Another year is behind us, so I decided to write a little recap about what this year meant to me in terms of development of my music tastes... Here are my 2009 charts, counting scrobbling from Januray to December:
1)
Marilyn Manson
If someone told me on 1.1. 2008, that out of all the wonderful musicians, Marilyna Manson will leap on a #1, I would never ever believe him, but so it happened. Here is a little background to my relationship with MM: When I was a maybe 13 year old kid, watching MTV religiously, there was this one videoclip that I really, really disliked. It was called
mOBSCENE. I thought it was too harsh and the guy singing was looking like a buffoon. From this point on, I never spoke good about MM, always had this prejudice, that came from a judgement of 13 old me…
But this January, a friend of mine sent me an album called
Eat Me, Drink Me…and I was shocked. This was MM nothing like I remembered…there were personal lyrics, there actually were real emotions there…I got really into this album after a while and decided, that maybe the 13 year old kid has grown up and needs to give MM another chance…
Golden Age Of Grotesque totally sold me…and I was hooked. Visted MM gig this year, and his new album, The High End of Low, is my favourite release of the year.
A lot of it has to do with the fact, that in the beginning of the year, I was in terrible state of mind, lot of hatred, self-hatred, confusion and other not so pleasent feelings were present in me quite a bit…which of course was the pefect oportunity for MM to step in…anyway, I am glad I changed my opinion about him, he is a true artist, if you manage to look beyond maybe not so attractive image he projects.
Prediction for 2010: I think Marilyna Manson will be put on a back burner a little bit, I think in my current state of psyche he really is not the type of musician that would emotionally fill me …but ocassionaly I will definitely give him a listen. I predict 20. place for him. In overall charts, he will drop one, maybe two spots, but not more.
2)
Rise Against
All of my top 10 could be somehow classified as metal, except for one band, and that band is Rise Against. I am not fond of punk rock as a genre really, but those guys somehow speak to me….I love the overlap between political and personal themes in their songs, I love the voice of Tim McIlrath and their gig that I visited this November was the best I have ever been to. I was absolutely totaly and emotionally exhausted and I had to sit on the couch in the club before their set even ended…but it was worth it and I loved every second. I will never forget their performance of
Audience of One and other couple memorable moments as well… Plus, Rise against are the best music for any kind of physical exercise -).
Prediction for 2010: I think they might get into top 5 in overall charts, but in 2010, they will not be in top 10 in the year charts. They are so many new albums coming up from other bands, it just will not happen…but they will get close.
3)
Nightwish
Nightwish are one of only two bands from last years top 10 that managed to get in it again and there is a big reason why…I kinda wished that they were number one, because: 1) They are a great representative of what was this year really about to me in my emotional and personal development. 2) They are a great representative of my overall music taste. Ad1: This year, to me, will always will be the one where are struggled with feelings of losing innocence and how I lost that child wiew on how the world and relationships operate…Anyone who is somewhat familiar with Nightwish knows that loss of innocence and whole theme of innocence is big part of their lyrics and will understand why I related to them so much…Another thing that helped to get them so high was also the fact that I attended two concerts of them, one in New York and one few months later her eat home and the NY concert was actually the moment that I really began to explore their back catalogue. I still think those fights about Tarja and Anette are pointless, and while it may by true that Tarja is better singer, people should also relize that chemistry in the band is as much important factor for their end product as technical skills of the singer. I like all of their work.
Prediction for 2010: They will not be in the top 10, but barely. They will be maybe 12th, or something like that. In overall charts, they will get ahead of Marilyna Manson and get to a 3rd. place.
4)
Tiamat
These guys are weird. Johan Edlund is a freak that oozes charisma and has a very characteristic and memorable voice. One of my favourite voices in music actually. Lyrics deal with some serious topics (Religion is probably the most frequent one) and wide spectrum of genres to be found in their work. I think that makes them so appealing and it also got them to #4…Tiamat has music for every mood. From angry to mellow. They have straight-up pop rock hits in their repertoire, they have doom, they have death, they can do it all. Only thing that I kind of regret is that I could not really enjoy their concert at Masters of Rock festival that much, because I was so tired/drunk. I hope they come again, because I really would like to take it all in with a sober mind one day.
Prediciton for 2010: I think they will be around 15th place. Ahead of MM, but behind Nightwish. They will barely retain their spot in overall top 10, finishing exactly 10th.
5)
Anathema
Funny how life goes. There was this girl that was a really, really close friend of mine and she once send to me an Anathema song. I am not sure which one it was, probably
Natural Disaster…I listened to it and…Nothing happened. I didnt like it. It didnt resonate with my careless mind…But I remembered the band, because the girl repeatedly stated to me how great they are…Fast Forward two years…Quite, little bit depressive evening at home and I am listetning to last.fm Radio.
Violance pops up. And it clicks immediately. At that moment I am beginning to have second thoughts about the band…Then, in January 2009, which was one of the shittiest months of my life emotionally, I decide to give them a real chance. I listen to album
Judgment and when
Parisienne Moonlight comes up, I just lose it. I know that grown-ups dont cry…But that songs just broke me. The album touched me in a way that no other album touched me before… and I never looked back. In those two years that I didnt hear a thing from them, I became more mature and I have grown to appreciate the awesomeness that their pure, honest, really simple music is. They are the band that I will always defend, more then any other band, because they kinda saved my life. If you like Pink Floyd, and you are going through some sort of big emotional struggle in your life…you will like Anathema. Most honest music I know. They are not higher in the charts, because they are not the kind of music you put on repeat and they are so emotionally intense, you just cant listen to it all the time. But from all the bands in this top 10, I love them the most.
Prediction for 2010: Well, well…I think the new album coming up might help them get back to back top 10 spot. But it is going to be very, very close.
6)
Sonata Arctica
The second and final member of last years top 10 to appear in this ladder. Last year they were 2nd and this year they are 6th. The album that put them here was the magnificent
The Days of Grays and I dont care what the haters say, to me it is second strongest outting of SA to this day, much better then
Unia and much better then their simple old power stuff. Tony has also grown quite a bit as a lyrics writer which is good to see and hear. Their gig here in Prague was also quite neat. I think what makes them so strong to me is their ability to avoid some really dumb clichés of the genre. No dragons, no knigts, no bullshit, just normal topics that normal people can realate to. They are a 2nd band in my charts overall and I think that quite correctly reflects my appretiation of them. Also love the Wolf theme reccuring in their songs -).
Prediction for 2010: They will keep overall 2nd spot, but for 2010, they will be around 15. place. The lack of new material will not be overcome.
7)
Kamelot
Kamelot should be higher. Much higher. Only reason they are not is the fact that I got my ears on them too late, I think in November. I think they are a potential top 5 band for me and this late surge of listening put them at #7 in this years charts. Since last December, I wasnt captivated so much by one band. The voice of Khan is really something special and he instantůy became one of my favourite vocalists. Sick range, sick expresiveness. Some people might be put off by his melodramatic manners…but I love them as well -). Plus, the music is catchy, memorable yet not simple. The lyrics are the best I know in this genre (power metal), which is known for having sucky and terrible lyrics., they often deal with serious issues in an inteligent way. I am just happy they picked the Faust story for their concept albums and not some Tolkien bullshit -) I also desperately need to see them live…Unfortunately, they have not Czech Republic on their schedule for next year so far, so that sucks…but other then that, they currently are my new obsession.
Prediction for 2010: Those guys will get their way in overall top 10 soon. They might get into top 5. I think they will, I predict 4th place. In terms of the year 2010 charts, I dont know exactly how high they will get, with new album coming up…I think #1 could be a realistic guess. Top 5 I think for sure.
8)
Heaven Shall Burn
Only band in my top 10 that does not use cleanly sung vocals as their main sound. I discovered this band thanks to Masters of Rock festival. Few months prior to this fest I looked at list of the bands and decided to give couple of them a go and HSB grabbed my attention the most. I really dont know which genre they belong to, I dont really care, but their music is full of energy and is great to listen in a angry, bitter mood. Great, inteligent, thought-provoking lyrics…And live, they were awesome. Maybe the best performance at Masters of Rock festival, I enjoyed it from front row and was very happy with it. I am yet to listen to their oldest stuff, so I have some material to get my hands on this year…Overall, Heaven Shall Burn changed my musical taste in that I am no longer so hung up on clean vocals, they were the stepping stone in my way to explore melodeath, altough they are very different to bands from that genre that I like. They are also probably the least melodic band from this top 10…does not make them any less awesome though. Nothing beats
Endzeit, when you are really, really, really pissed off.
Prediction for 2010: 14. place. They will not get into overall top 10.
9)
Edguy
I think Edguy are doing just fine. I find it funny that so many musical journalists are after Sammet for his narcisissm…I think his narcisissm kind of makes their stuff work, because it really is a simple music, with simple lyrics and it needs a big persona in front to work. When the words „Happy metal“ are used, the first band I imagine is Edguy. There is nothing deep in there, it is a easy listening, but when I want to listen to something more upbeat, they are a way to go and I dont really care what the haters say… They also very good live.
Prediction for 2010: I think they will be in the 2010 top 10. 9. place or something like that. They will not squeeze into a top 10.
10)
Lordi
I think Lordi and their simple hard-rock is fun. I understand, that they would not have this much success without their eurovision win and without their monster costumes…but guess what, image is part of a music product and the monster costumes obviously work for them. I do not listen to them as much anymore, I had a huge phase with them in the beginning of the year and I am really not that much into their monster themed lyrics, but I think they are fun to listen to and they do their thing and it works for me, so there you go…
Prediction for 2010: Around 30. place. Overall, they will drop out of top 10 and get maybe to 15-20. place
In overall charts, this is what I think will happen:
HammerFall will drop out,
R.E.M. will drop out,
Bruce Dickinson and Tiamat will be a close call.
Iron Maiden will keep their lead with a new album and Kamelot will attack top 5, maybe even top 3, with Manson and Sonata arctica in third and second place not having new albums next year.
Overall, when it comes to genres, this year was the one when I started to listen to melodeath, altough no melodeath band cracked top 10. It was also the year when heavy and power metal lost their total dominance in my charts, with Manson and Rise Against taking the reign this year…but they still remain my favourite genres. It was a year, where the atmospheric and depressive rock of Anathema and
Katatonia(11th place this year, close behind Lordi) really began to spoke to my heart. It was a year of excellent gigs, with Rise Against taking the crown for the best one in November. And it was year that made me even a bigger fan of music. Lets hope 2010 continues that trend.
Bruce Dickinson
