日志

Today marks the last part of my rundown of the decade's music. Next week will be the usual rundown of the month's best tracks, and then I'll be starting at some point after that with a rundown of the 90s in a similar style - after all, this autumn marks twenty years since I first got into/was exposed to "alternative" music, and this is a good time to do this, I feel. Anyway, on with the show.

Previously:
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.01: 100 to 81
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.02: 80 to 61
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.03: 60 to 41
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.04: 40 to 21
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.05: 20 to 01
My top 50 albums 2000-09 Pt.01: 50 to 26

25
The Axis of Perdition
The Ichneumon Method (And Other Less Welcome Techniques)
2003

"Industrial Black Metal from Middlesborough" is perhaps not the way to sell yourself as a band. But if you are looking for something extreme, heavy, and most of all dark, you've come to the right place. A viciously loud, murky production, with the vocals treated to resemble beasts emerging from the pits of hell, and the music itself is black metal as you may not have heard it before. Riddled with samples, programming and savage riffs, this such a fascinating spin on the genre that if you have any interest in it, it's worth giving it a listen.

24
Doves
Lost Souls
2000

We perhaps have a fire to thank for the way this album turned out. After a studio fire destroyed years of their work for dance act Sub Sub, they changed direction and ended up with this. A beautifully understanded, mellow album, in the main, it has moments though that are utterly extraordinary, and is also imbued with a surprising warmth, too. Some people have dismissed this band as dullards, but really, they are anything but, and are vastly more talented and interesting to listen to than a number of their peers.

23
Gojira
From Mars to Sirius
2005

An intriguing, unusual band in the metal scene - "progressive death metal" is about as close a description as I've seen, but frankly they cover so many genres that trying to nail it down too closely is all but impossible - they are a band who actually have something to say. Most of their lyrics have an environmental theme, some of their songs become epic soundscapes, but then they also rock like bastards. This was the album that I, and probably many others, discovered them on, and as concept albums go it's really pretty fucking special.

22
Deftones
White Pony
2000

The whole genre termed nu-metal hardly seems to have had much of a shelf-life, and to be frank I'd be happy never to hear some of those bands ever again (*cough*Crazy Town*cough*), but Deftones were always different and a cut above their peers. It wasn't just the astonishingly abrasive sound, or the use of actual tunes, but the way that Chino Moreno managed to include all of his influences, including bands like The Smiths and The Cure, in amongst the metal grooves. This all came together to amazing effect on this album, considerably darker and at points more experimental than ever before (or since).

21
Panic DHH
Panic Drives Human Herds
2004

Nowadays Robbie Furze has left this band behind for a perhaps more mainstream band in the form of The Big Pink. A damned shame, really - this, the only studio album Panic DHH ever released, is a brutal exercise in using power electronics to bolster what at points is otherwise somewhere in the realms of punk. The sheer savagery of this album really cannot be understated, particularly in the opening few tracks (Leader and Spare are pure power noise), and live they incredibly upped the ante even more. I only wish more material got released, although I really should check out The Big Pink.

20
Emperor
Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire and Demise
2001

The last new material from the greatest of the black metal bands, and what a way to finish. I've already mentioned the jaw-dropping closing track, but the rest of the album is hardly bad. In fact the rest of the album is nearly as astounding. Opening with a harpsichord intro (no, really), it explodes into the appropriately-titled The Eruption, before taking you on a nine-track, hour-long journey through an incredible, ultra-technical symphonic black metal masterpiece. It's probably a good thing that they never recorded anything more following this - they were never, ever, going to top this.

19
Six by Seven
The Closer You Get
2000

I'm not really certain that many people knew what to make of Six By Seven when they first appeared. Their debut single, European Me was lauded like the second coming in the music press, but in my view there are a number of far better songs on that album. But then, the barely disguised contempt for the world at points in it got unleashed in full on the follow-up, which really was quite a shock. Gone were the epic songs of the first album, instead a number of shorter, snarling beasts of tracks that were a torrent of fury and hatred. Opener Eat Junk Become Junk had psuedo-industrial beats and programming to add to the punch, while Ten Places to Die suggested a list of ways to finish it all. But then on the flip side was the joyous New Year, and the giddy rush of Another Love Song. While schizophrenic in mood at points, this remains an essential listen.

18
65daysofstatic
The Fall of Math
2004

In the development of the "post-rock" scene, 65DoS deserve more than a footnote, perhaps, judging on some of the bands that are now appearing here and there. More than anything else, they could be seen perhaps as trailblazers in realizing that the genre had so much more scope, and mixing in disparate influences, clever and targeted use of glitchy electronics, and an astonishing focus that came across in the quite staggering technicality and emotions that their music invokes. Obviously, they are even more astounding live, and you may have seen me wax lyrical about that before. But even so, on record they are still a thrilling experience.

17
Arcade Fire
Funeral
2004

I still don't quite understand how this album passed me by for over two years, maybe more. I don't think I'd ever noticed them on regular viewings on MTV2 or wherever else, never followed any links…and then one day, I did listen. And was sat there scratching my head. It sounded great, heartfelt, driving rock that was instantly memorable, and I had the tune (I think it was Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)) in my head for days. Once I got my hands on the album, I quickly realised that there was so much more to the band than what I had heard. There are elegant, beautiful ballads, songs that just demand to be sung by a huge crowd (Wake Up, I'm looking at you), songs that evoke extraordinary atmospheres (Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)), and more than anything a general feeling that life is too short, in an urgency to enjoy life to the fullest in the time we have. Maybe that's why this band are so loved. They somehow take cliched ideas that would feel like cheap shots with other bands, and make them into things that sound brand-new and life-affirming. And a great album to listen to, too.

16
Esa
The Sea and The Silence
2008

Released right at the end of 2008, this is yet another astounding step forward by Jamie Blacker, to the point of it probably eclipsing his two previous, really quite remarkable albums. Taking the basic premise of reasonably extreme, powerful industrial electronics, and stretching them into shapes and sounds that other contemporaries probably haven't even thought of trying yet. Again there is a concept, but this time rather more abstract, but musically this album destroys any idea of boundaries that might constrain it. There are elements of world music, of live instruments, of pitch dark black metal, dark ambient, and straight up industrial power. Either way, an absorbing listen that rewards repeat listens in spades.

15
In Strict Confidence
Exile Paradise
2006

This decade was an extraordinary one for ISC: they released four extraordinary albums, all of which showed a distinct growth and evolution, culminating in this absolutely exquisite darkwave/gothic/electro meisterwerk. A shimmering production, some of the greatest songs they've ever written, and a visually stunning theme that enveloped everything to do with the album (lyrical themes, videos, images, even the music at points). We're still awaiting the follow-up, but tracks from it are finally due to be unveiled in the coming weeks, I understand.

14
Aesthetic Perfection
A Violent Emotion
2008

As I noted when awarding this album of the year for 2008, this album's concept is seemingly all about channelling violent energy to make a positive difference, and in that respect - and in it's brilliantly varied musical conception - it works brilliantly. Yes, it has dancefloor-friendly tunes, but really this is all about so much more than that, and works equally well as an album to listen to at home miles from any dancefloor.

13
Collide
Some Kind of Strange
2003

Amazing to think that this is now six years old, really. An ageless sound that gently seduces your ears for just shy of an hour, it's an album to luxuriate in. Little on the album goes faster than languid, but then that suits Karin's vocals perfectly, as the songs unwind around her voice, sometimes used to great effect wordlessly. The opening pair of tracks are absolute belters, but the rest of the album takes it's time to work it's magic...

12
Amanda Palmer
Who Killed Amanda Palmer
2008

My girlfriend disagrees with me on this, I think, but I still believe that this AFP album is better than all her albums with The Dresden Dolls. Rather than being constrained by the stylistic and musical influences they made such a play of, here AFP and producer Ben Folds allow free reign for everything to come out, resulting in joyous blasts where everything and probably the kitchen sink too are chucked in (Leeds United, Guitar Hero), covers of show tunes, very, very dark ballads, and just generally a broader musical palate. And she even manages to crowbar in a jaunty, bright 60s-influenced pop tune about rape and a subsequent abortion (Oasis), and just about get away with it.

11
Edgey
Flawed
2007

An album that really took me by surprise, this. A staggering mashing of drum'n'bass, breakcore, glitchy electronics, and industrial/dark ambient atmospheres, it sounded like no-one else at the time, and it's still pretty damned unique now, too. A rare album in these realms, too, for me that I can happily listen to the whole thing in one go, too, rather than dipping into bits of it every now and again. Hardly one for the dancefloor - I'd love to see rivetheads try and dance to the seemingly-calculus-derived time signatures of Cohesion - but it is an awesome album to listen to at a hefty volume.

10
Stromkern
Light It Up
2005

Still a regular album to listen to in my house, Stromkern remain probably the only band in the industrial scene to successfully hip-hop stylings to their music. That and their searing, highly-charged political lyrics have them stand out as a band with something to say, even if they refuse to publish the lyrics, leaving you to interpret them for yourself. Some might still only know Stand Up following it's playing everywhere in recent years, but delve deeper and you'll find a great album too - even the shorter, intermission-esque tracks don't feel out of place, and both of the tracks with guest vocalists are awesome. Still waiting for that follow-up, though, and with changes to the political landscape since this, it will be interesting to see what they do do next.

9
Seabound
Double-Crosser
2006

The opener to this (Scorch The Ground (Version)) I named my track of the decade the other week, and really the album is not far behind. All about lust, obsession and revenge-best-served-cold, it's icy, gently-seething façade only breaks a couple of times to let some warmth in, and it's perhaps notable that these couple of tracks are the weaker songs here. Where the album really, really scores spectacularly is when Frank Spinath let's his hate and bitterness really spill out in the lyrics, devastating lines delivered with a lightness of touch that almost wrongfoot you every time. Also, musically, it's electronics fit the mood perfectly, and never intrude on the words taking centrestage - and when they are this good, as they should, too.

8
The Knife
Silent Shout
2006

Drenched in darkness in just about every way - not only musically, but in the look of the group, the artwork, the videos…this was an unsettling listen that was to begin with, pretty much inpenetrable to me. But I kept plugging away at it, and eventually just how brilliant this album is became clear. There isn't a single bad song here, but sometimes it can become all a bit much. Where they go from here should be interesting, but seeing as the recent Fever Ray album is almost a pitch dark as this, I'm not expecting it to be a ray of sunshine. I'm not sure being exposed to that much light would suit them, anyway...

7
Converter
Blast Furnace
2000

My entry into anything noisy-rhythmic-industrial came from this album, and I'm still not sure it's actually been bettered by any of his peers, although some have made a bloody good go. At points extraordinarily extreme (Red Crystal in particular), it perversely also spawned a massive industrial dancefloor hit for a while in the lengthy form of Death Time, and perhaps also was in some respects one of the most "commercial" "noise" albums yet released. Those who listened in casually, purely because of that track were in for a shock, though, but it was worth persevering. The Blast Furnace title was no accident, as metallic effects were all over the place, in samples, machine-like rhythms and even the atmospheres created. Little humanity was allowed a look in, but then why should it? The machines simply crushed all that out, and this is the soundtrack to that very event. Be afraid.

6
Rico
Violent Silences
2004

I noted the other week that five years have now elapsed since the last recorded output from Rico, and I'm increasingly of the fear that this was the last word from him on record. Shame. Also as I noted then, the second half of the album is much the stronger, some feat when the first half features contributions from both Tricky and Gary Numan - also a sign of the wide appeal of Rico's music. Unfairly pigeonholed early on as the "British Trent Reznor", he was never quite that, but deserved far more success than he ever got.

5
Machine Head
The Blackening
2007

Best. Comeback. Ever. Those three words are going to be endlessly associated with this - the hackneyed tale of a band fallen on hard times, the creative well empty, or so we thought, and then they roar back with this. Fucking hell. That was pretty much what most of us said once we'd heard the monstrous, ten-minute opening track, never mind the rest of the album. The good thing was, the rest of it was just as good. Making no concession to trends in metal, this was just simply the metal album that Robb Flynn and his band wanted to make, and not a minute was wasted in creating a brilliant, brilliant hour of thrash metal. They are still touring it now, mind, and while they are fucking ace live, it would be nice to hear something new soon...

4
Covenant
Northern Light
2002

The single most enduring and remarkable album to come from the futurepop/EBM/electro-industrial/call-it-what-you-like period in the early couple of years of this decade, this album transcended the usual limitations of the genre in some style. At first listen a cold, aloof creation (to go with the frozen figures and icy landscapes that dominate the sleeve), a few listens thaws it to an astounding effect. There are belting dancefloor monsters (Call the Ships to Port), astonishing pop songs (Bullet), choral-backed ballads (Invisible & Silent) and also one of the most euphoric, uplifting songs ever released in this scene (We Stand Alone). Oh, and not to mention the many, many references to Greek Mythology scattered through the album that makes the lyrics worth listening to (and fun to work out what on earth they are on about, too).

3
Battles
Mirrored
2007

I loved this band from the moment I first heard Atlas, and I've still not stopped loving it yet. An endlessly fun album, that twists and turns, playing with the structures of rock music, dance music and twisting them into a hugely enjoyable take on post-rock that pretty much immediately made everything else look deadly serious. That few bands have dared to tread the same path is telling - it took four seriously talented and respected musicians to even approach music this complex-but-accessible - and perhaps they will remain standing alone in a musical universe bathed in a bright spotlight.

2
Prometheus Burning
Beyond Repair
2006

I remember being played a couple of tracks from this as my first exposure to the band, and being bowled over to the point that it didn't take me long to go and hunt out the album. Starting with the template of industrial-noise - and at points, this band are unbelievably harsh - but adding in twisted, heavily treated vocals and rhythms, and emotional outpourings based on pure rage, this sounds different. Very different to what has gone before. Slowly twisting the knife further as you go into the album (the last couple of tracks being the harshest and closest to pure noise), before ending in an unsettling silence, this was an album that I'm not sure you were ever meant to unlock a deeper meaning to. The followup album, based much more on old-school industrial, was great, but never quite had the sheer visceral power that this one has.

1
Cyanotic
Transhuman
2005

I could equally have made a case for the reworked Transhuman 2.0 to be in the top spot with this, but there are reasons why this album makes it to the top spot on it's own. Firstly, for me this album gave my interest in industrial music a shot in the arm. In 2005, there wasn't a lot for me to be excited about. Most of the albums I was bothered about around that time were either not industrial, or were older bands making comebacks. So to hear this, a new band doing interesting stuff with a genre I was beginning to fear was stagnating badly, was seriously exciting to me. That and the fact that this album made a perfect synthesis of industrial and metal influences, nodding back to the past and Sean Payne's formative years listening to Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Numb and others, but also looking to the future and fusing other, outside genres to the sound to create a hybrid that sounded both familiar and new, and tremendously exciting, all at the same time. I'm not going to pick highlights from the album, as it's all great, and indeed as I've been DJing industrial to a greater extent in recent years, Cyanotic remain the one band I can play and get asked "who is this?" by punters more than anyone else. In addition, Sean Payne's ceaseless promotion of his peers on compilations, remix work, just linking to others, and high quality of all his musical output have opened my eyes to a whole scene across the Atlantic that gives me hope for industrial music in the future. There is so much more out there, we just need to look for it. And I'm glad I found this. I'm still a regular listener to this album now, as my play charts on Last.fm will attest, and with the medication generation finally nearing release, I'm sure I'll be playing this band for some further time to come yet, too.

And now, onto the final instalment of my tracks of the decade. This took ages to compile, write about and in particular decide on this final top twenty. Obviously, I'd love to know what you, the reader, thinks are your favourite track(s) of this decade.
Next week will see the start of my top fifty albums of the decade.

Previously:
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.01: 100 to 81
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.02: 80 to 61
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.03: 60 to 41
My top 100 tracks 2000-09 Pt.04: 40 to 21

20
W.A.S.T.E.
Suburban Crime Scene
Violent Delights
2007
Full-on, rhythmic-industrial noise seems to be in short-supply nowadays, so thank god W.A.S.T.E. are here to assault our ears. Just about everything they have released so far seems to have declared war on my speakers, my ears, and dancefloors if I dare play them when DJing, and I fucking love it. Bring a level of industrial rage that few other acts seem to even dare aspire to, this track is the centrepiece of the Violent Delights EP, with a writhing mass of samples that fill the gaps behind a jackhammer beat that could quite likely rip holes in the floor. Oh, and add to that the high-pitched squeals that some find desperately uncomfortable (I'm all but banned from playing this in my girlfriend's presence)...and you have one hell of a confrontational track. But then, isn't this what this genre is supposed to be about?

19
The Strand
I Hate My Fucking Job (Rmx by Imperative Reaction)
Rmx01
2004
A curious lot, this band - slightly odd industrial with the band choosing to pursue a steampunk image (just check this live version of the original of this track). The lyrical theme, as the title suggests, is rather more rooted in the present, a seething tirade at shitty, dead-end jobs - and features unexpected sample use from Red Dwarf episode Timeslides. While the original is interesting, it's the Imperative Reaction remix that gets the nod, for it's beefing up of the beats and generally tweaking the track to make it much, much more snappy and immediate...

18
Ladytron
Destroy Everything You Touch
Witching Hour
2005
The one time this band have reached near-perfection, this icy synthpop track was one of those rare tracks that seemed to appeal right across the spectrum. Shorn of the experimentalism that the band are sometimes guilty of indulging in on their albums, this was simply a straight-up pop song that mystifyingly never became a massive hit (despite being re-released). Some people have no taste, clearly...

17
A Perfect Circle
Magdalena
Mer De Noms
2000
There was more than a little fuss when this band first appeared, mainly I think down to the appearance of Maynard James Keenan as vocalist. Needless to say, his vocals are immediately recognisable, but what he brings here is very different to his work in Tool, and in other subsequent side-projects. There was a dark, gothic heart to many of the songs, and in addition the lyrics were a little less cryptic and perhaps more nakedly emotional. That said, debate still appears to rage over what this particular song is about - I'm going with the religious imagery/allegory explanation, myself - but whatever it is about, its an astonishingly tense lesson in musical control, as the verses are reserved, before a whole torrent of emotion is unleashed for the chorus and the climax of the song, too. Not only the best APC track by a country mile, it's probably up in the top handful of tracks Maynard has ever been involved with, as far as I'm concerned.

16
Emperor
Thorns On My Grave
Prometheus: The Discipline Of Fire and Demise
2001
The last recorded word by the greatest black metal band of them all, this was the staggering closing track to their most experimental album, an album that probably gained them a whole lot of new fans in their quest to expand their sound. It wasn't in vain, either, in my view - this was the best Emperor ever sounded, a dense, orchestral-Black Metal sound that at the same time never allowed any element to be buried in the mix, and when you ended up with songs like this, it was hard not to want to bow to it and salute what a fucking amazing job they had done.

15
Neurosis
Stones From the Sky
A Sun That Never Sets
2001
The jaw-dropping, bleak closer of A Sun That Never Sets, this is the deepest, darkest blues updated as only Neurosis can - complete with the tolling of a funeral bell heralding the opening of the track, before the riffs rain down from the black clouds that gather over them. Many have problems categorising Neurosis, and it's not hard to see why. Not quite doom metal, not quite blues, not quite stoner metal, hell, they even include industrial electronics and production methods at points. Whatever they are, though, they stand alone above so many other bands who have never quite nailed the sheer depth of emotion and reach of their musical experimentation, and for me, with this track in particular, they remain utterly, utterly peerless.

14
Left Spine Down
U Can't Stop The Bomb
Fighting for Voltage
2008
So, maybe, this is what cyberpunk actually is, in sonic terms. Punk song structures and attitude, with a sleek industrial production and effects. Oh, and kick-ass songs like this, too. With links to various other north american industrial bands, they've got themselves quite a fanbase in a short space of time, and it's not hard to see why. When they are done releasing a seemingly endless set of remixes of their songs - and notably, perhaps, this track has been released a lot less than some of their other output - their next new material should be worth hearing. But if you need somewhere to start with this band, you need to start with this.

13
Mastodon
Blood and Thunder
Leviathan
2004
It was definitely this track that made me really sit up and notice what Mastodon were doing. The first album was good, solid metal, but it was Leviathan where the staggering scope of Mastodon's influences and aims were laid bare. And it was the opening track, Blood and Thunder - surely the first metal track ever about Ahab and his hunt for the great whale - that stormed into being one of the most played metal tracks in some time. With good reason, too - it's storming, driving metal with an unusually clear narrative, and a massive, massive whale-sized chorus. Although for reasons probably best known to the band, the video involves a lot of clowns.

12
Collide
Euphoria | Emirian Mix
Vortex
2004
Collide are one of those bands that many people have heard of, but may not have actually heard. At least, that used to be the way. Nowadays they seem to have a little more of a profile, and there can be no doubt that it is this track that has had a significant hand in that. The original, languid version on Some Kind of Strange was good, but once Charlie Clouser got it's hands on it, it was transformed into a slow-burning, sensual epic that brought to mind all kinds of fun things, and also helpfully summed up all that was great about this band. More based around atmosphere than anything else, their intricately constructed tracks are frequently soundscapes that reward repeated listening, and this was exactly that - this remix, though, just helped to make it that much more accessible. The subsequent video edit is pretty much a merging of elements of the Emirian mix and the original, too, hence why I'm linking to that here.

11
Pendulum
Blood Sugar
Blood Sugar Single
2007
Inexcusably shorn of it's trademark voiceover intro for the re-release of Hold Your Colour, I've seen this titanic, armour-plated track obliterate dancefloors in clubs all over the place, from drum'n'bass clubs to metal clubs, industrial/goth clubs, indie clubs...this and the act's appeal seemed limitless to start with once they caught on, but it never quite seemed right once they turned into a full band and started adding vocals. Nothing on In Silico comes close to the mastery of Hold Your Colour, but then this is one step further on from that too. Pure fun-loving, jump-up drum'n'bass with a horrendously catchy - and yes, cheesy - synth hook, I now know what "the sonic re-creation of the end of the world" sounds like - this.

10
Stromkern
Terrorist
Armageddon
2001
Stromkern may have finally got the recognition they deserved with the highly-political album Light It Up a few years later (and in particular the single Stand Up), but those who were already fans surely most have known what was to come following tracks like this. A devastating critique of the suicide bomber, asking whether it is really worth killing yourself for a belief, it literally explodes - pun intended - into the chorus. Probably Stromkern's most nakedly hip-hop moment, too, it was also the opener for their set at Infest 2006, and was just as effective then.

9
Rico
Forward Motion
Violent Silences
2004
Five years have now elapsed since the last recorded output from Rico, and while the website and myspace remain live there has been precious little word to suggest that there might be more material coming. More's the pity, as his second album was even stronger than the first, even if it didn't seem like it at the time. An album that grew and grew in stature, revealing it's many charms listen by listen, it was also unusual in that all of the strongest tracks - without exception - were in the second half of the album, almost as if the tracklisting was back to front. It culminated in this slowly unfurling call to grasp the here-and-now and do something, anything, before you waste your life wishing it away. An unusually uplifting track from Rico, in some respects, if this was the last word, it's an impressive way to finish. On the flipside, closing on a high like this only makes me hope all the more that another release will follow.

8
Front Line Assembly
Buried Alive
Artificial Soldier
2006
By 2006, and the impending arrival of this album, I was not alone in fearing that FLA were a spent force. It had been years since they have released a decent album, with only the odd hint that they still had something worth listening to. This album changed my view - along with the staggering live shows that accompanied it - but more than anything it was this immense track. FLA finally picked up on drum'n'bass, having barely even looked at it previously, and created one of their most anthemic tracks ever based around a thumping, urgent beat that had fucktons of bass, too. A new album is now in the works, apparently, and if Bill Leeb's interviews from a year or two back are to be believed, this could be a last hurrah. Well, if it reaches anywhere close to this, it's going to be a hell of a way to go...

7
Covenant
Call the Ships to Port
Northern Light
2002
In the end, it was a straight decision as to whether to include this or We Stand Alone, and I think that in terms of pure impact it really has to be this. It may be a stretch to say that it revitalised their career, but what it did do was to make many realise that there was much, much more to them than trashy electropop like Dead Stars. This was deep, thoughtful stuff, with lyrics alluding to Greek myth and legend, pounding, club-bound beats and a synth hook that was simply divine - the step up through the gears after the first chorus, particularly in the live version, has to be seen/heard to be believed. Endlessly played and requested since, but it never feels like a trial to listen to it again and again - instead it's always a pleasure.

6
65daysofstatic
Aren't We All Running?
The Fall of Math
2004
It's amazing to think that it's only five years since I first discovered 65DoS (thanks, Kelly!), and I've been an avid fan ever since. As they have progressed, and added more and more electronic textures, though, I'm still finding my preferred listening being their first album, which is a fantastic mix of post-rock, glitch and electronics. Amongst the many great moments, though, it's this - the closing track - that is still the unassailable peak. Opening with a mournful, but urgent piano melody, before twinkling electronics and the merest hint of guitar join in...and then a gulp of air before the whole, majestic track comes crashing in - a trick pulled more than once. It's the ending, though, that gets me every time. The gulp of air is stretched out for four, five seconds, before it rips back in one more time, then stopping dead and leaving you, the listener, to contemplate just how a band that are almost entirely instrumental could ever get so utterly thrilling to listen to.

5
Primordial
The Coffin Ships
The Gathering Wilderness
2005
There is a not a single song in this list that comes even remotely close to the sheer emotional punch that this song possesses, and I'll be surprised if I ever hear another that does. A lengthy, elegaic track about the humiliation the band's Irish forefathers suffered in attempting to escape the Irish Potato Famine, it's powerful sweep never fails to send shivers down my spine. A band that, perhaps, have never quite got the coverage they deserved in the metal scene in the UK at least, they nowadays are a slightly more restrained doom-folk-metal band, quite a difference from their black metal roots, but at times the fury and anguish they unleash is staggering - and this is one of those tracks.

4
Amanda Palmer
Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing
Who Killed Amanda Palmer
2008
The shooting, screaming star of AFP's solo album, and as far as I'm concerned still the best moment she's put on record so far - and that includes all of The Dresden Dolls stuff, too, hence why this comes in higher than my DD inclusion in this list. Written while a relationship was/had disintegrated/ing - although the full story is far more complex than that - having more than just vocals, piano and drums makes AFP sound like the larger-than-life, brash and ballsy star that she really should be. Shamefully Roadrunner Records fucked her over in a big way, barely promoting the album and leaving it to die, but a massive online following and AFP's happy involvement with them seems to have done far more good. Anyway, this track is awesome, and if you haven't heard it, shame on you - and watch the video.

3
Cyanotic
Order Out Of Chaos
Transhuman
2005
Some of you may be surprised to see this not at number one in this chart, but there is no doubt that it deserves it's place in the top three. This was the first track by the band that I heard, after I bought the album without hearing it following a glowing review on Music Non Stop. "That sounds just like the kind of band I'm looking for", I thought - and so it proved. Four years on, it's still a staple track in my DJ sets, and is probably the one track I play that I get asked "what is this" more than any other. If you've been reading my blog for all this time and still don't know what it sounds like, here's a quick version - stomping, drum'n'bass-infused industrial metal with Slayer-esque breakdowns that sounds like an awesome apocalyptic future. Now you know, and if you like, go watch the video and perhaps even order a copy of the second version of the album...

2
Battles
Atlas
Mirrored
2007
A still extraordinary track even now, well over two years since release, that unveiled Battles as a band that were doing something very different to just about everyone else. A infectious, technicolour blast of *fun*, built around, of all things, the Glitter beat, it was probably the catchiest song of the year and most other recent years, and yet was light years away from being mainstream pop. Which is probably a good thing, as these guys are far too good to lose to the mainstream, right? Electronic music played live, with an endless sense of invention and curiosity, I'm never going to get tired of this.

1
Seabound
Scorch The Ground (Version)
Double Crosser
2006
I debated long and hard as to what the top track on this list was going to be, and certainly the number one slot only got decided for sure earlier today, when I heard this track again. I've already mentioned how brilliant Seabound are, but this is their standout moment. A mid-paced, electro-pop track with a heart of pitch black, this is a tale of revenge, of wanting to be every perceived threat and fear to whoever it is that inspired this song. The tune is memorable in itself, but it would be nothing without the lyrics and the vocal delivery - Frank Spinath's air of calculated calm throughout the song is, perhaps, a little unnerving. But then, that is most certainly the aim, at least if you are the subject. To me, it's simply the most well-rounded, and therefore best, song of this decade.

Next week: My top 50 albums 2000-09 Pt.01: 50 to 25

Zafiksowałem się na gotyckiej muzyce. Collide, Numeriklab - ach. Wyzwoliło to we mnie pozytywne uczucia, przez co cały czas chodzę uśmiechnięty.
Dziwne, nawet jak przestaję słuchać , to zaczyna mi w głowie grać i czasami nucę sobie jakieś melodie. Nigdy mi się to nie zdarzało.

Another visit to the archives and some quality tracks....




and here's the relatively short Spotify Playlist

Doing this once again simply because I really want some new music. I'm getting sick of all the music I have now... And if anyone out there tells me to listen to Tarja, I'll cheerfully beat you to death...>.> <.<

Take the 50 top artists in your musical profile, and create a cloud of the similar artists that are not in your top 50. The result is a collection of highly recommended artists for your personal profile. You can generate your own cloud (in BBCode) at http://anthony.liekens.net/pub/scripts/last.fm/recommend.php

My recommendations are

After Forever Android Lust Angtoria Blutengel Chiasm Collide Darkwell Delain Diva Destruction Dope Stars Inc. Edenbridge Ego Likeness Elis ] Forever Slave Imperia Jesus on Extasy Liv Kristine London After Midnight Lunatica Mortal Love Nemesea Persephone Rasputina Scarling. Sirenia Switchblade Symphony Tapping the Vein Tarja Tarja Turunen The Crüxshadows The Dreamside The LoveCrave Theatre of Tragedy Tristania Visions of Atlantis Voltaire Xandria Zombie Girl

Oh, and cookies for anyone who recommends me any good Japanese music! =^-^=

Ну, вот и я сподобился заполнить этот опросник. Думал, что все это ерунда и неинтересно, но на деле оказалось очень затягивающим занятием. Заполнял скорее для себя, нежели для других, но если кому-то мои ответы помогут найти для себя нового исполнителя - буду только рад.
Итак, поехали!

1.How did you get into no.29?
Pain
Дайте-ка вспомнить... Ну конечно же, все началось с Hypocricy! Слушал раньше довольно много ее, потом прочитал в одном из журналов про сайд-проект Питера, в котором он все делает сам, заинтересовался и вот с тех пор не отпускает.

2. What's the first song you ever heard by no.22?
Tarja
Если брать ее сольное творчество, то конечно же "I Walk Alone"

3. Whats your favorite lyric by no.33?
Darzamat
Хм... Сложно сказать, никогда особо не интересуюсь лирикой песен достаточно глубоко. Музыка для меня имеет гораздо большее значение.

4. How did you get into no.49?
Lesiëm
Сослуживец дал послушать, понравилось.

5. How many albums by no.13 do you own?
Ayria
Так, сейчас посчитаем... Debris, Flicker и Hearts For Bullets. Итого - три.

6. What is your favorite song by no.50?
After Forever и Diorama
Самому сложно сказать, Ласт говорит, что "Silence From Afar" у After Forever, что же, поверим. У Diorama однозначно "Masquerades and Faces"

7. Is there a song by no.39 that makes you sad?
Orbital и Tarja Turunen
У первых нет а у Тарьи - опять та же "I Walk Alone", т.к. напоминает о разрыве с Nightwish.

8. What is your favorite song by no.15?
Collide
"The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum" Вот тут как раз уже из-за текста.

9. What is your favorite song by no.5?
Amethystium
Нет, это настолько удивительная музыка, что выбрать что-то одно невозможно. Ласт говорит, что "Dreamdance" я слушаю чаще всего. Ему виднее.

10. Is there a song by no.6 that makes you happy?
Indica
Да, конечно! "Viimeinen jyvä" Она же и самая прослушиваемая. У них вообще довольно веселое творчество. По крайней мере для человека ни бельмеса не понимающего по фински.

11. What is the worst song by no.40?
Leigh Nash
Пожалуй, что "Cloud Nine" Не то, чтобы худшая, просто мне меньше всего нравится.

12. What is your favorite song by no.10?
Artrosis
"Pośród Kwiatów i Cieni" Просто первой ее услышал когда-то и она очень долгое время была единственной песней Artrosis, что у меня вообще была.

13. What is a good memory you have involving no.30?
Closterkeller
Хм, да никаких, пожалуй... Разве что - очень обрадовался, когда нашел их концерт на DVD.

14. What is your favorite song by no.38?
А нет у меня сейчас 38 места!

15. Is there a song by no.19 that makes you happy?
Fauxliage и Oomph!
А как же! у Fauxliage это "Draw My Life" Очень позитивная песня. Прслушивая ее жить хочется! У Oomph! это "Augen auf!"

16. Is there a song by no.25 that makes you sad?
Jonson
Нет, пожалуй нет такого трека.

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23?
Angelzoom
Тааак... По-моему, это была "Fairyland" Или "Back In The Moment" В любом случае, это точно был клип.

18. What's your favorite lyric by no.11?
Zombie Girl
Вне всяких сомнений, это "Creature Of The Night"

19. Who is a favorite member of no.1?
Decadence
Я думаю, тут без вариантов! Конечно же Kitty "Metallic Kitty" Saric!

20. Is there a song by no.14 that makes you happy?
Delerium
"Innocente (Falling in Love)" И тут Leigh Nash! Самая частоупоминаемая в моем рейтинге, наверное.

21. What is a good memory involving no.27?
I:Scintilla и Android Lust
Нет никаких, к сожалению. Но и плохих тоже нет!

22. What is your favorite song by no.16?
Сектор Газа
Вот уж попало, так попало... Таковых много и в разных этапах творчества есть своя. Но если одна, то "Лирика"

23. What is the first song you ever heard by no.47?
Claire Voyant
Честно скажу: не помню.

24. What is your favorite album by no.18?
Apoptygma Berzerk
Не альбом, но "The Singles Collection" Альбома, как чего-то целого, нет любимого.

25. What is your favorite song by no.21?
Mylène Farmer
Их много. Но самая-самая наверное "Méfie-toi"

26. What is the first song you ever heard by no.26?
Красная Плесень
Ох, где же ты, детство... "Частушки" из "Девятого бреда"

27. What is your favorite album by no.3?
The Birthday Massacre
"Violet" Из-за того, что сначала увидел клип на песню "Blue", а уже потом начал знакомство с творчеством группы именно с этого альбома.

28. What is you favorite song by no.2?
Spectra Paris
Вот тут я действительно разрываюсь между "Mad World" и "Falsos Sueños"

29. What was the first song you ever heard by no.32?
Lacuna Coil
Помню, очень понравилась перепевка Депешевской "Enjoy the Silence", после чего и заинтересовался.

30. What is you favorite song by no.8?
Siderartica
"The Fourth Ray of Light" Да и вообще "Night Parade" выдающийся альбом.

31. How many times have you seen no.17 live?
Линда
Не доводилось. Очень жалею, т.к. слышал очень хорошие отзывы.

32. Is there a song by no.44 that makes you happy?
Nightwish и Diva Destruction
Безусловно, есть. У найтов это, как ни удивительно, "The Poet and the Pendulum (Instrumental)" У Diva Destruction это "Run Cold"

33. How did you get into no.12?
Kirlian Camera
Началось все с Spectra Paris. Просто захотелось послушать, чем же Элена занималась до Spectra Paris и Siderartica.

34. What is the worst song by no.45?
Опять повезло: нет у меня 45 места.

35. What was the first song you ever heard by no.34?
Tristesse de la Lune
А вот прямо самая первая с их альбома - "Coriolis"

36. What was the first song you ever heard by no.48?
:wumpscut:
Это точно был сборник "Fuck The Mainstream", а значит - это "We Believe, We Believe"

37. How many times have you seen no.42 live?
Leigh Nash
Ни разу.

38. What is you favorite song by no.36?
Фактично Самі
"Сашахуй" Однозначно. Еще нравится "Пиздець Ко...ну" Не из-за мата, как может показаться на первый взгляд.

39. What was the first song you ever heard by no.28?
И снова мне везет: нет у меня и 28 места тоже.

40. What is you favorite album by no.7?
Калевала
Ну конечно же "Кудель Белоснежного Льна" Другого и нет пока.

41. Is there a song by no.31 that makes you happy?
The Prodigy
А как же: "Molotov Bitch"

42. What is your favorite album by no.41?
Нет и 41 места...

43. What is your favorite song by no.24?
Yendri
"We Are Everywhere (East)"

44. What is a good memory you have involving no.46?
Antonio Vivaldi
Да тут само знакомство уже настолько хорошее воспоминание, что лучшего и не надо, пожалуй!

45. What is your favorite song by no.35?
QARPA
Один из моих ньюкамеров, как говорят пиндосы. Слушаю ее меньше недели, как и Фактично Самі. Очень нравятся две песни из которых не могу выбрать одной, это "Очі твої" и "Кокаїн"

46. Is there a song by no.9 that makes you happy?
Within Temptation
Да, есть. "Stand My Ground" Почему? Вы видели их шоу "Black Symphony"? Нет? Мне не о чем с вами разговаривать.

47. What is your favorite album by no.4?
Xandria
"Ravenheart"

48. Who is your favorite member of no.37?
KMFDM
Хе-хе... Провокационный вопрос! Лючия!

49. What is the first song you ever heard by no.43?
Везет мне на отсутствующие позиции...

50. What is your favorite song by no.20?
Да, и 20 места тоже нет.

1. How did you get into 29? Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
I heard "And No More Shall We Part" on the radioin the car, and I loved it. At the same moment, my dad said how he thought it sounded terrible.

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22? Dead Can Dance
"The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove", coincidentally, on the same radio program.

3. What's your favorite lyric by 33? Castanets
We ain't free, my love/we are not our masters

4. How did you get into 49? Sage Francis
Christine was listening to him in the store she was working at, and I was just beginning to get into hip hop.

5. How many albums by 13 do you own? Low
7 albums, 3 EPs, and a box set,

6. What is your favorite song by 50? Lacuna Coil
Probably "Stars", or possible "Humane"

7. Is there a song by 39 that makes you sad? Noir Désir
I don't understand his accent well enough to know the lyrics well, but musically "Bouquet de nerfs" is rather mournful

8. What is your favorite song by 15? Alien Sex Fiend
"I Think I", most likely, although "E.S.T." is great

9. What is your favorite song by 5? Talking Heads
"Listening Wind". It's kind of an odd choice, but I love the music

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy? The Angels of Light
Not 'happy', per se, but 'energized', yes

11. What is the worst song by 40? Modest Mouse
Sad Sappy Sucker is unlistenable

12. What is your favorite song by 10? Tom Waits
"Earth Died Screaming" or practically anything off of Real Gone

13. What is a good memory you have involving 30? Cinema Strange
Lucas Lanthier was in line at the urinal behind me at one of their shows.

14. What is your favorite song by 38? Nirvana
"Heart Shaped Box"

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy? Pigface
Not really.

16. Is there a song by 25 that makes you sad? Siouxsie and the Banshees
Not really here either.

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23? Neurosis
Some song on Souls at Zero. I didn't like them yet, though, not for 3 years or so

18. What's your favorite lyric by 11? Les Wampas
Les gens riches ont souvent de l'argent (English: Rich people often have money)

19. Who is a favorite member of 1? Swans
Michael Gira wins out over Jarboe because Swans really is his brainchild

20. Is there a song by 14 that makes you happy? The Cure
all sorts of Cure pop songs make me happy

21. What is a good memory involving 27? Porcupine Tree
I was going to buy a PT pin at a goth show, and the vendor was so impressed that I knew them that he gave me the pin for free

22. What is your favorite song by 16? Christian Death
"The Blue Hour"

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47? Neko Case and Her Boyfriends
"Set Out Running" - First track on Furnace Room Lullaby

24. What is your favorite album by 18? Sigur Rós
( ) without a doubt

25. What is your favorite song by 21? The Jesus and Mary Chain
"Taste The Floor"

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26? Scarlett Johansson
"Summertime", but that's just because it was the only song she had for a long time

27. What is your favorite album by 3? Indochine
Dancetaria. LOVE it

28. What is you favorite song by 2? Neko Case
"Hold On, Hold On" - Scarcely a better song has been written. I just wish it was longer

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32? Pixies
probably "Where Is My Mind"

30. What is you favorite song by 8? Radiohead
"The Amazing Sounds Of Orgy" followed closely by "Climbing Up The Walls"

31. How many times have you seen 17 live? Virgin Prunes
none, they broke up the year I was born

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy? The Decemberists
not particularly

33. How did you get into 12? Nine Inch Nails
never really liked them until I heard Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt", then I re-evaluated my position

34. What is the worst song by 45? Yeah Yeah Yeahs
almost anything on Show Your Bones. I don't really like that album.

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34? Devendra Banhart
something off of Cripple Crow

36. What is the first song you ever heard by 48? Made Out of Babies
"Cooker" - 1st song on The Ruiner

37. How many times have you seen 42 live? Android Lust
never

38. What is your favorite song by 36? Arcade Fire
"My Body Is A Cage" - stunning

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28? Bella Morte
Probably "The Rain Within Her Hands" back in the days of mp3.com

40. What is you favorite album by 39? TV on the Radio
Dear Science, is their best, I think

41. Is there a song by 31 that makes you happy? Collide
Perhaps "Somewhere"? Collide is more about arousal than happiness

42. What is your favorite album by 41? Bauhaus
The Sky's Gone Out

43. What is your favorite song by 24? Voltaire
"Almost Human", maybe?

44. What is a good memory you have involving 46? Goldfrapp
I don't know, not too many Goldfrapp memories

45. What is your favorite song by 35? Saul Williams
"List Of Demands" or "Black Stacey"

46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy? Joy Division
hahahahahahahahahahaha

47. What is your favorite album by 4? Jarboe
The Men Album

48. Who is a favorite member of 37? Cocteau Twins
Liz Frasier - her voice is trancendant

49. What is the first song you ever heard by 43? Marilyn Manson
"mOBSCENE" - I hated Manson then and the Yahoo music video player though I'd like to see that video

50. What is your favorite song by 20? Neutral Milk Hotel
"Two-Headed Boy, Pt 2"

So I've been at this Last.fm thing for a while now. And I have found a TON of great music and have slowly been adding more to my collection. But the one genre that has really gotten me in the past week or so has been Female Fronted Metal bands (otherwise called Symphonic Metal or Operatic Metal). I've known bands like Lacuna Coil , Collide, Nightwish, etc. but I've discovered more by them and found new stuff by such great groups as Epica and Within Temptation. I'm in aural heaven right now. Hmm....When I die and go to heaven, they are gonna give me a harem of beautiful angels that look/sound like the best ladies of Goth/Metal. kaRIN (right there at the top of the list). With Amy Lee, Christina Scabbia, Sharon den Adel, Simone Simons....you get the picture. Now excuse me, I gotta take a cold shower. :)