| 5.0 classic |
| A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step |
| Another influential album for me that helped mold my current taste in music is A Perfect Circle’s Thirteenth Step. First song off this album I heard was The Outsider and I’ve been hooked ever since. I used to (and still do) listen to this album religiously. I even remember wearing my black and green thirteenth step shirt; which I still have, proudly until it looked gray from being washed so much and started to get little holes in it. To me there is not one blemish on this album it is just perfect and one of my all time favorites. The excellent lyrics and interesting concept make this album from start to finish a highly entertaining listen. My favorite tracks are A Stranger, The Noose, Gravity, and The Outsider. |
| Agalloch Ashes Against the Grain |
| Agalloch The White |
| Agalloch The Mantle |
| Agalloch Pale Folklore |
| Agalloch The Silence of Forgotten Landscapes |
| Agalloch Marrow of the Spirit |
| Anathema A Natural Disaster |
| What a dark emotional rollercoaster Anathema’s A Natural Disaster is. From the bleak cover art, to the execution of the instruments and vocal harmonies, and to the lyrics this album is beautiful in every possible sense of the word. My personal favorite songs from this amazing album are Closer, Electricity, Are You There and the title track A Natural Disaster. Once you push play on your CD player one listen just won’t be enough as Anathema tug at your heart strings and beckon you to take another ride. |
| Black Sabbath Paranoid |
| Black Sabbath will always have a special place in my heart as they are the first band to pull me away from whatever pop/rap I was into when I was younger and show me something better. Paranoid is a true classic album filled with timeless songs like Paranoid, War Pigs, Planet Caravan, and let us not forget Iron Man which is probably the most well known song on here. This is the band at the top of their game in my opinion. My favorite song off this album is Planet Caravan. |
| Black Sabbath Heaven and Hell |
| Dio Holy Diver |
| Holy Diver is Ronnie James Dio in all his glory. With powerful vocals, crushing guitar riffs, masterfully written lyrics, endless solos and much more; what else could you ask for from the master? Rainbow in the Dark is the song that made me a Dio fan with its catchy keyboards and Vivian’s superb solo. Don’t Talk to Strangers is another favorite of mine and contains what are quite possibly Ronnie’s best vocals ever. Not to be ignored; the title track Holy Diver which is the best song the band has to offer. Ronnie James Dio, Vivian Cambell, Jimmy Bain and Ronnie’s fellow Black Sabbath alumni Vinny Appice created a true heavy metal classic that every fan of the genre should hear. |
| Estatic Fear A Sombre Dance |
| ISIS In the Absence of Truth |
| Isis and this album first grabbed my attention when I saw them open for Tool on October 2nd, 2006. This was my first time hearing the band and it felt as if Aaron Harris was drumming on my chest. I was immediately impressed with Dulcinea and the incredible buildup that seemed to last forever towards the climax of the song and soon checked out the rest of the album only to realize there were many more epic, mind blowing songs to pleasure my ears. Wrist of Kings, Holy Tears and Garden of Light are some of the most beautifully composed songs I have ever heard. In the Absence of Truth is powerful, jaw dropping musical journey that everyone should experience. |
| ISIS Panopticon |
| ISIS Oceanic |
| Opeth Blackwater Park |
| Opeth In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall |
| Pagan Altar Mythical & Magical |
| Porcupine Tree Deadwing |
| Sigur Ros ( ) |
| ( ) is one of those albums that I hear mentioned a lot in list and blogs. Yet for some reason even with every reason in front of me to get the album I take my time in checking it out only to hate myself for not getting it sooner once. Four things I can tell you about this album are: things I know: One, ( ) is a very beautiful album. Two, I should have got this sooner. Three, this album will be in my list of classic albums someday. Four, I have no idea what the hell he is saying, but I still love it. This album is nice to listen to while driving on a dark rainy day. My favorite tracks are Untitled 1,4,6 and 8. |
| Tool Ænima |
| Aenima is without a doubt a musical masterpiece and is hands down my favorite album of all time. Superb lyrics, creative album art, and many perfectly composed tracks make this a true classic that I could not live without. 46&2 is my favorite song off the album and from the band. I couldn’t imagine this album without the “filler” tracks also. I love the way Useful Idiot starts in the last few seconds of H. and slowly builds up leading into 46&2. Pushit is the only song I can think of off the top of my head that has ever made my hair stand on end and given me goose bumps when Maynard sings “If, when I say I might fade like a sigh if I stay, you minimize my movement anyway, I must persuade you another way.” Third Eye is another one of my favorites from this album and I really enjoy the Bill Hicks intro to the song. |
| Wuthering Heights Far from the Madding Crowd |
| 4.5 superb |
| 3 (USA) The End is Begun |
| 3 (USA) Summercamp Nightmare |
| A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms |
| AFI Sing the Sorrow |
| AFI Crash Love |
| Agalloch Of Stone, Wind and Pillor |
| Agalloch and Nest Split |
| Alcest Souvenirs D'Un Autre Monde |
| Alice Cooper Love It To Death |
| Alkaline Trio Good Mourning |
| Amorphis Silent Waters |
| Anathema Hindsight |
| Anathema We're Here Because We're Here |
| Bathory Nordland I |
| Bathory Twilight of the Gods |
| Billy Joel River Of Dreams |
| Billy Joel Piano Man |
| Black Sabbath Master of Reality |
| Master of Reality was Black Sabbath’s third major release in two years and is right up there with Paranoid. This record really helps show the immense talent of all four band members. The drumming, bass lines, riffs, solos, vocals, and lyrics are all vintage Black Sabbath. I really enjoy the two instrumental pieces Embryo and Orchid on the album and Master of Reality wouldn’t be the same without them. Someday when I finally decide to learn how to play guitar I would like to learn how to play Embryo. Solitude has become one of my favorite Black Sabbath songs of all time and Ozzy Osbourne delivers his most pure and tender vocals in it. I wish he would have done more songs like this. Other favorite tracks from this record for me are Children of the Grave and Lord of this World. |
| Black Sabbath Mob Rules |
| Black Sabbath Sabotage |
| Blind Guardian Tales from the Twilight World |
| Blind Guardian Imaginations from the Other Side |
| Blind Guardian Live |
| Boston Boston |
| Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 |
| Danzig Danzig |
| Danzig Danzig II: Lucifuge |
| Danzig Danzig III: How The Gods Kill |
| Danzig Danzig 4 |
| Depeche Mode Violator |
| Dio The Last in Line |
| Disillusion Back to Times of Splendor |
| Dream Theater Train of Thought |
| For the longest time, I had been meaning to checkout Dream Theater. I heard that they were a great band, but for one reason or another I just never got around to it and nothing looked to appealing to me. Finally I decided to see what all the talk was about now that I will be seeing them live on the Progressive Nation Tour this year. I have to say that I was very impressed with what I heard and sad to see that I had been missing out on some good stuff. From the start Train of Thought blew me away. As I Am was such a refreshing song to hear and the masterful guitar solos throughout the album were a real treat. The only track I really didn’t care for much was In the Name of God. |
| dredg Leitmotif |
| Eluveitie Slania |
| Equilibrium Turis Fratyr |
| Estatic Fear Somnium Obmutum |
| Falkenbach Heralding - The Fireblade |
| Fates Warning Awaken the Guardian |
| Finntroll Midnattens Widunder |
| Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere |
| I don't think any one song has dominated my listening time as Crazy did back in the summer of 2006. It quickly became a mandatory addition to any playlist I had created at the time. I also think this is the first and only song to delay me in listening to the rest of the album because I couldn't stop myself from listening to it. Finally Crazy's spell was broken when I heard Gone Daddy Gone which prompted me to give the rest of the album a shot. From start to finish St. Elsewhere is a very mesmerizing release by Gnarls Barkley and I can't wait to hear what they have bring to the table next in future albums. For me the highlights from this record are Crazy, Just A Thought, and St. Elsewhere. |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor F♯ A♯ ∞ |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada |
| Grace Valhalla summerCamp |
| In Flames Colony |
| Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights |
| Iron Maiden Rock in Rio (DVD) |
| ISIS Clearing the Eye (DVD) |
| ISIS Wavering Radiant |
| Nothing else this year will top this. Wavering Radiant is the 2009 Album of the Year. |
| John Butler Trio Sunrise Over Sea |
| John Butler Trio Grand National |
| Justice †|
| Kenny Loggins Outside: From the Redwoods |
| Roughly twelve years after his first live album; Kenny Loggins Alive, Kenny Loggins is back and in top form in this live acoustic show. Not only was Outside From The Redwoods released in CD format, but the initial show was recorded and aired on the PBS network. Due to their work involving the prime time television special Co-Producer Terry Nelson, Peter Kelsey, and Bruce Botnick were nominated for “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or a Special”. Kenny Loggins recruited a plethora of talented musicians to help him record and perform this superb album as well as some special guest to spice things up even more. The crowd was very much a part of this experience and can be heard throughout it clapping, screaming and at one point yelling thank you to Kenny Loggins. Standout tracks for me are Footloose, Conviction of the Heart, and I'm Alright. |
| Ladytron Witching Hour |
| Mago de Oz La Leyenda de la Mancha |
| Mastodon Leviathan |
| Mastodon Blood Mountain |
| Mastodon Crack the Skye |
| Mono Hymn to the Immortal Wind |
| Natalie Imbruglia Left of the Middle |
| Neun Welten Vergessene Pfade |
| Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Murder Ballads |
| Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine |
| Nine Inch Nails Broken |
| Nine Inch Nails Beside You in Time |
| Opeth Ghost Reveries |
| Opeth Still Life |
| Opeth My Arms, Your Hearse |
| Opeth Damnation |
| Opeth Watershed |
| Orphaned Land Mabool (The Story of the Three Sons...) |
| Pagan Altar Lords of Hypocrisy |
| Pagan Altar Volume 1 |
| Pat Benatar Best Shots |
| Peach Giving Birth To A Stone |
| Pelican Ephemeral |
| Pelican The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon... |
| Porcupine Tree Stupid Dream |
| Porcupine Tree Lightbulb Sun |
| Lightbulb sun is the album that originally got me interested Porcupine Tree after a friend sent me Shesmovedon. Soon after I decided to give this band a shot and checked out the whole album. The title track Lightbulb Sun would later dominate my iTunes playlist for god knows how long. One of my all time favorite Porcupine Tree lyrics can be found in Last Chance to Evacuate Plant Earth Before it is Recycled. Although I will admit that the cult speech in the song does get old after a while and I sometimes wish there was a version of this song without it. While I enjoyed the majority of this album it did take some time for certain songs to grow on me. Hatesong in particular did not really appeal to me in the beginning. |
| Porcupine Tree In Absentia |
| Porcupine Tree Arriving Somewhere... |
| One day in my quest to find Lightbulb Sun and other Porcupine Tree albums in FYE I stumbled across this live DVD I didn’t even know existed from a band I barely knew anything about. After much debate on spending the extra money (In Absentia was cheaper) I decided to go with the DVD and I know now I made the correct choice. This was the first live DVD I had purchased at the time and I was a little skeptical at first, but that soon changed. I was very pleased with the amount of content that came with the Arriving Somewhere… I was also blown away by the bands flawless performance. Everything was great even Steve Wilson breaking a string during Trains was just an added bonus and I didn’t want this DVD to ever end. There is no one or two highlight for me as the whole thing is just perfect. The only reason this is not a 5 is because it is not an album. |
| Porcupine Tree The Sky Moves Sideways |
| Porcupine Tree Metanoia |
| Porcupine Tree Nil Recurring |
| Porcupine Tree Staircase Infinities |
| Porcupine Tree The Incident |
| Puscifer "V" Is For Vagina |
| Ever since I first heard Rev 22:20 in the movie Underworld I wanted to hear more from Puscifer. It felt like an eternity had passed by waiting for a full album to become a reality. Finally in 2007 prayers were answered by the Reverend Maynard and V is for Vagina was released. My personal favorite tracks off this album are Momma Sed, Sour Grapes, and The Undertaker. The new and improved version of The Undertaker was an unexpected, but pleasant surprise. I also really like how Maynard leased a few tracks every now and then leading up to the full release of the album. Each new song kept me coming back for more and made me more excited for the final product. The humorous artwork inside the case was also a much appreciated bonus. The only thing that I really did not care for too much was the remix of Rev 22:20 at the end of the album. |
| Queens of the Stone Age Songs for the Deaf |
| Radiohead In Rainbows |
| Radiohead OK Computer |
| Rainbow Long Live Rock 'n' Roll |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers Live at Slane Castle |
| Red Sparowes The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein... |
| SIG:AR:TYR The Stranger |
| SIG:AR:TYR Beyond The North Winds |
| SIG:AR:TYR Godsaga |
| Sigur Ros Heima (DVD) |
| Solstafir Köld |
| Symphony X The Odyssey |
| The Calm Blue Sea The Calm Blue Sea |
| The Cardigans First Band on the Moon |
| The Gathering How to Measure a Planet? |
| The Servant Mathematics |
| The Swell Season Once: Music From The Motion Picture |
| The Sword Gods of the Earth |
| The Verve Urban Hymns |
| Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II |
| Tool Undertow |
| In my opinion this is Tool’s most underrated album. Undertow is my second favorite Tool album and many of the songs on it are among top favorites from the band. It may not be as flashy or epic as the other albums to follow it, but it still gets the job done. Sober, Flood and Bottom are just excellent tracks and really show the progression Tool has made from Opiate in their lyrics and every other aspect of their music. Flood has become one of the highlights of this album for me. At first it didn’t do much for me, but after hearing it live and giving it a second chance I soon saw the light. I also really enjoy 4 Degrees and Intolerance as well as the spoken word bridge in Bottom. |
| Tool Salival |
| Tool Lateralus |
| Tool 10,000 Days |
| Ulver A Quick Fix of Melancholy |
| Ulver Bergtatt - Et eeventyr i 5 capitler |
| Various Artists The Best Of Bond: 30th Anniversary Collection |
| VNV Nation Futureperfect |
| Within Temptation The Silent Force |
| Woods of Ypres Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth |
