Well, I'm on a roll, aren't I? Don't worry, there won't be 2006 and beyond. Basically, it's only really since 2007 that I've had the financial resources to dedicate myself completely to expanding my musical knowledge. Until then, I had to mostly concentrate my budget on highly-recommended "older" records, trying to amass the best records of each era, before delving into the rarities, bootlegs and live albums from individual years. Obviously, my recent flush period has allowed me to expand my collections of CDs from lots of different years, not just 2007-2009, but that was still by back-tracking since January 07. Effectively, it's only since then that I've been able to really delve into the music that's been coming out each month, so, whilst I could give my top 10 albums of 2006, 2005, 2004 or even 2000, it doesn't feel quite so "legit" for some reason. So I won't.
And yes, I realise that I come across as a serious mental case here. I'm used to it by now, to be honest.
Top 10 albums of 2007:
1) Baikal by Baikal (Important Records) - see my review from a few months back. Baikal is a humungous slab of rip-roaring excessive heavy psych from the Bardo Pond guys. Sublime and mind-melting.
2) Untrue by Burial (Hyperdub) - possibly the ultimate dubstep album, a dark, hauntingly beautiful urban album of jittery grooves, melancholic electro melodies and lush, nocturnal textures.
3) Why Don't You Give It To Me? by Nathaniel Mayer (Alive) - veteran soul singer teams up with a bunch of white garage-rockers to deliver a groovy, sensual mix of Nuggets-esque psychedelia, raw r'n'b and free-form garage.
4) Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde by Alcest (Prophecy) - one of the best collisions of soaring shoegaze and hard-hitting heavy metal.
5) Weighing Souls With Sand by The Angelic Process (Profound Lore) - amazingly available on iTunes, Weighing Souls With Sand, like Alcest's album, mixes elegiac shoegaze guitar noise into a crunching metal template to stunning, and heart-wrenching effect.
6) Hunted Gathering by Robedoor & Pocahaunted (Digitalis) - the haunting tribal folk of Pocahaunted duels with nightmarish drone from Robedoor, and both of them are stunning!
7) Live at Massey Hall 1971 by Neil Young (Reprise) - welcome official release of this excellent archival performance that captures Young at his intimate, sensitive best.
8) A Weekend In the City by Bloc Party (Wichita) - a surprising triumph from the indy-rock faves, a stark, emotional concept album that highlights the angst and confusion of the noughties generation.
9) Live 1974 by Harmonia (Gronland) - a weird and offbeat live album where silence competes with noisy drone and Harmonia's hypnotic grooves are at their most stark and robotic. Great sound.
10) Ghosts Will Come And Kiss Our Eyes by HRSTA (Constellation) - an unusual release from the label of Godspeed and other such noisy post-rockers. HRSTA's style is more mournful folk-rock, but sudden bursts of saturated guitar and off-kilter effects make it a subtle and underrated gem.
Best song:
"I forgot" by Baikal. There is simply nothing to fault in this extreme, outlandish and destructively beautiful masterpiece. Kudos to Clint Takeda for the vocals.
Best reissue:
IIIrd Gatekeeper by Skullflower. Any reissue of their early stuff is a delight, but IIIrd Gatekeeper is not only probably their best album, but a strong contender for best metal album of all time!
Top 10 albums of 2008:
1) A Semblance of Something Appertaining to Destruction by To Blacken The Pages (Colony Records) - one of the deepest, most world-weary drone/doom opuses of all time, a slow-burning and funereal masterpiece.
2) Elegy For Native Tongues by Tetragrammaton (Subvalent) - perfect fusion of extreme drone, shamanic rock and free-form experimentation, with a particularly superb live disc.
3) The Creation of the Universe by Lou Reed's Metal Machine Trio (Sister Ray) - wherein the former Velvet Underground front man goes back to his experimental roots, ripping out a wall of monstrous drone and free noise over nearly two blissful hours.
4) Street Horrrsing by Fuck Buttons (ATP Recordings) - a triumphant debut of fierce harsh noise, alternatively soaring and groovy electronics and demented, driving free-form percussion. Hints of power electronics and post-rock, but ultimately one of a kind.
5) Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth - Sonic Youth with Mats Gustafsson and Merzbow (SYR Recordings) - Well, it could only be superb, really. One of America's true top-class bands join forces with the Japanese Noise wizard and a wild Scandinavian free-jazzer for one long, abrasive and experimental live improvisation.
6) Jex Thoth by Jex Thoth (I Hate Records) - It's been a while since rock music had been handed the gift of such a stirring, powerful and evocative vocalist, but Jex Thoth is all that and more, as the voice and head of this thunderous, arcane metal outfit.
7) Tilburg by The Heads (Rooster Records) - they are one of Britain's best-kept underground secrets: a proper fuck-off psych-metal band who, as they display on this wild live set, are experts and plugging in, wigging out and frying your mind.
8) "I Refute It Thus" by Urthona (Head Heritage) - special thanks to Julian Cope for unearthing this one-man noise-fest from Dartmoor of all places. This is heady heathen noise at its most primeval, and one no drone-head should be without!
9) Nothing to Say by Serpentina Satelite (Trip In Time) - these Peruvians actually having fucking loads to say -or rather play-, and they rival The Heads and Acid Mothers Temple for a place as top heavy psych band on the planet. A band to watch.
10) St Dymphna by Gang Gang Dance (Warp Records) - frenetic angular pop with hints of just about everything in it. This Brooklyn quartet should be huge, as their knack for hooks and catchy energy are the stuff most people shouldn't be able to resist! That they are also challenging and innovative is a delicious bonus!
Best song:
"Sweet Love For Planet Earth" by Fuck Buttons - kicks off their debut with a rumble, some buzzing and then one almighty bang! Pure genius from start until the moment it segues into the equally superb "Ribs Out".
Best reissue:
Between Two Skies & Towards The Night by Ilyas Ahmed - I've already waxed lyrical about this excellent singer-songwriter's debut, and this reissue compiles it with the more experimental Towards The Night, making it an essential purchase. Thanks to Digitalis!
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