2. Devin Townsend Project - AddictedThis was the album that made me realize my love for Devin Townsend's music. Something so poppy and catchy couldn't possibly be this heavy at the same time. Any other artist would have driven himself to insanity trying to make it work, but Devin Townsend does it without breaking a sweat. The real key to this album's charm is the greatest female vocalist known to mankind, Anneke van Giersbergen. Her voice is the ultimate antithesis to Devin's raw growl. The opening of the first track makes this abundantly clear. Devin lets out a powerful roar, followed quickly by a soaring harmonized melody from Anneke. Instantly, the worlds of metal and pop collide, creating a truly unique piece of music. Anneke delivers her best vocal performance on the remake of Hyperdrive, from 2007's Ziltoid the Omniscient. She pumps more energy into that song than any other singer could hope to. Devin's operatic voice is not to be ignored, delivering some of the most chill-inducing moments on the album (My personal favorite is in Numbered!, "I'm alright to FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"). Overall, no words can do this album justice. Listen to it as soon as possible.
Recommended tracks: Addicted!, Bend it Like Bender!, Supercrush!, Numbered!
#1 will be announced tomorrow. I won't spoil anything, except that NOBODY in this thread has guessed correctly.