This is a best-of album. If you think that's cheating I do not give a fuck because it's not explicitely against the rules to recommend best-of albums, nor do I have enough knowledge of this band's discography to recommend one particular album over another. 
CD1
1. Slowdive
2. Avalyn I
3. Morningrise
4. Catch the Breeze
5. Golden Hair
6. Shine
7. Albatross
8. Golden Hair [BBC Peel Session][Live]
9. Spanish Air
10. So Tired
11. Alison
12. Country Rain
13. Machine Gun
14. When the Sun Hits (if you're going to listen to one song only, make it this one. In either case, this one first.)
CD2
1. 40 Days
2. Souvlaki Space Station
3. Dagger (this is an acoustic song, a little bit different, really good)
4. Here She Comes
5. Melon Yellow
6. Sing
7. Blue Skied an' Clear
8. Crazy for You
9. J's Heaven
10. Vision of La
11. Rutti
OK so this is my girlie recommendation. A fair few of you will have heard Slowdive already (Black Winter Day, etc.) and the rest of you might have heard OF them since Katatonia, etc. cite them as a huge influence, and well, after listening to these you will probably realize why. Throw more distortion on "When the Sun Hits" and it's basically a Katatonia song right away. Listen to "Avalyn I" and think "HMM WHERE HAVE I HEARD THAT INTRO BEFORE"*
So this is "SHOEGAZE" music (dumbest genre name ever) and not heavy metal but it's good anyway. It's not as far from the sort of melancholic, atmospheric metal that I enjoy so much (Katatonia, Agalloch, even Burzum and similar in that they focus very heavily on guitar-based atmosphere -- this is a heavily guitar-driven band) as you might think; a lot of people in here should like this! I think their use of heavily reverbed guitar ambience and walls of distortion and Katatonia-esque clean patterns is absolutely brilliant. Not all their stuff is all that great though; sometimes they get a little too "indie rock" and it's gay.
Anyway. Download "When the Sun Hits". Listen with headphones alone. THE WAVES OF DARKNESS WILL CRUSH YOU LIKE NOTHING.
* It's "Saw you Drown" and "Quiet World" btw
CD1
1. Slowdive
2. Avalyn I
3. Morningrise
4. Catch the Breeze
5. Golden Hair
6. Shine
7. Albatross
8. Golden Hair [BBC Peel Session][Live]
9. Spanish Air
10. So Tired
11. Alison
12. Country Rain
13. Machine Gun
14. When the Sun Hits (if you're going to listen to one song only, make it this one. In either case, this one first.)
CD2
1. 40 Days
2. Souvlaki Space Station
3. Dagger (this is an acoustic song, a little bit different, really good)
4. Here She Comes
5. Melon Yellow
6. Sing
7. Blue Skied an' Clear
8. Crazy for You
9. J's Heaven
10. Vision of La
11. Rutti
OK so this is my girlie recommendation. A fair few of you will have heard Slowdive already (Black Winter Day, etc.) and the rest of you might have heard OF them since Katatonia, etc. cite them as a huge influence, and well, after listening to these you will probably realize why. Throw more distortion on "When the Sun Hits" and it's basically a Katatonia song right away. Listen to "Avalyn I" and think "HMM WHERE HAVE I HEARD THAT INTRO BEFORE"*
So this is "SHOEGAZE" music (dumbest genre name ever) and not heavy metal but it's good anyway. It's not as far from the sort of melancholic, atmospheric metal that I enjoy so much (Katatonia, Agalloch, even Burzum and similar in that they focus very heavily on guitar-based atmosphere -- this is a heavily guitar-driven band) as you might think; a lot of people in here should like this! I think their use of heavily reverbed guitar ambience and walls of distortion and Katatonia-esque clean patterns is absolutely brilliant. Not all their stuff is all that great though; sometimes they get a little too "indie rock" and it's gay.
Anyway. Download "When the Sun Hits". Listen with headphones alone. THE WAVES OF DARKNESS WILL CRUSH YOU LIKE NOTHING.
* It's "Saw you Drown" and "Quiet World" btw
