the biggest DMB fan, but this album is near-flawless from start-to-finish. Matthews is a storytelling machine on this album - just listen to the haunting tale of "The Dreaming Tree" or the mellow, intimate "Crush," which also sports one of the coolest bass intros ever. The other singles also highlight the strength of this album. "Stay (Wasting Time)" is a bouncy, vibrant track with a trio of female vocals to accompany Matthews, and the saxophone solo is brilliantly executed. "Don't Drink the Water" starts calm and quiet, but Matthews and guest vocalist Alanis Morissette turn to seething, anguished vocals to deliver the message. Ultimately, the jam rock feel that this album provides is extraordinary, with the improvisations being top-notch, but again, I cannot emphasize enough how spectacular of a listen "The Dreaming Tree" is. Listen to this album. You will not be disappointed.

Dream Theater Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory

dredg Catch Without Arms

Equilibrium Sagas

A short history and geography lesson: Bavaria is the largest present-day state in Germany, where Pope Benedict XVI, BMW, and Levi Strauss call home. Where there was once massive bloodshed between medieval civilizations, peace reigns, and so does the beer. In 1516, the Duke of Bavaria instituted the Reinheitsgebot purity law, which stated - with pride - that the only three ingredients EVER allowed in beer are water, barley, and hops. In a land of sacred natural surroundings, medieval castles, baroque cathedrals, and small towns, Equilibrium need not travel far to draw influences into their work. With 'Sagas,' Equilibrium's Nuclear Blast debut, the quintet exemplifies pride in their homeland. All their songs are entirely in German, as are their song titles, which illustrate a purer, poetically-aged, and more romantic version of the language. With lyrical themes revolving around Germanic folklore, the Bavarian landscape, and mythology, the folk/viking/pagan sound has been amazingly bolstered from the already-great 'Turis Fratyr.' The album comes with three dramatic instrumental tracks. All three are highlights on the record, to be sure, but the album's closer, "Mana," is a 16+ minute juggernaut. Album opener "Prolog auf Erden" is absolutely stellar, sounding like fanfare to a joust. The album is dominated by harsh vocals, beautiful guitar arrangements (e.g. "Blut im Auge," "Ruf in den Wind," and "Verrat" are three prime examples, although the entire album is littered with them). The drumming is exemplary, but the album's greatest highlight is the orchestra and choir, which sounds like all of Bavaria is performing or singing. All told, 'Sagas' is an absolute stunner. If you're looking for that folk/pagan/viking sound I touched on earlier in this sound-off, or want to seek out bands that sound like genre trailblazers Ensiferum, Finntroll, Turisas, or Eluveitie, you cannot possibly go wrong with Equilibrium's 'Sagas.'

Gates of Winter Lux Aeterna

Unsigned (for now), Ontario's Gates of Winter deliver an auspicious, stellar debut with Lux Aeterna. Best described as progressive metal with symphonic influences meets power metal (think Arcturus meets Kamelot or Symphony X meets Autumn Tears), the quartet - averaging 23 years of age - can pack an epic sound into nine tracks. Musically, the album is driven by Steve Furgiuele (an absolute madman on his six-string bass) and Brian Holmes (an amazing keyboardist who also arranges the synthesized orchestral accompaniments), and the album has a wonderfully-executed diversity of somber elegy and celestial-sounding atmosphere. Vocalist Lee Maines, who also serves as the rhythm guitarist, has some difficult-to-listen-to harsh vocals, but his command over his clean and whispered vocals is masterful; meanwhile, lead guitarist Bryan Belleau can be melodic or completely shred to an impeccable degree. Lux Aeterna's highlight is in the mini-epic "Burning Kingdom," which is divided into three parts. The trilogy, which sees Maines take on multiple roles (something he does consistently well throughout the album - see "The Wildwood Pariah") starts off on an aggressive note with a female guest vocalist, segueing into the spectacular middle third, which leads into an all-instrumental final third. While the album suffers a bit of an identity crisis - it doesn't really know what it's supposed to be (be it symphonic, progressive, power, or a combination of the aforementioned), exactly - but metal fans waiting for the new Opeth, Children of Bodom, or In Flames record this year (alternatively, fans looking to add to their Kamelot/Symphony X/Dark Tranquillity/Arcturus/etc. discographies) would do well in checking out this 2008 debut. Recommended: the "Burning Kingdom" mini-epic, "Gates of Winter" and "Winter Flight" (awesome instrumentals), and "The Wildwood Pariah."

Glassjaw Worship and Tribute

Goo Goo Dolls Dizzy Up The Girl

Gospel The Moon is A Dead World

Hilltop Hoods State of the Art

In Flames Clayman

In Flames The Jester Race

Isis In the Absence of Truth

Isis' majesty and mastery of the genre fires on all cylinders on this album, eclipsing the already-brilliant albums that were Oceanic and Panopticon, making In the Absence of Truth the band's best yet. "Wrist of Kings" burns with a slow fire while the instruments build and take center stage, and then the listener is slammed with such a bold wall of sound that is absolutely stunning, while "Dulcinea" and "Holy Tears" will blow listeners away with their epic, magnificent sound. It did wonders for the band to tour with Tool in 2006 because of the opportunity presented to expose their music to millions, and with each Isis release, the band continues to out-do themselves. Thus, In the Absence of Truth is a near-masterpiece.

Isis Oceanic

Jimmy Eat World Bleed American

An excellent Jimmy Eat World album, Bleed American is also my favorite album by these guys. Yes, "The Middle" was overplayed like crazy on the radio, but I have a lot of positive memories of the song, and it's still a very well-done rock song. "Sweetness" is the album's highlight, with its "If you're listening, whoa-oh, oh-oh-oh!" intro giving way to alternating hard-hitting to softer guitar parts. The chorus is also memorable; its sing-along quality is through the roof. Behind "Sweetness," "A Praise Chorus" reeks of awesomeness, as does "Hear You Me" to a lesser extent, but all four aforementioned tracks are essential listening if you haven't done so already. This is a pretty short record, but all in all, it's incredibly catchy and definitely one of Jimmy Eat World's most memorable albums.

Joe Satriani Surfing With The Alien

Jubala Jubala

There have been few records this year that have captured the imagination with as much fervor as Jubala's self-titled debut release. The Californian quintet's music is unabashedly soulful, with heart-on-one's-sleeve lyricism that's astutely supported by atmospheric, melodic instrumentation. The effect-laden guitars carry an almost post-rock ambiance when not delivering thick, crunching riffs. The keyboards play a significant role in the album's aura as well, and the bass underneath supports the other instruments with an undeniably warm, mellifluous tone. Jubala's record is intricately designed, but never over-the-top in composition or delivery, and their aural landscapes and sonic ambiance will suck you in. Let's address something right from the onset: this record is not for those who only need music for white noise in the background. Jubala is a dynamic and diverse album that requires nothing less than your immediate and undivided attention. There is a lot of music on the record; without question, listeners will hear something new or innovative with each subsequent listen. Stated differently, there is no possible way one can reasonably digest this album on one listen alone. How many songs this year start off moderately, with only bass and vocals, before giving way to a keyboard interlude that seamlessly segues into a saxophone solo that sounds like it was taken right out of a 1930s Chicago club? The track (aptly titled "On Stage") does not stop there - the saxophone break turns into a funky, guitar-driven passage that serves as an absolute album highlight. There is so much beauty to be heard on this record that it must absolutely be sought out and heard for yourself. Tracks like the socially-cognizant "Welcome to the Fall," the epic "Climber" and its extended metaphor are arguably two of the best songs of 2008, and the emotional outpouring heard on "On Stage" is an amazing cut. Many other tracks - namely "This High," "Aftermath," the Incubus-esque "Spiritual Warrior" and "Far Away" (especially its piano feature, which is absolutely awesome) - forge their own individualities on the album. Absolutely recommended for anyone with an attention span.

Kansas The Best of Kansas

Kevin Martin and The Hiwatts The Possibility of Being

Marc Cohn Marc Cohn

Mastodon Blood Mountain

My excitement for Blood Mountain was a bit timid, but my pessimism was alleviated right from the opening drum solo on album highlight "The Wolf Is Loose," in which drummer Brann Dailor asserts himself as one of metal's best in 2006. Dailor is flawless in his efforts, from his rhythms to his fills, and his bandmates seem to feed off his spot-on energy, as the vocals and guitars have drastically improved as well. Even Josh Homme (of Queens of the Stone Age fame), who is the subject of a tongue-in-cheek hidden track, is featured as a guest artist on the album, where he leads the Grammy-nominated "Colony of Birchmen," one of the album's best cuts. In short, I contest this album being a modern-day Dark Side of the Moon as a couple users have suggested or proclaimed, but Mastodon's major-label debut is a stunning album in which each member has developed and improved as a musician, and tracks such as "The Wolf is Loose," "Colony of Birchmen," "Crystal Skull," and "Sleeping Giant" represent some of Mastodon's best material to date.

Mayday Parade A Lesson In Romantics

Memento Beginnings

Meshuggah I

Meshuggah obZen

Mr. Bungle California

Mushroomhead XX

Oceans of Sadness The Arrogance Of Ignorance

Pink Floyd Pulse

Porcupine Tree Arriving Somewhere... (DVD)

Raine Maida The Hunters Lullaby

Here, the Our Lady Peace frontman breaks off into the solo realm, inevitably resulting in one of the most underrated albums of 2007. It'd be a crime if this album goes unlistened. Comprised of hip-hop-esque backing drum beats, all-acoustic instruments, delicate piano pieces (courtesy of Chantal Kreviazuk, Maida's wife) and a very unique vocal presentation (according to the artist, this album is "a collection of poems put to music"), 'The Hunters Lullaby' is a masterful listen. While short in run-time, each track is absolute class. "Yellow Brick Road" is the quintessential track that epitomizes what I perceive to be Maida's vision for this album, with sharp writing that carries a nostalgic, introspective vibe: "I remember the days when we talked for hours, and we were young -- we thought we had superpowers / We kissed the sky, expanded our minds, thought we could fly; we were dreamers, and we'd never die. / We were young punks but we showed potential; it was us against the world, we weren't sentimental. / We weren't our problems, our age, or our paychecks, and we weren't taking anybody's shi[font=verdana]t[/font]. / If I knew now what I knew then, I'd back up, do it all again; I'd take a bow, take it real slow, take a ride down the yellow brick road" are the track's opening verse and chorus. Other cuts to investigate besides the aforementioned: "The Snake and the Crown," "Careful What You Wish For," "Confessional," "The Less I Know," and "Sex Love and Honey," but realistically, the entire album should be experienced.

Red Sparowes Every Red Heart Shines Toward The Red...

I absolutely agree with the almost-universal assessment that the Red Sparowes provide music that can be construed as somewhat of a gateway for getting both "post-rock fans into metal and metal fans into post-rock." Yes, the band with the longest song titles ever returned in 2006 with an exemplary release in Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun. While the album's themes and allusions pertain to Communist China - simply examine the album opener's first few words in its title ("The Great Leap Forward...", a plan instituted by Chairman Mao Zedong in the 1950s to modernize a struggling China's economy) - but one will notice that these references percolate throughout the album, right down to the slaughter of the sparrows and the rise of the locusts, which destroyed China's crops and triggered a devastating famine, leading to the deaths of approximately 30,000,000 Chinese. All the expected post-rock characteristics are here, from the brilliant crescendos, to the intricate, thickly-layered guitar passages, to the fantastic melody - but these characteristics are intensely vivid, and especially due to the historical storyline that complements the metal-tinged post-rock music that the Red Sparowes have perfected, this album is simply phenomenal and my album of the year for 2006.

Refused The Shape Of Punk To Come

Sarah McLachlan Surfacing

Saves the Day Stay What You Are

Shaimus Paper Sun

While most of Sputnikmusic's userbase likely were first exposed to Shaimus via the ever-popular Guitar Hero video game series, the Los Angeles-based quintet churns out an outstanding album in Paper Sun. While reminiscent of bands like Phantom Planet, Guster, and Rooney, Shaimus do a masterful job in distancing themselves from other similar artists by consistently writing and arranging captivating and insanely catchy hooks throughout the album. Overall, the album's mellow vibe is near-perfect chill music, but there are a couple bouncy, rockier tracks included for good measure. Filled with attractive piano progressions, fetching guitarlines and superb solos, strong vocals, and a consistently rock-solid rhythm section, Shaimus deliver an incredibly exceptional album. Recommended tracks include "Left to Dry," "Slow Down," and last but certainly not least, "All of This," whose album version has a few subtle nuances that makes it different from the version heard in Guitar Hero, but still includes guitarist Evan Brown's phenomenal rockin' guitar solo.

Shpongle Ineffable Mysteries From Shpongleland

Sleep Parade Things Can Always Change

The best record to come out of Australia in 2008 comes in the form of Sleep Parade's debut record. Complete with a myriad of textures, soundscapes, ambiance, and crunch, it's amazing that the turmoil that the Melbourne trio have endured in recent memory (losing their rigs and instruments in a fire, frontman/guitarist Leigh Davies' father battling schizophrenia, an ugly fall-out with a former keyboardist) have created such a stunning record. Helped in part by Forrester Savell (who has worked with fellow Aussies The Butterfly Effect and Karnivool, among others), the record's sheer beauty is mesmerizing, with equal emphasis on electronics and synthesizers (listen to "Passengers" for one example) and guitars and percussion (try album opener "Carry On" or the epic two-parter "Everyday"). The album's theme comes straight from Davies' history: a family member with a severe mental illness struggles, and the relationships that individual has with his family members (and the relationships between the other family members collectively) can always change. The anthemic mantra "All we are is all we are" is repeated consistently throughout the record, and combined with the singer's insight, it's wondrous how a dark and disturbing topic can be presented in such a beautiful manner. The band's even-keel balance throughout the record is surely noteworthy, but the juggernaut "Weeping Walls" - a thundering, yet majestic closer - is rife with multiple layers and melodies, and the ever-building crescendo explodes in one of the most dramatic climaxes heard this year, encapsulating the listener within walls of pounding toms, screaming guitars, and one of Davies' many vocal highlights on the record. The Butterfly Effect and Cog may have released some excellent records this year, but newcomer Sleep Parade unquestionably delivered the most triumphant record out of Oceania in 2008. For fans of Oceansize, Porcupine Tree, and any of the aforementioned (Cog, The Butterfly Effect, Karnivool).

Space [AUS] When Clouds Align

When Clouds Align is Space's nine-song debut, sporting lush soundscapes and atmospheric elements that embody the beauty of progressive music. The album is also a one-man show: from the solo project's inception to post-production, Space nearly single-handedly was the unwavering force behind the album at each stage. To clarify, Space did not solely play guitar - his primary instrument with his past musical endeavors with Memento and Kevin Martin & The Hiwatts - he also was responsible for the vocals, bass, keys, and percussion on the album, as well as playing a substantial role in the programming, recording, mixing, and production of the album. Thus, the album is worth listening to simply to gain an appreciation for all the effort one musician invested into it, starting with the songwriting process, continuing with the arranging and recording aspect, and finalizing it all with the programming and mixing. Meanwhile, the music itself is absolutely stellar. "Brian Loses His Last Battle," "Only to Fly," "Hold On," and the epic title track, which features soft ocean tides rolling in to complement Space's breezy vocals, are imperative listening, especially "Brian..." Fans of Jeff Buckley, Peter Gabriel, and Pink Floyd - three acts Space cites as influences - would do themselves a great service by hearing this independently-released album.

Space [AUS] Exit Strategies

Squarepusher Ultravisitor

Streetlight Manifesto Everything Goes Numb

Streetlight Manifesto Somewhere in the Between

A perfect complement to 2003's Everything Goes Numb, Somewhere in the Between is one hell of a record. Everything you'd expect to find on a Streetlight Manifesto album, from frontman Tomas Kalnoky's anthemic lyrical essays and lightning-fast chord progressions, to a tight rhythm section, to a sensational brass and woodwind section (that far and away trumps the work heard on the group's debut), is all here. From the first minute of opener "We Will Fall Together," listeners become instantly aware of how killer the quartet of Mike Brown (alto and baritone sax), Jim Conti (alto and tenor sax), Mike Soprano (trombone), and Matt Stewart (trumpet) are on this album. Further, Kalnoky returns true to form with his legendary dissertations-for-lyrics style of writing, and his witty lyricism and palpable charisma provide for an enthralling listen. Another final strength of this album lies within its accessibility: Streetlight are typically known as a good introductory band to [third-wave] ska, and a first-time listener or a lifelong Streetlight fan could pick this up and get more than just something out of this record. All told, expect a huge debate amongst fans as to which album is better... that is, until they release a third album of original material.

Strung Out Blackhawks Over Los Angeles

Arguably the best punk release of 2007. Allusions to elements from An American Paradox and Exile In Oblivion are definitely heard, yet Strung Out accentuate their trademark sound to a model of consistency. Vocalist Jason Cruz delivers a near-flawless performance, guitarists Jake Kiley and Rob Ramos showcase their eye for technicality and melody with their wide variety of crushing riffs, soaring leads, and knack for harmony, and drummer Jordan Burns and bassist Chris Aikens are, as expected, superb as the quintet's rhythm section. Burns, in particular, shines with his precision and expression on the kit. Blackhawks Over Los Angeles is a culturally and socially-aware album that sees Cruz tackle an array of topics, from near-apocalyptic imagery in California ("Blackhawks Over Los Angeles," and, on a national level, "A War Called Home") to a prisoner trying to reach the outside world to no avail ("I sold my voice to pay for my security / Now I write my sentence on its walls / I'm calling, is anybody else out there? / Is anybody tuning in?, as heard in "Calling") to downright determination and perseverance in the face of adversity ("All the Nations," one of the many album highlights, and "Mission Statement"). Sure, this album may not break any new ground in the genre, but its cohesion, catchiness, and consistency make this album one of the best releases of 2007, if not the best punk release of the year.

The Eleventh House Introducing The Eleventh House...

The Loved Ones [US] Build & Burn

The Offspring Americana

This is my favorite Offspring release. I definitely respect and enjoy their earlier material, but this is an album I can put on straight-through for not only a quick listen, but a listen that is engaging and pretty fun. "The Kids Aren't Alright" is my all-time favorite track from Dexter and company and is a phenomenal punk song with speed and attitude, but other songs I enjoy are "Have You Ever" (especially the first two minutes) and also the title track. Even the goofier tracks - namely "Why Don't You Get a Job?" and "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" - are just straight-up fun listens. From start-to-finish, I personally find this to be Offspring's most complete album, even though there are songs such as "Feelings" that are skippable and forgettable.

The Red Paintings Your Tears Are Warning Signs

Therapy? Crooked Timber

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christmas Eve and Other Stories

U2 The Joshua Tree

4 excellent

65daysofstatic One Time for All Time

Leaps and bounds ahead of the already-solid The Fall of Math, industrial/post-rockers 65daysofstatic's One Time For All Time is a whirlwind of a listen. Unlike the typical post-rock act where crescendos are the apex of songs, 65daysofstatic opt for writing songs in "movements." Take for instance the frantic "Drove Through Ghosts to Get Here," which begins with soft piano above the electronic percussion leading into the song's second passage, which sees the song crescendo and decrescendo before blitzing listeners with an aural assault, which serves as an excellent segue into "Await Rescue," which begins with a slow build until steady guitars and absolutely feverish percussion gives the album an incredible pulse. Again, the track - as well as many others on this album - undergoes a series of passages and movements rather than relying on the expected climactic crescendo. At a few minutes over a half-hour, One Time For All Time does little to overstay its welcome, and fans looking for a bit of an unconventional post-rock act with its blistering electronics and pendulum-like nature would not be ill-advised to listen in.

A City Safe From Sea Throw Me Through Walls

Dear Adam Downer, We still have staff picks. If you can't find them, just ask me. Love, Jom

A Wilhelm Scream Career Suicide

Incredibly diverse but never once relenting, A Wilhelm Scream deliver an aggressive, insanely-technical assault with 'Career Suicide,' an album that is anything but its name. Masterfully combining elements of punk and metal along with a slew of tempo changes and a bolstered rhythm section (courtesy of new bassist Brian Robinson and mainstay drummer Nick Angelini), tracks such as "Jaws 3, People 0," "5 to 9," and closer "We Built This City..." not only accentuate AWS's intensity and fortitude, they highlight some of the band's best instrumentation. Vocally, the band maintains a sing-along (or shout-along) quality; lyrically, Nuno Pereira is as acerbic and incendiary as ever. Some people have written that this is their weakest album to date, but career suicide? Not a chance. Without reservation, give this record a spin - do check out "5 to 9," "Die While We're Young," "Jaws 3, People 0," and "We Built This City..." to get you started.

A Wilhelm Scream Ruiner

A Wilhelm Scream Mute Print

Against Me! Reinventing Axl Rose

Alexisonfire Crisis

Alien Ant Farm truANT

Alkaline Trio From Here To Infirmary

Alkaline Trio Good Mourning

Anberlin New Surrender

Andrew W.K. I Get Wet

I've always been a huge fan of Andrew W.K. for numerous reasons - homestate pride, his altruistic demeanor, and because his music is insanely catchy for being so simple. When a quarter of your debut album's titles has the word "Party" somewhere but all of the tracks [arguably] have to do with having a good time, you're bound for having a terrific listening experience. I Get Wet is an extremely short album, but features an array of wonderful tracks. "She Is Beautiful" is Andrew W.K.'s best song to date, with a terrific intro and killer main riff and "Na, nanana, na na na NA na!"s, while "Girls Own Love" showcases Andrew W.K.'s piano knowledge with a lickity-split opening. Of course, no Andrew W.K. album is worth being discussed without mentioning opener "It's Time to Party," the raucous "Fun Night," and especially "Party Hard." Overall, an extremely fun listen, and while it can be a bit tedious partying hard, tracks like "Girls Own Love," "Fun Night," and especially "She Is Beautiful" more than make up for the less engaging tracks.

Anthrax We've Come For You All

Apocalyptica Reflections

Apocalyptica Inquisition Symphony

As Tall As Lions You Can't Take It With You

Atmosphere God Loves Ugly

Atmosphere When Life Gives You Lemons, You...

Bad Religion Stranger Than Fiction

Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution A Call To Arms

Barenaked Ladies Everything to Everyone

Barenaked Ladies Barenaked for the Holidays

Barenaked Ladies Maroon

Barenaked Ladies disc one: All Their Greatest Hits

Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies Are Me

Barenaked Ladies Are Me marks the triumphant return of a BNL studio album, and the Canadian pop-rock giants once again fail to disappoint. The bookend tracks - "Adrift" and "Wind It Up" - are essential listening, especially the latter track, which features a brilliant guitar solo from legendary Canadian rock 'n roller Kim Mitchell; plus, the opening riff on "Wind It Up" is absolutely killer.. The instrumentation, as is to be expected on every BNL release, is top-notch, and both Steven Page and Ed Robertson contribute wonderful vocal performances to match their typically-witty lyrics. The album is a bit more laidback and chilled out compared to their previous releases - the somber "Sound of Your Voice," the humorous "Bank Job," and the mellow "Easy" are all beautifully captivating tracks - but it cannot be emphasized enough that "Adrift" and "Wind It Up" are two of the band's best tracks to date.

Barenaked Ladies Rock Spectacle

Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies Are Men

Bear vs. Shark Right Now You're in the Best of Hands

Beastie Boys Hello Nasty

Beastie Boys The Sounds of Science (Anthology

Ben Folds Five Whatever and Ever, Amen

Bloodhound Gang Hooray For Boobies

Blue Man Group The Complex

Bob Seger Stranger in Town

Bruce Springsteen The Rising

Burial Untrue

Burton Wagner A Sentinel's Eyes

Butch Walker Here Comes The... EP

Chevelle Vena Sera

While Chevelle won't win any awards for innovation, their 2007 offering Vena Sera - the band's fourth, first with new bassist and brother-in-law Dean Bernardini in tow - is the band's best effort to date by a longshot. Tracks like "I Get It," "Saferwaters," and "Saturdays" represent the best of the bunch, while "Brainiac," "Paint the Seconds," and "Straight Jacket Fashion" are other great notables on the record. Frontman Pete Loeffler is a tour de force vocally; his upper and lower registers are interspersed masterfully throughout the album, and his unique lyricism and style - not rhyming, predominantly using metaphor and simile, etc. - is an album highlight. Drummer Sam Loeffler provides assured, steady drumming and, together with Bernardini, creates a strong rhythm section. While Vena Sera has a clunker of a middle section ("The Fad," "Humanoid") and a poor opener in "Antisaint," the rest of the album is fantastic, and will very likely go down as one of the best rock albums of 2007.

Circle Takes The Square As The Roots Undo

Cog Sharing Space

While The New Normal's Byzantine songwriting structure and progressive elements have given way to this record's more straightforward approach, Aussieland's Cog deliver yet another catchy, refreshing listen. Sharing Space delivers a juxtaposed array of epic (sometimes to the point of excess) numbers as well as some right-to-the-point cuts that help ease the 72:00+ album runtime. The record's ambiance and tone - bolstered in part by the infusion of electronics - paint an exquisite aural landscape, making the album's flow always having a consistent direction. "Bird of Feather" is both haunting and beautiful (as is the depressing "How Long"), "Sharing Space" is Cog's pop-oriented, electronic-driven wonder, and the controversial bookends "No Other Way" and "Problem, Reaction, Solution" showcase the here's-the-Cog-we-know-from-last-album-ness factor (although "Are You Interested?" would be a better choice for an album opener). While there are a couple clunkers - "Swamp" is easily Cog's worst song across their discography, especially with such atrocious lyricism - Sharing Space is a wondrous listen.

Cold 13 Ways to Bleed On Stage

Dark Tranquillity Character

Darkane Demonic Art

Dave Matthews Band Crash

Decapitated Winds of Creation

Deftones White Pony

DJ Shadow Live! In Tune and On Time

DJ Shadow The Private Press

Do Make Say Think Goodbye Enemy Airship the Landlord Is De

Dream Theater Images and Words

Dream Theater Score

dredg Live at the Fillmore

I really don't like live albums. The sound is always poor, the crowd is annoying to listen to, and the music is pushed so far down into the mix, that the entire album sounds awful. With Live at the Fillmore, this is not the case with dredg, a severely under-rated act after releasing a couple immensely powerful albums, namely El Cielo and Catch Without Arms. While the music is pretty quiet in the mix, it's far from damning because dredg stay true to the studio records - songs like "Bug Eyes" and "Sang Real" are arguably better on the live album than the studio counterparts. In all, dredg create and execute fantastic tunes on Live at the Fillmore, and it's impeccable that they can make the transfer to the live setting with such perceived ease.

dredg El Cielo

dredg The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion

Dropkick Murphys The Meanest of Times

Most definitely their best work since Sing Loud, Sing Proud, Celtic punk legends Dropkick Murphys fail to disappoint with The Meanest of Times. The production on this album is absolutely outstanding, and the wide array of instruments the band incorporates into their sound can distinctly be heard throughout. "(F)lannigan's Ball" epitomizes this assertion, with stellar bagpipes, rapid-fire guitars, and a variety of truly excellent vocals (Ronnie Drew and Spider Spacey contribute to the track). Fans of Dropkick Murphys aren't going to hear anything that diverges from their typical style: the music is as in-your-face as ever, and their lyrics run the gamut of motions and topics, from their social commentary on their native Boston to the prototypical anthem for a rowdy bar-room brawl, but fans and newcomers alike will not be disappointed by any stretch of the imagination. As frontman Al Barr said regarding the album, "It's about coming up in the world and the way it shapes you. It's about not taking your family and friends for granted and living in the moment." A great message for a fantastic album. Also check out "I'll Begin Again," "God Willing," "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya," and "Shattered."

Dropkick Murphys Sing Loud, Sing Proud

Fall Out Boy Infinity On High

Fear Before Art Damage

Flogging Molly Drunken Lullabies

Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere

St. Elsewhere, Gnarls Barkley's first LP, is a swift kick in the butt. It's insanely catchy, captivating, and produced extremely well, which should come as no surprise knowing Danger Mouse's past and present musical endeavors. One personal flaw I find in this album is in its song lengths - the longest song clocks in at sub-3:30. This is a slight disappointment because some songs seem to end too prematurely; however, this can clearly be looked past because each song holds listener interest in an aural vicegrip - check out "Crazy," "Gone Daddy Gone," "Transformer," and "Smiley Faces."

Green Day Dookie

Green Day Nimrod

Heaven Shall Burn Iconoclast (Part I:The Final Resistance)

Herbrightskies A Sacrament; Ill City

Hilltop Hoods The Hard Road

Hopeless Dear World

Hopesfall Magnetic North

Howie Day Stop All The World Now

Hundred Reasons Ideas Above Our Station

In Flames Come Clarity

After the release of Reroute to Remain and Soundtrack to Your Escape, in which Swedish metal juggernauts In Flames were branded "sell-outs" (amongst other things, most of which cannot be written on the family-friendly confines of Sputnikmusic), the band was at a bit of a crossroads: Anders Frieden and company could go back to their Gothenburg roots that made them one of Sweden's best metal acts of all-time, or they could continue down a more mainstream path and further alienate their diehard fans thirsting for tunes that resembled their earlier material. In one of metal's biggest compromises in 2006, both sets of fans walked away pleased with the band's decision to do both. Album opener "Take This Life" is a relentless, heavy barrage of riffs and pounding percussion, while the title track is one of In Flames's best slower, melodic tracks, and one of the album's many highlights, along with "Crawl Through Knives." Come Clarity also represents the band's first time being played on American radio - a well-deserved, defining moment for the legendary band.

In Flames Used And Abused...In Live We Trust

Not a bad DVD at all, although it certainly has its flaws. Two of the three concerts on the DVD show the band in huge venues, which really helps capture the energy In Flames brings to the stage, and shows how they feed off the crowd's energy. Besides the three concerts, the DVD comes equipped with bonus material, such as the requisite sound checks, as well as music videos from Soundtrack to Your Escape, as well as short documentaries and interviews. Where this DVD isn't so great is that the setlists are EXTREMELY Soundtrack to Your Escape-heavy and are missing a few classic In Flames tracks in the setlist, although the band does play some older material from Clayman, The Jester Race, and Whoracle. Further, one of the concerts is filmed in a small club, and the band looks suffocated on stage, and it shows - for it being the highlight show on the DVD, the small club atmosphere doesn't bode well for In Flames. Overall, I do feel that this DVD is a very nice introduction to the band and their newer material, while also having some neat information, interviews, and other behind-the-scenes material as well as also seeing some of their older songs being played in a live setting, such as crowd favorites "Pinball Map" and "Moonshield."

In Flames Whoracle

In Flames A Sense of Purpose

In Pieces Lions Write History

Incubus Make Yourself

Incubus S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

Innerpartysystem Innerpartysystem

Isis Panopticon

Jackson Browne Running on Empty

Jamie Craig The Lost Dream

Jann Arden Living Under June

Jardin de la Croix Pomeroy

Jimmies Chicken Shack Bring Your Own Stereo

Jimmies Chicken Shack Re.present

Jimmy Eat World Futures

Jimmy Eat World Clarity

Jurassic 5 Quality Control

Kayo Dot Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue

Upon first listen to Dowsing Anemone in Copper Tongue, one may find himself in a bit of a brainfog. My first impression of the album as I was listening to it for the first time was along the lines of, "Well, the music isn't bad..." but I struggled to find any redeeming qualities in it. Kayo Dot are a bit extraterrestrial in the sense that they're kind of "out there," but after repeated listens, I found that they truly excel on this album. "_on Limpid Form" starts off masterfully, with soaring guitars and beautiful vocals, but then takes a complete 180 when ear-splitting feedback is introduced. These passages sprinkled throughout the album seem ambiguous and can be tough to get through, but they ultimately add to the majesty of this album. "Aura on an Asylum Wall" is equally magnificent, too.

Lacuna Coil Comalies

Less Than Jake Hello Rockview

Less Than Jake Losing Streak

Less Than Jake GNV FLA

Liquid Tension Experiment Liquid Tension Experiment 2

Live Throwing Copper

Marvelous 3 Hey! Album

Massive Attack Mezzanine

Mastodon Leviathan

Mastodon Remission

Mastodon Crack the Skye

Meshuggah Catch Thirty-Three

Catch Thirty-Three is like an audiobook: you can't put the tape on in the middle and expect to have any clue what's going on in the story. Instead, you need to experience the album from start-to-finish. The make-or-break selling point to this album is the fact that the phenomenal Tomas Haake isn't on the kit; instead, Catch Thirty-Three marks the first Meshuggah album where the drums are programmed using Drumkit from Hell, a software package that samples Haake's drums and percussion as samples. 2004's I EP, although a single song, had numerous shifts, movements, and the customary and expected time signature changes in the music. For me, Catch Thirty-Three is an extended or "big brother" version of I in that each song flows and transitions into the next effortlessly, and the segues between each track are oftentimes unnoticeable. The trademark intensity and focus Meshuggah exhibit in all their works is clearly here, even though there are a couple sections where the rhythms can be tediously repetitive. Yet, with this album, Meshuggah brings to light - along with their previous influences - their progressive nature, making this album an excellent listen throughout from start-to-finish. You can't really listen to this album any other way, as its effect will not be as great. Not Meshuggah's best album, but it is nevertheless excellent.

Messiah J & The Expert From The Word Go

Modest Mouse The Lonesome Crowded West

Mogwai Young Team

Mudvayne All Access to All Things

Mudvayne The End of All Things to Come

Mushroomhead XIII

Oceans of Sadness Mirror Palace

Although I feel it's dangerous to describe diversity in terms of "a melting pot," Belgium's Oceans of Sadness brew something astonishingly fresh and unique with 2007's 'Mirror Palace.' Although avant-garde and somewhat unconventional at times, the record is easily digestible and accessible for newcomer and long-time listeners to the genre. Beginning with the slow introduction to album opener "Mould," the album quickly boils over with stunningly heavy guitars, keyboards, and aggressive percussion. The harsher vocals leave something to be desired, but interspersed in their concoction are eerie and soothing clean vocal passages. The guitars deliver an undeniably thick crunch, and the thoroughly-metal cover of Alice in Chains' "Them Bones" puts to shame every cover I have ever heard of this song, and I've heard many. Oceans of Sadness provide for a captivating listen: the album is very heavy, melodic, and atmospheric. Fans disappointed that Arcturus have broken up would do well in checking these veteran Belgians out. This record is far from a melting pot of random ingredients: each element, riff, style, and genre is incorporated and executed with obvious purpose and zeal. Check out "Mould," "Mirror Palace," "Intoxicate Me" (its false ending is frightening if you don't expect it!), "Them Bones," and "Sleeping Dogs."

Off Minor The Heat Death of the Universe

Off Minor Some Blood

Paula Cole This Fire

Pelican The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon...

Pennywise Full Circle

Pink Funhouse

Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon

Porcupine Tree In Absentia

R.E.M. In Time: The Best Of REM (1988-2003)

Rammstein Mutter

Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication

Red Sparowes Aphorism

Reel Big Fish Why Do They Rock So Hard?

Rise Against The Sufferer and the Witness

Rx Bandits Mandala

Sage Francis Personal Journals

Say Anything Say Anything

Scar Symmetry Holographic Universe

Holographic Universe - Scar Symmetry's third album - validates the assertion that it takes only one band to jumpstart a genre on life support. The band's hybrid melodic death metal sound comes to full fruition on the record, with blistering leads, devastating riffs, and a relentless rhythm section, all wonderfully complemented by Christian Avestam's juxtaposition between harsh and clean vocals. Guitarists Jonas Kjellgren and Per Nilsson are on point throughout the record with some of the best rhythm and lead work in 2008, and bassist Kenneth Seil and drummer Henrik Ohlsson deliver an intense, precise performance. The allure of Holographic Universe is positively intoxicating right from the get-go with "Morphogenesis," "Timewave Zero," and "Quantumleaper" as well as the unique "Ghost Prototype" series. The album's song lengths are longer but rarely drag, further proving the Swedish quintet's versatility and ingenuity. Also worth checking out is the Blade Runner-esque title track and the phenomenal "Prism and Gate" as well as "Artificial Sun Projection." All told, Scar Symmetry prove that there is plenty of innovation and creativity that's been untapped in a relatively stagnant genre as of late.

Seascapes Of The Interior All Safe, All Well

Shadows Fall The War Within

Shawn Colvin A Few Small Repairs

Shinedown Us and Them

An unexpected but fantastic listening experience. Frontman Brent Smith's vocals have improved greatly, but it's the instrumentation - especially the guitars - that is most noteworthy on Us and Them. This album is significantly stronger and more cohesive than Leave a Whisper. "I Dare You," "Atmosphere," and "Some Day" are three of the harder-hitting tracks that are well worth checking out, while "Begin Again" and "Beyond the Sun" are terrific ballad-like numbers. However, the runaway highlight of Us and Them is the epic "Lady So Divine." The swift guitar licks, superb solos, rollicking percussion, and Smith's vocal chops culminate into a phenomenal seven-minute track that is, in a word, awesome. The outro chorus after the biggest solo is an integral part of not just the song, but the album as well. In all, Us and Them is a surprisingly rock-solid listen, in which each member - especially vocalist Smith and guitarist Jasin Todd - has dramatically improved. Definitely look into the aforementioned tracks - Us and Them was a pleasant surprise, and perhaps you'll walk away thinking the same.

Shinedown The Sound Of Madness

Shpongle Nothing Lasts....But Nothing is Lost

Shpongle Tales Of The Inexpressible

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum Grand Opening and Closing

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum In Glorious Times

Slipknot Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)

Sonata Arctica Unia

Staind Dysfunction

Static-X Wisconsin Death Trip

Styx Greatest Hits

Sufjan Stevens Greetings From Michigan : The Great Lake

System of a Down Toxicity

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists Hearts of Oak

The Butterfly Effect Begins Here

The Butterfly Effect Final Conversation of Kings

The Dillinger Escape Plan Calculating Infinity

The Flashbulb Soundtrack to a Vacant Life

The Fray How to Save a Life

The Gaslight Anthem The '59 Sound

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Let's Face It

The Monolith Deathcult Triumvirate

The Offspring Smash

The Offspring Ixnay On The Hombre

The Red Paintings Destroy The Robots

Not as good as Walls, but Destroy the Robots is yet another solid release from Trash and co. "Pickles" is a wonderful highlight with the strings being added and Trash's always-stellar vocals, stating "I can't go on like this tonight, if you want me to save my love for you, I just can't." The bridge is one of the more magnificent points on the album and should be looked into. "It Is As It Was" and "I'll Sell You Suicide" are also incredible. The former track is one of the heavier tracks recorded by The Red Paintings, with frantic guitar and a feverish tempo, combined with Trash's struggles with another: "I'm sorry that they didn't tell you about the world," he sings, with an oxymoron-esque combination of apathy and matter-of-factness. "I'll Sell You Suicide" is NOT a Marilyn Manson cover, and rounds out the EP's three superb tracks. The bookend tracks don't offer much of anything interesting, but the aforementioned three tracks are well worth looking into.

The Vanity Project The Vanity Project

Therapy? Never Apologise Never Explain

Thrice The Artist In The Ambulance

Thrice The Illusion of Safety

Thursday War All The Time

Thursday Full Collapse

Trans-Siberian Orchestra The Christmas Attic

Trans-Siberian Orchestra The Lost Christmas Eve

U2 All That You Can't Leave Behind

Believe me, I understand that I'm in the minority here, but I think this is one of U2's best albums, albeit not THE best (that goes for The Joshua Tree; I know, big shocker, right?). "Walk On" is the best song on the album, and almost pays tribute to the band's earlier works. It's a very somber track, but Edge's guitarwork and Bono's dynamic vocals make the song an essential U2 track. Other notable tracks include "Beautiful Day," which kicks the album off with great energy, while "Peace On Earth," "New York," and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," are superb tracks in their own right. Where this album gets a bit tiresome is that the songs are all good-to-great, but there isn't anything noteworthy about aside from the aforementioned tracks, and the album closer, "Grace," ends the album on a flat note after starting off wonderfully.

Vertical Horizon Everything You Want

Weezer The Blue Album

Winds The Imaginary Direction of Time

Yo La Tengo I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

Having little desire initially to check out this album since some of the users on Sputnikmusic who recommended it to me have, in the past, recommended material I could hardly stomach, I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your As[font=verdana]s[/font] was a surprising listen. Filled with catchy dream-pop hooks but also some harder-hitting tracks for good measure and balance, Yo La Tengo deliver yet another solid release. "Sometimes I Don't Get You" and "I Should Have Known Better," while having personally ironic songtitles for yours truly, are easily the album's highlights. Perhaps this personally-attributed irony - from how I first listened to it to the songs that stick out the most for me - is what makes this album speak to me and thus makes for such a rewarding listen. My thanks goes out to those users who recommended an album I actually liked - I say this in jest, of course.

3.5 great

10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged

30 Seconds to Mars 30 Seconds to Mars

65daysofstatic The Destruction of Small Ideas

65daysofstatic The Fall of Math

Aereogramme My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go

Against Me! New Wave

Major, major. Major label, major hooks, major complaints from fans of their old material that they supposedly sold out... those fans are a major pain in the ass, because New Wave flat-out rocks something major (aye, this last one was a stretch, but whatever). Anthemic, sing-along choruses, crunching guitars, a solid rhythm section, and impassioned vocals consistently dominate this album. Old-school fans would be wrong in dismissing this album - honestly, who cares if part of the DIY aspect that characterized their past albums is glossed over for a fuller sound? Get over yourselves, dudes and ladies - and fans looking for a good punk/rock hybrid in 2007 should give this a shot. Check out "Thrash Unreal," "White People for Peace," the title track, and "Up the Cuts."

Alice in Chains Black Gives Way to Blue

Alien Ant Farm ANThology

Alien Ant Farm Up in the Attic

After unjustifiably being damned by some people for their goofy cover of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal," Alien Ant Farm re-surfaced in the summer of 2006 with a surprisingly strong album. Featuring a new guitarist, the cue-ball-headed Joe Hill, the band has significantly improved its sound while still keeping its staple positives - from tongue-in-cheek humor to a fantastic rhythm section - intact. Right from the onset, Up in the Attic delivers a surging introduction in the form of "Bad Morning," which begins with a raucous alarm clock and one of the heaviest introductions the band has recorded to date. Other notable tracks include the Christoper Walken-approved "Around the Block" (thanks in part to Mike Cosgrove's implementation of cowbell), the mellow "San Sebastian," the moderately-paced "Crickets," and the exclusive "Repeat Defender," all of which highlight the band at its best. With this album, Alien Ant Farm broaden their sound to appeal to a wider audience, and for the most part, they succeed, although there are a couple uninspired, lethargic tracks on here, and frontman Dryden Mitchell's vocals and lyricism are suspect in spots. Overall, though, this is an underrated album from a criminally-underrated band, although this album is the last for pudgy fan-favorite Tye Zamora, who left the band in order to finish pursuing his collegiate degree in bass performance.

Alien Ant Farm BUSted [DVD]

Alkaline Trio Agony and Irony

All That Remains The Fall of Ideals

Allele Point of Origin

Featuring Kelly Hayes (ex-Cold) and Lane Maverick (ex-Otep) on guitars, Allele's debut album is a surprisingly solid listen despite its potential warning signs. To clarify, Allele's music is not particularly innovative or earth-shattering, but Point of Origin is neither a bastardized Cold release nor a run-of-the-mill Otep album. Upon first impression, listeners may expect to hear rehashed instrumentation from Maverick and Hayes, thinking that Point of Origin is a collection of B-sides that Cold and Otep didn't release. Instead, Point of Origin is significantly better than the material Cold and Otep released around this album's release in 2005. Fans of Cold, Breaking Benjamin, 32 Leaves, and similar-sounding acts will definitely enjoy Point of Origin because the music and themes will sound familiar. However, on Point of Origin, Allele clearly distinguishes itself as a separate entity in the oftentimes homogeneous world of mainstream hard rock. Vocalist Wally Wood has a terrific voice that suits the typically steady instrumentation as well. The insanely catchy "Closer to Habit," the heavier-tinged "Fake," and noteworthy "Unknown" are highlight tracks, as well as "Tightrope."

Amorphis Skyforger

Apocalyptica Plays Metallica by Four Cellos

Atmosphere Seven's Travels

Atmosphere You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're...

Bad Religion New Maps Of Hell

Barenaked Ladies Maybe You Should Drive

Barenaked Ladies Born on a Pirate Ship

Battles Mirrored

Beastie Boys Licensed To Ill

Between The Buried And Me Alaska

blink-182 Enema Of The State

blink-182 blink-182

I'm really going to miss blink-182 because of their "guilty-pleasure" status in my record collection, but they picked a great album to bow out on. blink's self-titled is arguably their crowning achievement that goes beyond their well-renowned sex and fart jokes without entirely sacrificing them completely. The most appealing trait on this album for me is the darker vibe I sense - "Stockholm Syndrome" best exemplifies this quality, and is one of blink's best songs ever. But, it couldn't possibly be a blink album without some fun tracks like "Feeling This" or some sappy love songs like "I Miss You." Further, a guest appearance of the Cure's Robert Smith on "All of This" is a welcome addition to Hoppus' sugar-buzzed or DeLonge's nasally vocals. In the end, a wonderful album from the somewhat more mature blink.

blink-182 The Mark, Tom, And Travis Show

Boards of Canada In a Beautiful Place out in the Country

Bob Seger Against the Wind

Bob Seger Night Moves

Bob Seger Beautiful Loser

Burton Wagner 21

Butch Walker The Rise And Fall Of Butch Walker...

Butch Walker Leavin' The Game On Luckie Street

Chevelle This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)

Chevelle's improvement from Wonder What's Next to this album is certainly noteworthy on a number of levels. They've matured as songwriters, especially in the rhythm section - Joe's basslines are much improved compared to the previous album, and he takes a much more predominant role in tracks such as "The Clincher" and "Still Running." Pete's vocals are also better - he mixes his crooning passages with the angsty screams and shouts quite well. Where this album drives me nuts is the band's decision to drop their guitars to A# and the repetitive nature and theme of a majority of the songs. I really enjoy "The Clincher," "Still Running" (especially its improvement/make-over from The Punisher OST, which on that album was putrid), and "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)," but the rest of the album seems like a homogeneous shlock of dropped guitars and mess. Not so much the solid back-to-back of "Breach Birth" and "Panic Prone," but everything from that point onward sounds so lifeless. While this album is much more melodic, it's still not enough to elevate Chevelle to the upper-tier of hard rock, although I'm optimistic they'll get there soon.

CKY Infiltrate Destroy Rebuild

Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

Cold Year Of The Spider

Damien Dempsey To Hell Or Barbados

Damien Dempsey The Rocky Road

Dave Matthews Band Busted Stuff

Death Cab For Cutie Transatlanticism

Disarming Arctica We're Always Watching You

Disturbed Believe

Disturbed Indestructible

Do Make Say Think You, You're a History in Rust

Doves Lost Souls

Britpoppers Doves are a bit more doom-and-gloom on this album, and while the album as a whole is great, it's the more upbeat tracks that stand out the most for me. Take, for instance, "Catch the Sun," a pretty chilled-out track with its beautifully-constructed chord progressions and warm, mellow bassline. "Catch the Sun" is essential listening for this album, as are the opener "Firesuite" and "The Cedar Room." Again, the album is a bit more drab when compared to their follow-up The Last Broadcast, but there's enough melody throughout to keep Britpop fans interested.

Dream Theater A Change of Seasons

Dream Theater Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Dream Theater Systematic Chaos

dredg Leitmotif

Dropkick Murphys The Warriors Code

Dropkick Murphys Blackout

Eve 6 Horrorscope

Explosions In The Sky All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone

Fear Before The Always Open Mouth

Fear Before Odd How People Shake

Finger Eleven The Greyest of Blue Skies

Fishbone The Reality of My Surroundings

Flogging Molly Swagger

Flogging Molly Within a Mile of Home

Ginger Valor Del Corazon

Girl Talk Feed the Animals

Girl Talk Night Ripper

Gnostic Engineering the Rule

Hatebreed Perseverance

Herbrightskies Beside Quiet Waters

Hundred Reasons Quick The Word, Sharp The Action

The first couple listens of Hundred Reasons' 2007 effort were disappointing at first, but if any rock album this year is to be considered a grower, it'd be this one. The unique Hundred Reasons sound - loud guitars, solid drumming, and resolute vocals from Colin Doran (whose career was almost over in 2006 after being diagnosed with career-threatening nodes on his vocal cords) - is present here ("No Way Back," "Out of Time"), but the band also dives into some awkward fits of nostalgia and unchartered territory with "The Shredder" and "Pernavas Iela," respectively. While some of these experimental tracks flop and there are some extreme clunkers on here ("She Is Poison") the customary HR sound with a poppier tilt - with some allusions to the excellent 'Ideas Above Our Station' - is here. "No Way Back," "Out of Time," "Sick Little Masquerade," and "Break the Glass" are worth looking into.

In Flames Soundtrack to Your Escape

In Flames Reroute to Remain

In Flames Colony

Incubus Light Grenades

Isis Wavering Radiant

Jimmy Eat World Chase This Light

An insanely-catchy album tilted more towards the pop-rock spectrum, Jimmy Eat World's Chase This Light also sports enough throwback material to appease fans. Opener "Big Casino" should rightfully be remembered as one of their best tracks ever, perhaps surpassing Bleed American's "The Middle" and Futures' "Pain" in terms of radio airplay. The track's atmosphere and lyrics are memorable on a number of levels, from frontman Jim Adkins' lines of "Well, there's lots of smart ideas in books I never read / When the girls come talk to me, I wish to hell I had" and the noteworthy "There's still some living left when your prime comes and goes." The guitars deliver a thick crunch and the track's accelerated tempo start the album on a masterful note. However, the band's evolution into the pop-rock fray is the main aspect to take away from this album, yielding great results. Take for instance the charismatic "Let It Happen," "Electable (Give It Up)" and its resonating "Oh-oh" back-up vocals, the assured "Here It Goes," and the title track, which features one of the best vocal performances on the album. While not as dark as Futures and maybe not as vibrant as Bleed American, Chase This Light is nevertheless a bouncy, festive listen that will undoubtedly please listeners.

Jimmy Eat World Static Prevails

Jurassic 5 Power In Numbers

Katy Perry One of the Boys

Kill Your Ex From Words to Motion

Less Than Jake Pezcore

Limp Bizkit Significant Other

Liquid Tension Experiment Liquid Tension Experiment

Massive Attack 100th Window

Massive Attack Blue Lines

maudlin of the Well Bath

Mayday Parade Anywhere But Here

Meshuggah Destroy Erase Improve

Meshuggah Nothing

Minus The Bear Planet Of Ice

Minus The Bear Menos El Oso

Minus The Bear Highly Refined Pirates

Mogwai Mr. Beast

Mogwai Happy Songs For Happy people

Mogwai Come On Die Young

Mogwai The Hawk Is Howling

Mt. Helium Topsy Turvy

Neurosis The Eye of Every Storm

New Japan Philharmonic Smashing... LIVE

NOFX Coaster

Nonpoint Statement

Orgy Vapor Transmission

Paper Street Saints EP 2007

Playing an accessible, listener-friendly style of rock complete with catchy guitar hooks, a steadfast rhythm section, and seasoned vocals, Detroit quintet Paper Street Saints' 2007 EP, astutely titled EP 2007, showcases the band's growth as songwriters and as a live act. The EP contains three new studio tracks, one of which ("Wrestling the Angel") is the band's best cut to date, and two live cuts from their 2004 debut. The two guitarists are the band's strongest asset, writing tremendous main riffs and excellent solos, and the band's rhythm section is solid in support. Fans of Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, and Taproot are encouraged to check out Paper Street Saints, and can do so with Sputnikmusic's listening party (party ID = 152).

Paper Street Saints The White EP

pg.lost It's Not Me, It's You!

Placebo Meds

Placebo Sleeping With Ghosts

Plus 44 When Your Heart Stops Beating

Porcupine Tree Fear Of A Blank Planet

Fear of a Blank Planet is a captivating, frightening, and all-around intriguing listen. Steven Wilson's acerbic social commentary is one of the most appealing qualities the album possesses, and coupled with the dark, haunting atmosphere that percolates throughout, Fear of a Blank Planet is on target to be one of the most memorable albums of 2007. What adds to the majesty of the album is the selection of guest artists that make appearances, which include Rush's Alex Lifeson and King Crimson's Robert Fripp. "Anesthetize" is a beast of a track, starting off melancholy and moody before exploding into a fury of heavy riffing and sporting one of the best drumming performances from Gavin Harrison. Wilson's abrasive scorn is also noteworthy, taking on the role of a teenage protagonist: "I'm watching TV, but I find it hard to stay conscious; I'm totally bored, but I can't switch off." These lyrical themes are disturbing and consistent throughout the album: see also the disconcerting "Way Out of Here" and the troubling title track for more harrowing examples of adolescents gone wrong. While it's easy to get lost in the harrowing lyrical imagery, the music is definitive Porcupine Tree, with just about the right mix of melody, beauty, and heavy. Although the softer tracks ("My Ashes," "Sentimental") are slightly inferior to the heavier-hitting ones on this album, Fear of a Blank Planet should definitely be looked into for not just the instrumentation, but Wilson's biting, disquieting social commentary as well. Parents who are oblivious or just flat-out uninvolved in their children's lives should stay far away.

Protest the Hero Kezia

Rage Against the Machine The Battle Of Los Angeles

Rise Against Appeal To Reason

Rodrigo y Gabriela Rodrigo y Gabriela

Say Anything In Defense of the Genre

Sherwood A Different Light

Sleep with the Skeleton To Live in Hearts We Leave Behind...

Sleepmakeswaves In Today Already Walks Tomorrow

Son Lux At War With Walls And Mazes

Sonata Arctica Ecliptica

Sonata Arctica Winterheart's Guild

Static-X Machine

Static-X Cannibal

From start-to-finish, Cannibal is an unrelenting, ferocious listen with enormous playback value and is Static-X's best album this decade. Shocked? Maybe you are, but it's extremely easy to elucidate why this album is such a monstrous improvement over everything the band has previously released since the turn of the millennium. First, this is the first time in the band's storied history that the same line-up has consecutively written two albums together. This consistency in band chemistry has absolutely had a positive effect. Secondly, Static-X refuses to sacrifice any of their strongest aspects that comprise their music: from Wayne Static's shouted, neurotic vocals to the constantly-rumbling rhythm section to the surging, potent electronics, the respective elements that amount to Static-X's appeal have been bolstered and improved dramatically. However, these two reasons aren't what will elevate this band's status in the community. Why? Because nothing previously mentioned has changed - not the line-up, and not the elements they do best. What will elevate Static-X out of their trough is not being content with the status quo. The band has finally added a cogent element to its arsenal without derailing their overall sound: guitar solos, thanks to Koichi Fukuda, who played lead on the band's debut before going on what amounted to be a lengthy hiatus. It can be hard to believe that such a seemingly simple addition that, if used improperly could potentially deter the music, has instead strengthened the band's sound significantly. Combined with the previously mentioned core sound - the agitated vocals, heavy rhythm section, and pulsating electronics - Static-X has delivered its most complete, most formidable, and most metal album to date. Five tracks to check out: "No Submission," "Electric Pulse," "Cannibal," "Behemoth," and "Forty Ways."

Stone Sour Stone Sour

Stone Sour Come What(ever) May

This seems to be the minority opinion, but I contend that Stone Sour's sophomore album trumps their debut. Not by a huge margin or anything, but my perception of this album is that the band opted for a more radio-friendly album while still maintaining that biting edge to their music. Take for instance album opener "30/30-150" and the title track: these two heavier-tinged tracks on the album have enough hooks to satisfy active rock radio cravings while still having a palpable edge to the music. However, the more melodic tracks - "Sillyworld" and "Through Glass" are the clear-cut examples - showcase Stone Sour at their best. "Sillyworld" is arguably the band's best song to date, with the guitars and frontman Corey Taylor's vocals shining. Overall, a pretty solid album that establishes Stone Sour as a credible hard rock act and not just a Slipknot-super-lite, even if it's hampered by some mediocre tracks ("1st Person") and downright obscure tracks (closer "Zzyzx Rd").

Streetlight Manifesto Keasbey Nights

Sunn O))) White2

Team Sleep Team Sleep

Tenacious D Tenacious D

The Butterfly Effect Imago

The Condors Wait For It

The Receiving End of Sirens The Earth Sings Mi Fa Mi

I'm not really sure what everyone's beef with this album is. Tracks like "The Crop and the Pest" are incredibly stunning and thoroughly engaging listens and tracks like "Smoke and Mirrors" and "Saturnus" are instrumentally and vocally sound. The rhythm section is rock-solid and more than adequate, and the guitars are competent; together with the vocals, The Receiving End of Sirens' core sound lays down an outstanding foundation for the listener to be absorbed into. Lyrically, the imagery is stellar - take for instance the aforementioned "The Crop and the Pest," which sports amazingly powerful lines such as "I saw my shining shield and armor rust; I felt my posture bow and fall to dust / But all the vigils, and the stakes I claimed couldn't take the sting from out my shame / Couldn't take the color from the stain that I became" and "I'm the fervor of the fever you can't sweat / I'm the garments stuck to your skin, drenched and dripping wet / . . . I know what won't ever sink will slowly swim to the bottom." It's discouraging to see mostly-negative reviews of this album - I encourage listeners new and old to re-listen to the aforementioned tracks (two are available at the band's mySpace currently). The Earth Sings... is a beautiful, captivating record.

The Red Paintings Feed the Wolf [EP]

Trash McSweeney and co. are back with their third EP in three years, and Feed the Wolf is a very good listen indeed. After the robot-themed motif in the band's previous EP, Destroy the Robots, Trash throws this album to the wolves... with terrific results. The EP's title track is a schizophrenic, chaotic listen, opening with howls that serve as a harbinger to a furious orchestral passage and distorted guitars. The evolution of Trash as a songwriter is evident between Destroy the Robots and Feed the Wolf, and while it's not as great of a jump between Walls and Destroy the Robots, his progression is noteworthy. Along with the title track, this is exemplified in "We Belong in the Sea" as well; additionally, his vocals truly fit the instrumentation to a beautiful degree. Where this EP falters is in the two cover tracks - The Dresden Dolls and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are the original authors - which are slightly underwhelming. "Sing" is very beautiful instrumentally, especially in the soft acoustic guitar and strings, but Trash sounds out-of-steam towards its conclusion. Ultimately, Feed the Wolf is worthwhile for the original compositions and, as always, the incredible string accompaniment that has always bolstered The Red Paintings' music, in addition to Trash's growth as a performer and writer.

Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III and IV...

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Beethoven's Last Night

Tsavo The Search

United Nations United Nations

Verse Aggression

Winds Reflections of the I

Winds Prominence and Demise

3 good

AFI Decemberunderground

Alkaline Trio Remains

Alkaline Trio Crimson

Alkaline Trio Maybe I'll Catch Fire

All Shall Perish Awaken The Dreamers

All That Remains Overcome

All That Remains This Darkened Heart

Andrew W.K. the Wolf

Arcturus Sideshow Symphonies

Avenged Sevenfold City of Evil

This is the first Avenged Sevenfold album I heard straight-through, so I can't really comment on their metalcore days and the supposed direction the band is going in. I had heard bits and pieces of songs from Madden, for instance, but these guys were getting a lot of hype, so I figured I should check this out. City of Evil is a great album, but it's burdensome to get through, even with the absolutely phenomenal drumming - the fills, the "riffs," and the rhythms are all spectacular. The collective musicianship of the guitarists is stone-cold solid as well, with vibrant leads, flashy solos, and scorching main riffs such as in album opener "Beast and the Harlot," and while discovering the brilliance of harmonization makes for a typically-pleasant listen, it's irritating that it's found on basically every track on this album, making the music at times torturous and annoying to listen to. The instrumentation is, for the most part, excellent, and the vocalist takes a lot of flak - he's a bit hit-or-miss on this album - but along with the harmonization, where this album drives me bonkers is in its epic song lengths. Hearing the harmonized guitars excessively over sometimes on, sometimes off vocals for over five minutes a pop for eleven songs is borderline tedious. I'm not knocking the musicians - they clearly have a world of talent - I just feel that they could explore other musical passages other than epic song lengths and resorting to harmonization by default. Highlight tracks for me: "Beast and the Harlot," "The Wicked End," and "Bat Country."

Avril Lavigne Let Go

Baha Men Who Let the Dogs Out

Beastie Boys To the 5 Boroughs

Between The Buried And Me Colors

Between The Buried And Me The Silent Circus

Black Light Burns Cruel Melody

Bloodhound Gang Hefty Fine

Bloodhound Gang One Fierce Beer Coaster

Bob Seger Face the Promise

Bob Seger The Distance

Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago

Box Car Racer Box Car Racer

Breaking Benjamin We Are Not Alone

Britney Spears Circus

Burton Wagner In the Realms of the Unreal

Chevelle Sci-Fi Crimes

City And Colour Bring Me Your Love

Civil Twilight Human

CKY An Answer Can Be Found

Crash Test Dummies God Shuffled His Feet

Daughtry Daughtry

Dave Matthews Band Stand Up

Dave Matthews Band Everyday

Death Cab For Cutie Narrow Stairs

Demon Hunter Summer Of Darkness

Demon Hunter Demon Hunter

Disturbed Ten Thousand Fists

Do Make Say Think Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn

DragonForce Valley of the Damned

DragonForce Inhuman Rampage

Dream Theater Awake

Dream Theater Train of Thought

Dream Theater Greatest Hit (... and 21 Other...)

Earshot The Silver Lining

Earth Earth 2

Evanescence Fallen

Fear Before Fear Before

Flaw Endangered Species

Flaw Through the Eyes

Flogging Molly Float

Fuel Something Like Human

Genesis We Can't Dance

God Is An Astronaut A Moment of Stillness EP

A Moment of Stillness is a decent EP that deviates somewhat from the typical post-rock characteristics. The five-track EP is barely over twenty-two minutes in runtime, which is rather unusual for a genre that is sometimes associated with longer song lengths. "Frozen Twilight" and "Forever Lost (Reprise)" have beautiful passages and are the highlight tracks on this album. Overall, the ambient, atmospheric feel that Irish trio God Is An Astronaut provides is wonderfully executed, with sweeping keyboards, searing synthesizers, and steady guitarwork, but this EP ultimately does not sufficiently distance itself from similar artists.

Gomez How We Operate

Gorillaz Gorillaz

Green Day Warning

Hammerfall Legacy of Kings

Hatebreed Supremacy

Hatebreed Rise of Brutality

Ill Nino The Undercover Sessions EP

Incubus Morning View

Isle Of Thieves Only Human

Jimmies Chicken Shack Pushing the Salmanilla Envelope

Jurassic 5 Feedback

Kid Rock Devil Without A Cause

Korn Follow The Leader

Korn Issues

Kottonmouth Kings High Society

Less Than Jake Anthem

Lifehouse No Name Face

Linkin Park Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park Meteora

Lit A Place In The Sun

Loma Prieta Last City

Lostprophets Start Something

Lostprophets The Fake Sound Of Progress

Matchbox Twenty Yourself Or Someone Like You

maudlin of the Well Leaving Your Body Map

Meshuggah Contradictions Collapse

Modest Mouse Good News For People Who Love Bad News

Motley Crue Saints of Los Angeles

Mudvayne Lost and Found

Mudvayne L(ive) D(osage) 50: Live in Peoria DVD

Nonpoint Recoil

Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Our Lady Peace Gravity

P.O.D. Fundamental Elements Of Southtown

P.O.D. Satellite

Papa Roach Infest

Easily Papa Roach's best album, Infest was a pretty good idea that the band never really took off with. From the silent intro that gives way to a cacophonous shout of "Welcome to the first Papa Roach soundfire - viva la cucaracha!" on the album opener and title track to the singles that received pretty solid airplay - "Last Resort," "Broken Home," and "Between Angels and Insects" - Infest was pretty well-executed. Sure, while the main riff to "Last Resort" is blatantly ripped off from Iron Maiden, I'll excuse it as them being "inspired." It's too bad that Papa Roach deviated from this album on their later works, because Infest's rugged, raw sound was a welcome sound. "Between Angels and Insects," "Dead Cell," and "Blood Brothers" are highlight tracks, with "Between Angels and Insects" being Papa Roach's best song in their entire discography. The rapped sections found on this album, while a bit tiresome in some spots (see: "Broken Home"), made this album a unique listen and one of the better nu-metal releases at the turn of the millenium. Again, I have to reiterate my disappointment that the band went a completely different direction on their later material, but as it stands, Infest is a good album with a couple terrific nu-metal tracks.

Paper Street Saints Paper Street Saints

Paper Street Saints Pride and Punishment

Passenger Passenger

Pennywise Reason to Believe

Pig Destroyer Prowler in the Yard

Public Enemy There's A Poison Going On

Ra Duality

Rammstein Rosenrot

Rammstein Reise, Reise

Rammstein Sehnsucht

Reveille Bleed the Sky

Senses Fail Still Searching

Slipknot Slipknot

Smash Mouth Astro Lounge

Sonata Arctica Reckoning Night

Sonic Syndicate Only Inhuman

Staind Break the Cycle

Static-X Beneath... Between... Beyond

Sufjan Stevens Illinois

Sunn O))) Black One

System of a Down Mezmerize

System of a Down System of a Down

Taking Back Sunday Where You Want To Be

Tantric Tantric

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists Shake The Sheets

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists Living With the Living

The Dillinger Escape Plan Miss Machine

The Faint Danse Macabre

The Killers Hot Fuss

The Receiving End of Sirens Between the Heart and the Synapse

The Red Paintings Cinema Love [EP]

Thrice Vheissu

Thrice The Alchemy Index: Vols. I and II...

Throwdown Haymaker

Throwdown Vendetta

Tool 10,000 Days

TRUSTcompany True Parallels

TRUSTcompany The Lonely Position of Neutral

U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

Various Artists Woodstock 1999

Weezer Green Album

2.5 average

At the Drive-In Relationship of Command

Breaking Benjamin Phobia

Breaking Benjamin Saturate

Breaking Benjamin Dear Agony

Chevelle Wonder What's Next

Coheed and Cambria Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV...

Daughtry Leave This Town

Dido Life For Rent

Dream Theater Falling Into Infinity

Dream Theater Octavarium

Finger Eleven Finger Eleven

Godsmack Awake

Iced Earth The Crucible of Man

Kenny G. Breathless

Lacuna Coil Karmacode

Less Than Jake Losers, Kings and Other Things We Don't Understand

Less Than Jake Goodbye Blue & White

Live Birds Of Pray

Matchbox Twenty More Than You Think You Are

Natalie Imbruglia Left of the Middle

Nickelback Silver Side Up

Pelican City of Echoes

Rascal Flatts Still Feels Good

Seether Karma and Effect

Slipknot Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.

Sonic Youth Daydream Nation

Static-X Shadow Zone

Story of the Year Page Avenue

Switchfoot The Beautiful Letdown

The Defaced Karma In Black

The Offspring Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace

Thursday A City By the Light Divided

2 poor

3 Doors Down 3 Doors Down

30 Seconds to Mars A Beautiful Lie

A Day To Remember Homesick

Bear vs. Shark Terrorhawk

Boys Like Girls Boys Like Girls

Cold Cold

Dustin Kensrue Please Come Home

Evanescence The Open Door

Fall Out Boy Folie a Deux

Fort Minor The Rising Tied

Ill Nino One Nation Underground

Incubus A Crow Left Of The Murder

Into Eternity The Incurable Tragedy

Keane Hopes & Fears

Lit Atomic

Lucky Boys Confusion Commitment

Mushroomhead Savior Sorrow

While this album grew on me after subsequent listens, this album is still poor, especially by Mushroomhead standards. A lot of people were wondering how the new "harsh" vocalist, Waylon, would sound replacing J-Mann, who left the band to pursue other endeavors and take care of an ailing family member. To be honest, you can't really tell the difference, which is a testament of Waylon's talents, but he also gives Mushroomhead an opportunity to sing harmonized parts with other vocalist J. Nothing. This factor adds a moderate layer of interest to a pretty boring album. As always, the bass and keyboards/samples are terrific and the latter really add a creepy dimension to the music. However, the reasons I feel this album isn't as memorable is because they lost one of their guitarists, giving their music less crunch, and the fact that there really aren't any "stand-out" tracks. "Simple Survival" and "Save Me" are very well done, as is the first-ever acoustic track "Embrace the Ending" to close the album, but the rest of the album leaves an insignificant lasting impression on the listener, and is ultimately a very disappointing listen.

Papa Roach Getting Away With Murder

Papa Roach The Paramour Sessions

Riddlin' Kids Hurry Up And Wait

It's neither earth-shattering nor will be cited as an album that revolutionized or revitalized the pop-punk genre, but Riddlin' Kids' debut album is a fun album to spin once every five blue moons, but obviously can't be handled in more than small doses. Their biggest claim to fame is the lead single "I Feel Fine," a sub-2:40 number that features elementary guitar riffs and trite lyrics, but best highlights frontman Clint Baker's unique vocal delivery. The track itself, which basically personifies the Kids' style of songwriting and views on love and relationships, is admittedly pretty damn catchy, as is "Here We Go Again" and, to a much lesser extent, "Crazy," and "OK." They also attempted to cover REM's "It's the End of the World As We Know It," but it falls short of being noteworthy, and the rest of the album sifts through mediocrity and feelings of "I've heard this before, but someone has done it better." In all, not a bad album that has a couple pop-punk gems ("I Feel Fine," "Here We Go Again"), but nothing particularly intriguing thanks in part to the music's sophomoric qualities. For genre uber-enthusiasts only.

Slipknot All Hope is Gone

Sonata Arctica Silence

The Offspring Conspiracy Of One

Various Artists Queen Of The Damned Soundtrack

1.5 very poor

Adema Adema

All-American Rejects The All-American Rejects

Angels and Airwaves I-Empire

blink-182 Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

Chiodos Bone Palace Ballet

Coheed and Cambria Second Stage Turbine Blade

Cold A Different Kind of Pain

Count The Stars Never To Be Taken Alive

Darwin's Waiting Room Orphan

Deerhunter Microcastle

Disturbed The Sickness

DragonForce Sonic Firestorm

Dustin Kensrue This Good Night Is Still Everywhere

Evans Blue The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume

Fall Out Boy From Under The Cork Tree

Flyleaf Memento Mori

Green Day American Idiot

Have A Nice Life Deathconsciousness

Ill Nino Confession

Ill Nino Revolution/Revolucion

Less Than Jake In With The Out Crowd

Linkin Park Minutes to Midnight

Lit Lit

Mudvayne The New Game

Mudvayne By the People, For the People

Ozzy Osbourne Black Rain

Papa Roach Lovehatetragedy

Paramore Riot!

Huge disappointment. The only element that saves Paramore from being awful is the person everybody and his mother raves about: Hayley Williams and her incredible chops. It's arguably one of those cases where this album might be rated higher if the instrumentation disappeared completely and it was just Williams singing. That's how dreadful her supporting cast is (or, alternatively, how beautiful her voice is). Uninspiring, bland, and remedial are three adjectives that could describe her bandmates' instrumentation, which is a crying shame because of her brilliance. Both the upper register and lower register are met with incredible ease, and "Misery Business" is a terrific example to showcase both her vocals and her lyricism. It's too bad her all-star-caliber performances are weighed down and diluted by the boring music that surrounds her, stripping the album of nearly anything resembling catchiness, save for "Misery Business," "crushcrushcrush," and in a bit of a stretch, "That's What You Get."

Protest the Hero Fortress

Seether Disclaimer II

Senses Fail Life Is Not A Waiting Room

Simple Plan No Helmets, No Pads... Just Balls

Slipknot Iowa

After being pretty surprised at how fluid their self-titled album was, I was taken aback by how painful this album is to listen to. There are a couple great tracks on here - namely "Left Behind" and "My Plague" - but it's the excessive distortion, uncaptivating vocal contributions from Corey Taylor, and awful song structures that makes more than half of this album seemingly unlistenable. Fortunately, the albums that immediately precede and follow this album are very good, but Iowa is easily Slipknot's worst Corey Taylor-era album, and this is coming from someone who has no qualms about sharing with others that he enjoys nu-metal.

Soulfly Primitive

Soundtrack Garden State

Spineshank The Height of Callousness

Staind 14 Shades Of Grey

Staind Tormented

Static-X Start a War

Static-X Cult Of Static

Sunn O))) The Grimmrobe Demos

Superjoint Ritual A Lethal Dose of American Hatred

Sure, it's heavy, angry, aggressive, and any other synonymous adjective you want to throw in here, but I could not get into this album at all. I concede that the first three tracks - "Sickness," "Waiting for the Turning Point," and "Dress Like a Target" - start the album off on an extremely good note. After this, the album completely derails and is hardly listenable. This is a Phil Anselmo side project, but people should NOT be expecting Pantera, because the guitars are irritating chugga-chugga fare and the repetitive bass-snare-bass-snare nature of the drums is annoying. I suppose if you like Phil Anselmo's vocals combined with thrash-ish elements, then you'd get quite a bit out of this. I bought this blindly, and I regret it. The first three tracks are pretty good, though, and are worth checking out. For me, the general rule of thumb for this album is that if the track is sub-3:00, it's not a bad track, but anything over 3:00 has the potential to be ear-splittingly putrid.

System of a Down Hypnotize

Taproot Blue-Sky Research

The Offspring Splinter

Three Days Grace One-X

Trivium Ascendancy

Walls of Jericho The American Dream

Weezer Maladroit

1 awful

(hed)pe New World Orphans

A Perfect Circle eMOTIVe

Adema Unstable

Adema Planets

Alesana On Frail Wings Of Vanity And Wax

Angels and Airwaves We Don't Need to Whisper

blink-182 Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (Bonus Tracks)

Boys Like Girls Love Drunk

Dream Theater When Dream And Day Unite

Evans Blue The Pursuit Begins When This...

Flyleaf Flyleaf

Flyleaf was getting a lot of press on the site, and they sounded like my cup of tea, so I checked this album out. To my dismay, this album is absolutely atrocious, and the musician everybody was [over]zealously [over]hyping was vocalist Lacey Mosley. I can't stand her on this album. In every song, she quickly inhales a sharp breath before she sings, and it's very distracting to listen to. Take for instance album highlight "Cassie," where Mosley offers, "*hiss* Do you believe in God? *gasp* Written on the bullet *exhale, hiss* Say yes to pull the trigger." Hell, just listen to the opening vocal notes to album opener "I'm So Sick," which is absolutely hideous as it is. Instances like the aforementioned make for an infuriating listening experience, and her range is very suspect; in short, there are plenty of female rock vocalists that do it better. The guitarists play pretty standard fare and their passages as a whole are ultimately boring, but the bassist is solid as one-half of the rhythm section. If it wasn't for the pretty good mixing and production that helps Lacey (the chorus of "Fully Alive" is one of Lacey's highlights), this album would be torturous to listen to. In all, how you approach this album depends on if you can handle Mosley's awful vocal mannerisms when she sings and if you like bland guitarlines. The best of the worst: "Cassie," "Fully Alive," and "Perfect." The last two-thirds of this album should be avoided like Michael Jackson at a preschool.

Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand

Green Day 21st Century Breakdown

HellYeah Hellyeah

A frontrunner for worst album of the year, despite it being a supposedly-for-fun side-project of those involved in HELLYEAH. This album is a raunchy hot karl that will annihilate your temporal lobe. When I first heard that members of Mudvayne, Nothingface, and Pantera were going to form a supergroup in somewhat of a tribute band to Vinnie Paul's fallen brother Dimebag, I was ecstatic. I love Mudvayne and wanted new material, enjoyed Nothingface, and while I'm not a huge Pantera fan, I always had the impression that Vinnie Paul is a hell of a dude and a very down-to-earth guy. So, when I say that I really, really, REALLY wanted this album to be a good rock album - not a five-star, it'll-change-my-world album, just a good album - I meant it. Unfortunately, this album sucks. Chad Gray is abysmal on this album, and who knows what the hell happened there. Vinnie's drumming is pretty solid throughout, but there aren't very many noteworthy hooks on this album in terms of guitars. It's sad to say that the song "HELLYEAH" is the best track on the album, mostly because it's stupid-fun, but also because it flat-out rocks. The only solace I can find in this album is that I'm sure these guys had fun recording it and Dimebag feels honored, if you believe in an afterlife. These guys meant well, I'm sure, but this album totally blows. Anyway, the title track, "Matter of Time," and "One More Thing" are listenable, but tracks like "You Wouldn't Know," "Alcohaulin' Ass," and "Goddamn" are horrendous.

Hinder Extreme Behavior

John Cena and Tha Trademarc You Can't See Me

Limp Bizkit Results May Vary

Limp Bizkit Chocolate Starfish...

Linkin Park Reanimation

Mudvayne The Beginning of All Things To End

Murderdolls Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls

I cannot put into words how unlistenable I found this album to be. I got next-to-nothing out of this album and was extremely disappointed that the only song that had any redeeming qualities was the closer "Motherfuc[font=verdana]k[/font]er, I Don't Care," which is basically a Murderdolls version of Slipknot's "Surfacing," although "People Hate Me" could be the runner-up. The instrumentation is great on "... I Don't Care," but I just can't get into the vocals or the themes explored on this album. I don't know if I'm disappointed because I can't listen to this without cringing because I don't "get" the Murderdolls, or because the music is indeed terrible and as putrid as the band's lyrics.

Primer 55 Introduction to Mayhem

Puddle Of Mudd Come Clean

Seether Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces

Simple Plan Still Not Getting Any...

Smile Empty Soul Smile Empty Soul

Sonic Syndicate Love and Other Disasters

Staind Chapter V

Strata Strata Presents The End Of The World

System of a Down Steal This Album!

Taking Back Sunday Tell All Your Friends

The Human Abstract Midheaven

The Killer and the Star The Killer and the Star

Three Days Grace Three Days Grace

Thoroughly terrible and at times torturous to listen to, Three Days Grace's debut album is saturated with power chords, root notes, and whiny lyrics that sound either forced or just flat-out ridiculous. To say that the lyrical content is angry or pissed off is clearly an understatement - how many ways can a band write an 'angry' song without resorting to the same style and structure that this band does? You could get away with maybe two or three... but twelve tracks?! The album grows stale on you, and FAST. "Now Or Never" and "Just Like You" are the lone gems, but it's like comparing dog shi[font=verdana]t[/font] to horse shi[font=verdana]t[/font]: you could say that one is better than the other, but in the end, it's still shi[font=verdana]t[/font]. Far and away, one of the worst purchases I have ever made.

Trapt Trapt

Trivium The Crusade

Weezer Make Believe

Yonlu A Society In Which No Tear is Shed...