? ..
What is THAT supposed to mean, again?
Hear, hear. Not only did that Khanatist guy not even bother to come up with a proper Top 50 year list, as he traditionally used to all the years before - well, how could you, if all you scrobble in one goddamn year is the latest fail in the wobbling excuse for a genre called dubstep - he also missed the deadline for decade lists by WEEKS and now tries to hand one in later with the obviousness of an obvious troll! Hell, the
10's are almost over, I gotta be kidding, right?
Okay, seriously.
Really seriously.
This wasn't easy for me. I've done this list thing before, more than once, and have my music sorted pretty well (pedantically, actually); no, I had to struggle with something else.
It's just so deeply emotionally affecting.
My active passion for music started in the year 2000, or at least my attempts to look beyond the things which get played on the radio and on TV. (There
were milestones before; I could drop names such as
Kate Bush,
Doppelkopf and
Laurent Garnier, or the legendary hip-hop compilation
Soundbombing 2 - as we're speaking of the 00's, I'll spare you that.)
Ironically, before then, I downright detested music with guitars, or, as you would say as somebody who claims to listen to "everything!": "rock". Don't even
think about "metal". For me, metal was idiots in ridiculous leather pants.
Now, fast-forward 10 years.
I just don't know. It depressed me when I realized I'm not simply listing some CDs with a release date between 2000 and 2009. I looked back at 10 years of my life. Presumably the most important time of my life. I looked back at who I
am. And in a way, this collection of music is what I am.
Thousands of bands. Several thousand CDs.
Hundreds of concerts. Dozens of festivals (7 last year alone - oh my). An innumerable amount of songs that moved me. Friendships I won't count.
When you go through basically all the music you've ever experienced, you also re-experience certain stages of your life. It's not like I was thinking "Hey, I was really happy when I got into that German indie band
Tomte" or "Man, I was seriously ill at the release of
Oceanic". You just
feel the same way you felt when you listened to a CD the first time. (More often than not.) After a not quite short period of
scepticism for music - where I by the way excessively increased my repertoire in cinema, pushing my IMDb vote history way beyond 2000 - I rerecognized how music used to strike my heart. It's the highest and only form of transcendence I know.
Don't get me wrong: This is not going to be "Khanatist's diary shaped into album titles". It's still the
best I discovered upon years of absurdly extensive explorations in the world of music. It might explain why pretty much all of my top albums are from the first half of the decade, though (
Tim Hecker from 2006 at 36 and
Alcest and
Insect Warfare from 2007 close behind being the highest "newcomers").
I became obsessed with all subgenres of metal you would call "extreme" at once in 2001, which didn't leave much room for artists to shatter the principles of my musical understanding in the years afterwards. Your
first death metal album makes you discover a new world. You discover
death metal that is even more extreme. Or
even more brutal. Or
even more .., .. well, just more of everything. It's obviously getting harder and harder to discover new things that can give you the feeling you had in the beginning of it all. Hands down, music is as addictive as heroin. Surely you may find other genres to substitute the ones you fell in love with before, but it's never going to feel the same. (If there's much to substitute in the case of brutal death metal ..)
No matter what I listen to, it's all about emotions. Which is a highly ambiguous term. Grindcore is emotional, funeral doom is emotional, emo is emotional, black metal offers some of the most emotional music at all (yes, face it. Is "hatred" no emotion? Isn't a depressive state emotionally effecting (sic!)?). Maybe taste evolves, as time goes by. In the end, I'll perhaps collect free jazz, african tribal music and
recordings of insect noises. But that just wouldn't be
me. Never again after the release of
Jesu's self-titled album in 2005 music felt so heart-wrenching, making it the newest release in my top 10.
Here might be a reason why this decade-reflection made me upset; I'm afraid if music will still be able to give me these emotions in future.
I'm naturally pessimistic, yet not without hope. last.fm might be a part of it.
_________________________________________________________________
As always, positions on the list get slightly variable with descending numbers, while they are highly important at the top. Except for Isis and Neurosis, no band is listed twice. You should get an idea of how much these mean to me.
For your convenience, each of the albums links to a representative or favorite song of mine (ideally both) on Youtube. This should make it even easier for those interested in my selection to discover new things, or finally give names a listen you always pass by without further research. Sometimes I even had to cut, trim and upload songs to Youtube, so feel obliged to make use of that service!
I wouldn't post this if you, dear users, weren't invited to comment, debate or hate on it. What you normally get to see on my profile is nothing more than my listening habits. Here comes the real deal: My Top 200 of the Decade.
(It's 8 o'clock in the morning. I sat three fucking hours in front of this. Oh my God.)
1.
Isis -
Oceanic (2002)
2.
Neurosis -
A Sun That Never Sets (2001)
3.
Neurosis -
The Eye of Every Storm (2004)
4.
Isis -
Panopticon (2004)
5.
Khanate -
Khanate (2001)
6.
Converge -
Jane Doe (2001)
7.
At the Drive-In -
Relationship of Command (2000)
8.
Hopesfall -
The Satellite Years (2002)
9.
Jesu -
Jesu (2005)
10.
Cult of Luna -
The Beyond (2003)
11.
Sparta -
Wiretap Scars (2002)
12.
Katatonia -
Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2001)
13.
Agalloch -
The Mantle (2002)
14.
Ion Dissonance -
Solace (2005)
15.
Sunn O))) -
Black One (2005)
16.
Thursday -
War All the Time (2003)
17.
Exhumed -
Slaughtercult (2000)
18.
Nasum -
Human 2.0 (2000)
19.
The Appleseed Cast -
Mare Vitalis (2000)
20.
Queens of the Stone Age -
Songs For The Deaf (2002)
21.
Alchemist -
Organasm (2000)
22.
Sigur Rós -
( ) (2002)
23.
Logh -
Every Time A Bell Rings, An Angel Gets His Wings (2002)
24.
La Quiete -
La Fine Non È La Fine (2004)
25.
Skepticism -
Farmakon (2003)
26.
Benton Falls -
Guilt Beats Hate (2002)
27.
Abyssic Hate -
Suicidal Emotions (2000)
28.
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead -
Source Tags & Codes (2002)
29.
Explosions in the Sky -
The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place (2003)
30.
Lurker of Chalice -
Lurker of Chalice (2005)
31.
Nadja -
Truth Becomes Death (2005)
32.
Esoteric -
Subconscious Dissolution Into The Continuum (2004)
33.
Boards of Canada -
The Campfire Headphase (2005)
34.
Buried Inside -
Chronoclast (2005)
35.
Coldplay -
A Rush of Blood To The Head (2002)
36.
Tim Hecker -
Harmony In Ultraviolet (2006)
37.
Saetia -
A Retrospective (2001)
38.
Discordance Axis -
The Inalienable Dreamless (2000)
39.
Alcest -
Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde (2007)
40.
Insect Warfare -
World Extermination (2007)
41.
Ocean -
Here Where Nothing Grows (2005)
42.
Pelican -
Australasia (2003)
43.
Tragedy -
Vengeance (2002)
44.
Funeral Diner -
The Underdark (2005)
45.
Tomte -
Hinter all diesen Fenstern (2003)
46.
Cannibal Ox -
The Cold Vein (2001)
47.
Cryptopsy -
And Then You'll Beg (2000)
48.
Red Sparowes -
At The Soundless Dawn (2005)
49.
Darkspace -
Dark Space II (2005)
50.
Shining -
IV - The Eerie Cold (2005)
51.
Mogwai -
Happy Songs For Happy People (2003)
52.
Enslaved -
Isa (2004)
53.
Porcupine Tree -
In Absentia (2002)
54.
Xasthur -
Nocturnal Poisoning (2002)
55.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor -
Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven! (2000)
56.
Bohren & der Club of Gore -
Sunset Mission (2000)
57.
Wolves in the Throne Room -
Two Hunters (2007)
58.
Ostinato -
Left Too Far Behind (2003)
59.
Boris -
Flood (2000)
60.
Troum -
Sigqan (2003)
61.
Envy -
All The Footprints You've Ever Left And The Fear Expecting Ahead (2001)
62.
Opeth -
Blackwater Park (2001)
63.
Deftones -
White Pony (2000)
64.
The Berzerker -
The Berzerker (2000)
65.
Wigrid -
...Die Asche eines Lebens (2005)
66.
The Saddest Landscape -
Lift Your Burdens High for This Is Where We Cross (2004)
67.
Corrupted -
El mundo Frio (2005)
68.
The Blood Brothers -
...Burn, Piano Island, Burn (2003)
69.
Evoken -
Quietus (2001)
70.
dälek -
Absence (2005)
71.
Meshuggah -
I (2004)
72.
Gravenhurst -
Fires In Distant Buildings (2005)
73.
Taken -
Between Two Unseens (2004)
74.
Raein -
Il n'Y A Pas d'Orchestre (2003)
75.
Lifelover -
Konkurs (2008)
76.
Coheed and Cambria -
The Second Stage Turbine Blade (2002)
77.
Monolithe -
Monolithe I (2003)
78.
Skycamefalling -
10.21 (2000)
79.
Misery Signals -
Controller (2008)
80.
Forgotten Tomb -
Songs To Leave (2002)
81.
Melt-Banana -
"Cell-Scape" (2003)
82.
The Angelic Process -
Coma Waering (2003)
83.
Crippled Black Phoenix -
A Love of Shared Disasters (2007)
84.
Eluvium -
Copia (2007)
85.
Drudkh -
Forgotten Legends (2003)
86.
Anathema -
A Natural Disaster (2003)
87.
Kode9 & the Spaceape -
Memories of The Future (2006)
88.
Mare -
Mare (2004)
89.
Mastodon -
Remission (2002)
90.
The Mercury Program -
All The Suits Began To Fall Off (2001)
91.
Deathspell Omega -
Kénôse (2005)
92.
Ignite -
Our Darkest Days (2006)
93.
Stars of the Lid -
The Tired Sounds Of (2001)
94.
Methadrone -
Retrogression (2005)
95.
Trespassers William -
Different Stars (2002)
96.
Norma Jean -
Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child (2002)
97.
Abandon -
In Reality We Suffer (2004)
98.
65daysofstatic -
The Fall of Math (2004)
99.
Sonic Youth -
Murray Street (2002)
100.
Ulver -
Shadows of the Sun (2007)
101.
Hatebreed -
The Rise of Brutality (2003)
102.
Floor -
Floor (2002)
103.
Kate Bush -
Aerial (2005)
104.
Hot Cross -
Cryonics (2003)
105.
Leviathan -
Tentacles of Whorror (2004)
106.
Phantomsmasher -
Phantomsmasher (2002)
107.
Despised Icon -
The Healing Process (2005)
108.
Eden Maine -
The Treachery Pact (2002)
109.
Sunn O))) & Boris -
Altar (2006)
110.
Martyn -
Great Lengths (2009)
111.
Loma Prieta -
Last City (2008)
112.
Agoraphobic Nosebleed -
Altered States of America (2003)
113.
Blut aus Nord -
The Work Which Transforms God (2003)
114.
Daïtro -
Laisser vivre les squelettes (2005)
115.
Intronaut -
Prehistoricisms (2008)
116.
Year of No Light -
Nord (2006)
117.
Lykathea Aflame -
Elvenefris (2000)
118.
Tocotronic -
Pure Vernunft darf niemals siegen (2005)
119.
boysetsfire -
After the Eulogy (2000)
120.
Grouper -
Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill (2008)
121.
Autechre -
Gantz Graf (2002)
122.
William Basinski -
The Disintegration Loops III (2003)
123.
Embraced -
An Orchestrated Failure (2002)
124.
M83 -
Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts (2003)
125.
Longing For Dawn -
Between Elation and Despair (2009)
126.
Yacøpsæ -
Einstweilige Vernichtung (2001)
127.
Guapo -
Five Suns (2004)
128.
Machine Head -
Through The Ashes of Empires (2003)
129.
Minsk -
The Ritual Fires of Abandonment (2007)
130.
The Dead Texan -
The Dead Texan (2004)
131.
Bear vs. Shark -
Right Now, You're in the Best of Hands. And If Something Isn't Quite Right, Your Doctor Will Know in a Hurry (2003)
132.
Glassjaw -
Worship and Tribute (2002)
133.
Escapado -
Hinter den Spiegeln (2005)
134.
Burial -
Untrue (2007)
135.
Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine -
Rampton (2002)
136.
Sólstafir -
Masterpiece of Bitterness (2005)
137.
Have a Nice Life -
Deathconsciousness (2008)
138.
Portishead -
Third (2008)
139.
Om -
Conference of the Birds (2006)
140.
Jóhann Jóhannsson -
Fordlândia (2008)
141.
Rival Schools -
United by Fate (2001)
142.
Fuck the Facts -
Disgorge Mexico (2008)
143.
The Evpatoria Report -
Golevka (2005)
144.
Atavist -
Atavist (2006)
145.
Gnaw -
This Face (2009)
146.
Gorerotted -
Mutilated in Minutes (2000)
147.
2562 -
Unbalance (2009)
148.
Taking Back Sunday -
Tell All Your Friends (2002)
149.
Buried at Sea -
Migration (2003)
150.
Shape of Despair -
Angels of Distress (2001)
151.
Stop It!! -
Self Made Maps (2003)
152.
Yage -
Anders leben?! (2003)
153.
Biffy Clyro -
Blackened Sky (2002)
154.
Uphill Battle -
Uphill Battle (2002)
155.
Fulci -
Dead Lights Red Sky (2005)
156.
Fucked Up -
The Chemistry of Common Life (2008)
157.
Lightning Bolt -
Hypermagic Mountain (2005)
158.
Fuck Buttons -
Street Horrrsing (2008)
159.
Sometree -
Moleskine (2003)
160.
Gregor Samsa -
Rest (2008)
161.
Zyklon -
World ov Worms (2001)
162.
Tides -
Resurface (2005)
163.
The Album Leaf -
In a Safe Place (2004)
164.
Immolation -
Close to a World Below (2000)
165.
God Is an Astronaut -
All Is Violent, All Is Bright (2005)
166.
Circle Takes the Square -
As The Roots Undo (2004)
167.
Khann -
Tofutopia (2007)
168.
The Hope Conspiracy -
Endnote (2002)
169.
Brandtson -
Send Us a Signal (2004)
170.
Half Makeshift -
Omen (2008)
171.
Ulrich Schnauss -
Goodbye (2007)
172.
Clubroot -
Clubroot (2009)
173.
Phoenix Bodies -
Raise the Bullshit Flag (2006)
174.
Thrice -
The Artist in the Ambulance (2003)
175.
The Notwist -
Neon Golden (2002)
176.
Kayo Dot -
Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue (2006)
177.
Altar of Plagues -
White Tomb (2009)
178.
Death Cab for Cutie -
Transatlanticism (2003)
179.
Aereogramme -
A Story in White (2001)
180.
Brodequin -
Festival of Death (2001)
181.
Hjarnidaudi -
Pain:Noise:March (2006)
182.
Tyranny -
Tides of Awakening (2005)
183.
Shackleton -
Three EPs (2009)
184.
Fen -
Ancient Sorrow (2007)
185.
Aidan Baker -
Green & Cold (2007)
186.
Give Up the Ghost -
We're Down Til We're Underground (2003)
187.
Electric Wizard -
Dopethrone (2000)
188.
Genghis Tron -
Dead Mountain Mouth (2006)
189.
Crowbar -
Sonic Excess in Its Purest Form (2001)
190.
Mount Eerie -
Wind's Poem (2009)
191.
Ramesses -
Misanthropic Alchemy (2007)
192.
PsyOpus -
Our Puzzling Encounters Considered (2007)
193.
Menace Ruine -
The Die Is Cast (2008)
194.
Neil Perry -
Lineage Situation (2003)
195.
This Day Forward -
The Transient Effects of Light on Water (2000)
196.
Minus the Bear -
Highly Refined Pirates (2002)
197.
Ekkaia -
Demasiado Tarde Para Pedir Perdon (2004)
198.
The End -
Within Dividia (2004)
199.
Homesick for Space -
Unison (2003)
200.
Curse of the Golden Vampire -
Mass Destruction (2003)
Mount Eerie
