35. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain (2006)/The Mantle (2002)
Well, this marks the first time on the list where I couldn’t decide between a band’s albums so in Agalloch’s case, I listed both these masterpieces for this entry. Agalloch often gets compared to Opeth which makes a fair amount of sense, but I tend to see their sound as more akin to Ulver’s Bergtatt. Both bands feature black metal vocals and riffage as well as extensive folky passages. Yet, Agalloch is still unique in the sense that they have pushed Ulver’s sound in completely new directions. In fact, they have taken black metal so far away from its roots as to cause controversy over whether or not they belong in the black metal category in the first place. In fact, they straddle between many genres including black metal, neofolk, doom metal, post-rock, and a touch of dark ambient. But for our purposes, it isn’t the genres that are our main concern but the content of the music.
Agalloch are a highly visual band. They create cold, desolate landscapes all within the confines of the listener’s mind. In fact, there is an entire universe of imagery and themes within Agalloch’s music. Much of the thematics within this universe have to do with pantheism and Nietzschean themes of individualism and alienation from modern society. Though I would not classify myself as either a pantheist or a Nietzschean, I cannot help but marvel at the incredible philosophical poetry lead vocalist/songwriter/guitarist John Haughm has written and the sheer uniqueness of this band in terms of its ability to weld together particular imagery with particular themes.
From the delicate snowfall on a moonlit winter night found on the majestic “Odal” to the raw, blizzard-like terror of “Not Unlike the Waves,” these two albums represent epic, genre-defying explorations of humanity’s relationship to nature and its place in the cosmos. These two albums are blisteringly cold at times, yet one can always find on them a dimly lit cabin with a glowing hearth that promises redemption and offers a sense of identity amongst the chaos and ruin.
Recommended tracks: Not Unlike the Waves, The Hawthorne Passage, Odal, Falling Snow, You Were But a Ghost In My Arms
34. Within Temptation - The Unforgiving (2011)
Despite the rather cheesy cover, this album is a piece of pop-metal mastery. Moving away from the purely symphonic side of metal, Within Temptation channel the 80’s pop style to great effect. Every song is catchy and Sharon den Adel’s vocals sound as clear and beautiful as ever. Tracks such as lead single “Faster” and the enchanting ballad “Fire and Ice” are just a few examples of the band’s ability to put together a cohesive, yet varied album. Those who want a more accessible form of symphonic metal will have found their match and older fans of Within Temptation will be amazed at the band’s ability to experiment with new sounds and make such a compelling album out of them. The Unforgiving is a whole lot of fun to listen to and is one of my all time symphonic/gothic records.
Recommended tracks: Faster, Sinead, Fire and Ice, Where is the Edge
33. Deftones - Diamond Eyes (2010)
After the tragic accident involving bassist Chi Cheng, it seemed as if the other members of the Deftones would either go on hiatus or if they did make an album, it would not be as good its predecessors. As it turns out, neither was the case. While White Pony may be many fans’ favorite Deftones release, I think that Diamond Eyes is not only their most concise and focused work, but it is also their best. Indeed, the band surprised many people in being able to produce such a critically acclaimed album given the circumstances.
The album is very heavy due to guitarist Abe Cunningham's use of an 8-string guitar. Chino Moreno delivers his signature whispered vocals beautifully and the fill-in bassist, Sergio Vega, performs flawlessly. The mood of the album ranges from heavy and aggressive on tracks such as “Rocket Skates” to subdued and reflective on “Sextape.” For a band that comes out of the much derided nu-metal/alt-metal scene, the Deftones have earned respect from critics and fans alike for their forays into the more experimental side of music. On this album, the experimentation is less pronounced than on Saturday Night Wrist or their self-titled opus, but this is only a healthy thing for the band as those two albums seemed to meander at times and lose their focus. In short, Diamond Eyes still fits within the ‘Deftones sound’, yet it has been tweaked to trim the fat and pack a real punch.
Recommended tracks: Sextape, Prince, title track, You’ve Seen the Butcher
Topic: Adace's Top 50 Albums (Read 25069 times)
