Global Domination

Top 30 albums from 2000-2009: The Duff

14/07/10  ||  The Duff

1. Isis: Panopticon (2004):

My favourite album of all time, a no-brainer. A lot less riff-oriented than its immediate predecessor, but therein lies its charm as it finds itself a lot denser, more atmospheric and altogether more representative of the oceanic vibe. This is the peak of post-rock, every note settling easily into a steady flow and crescendos that tweak my nips.

2. Ulver: A quick fix of melancholy (2003):

The most perfect piece of music I’ve heard; “Eitttlane” is the sonic representation of human suffering, and I’m not ashamed to say it makes my vagina weep.

3. Decapitated: The Negation (2004):

My first and still favourite death metal record.

4. Devin Townsend: Terria (2001):

Genius is bandied around a fair bit, with Devin close to universally accepted.

5. Spawn of Possession (2007):

By far the best technical death metal record ever.

6. Mastodon: Leviathan (2004):

No stopping the quality of the riffs from the onset of “Blood and Thunder”, awesome artwork and ambitious album concept.

7. Nile: In their darkened shrines (2002):

In my mind the best Nile album, largely due to Laureano’s off-the-charts drumming.

8. Necrophagist: Epitaph (2004):

One of the few truly original death metal bands.

9. Tool: Lateralus (2001):

Brilliant, atmospheric, fantastic vocals and drumming, heavy in all the right places.

10. Opeth: Blackwater Park (2001):

The album that got me into harsh vocals, and therefore the album that broke me into death metal.

11. Emperor: Prometheus (2001):

Even after all this time the album has lost none of its appeal; more ferocious than people give it credit for.

12. Morbid Angel: Gateways to annihilation (2000)

Grossly underrated album; the masters now and forever.

13. Gorguts: From wisdom to hate (2001):

Gorguts will always be leaders of dark, twisting death metal.

14. Immolation: Close to a world below (2000):

Immolation’s third album in a line of death metal masterpieces.

15. Iron Maiden (2000):

A comeback album no one could have foreseen.

16. Psycroptic: Sceptre of the ancients (2003):

One of the tightest guitar/drummer combos in the scene, creating insanely catchy rhythms/riffs.

17. Neurosis: A sun that never sets (2001):

Far and away the best Neurosis album of the new millennium, a new sound for the band.

18. Ayreon: The human equation (2004):

Such a richness to the music plus astounding vocal performances from absolutely every performer.

19. Nasum: Helvete (2003):

The first grind band I ever fully understood, the mix of melody with chaos was perfected on “Helvete”.

20. Enslaved: Mardraum – Beyond the within (2000):

All save “Vertebrae” could belong to this list, so I chose the band’s best album for simplicity’s sake.

21. Cult of Luna: The beyond (2003):

Definitely a band that has carved its own sound, this is their heaviest and probably most emulated record.

22. Deathspell Omega: Fas – ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum (2007):

Goddamn beautiful, unlike anything I’ve ever heard.

23. Pig Destroyer: Terrifyer (2004)

So many riffs on this beast, plus the fact it’s ugly as all fucking Hell.

24. Ulcerate: Everything is Fire (2009):

Dark, layered death metal meets dark, layered post-rock meets DsO.

25. Anata: The conductor’s departure (2006):

Creative melodies, toned down in intensity, overall more “flare-busy” drumming and great musical depth make this the most interesting Anata album to date.

26. Anaal Nathrakh: Eschaton (2006)

Truly the vilest band I’ve heard, representing humanity’s nature down to the very last fucking note.

27. The Ocean: Precambrian (2007):

Concept double album mixing all the elements I love in metal; falls on the somewhat simple side at times, but the vocals more than pick up the slack.

28. Porcupine Tree: Fear of a blank planet (2007):

My favourite PT album to date, I think; depends on my mood.

29. Rotten Sound: Exit (2005):

Incredible grind album that takes the sound Nasum pioneered and builds on it to blast mayhem groove supreme.

30. Insision: Beneath the folds of flesh (2001):

A close call between Origin’s “Infinitas…” and this, but Insision have been lining grooves in my skull for years now; this disc is an underrated modern classic