Artuma
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 Lists
09.27.21 2021-22 NHL season: Kracking new ice02.12.21 ALL Cult of Luna songs ranked
01.07.21 20(20-)21 NHL season: Social Distancing12.07.19 Fartuma's Decade: The Top 25 Albums
10.21.19 Salvation vs. Oceanic vs. Eye of Every 09.30.19 2019-20 NHL: Melnyk is a hack
01.02.19 30k + Art's 201812.17.18 Toondude's 2018 list comment section
09.08.18 NHL 2018-19 thread: to leafs or not to 09.20.17 Official NHL season 2017-18 thread
10.11.16 2016-17 NHL season08.30.16 Anyone near Toronto?
01.03.16 Quartuma 4/201509.30.15 Quartuma 3/2015
06.28.15 Quartuma 2/2015 ♦03.31.15 Quartuma 1/2015
03.06.15 Enslaved ranked01.05.15 I'm Sorry
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Artuma's Top 200: 50-1

i've been such a lazyass but here it is
50Talking Heads
Remain in Light

#50: Remain in Light is always an interesting listen. It feel always as unpredictable
as ever, and combines styles that make it eccentric, fun and still quite dark at
points. Songs like "Once in a Lifetime" rely on funky catchiness, while the more
artistic pieces of the album, like "The Overload" take a lot more ambient approach.
It's an incredibly unique album, mixing post-punk, funk, psychedelic rock and
ambient for a sweet fusion, not to mention David Byrne's fantastic, peculiar vocal
delivery.
49Immolation
Close to a World Below

#49: I have never been the biggest fan of death metal, but Close to a World Below
is simply too perfect not to be jammed frequently. It could be best described by its
album cover: Close to a World Below is a furious, brutal and hellish effort. Ross
Dolan's growls are deep, and the music is pure relentless carnage, with its terrific
riffs, maniacal drumming and frenetic shredding.
48The National
Alligator

#48: The National made a huge leap in quality with their third effort, Alligator. Matt
Berninger's screams on Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers are now gone, which allows his
signature deep voice to shine. It fits to the music, which is now more subtle than it
used to be, and the melodies are quite a lot more memorable. The band still knows
how to rock out though, as songs like "Mr. November" prove. One big shout-out
goes to the drummer Bryan Devendorf, who on this album made a big step to be
hailed as one of the most ingenious drummers in the indie rock genre. Damn, his
drum comping is sometimes even more memorable than the melodies.
47Hammock
Kenotic

#47: Kenotic is the culmination of Hammock's style of making post-rock. While
everything Hammock has made has been ultimately uplifting and beautiful feel-good
ambient music, Kenotic is the only one to have completely swallowed me within its
beauty. It is perfect for any situation, and is able to change any bad moment to
good. However, when Kenotic is at its absolute best, it is when it rains. Kenotic is
Hammock's masterpiece and one of the most beautiful albums I've ever listened to.
46The Clash
The Clash

#46: Even though London Calling is often regarded as The Clash's magnum opus
and one of the most remarkable punk albums of all time, their eponymous debut
should never be overlooked. The Clash's self-titled album is a seminal punk classic
and The Clash at their rawest. It is full of some of the most famous punk songs
ever recorded and lyrics that defined the genre's attitude at the time. The Clash is
an extremely influential album and easily one of the best punk albums ever made.
45Radiohead
The Bends

#45: As Radiohead has gone far from their sound in the early 90s, it is hard to
appreciate The Bends as much it should be. The Bends is an early Radiohead
classic, and simply a perfect alternative rock album. Unlike OK Computer for
example, The Bends is at its best when it comes to individual songs and not the
whole album, but honestly it doesn't have a single even average moment, and all
the songs have something memorable in them. The songs that stand out the most
on The Bends are the most emotional ones. "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spirit"
are some of the most gloomy songs Radiohead has ever made, and provide Thom
Yorke's best performances as a vocalist.
44Cult of Luna
Somewhere Along the Highway

#44: Somewhere Along the Highway is a perfect post-metal album. It continues on
the same path that its predecessor, Salvation, went for, having a lighter approach
to the heavy sludge metal style of their early works. However, in comparison to
Salvation, Somewhere Along the Highway has a lot darker atmosphere and it really
works for its advantage. The heavy riffs and harsh vocals are perfectly
accompanied by the bleak atmosphere that provides a picture of a lonely wanderer
and takes you within the journey. The riffs and songwriting on Somewhere Along
the Highway are absolutely top-notch and the album is really more than just
essential for the genre.
43Bon Iver
For Emma, Forever Ago

#43: For Emma, Forever Ago shows Justin Vernon's music at its most stripped
down. The whole albums centers around the beautiful acoustic melodies, Justin's
magnificent falsetto voice and his heartfelt lyrics, with small musical twists. For
Emma, Forever Ago is an emotional and gorgeous trip through Justin Vernon's
experiences and really takes indie folk in a whole new level. It is not only a modern
folk masterpiece, but an extremely sentimental one for the musician as well, and it
shows.
42Slowdive
Souvlaki

#42: While My Bloody Valentine single-handedly created the whole shoegaze genre
with their classic album, Loveless, Slowdive took a different approach to the genre
and made something that is almost as much of a classic than Loveless with their
sophomore effort, Souvlaki. Souvlaki is more conventional and poppier than
Loveless, but everything works for its advantage and the album definitely doesn't
lack in memorability. It features dream pop classics like "When the Sun Hits,"
beautiful atmospheric ballads like "Machine Gun" as well as experimental shoegaze
masterpieces like "Souvlaki Space Station" and every single song on the album has
something to offer.
41La Dispute
Somewhere at the Bottom of the River...

#41: La Dispute's debut LP is one of the most ambitious rock albums recorded in
the past ten years, and is a pure success in many levels. The musicianship on the
album is top-notch and the band's musical style combines post-hardcore,
metalcore, atmospheric rock and even progressive rock in a way that is always
interesting and works impressively well. Then we have their polarising vocalist
Jordan Dreyer, whose performance on the album is quite an acquired taste. He
never really sings, nor screams, but instead his voice is more of an combination of
spoken word, crying and shouting. However, the mix is fairly accessible, and in the
end it is pretty easy to love the band's music. Even though the band's musical
output is fantastic, it's the lyrics that play the biggest role in the album. They are
admittedly overblown and melodramatic, but absolutely ingenious, passionate and
incredibly emotional, and Dreyer really shows that in his vocals.
40Modest Mouse
The Moon & Antarctica

#40: The Moon & Antarctica, Modest Mouse's greatest masterpiece, is just as odd,
intelligent and features as great songwriting as their other albums, but what
separates it from them is the brooding atmosphere that goes throughout the album.
Songs like "The Cold Part" and "The Stars Are Projectors" show exactly what The
Moon & Antarctica is all about with their bleak atmosphere, ambitious song
structures and the signature Modest Mouse sound.
39Elliott Smith
Either/Or

#39: Elliott Smith is widely regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of the last
25 years, and on Either/Or it is easy to see why. The musicianship is fairly simple
and Elliott sings with his gentle voice, but the songs are some of the most
melancholic ever written. The music is both lyrically and musically extremely
depressing, and the songs are very easily relatable. Obviously the fact that Elliott
died in a young age only six years after releasing this album adds it own spice to
the tragical album as well.
38Led Zeppelin
Houses of the Holy

#38: While Led Zeppelin's fourth album is often regarded as their pinnacle (as well
as one of the most important rock albums of all time), their truly biggest musical
achievement came with its follow-up, Houses of the Holy. It is Led Zeppelin's
creativity and songwriting at its best, as the album is their easily their most diverse
and eclectic. Houses of the Holy keeps the listener always interested with the
upbeat rock-out of "The Song Remains the Same," acoustic folk of "Over the Hills
and Far Away," reggae influence of "D'yer Mak'er" and dark and trippy progressive
rock of "No Quarter" (which I'd probably declare to be the greatest song Led
Zeppelin has ever made).
37Titus Andronicus
The Monitor

#37: The Monitor is Titus Andronicus' most ambitious and epic effort, as well as one
of the best albums released this decade so far. It is a huge rollercoaster of an
album with its raw indie melodies, progressive song structures, fast punk rock
passages and beautiful ballad-like parts, which are all tasty ingredients in the long
concept album dealing with the American civil war. It is lyrically (and sometimes
even musically) highly retrospective, but doesn't bow too much for their influences.
Punk albums aren't necessarily known for having 6+ minute epics, but The Monitor
is full of them, and everything is culminated in the massive 14-minute closer, "The
Battle of Hampton Roads."
36The Smiths
The Queen Is Dead

#36: The Smiths might have been the most important individual band for indie rock
and The Queen Is Dead is everything that made The Smiths such a seminal band. It
is perfect in many ways as they really showed their sense of writing anthemic and
incredibly catchy pop tunes with interesting instrumentation, but the album really
wouldn't be the same without the marvellous performance of their vocalist,
Morrissey. His lyrics are quirky and witty yet deep and melancholic, and The Queen
Is Dead is imbued with memorable lyrical lines. His voice is also completely unique
and is a big factor in making The Smiths' music recognizable.
35Edge of Sanity
Crimson

#35: Crimson comprises of only one 40-minute song divided in eight parts, and
resulting undoubtedly their greatest song. Despite its massive length, Crimson is an
astoundingly cohesive composition, and a landmark in progressive death metal. It
features furious death metal blasting, infectious (and sometimes atmospheric)
melodic riffs and tasty guitar soloing, and it never repeats itself too much. Crimson
is a breathtaking concept album and should be heard by any progressive metal fan.
34Defeater
Lost Ground

#34: Lost Ground was Defeater at the top of their game both musically and
lyrically. The album's lyrical content is based on the song "Prophet in Plain Clothes"
off their debut, Travels, and what a heartbreaking story it is. The lyrics are highly
emotional, and Derek Archambault's shouted vocals are incredibly passionate. Lost
Ground is absolutely top notch musically as well, as the melodies are memorable and
full of hardcore rampage, not to mention Kurt Ballou's perfect production.
33The Pax Cecilia
Blessed Are the Bonds

#33: On their sophomore effort, The Pax Cecilia goes Toby Driver with their post-
hardcore sound. Blessed Are the Bonds is significantly more complex than their
debut, and flawless in every level. The album features a vast amount of Kayo Dot-
esque modern classical vibes (which are notably shown on the opener, "The
Tragedy") while still retaining the raging post-hardcore to some extent (of which
"The Progress" is the best example). Blessed Are the Bonds is a landmark in modern
art rock. It is emotional, challenging, diverse and every note is absolutely perfect.
32Neurosis
The Eye of Every Storm

#32: The Eye of Every Storm can be described as the ultimate outcome of the
evolution Neurosis have been striving for since Souls at Zero. As Neurosis sound
has been going more atmospheric step by step, The Eye of Every Storm is their
lightest and most ambient album ever. This is exactly what shows the best qualities
of the band, as it is still heavy and devastating, but mostly atmospherically rather
than sound-wise. The Eye of Every Storm is a grandiose listen, and Neurosis at
their best.
31Brand New
The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me

#31: At first glimpse The Devil and God might not seem like an album that would
deserve all the praise it gets. Simplifiedly, it's just emotional alternative rock.
However, on repeated listens The Devil and God is able to become a full soundtrack
for one's psychical problems and features accessible yet magnificent musicianship.
Even though the music is always memorable, the climaxes are huge, and it's hard to
find any flaws of it, it's the vocalist Jesse Lacey who steals the show. The Devil
and God is easily his best performance, as his vocals are passionate and he shows
the perfect balance of sensitive clean vocals and truculent shouts. His lyrics are
easily relatable, which is why The Devil and God is likely to become a considerably
personal album for any listener into alternative rock.
30The National
High Violet

#30: High Violet was a logical step for The National from its highly acclaimed
predecessor, Boxer. On High Violet, The National retain their signature sound and
style, but manage not to write the same album again. It is their most atmospheric
effort to date, and just like on Alligator and Boxer, pretty much everything they do
works perfectly. Whether it was the beautiful harmonies of "Sorrow," the driving
melody of "Conversation 16" or the piano-based "England," High Violet is perfect in
every way. Again, what immediately makes The National such a recognizable act in
the current indie scene, is Matt Berninger's deep baritone voice (and his sense of
writing memorable one-liners) and Bryan Devendorf's astonishing performance
behind the kit.
29Streetlight Manifesto
Somewhere in the Between

#29: Streetlight Manifesto created third-wave ska perfection on their debut,
Everything Goes Numb, and it couldn't have a better successor than Somewhere in
the Between. Just like Everything Goes Numb, Somewhere in the Between features
incredibly catchy ska punk melodies, anthemic choruses, Tomas Kalnoky's terrific
vocals and memorable, thought-provoking lyrical content. "The Receiving End of It
All" is probably the best ska punk song ever made, and a perfect representation of
all that makes Streetlight Manifesto such a brilliant band, both lyrically and
musically. Somewhere in the Between is essentially a fun and anthemic record, and
beneath its accessibility lies intelligence that not many bands in the current punk
scene can top.
28Dream Theater
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory

#28: Back in the day when I was only getting into progressive music, I inevitably
came across Dream Theater, and their critically acclaimed concept album, Scenes
from a Memory. It was everything I needed. The album had its interesting story and
musical virtuosity that immediately appealed to me, and it was one of the first
albums I truly fell in love with. It goes without saying that Scenes from a Memory is
a very nostalgic album for me, but looking behind that fact shows that it isn't just a
typical progressive metal album. Scenes is a masterpiece in the genre with the best
songwriting Dream Theater has ever made, accompanied by memorable riffs, guitar
solos and catchiness. Like every other Dream Theater album, it is incredibly
technical, but this is one of the few albums where their indisputable technical skills
actually feel meaningful.
27Streetlight Manifesto
Everything Goes Numb

#27: It's almost laughable how much Streetlight Manifesto dominate the ska punk
scene. Already with their debut album, Everything Goes Numb, Streetlight created
something that no one can ever top within the genre. It is simply perfect in every
level, and every song on the album is a third-wave ska anthem of its own. Like all
their albums, Everything Goes Numb is based on their ability to write fun and catchy
ska punk tunes, interesting instrumentation and Tomas Kalnoky's anthemic, witty
lyrics. The album goes from a ska punk masterpiece to another for its whole running
time, and it's almost impossible not to sing along on every single track.
26Slint
Spiderland

#26: When talking about 90s underground classic albums, it's nearly impossible to
ignore Slint's masterwork, Spiderland. With Talk Talk's last two albums, it was highly
instrumental for the genre that would later be known as post-rock. Spiderland has a
take on atmospheric music no one had ever created, as it is full of extremely dark
and eerie guitar riffs and basslines which are accompanied by creepy spoken-word
vocals. The album has its recognizably scary nature, which was something that had
rarely been focused on in rock music. Spiderland culminates in the last song, "Good
Morning, Captain," where Brian McMahan screams those famous lyrics: "I MISS
YOU!" and this is at the latest when you know it's a classic album you're listening
to.
25Modern Life Is War
Witness

#25: With Witness, Modern Life Is War created a landmark melodic hardcore release
and one of the most important punk albums of the decade. It is everything that all
the melodic hardcore albums try to reach, with its heartfelt screamed vocals,
frantic and memorable hardcore riffs, and melancholic lyrics that helped to define
what the genre is all about. Witness is simply a perfect melodic hardcore album. It
is catchy, straightforward and anthemic, yet passionate, thoughtful and absolutely
relentless.
24Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada

#24: Godspeed You! Black Emperor has always been known as a genre-defining
post-rock band with their huge build-ups and climaxes. The songs go naturally past
the 10-minute mark, sometimes even the 20-minute mark, which leads up to
monumental album lengths. However, Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada is an EP that
needs only 28 minutes to show what the whole band is all about. Both of the
albums two songs, "Moya" and "BBF3," are masterpieces and some of the greatest
compositions GY!BE has ever created. They are also strictly connected to each
other, which makes Slow Riot an incredibly cohesive record, and provides a perfect
representation of the band's sound. It is a perfect album for anyone who is willing
to get into the band or the genre.
23Cryptopsy
None So Vile

#23: Cryptopsy's masterpiece, None So Vile, is everything I'm looking for in death
metal. It was a highly influential album for technical death metal, and also the best
in the genre. None So Vile is a landmark album for death metal and features some of
the best musicianship I've ever come across. Lord Worm's guttural growls are
extremely brutal and powerful, Jon Levasseur's guitar riffs are tasty, catchy and
memorable, and Flo Mounier shows here why he is regarded as one of the best
death metal drummers of all time. His playing is ridiculously technical and fast, and
he provides some of the biggest highlights of the album. None So Vile is basically
the perfect death metal album, and one that never leaves you cold.
22The Antlers
Hospice

#22: There are heartbreaking albums, and then there's Hospice. The Antlers'
sophomore effort is an emotional and atmospheric indie rock masterpiece that is
one of the few albums that have the ability to make me shed a tear. The music is
incredibly subtle and beautiful, but what shines the most on Hospice is the vocalist
Peter Silberman's breathtaking falsetto voice and depressing conceptual lyrics. It is
simply one of the saddest albums I've ever heard, as well as one of the most
gorgeous indie rock albums of all time. Just listen to "Kettering" and you'll see.
21Ulver
Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitler

#21: Ulver's debut album, Bergtatt, is easily one of the most remarkable albums in
the Norwegian black metal scene. It is a combination of the Norse folk of
Kveldssanger and the raw 2nd wave black metal of Nattens Madrigal, and the end
result couldn't possibly be any better. Bergtatt is comprised of five chapters, each
of which are absolutely perfect (except for Een stemme locker, which pretty much
serves as an interlude for the album's gorgeous closer). Bergtatt was an
exceptional album in the 90s Norwegian black metal scene, as it was one of the
first albums to have such a high folk influence, and it was definitely the most
important one. It is easily one of the most essential black metal albums ever and
could be described as the perfect representation of the beauty of the Norwegian
nature in a musical form.
20Swans
Soundtracks for the Blind

#20: The seminal post-punk band Swans is mostly known for the abrasive, noisy
sound of their 80s music, but Soundtracks for the Blind shows a new brand of
perfection for the band. It is an exhaustingly long double album that needs full
attention, but it's also possibly the most diverse album Swans have ever created,
and the best as well. Soundtracks is basically Swans showing that they aren't only
the masters of noise rock, but they really are able to write masterpieces of post-
rock ("The Sound"), minimalistic music ("Empathy"), ambient ("Surrogate Drone")
and hell, even dance music ("Volcano"). The album's biggest epic might be the
lengthy "Helpless Child," which is one of the greatest post-punk compositions and a
big influence on the band's later material.
19Circle Takes the Square
As the Roots Undo

#19: Even though As the Roots Undo is lyrically clever and sophisticated, there is
such immaturity found in the music that it becomes just attractive. Circle Takes the
Square's debut is full of random transitions and eccentric overlapping female+male
screamed vocals, but that's exactly where As the Roots Undo's biggest appeal lies.
It's not an immediate album to say the least but it's one that has tremendous
grower potential. Of course, it shouldn't either be ignored that Drew Speziale's
guitar work is absolutely fantastic, and the album is both incredibly technical
(especially the first half) and breathtakingly epic (especially the latter half). The
lyrics are also just heartbreaking, and if given enough time As the Roots Undo truly
reveals how much of a beast it is.
18Pixies
Doolittle

#18: It's hard to find a more badass album than Doolittle in the indie rock scene. It
was highly influential to many genres that began to flourish in the 90s and was
both a critical and commercial success, but it is also one of the most kick-ass
albums in the indie rock genre ever. Doolittle is the perfect follow-up to the raw
masterpiece that was Surfer Rosa, and ends up being catchier, a bit more polished
and a even more memorable than its predecessor. It's quite easy to get into
Doolittle as it has its fair share of catchy rock tunes like "Debaser," "Monkey Gone
to Heaven," "Here Comes Your Man" and "Hey," not to mention Black Francis' witty
lyrics and extraordinary voice. Doolittle is the album that showed the listeners what
was to come in the 90s.
17Opeth
Still Life

#17: Still Life marked Opeth's debut in the Peaceville Records and they only needed
one shot to strike gold. Still Life features everything that I love in Opeth's music. It
has some of the best riffs the band has ever made, fantastic vocal performance by
Mikael Åkerfeldt and their best songwriting. It is a concept album, and while the
story itself isn't anything special it really adds to the bleak atmosphere the album is
striving for. As mentioned earlier, the album is full of superb riffage, but some of the
band's catchiest moments as well. However, what makes it Opeth's best album is,
besides the aforementioned qualities, that Still Life is simply highlight after highlight
and there are absolutely no low points on the album. Consistent perfection.
16King Crimson
In the Court of the Crimson King

#16: When it comes to the history of progressive rock it's inevitable to mention
King Crimson's debut in some way. It is the father of progressive rock as we know
it, and without a doubt one of the most innovative rock albums of all time. It is
already shown on the album opener, "21st Century Schizoid Man," that this is an
album like nothing else. The music is incredibly complex and technical, and the
songwriting is absolutely surreal, which inspired most of the 70s big progressive
rock bands. In the Court of the Crimson King is psychedelic, extraordinary, intricate
and highly influential.
15The Clash
London Calling

#15: While The Clash's self-titled album was a remarkable straightforward punk
album, the band expanded upon that sound and created something at least as
remarkable with London Calling. It is an incredibly diverse album and showed that
punk can be so much more than what had been heard before, as London Calling
covers up a bunch of genres such as reggae, jazz and ska, and everything works
perfectly. The lyrics are just as political as ever, and the album features some of
the most memorable lines in the history of punk. London Calling is a revolutionary
album, and it is not a miracle that it's often claimed as one of the greatest albums
of all time.
14Pink Floyd
Animals

#14: Released in 1977, Animals marked the start of Waters-dominated Pink Floyd,
and it couldn't have turned out better. Animals is as ambitious as ever, featuring
only three "real" songs, all of which surpass the 10-minute mark in length. All those
three songs can be considered as some of the musically greatest the band has ever
made. However, Animals' biggest strength compared to Pink Floyd's other albums
might be its fantastic songwriting and intelligent political lyrics. Animals is without a
doubt a classic, and is a literally flawless album.
13Arcade Fire
Funeral

#13: There is a reason why Funeral became one of the biggest albums of the last
decade. It was something that was never heard before, and was released exactly
when indie rock was making its commercial rise. It was a phenomenon of its own,
and a frontrunner for the indie rock bloom. Funeral is a unique listen with its
intriguing use of various extraordinary instruments, combined with their rock sound.
It's undoubtedly very bombastic but also an extremely heartfelt one, and shows
beautiful modesty in many ways (songs such as "Haiti" and "Rebellion" are perfect
examples of this). The huge anthemic climaxes of the album are powerful and the
emotional feel of it is prominent, especially during the album's breathtaking closer,
"In the Backseat," not to mention that Win Butler's raw vocal performance fits
perfectly to the album's sound. Funeral is an interesting listen to say the least and
will always have a place in my heart.
12The Cure
Disintegration

#12: Disintegration is just something one simply can't dislike. It is without a doubt
The Cure's magnum opus, as it is over an hour long album full of bleak atmospheric
tunes, depressing lyrics and probably the best representation of Robert Smith's
absolutely desperate, hopeless voice. Disintegration has a fairly modern sound to it
considering it's an 80s album, which makes it quite an accessible one, but the
songs itself can be very ambitious, as the 9-minute "The Same Deep Water as You"
shows. The album doesn't have a single moment that would give any hint of hope,
and to say that it's melancholic would be a huge understatement. Disintegration is
gothic post-punk at its best with its memorable tunes and a deeply depressing tone
that not many have been able to match.
11Pink Floyd
The Wall

#11: The Wall seems to be quite a controversial album here in Sputnik, and it's
easy to see why. The album is 80 minutes long, and features a lot of short
interludes that might seem like out-of-place. However, it all adds to the album's
interesting concept, and every single song on The Wall is necessary. It's every time
a thrilling experience to listen to The Wall as a whole, as it's climactic, enigmatic
and sweetly psychedelic. The songwriting is absolutely top-notch again, and David
Gilmour provides some of his best guitar riffs and solos ever. The Wall may not be a
flawless album for everyone, but it is for me, and that's what matters the most. It
is highly nostalgic for me as it was the album that got me into the greatest band of
all time and therefore it doesn't come off as a big surprise that I revere The Wall as
much as I do.
10Burzum
Hvis lyset tar oss

#10: I have always had a certain interest for the Norwegian black metal, not only
musically, but also considering the stories of it. One of the most intriguing
characters in the scene was without a doubt Varg Vikernes, a.k.a. Burzum. He is
obviously a lunatic, and it's really interesting to hear his music. Hvis lyset tar oss is
often considered as his best work, and I immediately grabbed it when I heard about
it. It was the album that got me into black metal, and completely changed my
music taste. Hvis is a full soundtrack to Varg's mysterious mind, and it is frankly
pure genius. His shrieks are unique and some of the creepiest I've ever heard, the
production is intentionally raw but not unlistenable, the musicianship is fairly simple
but still powerful, the atmosphere is gloomy, and the album doesn't have a single
low point. While the first three songs are Norwegian black metal at its best, the
fourth and last song on the album is something completely different: "Tomhet" is a
long and repetitive ambient track, but it's breathtakingly beautiful as well, and I'd
describe it as the perfect song for a walk in a dark northern forest in the winter.
I've done it. It's one of the best experiences I've ever felt with music.
9The National
Boxer

#9: It's incredibly hard to find words to make justice to The National's best effort.
As they are one of the most consistently amazing bands around, it says something
that this really is the best. Boxer is more than just a perfect album. Pretty much
every song can be considered as the best song on the album, and it shows all the
best qualities of The National. Every song has memorable melodies, Berninger's
devastating one-liners (for example these gems: "I want to hurry home to you / Put
on a slow, dumb show for you / And crack you up." off "Slow Show" or "You keep
changing your fancy, fancy mind / Every time / I decide to let go." off "Brainy")
accompanied by his recognizable relaxed voice, Devendorf's amazing drumming, and
the band's untoppable charm. One of the best aspects of Boxer is also that it's
more of a grower than any of their other albums. It's simply awesome to feel when
every individual song just clicks, and after a while you'll be listening to nothing else.
8Refused
The Shape of Punk to Come

#8: Somewhere back in time when I was mostly into progressive rock/metal I met
The Shape of Punk to Come. I wasn't into punk music at all at the time, considering
it as a dumb and talentless genre, but Refused's highly acclaimed swan song
opened my eyes. The Shape of Punk to Come isn't just another punk album: it was
an experimental and revolutionary hardcore release that took the genre to a
territory never touched before. Its core is deeply in the classic hardcore punk
ideology but it also experiments with post-punk, jazz and electronic music, and was
instrumental in the development of post-hardcore. The album's nature is probably
best represented in the anthemic "New Noise," which features relentless punk
energy, spoken-word verses, electronic interludes and absolutely revolutionary
lyrics.
7My Bloody Valentine
Loveless

#7: Considering my huge amount of love for shoegaze music it would go without
saying what Loveless means to me. It is the album that created the template of
the genre and is the album that every shoegaze band ever has to take influences
from. Essentially Loveless is a pop album, but all the pop elements are well covered
with highly distorted and tremolo bar saturated guitar work which gives the album
its peculiar sound. The overall tone is very dream-like and Kevin Shields' vocals are
high-pitched and relatively subdued which makes them sound like just one of the
instruments. Loveless is an album of its own and even though many try to follow its
suit it's very unlikely that any shoegaze record will ever top this masterpiece.
6Agalloch
The Mantle

#6: Agalloch has never been an easy band to categorize and The Mantle does
everything but helps with the task. It is easily Agalloch's most diverse album, and
that's exactly what discloses the band's best elements. The album combines
acoustic folk, black metal and post-rock in the best way possible. On The Mantle,
especially the post-rock tendencies are more evident than on any of their other
albums, which is most notably shown on "Odal." The Mantle is an atmospheric
masterpiece with its woodsy feel, dreamy tone, gorgeous melodies and perfect use
of harsh and clean vocals. It is full of lengthy epics, but if I was to choose only one
song to represent the whole album, it would be "In the Shadow of Our Pale
Companion." It perfectly shows all the aforementioned strengths of the album, as
well as amazing lyrical lines such as "If this grand panorama before me is what you
call God, then God is not dead..."
5Radiohead
OK Computer

#5: As if I could tell anything new about this album. OK Computer might be the
most important rock album of the last 20 years and everything that could be said
about has been said. Like for thousands of people as well, OK Computer was an
incredibly important album for my taste. With its melancholic sound, beautiful rock
tunes, futuristic lyrics and hypnotic feel it essentially made me realize that
intriguing music doesn't have to be progressive. Obviously at the same time it got
me into Radiohead which led me to expand my tastes even further. OK Computer's
influence on 2000s music was remarkable and even if the band didn't really mean it
to be such a revolutionary album, it was simply inevitable.
4Tool
Lateralus

#4: I have a lot to thank Lateralus for. Its impact on my music taste is inexplicable
since it was the album that made me truly fall in love with listening to music and it
was also my first touch on progressive music. When I first heard it, I absolutely
despised it. Lateralus is incredibly complex, the songs are long and it all seemed like
it was going nowhere. However, it instantly grabbed my attention even though I
didn't like the album. I started to look closer at it and with time it all started to
make sense. Compositions such as "The Grudge," "Lateralus" and "Reflection" began
to sound interesting and I found nuances that I had never thought about in music.
Lateralus isn't a perfect album, but it is vastly important for me and every now and
then I lose myself to its abstract, hypnotic soundscapes and the band's astonishing
musical virtuosity.
3Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here

#3: Wish You Were Here was Pink Floyd at the absolute top of their game. It has
everything that I love in the band, and even more. Pink Floyd's amazing songwriting
capability is shown "Shine on You Crazy Diamond," which is one of the most massive
epics the band has ever created and a real contender for the greatest song ever
made, but that is only one of the four masterpieces of the album. "Welcome to the
Machine" is an extremely creepy piece of art, "Have a Cigar" is a fun jam that I will
never get enough of, and the album's title track is probably their most
heartbreaking song ever, with its famous guitar melody and beautiful lyrics. It's just
terrifying how perfect Wish You Were Here is, and even though many of you know
that I have such a soft spot for The Wall, this album is simply unmatchable.
2Neutral Milk Hotel
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

#2: In many ways, my love for In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is very much like
Channing Freeman's love for The Devil and God. It is an album I find myself listening
to every now and then, and every listen is a different one. Whether it's the soaring
lyrics of the title track, the brass section on "Holland, 1945," the absurd line
"Semen stains the mountaintops" on "Communist Daughter," or the cry-inducing
acoustic closer "Two-Headed Boy Pt. 2" there is always a different moment that
just hits me so hard I don't even. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is an album for
any situation. It feels perfect no matter if it was summer or winter, or did I have a
good or bad day. It can cheer me up when I'm sad, it can bring me hope and it can
make me relaxed. Neutral Milk Hotel's lo-fi indie masterpiece is one of the most
personal albums ever for me, and I am so thankful that these albums exist.
1Converge
Jane Doe

#1: So, this is it. It doesn't come off as a big surprise that this Sputnikmusic's very
own cult classic is currently my absolute favorite album. Jane Doe is an album I
can't enough of. It is incredibly ferocious, energetic, emotional, painful, epic,
melancholic, technical and memorable, all at the fucking same time. Once you get
lost within its vortex there is no way to get out. Jane Doe is unforgivable. The
album starts with a vicious one-two punch in the shape of "Concubine" and "Fault
and Fracture" but that is definitely not all the album has to offer. It is a soundtrack
for every single moment in my life and if I had to fully describe it I would easily run
out of adjectives. It gets me pumped when I want to, it crushes my mind when I
feel like listening to heavy music and it understands me when I feel melancholic.
Those days don't come often when I'm not listening to Jane Doe. It is not only
Converge's musical and lyrical masterpiece, nor the biggest classic in underground
metalcore, but it is easily relatable as well. All this makes Jane Doe the reason I
love music.
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