Records of 2009...

Most people who read this will probably already know what my favourite records of the past year are, but what the hell; everyone else is doing it...

1. Converge - Axe To Fall

Up until a few days ago, this was a couple of places back down my list but then I gave it a couple more full listens through and it dawned on me just what a magnificent record it really is. It may quite possibly be Converge's most accessible record to date, what with they more mellow songs, 'Cruel Bloom' and 'Wretched World' towards its end, as well as 'Dark Horse' the album opener; but to say that would be to take away from the sheer pummeling, exhilarating fury of the other tracks here - as well as the sheer brilliance of those aforementioned songs. A whirlwind of Kurt Ballou's buzz saw riffs and solos, accompanied by the crushing rhythm section of Ben Koller and Nate Newton and topped with Jake Bannon's ever ferocious vocal delivery; this is a record that again raises the bar and shows every other 'heavy' band what they have to live up. It's also probably their best record since the incendiary 'Jane Doe' which is no mean feat.

2. Doomriders - Darkness Comes Alive

A new direction for a band who up until now have played 70's rock influenced party music to get drunk and skateboard to. That doesn't mean this record isn't packed with insanely catchy riffs that make you want to a) headbang your face off, b) circle pit until you're dizzy, or c) both of those at the same time; but the title is apt because there's definitely a markedly darker feel on show. The riffs have a more metallic edge to them but Nate Newton's voice is as gravelly and fearsome as ever as the band charge through 17 songs of rock 'n' roll tinged hardcore with nods to legends such as Danzig, Motorhead and MC5. While their debut LP may have come across as a little ironic in parts, there's none of that feeling here as Newton bears his soul on numbers such as 'Lions' and 'Come Alive' while the rest of the band create a gloomy, pulsating juggernaut of noise behind him. No other rock 'n' roll record came close to this in 2009.

3. The Horrors - Primary Colours

I used to hate the Horrors. Well maybe not hate, but their brand of Sonics influenced, goth heavy garage punk was pretty boring to me and I dismissed them as fashionable hipsters who'd disappear from the musical landscape within a year or two. But then they went and holed themselves up in a studio with a couple of home made effects pedals and made this masterpiece. 'Primary Colours' is equal parts My Bloody Valentine esque shoegaze, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Joy Division's brand of early 80's post-punk, but still retains enough of the bands earlier garage rock sound to provide the record with some bite, so that despite the epic-ness of most of the songs, there isn't a feeling of over-kill or boredom. It's all done with the minimum of fuss. Guitars swoon and organs ring out as if you're trapped inside a kaleidoscope of sound; ideas perfectly twisting and merging together. It's a record that although dark in nature, evokes images of dappled summer sunshine as undulating waves of erethral noise swirl around you. It is truly a rebirth and one that is all the more remarkable considering what preceeded it in terms of the group's musical output.

4. Polar Bear Club - Chasing Hamburg

No favouritism here I promise; this record really is good enough to claim fourth place on this list. A hybrid of indie-hardcore-punk, PBC have delivered a record that is an equal mix of angular strength and anthemic outpouring. It's an album that is packed with dense guitar riffs and subtle melodies; switching between the muscular aggressiveness of opener 'See The Wind' - probably the band's heaviest song to date - and the deft sweetness of 'Drifting Thing' and seemingly covering every point in between. This a mature, incredibly well thought out record that highlights the band's obvious talent as musicians as well as not being afraid to let their creativity run wild. It flows effortlessly from one song to the next, treading the fine between hard-hitting and accessible with ease and will hopefully gain them a host of new fans.

5. Paramore - Brand New Eyes

Paramore have certainly matured with this, their third album, but that doesn't mean they've lost any of their fiendishly catchy tunes. Hayley Williams' lyrics may be a bit more rage-filled this time around - "Next time you point the finger I might have to bend it back, and break it, break it off" - but these are still joyful, fun-filled songs to sing along to. The rest of the band pound and crash through their brand of fast paced pop-punk with the usual amount of energy and enthusiasm, but it's Williams' vocal that steal the show here; flawless as they are throughout. Probably one of the best pop-rock records I've heard in a long while.

6. Fireworks - All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion

If you like New Found Glory, then you probably already like this record. Or you're like lots of my friends and think "why bother, I'll just listen to New Found Glory!" Well all my friends who previously held that opinion have come around to my way of think; namely that this record is brilliant. It's not reinventing the wheel when it comes to pop-punk; by what they do, they do bloody well. This record is full of furiously fun guitar hooks and intelligent, sentimental lyrics that combine to put a smile on my face whenever I listen to it. A breath of fresh air when it comes to the genre they inhabit, Fireworks have created an album that they can truly be proud of and one that should stand the test of time.

7. Blacklisted - No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me

Another band who have reinvented themselves, Blacklisted take everything you know about hardcore and throw it out the window. In its place goes a handful of grunge style riffs, some interludes complete with violin and trumpet and George's characteristic blues esque vocal delivery and you have one of the most original and bold (read: brave) hardcore records in a while. Never afraid to do things on their own terms, Blacklisted have created an album that will divide fans the world over, but one that if persevered with, will reward you with each new listen. Much in the same way that Fucked Up make the music that they want to make, Blacklisted have gone in their own direction, but it's a direction that works. On paper it shouldn't work and who'd have thought that when they released 'Our Youth Is Wasted' they'd go on to release a record where their main influence are a host of grunge bands as well as Swans and Lemonheads? But in reality it does work and I admire them for attempting to push the boundaries of a genre that can so easily become stagnated with the same old tired clichés.

8. Set Your Goals - This Will Be The Death Of Us

A top-ten list of mine isn't really complete unless there's a Set Your Goals record present. This record may be a bit different stylistically to their earlier opus', but it still serves up melodic hardcore influenced pop-punk with the emphasis on the catchy ('Summer Jam', an ode to being on tour with your best friends, is perhaps the catchiest song of the year). The first half of the record is classic SYG; all fast paced drums and searing guitar riffs, over which their trademark dual vocals compete for attention, singing about issues that they hold dear. The second half takes its lead from 90's Bay Area skate-punk; rabble rousing choruses' sandwiched between angular riffs that should incite circle pits at venues across the globe, while 'Gaia Bleeds' highlights the group's hardcore background. The guest vocalists employed here are also of the highest order with Vinnie Caruana from The Movielife/I Am The Avalanche, Chad Gilbert and Hayley Williams all making appearances - the latter producing one of the most bizarre moments of the musical year - and this adds to the record's feeling of solidarity and friendship that runs right through its core; in particular on album closer 'Our Ethos: A Legacy To Pass On' with it's refrain of, "So come with us if you feel what we feel, we'll turn these words in to something real". It's undoubtedly a summer record and that one that could - and should - propel the band to great new heights.

9. Cold Cave - Love Comes Close

Although Wes Eisold is best known for his time in hardcore band American Nightmare and latterly Some Girls, this record is one of dark, synth-splashed pop songs heavily influenced by post-punk, synth-pop and new wave; a combination that although done so many times before, feels fresh and up to date here. Consistently catchy in their demeanour, the songs on show here are brilliantly constructed and possess a clear sense of purpose. Aided by Ian Dominick Fernow of Prurient and Caralee McElroy of Xiu Xiu - both of whoms influences are clear - Eisold has crafted a record of dark, bittersweet pop gems that sparkle and are uplifting as much as they are dark and gloom-laden.

10. AFI - Crash Love

AFI's evolution as a band has always been based upon progression, both in terms of their musical stylings and also of their reluctance to look to the past achievements for inspiration, and this record is no exception to that. Leaving the synths of 'Decemberunderground' to one side, this is an accomplished record that although nods to their earlier work on 'Sing The Sorrow' and 'The Art Of Drowning' presents enough fresh ideas to continue on their ever changing path. It is an intricate, well constructed album that offers focused quality at almost every turn and but for a coupled of mis-placed songs - especially first single 'Medicate' - that gives the middle section of the record a slightly disjointed feel next to the subtle refinement of 'Veronica Sawyer Smokes' and the camp, Bowie esque 'Too Shy To Scream', it would a lot higher in my list. A true return to form; not that they ever lost it.


xo