| Grails Doomsdayer's Holiday | 2.5 |
| In Flames A Sense of Purpose | 4.0 |
| Celestia Frigidiis Apotheosia | 3.5 |
| Galaxie 500 On Fire | 3.5 |
| Ra Black Sun | 1.0 |
| No-Man Schoolyard Ghosts | 2.5 |
| Bardo Pond Amanita | 4.0 |
| Leviathan Massive Conspiracy Against All Life | 4.0 |
| Deterior Antimonument | 3.0 |
| Nahvalr Nahvalr | 3.5 |
| Intronaut Prehistoricisms | 4.0 |
| ProjeKct X Heaven and Earth | 4.0 |
| Ash Ra Tempel Ash Ra Tempel | 4.0 |
| Acid Mothers Temple Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under the Stars | 4.0 |
| Andrew Hill Smoke Stack | 4.0 |
| Andrew Hill Compulsion!!!!! | 4.5 |
| ISIS Panopticon | 4.0 |
| John Coltrane Lush Life | 4.0 |
| The Nels Cline Singers Draw Breath | 4.0 |
| Blue Sky Black Death Late Night Cinema | 3.0 |
| Burzum Hvis Lyset Tar Oss | 4.0 |
| Nine Inch Nails Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D | 4.0 |
| Rahsaan Roland Kirk The Inflated Tear | 4.0 |
| John Coltrane and Don Cherry The Avant-Garde | 3.0 |
| Madvillain Madvillainy | 4.0 |
| Charlie Parker Jazz at the Philharmonic, 1949 | 4.0 |
| Andrew Hill Black Fire | 4.0 |
| Andrew Hill Point of Departure | 4.5 |
| Wolfmother Wolfmother | 1.5 |
| Art Blakey Moanin' | 4.0 |
| Wayne Shorter Speak No Evil | 4.0 |
| Suffocation Pierced from Within | 3.5 |
| Korn Life Is Peachy | 3.0 |
| Red Sparowes Aphorism | 3.5 |
| Queen Elephantine Yatra | 3.5 |
| John Frusciante Smile from the Streets You Hold | 4.0 |
| John Frusciante Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt | 4.0 |
| Nadja Desire in Uneasiness | 3.5 |
| John Coltrane Blue Train | 3.5 |
| ISIS In the Absence of Truth | 4.5 |
| Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller) | 3.5 |
| Sun Ra The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra, Vol 1 | 4.5 |
| John Coltrane Concert in Japan | 4.5 |
| Thelonious Monk Brilliant Corners | 4.0 |
| Jack Rose I Do Play Rock and Roll | 3.5 |
| Jack Rose Raag Manifestos | 4.0 |
| Sir Richard Bishop While My Guitar Violently Bleeds | 4.5 |
| Miles Davis Live Evil | 3.5 |
| Cecil Taylor Conquistador! | 4.0 |
| Charles Mingus Mingus at Antibes | 4.0 |
| Charles Mingus Pithecanthropus Erectus | 3.5 |
| Charles Mingus The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady | 4.5 |
| Albert Ayler Spiritual Unity | 4.0 |
| Six Organs Of Admittance Goatflower | 4.0 |
| Sun Kil Moon Tiny Cities | 4.0 |
| Pharoah Sanders Karma | 4.5 |
| John Frusciante The Will to Death | 4.5 |
| Agalloch The White | 2.0 |
| The Mountain Goats Heretic Pride | 2.5 |
| The Mars Volta The Bedlam in Goliath | 3.0 |
| Meshuggah obZen | 3.0 |
| Have a Nice Life Deathconsciousness | 4.5 |
| Thrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV | 3.0 |
| Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago | 2.5 |
| Strapping Young Lad Alien | 2.0 |
| John Coltrane Ascension | 4.5 |
| Reverend Bizarre In The Rectory Of The Bizarre Reverend | 3.0 |
| Opeth Watershed | 2.5 |
| Snowman The Horse, the Rat and the Swan | 4.5 |
| Enter the first important and relevant album of the year: Snowman’s The Horse, the Rat and the Swan. Indeed, this is a band so in touch with our times, it’ll force most people to turn away in discomfort. It’s a record in touch with its own absurdity and so soaked in existential postmodernism that it almost never even escapes the pull of the very black hole it’s spawned from. Luckily for us, it does, and for that fact alone we should be grateful. |
| Valet Naked Acid | 2.5 |
| Sun Kil Moon April | 2.5 |
| Laddio Bolocko Strange Warmings of Laddio Bolocko | 3.5 |
| Kayo Dot Blue Lambency Downward | 4.0 |
| Oceansize Music for Nurses | 3.0 |
| So the Story Goes As We March With Victims | 1.0 |
| Riverside Second Life Syndrome | 2.5 |
| A Perfect Circle Thirteenth Step | 2.5 |
| Jarboe/Justin K. Broadrick J2 | 3.5 |
| Fuck Buttons Street Horrrsing | 3.5 |
| A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms | 2.5 |
| Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons | 4.0 |
| Cold Cold | 3.5 |
| Porcupine Tree We Lost the Skyline | 2.5 |
| Time of Orchids Namesake Caution | 4.5 |
| Agalloch Ashes Against the Grain | 2.5 |
| Soulja Boy Souljaboytellem.com | 1.0 |
| Porcupine Tree Fear of a Blank Planet | 2.0 |
| Burial Untrue | 4.5 |
| John Coltrane Meditations | 5.0 |
| Jesu Lifeline EP | 3.5 |
| The Pax Cecilia Blessed Are The Bonds | 4.0 |
| EAQuartett Electroacoustiquarett | 4.0 |
| Radiohead In Rainbows | 3.0 |
| Godflesh Streetcleaner | 4.5 |
| Godflesh Us and Them | 4.0 |
| Om Pilgrimage | 4.0 |
| 1000 Funerals Portrait Of A Dream | 3.5 |
| Om Conference of the Birds | 5.0 |
| Jesu Sun Down / Sun Rise | 4.0 |
| El-P I'll Sleep When You're Dead | 4.0 |
| Porcupine Tree Nil Recurring | 4.0 |
| Slint Spiderland | 4.0 |
| Buckethead The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock | 4.5 |
| Adrian Belew Side Three | 3.5 |
| Nels Cline Destroy All Nels Cline | 4.0 |
| Devin Townsend Ziltoid the Omniscient | 1.0 |
| King Crimson Three of a Perfect Pair | 4.0 |
| Electric Wizard Dopethrone | 4.0 |
| Lou Reed Berlin | 4.0 |
| Katatonia Last Fair Deal Gone Down | 4.5 |
| Angelo Badalamenti Mulholland Drive | 4.5 |
| King Crimson Starless and Bible Black | 4.0 |
| Boris Amplifier Worship | 4.0 |
| Agalloch The Mantle | 2.0 |
| Porcupine Tree Signify | 4.0 |
| Boris Flood | 5.0 |
| Devin Townsend Ocean Machine: Biomech | 4.0 |
| Angelo Badalamenti Twin Peaks | 4.0 |
| dredg El Cielo | 5.0 |
| Deftones White Pony | 4.5 |
| Green Day American Idiot | 0.5 |
| Adema Adema | 0.5 |
| Adema Unstable | 0.5 |
| NOFX Don't Call Me White | 0.5 |
| Linkin Park Live In Texas | 0.5 |
| Adema Planets | 0.5 |
| Staind 14 Shades of Grey | 1.0 |
| Chevelle This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In) | 1.0 |
| A Perfect Circle eMOTIVe | 1.0 |
| Panic! at the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat Out | 1.0 |
| Paris Hilton Paris | 1.0 |
| Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds | 1.0 |
| Linkin Park Minutes to Midnight | 1.0 |
| Linkin Park Meteora | 1.5 |
| Opeth Orchid | 1.5 |
| Seether Karma And Effect | 1.5 |
| Cold A Different Kind of Pain | 1.5 |
| Explosions in the Sky The Rescue | 1.5 |
| Angels and Airwaves We Don't Need to Whisper | 1.5 |
| Manowar The Triumph of Steel | 1.5 |
| Manowar Kings of Metal | 1.5 |
| Ice Cube AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted | 1.5 |
| ISIS Sawblade | 1.5 |
| Trivium The Crusade | 1.5 |
| Iron Maiden Powerslave | 2.0 |
| Taproot Welcome | 2.0 |
| Seether Disclaimer II | 2.0 |
| Explosions in the Sky The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place | 2.0 |
| Snow Patrol Final Straw | 2.0 |
| Team Sleep Team Sleep | 2.0 |
| Dream Theater Octavarium | 2.0 |
| Ra Duality | 2.0 |
| Blind Guardian Live | 2.0 |
| William Patrick Corgan TheFutureEmbrace | 2.0 |
| Blind Guardian A Twist in the Myth | 2.0 |
| The Mars Volta Amputechture | 2.0 |
| In Flames Reroute to Remain | 2.5 |
| Explosions in the Sky Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die... | 2.5 |
| Explosions in the Sky How Strange, Innocence | 2.5 |
| Opeth Morningrise | 2.5 |
| Nightwish Angels Fall First | 2.5 |
| Korn Follow the Leader | 2.5 |
| Filter Short Bus | 2.5 |
| Wicked Wisdom Wicked Wisdom | 2.5 |
| Taproot Gift | 2.5 |
| Mushroomhead Savior Sorrow | 2.5 |
| Filter The Amalgamut | 3.0 |
| In Flames Clayman | 3.0 |
| Mastodon Leviathan | 3.0 |
| Arcturus Aspera Hiems Symfonia | 3.0 |
| Opeth Deliverance | 3.0 |
| Staind Dysfunction | 3.0 |
| Nine Inch Nails Broken | 3.0 |
| Opeth Ghost Reveries | 3.0 |
| Porcupine Tree Voyage 34: The Complete Trip | 3.0 |
| Akercocke Words That Go Unspoken... | 3.0 |
| Mogwai Mr. Beast | 3.0 |
| Collective Soul Dosage | 3.0 |
| Queens of the Stone Age Era Vulgaris | 3.0 |
| Radiohead Kid A | 3.5 |
| Cold Year Of The Spider | 3.5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins Pisces Iscariot | 3.5 |
| Sigur Ros Agætis byrjun | 3.5 |
| Mahavishnu Orchestra Birds of Fire | 3.5 |
| Opeth Still Life | 3.5 |
| Porcupine Tree Stupid Dream | 3.5 |
| Mudvayne Lost and Found | 3.5 |
| Jaga Jazzist What We Must | 3.5 |
| Arcturus Sideshow Symphonies | 3.5 |
| King Crimson In the Wake of Poseidon | 3.5 |
| Filter Title Of Record | 3.5 |
| John Coltrane My Favorite Things | 3.5 |
| Mastodon Blood Mountain | 3.5 |
| Sunn O))) and Boris Altar | 3.5 |
| Burton Wagner A Sentinel's Eyes | 3.5 |
| King Crimson Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With | 3.5 |
| Pelican City of Echoes | 3.5 |
| Queens of the Stone Age Songs for the Deaf | 4.0 |
| Deftones Adrenaline | 4.0 |
| Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral | 4.0 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness | 4.0 |
| Tool Ænima | 4.0 |
| King Crimson Beat | 4.0 |
| Nine Inch Nails The Fragile | 4.0 |
| Porcupine Tree In Absentia | 4.0 |
| In Flames Colony | 4.0 |
| David Bowie The Man Who Sold the World | 4.0 |
| Mastodon Remission | 4.0 |
| dredg Orph | 4.0 |
| Disturbed Believe | 4.0 |
| Korn Issues | 4.0 |
| John Coltrane A Love Supreme | 4.0 |
| Return to Forever Return to Forever | 4.0 |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven | 4.0 |
| Opeth Blackwater Park | 4.0 |
| Adrian Belew Side One | 4.0 |
| Nine Inch Nails With Teeth | 4.0 |
| Mogwai Rock Action | 4.0 |
| John Coltrane Stellar Regions | 4.0 |
| John Coltrane The John Coltrane Quartet Plays | 4.0 |
| Chick Corea Now He Sings, Now He Sobs | 4.0 |
| Sigur Ros Takk... | 4.0 |
| Devin Townsend Infinity | 4.0 |
| King Crimson THRAK | 4.0 |
| Riverside Out of Myself | 4.0 |
| In Flames Come Clarity | 4.0 |
| Boris Boris At Last -Feedbacker- | 4.0 |
| God Is an Astronaut A Moment of Stillness | 4.0 |
| Buckethead Colma | 4.0 |
| Katatonia The Great Cold Distance | 4.0 |
| God Is an Astronaut All Is Violent, All Is Bright | 4.0 |
| Bjork Debut | 4.0 |
| Marcus Miller Silver Rain | 4.0 |
| Nick Drake Bryter Layter | 4.0 |
| Russian Circles Enter | 4.0 |
| Toby Driver In the L..L..Library Loft | 4.0 |
| The Cinematic Orchestra Every Day | 4.0 |
| Esmerine Aurora | 4.0 |
| John Zorn Moonchild | 4.0 |
| dredg Live at The Fillmore | 4.0 |
| Buckethead Enter the Chicken | 4.0 |
| maudlin of the Well My Fruit Psychobells... A Seed Combustible | 4.0 |
| Boris Absolutego | 4.0 |
| Ghost (JPN) In Stormy Nights | 4.0 |
| Jesu Conqueror | 4.0 |
| The interesting thing about this, and indeed all of Jesu's material, is that it seemingly gives some great insight into Justin Broderick's world and philosophy. Underneath the thickness of his production and the distorted wall of guitars, we witness a vulnerable Broderick exploring an almost child-like curiosity for melody and harmony. The direct contrast of darkness/light is not a new frontier but it seems as if Jesu is an outlet where the imagination can run wild even among the muck and sludge of a world that tries to crush the spirit. |
| Avril Lavigne The Best Damn Thing | 4.0 |
| John Zorn Six Litanies for Heliogabalus | 4.0 |
| The Cinematic Orchestra Ma Fleur | 4.0 |
| John Zorn Astronome | 4.0 |
| Buckethead Kaleidoscalp | 4.0 |
| Ghost (JPN) Ghost | 4.0 |
| Sunset Bright Blue Dream | 4.0 |
Bright Blue Dream never makes any apologies for its anachronistic approach to psych-pop, but instead draws from a wider palette to catalyze new directions in sound. While the hypnotic nature of the songwriting rightly implies a repetitive theme in many or all of the songs, it is the sonic inventiveness and subtleties that keep the album from being negatively affected by this approach. While the album has a lot of fun throughout its course, it is never afraid to strip itself naked and show some real earnest vulnerability and it is in these moments that the album lets its guard down and transcends itself. It is the intermingling of a wide variety of sonic ideas into a cohesive and emotional package that makes the Bright Blue Dream a worthwhile listen, and one to mark down for 2008’s early successes.
|
| King Crimson Discipline | 4.5 |
| Tool Lateralus | 4.5 |
| King Crimson The Power to Believe | 4.5 |
| Radiohead Amnesiac | 4.5 |
| In Flames The Jester Race | 4.5 |
| King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King | 4.5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream | 4.5 |
| Kayo Dot Choirs of the Eye | 4.5 |
| King Crimson Larks' Tongues in Aspic | 4.5 |
| Pain of Salvation Remedy Lane | 4.5 |
| Lou Reed Transformer | 4.5 |
| Queens of the Stone Age Rated R | 4.5 |
| Pelican Australasia | 4.5 |
| Miles Davis Kind of Blue | 4.5 |
| John Coltrane Giant Steps | 4.5 |
| Sigur Ros ( ) | 4.5 |
| Radiohead OK Computer | 4.5 |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada | 4.5 |
| Ulver Perdition City | 4.5 |
| Radiohead Hail to the Thief | 4.5 |
| Arcturus La Masquerade Infernale | 4.5 |
| Mogwai Happy Songs for Happy People | 4.5 |
| In Flames Whoracle | 4.5 |
| Opeth Damnation | 4.5 |
| Queens of the Stone Age Lullabies to Paralyze | 4.5 |
| Porcupine Tree Deadwing | 4.5 |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor Yanqui U.X.O. | 4.5 |
| Katatonia Viva Emptiness | 4.5 |
| Red Sparowes At The Soundless Dawn | 4.5 |
| Sleep Dopesmoker | 4.5 |
| Simon and Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water | 4.5 |
| Porcupine Tree Lightbulb Sun | 4.5 |
| Tortoise TNT | 4.5 |
| King Crimson Lizard | 4.5 |
| David Bowie Low | 4.5 |
| Tortoise Millions Now Living Will Never Die | 4.5 |
| Porcupine Tree Stars Die: The Delerium Years | 4.5 |
| Bob Dylan The Times They Are A-Changin' | 4.5 |
| Porcupine Tree The Sky Moves Sideways | 4.5 |
| Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to Come | 4.5 |
| Mono Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined | 4.5 |
| Boris Akuma no Uta | 4.5 |
| The Devin Townsend Band Synchestra | 4.5 |
| Oceansize Effloresce | 4.5 |
| Mono You Are There | 4.5 |
| Scott Walker The Drift | 4.5 |
| King Crimson The ConstruKction of Light | 4.5 |
| Jesu Silver | 4.5 |
| Jaga Jazzist A Livingroom Hush | 4.5 |
| Bob Dylan No Direction Home: The Soundtrack | 4.5 |
| The Cinematic Orchestra Motion | 4.5 |
| Deftones Saturday Night Wrist | 4.5 |
| Paul Motian Trio Trioism | 4.5 |
| The Life and Times Suburban Hymns | 4.5 |
| maudlin of the Well Leaving Your Body Map | 4.5 |
| Boris With Michio Kurihara Rainbow | 4.5 |
| John Coltrane Interstellar Space | 4.5 |
| Nine Inch Nails Year Zero | 4.5 |
| Yusef Lateef Eastern Sounds | 4.5 |
| Ghost (JPN) Hypnotic Underworld | 4.5 |
| Tartar Lamb Sixty Metonymies | 4.5 |
| ISIS Oceanic | 5.0 |
| The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground & Nico | 5.0 |
| King Crimson Red | 5.0 |
| Deftones Around the Fur | 5.0 |
| Deftones Deftones | 5.0 |
| dredg Leitmotif | 5.0 |
| maudlin of the Well Bath | 5.0 |
| The Doors The Doors | 5.0 |
| Eric Dolphy Out to Lunch! | 5.0 |
| Godspeed You! Black Emperor F♯ A♯ ∞ | 5.0 |
| Miles Davis Bitches Brew | 5.0 |
| Pelican The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon... | 5.0 |
| Kayo Dot Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue | 5.0 |
| Rosetta The Galilean Satellites | 5.0 |
