Album of the year

[Liam]

Alright, I know there are still about 6 weeks left of the year, but we've seen enough music out to start talking about end of year album lists, and the best albums out this year. So yeah, list me what you consider the best that 2008 has had to offer.

Nachtmystium 'Assasins: Black Meddle Part 1'

Best way to describe them is 'psychadelic black metal', which may sound poncey, but kinda fits. Easily one of the best 'extreme metal' albums I've heard all year.

Torche 'Meanderthal'

Sludgey stoner metal, but with pop hooks. Just genius.

Scar Symmetry 'Holographic Universe'

Melodic Death bands may be ten a penny, but for songwriting purposes, and due to the lead singer being good at both sides of the vocals, Scar Symmetry are easily one of the better ones out there

The Gaslight Anthem 'The '59 Sound'

First bandwagon I'll jump on here. I'm one of the only person it seems to prefer this to thier first album, even though both are excellent in thier own way. Just catchy and rocking all in one.

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip 'Angles'

Second bandwagon I'll jump on. I've always liked dancier acts with crossover appeal (Peeping Tom, LCD Soundsystem, Head Automatica), and this is good stuff. Great lyrics and great beats.

A nod goes to My Dying Bride 'Ode To Woe', Bloodbath 'The Wacken Carnage', Paradise Lost 'The Anatomy Of Melancholy' and Muse 'H.A.A.R.P, which are all excellent live shows.

I'll leave it here......I'm sure I've listened to more stuff this year, but my brain always seems to give out on me around this time. I'm sure my memory will be jogged by some other posts.

Edited November 22, 2008 by rvdwannabe

[probablyoliver]

My shortlist for best album this year...

PAS/CAL - I Was Raised On Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura

Glasvegas - Glasvegas

This Town Needs Guns - Animals

Little Joy - Little Joy

Okkervil River - The Stand Ins

Sigur Rós - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust

The Aliens - Luna

Cold War Kids - Loyalty To Loyalty

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Dungen - 4

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue

The Bronx - III

Roots Manuva - Slime & Reason

The Cure - 4:13 Dream

Lambchop - OH (Ohio)

Portishead - Third

Mogwai - The Hawk Is Howling

Roommate - We Were Enchanted

Kings of Leon - Only By The Night

TV On The Radio - Dear Science

Tilly & The Wall - O

There's probably some I've forgotten, but all those have been wonderful.

[YI]

"Broken With No Hope" by Mike Hale

One of those albums that just hits you, it's beautiful. The strength of songs on here is unbelievable. I honestly never thought another punk-rock singer come acoustic guy could outshine Joey Cape, but Mike Hale has done it...and with ease! Hands down my favourite release of the year, no doubt about it.

"Alas, I Cannot Swim" by Laura Marling

WHY CAN'T SHE BE A LOOKER!?!?!?! Awesome album. I've been getting more into a folksy vibe this year, so this is cool.

"Miracle Kicker" by Dark Captain Light Captain

Another album with a bit of a folksy vibe. Only heard it last week, but I can safely say it's one of my favourites of the year. They sound a hell of a lot like someone, but I cannot put my finger on it.

"The '59 Sound" by The Gaslight Anthem

Opposite to Liam said, I find most people prefer this album to "Sink Or Swim". I'm in the SOS camp, but this is bloody good too. Although, my favourite two songs are actually on the EP.

"Take Flight" by Pedals On Our Pirate Ships

What a fucking EP. 8 amazing tracks. The fact it apparently only had 200 pressings, it's a disgrace, people need to pick up on this band.

"Bim" by Bim

Another EP, really great stuff, bit of an Imogen Heap vibe to it. 6 songs (7 including the one on myspace) of awesome, I can't wait for more from these guys.

"Reason To Believe" by Pennywise

After the best part of a decade floundering, Pennywise brought the shit with this absolutely epic album. Completely free, too!

"A Thousand Words" by Styrofoam

The most upbeat Styrofoam album to date. It's one, because it's been out so long, I tend to overlook...but when I hear a song, whether it be "After Sunset", "Thirty To One", "Microscope" or "My Next Mistake" (my least favourite), I realise I love it.

"In Flesh Tones" by Azeda Booth

How can that not be a woman singer? Fucking great album though.

"Deathconciousness" by Have A Nice Life

Shoegaze can be the biggest pile of wank in the world. This double CD is not. I still cannot get over how awesome "The Big Gloom" is.

"This Town Needs Guns" by This Town Needs Guns

Okay, basically a 'compilation' of already released stuff, but fuck me, it's amazing. It's a lot more upbeat and catchier than "Animals".

"Animals" by This Town Needs Guns

Such an amazing flow, cute concept, amazing guitar twiddly bits. It's one of those albums you feel should not be as good as it is, and you don't really know why you love it so much, then you hear one little thing in one song, and just think, "Damn, this is great".

"Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust" by Sigur Ros

Awesome. When I first heard it, I thought this was the only thing that could compete with Mike Hale...it's slipped a bit since then, but I still love it.

"We Were Enchanted" by Roommate

"HE SAYS THAT THE GHOST IN THE KITCHEN KEEPS TURNING THE MICROWAVE ON!!!"...I still cannot get over that line.

"Perfect Symmetry" by Keane

LOVE IT! Not to the standard of "Hopes & Fears" but there's some great tunes.

I'm probably missing loads, my music collection is still spread over like 3 computers and an external hard drive.

[IAceI]

The '59 Sound

Would be my album of the year release, just a phenomenal album.

As a kind of alternate release for EPs/other stuff I'd go with

Minus the Bear Acoustics

Lovely little acoustic album with a new song from the band. Pachuca Sunrise is phenomenal, it's just nice and relaxing and an all round brilliant collection of songs from a good band.

[Cactus Drags]

Album of the year for me would probably be InnerPartySystem, the re-workings of Don't Stop and Heart of Fire give both songs a bit more backbone, admittedly there's a couple of filler tracks, but they don't really get in the way, but the rest of the stuff just has this great rocky vibe despite largely being just electronic, and you can dance to it to. Which I choose not to, but it appeals to the hot girl at work, so yeah >_>

I also enjoyed Cage the Elephant (S/T), Drive-By Argument (S/T), Flobots (Fight with Tools), Underoath (Lost in the Sound of Separation) and Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound (which I'd probably regard higher if I'd not heard the first album first). Oh, and Does it Offend You, Yeah? has really, really grown on me in recent weeks.

[Skummy]

I'll edit in some more opinions later, but off the top of my head here are mine:

Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull

Portishead - Third

Jonathan Richman - Because Her Beauty Is Raw And Wild

Robert Wyatt - Comicopera

Sparks - Exotic Creatures Of The Deep

Brian Wilson - That Lucky Old Sun

Patti Smith & Kevin Shields - The Coral Sea

Baby Dee - Safe Inside The Day

The Fall - Imperial Wax Solvent

Hopefully within the next couple of days I'll be able to add the new Lucksmiths album to the list.

[Crybaby Bunting]

I've probably got really sucky tastes in music come to think of it, I was anticipating brilliant albums from the big guns (Metallica, Motorhead, Scars On Broadway, Slipknot, Nine Inch Nails's Ghosts, AC/DC... etc.) and they've been mostly meh.

Maybe it's just because I've changed my tastes in music but this year doesn't seem to have been as good as other years. I have been discovering way more older bands though this year than usual that might have distracted me from the potential ALBUM OF THE YEAR!

Top Contenders

Justice - Cross

Bash it all you want for being the same few songs but this is certainly a great dance album. Maybe I'm overrating it because it's helped me get much more 'into' the dance genre, whilst before it was just Daft Punk or a catchy one hit wonder... but with tracks like DVNO, D.A.N.C.E, Let There Be Light and Tthhee Ppaarrttyy it's hard to not like it.

Alestorm - S/T

Scottish Pirate Metal... It's a really gimmicky band that will likely turn into another Turisas by album #02 but it's cheesy and epic in all the good ways. It also gains props for me actually knowing about the band from the start, I got a tip off from a Scottish mate who was thinking of responding to their audition for another guitarist back when they were called Battleheart

Ladytron - Velocifero

It's likely to be a "new album greatness" phase only starting to listen to them about a week ago but it's pretty awesome. Has a bunch of great songs that flow together pretty well without a single bad track.

Mid Range

Blood Ceremony - S/T

Sounds like Black Sabbath with a female vocalist. That's what it is in a nutshell, and despite a good few riffs being blatant rip off's of Sabbath it serves its purpose of awesome doom metal.

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

It's not a bad NIN album, it's not a good one either... it's kinda in the middle. I think it's because NIN spoiled me before the release by giving away the best two songs before the album so by the time I downloaded the album the two songs had been burnt out.

Stone Gods - S/T

A band made from members of a popular rock band that didn't release a sucky album this year (I'm looking at you Scars On Broadway). It's pretty much hard rock riffs with a singer that doesn't appear to be pulling off an Axl Rose impression. Brilliant

Alphabeat - S/T

Got this for my sister for her birthday ages back, she played it too loud and got me hooked. It's a pop album filled with immense charm that years ago i've have completely written off in my 'Raah only Metal' phase.

Likely to grow on me

Innerpartysystem - S/T

I've listened through it once or twice and think it's a good album but I can't get into the way the vocalist sings, it's probably going to click into place after a few more listens like David Bowie did.

Hot Chip - Made in the Dark

See above. The accent is... hard to get into despite being fun catchy dance/pop/whatever music

Not released yet that are likely to play some part in my overall Best of 2008 list

Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy

Yes I've heard most of the leaks so far but figured i'll wait until I've heard the final thing before passing judgement. Comparing a low bitrate rip of the album to a flawless album is the makings of a mistake.

Edited November 22, 2008 by The General

[Cactus Drags]

Ladytron don't have a self-titled album. They did release one this year called Velocifero, though.

[Crybaby Bunting]

That's the one I'm thinking of then, It's all these new bands with self titled albums that are confusing me >_>

[Skimatik]

weezy f. baby

[Cactus Drags]

If your baby is wheezy, he might be suffering from whooping cough, a highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis; it derived its name from the characteristic severe hacking cough followed by intake of breath that sounds like "whoop"; a similar, milder disease is caused by B. parapertussis. Although many medical sources describe the whoop as "high-pitched", this is generally the case with infected babies and children only, not adults.

Treatment with an effective antibiotic (erythromycin or azithromycin) shortens the infectious period but does not generally alter the outcome of the disease; however, when treatment is initiated during the catarrhal stage, symptoms may be less severe. Three macrolides (erythromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin) are used in the U.S. for treatment of pertussis; trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is generally used when a macrolide is ineffective or is contraindicated. Close contacts who receive appropriate antibiotics (chemoprophylaxis) during the 7–21 day incubation period may be protected from developing symptomatic disease. Close contacts are defined as anyone coming into contact with the respiratory secretions of an infected person in the 21 days before or after the infected person's cough began.

[Iain76er]

Picking roughly one album from rough outlines of genre, the best albums of the year are:

Byzantine- Oblivion Beckons

Easily the best metal album released this year. Pop magic in some places, harsh and extreme in others. Band split up a few days after its release.

Earth- The Bees Made Honey In The Lion’s Skull

I heard a story about someone going to see Earth live. As they walked onstage, with the silence before they began, someone shouted 'You killed Kurt'. That was mean. This is awesome.

Genghis Tron- Board Up The House

Hardcore with electronic bits thrown in. Certainly shits all over Torche.

Patti Smith/Kevin Shields- The Coral Sea

A long poem with Kevin Shields playing guitar along to it. Kevin Shields is awesome. Patti Smith not so much, but she doesn't ruin it.

Portishead- Third

Wikipedia said they've moved away from Trip-Hop into a more industrial area. Whatever

Q-Tip- The Renaissance

The only good Hip-Hop album released this year? Yup, but still awesome nonetheless.

Weezer- S/T (Red Album)

Weezer are my favourite band ever. This isn't great, but it has enough quality to make it the best straight-up rock album I've heard all year.

[ROC]

Awesome.

Hmmm, let's see. I'm still crazy about the Sons and Daughters record from this year.

I liked Beck's Modern Guilt, although it might be too short for my liking, and it feels like the type of record Beck would make to get out of a major-label contract. (Which, he pretty much has done after it...I think.)

I honestly love 808's and Heartbreak from Kanye, but I don't know if that'd be a top album yet.

And Arm's Way by Islands is usually tops, but I might be regressing in my like for it.

[Skimatik]

weezy f f f baby aka crazy.

[Draevyn]

I just got done listening to Shinedown's "The Sound Of Madness" and so far, out of the newer albums I've listened to, this one takes it for me. I'm going to check out a few more albums and such, but I love this guys voice and the lyrics on this album are just great.

[Gabriel]

Standout albums of the year for me:

Alice Cooper - Along Came a Spider

Apocalyptica - Worlds Collide

Bella Morte - Beautiful Death

Bleeding Through - Declaration

Blitzkid - The Anatomy of Reanimation Vol. 1

Disturbed - Indestructible

Finch - Self Titled EP

Hellsongs - Hymns in the Key of 666

Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger

King Diamond - Give Me Your Soul... Please

Metallica - Death Magnetic

Michale Graves - Illusions Live / Viretta Park

Motorhead - Motorizer

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

Satyricon - The Age of Nero

Slipknot - All Hope is Gone

Son of Sam - Into the Night

Testament - The Formation of Damnation

The Banner - Frailty

The Creepshow - Run For Your Life

The Rotted - Get Dead or Die Trying

Wednesday 13 - Skeletons ... and... Fuck it, We'll Do it Live

Weezer - The Red Album

also:

Abigail Williams - In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns

Austrian Death Machine - Total Brutal

Cradle of Filth - Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder

The Damned - So, Who's Paranoid?

Lordi - Deadache

Sarah Blackwood - Way Back Home

The Independents - Do It Again

I know that's a long list of stuff... so if I had to choose one favorite... my pick for album of the year... it would be Son of Sam's sophomore effort Into the Night. Why? Probably because it's a smooth mix of the Misfits, Samhain, The Damned and other such influential bands. Their debut a few years back with Davey Havok on vocals was good, but the new vocalist, Ian Thorne, brings so much to the band. The songs on the album are so vocally diverse that it's just weird to think it's the same singer on each track. If the group actually decides to continue pumping out tunes, touring and being a fulltime band... then they're headed for the top of the Horror Rock world in a hurry.

So... Son of Sam... album of the year.

[Quom]

Noah and the Whale - Peaceful the World Lays me Down, Laura Marling - Alas I Cannot Swim

Fuck it these can go together. They are basically a male and female take on the same thing. Both wonderful, both definitely deserving of a spot on anyones list. Lovely acoustic music that sounds and is heartfelt and genuine. Laura's amazing when you consider her age.

Vampire Weekend (self titled)

Some people may hate, but to me there arguably wasn't a stronger disc of catchy songs released all year. Was the soundtrack to last summer and can easily see it living in my ears for the next three months again.

Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

Near enough to perfect. Can't believe this shit never caught on in radio land. To me it's like the perfect update to Roy Orbison/Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty type classic rock. Wonderful lyrics, wonderful musicianship, wonderful vocals. Brilliant album.

She & Him - Volume 1

I normally hate this sort of country music. Somehow I love this. I'm a shameless M. Ward fanboy though so perhaps that made things easier. There is plenty of lovely stuff to be found here though if you forgive Zooey's twang (which isn't hard since it suits most of the songs so well).

Bon Iver - For Emma Forever Ago

Some of the greatest albums come from heartbreak. Ninety percent of albums with this as the theme are just god awful though. Bon Iver (or do you call him by his real name?) managed to buck the trend and released an album that belongs up there with Blood on the Tracks. Just a really beautifully executed album in every way.

The Magnetic Fields - Distortion

It's got to be hard living up to the rabid following and deserved claims of genius that are constantly leveled at Stephin Merritt. After faltering with i (which lets face it quite a few bands would die to have as a best album) Stephin hit back with Distortion. whilst dealing with the same issues he's always tackling he manages to do enough to make it all sound fresh and the distortion filled music creates the thread that ties the whole album together. I think that this sits comfortably with their best albums. My only concern is how nobody seemed to realise that it should be Javier not Xavier?

Also loved and may add some words later for Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Bands album. Tilly and the Wall - O, Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off the Lavender Bridge, Santogold, The Dodos - Visiter

Edited November 23, 2008 by QuomQuat

[New Damage]

The albums new out this year that I've heard/got/downloaded (in relative order of discovery them):

Shinedown - Sound of Madness

See Black Stone Cherry, but less obvious. It just wasn't as good as either of the others. Plus, sound quality is rather sucky on my copy .

Black Stone Cherry - Folklore and Superstition

Went a bit too tame in parts compared to the first album.

Motorhead - Motorizer

Can't remember much of it, streamed it on LastFM when it came out. It was alright, but not really my thing. Not shit by any means.

Metallica - Death Magnetic

Death Magnetic is good bar the 10 min instrumental "Suicide & Redemption", it's just yawn. This is my AOTY choice so far.

Pendulum - In Silico

I'm not a drum n' bass fan by any means, but there's something that tickles my tastebuds with Pendulum. Especially "The Other Side" and ones like "Granite"& "Propane Nightmares".

AC/DC - Black Ice

Black Ice is alright but will probably need to grow on me more still.

Nickelback - Dark Horse

Only got Nickelback's yesterday so barely had a chance to sink in, but the first few tracks and a couple in the middle are much heavier than normal Nickelback, this could end up being my choice with more listens.

(and uh, Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy. Probably)

Damn me and my buying or downloading 90s grunge albums to make my selection of new shit smaller.

[Turbo Yannis]

I'll go into further detail later but...

We Are Scientists - Brain Thrust Mastery

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into

Foals - Antidotes

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Kings of Leon - Only By The Night

Kids In Glass Houses - Smart Casual

[ZJ Penn]

Death Magnetic. I had a list of 'smaller' bands who've put stuff out that I've enjoyed, but that's just a great album.