December 21, 2005
Top 10 Albums of the Year
Written by Girth McDürchstein on December 21, 2005 3:58 PM
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Hey, motherfuckers, Girth and Margo here with your early Christmas present. We’ve compiled a list of the 10 best albums of this year:
- Rhapsody – Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret (Steamhammer/SPV) — We really didn’t think Rhapsody would surpass the explosive imagination and power of their 1999 release, Symphony of Enchanted Lands. But with this, a sequel to that album, they have managed a triumph of—pardon the pun—epic proportions. Not only have they expanded the fantastical universe they created, they’ve expanded the scope of the entire story by adding guest narrator Christopher Lee, legend of stage and screen, and by incorporating a full chorus and orchestra. It really, really doesn’t get better than this, folks.
- Down Factor – Murder the World (Scourge) — Down Factor’s first album Pure (2003), was a mixed bag of hardcore and power-punk-pop confections. This time, they come out of the gate swinging with a hard, aggressive, but still very melodic and poetic group of songs. Down Factor is here to stay.
- Scissorfight – Victory Over Horseshit (Tortuga) — Yes, we have to wait until February for Jaggernaut, but here we get a little bone thrown at us. It’s been nearly two years since the last Scissorfight release, and fans have been waiting for something new. They tossed us the first bone by throwing a live CD up near the beginning of this year, but that only made us hungrier for more. Now we have it, and all five tracks of this album pulse and pound with the fury that made Scissorfight famous. We can’t wait for February!
- Bloodlined Calligraphy – They Want You Silent (Facedown) — But we sure don’t! Led by new singer (replacing Matt Fleming) Ally French, this album boasts incredible lyrics, a growling grrrl, and very catchy riffs.
- The Conquistadors – Razing Cain (Mildew) — The Conquistadors and Abysmal actually go way back. In 1997, we did a brief west coast tour with them. They had just put out their second album, Fogged In, and we were still pushing our second, Two Berries on a Twig. Now, we’re working on our fifth official album, and the Conquistadors are on to their eighth. The energy and vitality have not dissipated from this group at all. Lead singer Johnny Vicente still howls with the best of them, and lead guitarist Sammy Shapiro still wails with the best of them. Best track is “Birmingham Bloodbath.”
- Acid Bath – Demos 1993-1996 (Rotten) — After a nine-year hiatus, Acid Bath’s demos have surfaced. It’s interesting to hear primitive versions of the songs we all know (“Dope Fiend,” “God Machine,” etc.), but what makes it even better is the fact that we’re getting any material from Acid Bath, even if it’s not really “new.”
- Diesel Theory – Diesel Theory (Full Scale Fire) — The debut album from these Jersey hepcats is a 1-2 punch of furious, paranoid lyrics and shredding riffs. They’re gonna go far.
- Commander – Wall of Swords (unknown) — This EP is loaded with two minute and thirty second gems.
- Seventh Star – Brood of Vipers (Facedown) — This album has some of the most interesting lyrics we’ve ever heard. “Regurgitate jargon, the backwash of the kids before / No substance, empty words, and content with nothing more” (“The Torch”) – very relatable.
- Haste the Day – When Everything Falls (Solid State) — They have some thoughtful, harmony-laden choruses, but we can’t understand what the hell the lead singer is saying during the verses. This album should have been higher on the list, thanks in no small part to its ringing guitar riffs, but the lyrics are an important part of the package.
Have a good one,
Girth McDürchstein & Margo Atwater
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