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The Best Albums of 2007
Introduction
Erased in an Unending Sea of Blue
 Album of the Year:
Alcest - Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde
Despite having heard so many truly great new albums this past year, ones that are easy to explain just what makes them so special, as this year's top ten is for instance, the one title that's my choice for Album of the Year is a little more difficult to explain. It's not the most innovative piece of work like the Dilllinger Escape Plan is, nor is it the career defining masterpiece that Patty Griffin's is, nor is it the adventurous opus that Battles' album is. Nah, this year my top pick struck a chord on a much deeper, more emotional level. Part of it was timing, part of it was the style of music that captivated me the most over the year, but mostly it's al album of such devastating and heart wrenching beauty that no other 2007 release could come close to matching. The influence of Dillinger's Ire Works will be felt over the next few years, it's easy to tell even now, but as far as immediacy in music goes, nothing defined my year quite like a certain pretty little album by an obscure one-man band from the South of France.
I first heard word about Alcest and its upcoming full-length debut back in February, when someone recommended checking out the MySpace samples. I was immediately drawn to them. Being as big into both the shoegazer/dreampop of the past and like-minded metal bands like Jesu and Agalloch as I have been in recent years, I was struck by the strength of the melodies conjured up by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Stéphane Paut, who goes by the black metal nom de plume Neige. Unlike his icy, wintry moniker, however, this music turned out to be extraordinarily warm and enveloping, gentle vocal melodies floating ethereally above distorted guitar chords a la My Bloody Valentine. It sounded incredible, and it quickly became my most highly anticipated album of the summer. And as luck would have it, Canadian label Profound Lore records acquired the North American distribution rights, and by July, I was spinning the disc non-stop.
What makes Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde so remarkable is its understated quality. Very deliberately paced, and following somewhat conventional songwriting styles, Neige lets the melodies drive the songs, not the riffs, and by going in such a non-metal direction as that, the line between metal and pop is blurred considerably. Sure, the melodies are gorgeous, but the guitars are picked in the black metal tremolo style. Conversely, the drums sometimes go into double-time bursts, but then we get some dazzling moments inspired by Celtic folk music. It's so ambiguous, right down to the murmured vocals and the lyrics sung in French, that its beauty quickly and skillfully skirts any categorization. Whether it's the majestic opening salvos of "Printemps Emeraude", the gentle melodies of "Tir Nan Og", or the coda to the album standout "Ciel Errant", the latter of which hitting you like a massive punch to the gut, or Neige's simple meditations on such unapologetically romantic images like the sunlight filtered through emerald leaves, clouds moving in the endless blue sky, and the unpolluted innocence of a child, this album dares to dig a little deeper than pleasing pop hooks and challenging arrangements. Its appeal is universal, transcending language, transcending genre. I could go on and on trying to find the right words, but the most appropriate phrase comes from Allen Ginsberg, who contemplated the morning dewdrops in Wales similar to the way Neige gazes skyward in Provence. Five simple, perfect words that explain this simple, perfect album better than I ever can:
Heaven balanced on a grassblade.
 2. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
Formulaic music, when performed well, can be extremely satisfying, especially when it comes to metal. As a fan who grew up on the "old school" style of classic heavy metal, to this day when I hear a young band like 3 Inches of Blood, Wolf, or Edguy pull off the classic riffs, shredding solos, and soaring vocal melodies as well as bands did 25 years ago, it's as thrilling as it sounded when I was 14. There's nothing like the comfort of a familiar style you've grown to love over the years. On the other side of the coin, though, and which has always drawn me even more, has been the metal music that attempts the unthinkable, daring to stretch the limits of the genre and challenge us as listeners. The Dillinger Escape Plan has been doing this for nearly a decade, and while they've only put out a total of three full-length albums during that period, each one has gotten bolder and bolder. 1999's Calculating Infinity was a landmark extreme metal album, with its mind-boggling technical dexterity. 2004's Miss Machine, while continuing in the same vein, shocked everyone by bringing in a pair of audacious songs that stressed melody and groove. But with the stunning Ire Works, the band has completely outdone itself.
Sure, the aggressive sounds are still there, tracks like "Fix Your Face", "Lurch", "82588", and "Party Smasher" either equaling or topping the level of skill displayed on past records, but this time, they serve more like brief filler, interspersed between some of the most audacious stylistic variations a metal band has ever attempted. "Dead as History" combines the dark groove of Faith No More with glitchy electronic blips. The furious drum and bass of "Sick on Sunday" dives headfirst into Aphex Twin territory. Starting as a jazzy piano ballad before cranking up the intensity and theatricality, "Mouth of Ghosts" closes the album on a grandiose note. However, nothing can quite compare to the album's two best cuts: "Milk Lizard", which combines the ferocity of the Jesus Lizard with jarring blasts of Motown horns (and man, does it ever work well), and the shocker "Black Bubblegum", which has the band giving us a highly demented, jarringly unironic blast of pop metal, complete with excellent falsetto vocals by Greg Puciato. It's easily the most important metal release of 2007, and the year's bravest, most provocative album of any genre. Absolutely thrilling.
 3. Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
If you were to tell me ten years ago that a grindcore album would place in my year-end top three, I would have been awfully skeptical. To be honest, it's taken a long time for me to come around to grindcore, the most extreme of extreme genres, and it wasn't until I started getting into bands like Daughters, the Locust, the mighty Napalm Death, and Pig Destroyer that it all started to click. Especially in the case of Pig Destroyer, whose Terrifyer floored me three years ago with its combination of abrasive tones, smart lyrics, and violence-obsessed yet strangely poetic lyrics. Expectations surrounding the band's subsequent album were very high, and to a chorus of euphoric cheers from fans and critics alike, Phantom Limb managed to outshine Terrifyer.
What makes grindcore so frustratingly impenetrable for many is the music is so fast, so visceral, that there's no time whatsoever to contemplate the song that's playing. In and out, 60 insane seconds of tightly executed, blinding ferocity, and then on to the next track. With Pig Destroyer, though, when you dig a little deeper, the rewards are much more substantial than the (admittedly brilliant) adrenalin rush of the arrangements. Guitarist Scott Hull is a master of the riff, especially when he shifts gears from grindcore to more groove-oriented death metal and thrash, and on this album his tone is incredible, full and warm, as opposed to the high-end mix heard on Terrifyer. The riffs are so huge, in fact, that we quickly forget that there's no bass player. However, the real clincher for Pig destroyer is vocalist JR Hayes, who has quickly established himself as one is the greatest lyricists metal has ever seen, as underneath all the screams and roars is a spellbinding pastiche of Burroughsian violent fantasies ("Deathtripper", "Cemetery Road"), apocalyptic social commentary ("Alexandria"), jarring moments of genuine emotion ("4th Degree Burns"), and heartbreaking character sketches ("The Girl in the Slayer Jacket"). It slays, and it's got soul…a deadly combination if there ever was one.
 4. M.I.A. - Kala
I say this all the time, but only because it's something that's become all too prevalent in popular music: we've become so accustomed to new artists putting out incredible debut albums only to follow them up with complete turkeys, that when someone comes along and puts out a second album that makes your jaw hit the floor, it's as if we never even saw it coming. I'll readily admit I was wondering how Maya Arulpragasam's new album could possibly match the vibrancy of 2005's Arular, but with the assistance of some of the trendiest producers around, she not only bested her critically acclaimed debut, but has given us an album so bursting with variety, that it renders Arular to monochrome in comparison. Kala is a stunner.
Instead of playing it safe by serving up multiple continuations of "Galang", "Sunshowers", and "Bucky Done Gun", the astonishing Kala flies directly in the face of convention, a violent, cacophonous, exhilarating collision of world music and cutting-edge production. Maya's somewhat ambiguous yet confrontational lyrical style is ever present, but she's made significant strides vocally, best heard on the Bollywood cover "Jimmy". The album's myriad influences span the globe, including Africa, Sri Lanka, Australia, Jamaica, and India, all pieced together and infused with thunderous arrangements by producers Switch, Diplo, Blaqstarr, Morganics, and Timbaland (interestingly, it's Timbaland's track that's the closest thing that comes to a weak link on the entire album). Not only that, but Western pop rears its head all over the album, from "Bamboo Banga"'s Modern Lovers reference, the Pixies quote in "20 Dollar", to the not-so-subtle Pixies reference and "Blue Monday" rip-off in "20 Dollar". "Bird Flu" is her most aggressive track to date and "Boys" is a wickedly catchy single, but the incredible "Paper Planes" remains the album's most inspired moment, in which Diplo samples the Clash's "Straight to Hell", tossing in the greatest sound-effect chorus ever, not to mention the cleverest hook I've heard in years.
 5. Baroness - Red Album
Every year, there's one new band or artist that comes along and obliterates the majority of the competition out there, offering a fresh perspective on a sound that might have otherwise sounded overdone. This year has been no exception, with the likes of Plastiscines, Los Campesinos!, and Sally Shapiro putting out excellent debuts, but if there was one new band that came along and sounded primed for some very big things, it was Savannah Georgia's Baroness. Fronted by John Baizley, who has also quickly risen as one of the most in-demand album cover artists in metal music, Baroness has taken its time getting to where they are, putting out a few EPs that were well-received. Whether that was all part of a big plan or was just how things naturally evolved, it was perfect, as the foursome slowly built an underground following over the last couple years, and when the release date for their first official full-length was announced, the advance hype started in full force.
I hopped on to that hype machine good and early, back around June, but it took a good deal of the summer for the Red Album to grow on me. The more I let it sink in, though, the more I started to discover its neat little quirks. Like many American bands, Baroness follows the massive progressive sludge of Mastodon, but they also slyly toss in a strong indie rock influence, ranging from the jam-based sounds of Built to Spill to the more insistent style of Fugazi. Add in a strong Southern rock element, a tendency towards NWOBHM guitar harmonies, and Baizley's increased emphasis on melodic vocals and you've got one of the more auspicious, accomplished metal debuts of this decade. Need proof? All it takes is a listen to the incredible opening trifecta of "Rays on Pinion", "The Birthing", and "Isak" to show just how for real these guys are.
 6. Battles - Mirrored
Progressive rock is always better when the artists don't take themselves seriously, and make it sound like they're actually enjoying the music they're playing. Just look at Rush, for instance…any band who shows a South Park cartoon lampooning their music during their concerts isn't exactly suffering from an inflated ego. The trouble I had with Battles at first, though, most specifically the single "Atlas", was that these four guys were almost sounding too whimsical, the chanting munchkin voices and cartoonish melody bordering on novelty I thought, this band is going far too overboard with everything…how can anyone take this stuff seriously? Not only do prog rockers have to loosen up, dear reader, but prog rock listeners as well, because once I began to enjoy the seven-minute "Atlas", that nasty little hook stuck in my head constantly, I began to hear all the complexity in the song, three musicians doing a kazillion things at once, as drummer John Stanier anchoring the gigantic sonic mess with a massive backbeat.
In addition to Mirrored's astounding combination of complexity and accessibility, this album rocks like nobody's business, a prime example being the lengthy "Rainbow", which sounds sort of like Can as interpreted by Carl Stalling, the track cruising forcefully one second, and stuttering herky-jerkily the next. Meanwhile, the instrumental (I use this term loosely, the tracks with actual singing basically feature vocal gibberish) "Tonto" sounds exceptionally tight, thanks again to Stanier, the former Helmet drummer providing a sharp snare beat that punctuates the performance by the rest of the band. "Tij" features a strangely Danny Elfman-like melody over a pseudo-mechanical arrangement, the myriad instruments serving as the many cogs in a demented timepiece, while "Bad trails" heads in the complete opposite direction, opting for pure minimalism, but not at the expense of the central hook. But enough trying to describe this thing. It's beyond words…just try it out for yourself, and embrace the unpretentious fun of it all.
 7. Jesu - Conqueror
It's always great to see a veteran musician go through an artistic rebirth, either after a stagnant period, self-imposed exile, or in the case of someone like Steve Earle, prison. In Justin Broadrick's case, his final years with Godflesh were unbearably miserable, and although he played a major role in the development of modern metal music, first co-founding grindcore legends Napalm Death and then setting the industrial metal template with the very influential Godflesh, as he neared the age of 40, it was high time for a significant change. The end result was Jesu, a project that combined the blunt force of Broadrick's guitars with a new emphasis on melody, be it guitar based or vocal, clearly influenced by both early-80s post punk and late-80s shoegaze. The first EP and full-length album were very good, albeit cautious in their approach, but it wasn't until the gorgeous Silver EP came out last year that we really started to see just what Broadrick's new band was capable of, and 2007 had him continuing in that same direction, with astonishingly prolific results.
In the end, Jesu gave us a total of four releases, including three superb EPs, and most significantly, the aptly titled Conqueror, which masterfully blends the density of the first album with the strong melodic sensibility of Silver. We get the odd hint of aggression, or at the very least a mild form of it, as on "Old Year", but the predominant mood is reflection and contentment, as Broadrick sings his often wistful in a completely unpretentious voice, while his riffs wash over like waves, underscored by Diarmuid Dalton's deliberate bass and Ted Parsons's restrained metronomic drumming. The best songs on the album, such as "Conqueror", "Weightless & Horizontal", and "Stanlow" soar gently, as the realization hits us that this stuff is as majestic, accessible, and overwhelmingly positive as Coldplay's best work. Incredibly, I mean that in a good way.
 8. Patty Griffin - Children Running Through
Patty Griffin has been a critics' darling for the good part of a decade now, but while she's amassed a very impressive back catalogue during that time, it seems she's always been in search of her own definitive voice, which we could hear on her albums, whether it was the sparse solo performances on Living With Ghosts, the more rock-fueled arrangements of Flaming Red, or the melancholic, gospel-tinged Impossible Dream. She's never put out a bad album, but the sense always lingered that it would only be a matter of time before she knocked one out of the park, and at long last, with her seventh album, Griffin did just that with an album bursting with passion and beauty. It's the one classic album she's been building towards.
Interestingly, Children Running Through is her most eclectic album to date, but the versatility Griffin displays is impeccable. Just look at the first five tracks: "You'll Remember" is a dusky jazz torch song, "Stay on the Ride" is surprisingly gritty old-fashioned rhythm & blues, "Trapeze" is a pretty country ballad featuring Emmylou Harris, "Stay on the Ride" is raucous rockabilly, and the stunning "Burgundy Shoes" is a ballad that evokes the subtle grandiosity of Bruce Springsteen's ballads. In less talented hands, these songs together would seem all over the place, but Griffin's commanding yet gentle singing gives it all a continuity that few could ever pull off. From there, the album just cruises along with the confidence of a master artist. The gospel-tinged "Heavenly Day" ambles languorously with a deep southern feel, "No Bad News" is buoyant pop highlighted by some delightful mariachi horns, while the majestic "Over the Mountain (MLK Song)" destroys any histrionic faux-soul singing you'll hear on American Idol, Griffin displaying extraordinary restraint, which in turn gives the song, not to mention the entire album, a sense of dignity that no overhyped pre-fab diva could ever equal.
 9. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
Jens Lekman's emergence as a first-rate singer-songwriter was one of the biggest revelations of 2004, as then, even at the age of 23, he displayed the kind of talent one would expect from considerably older artists like Stephin Merritt and Jarvis Cocker. Singing in a smooth, crooning voice over clever arrangements that ranged from minimal samples and primitive production to simple a cappella tunes, Lekman turned out to be not only capable of some incredibly catchy melodies, but some of the smartest, most beguilingly self-effacing lyrics you'll ever hear. Hearing his EPs and debut album (the outstanding When I Wanted to be Your Dog) then, we could tell immediately this fella was a major, major talent, and on 2007's Night Falls Over Kortedala, he appears well on his way to becoming the best singer-songwriter of his generation.
Kortedala confidently and understatedly goes about its business, not trying anything too bold, just letting Lekman's charisma lead the way. However, the backing arrangements have some degree of boldness to them, such as the two samples used to construct the smooth 70s disco of "Sipping on the Sweet Nectar", the Pulp-by-way-of-Scott Walker strings of "And I Remember Every Kiss" (eerily similar to Pulp's 2001 single "Trees"), and the winsome doo wop-meets-hip hop of "Kanske Är Jag Kär I Dig". Lekman's sentiment is unapologetically romantic on the entire album, but his eloquence and wit wins even the most cynical listeners over, as on "Your Arms Around Me", in which his narrator is so smitten, he doesn't even notice he sliced his hand peeling an avocado. "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo" is a perfect depiction of small-town life, as he gradually moves from condescension to sincere joy and both the sweet "Shirin" and the hilarious "A Postcard to Nina" rank as two of the best songs he's ever written.
 10. Between the Buried and Me - Colors
After the revelatory experience of hearing Between the Buried and Me for the first time in mid-2005, I've seen the North Carolina band evolve into something rather extraordinary. On Alaska, they started to get even bolder than their highly technical previous two albums, incorporating melody more, dabbling in styles other than progressive metalcore, and displaying an overall precociousness that seemed like they were grinning to themselves, finally aware of just what they were capable of. Last year's collection of cover tunes would turn out to be a major signpost. Many criticized the band for creating exact imitations of the bands whose material they covered, but it was less about why they did it than the fact that they actually could do it, and they way they switched from Pantera to King Cronson to Pink Floyd to Depeche Mode to Queen to Sepultura was staggering. In one shrewd move, Between the Buried and Me raised expectations higher than they already were after Alaska, and sure enough, the hugely anticipated follow-up exceeded them.
Where to even begin with Colors? Essentially a complete, single-track piece that rund continually for more than 64 minutes, the quintet loses all inhibitions, tosses conventional songwriting out the window, and approaches prog rock with the audacity, the unmitigated ignorance and arrogance of a young band that doesn't know any better, and leaves tired also-rans like the Mars Volta and Dream Theater choking pathetically on their dust. It's impossible to go into every stylistic twist and turn, but to call Colors labyrinthine is an understatement. It's all over the place tossing out mellow Floyd interludes, doses of Weimar cabaret, Queen-style pomposity, theatrical black metal, jazz fusion solo runs, and even a bit of old-fashioned country. Yet none of it feels contrived, as we gleefully take whatever they throw our way, thoroughly enjoying the ride throughout.
11. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem's first full-length album in 2005 proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that dancepunk was more than just a fleeting fad, but what Sound of Silver does is solidify their status as one of the most clever, original bands in America today. The first album felt like James Murphy and his crew were bent on showing us all that his combination of rousing, organic rock music and epic funk grooves could work for longer than just a simple 12-inch single, but while the band succeeded mightily, people were already looking ahead to the follow-up, to see if they'd be able to come up with something even better, or would be doomed to repeating itself with endless cowbell jams. Granted, the cowbells are still present, as the fabulous "North American Scum" and "Us v Them" both revisit the tried-and-true formula, but the music on Sound of Silver is remarkably rich and diverse, displaying much more depth both musically and in Murphy's singing, which finds several gears other than snarky. "Get Innocuous" is a phenomenal dance track, the Junior Boys-like "Someone Great" features a genuinely affecting performance by Murphy, but the real winner here just might be the glorious New Order jam of "All My Friends", avoiding the hipster mannerisms in favour of a feeling much more genuine.
12. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War
About six months after the fall 2004 release of Set Yourself on Fire, after I'd passed it by for my year-end list that year, Stars finally clicked for me. I don't know what it was, but after sitting on the fence, I finally got it, and since then I've been a fan of the Montreal band, having seen them on three occasions since. While the Arcade Fire remains the most popular and hyped Canadian indie band, and as the many splinters of Broken Social Scene continues to generate excitement among scenesters, Stars has kept things simple, becoming the country's classiest act. Led by the superb boy-girl dynamic of Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan, this is first-rate pop music, tastefully arranged, with smart lyrics that are either hopelessly romantic or hopelessly bleak, the songs never lowering themselves to maudlin sentiment or cheesy melodrama. The darkly gorgeous, brooding "The Night Starts Here" and the Smiths-like "Take Me to the Riot" are instant classics, but there are plenty of gems if you dig a little deeper, like the gentle R&B of "The Ghost of Genova Heights", the deceptively wistful pop of "Midninght Coward" and "Window Bird", and "Personal", as devastating a character sketch as you'll ever come across. What a sublime album.
13. High on Fire - Death is This Communion
Four albums in, the mighty High on Fire is steadily climbing the metal ladder, each album a rung above the previous release. 2002's Surrounded By Thieves is a stoner rock classic, its throttling pace a far cry from the more lugubrious work of Sleep. Three years later, Blessed Black Wings boasted substantial improvements, from the riffs to the production, helmed by the great Steve Albini. However, I believe that this year's Death is This Communion is the trio's best album to date, for several reasons. First and foremost is the production style of Jack Endino; as opposed to Albini's more stark, raw mixing style, Endino adds layer upon layer of sounds, creating an absolutely monolithic, formidable wall of sound, yet at the same time, there's an underlying warmth and richness that envelops the listener as they're being throttled. Secondly, Des Kensel is a madman on drums, sounding Bonham-esque one minute, and going faster than he's ever gone the next. New bassist Jeff Matz brings a musicality to bass that the band has never had before. But front and centre is Matt Pike, who howls inspired hesher lyrics in his Lemmy-like snarl, and proves again why he's one of metal's best shredders. Bow down; these dudes are officially metal royalty.
14. Witchcraft - The Alchemist
I was introduced to Witchcraft's spellbinding debut album in 2004, and I was immediately taken by the Swedish band's authenticity. In fact, their devotion to the proto-metal sounds of early-70s Black Sabbath and Pentagram was jarring…from the lo-fi production, to the delivery of singer Pelander, to the heavy yet restrained guitar riffs, this band sounded like they came from 1970. 2005's Firewood offered much of the same, but even by then, Witchcraft's shtick was already starting to wear thin, even bordering on novelty status. Sure the sound was cool, but where were the songs? Well, their third album makes up for that previous deficiency in a major way, as song craft has been emphasized over the retro window dressing, and yikes, what an improvement The Alchemist is, as Witchcraft has now made the leap from quaint, old-fashioned rock to a similarly diverse yet intense palette as that of countrymen Dungen. Sure, the Sabbath element is ever-present (the sunnier tones of Vol. 4 the record of choice), but they've added a cool prog/psychedelic influence to the mix, and coupled with Pelander's much-improved singing, it's as groovy and accessible as all get-out, from the intense garage rock of "If Crimson Was Your Colour" to the incredible epic title track.
15. Dungen - Tio Bitar
After being such an buzzed-about band among indie scenesters in 2004 and 2005, many of us figured what would happen with Dungen was that either a) the Swedish psychedelic rock band would fail to live up to the much-ballyhooed Tio Bitar album, and/or b) the backlash from said scenesters would be harsh. While we definitely are not hearing Dungen mentioned with the same kind of excitement as a couple years ago, the novelty of a retro-prog band singing only in Swedish having worn off, the new record turned out to be fantastic, the critical response very positive. Deservedly so, too, as I think Tio Bitar just might be better than the last album, as the foursome, led by singer/guitarist Gustav Ejstes, has broadened its sound while not straying too far from the style that has endeared the band to many. Its title translating as "Ten Pieces", Tio Bitar sounds unapologetically sunny one minute, dark and dour the next, Ejstes quixotically singing words we Anglophones can't understand, as Rene Fiske shreds away on lead guitar. Most notable is the thrilling, ten minute epic "Mon Amour", which transforms into first a raging Blue Cheer homage, and then an extended jam reminiscent of late-60s Can.
16. Plastiscines - LP1
I was first recommended Plastiscines by a colleague back around February, and while I was impressed by what I heard, this debut album just hung around week after week, month after month, until I realized that it had clearly become one of my most-played albums of 2007. The approach taken by these four ladies from Paris on LP1 is pretty straightforward garage rock, drawing heavily from such bands as Elastica, the Strokes, and the Libertines, but unlike so many sound-alike bands, there's some real personality in the music, not to mention loads of charm. Singer/guitarist Katty Besnard sings in sassy French and endearingly fractured, heavily accented English, in a borderline husky voice that is able to alternate between confrontation ("Rake"), sombre ("No Way"), and downright winsome, as on the 60s French pop tunes "Pop In, Pop Out!" and "(Zazie Fait de La) Bicyclette". The rest of the band keeps things simple, sticking to its strengths, but in so doing, instead of sounding in over their heads, they're remarkably tight, not to mention able to underscore Besnard's sassy personality with some equally lively arrangements, the best example being the absolute knockout of a single, "Loser". Not the most original style, but these ladies deserve top marks for execution.
17. Neurosis - Given to the Rising
One of the most influential metal bands of the last 15 years or so, Neurosis's impact has been so huge that more than a decade since their landmark Through Silver in Blood album, a new generation of bands has copied that style. Like any other trendy movement, the "post metal" (or to us buzzword-happy writers, "NeurIsis") movement can only last so long before it gets repetitive, and while 2007 has given us a few excellent Neurosis-inspired albums (by Minsk and Year of No Light particularly), I was getting pretty tired of the sound. That is, until the old granddads in Neurosis came along and took the kids to school, shattering the younger competition with a towering ninth album. Whereas 2004's The Eye of Every Storm had the band exploring more subtle sounds, Given to the Rising has them returning to what they're good at: unleashing wave after wave of epic, crushing heaviness. Recorded by longtime collaborator Steve Albini, the mix is simply massive as Neurosis toys with us, going from ambient drones and tribal percussion to overwhelming blasts of deceptively melodic riffs punctuated by gargantuan drumming, Steve von Till howling over the din like a prophet of doom. It's huge…there's no other way to put it.
18. Clutch - From Beale Street to Oblivion
Over the last decade, Clutch has metamorphosed from a reliable stoner rock band to a first-rate blues rock outfit, especially in the last five years, which has seen the band release a trio of albums that stress groove over power. The most recent record has the band streamlining its sound more than ever, continuing where the second half of Robot Hive/Exodus left off, massive riffs giving way to lithe boogie licks, Hammond B3, and one of the best blues rock rhythm sections you'll ever hear. I was sent an advance of Beale Street on December 27th of last year (nearly four months before its release), it grew on me steadily, and the thing wound up sticking with me for the entire year, thanks to such instantly memorable tracks as "Power Player", "The Devil & Me", and "Child of the City". Singer Neil Fallon has become a terrific singer, toning down the gruff howl of years past, and while his lyrics are inspired as ever, they don't overshadow the rest of the band's performances this time around. Consequently, it's the band's most cohesive album front to back, highlighted by the raucous blooze jam of "Electric Worry"/One Eye Dollar". Bang bang bang bang, vamanos vamanos, y'all.
19. Rush - Snakes and Arrows
The fact that Rush has been doing their thing for 33 years now is very admirable, and their recent output of DVD releases have ranked as some of the best music DVD packages I've ever seen, but as much as I love the band, the one thing that's stuck in my craw since 1993 has been the lack of a quality studio recording. Each one seemed to get worse, melodies turgid, guitars sounding muddy, and as easy as it has been to get excited about the various live discs, the same can't be said for the new albums. Which is why Snakes and Arrows is probably the nicest surprise of 2007, as Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart sound like they've rediscovered their passion for songwriting. Lee's tasteful vocals are some of his best work to date, while Peart and his mates flex their muscle on three separate instrumentals, but the real revelation here is Lifeson, who dominates the record with his nuanced guitar work. "Far Cry" combines the thunderous sound of 2112 with the melodicism of latter-day Rush, while "Armor and Sword" and "The Larger Bowl" contain his best riffs and most expressive solos since the 1980s. A superb return to form.
20. Richard Hawley - Lady's Bridge
I've been a fan of Richard Hawley for quite some time now, and it's really cool to see him finally get the accolades he so deserves. Granted, his success has been largely in the UK, but considering that it took so long for the former Longpigs guitarist and Pulp contributor to find his true voice as a solo artist, you can't help but be glad for any accolade or charting album that comes his way. Two years ago, Coles Corner followed up Lowedges (an album I loved) by going totally retro pop, channeling Phil Spector, 50s rockabilly, and Scott Walker, earning him a nomination for the 2006 Mercury Prize (he should have won it!). Lady's Bridge, however, is a subtle but significant improvement over the last record. He'll probably be the first to tell you he's a bit of a glum fella, but the mood on this album is at times disarmingly positive, almost whimsical, whether it's in his blunt romanticism ("Tonight the Streets Are Ours") or the upbeat tone of the music ("Serious"). All the while, Hawley provides his usual superb guitar work, but it's that deep, luxurious voice of his that wins us over, whatever the mood.
Honourable Mentions of 2007:
(The best of the rest, in alphabetical order)
Agua de Annique - Air
Anneke van Giersbergen's solo debut is confident and ambitious, using the sound of her former band the Gathering as a starting off point towards more varied styles, gracefully going in both heavier and more tender directions, that famous voice of hers the focal point.
Essential tracks: "Witnesses", "Lost and Found"
The Angelic Process - Weighing Souls With Sand
Part drone, part shoegaze, and part darkwave, the combination of unrelenting noise and shattering, emotional melodies is incredible to behold, as the husband and wife duo of K.Angylus and M.Dragynfly add layer upon layer of sounds until we're completely enveloped.
Essential Tracks: "The Promise of Snakes", "The Resonance of Goodbye"
Apostle of Hustle - National Anthem of Nowhere
The follow-up to 2004's great Folkloric feel sees Andrew Whiteman broadening the band's sound, yet at the same time remaining true to the Cuban influences that make Apostle of Hustle such a unique, highly enjoyable band, one of Canada's finest indie acts.
Essential tracks: "My Sword Hand's Anger", "Cheap Like Sebastien"
Bat For Lashes - Fur and Gold
Singer-songwriter Natasha Khan channels many great female singer-songwriters, from PJ Harvey, to Kate Bush, to Bjork, to Fiona Apple, but while those influences are very apparent, she is so assured in her delivery, that she has us buying into it immediately.
Essential tracks: "Trophy", "What's a Girl to Do?"
The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Underdog
Part orchestral pop, part robust indie rock, part Brian Wilson harmonies, this is a surprisingly low-key album. Instead of flying completely off the handle, the Montreal band remains restrained as songs often flirt with overwrought emotional sentiment. Subdued and beautiful.
Essential tracks: "Disaster", "Devastation"
Caina - Mourner
20 year-old Andrew Curtis-Brignell sounds mature beyond his years, his second album marking the emergence of a major talent. A remarkably poetic and soulful take on Satanism, his lo-fi black metal is infused with such disparate styles as folk, drone, and early-80s goth.
"Hideous Gnosis", "Wormwood Over Albion"
Caribou - Andorra
Dan Snaith continues his eccentric ways on this eclectic collection of new material. The swirly bliss of 2003's triumphant Up in Flames returns, but this time the more organic feel of 2005's The Milk of Human Kindness keeps the music nicely grounded.
Essential tracks: "Melody Day", "Sandy"
Dälek - Abandoned Language
It's getting harder for me to find any hip hop to get excited about, but Dälek's dark, literate take on the genre always fills that void, and this album is their best yet, Oktopus's production stunning in its subtlety, Dälek's lyrics as insightful as ever.
Essential tracks: "Abandoned Language", "Bricks Crumble"
The Howling Wind - Pestilence & Peril
The new band by artist Ryan Lipynsky, also known as Killusion, dives head first into old school black metal, channeling early-80s Hellhammer and early-90s Darkthrone. Simple and honest in its approach, it's one of the most wildly entertaining metal albums of the year.
Essential tracks: "Sin Continuum", "Virulence 33"
Om - Pilgrimage
The best doom metal band going right now, Om's style is surprisingly mellow, songs structured like ragas, as repeated instrumental passages underscore chanted singing and improvised solos. Comprised of four songs in just over 30 minutes, it's both economical and epic at the same time.
Essential tracks: "Pilgrimage", "Unitive Knowledge of the Godhead"
Paramore - Riot!
Forget Avril, Hayley Williams is the motherbleeping princess, as her band steps it up big time on their stupendous second album. The emocore influence remains strong, but the high-gloss pop rock cinches it, as petite vocal powerhouse Williams sells her melodramatic lyrics brilliantly.
Essential tracks: "That's What You Get", "Hallelujah"
Portal - Outre
The scariest album of the year, no question, these creepy Australian musicians serve up a highly twisted interpretation on death metal, with strong emphasis on the death, the soupy chords and lurching beats creating a disturbing vibe that's only exacerbated by the lavishly demented artwork.
Essential tracks: Best enjoyed endured in its entirety!
Sally Shaprio - Disco Romance
Blatantly stealing the early 80s synth pop sounds of Giorgio Moroder, Swedish producer Johan Agebjorn's ace up his sleeve is the enigmatic, reclusive Sally, who sings with such a gentle, innocent, charming voice, that it's easy to forgive Agebjorn's lack of originality.
Essential tracks: "I'll Be By Your Side", "Anorak Christmas"
Ulver - Shadows of the Sun
A long, long way from the band's black metal of the early 90s, Norway's Ulver has completely stripped down their sound, reducing it to minimalist ambient tones, subtle percussion, and the luxurious voice of Krystoffer Rygg. A first class chill-out album.
Essential tracks: "Solitude", "Funebre"
Watain - Sworn to the Dark
Classic Scandinavian black metal, these Satan-spewing, blood-flinging Swedes unleash the freakin' fury, taking the melodic style of Dissection and throttling us with it. With crisp production, strong vocals, and deceptively catchy guitar melodies, this is not only eee-vill, but surprisingly catchy stuff.
Essential tracks: "Legions of the Black Light", "Underneath the Cenotaph"
The Best Ineligible Releases of 2007:
(collections of previously released material, like live albums, reissues, compilations, music DVDs, etc.)
1. Metalocalypse (Season One)
Dethklok - The Dethalbum
I know what you're thinking…"A cartoon? And its soundtrack? Really?" Yeah, that's right. And I'm serious. Metalocalypse might be an ultra-violent, very funny and clever Adult Swim cartoon, but the music, featuring fictional death metal band Dethklok, plays an extremely vital role in the series. Actually, If the music wasn't able to match the quality of the script writing, the show would probably be a complete failure, but give credit to creator Brendon Small. Not only is he a talented comedy writer, but he is also a graduate of the Berklee School of Music, and is a massive metal fan. So along with enough knowledge of the genre to lampoon it brilliantly, he's also able to write and perform music that is shockingly credible. While I knew the Season One DVD, I was amazed at how strong and how much fun The Dethalbum really is. It's funny, no question ("Birthday Dethday" is a flat-out classic), but it's also first-class metal of the epic variety, shaming the recent albums by veteran bands Manowar and Iced Earth in the process. And the public has certainly caught on as well, as the CD became the highest-charting "death metal" album in US chart history. Comedy metal? Absolutely. But merely a novelty? No way, dude.
2. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation: Deluxe Edition
When Sonic Youth put out the deluxe edition reissue of their 1992 album Dirty, most of us thirtysomething-aged folks were going, that's really great, but what about Daydream Nation? If you were to select the most important albums to my generation, the one that came of age in the 1980s, near or at the very top would be the New York band's 1988 double album masterpiece, and this year, we finally got what we were craving, and it doesn't disappoint. Beautifully designed to reflect the visual impact of the original gatefold sleeve, appended with a CD crammed with liver performances of the album's songs while they were still in the developmental stage, as well as obscure covers from various compilations, and accompanied by extensive liner notes, the real draw remains the actual album itself, which has been tastefully remastered. And Daydream Nation is still an exciting listen, from the poetry of "Eric's Trip", to the fury of "Silver Rocket", to the timeless "Teen-Age Riot", one of the greatest opening tracks in rock 'n' roll history.
3. Megadeth - Warchest
Over the past 21 years, my opinions on Megadeth have varied. In the late-80s, I was a massive fan, going right up to Rust in Peace (see my 1990 Album of the Year pick below!), but when the band achieved mainstream stardom, I soured, and by the time the late-90s, I thought the band had been reduced to a joke. The 2004 remasters went a long way to restoring my interest in the thrash greats, but it was the comeback album The System Has Failed that made me a fan of MegaDave yet again. These days, the band sounds the strongest they've been in15 years, and to accompany the very good United Abominations album, Mustaine has given us a real treat in the five-disc Warchest, an extremely cool look back at his entire career. Three CDs collect album tracks, fascinating demos, live performances, and rare tracks, but the real draw here is the live material. The pro-shot 1992 concert DVD is great, but what's even better is the scorching 1990 live set, a snapshot of the band at its absolute peak.
4. Various Artists - The Heavy Metal Box
Assembling a definitive look back at the first 25 years of heavy metal history is no easy task, and next to impossible to condense into four CDs, but Rhino Records proved the doubters wrong with a very cool package. With strong emphasis from the more accessible side of the genre, from the early days to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, to the pop metal explosion, to the rise of American thrash, it's a pleasing and thorough a collection. Of course, there are a few inclusions that raise a few eyebrows, and some exclusions that do the same, but 95% of the time, they get it right, especially on the second disc, which is an exhilarating ride through the years 1980 to 1983, arguably the most important period in the development of heavy metal music. It's a thoroughly enjoyable look back for us oldsters, and a cool introduction for new listeners interested in beefing up their music collection.
5. Heaven and Hell - Live at Radio City Music Hall
Black Sabbath - The Dio Years
Every year, there seems to be a handful of band reunions that excite the public, and 2007 has been no question. But while the Police and Led Zeppelin reunions have attracted much of the attention, the one that excited yours truly the most was the welcome return of Black Sabbath Mk. III. Sabbath's output with Ozzy was something special, but when Ronnie James Dio replaced him in 1980, it lit a spark under the metal progenitors, and resulted in their last two great albums, Heaven and Hell and Mob Rules. More than a quarter century later, the foursome (with Vinny Appice on drums) sounded as great as ever, and judging by the performances, they were having a total blast playing this material. The Dio Years compilation is an exceptional retrospective, essential listening for any metal fan. Filmed barely a couple weeks after I saw them, the live DVD is a first-class production from start to finish, beautifully shot and impeccably performed.
6. Nightwish - End of an Era
Nightwish's public firing of singer Tarja Turunen was one of the most fascinating, scandalous splits the rock world has ever seen, and what makes the whole tale even more interesting is that the very show after which Turunen would be sacked (by open letter!) was actually recorded and filmed. And what a show it turned out to be, as it's been released as a lavish CD/DVD package. The band hated their singer and the singer was the ultimate diva, but you can't tell that on this performance, which is simply scorching, the band unleashing bombastic melodic metal epics, while the incomparable Turunen showcases her stunning vocal range. The CDs are impeccably mixed, but the DVD one-ups them with wonderfully shot footage of the show, as well as a documentary which counts down the agonizing hours before the gig, the band knowing the drastic measure they were about to take, and Turunen completely unsuspecting. The tension is incredible.
7. Opeth - The Roundhouse Tapes
Essentially a teaser for the forthcoming DVD release of the same concert, this stopgap release by the Swedish metal masters holds up extremely well as a live album. Recorded in November of 2006, it's a snapshot of the Ghost Reveries era of the band in peak form, as the quintet delivers a ridiculously tight, highly efficient performance, comprised of an undeniably Opethian 9 songs in 96 minutes. Unlike the majority of the shows on that tour, this concert features performances of songs from nearly every stage of the band's esteemed career, highlighted by such older tunes as "When", "Under the Weeping Moon", and "The Night and Silent Water". It's especially great to hear the live interplay of guitarists Mikael Åkerfeldt and Peter Lindgrean, as Lindgren would suddenly leave the band a few months later. Live albums often signify the closing of a particular chapter in a band's career, and that's definitely the case here, as we leave this album hoping Opeth can top themselves yet again.
8. Various Artists - Metal: A Headbanger's Companion, Volumes 1 and2
Earache Records is one of the most influential record labels in metal history, playing a massive role in the development of death metal, grindcore, and industrial music, and in 2007 they decided to treat us all by opening their huge vaults and assembling a pair of whopping, six-disc box sets to tell the story of the venerable imprint. With more than 200 songs and clocking in at a jaw-dropping nine hours, both sets are incredibly thorough, and while it would be extremely imposing for anyone new to extreme metal, the musical rewards are many. Whether it's the influential death metal of Carcass, Morbid Angel, Entombed, Bolt Thrower, and At the Gates, the face-shredding grind of Napalm Death and Brutal Truth, or the crushing experimental sounds of Godflesh and Pitchshifter, there are countless revelations to be had. And I've saved the best news for last…both sets are priced at less than 20 bucks. That's what you call bang for your buck.
9. Ratt - Tell the World: The Very Best of Ratt
Amazingly, in recent years I've become as obsessed with high-gloss hair band tunes as I was in the mid-80s, and in fact, given the choice, I'd take Ratt, Dokken, and Crüe over Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden any day. The LA pop metal of nearly 25 years ago was edgy, sleazy, and hugely catchy, and near the top of the Sunset Strip heap for several years was Ratt. Unlike the Poisons and Warrants of later that decade, Ratt was much harder, the production slick but robust, and the riffs razor sharp. Best of all, though, they never stooped as low as to record a power ballad. It was pure LA groove all the way, and this revamped compilation captures all their greatest moments, from the pop genius of "Round and Round", to the lecherous 1985 trifecta of "You're in Love", "Lay it Down", and "Dangerous But Worth the Risk", to my all-time Ratt 'n' Roll fave, "Wanted Man".
10. Various Artists - Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof
Going back to 1993, when I bought the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack shortly after seeing the movie, I've been a big fan of Quentin Tarantino's soundtracks. Music plays an integral role in every one of his films, and all his movies are accompanied by companion CDs crammed with clever song choices, many of them obscure. But as great as his past soundtracks have been, the one I've found most fun, most satisfying, comes from a flick that many people regard as one of his weaker efforts. Personally, I liked Death Proof a lot, but I absolutely love the soundtrack, which is arranged like a supercool mix for late night highway driving. Creepy instrumentals, 60s rock 'n' roll oddities, a healthy dose of soul, snappy dialogue from the film, and April March's saucy cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "Laisse Tomber Les Filles" all make for an album that have you wishing you were blasting a 1970 Dodge Challenger down two-lane blacktop.
Introduction
And just like that, the year has zipped by yet again, and I'm left here to deal with all the new music I've heard over the last twelve months, trying to sift through it all and pick out the best stuff I've heard all year. This is the 22nd year I've done this, the seventh for this little blog, and my sixth as a quoteunquote music writer, and I tell you, it just keeps getting more and more difficult. At last count, the number of new albums to cross my path is on the verge of topping 500, but while it's much more imposing a task than I'd ever imagined it to be, it's still incredibly fun, either hearing an album by an artist who fulfills expectations, or a complete unknown who comes along and absolutely bowls me over. And though there's never any shortage of average to mediocre releases, especially in indie rock these days, there's always stuff I wind up loving to bits, and there's certainly no shortage of that this time around.
2007 has been eventful for yours truly, as my writing has now been spread out on multiple fronts. The PopMatters thing is still going strong, my monthly column really becoming the primary focus along with my usual album reviews. Decibel is still a blast, as my workload with the mag has started to increase, and I continue to chip in at Static whenever I can manage. But the most significant change has been my inclusion at the revamped Metal Edge magazine, which is really shaping up to be an enjoyable and time-consuming gig. I've focused on feature writing more than ever, and have spoken to tons of musicians, all of whom have been enjoyable to talk to. All the variety has only helped my writing, and I've put out some pieces I'm particularly proud of, such as my huge Manowar piece for PopMatters (probably the best thing I wrote all year), my Therion feature for Decibel, my Eyehategod article for Decibel, my Machine Head feature for Metal Edge (sorry, no link!), my Alcest review for Decibel, and my Jens Lekman review for PopMatters.
As for the music itself, I found it more and more difficult to generate any enthusiasm for a lot of the indie rock that's generated so much praise this year, as I really couldn't care less about bands like Of Montreal, the Field, Panda Bear, Spoon, Animal Collective, and Stars of the Lid, which, while all genuinely capable, just haven't clicked with me at all. That said, though, the good indie I did hear this year has been really good. What's been most impressive about music in 2007 has been the explosion of outstanding releases in the metal genre. It started late last year, and kept on rolling through November, as band after band seemed to realize its potential and put out a fantastic album, making it an absolute chore to keep up with everything. Whether it was avant-garde soundscapes, shoegaze-inspired density, or classic fist-bangin', horns-throwin' hesher music, the number of above average metal records has been staggering, and a good number of them have shown up on this year's list.
As for the live shows, it's been a decent year. Seeing Heaven and Hell (you know, Black Sabbath featuring Dio) with Megadeth was a real thrill, while concert madness at Junofest featured a raucous set by You Say Party, We Say Die!/Shout Out Out Out Out/Malajube/Champion and a jaw-dropping intimate show by Patrick Watson. !!! was great dancepunk fun, Apostle of Hustle was as fabulous as always, Tragically Hip at the gorgeous Bessborough Gardens was a fun but surreal (and surprisingly scary) experience, Clutch was an all-out blast, 3 Inches of Blood was huge fun, Ozzy Osbourne/Rob Zombie was a first-class arena rawk show (to which I had an unbelievable seat), Stars were as charming as ever, and Tool…Tool was in-credible. Two concerts really stuck out, though. Not only did I spend a sweltering Canada Day evening seeing the White Stripes play a wildly energetic show at the best venue in the city, but I also stood 15 feet away as I watched them play an impromptu, 15 minute set to a couple hundred people at a nearby bowling alley just hours earlier. Amazing. Even better, though, was seeing my beloved the Gathering at long, long last. Opening for Lacuna Coil (who themselves were terrific) in May, they only played six songs over 45 minutes, but what a thrill it was to finally hear the incomparable Anneke van Giersbergen sing in person. And much to our shock, Anneke left the band not two weeks later! When I spoke to her on the phone a few months later, she said that tour was one of the best times she'd ever had, that she and the band knew she was leaving, and were just going out there and having fun. And it showed during that transcendent set.
Be sure to watch for my top 20 singles countdown in the right margin, which will kick off at the same time as my album countdown…there will be MP3 links posted for each track, so don't hesitate to sample (and then buy)! So thanks for reading this silly page for another year, and I hope you have as much fun reading this stuff as I do writing it. If I can turn you on to some music you might have otherwise missed out on, then that makes it all worthwhile. Enjoy!
Before I get going, though, I have to fess up to being nowhere near as hip as I think I am, and mention some albums from 2006 that I completely missed out on a year ago:
Tom Waits - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards
It may seem like a haphazard mish-mash of new recordings and studio left-overs, but much to my shock this past January, this turned out to be the best Tom Waits album since bone Machine. The dude is simply en fuego from start to finish, whether it's while covering Ramones songs, crooning like a demented drunk Beat poet, or rocking like an old blooze madman while clanking on pots and pans. Enthralling from start to finish, this would have contended for my top slot.
Scott Walker - The Drift
This is one of the scariest albums I have ever heard. I first listened to it in mid-December as I was doing my 2006 countdown, and was instantly transfixed, ultimately buying the CD on Boxing Day. I was quite unfamiliar with Walker's oeuvre, and his spellbinding combination of ornate crooning, chilly, minimal arrangements, astonishing production, and disturbing lyrics had me enthralled from the start. It's the perfect soundtrack for staying up late at night…but only if you're not squeamish.
Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
I'd always admired Muse, but never gave them the attention they deserved, and I found 20006's single "Supermassive Black Hole" to be kind of underwhelming. Not only was I seriously mistaken about that song, but the rest of the album turned out to be fanflippintastic, a hugely catchy blast of art rock bombast that had the trio stepping out of Radiohead's shadow for good. And not only would I be enjoying "Starlight" and "Invincible" this past summer, but I'd be shredding away to "Knights of Cydonia" on Guitar Hero III six months later.
Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55
This was another album I was just getting into in December of 2006. Normally a solo album by a well-known actress wouldn't interest me, but not only is Charlotte Gainsbourg extremely cool (being the daughter of Serge Gainsbourg and all), but she managed to surround herself with some very talented people for this album, mainly French duo Air, the great Jarvis Cocker, and Neil Hannon, who give Charlotte both some fantastic lyrics to sing and a sumptuous musical backdrop against which to sing.
Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block
A year ago, the hype surrounding this Swedish trio was through the roof, and justifiably so, as the snappy little single "Young Folks" was the talk of the blogs, message boards, and critics' polls. I had the MP3s of the album, but it took a good few months for the rest of the tracks to warm up to me, which they did in a huge, huge way. And not only that, but the unthinkable happened, as "Young Folks" went on to be a big mainstream hit in North America. Well, better late than never!
My top ten albums of 2006:
1. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
2. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
3. Boris - Pink
4. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
5. Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse
6. Celtic Frost - Monotheist
7. Love is All - Nine Times the Same Song
8. Junior Boys - So This is Goodbye
9. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
10. Malajube - Trompe L'Oeil
Past albums of the year (uh, please bear in mind I was sixteen when I started this):
1986: Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
1987: Def Leppard - Hysteria
1988: Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
1989: Voivod - Nothingface
1990: Megadeth - Rust In Peace, Led Zeppelin Box Set (tie)
1991: Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
1992: R.E.M. - Automatic For The People
1993: Nirvana - In Utero
1994: Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
1995: Elastica - Elastica
1996: Pulp - Different Class
1997: Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Mind
1998: Monster Magnet - Powertrip
1999: Metallica - S & M
2000: Yo La Tengo - ...And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
2001: Bob Dylan - Love And Theft, The Langley Schools Music Project - Innocence & Despair (tie)
2002: The Streets - Original Pirate Material
2003: Manitoba - Up in Flames
2004: Arcade Fire - Funeral
2005: Opeth - Ghost Reveries
2006: Mastodon - Blood Mountain
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PopMatters Best Metal of 2007
Blood & Thunder #24
PopMatters Best of 2007 (#48, #10)
Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same
The Best Singles of 2007:
1. Los Campesinos! - "You! Me! Dancing!"
2. Battles - "Atlas"
3. Stars - "The Night Starts Here"
4. M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
5. Manic Street Preachers - "Your Love Alone is Not Enough"
6. Those Dancing Days - "Hitten"
7. Plastiscines - "Loser"
8. Roisin Murphy - "Overpowered"
9. LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"
10. Stars - "Take Me to the Riot"
11. M.I.A. - "Boyz"
12. Girls Aloud - "Call the Shots"
13. Clutch - "Electric Worry"
14. Los Campesinos! - "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives"
15. Richard Hawley - "Tonight the Streets are Ours"
16. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - "Catch You"
17. Within Temptation - "The Howling"
18. Siobhan Donaghy - "So You Say"
19. Paramore - "Hallelujah"
20. Jens Lekman - "The Opposite of Hallelujah"
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