This is part 2 of the 3-posts part summary of my 2010 Year In Music.
This post will detail my favourite albums of 2010, with the exception of the top-most favourite ones which will have the 3rd part of this series dedicated to them.
An Year end list.
This post will detail my favourite albums of 2010, with the exception of the top-most favourite ones which will have the 3rd part of this series dedicated to them.
An Year end list.
How corny a notion; but a well intended one in my case.
I’m doing it as much for myself, for chronicling what I heard and liked, as it is for others to perhaps find something they like that they may have missed.
This list keeps getting updated as I listen to more releases from 2010 (much like previous years lists). Also, the update concerns the placements of already existing albums on the list.
I don't like lists too much and it's usually hard for me to decide which is my favourite and then make up a numerical list. Which is why I tried (not very successfully) to divide the following list into tiers:
Top Favourite albums - I can safely say about these 3 albums that I love them above all else in the list (these will have a post of themselves).
Everything else from the following is roughly divided into 3 groups (this was the hardest division to make so don't read too much into placements here; all are recommended). The names for each group are just arbitrary titles:
- Excellent albums
- Very good albums
Then I have the rest of the albums divided into:
- Good albums
- Above (my) average albums
- Average
- Didn’t like
Remember folks, those are just my opinions, not facts engraved into stone.
So keep your pants on if you see your favourite album ranked low or your despised album ranked high.
If something is not there, it’s either because I haven’t heard it (yet, or don’t intend to), or because I forgot to add it or didn’t update it yet. So feel free to mention something not on there.
Do comment and share your faves, thoughts and everything else regarding 2010 in music.
I will list the Top Favourites in a post of its own.
This post will be about all the other albums from all the groups mentioned above.
There is no ranking order within each group.
Excellent releases:
Clivages is the latest release by one of the great groups, here expanding their chamber rock palate yet again and showing that they can renew and progress even after they've done so for so long.
Rational Diet - On Phenomena and Existences
I've written a review for this release here.
I've featured these German "psych"-os here before.
Another band I've mentioned here before. Excellent Psychedelic rock from Belgium and in my opinion their best album. Also, the album has stunning cover art.
A Scottish quartet I've featured before, cool down-tempo/trip-hop music.
Well, by now I know most of these groups and albums shouldn't be new to you, as I've featured most of them, including this one from these Italians "ecelcticians" playing a mix of rock, down-tempo, jazz etc.
A super-group of sorts, this Finnish death/doom band released a powerful debut album following a very good EP, showing their progressive tendencies, without sacrificing the metal side and all the while not forgetting to forge beautiful and catchy songs.
A superb piece of avant-garde metal.
I've reviewed this album here; a fascinating new incarnation for the band with its extended lineup.
Motoropsycho's psychedelic rock extravaganza.
Fantastic extreme progressive metal from Israel
I've mentioned this wonderful artist before; this is his second release; neo-classical/chamber music. His new album, Salon Des Amateurs, is due out in April 11th (12th in USA & Canada).
I've featured a song by these crazy Norwegians. Great band with two great records.
Lute – Learning Through Progression
Featured here and streamable.
A trio from Minneapolis that released a gorgeous EP.
Featured here.
Featured here.
Damn, is this good or what?! Look at the musicians on here: Fred Frith, Carla Kihlstedt, Zeena Parkins and Matthias Bossi. There is a fifth member that goes by the name of The Norman Conquest.
I don’t even know how to describe this, there are so many influences and styles introduced into these songs; from folk to classical, from Latin to Eastern sounds, from jazz to rock. And it’s damned good.
A new band releasing a heavy, aggressive piece of organ-lead psychedelic rock.
Featured here and streamable.
Mose Giganticus - Gift Horse
Sludgy, murky, heavy and dirty sounding metal yet catchy and propulsive.
I didn't know anything about Scott Johnson prior to this release on Tzadik. Having picked it up, I was extremely surprised and delighted to have done so. This album (like his previous ones apparently) feature recorded speech played over and manipulated and uses those in his modern classical minimalistic compositions. The title piece features a Chinese immigrant saying that all Americans look alike to him and an Afghan American woman reminiscing her homeland. This is a highly elaborate composition; angular and disjointed yet it actually flows very well despite that. It’s a fascinating listen. You can read about it more, directly from the composer, here.
This Connecticut fusion/prog-rock group returns with a superb album featuring a 30 minute multi-section epic named after the street where their recording place was during their youth.
I've reviewed their previous album, Dreams No Longer Hesitate and commented on the aggressive nature of their music, their dense and heavy sound, their avant-garde approach and zeuhl influences.
Featured here and streamable
Another excellent release from Toby Driver’s Kayo Dot.
Breznev Fun Club - L'onda Vertebrata
A rock-estra/chamber-rock/avant-prog/modern classical album.
Reviewed here.
Another solid release of electronic/down-tempo music from Simon Green.
Featured here.
Fierce avant-rock/fusion album, the second from Estonian band.
Featured here.
Italian composer and multi-instrumentalist releases his third album, with an enhanced lineup this time.
Featured here and streamable.
Chamber-rock/avant-prog/"made-up genre name".
There’s so much talent here; I wish I had a little of it…
There’s so much talent here; I wish I had a little of it…
Reviewed here.
The first release by this group, a live performance, featuring instrumental fusion/zeuhl/avant-rock.
Featured here and streamable.
My current favourite psychedelic rock band along with Samsara Blues Experiment.
This new release is more energetic and aggressive than the previous ones.
This new release is more energetic and aggressive than the previous ones.
An impressive and beautiful modern classical composition on this album. Still digesting it, but I’m completely taken by it, by now.
Howl - Full of Hell
Another angry sludge-metal album that I was hooked by this year.
An impressive debut release by this Dutch group.
Reviewed here.
The second album by this American composer/multi-instrumentalist, this time featuring a female vocalist on a few songs. Beautiful and emotional progressive rock.
A truly eclectic duo, The Resonance Association released their third album, and probably my favourite of theirs.
After LuxAde some folks were disappointed by this more straightforward and not as epic album, but if one were to dismiss those comparisons, one would discover a very good progressive rock album.
Debut album for this Greek band, on Fading Records, the sister label of AltrOck.
Reviewed here.
The second album by this group, an impressive forward thinking black metal release from Lars Fredrik Frøislie (Wobbler, White Willow et al.) with enough guest musicians to create several supergroups.
A wonderful release by Dawn McCarthy and friends, beautiful rhythmic folk tunes.
Psychedelic rock goodness by Croatian musician Niko Potočnjak, ex-member of Tigrova mast.
Very good releases:
Chrome Hoof - Crush Depth
Third full length from Chrome Hoof that started out as the duo of the Smee Brothers (bassist Leo Smee being from doom band Cathedral) and by now have evolved into a mini orchestra with many members joining in, with ties to many other bands (Cardiacs, TKDE etc). As eclectic as before and as wild and progressive.
E.S. Posthumus - Makara
Bombastic, cheesy soundtrack-like orchestral music with electronic ornamentations.
A fine second album by this group lead by Charlie Looker.
Ihsahn - After
Third album from this talented musician.
The third album by this Canadian one man band (Daemonskald), a Nordic-inspired folk/atmospheric metal affair, heavier than its predecessors.
Spiritual Beggars - Return to Zero
More psychedelic/heavy/hard-rock goodness from this group.
Solefald - Norrøn Livskunst
The latest album from this post black metal/avant-garde metal Norwegian duo.
Mugstar - ... Sun, Broken ... / Lime
Well made psychedelic and experimental rock
Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit
Does it actually need introduction?
Néodyme - La tour
A fine Canadian instrumental progressive rock album.
Tuvalu - Tuvalu
Featured here.
Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart
Very good psych/hard rock. Took me some time to get into, but it was worth it.
Nuova Era - s/t
A comeback of sorts, with this album featuring new compositions, remakes and demos of old tracks and live performances.
Par Lindh Project - Time Mirror
A solid fourth release by this ELP-influenced band. Another ELP-inspired album, it features four tracks. The first one alone is worth it, if you like multi-genre composition with heavy keyboards emphasis.
Djam Karet - The Heavy Soul Sessions
Reviewed here.
Tohpati Ethnomission - Save the Planet
Indonesian prog/jazz-rock, formed by Tohpati from another prog band, Simal Dialog.
Naima - Buscas
Spanish fusion/jazz quartet that released their second album of exciting dynamic jazz and this time including covers for songs by Depeche Mode and The Smiths.
Featured here.
French TV - I Forgive You For All My Unhappiness
French TV is such a fun band. This is the tenth album, as usual it’s an under-the-radar-release from this currently revamped line-up, with contributors being Shawn Persinger (Prester John, Boud Deun) and Steve Katsikas (Little Atlas).
Zoe Keating - Into the Trees
Cellist Zoe Keating offers her beautiful compositions.
(The) Slowest Runner (In All the World) - We, Burning Giraffes
Very well made "classic" post-rock.
Three Monks - Neogothic Progressive Toccatas
Orgasm-inducing organ-dominated album.
Odyssice - Silence
A wonderful instrumental melodic album by this Dutch group.
Jean Louis - Morse
Those crazy French. The second release by this avant-rock/jazz outfit.
Album by R. Loren of Pyramids with many contributors: Colin Marston (who also co-produced the album), Aidan Baker, Hildur Gudnadottir, Prurient, Ted Parsons, James Blackshaw , Aaron Stainthorpe and Jonas Renkse among others. If you like gloom, if you’re into drone, if you like a dense doomy atmosphere in your rock/metal, and you enjoy long rides (this is a long piece of music), check it out.
Colin Masson - The Mad Monk and the Mountain
The second album by the former leader of The Morrigan, Colin Masson, a multi-instrumentalist who created here beautiful melodic folk/symph-prog songs.
Ufomammut - Eve
Sludge and doom converge in this over 40 minutes opus in 5 parts about Eve, delivered by this Italian band.
Kylesa - Spiral Shadow
After Static Tensions, Kylesa continue in the same path, but with less of a raw edge and more clear melodies. This is a solid bunch of songs, straight from the start with Tired Climb and others like Don’t Look Back and Forsaken.
Martriden - Encounter the Monolith
A very good extreme epic progressive metal album, by this Montana, USA based band. There’s a quote from an Anglagard song in there, look for it…
A wild electronic/hip-hop album from Japan. Apparently they have many other releases and have existed since 1997. I must explore them more given this fine album.
The Contortionist - Exoplanet
Yeah, yeah, a deathcore album, bute me. Anyway, it’s not a simple “deathcore” album, there’s more to that in there, just give it a listen to this band from Indianapolis, Indiana. There is, gasp, melody in the tunes, aggressiveness, power and even progressive tendencies.
Haken - Aquarius
An impressive debut from this band from London. They opt for a heavy, almost metal sound and throw into it some genre hopping and abrupt style changes in the middle of songs. At times it sound too forced, but overall this is a well done album.
I have Wintermusik and The Bells by Nils Frahm so obviously upon seeing this album I picked it up and I’m glad I did. A beautiful merge of chamber-music and electronic sounds.
Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent
Killing Joke releases its 14th album. I don’t know too much about them except what I read in interviews etc. so I’ll just say I was hooked from first listen. Each song is a straight and efficient shot, the joke indeed kills.
A second album after
Called “Tomorrow, it was yesterday”, it continues the same chamber music they played on their first album, only here I find the composition much more appealing. This group was initiated by film composers, Ombeline Chardes (violin) and Michel Villar (piano). To be able to play live, they expanded into a quintet comprising Cendrine Mazzucco (violin), Aurore Moutomé Miath (violin), Ian-Elfinn Rosiu (cello). Other musicians contributing are: Anne Frèches (vocals), Marion Gomar (vocals) and Christophe Gaurier (French Horn).
So I’m not sure what’s up with this. It was available late in 2010 (digitally and physically) and there is a 2010 release date for it, but now I also see it having a 2011 release date… So at the risk of being pre-emptive, I’ll include it this year.
A very impressive psychedelic/experimental/progressive rock double album that takes a while to take in.
Lebowski - Cinematic
Reviewed here.
Electric Orange - Krautrock From Hell
Psychedelic rock extravaganza from this German band, with a great title.
Rebel Wheel - We Are In The Time Of Evil Clocks
The follow-up to Diagramma is as dark yet better in my opinion.
Stream album here.
Greg Haines - Until the Point of Hushed Support
Good Releases:
Balmorhea - Constellations
Lüger – Lüger
Holy Fuck - Latin
Chinese Beard - Shades of Tomorrow
Moon Duo - Escape
Elephant9 - Walk The Nile
Raccomandata Ricevuta Ritorno - Il Pittore Volante
John Zorn - In Search of the Miraculous
Black Sun Aeon - Routa
Jean-Paul Prat (Masal) - Galgal
Fromuz - Seventh Story
Deathspell Omega - Paracletus
Igorrr – Nostril
Solar Architect - Wrath of Nature
Maserati - Pyramid of the Sun
Dakrya - Crime Scene
MeTaL-O-PHoNe - Metal-o-phone
Lunatic Soul - Lunatic Soul II
Deformica - Páramo
Sahara Surfers - Spacetrip on a Paper Plane
Fjernlys - Beyond the Undulant Quiescence
The Monroe Transfer - Trials
Khatsaturjan - Disconcerto grosso
Year of No Light - Ausserwelt
God is an Astronaut - Age of the Fifth Sun
Ephemeral Sun - Harvest Aorta
One Shot - Reforged
Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit
The Meads of Asphodel - The Murder of Jesus the Jew
Cicada - Over The Sea Under The Water
Featured here.
Mostly Autumn - Go Well Diamond Heart
Yann Tiersen - Dust Lane
Cloudkicker - Beacons
The Psychedelic Ensemble - The Myth of Dying
Rotor - 4
Electric Wizard - Black Masses
Pin-up Went Down - 342
My Brother the Wind - Twilight in the Crystal Cabinet
Matt Stevens - Ghost
Glass Hammer - If
The Claudia Quintet - Royal Toast
Oceansize - Self Preserved While the Bodies Float Up
Sophie Hutchings - Becalmed
Master Musicians Of Bukkake - Totem Two
Ninth Moon Black - Kalyug
Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
Zs - New Slaves
Modest Midget - The Great Prophecy of a Small Man
Bullets In Madison - We Became Your Family When You Died
Sigh - Scenes from Hell
Dead Silence Hides My Cries - The Wretched Symphony
Moon Safari - Lover's End
Salem Hill - Pennies in the Karma Jar
Mar De Grises - Streams Inwards
Soul Enema - Thin Ice Crawling
Quest For Fire - Lights From Paradise
Demians - Mute
The Souljazz Orchestra - Rising Sun
65daysofstatic - We Were Exploding Anyway
Shaolin Death Squad - Five Deadly Venoms
Maxwell's Demon - Diablo
In Vain - Mantra
Brown Vs Brown - Odds and Unevens
The 16 Deadly Improvs - The Triumph of the 16 Deadly Improvs
Helengard - Helengard
Cryptomnesia - Primordial Oddity
Apparat Organ Quartet - Pólýfónía
Kataya - Voyager
Future-X - Machines, The Saint & I
The Shadow Theory - Behind The Black Veil
Aborym - Psychogrotesque
Magentic - In the Dream
Pure Reason Revolution - Hammer & Anvil
Tohpati Ethnomision - Save The Planet
Charming Hostess - The Bowls Project
Odem Arcarum - Outrageous Reverie Above the Erosion of Barren Earth
Wretched - Beyond the Gate
Zoroaster - Matador
Sleepy Eyes Of Death - Toward a Damaged Horizon
zxyzxy - Jinshin
zxyzxy - C.A.B.
Nachtmystium - Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. 2
Resistor - Rise
Hammock - Chasing After Shadows...Living With the Ghosts
Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here
Les Discrets - Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées
Netra - Mélancolie Urbaine
Strie - Sleptis
O Graceful Musing’s Burden - [stampdtrail]
Il Tempio delle Clessidre - Il Tempio delle Clessidre
Intronaut - Valley of Smoke
Nichelodeon - Il Gioco Del Silenzio
Ehnahre - Alpha/Omega
Oberon’s Parabola – s/t
My Dad vs. Yours – Little Symphonies
Pallas - XXV
Serpentina Satélite - Mecanica Celeste
When Day Descends - When Day Descends
Nightfall – Astron Black and the Thirty Tyrants
Algernon - Ghost Surveillance
Above average/not bad/decent:
Serpent Throne - White Summer • Black Winter
From Oceans to Autumn - On Earth As It Is...
Spiritual Front - Rotten Roma Casino
Satanique Samba Trio - Bad Trip Simulator #2
Cucci-Band – Bon Debarras!
Salim Ghazi Saeedi - Iconophobic
Pain of Salvation - Road Salt One
Nels Cline Singers - Initiate
At The Soundawn - Shifting
Ghost - Opus Eponymous
Mahatma - Gilgamesh
Aquanaut - The Psychonaut
Árstíðir Lifsins - Jötunheima dolgferð
52 Commercial Road - A Wreck Provides An Excellent Foundation
Monster Magnet - Mastermind
Lehto & Wright - Children's Songs
From Exile - Monolith
District 97 - Hybrid Child
Horn of the Rhino - Weight of Coronation
This or the Apocalypse - Haunt What's Left
Lustre - A Glimpse of Glory
The Red Shore - The Avarice of Man
Son of Aurelius - The Farthest Reaches
Ludicra - The Tenant
Mains de Givre - Esther Marie
Berry Weight - Music For Imaginary Movies
Consecration - .avi
Questioner - Questioner
October Falls - A Collapse of Faith
Ólafur Arnalds - ...And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness
Emanuel and The Fear - Listen
Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini
All Over Everywhere - Inner Firmaments Decay
Rob Martino - One Cloud
Doubt - Never Pet A Burning Dog
Nucleus Torn - Andromeda Awaiting
Dean Watson - Unsettled
Harvestman - Trinity
Klotet - Det Har Aldrig Hänt Och Kommer Aldrig Hända Igen
La Otracina - Reality Has Got to Die
Yakuza - Of Seismic Consequence
Thelema Trio - Neither From Nor Towards . . .
Mastermind - Insomnia
Red Sparowes - The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer
Papir - Papir
Dying Sun – 12212010
Dynamo Bliss – 21st Century Junk
Vestiges – The Descent of Man
Neil Young - Le Noise
Letho & Wright - Children's Songs
Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung (DAAU) - The Shepherd's Dream
Alcest - Écailles de lune
Average and below/Didn’t do much for me/Disappointing:
Karnataka - The Gathering Light
Toundra - (II)
The River Empires - The River Empires
Souvenir's Young America - The Name of the Snake
Skyforger - Kurbads
Senmuth - Секененра
Suma - Ashes
Nick Magnus - Children Of Another God
Silver Mt. Zion - Kollaps Tradixionales
In Mourning - Monolith
Qube - Incubate
Magnetic - In the Dream
Fond of Tigers - Continent & Western
The Sword - Warp Riders
Food - Quiet Inlet
The Polar Dream - Follow Me to the Forest
Witchery - Witchkrieg
Ereb Altor - The End
Julie Slick - Julie Slick
Wuthering Heights - Salt
The Breathing Process - Odyssey (un)Dead
Hamadryad - Intrusion
Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones
Sadist - Season in Silence
Mars Hollow - Mars Hollow
Stream here.
High On Fire - Snakes For The Divine
Shining - Blackjazz
Fish On Friday - Shoot The Moon
Hollow Leg - Instinct
Alex Machacek - 24 Tales
Gladiator - Circular Reasoning
Omnimi - Eight Moons
Sardonis - SardoniS
WolfSpring - Wolfspring
Finntroll - Nifelvind
Star One - Victims of the Modern Age
Criminal Caterpillar - Thanatos and the Archangel
Electric Moon - Lunatics
Mindmovie - Happiness and Tears
Magic Kingdom - Symphony of War
Aries - Double Reign
Returning We Hear the Larks - Ypres
Frenzy - Nein Songs
Nels Cline - Dirty Baby
October Tide - A Thin Shell
Cebren-Khal - A Mass of Despair
Castevet - Mounds of Ash
The Paradoxical Spiral - Necromorphs
Puma - Half Nelson Courtship
Drewsif Stalin's Musical Endeavors - Delusions Of A Greater Future
Perhaps Contraption - Sludge & Tripe
Lights Dim - Starlit Corners of Our Homes
Rasputina - Sister Kinderhook
Unitopia - Artificial
Nadja - Autopergamene
Senmuth - Chambers
Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Wildling
Efterklang - Magic Chairs
Borknagar - Universal
Citay - Dream Get Together
Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR
Radio Massacre International - Time & Motion
Glass - Spectrum Principle
Melechesh - The Epigenesis
Catacombe - Kinetic
Andy Webb - Echoes
The Divine Baze Orchestra - Dead but Dreaming
Fejd - Eifur
Double Handsome Dragons - Double Handsome Dragons
(The Lord Weird) Slough Feg - The Animal Spirits
Bongripper - Satan Worshipping Doom
Eris Pluvia - Third Eye Light
Magic Lantern - Platoon
Mindgames - MMX
Star FK Radium - Blue Siberia
Life Line Project - Distorted Memories
Anti-Depressive Delivery - The Best of Anti-Depressive Delivery
Psicotropia - Psicotropia³
The Tea Club - Rabbit
Atheist - Jupiter
Black Science - Cosmodemonic & Beyond
Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra
Black Tusk - Taste the Sin
Sahg - III
Shawn Persinger - Desire for a Straight Line
Vit - -
(This is not a mistake, that's the name of the album)
Cephalic Carnage - Misled by Certainty
Rosetta - A Determinism of Morality
Aviva - Peer Gynt in Favour
Rhapsody (of Fire) - The Frozen Tears of Angels
Eluveitie - Everything Remains as It Never Was
Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise
Nydvind - Sworn to the Elders
The Chant - This Is the World We Know
White Hinterland - Kairos
Metsatöll - Äio
Throes Of Dawn - The Great Fleet of Echoes
Heljareyga - Heljareyga
Kaipa - In The Wake Of Evolution
Jeavestone - 1+1=OK
The Daedalus Spirit Orchestra - Ampulla Magnifying
Keep Of Kalessin - Reptilian
American Hollow - Whisper Campaign
ifsounds - Apeirophobia
Blood Revolt - Indoctrine
Cradle of Filth - Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
Phonophani - Kreken
Stian Westerhus - Pitch Black Star Spangled
Decrepit Birth - Polarity
Gurumaniax - Psy Valley Hill
Kemialliset Ystävät - Ullakkopalo
The Album Leaf - A Chorus of Storytellers
Jimi Hendrix - Valleys of Neptune
Coheed and Cambria - Year of the Black Rainbow
Thisquietarmy - Aftermath
Mike Patton - Mondo cane
Mystery - One Among the Living
Errors - Come Down With Me
The Reasoning - Adverse Camber
The Ocean - Heliocentric
Dawnbringer - Nucleus
Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier
Disliked:
Nero Order – The Tower
Drudkh - Handful of Stars
Stormzone - Death Dealer
Fear Factory - Mechanize
Daughters - Daughters
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