- Aug 11, 2007
- 2,573
- 1
- 38
Now that '09 is behind us, let's look back on those 12 months and all the great (or not-so-great) music to fill our ears over the course of 365 days. Make your lists, check 'em twice, and let's discuss our favorite albums from the year that was 2009.
And if you have any albums that you didn't like, feel free to list those too.
In no order other than alphabetical, here was what rocked my world in '09.
Cain's Offering---Gather the Faithful
Got my first listen to this album before the Stratovarius show this October, listening with some other Strato fans. What an awesome release! I'm sure many people here were excited about the blending of Sonata and Strato, but I wasn't so sure. Then again, Timo K. could sing the phone book and I'd probably thoroughly enjoy it.
Delain---April Rain
While not as strong as their debut album, it's still a pretty good piece of work. And the return of guest vocalist Marco certainly doesn't hurt either.
Depeche Mode---Sounds of the Universe
My first exposure to this album was hearing the band perform the first single, "Wrong", on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Live, that song sounded fantastic, but I was somewhat let down by the studio version. However, the song couldn't be more aptly named, because if you let that be your only judgment of how the album would sound, that would be "wrong" indeed. A lot of moments on the album hearken back to much older sounds (especially the track "Peace", which totally reminded me of something that could have easily been on their second album, A Broken Frame). As someone who has listened to this band for as long as I can remember (I think I had a copy of Some Great Reward on cassette back in the 3rd grade), I've heard this band go through a lot of different sounds, some I liked, some not so much, but they've always kept it interesting. Yet another kick-ass album from the synthpop legends.
Dream Theater---Black Clouds & Silver Linings
10 for 10, DT never disappoints musically and once again put out another stellar piece of work. Even the "radio singles" are epic. There are only 6 songs on the album, the majority of them clocking in between the 10-20 minute mark, just the way I like it! The final installment of Portnoy's 12-Step saga, "The Shattered Fortress", was absolutely awesome and I wish I could be at the show when they decide to play all the songs from this 5 album-long saga. "A Nightmare to Remember" and "The Count of Tuscany" are some other opus tracks that are worth a mention.
Kittie---In the Black
While I probably preferred the last album, Funeral for Yesterday, this was still a very good album. Songs like "Cut Throat" and the cover of "Die my Darling" show that despite the fact that this band changes lineup with nearly every album, the Lander sisters still hold it together and keep it heavy.
Lacuna Coil---Shallow Life
I know, it's practically uncool these days to admit liking anything this band does, but hell, I've never been one of the cool kids anyway. Honestly, I feel if this album had come along before Karmacode, it would have had a better response. When I first heard "Spellbound", I thought to myself that this should have been the album that followed up Comalies. It gave me a feeling as if though this was the album that Karmacode wanted to be. This is supposed to be a concept album, although lyrically I couldn't really see any sort of particular storyline. I would say it's more a thematic album, in that lyrically as well as the content of their music videos and single covers, it appears to keep returning to the theme of the negative side of the music business and how fame and the pressure to maintain success can really sap a band's creative potential. And while this band has been accused of this very thing, they seem to be able to poke fun at themselves, especially in the "I Like It" video, where no genre of music is safe from their humorous observations. While it's far from the glory of their older works, it's still a solid album. "Wide Awake" is one of their most beautiful songs, and worth the price of admission.
Nightwish---Made in Hong Kong (And Various Other Places)
OK, it's probably a given that since this is the OSA forum, a Nightwish album would make the list. But in all seriousness, I'd put it on the list all the same. True, there were no "old era" songs included on this live album, but considering how this album was put together at the last minute to promote the European tour, it only makes sense that the DPP songs would be showcased. It was great to have a studio-quality live version of "7 Days", a song of which I thought sounded much better live than in the studio. And the DVD was quite good too; whether it was Anette's candid interview discussing the pressures of being suddenly thrust in the spotlight, or the Nightwish guys' edge-of-your-seat game of Drunken Uno, it was fun to watch.
Rocky Nash & the Average Americans---#2
So you're looking at this and wondering "who?" This is a local band that deserves a mention. The band consists of husband-and-wife team, vocalist Rocky Nash and her husband, Preston (who once used to be the drummer of the band Dope). Some straight-up, feel-good rock, including a kick-ass cover of the Tori Amos classic "Silent All These Years", and the charming cover of the Christmas tune "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", on which the band truly becomes a family act with the inclusion of 2 of the couple's 3 children providing backing vocals on this tune.
Stratovarius---Polaris
Their first album without Tolkki, the remaining members of Strato showed they could definitely hold their own. If this was the kind of stuff they were sitting on during the time when Tolkki was in the band, and the others wished to contribute more to the songwriting, I can understand their frustration. It managed to kick off a new era of Strato while still maintaining traces of the classic sound. Whether it was the all-out rockin' opening track "Deep Unknown", epic goodness like "Emancipation Suite" or the beautifully moving final track "Mountains May Fall", it was yet another Strato album that didn't disappoint. The two younger members of the band, Lauri and Mattias, inject some fresh blood and spunk into the band. While I do miss Tolkki and it's not entirely the same without him, it's clear that he was tired of Strato for years and if the band was going to carry on, it was this kind of new input that they needed. And in spite of the lineup change, after seeing them for the 4th time, they are STILL one of the best bands I've ever seen live!
Within Temptation---An Acoustic Night at the Theatre
After hearing the Tros Muziekcafe sessions from '08, I had somewhat of an indication what this album would be like; some very beautiful reinterpretations of WT classics, including a new all-acoustic track "Utopia". Now, this song has caused a lot of controversy, and I may as well go ahead and address it now. To those who hate the song, I totally understand why. There is definitely a strong Top 40/country-type vibe to the song, and I don't blame those who dislike it for finding it a little hard to take. However, putting that aside, I try to judge a song for how it sounds as a whole, not compared to other genres of music or what I think a particular band's sound should be. So, aesthetically, I found it to be quite a pretty song, and it fits the theme of the acoustic album quite nicely. Needless to say, for those who disliked this song, I don't think we need to fear that this will be the future sound of WT. I see this song as an opportunity for them to experiment with this style of music since they were putting out this particular kind of album, and that's all. I like when bands change sound and experiment. Even if it's not a sound I like, I still respect them for trying to step outside the box.
And there is an honorable mention: Tori Amos' Christmas album, Midwinter Graces. I'd put it on the list, but it's a seasonal album which means it was only listened to during a certain time of the year. While it was an awesome album, I wouldn't have felt right putting an album I only listened to solidly for about 2-3 weeks, on a list with some albums that I regularly listened to throughout the year.
...I get the feeling this isn't the complete list but this was the best I could do at 1 in the morning off the top of my head.
Here's to some more great music in '10!
And if you have any albums that you didn't like, feel free to list those too.
In no order other than alphabetical, here was what rocked my world in '09.
Cain's Offering---Gather the Faithful
Got my first listen to this album before the Stratovarius show this October, listening with some other Strato fans. What an awesome release! I'm sure many people here were excited about the blending of Sonata and Strato, but I wasn't so sure. Then again, Timo K. could sing the phone book and I'd probably thoroughly enjoy it.
Delain---April Rain
While not as strong as their debut album, it's still a pretty good piece of work. And the return of guest vocalist Marco certainly doesn't hurt either.
Depeche Mode---Sounds of the Universe
My first exposure to this album was hearing the band perform the first single, "Wrong", on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Live, that song sounded fantastic, but I was somewhat let down by the studio version. However, the song couldn't be more aptly named, because if you let that be your only judgment of how the album would sound, that would be "wrong" indeed. A lot of moments on the album hearken back to much older sounds (especially the track "Peace", which totally reminded me of something that could have easily been on their second album, A Broken Frame). As someone who has listened to this band for as long as I can remember (I think I had a copy of Some Great Reward on cassette back in the 3rd grade), I've heard this band go through a lot of different sounds, some I liked, some not so much, but they've always kept it interesting. Yet another kick-ass album from the synthpop legends.
Dream Theater---Black Clouds & Silver Linings
10 for 10, DT never disappoints musically and once again put out another stellar piece of work. Even the "radio singles" are epic. There are only 6 songs on the album, the majority of them clocking in between the 10-20 minute mark, just the way I like it! The final installment of Portnoy's 12-Step saga, "The Shattered Fortress", was absolutely awesome and I wish I could be at the show when they decide to play all the songs from this 5 album-long saga. "A Nightmare to Remember" and "The Count of Tuscany" are some other opus tracks that are worth a mention.
Kittie---In the Black
While I probably preferred the last album, Funeral for Yesterday, this was still a very good album. Songs like "Cut Throat" and the cover of "Die my Darling" show that despite the fact that this band changes lineup with nearly every album, the Lander sisters still hold it together and keep it heavy.
Lacuna Coil---Shallow Life
I know, it's practically uncool these days to admit liking anything this band does, but hell, I've never been one of the cool kids anyway.
Honestly, I feel if this album had come along before Karmacode, it would have had a better response. When I first heard "Spellbound", I thought to myself that this should have been the album that followed up Comalies. It gave me a feeling as if though this was the album that Karmacode wanted to be. This is supposed to be a concept album, although lyrically I couldn't really see any sort of particular storyline. I would say it's more a thematic album, in that lyrically as well as the content of their music videos and single covers, it appears to keep returning to the theme of the negative side of the music business and how fame and the pressure to maintain success can really sap a band's creative potential. And while this band has been accused of this very thing, they seem to be able to poke fun at themselves, especially in the "I Like It" video, where no genre of music is safe from their humorous observations. While it's far from the glory of their older works, it's still a solid album. "Wide Awake" is one of their most beautiful songs, and worth the price of admission. Nightwish---Made in Hong Kong (And Various Other Places)
OK, it's probably a given that since this is the OSA forum, a Nightwish album would make the list.
But in all seriousness, I'd put it on the list all the same. True, there were no "old era" songs included on this live album, but considering how this album was put together at the last minute to promote the European tour, it only makes sense that the DPP songs would be showcased. It was great to have a studio-quality live version of "7 Days", a song of which I thought sounded much better live than in the studio. And the DVD was quite good too; whether it was Anette's candid interview discussing the pressures of being suddenly thrust in the spotlight, or the Nightwish guys' edge-of-your-seat game of Drunken Uno, it was fun to watch.Rocky Nash & the Average Americans---#2
So you're looking at this and wondering "who?" This is a local band that deserves a mention. The band consists of husband-and-wife team, vocalist Rocky Nash and her husband, Preston (who once used to be the drummer of the band Dope). Some straight-up, feel-good rock, including a kick-ass cover of the Tori Amos classic "Silent All These Years", and the charming cover of the Christmas tune "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", on which the band truly becomes a family act with the inclusion of 2 of the couple's 3 children providing backing vocals on this tune.
Stratovarius---Polaris
Their first album without Tolkki, the remaining members of Strato showed they could definitely hold their own. If this was the kind of stuff they were sitting on during the time when Tolkki was in the band, and the others wished to contribute more to the songwriting, I can understand their frustration. It managed to kick off a new era of Strato while still maintaining traces of the classic sound. Whether it was the all-out rockin' opening track "Deep Unknown", epic goodness like "Emancipation Suite" or the beautifully moving final track "Mountains May Fall", it was yet another Strato album that didn't disappoint. The two younger members of the band, Lauri and Mattias, inject some fresh blood and spunk into the band. While I do miss Tolkki and it's not entirely the same without him, it's clear that he was tired of Strato for years and if the band was going to carry on, it was this kind of new input that they needed. And in spite of the lineup change, after seeing them for the 4th time, they are STILL one of the best bands I've ever seen live!
Within Temptation---An Acoustic Night at the Theatre
After hearing the Tros Muziekcafe sessions from '08, I had somewhat of an indication what this album would be like; some very beautiful reinterpretations of WT classics, including a new all-acoustic track "Utopia". Now, this song has caused a lot of controversy, and I may as well go ahead and address it now. To those who hate the song, I totally understand why. There is definitely a strong Top 40/country-type vibe to the song, and I don't blame those who dislike it for finding it a little hard to take. However, putting that aside, I try to judge a song for how it sounds as a whole, not compared to other genres of music or what I think a particular band's sound should be. So, aesthetically, I found it to be quite a pretty song, and it fits the theme of the acoustic album quite nicely. Needless to say, for those who disliked this song, I don't think we need to fear that this will be the future sound of WT. I see this song as an opportunity for them to experiment with this style of music since they were putting out this particular kind of album, and that's all. I like when bands change sound and experiment. Even if it's not a sound I like, I still respect them for trying to step outside the box.
And there is an honorable mention: Tori Amos' Christmas album, Midwinter Graces. I'd put it on the list, but it's a seasonal album which means it was only listened to during a certain time of the year. While it was an awesome album, I wouldn't have felt right putting an album I only listened to solidly for about 2-3 weeks, on a list with some albums that I regularly listened to throughout the year.
...I get the feeling this isn't the complete list but this was the best I could do at 1 in the morning off the top of my head.
Here's to some more great music in '10!
