Hope you're not sick of these yet!
Hi
For those who don't know, I'm Ben. This is my top 50 albums thread. I've done my best to sort them as accurately as possible, but as I'm sure is the case for many of those doing these lists, only the top 10-15 are set in stone, and the others may fluctuate from day to day, week to week. I've been doing the write-ups for these over the past month or so, so be assured that I won't flunk out halfway through like some who will remain nameless
. I've also put a fair bit of effort into making them readable and interesting, so I hope they are entertaining. I will admit though that I may have been a bit intoxicated during some of these writing sessions, so should I veer off on a tangent or start indulging in excessive hyperbole, that might be why
A couple more disclaimers (excuses.) I'm definitely more of a 'metal guy,' but there are also rock, prog, hip-hop, pop and a few other genres thrown in, so with any luck there will be something in this list for everybody. I'm also not particularly fond of some of the bands which might be considered forum favourites, so hopefully whilst there will be a few albums which everybody has heard of, and some that a few are familiar with, there should also be more than a couple which nobody recognises. If nothing else, hopefully I can get a bit more exposure for these hidden gems!
Anyway, without further ado:
50. Textures - PolarsTexture’s material has a mature edge which I feel sets them apart from the crowd of bands who label themselves Progressive Metal. This is their first record, and whilst the vocals lack the refinement of their later efforts, it is well paced and has a great flow, feeling very much like an album and not just a collection of songs. From the thrashy opening track ‘Swandive’ to the closing ethereal bliss of ‘Heave’ they manage to be experimental and punchy, but without falling under the ‘djent’ umbrella which some have ridiculously labeled them with. Although very much a metal band, their name is a reflection of their style, and delicately layered vocals and clean guitar lines are interwoven throughout the record. The highlight for me is the title track, a sprawling 20 minute epic which encapsulates every aspect of what makes this band great. Textures are very much a band that focus on song development, with tracks often shifting from idea to idea and building to a barnstorming crescendo before falling away again. This practice of segueing riffs, grooves or breaks together seamlessly elevates the tracks to something greater than the sum of their parts. A thinking man’s metal band, with a thinking man’s metal album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMD4EXPj_YM49. Evile - Enter the GraveThrash is not very far up my personal hierarchy of metal sub-genres, but this album has a sense of fun that I feel is often missing from other bands who make this type of music. The lyrics are both cheesy and awesome throughout, dealing with such hilariously metal subjects as Roman gladiatorial combat, mosh pits and shark attacks, all delivered with a commendably straight face. There’s no doubt that this is not ground-breaking stuff, but what it definitely is is a lot of fun! The instrumentation is sublime throughout with typically energetic thrash drumming, whilst somehow the late, great Mike Alexander manages to keep up on bass. Make no mistake though, this is a guitar album through and through, with lightning fast picking punctuating neck-snappingly heavy riffs and finger-shredding solos. All these ingredients mixed with great songwriting ability makes for a thrash album which stands out from the field and a debut album which cemented Evile’s position as one of the great young English metal bands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=924bRfmiJ2048. CunninLynguists – OneirologyI fell in love with this record on first listen. If I had to describe it in a sentence, it would be ‘A hip-hop album for people who don’t like hip-hop.’ The most noticeable feature for me is the mix of the backing tracks. The music is synth and bass heavy and full of reverb, giving a warm, almost 80’s style retro sound (I sometimes imagine that if Devin Townsend produced a hip-hop album it would sound not dissimilar to this.) The vocals too are far from your ‘standard’ hip-hop fare. There are samples and guests musicians throughout, adding atmosphere and depth to song introductions and bridges. The main vocalists have great flow and appreciation for timing, and their words are refreshingly profanity-free, although when they do swear it is to add emphasis to the depth of the lyrics rather than a cheap way of bulking out a phrase or to appear ‘cool.’ Those lyrics are also easily comprehensible, intelligent and moving, dealing with subjects such as drug addiction, the spread of HIV in ghetto communities and racism, although there are a few more light-hearted songs too. The song structures are often unusual; sometimes avoiding choruses, sometimes stopping or changing styles without warning. Definitely an album for fans of trip and hip-hop to check out, and probably a good starting point for those more tentative about the genre.
https://grooveshark.com/#/s/Stars+Shine+Brightest+In+The+Darkest+Of+Night+Ft+Rick+Warren/3Ul3qR?src=5