The Ocean - Fluxion
Novembre - any, but Novembrine Waltz comes most highly recommended
While Heaven Wept - Of Empires Forlorn
Rapture - any
Neurosis - A Sun that Never Sets (not death metal, but essential)
Mare - s/t
Year of No Light - s/t demo (good luck finding this...it's more than worth it...
These are my favorite at the moment, not necessarily all time.
In no order:
1. Meshuggah
2. Jaga Jazzist
3. Klimt 1918
4. Pelican
5. Novembre
6. Isis
7. Explosions in the Sky
8. Kayo Dot
9. Sigur Ros
10. Murder by Death
11. Opeth
12. dredg
13. The Appleseed Cast
14. Depeche Mode
15. Red House...
Mare - s/t - Dissonant experimental doom
Meshuggah - Chaosphere - easily the most intense album I've ever heard
Novembre - Novembrine Waltz - lush metal that's more beautiful than heavy
Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye - extremely weird fusion of chamber music, jazz, and metal
Rwake - Hell is a Door...
Depeche Mode is one of my favorite bands. Violator, Black Celebration, and Songs of Faith and Devotion are my major favorites, but I think their new album could nudge its way into that list eventually.
I say Karyn Crisis from Crisis. Despite being incredibly small, she's got huge stage presence and is pretty intimidating. Offstage, though, she's really nice and approachable.
2005 saw a shit-ton of fuckin awesome releases, not only in metal, but in all kinds of music. But as far as metal goes, there were killer new albums from
Meshuggah (album of the year for me!)
Opeth
Nevermore
Kayo Dot
Dark Tranquillity
Deadbird
Klimt 1918
Porcupine Tree
Pelican
Mouth of the...
Lately I've been listening to
Jaga Jazzist - What We Must
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire
Lars Horntveth - Pooka
Appleseed Cast - Two Conversations
Pelican - The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw
Tarentel - The Order of Things
Sigur Ros - Takk...