Surprises From 06
10 surprises for me in 2006 |
| 1 |  | Rise Against
The Sufferer and the Witness
For me this was a classic. I have never sang so much to a record before in my life. New elements are in play yet the group still maintains their strong, powerful and signature sound. Also seeing them twice over summer at Warped while being center against the barrier both times didn't hurt the overall experience. |
| 2 |  | underOATH
Define the Great Line
This was the biggest turn around all year. TOCS was infested with mediocre pop-core and was inconsistent. As soon as I heard Writing on the Walls I knew good things were to come from this album. The sound is a heavier and more technical blend of metalcore. It clutches plenty of the catchiness on Safety but backs it up with worthwhile musicianship. |
| 3 | | The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Don't You Fake It
Where did these guys come from? Jacksonville but I knew that already. Seriously though what a hell of a debut, catchy as hell and fun simple pop punk. Don't look into this for poetic lyrics, look into it for straight to the point lyrics that are real. A great sing a long album and a very enjoyable pop punk record overall. Also gold about 4 months after the release is just insane. |
| 4 | | I Am Ghost
Lovers' Requiem
I was not pleased with their EP. Here they redefined their sound, fine tuning it and creating a superb record. The dark feel is a nice touch and the increased musicianship is extremely apparent. The dual violin and guitar solo trade off closes the record in epic fashion and really puts the cherry on the sundae if you will. |
| 5 |  | Thursday
A City By the Light Divided
This release was something a bit different for the group. For once Geoff was not completely in the spotlight. As the mix will go to show, there was a bit more focus on instrumental atmosphere. It worked out great and pushes the group a tad further. Definitely an overlooked album of 06. |
| 6 |  | Killswitch Engage
As Daylight Dies
Good lord this band just doesn't stop. The consistency is absolutely incredible. Here everything can be summed up in one word, power. Just straight up power, they are as heavy as they are melodic and manage once again to balance out technicality with catchiness. The improvement in the clean guitar sections is wonderful and overall the group once again proves why they dominate the newer wave of metalcore. |
| 7 |  | Senses Fail
Still Searching
Up until this release I was still searching for a release by the group I enjoyed. Improvement once again, this time in both vocals and guitars. The vocals have lost most of their whine making them listenable to me. Guitar wise riffs just seem more evident and are memorable. Of course the hooks are still there which holds the package together nicely. |
| 8 |  | Saosin
Saosin
For a long time Saosin was just a name to me. I had heard plenty about them but never got around to checking them out. I am glad I did here. Great emotional singing mixed with some solid riffs and drumming. A very good first impression was made in my case. |
| 9 |  | In Flames
Come Clarity
Once again this was a band that was just a name to me. This release completely blew my mind. What a hell of a voice for Anders, unique screaming and wonderful clean vocals. I really dig a lot of the melodies and leads the guitarists play here as well. This record also made me check out some of their earlier word which I have enjoyed as well. Once more another solid introduction to a band. |
| 10 |  | My Chemical Romance
The Black Parade
The surpise here was not exactly the quality of the record but more so the record itself. Who expected this? Arena rock style meets pop punk mixed with a pinch of post hardcore, insteresting, interesting indeed. While the record is a bit of an oddball when matched up to their previous albums, it is still a great release. However, I hope this isn't the overall direction they are going to pursue. Hopefully they just did this as a kind of fun thing to do. If this is the path they continue down I feel as though what defines them will be forgot. |
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