My Favourite Albums of 2009

The time is finally here!

The selections have been made, the order has been decided, the winners are preparing their speeches; it can only mean one thing...It is time to announce the winner of the highest accolade in music, my top ten favourite albums of 2009!


Honorable mentions: Alexisonfire - 'Old Crows/Young Cardinals'
Obviously not everyone can make it in to my list, so I wanted to start by giving an honorable mention to Alexisonfire. 2009 was a good year for the Canadian-rockers and a new album saw them take an interesting new direction. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite do enough to make it in to my top ten.


Rancid - 'Let The Dominoes Fall'
This was originally in my top ten but it had to make way when I had a re-shuffle. Again, a very good album. I saw it get slated in a few nameless mainstream music magazines but I personally thought it is an excellent Rancid record. ‘Dominoes’ combines all elements of old and new without losing their trademark punk sound.

So, after much deliberation, here is my final top ten:


10. He Is Legend 'It Hates You'
The best band you have never heard! I have been a huge He Is Legend fan since hearing their EP way back when. Every album brings a totally new change in direction and this one is no exception. Combining elements of sleazy southern rock, punk and metal, 'It Hates You' might be the most accomplished He Is Legend album to date.



9. Lamb Of God - 'Wrath'
I was slightly disappointed by the new offering from heavy metal titans Lamb of God, but over recent months, 'Wrath' has proved to be a grower. Songs like 'Fake Messiah' and 'Broken Hands' see a slight move towards an old-school Lamb of God sound which they seemed to have lost on predecessor 'Sacrement'.



8. Converge - 'Axe To Fall'
In my opinion, Converge have always had a more difficult task than a lot of other bands when it comes to producing new material. The band have such a unique style that it could very easily go stale, but at the same time if they drift too far from their signature sound, they risk getting labeled 'sellouts' by the critics. 'Axe to Fall' is a perfect example of how band can evolve and develop without losing their identity. Warning - this album is fast and rough as hell!


7. Every Time I Die - 'New Junk Aesthetic'
Another great record from the Buffalo boys. Singer Keith Buckley uses his voice a lot better on this album and songs like 'Wanderlust' even have elements of, dare I say it, singing in it. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a massive change in direction for ETID and all the old elements of what makes this band great still remain. The lyrics are awesome and the music is still fast, raw and aggressive; just as it should be.


6. CKY - 'Carver City'
I must admit, I was starting to lose faith in these boys before 'Carver City' came along. The very sub-par 'An Answer Can Be Found' left me thinking that they might have lost the magic that is clearly evident on the first two albums. However, after a lot of internal tribulation, the boys are back on top form with a fantastic riff-happy, heavy and well thought out record. Welcome back guys.


5. Biffy Clyro - 'Only Revolutions'
Another band I was starting to lose faith in manages to answer my prayers with a stonking new record. I could literally write an academic dissertation on this band so I’m going to stop myself and say I love Biffy Clyro and 'Only Revolutions' is excellent.






4. Them Crooked Vultures - 'Them Crooked Vultures'
Debut album from Zeppelin, Foo Fighters/Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age super group. This album was originally a lot lower down until I went to watch them in London last night. I read in a music magazine that this album suddenly makes a lot more sense once you see them live. I originally discredited this statement as usual journalist spiel designed to fill up the word count but,much to my annoyance, I found out it is completely true. Keep checking my blog for a review on last nights show.



3. Sucioperro 'Pain Agency'
Another relatively unknown band that found its way into my list. Sucioperro are a group of Scottish rockers who play a brand of interesting, heavy and at times, damn catchy alternative rock. Sounds like a certain other band in my list…Anyway, the boy’s first album 'Random Acts of Intimacy' is a very raw, unpolished sounding record which undeniably showcases a band with a hell of a lot of talent. 'Pain Agency' is a huge step forward. The sound is more polished, the songs are better structured but the raw, emotive power of the music still remains. This is seriously good.



2. Gallows - 'Grey Britain'
Another homegrown product and another band that have created a truly great record, this is one of the best British albums I have heard in a long time. As the title suggests 'Grey Britain' isn't a nice record at all. It is an album filled with songs that many people can easily relate to covering topics of misery, depression and struggle. Don't let this put you off! Rather than take a traditional route of writing slow, sad songs in a feeble attempt to tap into peoples feelings, Gallows take it another way and focus on something that is constantly bubbling away below the surface...anger. The music and vocals are raw and at times very nasty. Frank Carter sneers, snarls and shouts his vocals with a thick cockney accent that somehow makes the anger in the songs more believable. This album gives me Goosebumps and I can guarantee it will be a long time before you hear a more aggressive record.



1. Fact - 'Fact'
That’s right; my number 1 is a band from Japan! I hadn’t heard a thing about these guys until about 8 months ago but since then they have released my favourite album of the year and I have had the privilege of seeing them in a tiny venue in London at one of my favourite gigs of the year. FACT's debut album is simply stunning and yes, they do sing in English if you are wondering! It is difficult to describe exactly what the album sounds like and all my brain could muster up was 'a mish-mash of styles'. Songs such as 'Stretch my Arms’ and 'Purple Eyes' sound like the bastard love-child of Funeral For a Friend and early My Chemical Romance', The intro for 'Reborn' sounds like thrash-era Metallica and 'Lights of Vein' is a lighters-out, arena sized rock ballad. The distinctly, (and thankfully!) un-Americanised vocals are catchy and infectious and complement the music perfectly. The band keeps the listener guessing and it is impossible to tell which direction they are going to fly off in. This album didn’t leave my stereo for months and I find it hard to see how you could tire of this album at all.


Disagree with my selections? Want to add your own? Please comment on my post :)