Posted in: Musicouching by Vastari Lentar on November 22, 2009 | 1 Comment
With 2009 drawing to a close, what are my favourite albums of the year?
With the year coming to an end, I thought it might be a good idea to run back over all the albums and music that I’ve listened to thus far and select my top five. Not necessarily five released this year, just my favourites that I’ve listened to over the year. So without any particular order, let us begin.
Panic Lift’s debut album is one of my all time favourite albums. Dark, brutal and shifting between personal and non-personal lyrics, “Witness to Our Collapse” is one of the few albums I own that I can listen to the entire thing from start to finish. Personal favourite tracks include: Failsafe, Butterfly Wings and Remnants of a Dead Age. Word is that Panic Lift is already working on a newer album, and I cannot wait for the release. If it’s even half as good as this one, it’s going to be amazing.
Buy the album here.
Easily my favourite album of all time, Xentrifuge returned from their immense success with Light Extinguished, throwing their fans into an age of cold brutality. With tracks made for both the dancefloor and the mosh pit, “Converting Infinity” mixes Industrial, EBM, Noise with Piano solos, violins and vocal choirs to make a truly cold and awe inspiring album. With tracks like Penance, Converting Infinity and Into Descent, this album will always remain one of my favourites.
Buy the album here.
Returning from his first release with “Close to Human” Daniel Graves throws EBM fans off course with a significantly less dark and more personal album than a lot of other bands. Ranging from the pounding and extremely impressive The Great Depression to more melancholic tracks such as A Quiet Anthem, “A Violent Emotion” is a fantastic album, and one can only wait to see what Graves throws at us again.
Buy the Album here.
The most suprising thing about this album is that it came from the same man responsible for “A Violent Emotion”. Necessary Response was Daniel Graves’ side project for music less suited to his main act, Aestheic Perfection. Unfortunately, Graves has not found the time to continue work on NR, but this single album will always remain one of my favourites. At times moving, at other times upbeat, “Blood Spills Not Far From The Wound” shows just how talented Graves is, and is an amazingly impressive release.
Buy the Album here.
Easily the most impressive album thus far from X-Fusion, “Ultima Ratio” is an eclectic mix of guitar, synths and both slow and fast beats. A fantastic listen, with such great tracks as Follow Your Leader and Ultima Ratio, this album is the most recent addition to my library and has quickly risen to a high position in my listening charts. Definitely worth buying or downloading, Ultima Ratio is a steep hurdle for X-Fusion to match or exceed in later releases.
Buy it here.
Barneslow November 22nd, 2009 at 9:38 pm
They look a bit too gothic for my liking