Well, I thought that, since my list has changed a bit since I began this, I'd just finish this one by quickly summarizing the remaining entries:
20. Akira Yamaoka - Silent Hill 3
An amazing soundtrack to a great game, I feel this is Yamaoka's finest work. It's got the Trip Hop, the Dark Ambient, the Alternative Rock, and more, all blended seamlessly.
19. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Perhaps the most straightforward Rock / Metal album in the rest of the list, but damn, this one is full of bangers. Great political message too.
18. Darren Korb - Transistor
My favorite soundtrack ever, it's so beautiful and varied. Ashley is a fantastic singer.
17. Jeff Buckley - Grace
A gem of a debut, lots of intimacy and beautiful arrangements, paired with some weird sections to balance it out. A classic.
16. Burial - Untrue
I used to have this one higher, but with time I haven't revisited it that much - I feel I prefer his EPs a bit more these days. But still, a monumental album in my formation and appreciation for electronic music.
15. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
A record to rip your heart out to. Incredibly moving and powerful, it makes me want to give him a hug. Some of the most beautiful music paired with lyrics embedded in grief and regret.
14. Gustavo Cerati - Bocanada
An album form my country! A record about a maturing relationship, with its up and downs. It's a mostly electronic sound, with lots of sampling and wonderful beats, but plenty of acoustic instruments. A masterpiece.
13. Deftones - White Pony
Great riffs mixed with an excellent atmosphere, and Chino's super expressive vocals. Fantastic record, definitely my favorite Metal album.
12. The Stooges - Fun House
An album so raw and filled with energy it has no right to have come out in 1970. I love the inclusion of sax in some songs, in particular the title track.
11. Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness
Probably the most depressing album on the list
. Bleak atmosphere, great guitars and synths, a blend of many genres into a cohesive sound. Earthmover, the closing track, is among the very best endings to a record imo.
10. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Our beloved band's most creative, experimental album. Filled with great riffs, hypnotic atmosphere, and lots of wild ideas. Sadly some of the lyrics haven't aged very well, but I like that the main theme here is empathy, and I think they kinda succeeded, for the time it was released at least.
9. Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season
Probably the second most depressing album on the list
. A record of fragility, of times and relationships past by. Beth sings with such an honesty, and tries different styles on every track. Rustin Man's arrangements are exquisite and reeking of old school nostalgia.
8. Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring
My favorite Pop record! Such a blast of amazing catchy song after amazing catchy song. I love the organic instrumentation, and the intense energy most of these tracks exude. RIP Mark Hollis.
7. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
My favorite SW-related record, it's what got me into the band and his work, and still is a banger, after all these years.
6. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
I just love how immersive this album is, and it never gets boring.
5. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
An album I had dismissed long ago, only to come back to it a few years after, and being floored. Really, such an album has no reason to work at all, yet it does. Very raw and emotional, not for everyone tho.
4. Massive Attack - Mezzanine
My favorite electronic record, a massive (
) achievement of atmosphere, tension and release, with some great lyrics. So dark, so good.
3. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
Trent gives it all here, an epic double album of suffering, inner turmoil, toxic relationships, and more. A perfect blend of synths and guitars.
2. Anathema - Weather Systems
The most powerful, emotional record I've ever listened to. It just moves me so deeply every time I play it. It's so beautiful and melancholic, yet hopeful. Glad I managed to see them live before they split up.
1. Godspeed You Black Emperor! - F♯A♯∞
This album changed everything to me - it made me realize there was a lot in abstract, instrumental music. It could make me imagine all sorts of images and conjure sensations I didn't know were possible through this medium. Every time I listen to it, I feel it's gonna let me down, but no. Almost a decade later and it still impresses me.