Monday 7 Dec 2009, 1:20pm

Outstanding:

Kylesa - Static Tensions
(two very effective drummers, two great shouters, awesome guitar work = my favourite "metal" release in a long time)
Soap & Skin - Lovetune for Vacuum
(Hauting debut between piano & electronic, deserves all the hype it gets and more!)
Isis - Wavering Radiant
(Not quite as good as Panopticon or Oceanic, overall better than In the Absence of truth and still miles ahead of almost every band in that area…)
Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
Fall of Efrafa - Inlé
Giant Squid - The Ichthyologist

Also great this Year:

Celeste - misantrope(s)
(Darkest music of the year, almost painful to listen to…in a good way)
Converge - Axe to Fall
(The first 4 tracks are unbelievable, the rest is the most diverse record from them yet)
Balmorhea - All is wild, all is silent
(Folk + Post Rock = pure beauty)
Sunn O))) - Monliths & Dimensions
From Monument to Masses - On little known Frequencies
(the record i hoped maybeshewill could pull of after their debut…)
August Burns Red - Constellations
Baroness - Blue Record
Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions
Kickback - No Surrender
(Finally Kickback get a production that matches their sonic fury…as hateful as it gets)
Long Distance Calling - Avoid the Light
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
A Storm of Light - Forgive us our Trespasses
Everlovely Lightningheart - Sien Weal Tallion Rue
Fever Ray - Fever Ray
No Made Sense - The Epillanic Choragi

Still good:

Graf Orlock - Destination Time Today
Heirs - Alchera
Jeniferever - Spring Tides
Loom - Selva Molhalda
Minsk - With Echoes In The Movement Of Stone
Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs
Punch - Punch
The Gossip - Music for Men
Wolves in the Throne Room - Black Cascade

Disappointing:

Dredg - The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion
(I'm fine with pop, but most of the songs get old really fast or even really annoying)
Pelican - What we all come to need
The Fall of Troy - In the unlikely Event
Alexisonfire - Old Crows/ Young Cardinals
Callisto - Providence
(In Session is great, but the rest often sounds like Khoma with more monotonous songwriting)
Neaera - Omnicide - Creation Unleashed
Porcupine Tree - The incident
(For some reason I just can't get into this, although everyone praises it)
The Black Dahlia Murder - Deflorate

Still not really sure, if I like it or should be disappointed:

maybeshewill - Sing the Word Hope in Four Part Harmony
(Sadly misses the diversity of the debut)
Brand New - Daisy
Evergreen Terrace - Almost Home
Captain Planet - Inselwissen

Other great Stuff this Year :

Defeater - Lost Ground EP
Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
Nadja - When I see the Sun always shines on TV
Kodiak / Nadja - Split
Pyramids with Nadja - Pyramids with Nadja
Clint Mansell - Moon Soundtrack

Best Concerts:

- Fall of Efrafa
- Soap & Skin
- Joshua Radin
- Isis