1.
Blut aus Nord -
Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With The Stars.
Blut Aus Nord seem to change their musical direction with each album release without losing their signature sound. The biggest change on this album is the melodic touch, which was absent on previous albums such as MoRT or Odonist – The Destruction of Reason by Illumination. The use clean guitar in some of the interludes is a great addition to their sound. I’m sure this album will be on a lot of ‘best of 2009’ lists.
2.
El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez Lopez -
Cryptomnesia.
Fans of the Mars Volta should enjoy this release… and rightly so, because half of the members are shared with El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. Apparently the other half are members of Hella; a band that I’ve never heard of before, but will probably check out in the future. All of the instruments are played with a high degree of proficiency, as you would expect on any Omar release - just listen to the drums on ‘Shake is for 8th Graders’ and you’ll see what I mean. The thing I like about all Omar Rodriguez-Lopez releases is that the separate instruments have this improvisational quality, but integrate well with one another. The album is a great fusion of progressive/psychedelic rock with Latin and jazz influences. The only thing which might put off people this release is Cedric’s high pitched vocals, which are an acquired taste.
3.
Njiqahdda -
Taegnuub - Ishnji Angma.
For those who haven’t heard of Njiqahdda before, they produce a strange mixture of black metal, ambient and psychedelic music. Njiqahdda have a knack for writing good riffs, repeating them and then simply adding layers to the mix. It's hard to believe that Njiqahdda and their side projects, Oaks of Bethel and Funeral Eclipse, have recorded 18 or so releases this year. So far I’ve only been able to get my hands on ‘Taegnuub –Ishnji Angma’, ‘Yrg Alms’ and Oaks of Bethel - The Folk and the Ground. If the back catalogue is anything to go by, I’m sure the 15 other releases of 2009 will be of a high quality. The only reason this doesn’t get a higher position is that the transition between the black metal and ambient based tracks doesn’t feel very fluent. If you haven’t heard Njiqahdda before, check out this release or Njimajikal Arts.
4.
Njiqahdda -
Yrg Alms.
I wasn’t really sure what order to put Taegnuub – Ishnji Angma and Yrg Alms. My only (minor) problem with Taegnuub was that the album didn’t flow as well as it could have. Yrg Alms actually has much smoother transitions between the songs. It’s also a bit more progressive and has slightly better production than some previous releases. However, I still think that the individual songs on Taegnuub were marginally better.
5.
Deepspace -
World Ocean Atlas.
I only discovered Deepspace about 6 months ago and since then I’ve been listening to his music almost constantly. The music is a type of drone based ambient; no beats, pretty minimal. This album is good to listen to on walks, during study, or if you just want to relax. According to Mirko (the man behind Deepspace) “this album works on the idea of obscure desolate places created by your imagination, and the idea of an atlas comprised purely of maps of oceans”. That statement sums up the album pretty well. On a side note, half of music (including this entire album) is available for free download on last.fm.
6.
Atlas Sound -
Logos.
Atlas Sound is the solo project of Bradford Cox of Deerhunter. I have only been able to play this record a couple of times because I only got it recently. Despite this, it’s pretty easy to recognize that this album kicks ass. If you like shoegaze or dream pop then this is probably up your alley. If you want to check out Deerhunter, listen to Weird Era Cont.
7.
Moby -
Wait For Me (Deluxe Edition).
If you’re thinking of getting this album, make sure you get the deluxe edition. The bonus CD contains ambient reinterpretations of the 1st CD, which are great for a night in. I’m not usually a huge fan of Moby’s radio-friendly songs (ie. bodyrock etc.), but he is really good at making downtempo electronic music, which makes up the majority of this album. I still haven’t listened to this album heaps because it only came out in November, but it grows on me each time. However, Moby’s best album is still Hotel: Ambient, which also happens to be a bonus CD.
8.
Phoenix -
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Phoenix play some very catchy ‘indie rock’ (I think it’s called post-punk revival but don’t quote me on that) type music with a strong electronic presence. It’s pretty poppy, but don’t let that put you off. It’s good backing music for summer evenings or parties.
9.
Midnight Odyssey -
Firmament.
I’m impressed with this release because a) it’s Australian b) black metal and c) really good. This album has a strong Burzum influence, with atmospheric keyboards overlaying simple guitar riffs. Most of the songs are mid-paced, with no blast-beats. The guitar work is quite melodic and catchy, without sounding cheesy - to a degree reminiscent of ColdWorld. It’s also worth checking out their demo, The Forest Mourners.
10.
Sybreed -
The Pulse of Awakening.
Sybreed are quite possibly the best Industrial Metal band going round. They have managed to make an album that is both heavier and poppier than Slave Design and Antares. The production on this album is about as clean as it gets. For example, check the blastbeats at the start of ‘I am Ultraviolence’. The vocalist, Ben, sounds kind of like Gary Numan when he’s singing, and has a distinctive high pitched growl which works well. The guitars and base have a heavy groove going on and you can expect a lot of machinegun-esuqe riffs (similar to Fear Factory… but better). The heavy use of spacey keyboards and electronics also add a nice touch to the album.
11.
Nile -
Those Whom The Gods Detest.
I haven’t listened to a whole lot of death metal this year, but this album stands out because it is brutal as fuck and has some great vocals. After hearing this album I’m considering checking them out live in May. One of my favorites off the album is 4th Arra of Dagon (ARRA ARRA ARRA DAGON DAGON DAGON – check the shoutbox for the song), which I reckon will go off live. If you like the Egyptian influenced interludes you should check out Karl Sanders solo material, which is equally impressive.
12.
Porcupine Tree -
The Incident.
Porcupine Tree always deliver solid releases, and The Incident is no different. It’s good modern progressive rock with a touch of metal here and there, particularly towards the end of the album. From reading the Porcupine Tree shoutbox, there seems to be differing views on the album, particularly because of the song ‘Drawing the line’ which has a very poppy chorus. I personally think it’s the best song of the album.
13.
Panopticon -
Collapse.
This band has one of the worst tags I have ever seen – Red and Anarchist Black Metal. Probably the only worse tag is Wooden metal (self proclaimed by Varghkoghargasmal). Imagine what black metal would sound like if it was played by John Butler… I guess that’s kind of this album sounds like. The interludes are pretty much bluegrass, which is a good change. My only problem with this album is that the drums are a bit high in the mix.
14.
Anaal Nathrakh -
In the Constellation of the Black Widow.
Anaal Nathrakh play a mix of black metal and grind, which is insanely heavy. At the start of their career they were strongly influenced by bands such as Mayhem, but over the last four albums they have steadily improved their production. This is probably their weakest album, mainly because I’m not a huge fan of the slight metalcore influences. However, it’s still heavier than 99% of releases and shits over most other bands. I would recommend Eschanton or Hell is Empty, and all the Devils are here over this.
15.
The Temper Trap -
Conditions.
Conditions is a collection of very catchy rock/pop songs. It kind of sounds like Eskimo Joe with the Beegees singing over it (yes some of the vocals are falsetto). My personal favorites off the album are love lost and fader.
16.
Old Man's Child -
Slaves Of The World.
- Why doesn’t Galder just quit Dimmu Borgir and just focus on Old Man’s Child? The albums are consistently better than Dimmu Borgir. If you liked Vermin then you will also enjoy Slaves of the World.
17.
Animal Collective -
Merriweather Post Pavillion.
18.
The Ruins of Beverast -
Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite.
- Alexander von Meilenwald gets bonus points for the great album title. The funeral doom influences have been bumped up a notch and the production is significantly improved.
19.
Drudkh -
Microcosmos.
- One of the better Drudkh releases in recent times. I would still recommend checking out Autumn Aurora first which I personally think is one of the best black metal albums out there.
20.
Faunts -
Feel.Love.Thinking.Of..
- Faunts have a nice mixture of Dream pop, post rock and shoegaze going on. This is their weakest album, but still quite good. Do yourself a favour and check out High Expectations/Low Results.
21.
Dream Theater -
Black Clouds & Silver Linings.
- One of the weaker Dream Theater releases. Wither is a terrible ballad, which has to be one of the worst songs they have made (and I like many of their previous ballads – ie. the spirit carries on). On the up side, they have also made one of their best songs, The Count of Tuscany. This album would probably be rated higher, but I have high expectations for Dream Theater releases. On a side note, I saw them live (only $59!), and they did a great show with an impressive set-list.
22.
Hellveto -
Od Poludnia na Pólnoc....
- This is a good album, but Hellveto have released nearly 20 albums which sounds pretty much the same. L.O.N. needs to try something new.
23.
Nazxul -
Iconoclast.
- I had been waiting for this album for quite some time. After hearing the Black Seed EP a couple of years ago I was hooked on Nazxul. Iconoclast sounds a bit like Emperor at times, because of the epic/atmospheric keyboards. A good introduction to the album would be Oath (Fides Resurrectio).
24.
Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez -
Megaritual.
- Pretty similar to most Omar albums. I would have included his other albums in this list, but I thought it might get a bit boring.
25.
Gigantic Brain -
World.
- This album is a bit different. I didn’t realize that ambient music could be mixed with grind. Somehow, this works quite well, despite some awkward transitions between the songs.
26.
Shining -
VI - Klagopsalmer.
- Fullständigt Jävla Död Inuti is a great song; a lot heavier and more technical than previous work.
27.
Hellveto -
Kry.
- Sounds exactly the same as Od Poludnia na Pólnoc... but runs for 30 minutes.
28.
Muse -
The Resistance.
- Their weakest album, but some good songs in there. I like the exogenesis symphony and MK Ultra.
29.
Yusuf (ie. Cat Stevens) -
Roadsinger (To Warm You Through the Night.
- Good folky songs, but doesn’t have those classic songs which were typically of his ‘Cat Stevens’ era.
30.
The Mars Volta -
Octahedron.
- The Mars Volta have slowed down the tempo a bit, which is an interesting experiment, but I think they are best when they play the faster style improv-esque songs. Cotopaxi is my pick of the album.
Albums I never got around to listening to / Special mentions:
Gorgoroth – Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt
¡M.G.R. y Destructo Swarmbots! – Amigos de la Guitarra
Hypocrisy – A Taste of Extreme Divinity
Isis – Wavering Radiant: I never got round to listening to this, but I hear that it is very good)
Elysian Blaze – Blood Geometry: This album will surely get released soon. I predicted that this would be one of the better albums of 2009, but it looks as though it will have to wait until 2010.
Transatlantic – The Whirlwind: Word is that this album is very good.
Tim Hecker – An Imaginary Country: A good ambient/glitch artist. Didn’t get round to this album.
Alice in Chains – Black gives way to blue
Magma - Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê
Music prior to 2009 that I got into this year:
- Prog rock: A lot of great music was made during the 70’s. Check out bands such as
Camel,
Aphrodites Child,
Goblin and
King Crimson.
- Shoegaze:
Working for a Nuclear Free City,
Deerhunter,
Phaser,
SIANspheric.
What to look out for in 2010:
- Varg Vikernes (
Burzum) has finally been released from jail and will be releasing Belus around March/April.
- Working for a Nuclear Free City are releasing Jojo Burger Tempest
- Radiohead - TBA
-
Oceansize - New album in March
King Crimson
