The Rock Blogger

30. Dragontears. Tambourine Freak Machine.
A late comer to the list but still a fantastic album nonetheless. Hazy psychedlic tunes with spaced-out vocals and dizzying electronic effects. Great, well-sung cover of Bob Dylan’s Masters of War on this as well. This is likely to provide one of the better head trips of the year with its many jangly guitar jams and drum solos. Has a very relaxed, stoned colorful aesthetic.

29. Darkspace. Darkspace III. Full Review.
This album is total insanity. With open wintry keyboards and furious black metal riffs, Darkspace create a crushing atmosphere that swallows everything around it. If you are familiar with Switzerland’s Paysage d’Hiver, you will know what to expect here, as Darkspace features PDH’s Tobias Möckl on guitars and vocals. While PDH was barren, lo-fi and rustic, Darkspace’s sound sports slightly better production and its ragged guitar rhythms are given more room to breathe. The sound created here is cold, grim and bleak but is also feverishly paced, running through torrents of visceral blackness.

28. Torche. Meanderthal. Full Review
Sounding like a cross between Queens of the Stone Age and Pelican, Torche’s songs are full of tight melodies and furious riffs, moving along at a speedy pace while still laying down the heaviness. The majority of the tracks here are short and sweet, with only one song pushing past five minutes, making Meanderthal a breezy and accessible listen that begs repeating.

27. Sigur Rós. Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. Full Review.
Globe-trotting recording sessions and intimate tours of rural Iceland has given their work a more rustic, eclectic, and optimistic flavor, with greater emphasis on acoustic instruments and simple song structures.

26. Jóhann Jóhannsson. Fordlândia
Stirring neoclassical/ambient music from this Icelandic composer. It has a cinematic quality to it, with soaring lifts and compelling ambiance. Both pastoral and electronic textures are used and contrasted against each other, producing a work of haunting beauty. This album is vivid and alluring, instrumental music at its finest.

25. Snowman. The Horse, the Rat and the Swan. Full Review.
Their sound can be poorly described as the spooky artiness of Liars mixed with the Gothic industrial sounds of Coil. Even some traces of New York’s avant-noise scene slip in here, with some of the bleaker psychedelic passages reminding me of early Swans (White Light, Children of God). Far from being a mere encyclopedia of rock’s darker corners, Snowman is compellingly original, with foot-stomping darkwave grooves pounding behind psychotic vocals and eerie guitar work. Despite the gritty asylum atmosphere haunting the whole affair, this album is surprisingly accessible, as the songs are direct and full of alternative hooks to keep them focused.

24. Nine Inch Nails. Ghosts I-IV. Full Review.
Following the lead of Radiohead’s In Rainbows, Reznor left his major label (Interscope/Universal) the pursue his own online business model (free downloads, expensive box set) and escape the creative boundaries associated with conventional distribution. The result is a four disc, 36 track instrumental album that sees Reznor laying down moody ambient pieces, melancholic piano compositions and full throttle industrial jams, experimenting beyond the traditional NIN sound and showcasing Reznor’s artistic maturity.

23. Bonnie Prince Billy. Lie Down in the Light. Full Review.
Lie Down in the Light , the latest offering under Oldham’s BPB moniker, is one of his most summery and optimistic efforts to date, blending alt-country and folk traditions together for a laid-back and
rustic outing. The inclusion of traditional instruments really complement Oldham’s wide-eyed lyrics and finely-weathered vocals.

22. Titus Andronicus. The Airing of Grievances. Full Review.
What a great debut from this New Jersey band. The Airing of Grievances is a raw, noisy and spirited indie rock album that has shades of The Walkmen and early Trail of Dead. Not only are these songs emotionally charged, reflecting the caustic frustrations of the suburban soul, they also incorporate bombastic piano, horn and brass flourishes. By blending the orchestral with the lo-fi, Titus Andronicus have produced a truly epic work of art-punk.

21. Suffocate for Fuck Sake. Blazing Fires and Helicopters… Full Review.
Blazing Fires is a daring, if not downright suicidal, album from Sweden’s post-hardcore newcomers Suffocate for Fuck Sake. Gorgeous instrumentals, complete with sorrowful piano keys, shimmery post-rock guitars and strings frame a dark narrative of depression and redemption, as told by an institutionalized young woman. Just as Matthew Good’s Hospital Music expressed the toils of mental illness with dramatic shifts in mood and song phrasing, SFFS plot a winding trajectory for their tortured protagonist that goes to remarkable extremes. From the cold spoken word performances to fiery screamo fits of rage, this album is an emotional roller coaster.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 4th, 2008 at 1:58 pm and is filed under Lists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.