Dark Castle's Top 50 V1.5(Return of the Booty Shorts) #19, 11 have NSFW Covers

[Dark Castle]

I just started reading this list today and have really enjoyed it and have many albums to check out. Thanks. 

I'm glad to hear that!

[Dark Castle]

18. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A#∞ (1997)


I was at the local used record store with my friends on a crisp Autumn afternoon, when I noticed this album sitting on the shelf, and I thought to myself "HEY, I've seen some people on DTF gush about this band a lot, maybe I should get this?" So I went down to the front checkout, where they have a cd deck to preview music, played a minute or two at random points, didn't hear much but thought "Fuck it" and bought it. Needless to say, my friends and I were floored on the drive home, and listened to the rest of the album once we got inside. The opening dialogue gives  me chills every single time, and the music gives me even more goosebumps. This is my wandering aimlessly music, my deep in thought music, this music is an experience.

Favorite Tracks: Well obviously the entire god danged album.

[Zantera]

Amazing album! 

[Ultimetalhead]

Pig Destroyer  I've always found Terrifyer to be better though.

[Dark Castle]

17. US Christmas - Run Thick In the Night (2010)


Around the time I seriously got into reading Decibel Magazine, this gem came out, it would be awhile before I actually listened to it, but in every issue, I'd star which albums in the reviews section looked interesting to me, and this was one of those albums, mainly due to the fact that I mistakenly thought the album art was from John Baizley  Nevertheless, this album clicked with me instantly, it's melancholic atmosphere that weaved in and out through  dreamy atmospherics and climactic outbursts of noise, this was like #18, it was an album I listened to when I had some thinking to do, and also an album that helped me find sleep, calming my mind and stopping all of the over thinking that goes on throughout the day for me. Folky Psychadelic rock may not be everybody's thing, but if it is, this album is a diamond in the rough, and you absolutely should give it the time and even check out more from this wonderful band.

Favorite Tracks: In The Night, Fire Is Sleeping, Fonta Flora, Maran, Devil's Flower In Mother Winter, Moon In Flesh and Bone

[Obfuscation]

I can never get tired of listening to F#A#∞. Great pick!

[Rattlehead]

I'm going to have to check out Godspeed... I've heard so many good things about them here and after your writeup, I am now more intrigued to the point where I will have to check them out later when I get the chance tonight  Nice writeups, by the way.

[Dark Castle]

16. System of a Down - Mezmerize (2005)


Definitely one of the weirdest bands I've listened to, System of a Down are a band that roll up charming, chaotic, bizarre, ugly, and radular up into one glorious package, and Mezmerize is the epitome of their sound. From songs like BYOB to Radio/Video, Mezmerize is an album with many sounds, that all sounding exactly how System of a Down should sound. Another thing that I feel sets this album above all the others is Daron's highly increased input in the vocals department, he and Serj work so well together and honestly at times I like his voice more than Serj's, but that's not the point. System weren't even a band that really got me into metal, I discovered them fully after having some solid roots in metal, and I think they're a band that have their own special distinction in the genre, and helped push it to new levels. For that, and the fact that they create wonderful, memorable music, they show up here on the list.

Favorite Tracks: BYOB, Cigarro, Radio/Video, Violent Pornagraphy, Question!, Old School Hollywood, Lost In Hollywood

[Onno]

SoaD is amazing, going to see them tomorrow 

[Dark Castle]

SoaD is amazing, going to see them tomorrow 

Throw an egg or something at Serj for putting kinks into the works for a new SoaD album 

Seriously though, that's awesome, I hope I get the chance to see them some day!

[Scorpion]

I prefer Hypnotize, but honestly, every album that System has ever recorded is a 5/5 album for me, and Mezmerize was my favourite for a long time, so great pick! I also love how Daron and Serj's voices compliment each other.

[Dark Castle]

15. Lady Gaga - Born This Way (2011)


It took awhile to admit it, but around Junior year in Highschool, I admitted that I loved Lady Gaga's music and the road down from Metal Elitism began. I had Love Game on this little app that was like guitar hero for the ipod, and while picking up the grounds around the hotel I worked at, I'd play the game to listen to the song, and eventually I went and bought her first album, and from then on, got The Fame Monster, and eventually this lovely album Born This Way. The day I went to go get it, one of my best friends tagged along, and we went to a store on the edge of town, and just drove around Sioux Falls listening to the album, and it was a great day! Lady Gaga has brought a lot of joy to my life, her tunes can cheer me up on a down day, and they can make a great day even better!

Favorite Tracks: Born This Way, Hair, Americano, Government Hooker, Bloody Mary, Highway Unicorn, Heavy Metal Lover, Electric Chapel, You and I

[Lolzeez]

 

[Scorpion]

While I wouldn't put it this high, I absolutely love this album as well. Electric Chapel is amazing.

[Dark Castle]

14. The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)


For a lot of my 20 years here on this lump of earth, I refused to give The Beatles the time of the day, often stating that they were nothing but a greatest hits band, and this was without ever really giving any album an actual listen  And then one day, one of my friends was driving around and he popped in Abbey Road, saying "Dylan, try this, it's pretty awesome" and you know what, it was fucking radular. The Beatles whole discography is fucking radular, but this is the pinnacle of their radularness. The music is breathtaking at times, and I really feel that these guys are underappreciated as musicians, I mean none of them are the greatest at their instrument of all time, but they belt out some real moving music that one should really appreciate.

Favorite Tracks: Maxwell Silver Hammer, Octopus's Garden, I Want You(She's So Heavy), Here Comes The Sun, You Never Give Me Your Money, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight

[adace]

You can never go wrong with that one

[Dark Castle]

13. Mastodon - Blood Mountain (2006)


For a long time, Crack The Skye held the number one spot in Mastodon's discography, and Blood Mountain was that album that clung to #2 crying for more listens. Eventually I caved and started spinning Blood Mountain more, and that's when it hit me that Blood Mountain was this gem that outshined everything else, despite how wonderful every Mastodon record is. Brann Dailor is absolutely insane on the album, fills flying in left and right along with some astonishing drumming that makes your mouth drop to the floor. Brent and Bill lock in like cyborgs and spew out incredible riffs like binary code, coming up with some radular moments, and Troy's tones are pretty sexy on the album. Another reason I'd put this album in #1 is it still features a hefty amount of harsh vocals, unlike Crack the Skye where they're sparse and far between, and The Hunter, where they're practically non-existant. I love Mastodon's harsh vocals and while I think they sound rad without them, I think they sound even more rad with them, and Blood Mountain has the perfect mix of them.

Favorite Tracks: Crystal Skull, Capillarian Crest, Bladecatcher, Colony of Birchmen, Hunters In the Sky, Siberian Divide

[Onno]

Blood Mountain is fantastic! CTS remains my favourite Mastodon album though.

[aprilethereal]

Blood Mountain is fantastic! CTS remains my favourite Mastodon album though.

Same here. BM used to be my #1 for a while, but CTS is simply too good.

[pain of occupation]

I consider myself way more a proghead than a metalhead, but I think metal is fosho what mastodon does best; while the hunter might not exactly be more metal than CTS, I find both blood mountain and the hunter to be leaps and bounds ahead of CTS. go figure.
anyway, awesome pick(s). 

[Dark Castle]

12. Ghost - Infestissumam


Ghost stormed into the world back in 2010, with their amazing debut 'Opus Eponymous', making metal heads of all kinds make the O Face. Of course, they also had their haters, who simply stated "They're Aping BOC, Mercyful Fate, and King Diamond" but those guys are idiots. Seriously. Sure they wore their influences on their sleeves, but when is that ever wrong? Fast forward to this year and we got Infestissumam, which not only took things to a whole new level, but showed Ghost were a band with their own completely unique sound and image. You can still hear the influences, but they're more of nods rather than wearing them on their sleeves. The album has a sense of Grand Majesty and bombastic sound. It's a truly wonderful album, a delight to pop on in the car, and it's always fantastic to get a little Satan boogie going.

Favorite Tracks: Per Aspera Ad Inferi, Jigolo Migiddo, Ghuleh / Zombie Queen, Year Zero, Depth of Satan's Eyes, Monstrance Clock

[adace]

Infestissumam is one of the best releases of 2013 and I like it a lot better than OE.

Blood Mountain is great, but doesn't come close to Leviathan or Crack the Skye.

[Dark Castle]

11. Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Pt.1


It was extremely tough choosing between this and Pt.2, but Pt.1 edges out just by a little. I'm not sure if it has a higher point than Pt.2, but it doesn't have a lower point, and it flows extremely well, and it has dead titties on the front  In all seriousness though, Nachtmystium are one of the best American black metal bands you'll find. With this album, they began to throw psychadelia into the mix, and industrial into their releases afterwards, and it's a perfect combo, due to the fact that Sanford Parker is a mental master of the Moog Synth when it comes to creating a quirky atmosphere. Songs rampage all the while having a feeling of looking at them through a glass, and suddenly things become warped and twisted. There's also the three parter "Seasick" which is absolutely brilliant. If you want black metal with a frontman whose one of the best their is at spewing hatred and cvltness out, Nachtmystium is the way to go.

Favorite Tracks: Assassins, Ghosts of Grace, Code Negative, Seasick Pt. 1, 2, 3

[Dark Castle]

50. Daft Punk - Discovery
49. Anathema - Weather Systems
48. Metric - Fantasies
47. Blood Stain Child - Epsilon
46. Children of Bodom - Hatebreeder
45. Overkill - Ironbound
44. The Strokes - Angles
43. Indian - Guiltless
42. Born of Osiris - The Discovery
41. Soilwork - The Living Infinite
40. Parkway Drive - Deep Blue
39. Skeletonwitch - Breathing The Fire
38. Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
37. Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV Volume I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
36. Cephalic Carnage - Mislead by Certainty
35. IRONHIDE - Create/Collapse/Repeat
34. A Life Once Lost - Hunter
33. Dawnbringer - Nucleus
32. Decapitated - Carnival is Forever
31. Black Tusk - Set the Dial
30. Ihsahn - After
29. Royal Thunder
28. Kreayshawn - Somethin 'Bout Kreay
27. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
26. Periphery - Periphery II This Time It's Personal!
25. Master of Puppets - Master of Puppets
24. Mr. Bungle - Mr. Bungle
23.Converge - Axe to Fall
22. Cancer Bats - Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones
21. The Mars Volta - De-loused In A Comatorium
20. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
19. Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
18. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A#∞
17. US Christmas - Run Thick In the Night
16. System of a Down - Mezmerize
15. Lady Gaga - Born This Way
14. The Beatles - Abbey Road
13. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
12. Ghost - Infestissumam
11. Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Pt.1

Little list of my picks before I delve into my Top 10 later tonight.

[Dr. DTVT]

Note to self...thread may be NSFW

[Dark Castle]

Sorry about that, I didn't think to put a warning up :s
Changed the thread title to accommodate that

[Ultimetalhead]

Interesting to see Infestissumam so high. Damn good album, though.

[Dark Castle]

Interesting to see Infestissumam so high. Damn good album, though.

Originally Opus Eponymous was there, but Infestissumam is better in every way

[Ultimetalhead]

I agree completely. I loved Opus as well, but yeah, Infestissumam demolishes it with extreme prejudice.

[Dark Castle]

WELL, My internet is up and running again, so why don't we pick this back up hmm?

10. Between the Buried and Me - Parallax II: Future Sequence (2012)


It took a long time to really appreciate this album, just recently, but when it finally connected fully, I fell in absolute love with it. I still need to catch up on the story of the album, but not being up to speed on that definitely doesn't stop me from loving this album. With what seems to be a BtBaM trademark, the album opens up with a soft song, full of dazzling emotion, which then goes right into a bombastic beginning, full of amazing musicianship and to my surprise, the awesome Harpsichord  The entire album is chalkful of amazing musicianship, shining moments, and memorable songs throughout. My only complaint and it's a minor complaint is Tommy's harsh vocals, they're just not very dynamic, and you can tell he struggles sometimes. I'm not saying he doesn't have great moments with them because he does, but I feel like they could get somebody else with more range and dynamic to cover the harsh vocals, and have tommy back them up with harsh vocals and focus more on his clean vocals, maybe making those more prevalent in the music. But it's not the end of the world if they don't, because his harsh's are still getting the job done, and very very well at times.

Favorite Tracks: Goodbye To Everything, Astral Body, Lay Your Ghosts To Rest, Telos, Bloom, Melting City, Silent Flight Parliament

[Zydar]

Ghost!

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Future Sequence is amazing. I approve of this pick.

[aprilethereal]

What a great way to start the top ten
Incredible album. The story is worth looking up, although it's pretty weird. But what do you expect from BTBAM

[adace]

Future Sequence is amazing. I approve of this pick.

[WindMaster]

Didn't realize this was going on, and I must say, I will be checking out a ton of these, because all of the albums I've heard that are on your list are most excellent.

Top-Tier pick with Future Sequence right there. One of my all time favorites. Very excited for the rest of the top 10!