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Dishing the dirt on some musical (and not-so-musical) moments of 2006 (D&D end-year write-off)Jan 01 '07 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Enjoy it. Cherish it. Just don't believe it. (Note: Author may find himself sued by Almost Famous script writers if they ever read this)
Hey there. Should we begin with an introduction before we get started into what, in my mind at least, has comprised the best music on offer this year? I’m Black Star 40. If nothing else, I hope I make it really clear, through both my musings on various recordings and the way I cherish the ones I enjoy, that I really love music. So while of course you could argue that doing an end-year list like this is purely subjective, hopefully that qualifies me to my opinion. This is the first opportunity I’ve had to do a write-up like this for Epinions; I’ve published a list of the top 30 songs simultaneously, which you can find a link to below, but these are the elite ten albums to hit my radar this year. Unlike singles, the album has to be strong as a whole to warrant inclusion here, so every one of them is outstanding. Let’s go! Hereth lies my list: 10. Flyleaf - Flyleaf An enthralling debut from a Christian female-fronted band, Flyleaf have copped some flak for sounding like Evanescence or Avril. In truth, they’re more vivid and raw than either of them, refusing to water down in sentimental religious mush (though there are some beautiful ballads), and tackling some big issues. We can only hope they keep their hard-hitting sound as uncompromising in future. 9. Under A Billion Suns - Mudhoney A seriously overlooked instalment from the pioneers of the grunge movement, Under A Billion Suns outlines Mudhoney’s clear progression and maintained standard from classics like Superfuzz Bigmuff into the present day, and just has that much over Pearl Jam’s self-titled this year. Laced with psychedelia and meaty licks, the basis of these cuts is undoubtedly political, but the group manage to still have fun. 8. Boys & Girls In America - The Hold Steady Yes, The Hold Steady are overrated (anything that Pitchfork magazine says is really great must logically be), but that doesn’t stop them from having one of the best discs of the year. Boys & Girls In America is a light-hearted, mildly conceptualized indie-pop album, with no tracks that really stand out but full of whole-album statements and plaintive piano that beats out roughly 80% of today’s other bands. 7. The Eraser - Thom Yorke I’m really looking forward to the new Radiohead album; we miss something in each consecutive year without one. That said, The Eraser is still an enormously satisfying album from the frontman gone solo if you’re prepared for a sharp veer away from his normal territory. Clocking in with less than ten tracks, and tweaking out an interesting and unexpected “formula” (if it can indeed be called that) – his hypnotic, pure voice alongside modernized bleeps and machines – and it’s one of only a few I gave five stars to this year... but did I say I’m really looking forward to that next Radiohead album? 6. The Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me - Brand New A little like Blue October, Brand New are carving out huge experimental arcs in the genre they’re working in. No-one had the right to expect anything so good from the fourpiece, and that’s why it’s all the more offputting that The Devil & God... is sheer brilliance. Many of the songs are obsessed with death, with a quiet, unpretentious introspection to them, and even the Grim Reaper gets to star on the album’s cover... but Brand New make up for the gloomy mood with sidewinding soundscapes and instrumental flourishes. 5. 10,000 Days - Tool You can look at 10,000 Days in two ways. One; aside from EP Opiate, it’s prog-metal band Tool’s weakest album yet (and it took five years to produce), or two; anything by Tool is still better than at least half the other groups on the market. This countdown chooses to focus mostly on the latter: while the fourpiece could do some renovations to justify their massive track lengths (including one ten-minute spoken monologue), no one can deny them their expertness with their instruments, the sneering, vitriolic way (‘Vicarious’) in which Maynard James Keenan presents his political views, the simple but effective originality in ‘The Pot,’ or the personal side to the band, demonstrated in the ‘Wings’ double track. 4. Blood Mountain - Mastodon 10 out of 10 from Alternative Press. 8.7 from Pitchfork. The most uncompromising major label release since Metallica’s Master of Puppets, says PopMatters. The most overrated since Master of Puppets, I say! Nah, just kidding. Part of me wants to react with distaste to all the hype that’s been piled on Mastodon, but in all honesty I don’t think I could dislike this album even if I tried. Blood Mountain is a multi-faceted story about climbing a mountain. It gives acoustic guitars a new place in the word ‘heavy,’ and introduces a creature called a ‘cysquatch’. As far as 2006’s metal goes, it’s the obligatory album to put on the end-year list. 3. Christ Illusion - Slayer Christ Illusion is Slayer’s tenth album... and, as the cliche goes, they’re showing no signs of showing up. With original drummer Dave Lombarbo back behind the wheel, and guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman ever-reliable to play faster solos than anybody else, among the usual Satanic / anti-Christian rants (‘RELIGION IS HATE! RELIGION IS FEAR! RELIGION IS WAR!’), there’s something oh-so-very-special about it front to back. Some people call it a ‘comeback,’ but here’s the truth: Christ Illusion is the best lyrical Slayer album ever. They go through many different phases throughout, whether it be “Flesh Storm,” “Eyes of the Insane” or “Cult,” but you can always tell it’s the same band pounding angrily away. It’s probably not the ideal purchase if you don’t find yourself into the extreme music shtick: but I challenge any metalhead not to revere this outing. 2. Define the Great Line - Underoath I still remember writing my review on this like it was yesterday. I was originally debating whether to give it three or four stars. But who could predict that Underoath were actually very intelligent musicians and they were just toying with my mind? They sound nothing like how ‘metalcore’ is supposed to, after all. Made of rough, loud recordings and some instrumentals, with little in between, it is also an album where the fleeting melody makes it not more accessible but more frustrating. Again, it’s not for everyone, but those who do find it to their liking should treasure it for months. That leaves only... 1. Foiled - Blue October There’s been little question in my mind for most of this year that Blue October were inevitably going to have the album of the year. The single most impressing thing I’ve found about it is the experimentation. Very rarely does a mainstream band have the courage not to make their songs sound like one another, but sitting through Foiled encompasses so many different genres and moods, not to mention the innovation on display here, that I could never get sick of it. While their track “Drilled A Wire Through My Cheek” landed a place on the Saw III soundtrack among metal bands, and the single “Hate Me” has become, unexpectedly, one of the biggest hits of the year, and while happy-sad follow-up “Into the Ocean” is gaining momentum, only by listening to the ten other tracks on Foiled can you say you know what Blue October sound like. And that is why it’s my album of the past 12 months. Now for some albums that didn’t go so well and therefore need to be publicly humiliated... Most Overrated Album Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium Arcadium. Like I said on the forums, I think I could write a 1000-page book on why this album sucks. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its moments in two fricken’ hours of meaningless music, but every breathless RHCP fan still listening to Stadium Arcadium needs to wake up to themselves and realize: “Hmm, every song sounds exactly the same...” Most Disappointing Album I’d have to go for Live – Songs from Black Mountain Ok, so Birds of Pray wasn’t their best work, but it was certainly an uplifting step in the right direction and I expected more from the follow-up. Taking the band into a muddled cesspool of songs about sex, with an ode or two to the lead singer’s daughter in between, it’s no wonder it flopped. I haven’t listened to it for a few months now. Album I Thought Would Suck And Did Papa Roach – The Paramour Sessions. Besides the undeniable fact that a couple of songs are catchy (and even they wear off), this CD has no redeeming value whatsoever. No further comment. Worst Singer It’d have to be Brandon Flowers of the Killers. Apparently he had lots of effects on in Hot Fuss, because on Sam’s Town he sounds utterly monotonous start to finish. The latter was a terrible album too. Band Who Need to Stop Pretending They’re Going to Keep Recording and Just Give Up Limp Bizkit. Enough said. Some more special awards, in a less negative light... Best work by an ex-nu-metal band Light Grenades – Incubus Best work by an emo band The Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me – Brand New. Duh! Best CD to mosh to of the year A toss-up between Lamb of God’s Sacrament and In Flames’ Come Clarity. I’m sure I’ll find many more of these as I look back on the year that was, so expect this to be updated. I’d like to thank everyone who’s helped me in any way this year with my writing. You know who you are, and I don’t have nearly enough room to mention you all. This has been an entry into Demon & Drew’s best & worst end-year write-off. I advise you check out their profile page/s for more information and consider entering. Happy new year! ------------------- ------------------- The Singles List  |
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