Well, Daedalus got two right at least.
5. Agalloch – Probably my favorite Opeth album is Blackwater Park. Now while there’s a variety of reasons for that, but the biggest reason is the feel and atmosphere of the album, and a major part of that is the subtle use of acoustic guitars in the background, even during some of the album’s heaviest moments. It’s something I loved when I first heard it, and never really heard something like it again until I heard Agalloch, who’s basically explored, fleshed out, and made their own that evil/pagan/woodsy feel that Opeth had with Blackwater Park.* All of their albums are fantastic, with The Mantle probably being my favorite due to the brilliant use of acoustic guitars throughout. All in all Agalloch is a band that I had been looking for for a very long time, and I’m so, so glad I finally found them.
4. Giant Squid – I have no idea how I was first introduced to Giant Squid, but who or whatever is responsible deserves a medal and a blowjob. Their rough around the edges style of seafaring post rock and metal is an instant win in my book. They manage to keep things very interesting throughout, with hard-hitting songs such as Neonate and Throwing a Donner Party at Sea being instant favorites (both being about cannibalism incidentally), and softer, more ‘buildup’ songs like Sevengill (featuring Anneke van Giersbergen) marking the bookends of a broad spectrum of music. Aaron Gregory’s rough voice works very well for the style and versatile enough to never feel stretched, while Jackie’s backup vocals provide a wonderful backup (thankfully they avoid the ‘beauty and the beast’ cliché like many metal bands with male/female singers). Also, a special shoutout needs to be made for Jackie’s excellent cello work.
All in all Giant Squid is everything I want from a contemporary metal band. They’re innovative, heavy, and a really nice and humble group of guys and girls to boot.
You too will eat your young
When there's only enough for one
In times of need this must be done
From womb to gut it has begun