2000s... Which year did you love?

TotalHenshin · 11-27-2009, 03:17 AM

Instead of asking the usual specific "What's your favourite album or band from the last decade" I'm here to be more general. Which year did you feel was the highpoint for this decade. Don't just pick the year your favourite album of the decade came out, average all the releases!

For me, I feel the choice to be pretty easy. 2007 was certainly the musical apex of this decade, IMO. Here's a couple of things that came out that year.

Neon Bible - Arcade Fire

Mmm... After the brilliant Funeral Arcade Fire decided to come out with an album that nearly topped it. Nearly. The whole album just flowed so greatly; from the darker-than-Arcade-Fire-usually-is opener of Black Mirror all the way to the haunting My Body Is a Cage. Neon Bible is actually my favourite album from 2007 and it's just stupendous.

In Rainbows - Radiohead

Technically, the album was digitally released (for whatever price you felt) in very late 2006, but the actually pressings and distribution didn't happen until January 2007. This is the album where Radiohead finally convinced me they were worth their acclaim. After trying a couple disappointing albums out by them, I was ready to call it quits, but then I heard Jigsaw Falling into Place and oh my! From Thom Yorke's shifting vocal range over his own eerie harmony, along with the "studio-as-an-instrument" vibe, it was breathtaking. After that, what was left but the honeymoon? (purchasing the album)

Hmm, getting late. One more.

For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver

Yes, yes, we all heard about him/it/this. His breaking away from his local band. "Going up to the mountains for three months alone." His recording most of this album there. "The universal loneliness in the songs." "The utter beauty of every piece." Luckily, everything we heard was so true. When I stumbled upon this album after its release, I really didn't know what I was getting into. At that time, Bon Iver had yet to become the overnight folk hero he's known as today (using the term folk more in reference to legend, than his music style). However, when I first put that album into my car's CD player, and hearing the opening chords of Flume along with Justin Vernon's very real, yet beautiful voice... I can't describe it. I really can't. I can't even count all the times I've probably shouted "I told you to be balanced, and I told you be kind" with this album as it sent me on the roller coaster-for-one that it creates. If you've not heard it, get it now.

Honourable Mentions:
Kala - M.I.A.
Mirrored - Battles
Let's Stay Friends - Les Savy Fav
Ire Works - The Dillinger Escape Plan

There were many stellar albums in 2007 though. Too many to really list here. Yep, I don't have any reservations when I say that 2007 was the best year this decade has seen in music. At least, that's my opinion. What's yours?

sidewinder · 11-27-2009, 12:37 PM

Good idea. Disclaimer: As with every "best of year/decade/etc" list, music discovery is a continuing process. I may favor one year now, and prefer another down the line based on what I discover after today. I hope that goes without saying...though I've already said it. Plus, 2009 has an unfair disadvantage in something like this because we've only had the year to discover anything released.

I figured this based on my top 50 of the decade list. 11 from the list were from 2001. The obvious winner. So here they are, alphabetically, I'd post images but can only do 4 per post.

Fantômas - The Director's Cut
Fugazi - The Argument
Juno - A Future Lived in Past Tense
Lovage - Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By
Pinback - Blue Screen Life
Plaid - Double Figure
Prefuse 73 - Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives
Radiohead - Amnesiac
The Shins - Oh, Inverted World
Tool - Lateralus
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells

Here's the breakdown of other years and the number of albums that made it on my top 50 (ok 54) list:

2000 - 6
2001 - 11
2002 - 6
2003 - 8
2004 - 5
2005 - 3
2006 - 7
2007 - 4
2008 - 3
2009 - 1

LoathsomePete · 11-27-2009, 01:25 PM

2009 has been an amazing year as far as I'm concerned

Metal

Diablo Swing Orchestra - Sing Along Songs For The Damned & Delirious

An amazing step up from their 2006 debut Butcher's Ballroom. Far less focus on the operatic vocals in change for a more eclectic heavy style. At times I found the guitar tone to sound a lot like Meshuggah. That said, they've still managed to maintain their very catchy and almost dance-along to sound that they've mastered.

Devin Townsend - Ki & Addicted!

Two years after Ziltoid came out Devin's back and now sober with a four album project. Ki took me awhile to get use to but after I accepted the fact that not everything he does has to be heavy and psychotic I found myself really enjoying the mellow melodic sound he produced with this album. He did throw a few heavy parts in it that really kicked my ass and brought back the ol' Devin feeling.

Addicted! was a real treat to hear, very much like what I was hoping Ki would sound like. It has a very danceable sound to it that is very new to me as far as Devin Townsend is concerned. The album also has a real nice happy and carefree sound to it. The lyrics aren't all serious like in a lot of Devin's other work so it is a nice break from the usual. This was a real nice album to unexpectedly find in my e-mail inbox two weeks before it came out.

Austere - To Lay Like Old Ashes

This was a neat little unexpected find for me. When I read their original band info it sounded like another Norwegian Black Metal band (Make sure to ask Hiphopbunnyhop to get his approval if it really is black metal, because he knows everything there is and has the final say about black metal). This was an incredibly atmospheric album that really sent chills down my spine. It really should have been an instrumental album, but I can forgive the howls because after awhile I started to just tune them out. If you're looking for something incredibly atmospheric then this is an album to definitely check out.

Cobalt - Gin

Holy shit! This was an amazing Black Metal album that wasn't much of a black metal album but had black metal influences. This album has been getting some really stellar reviews from all around the world and showing us that not all good black metal comes from Norway, but sometimes Colorado.

Hacride - Lazarus

Lee recommended me this back in March or April and it was a real treat. It had the ferocity of extreme metal, but it also had a real progressive vibe to it, not like most progressive metal, this actually felt... progressive. At times it sounded a bit much like Meshuggah but I can forgive that because if I was in a metal band I'd wanna do my best to sound like Meshuggah because they're totally ****ing awesome!

Arch Enemy - The Root of All Evil

While it was nowhere near as good as Wages of Sin the album did have it's own little nice charm to it. Angela Gossow continues to impress me with her vocal range and continues to break down stereotypes that women cannot front an extreme metal band. I will say that it's probably the weakest of their discography, but it still got my head banging.

Nile - To Whom The Gods Detest

Been a Nile fan for quite some time, and just when I thought they couldn't top In Their Darkened Shrines they did it. This album really isn't for everyone as Nile is an acquired taste, but do give it a try because chances are if you listen to it enough with headphones you will catch all the undertones and melodic parts to their songs that get lost when just played through speakers

Mastodon - Crack the Skye

It seems like there's two schools of thought on this album, either you're in group A who believe it's their best work so far, or you're in group B and you think it's a good album, but certainly no Leviathan. Personally I'm in group B, the album had some incredibly melodic and sludgy parts to it that I loved, but it just didn't have that same charm that Leviathan had and I don't think it can ever be topped.

Russian Circles - Geneva

Russian Circles are one of my favourite post-metal bands so when I found a leak of their new CD in my inbox I was incredibly happy. The album really did a number on their earlier material and I have found works great for writing essays. If you like post-metal or even post-rock, this is an album and band to check out.

Pelican -What We All Come To Need

This was actually the first release I heard from this band after Last.FM kept on recommending them to me. Finally I decided to give them a try and I wanted to kick my ass for not looking into them sooner. The album was very similar to Geneva by Russian Circles, however it had it's own unique sound to it that I have yet to really truly understand. Again, if you're into post-rock or post-metal then this is an album to try.

Immortal - All Shall Fall

Long time fans of Immortal really ended up liking this album, mostly because it's their first release in 7 years since Sons of Northern Darkness came out back in 2002. I got into Immortal back in 2007 so I can't say I was waiting nearly as long, but it was a very nice album to find randomly. 2009 has been a good year for Black Metal at least as far as I'm concerned.

Indukti - Idmen

Polish progressive metal outfit that I found in my inbox earlier this year. Like Lazarus by Hacride, this is an album that really had a progressive sound to it. While I have yet to look up more stuff by this band, they're on my list of new material to try.

Hypocrisy - A Taste of Extreme Divinity

Hypocrisy has been one of one of my favourite death metal bands since I started getting into the more extreme genres of metal. This release is by far their heaviest and best produced. It really does take on a life of its own and does well at distancing itself more from their earlier lyrical work on the paranormal and extraterrestrial.

Slough Feg - Ape Uprising

If you like sludgy progressive metal that has a very geeky undertone, then this is a perfect band for you. Been a fan for awhile and wasn't even aware they had a new album coming out this year. I know Seltzer enjoyed this album as well, however I don't think anyone on this forum is a fan or knows of the band.

Porcupine Tree - The Incident

I know a few people here was let down by this album, however I hold the unpopular opinion that Fear of a Blank Planet was their best album to date and The Incident was very similar. I liked that the songs were short and sweet that didn't get boring and seemed to flow together very nicely. Steve Wilson's production just continues to get better as he gets older and works more with other people.

ISIS - Wavering Radiant

While the new Russian Circles and Pelican album were very well done post-metal albums, nothing can top ISIS' newest release this year in terms of raw beautiful sound.

2009 has been a very good year for metal and considering metal is my favourite and "main" genre, it's no wonder why this year has been my favourite of the decade. I am probably running out of characters so I'll do write ups for all the other amazing albums from other genres that have come out this year.

Meph1986 · 11-27-2009, 02:02 PM

2005

Animal Collective - Feels
Atmosphere - You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Blueprint - 1988
Cage - Hell's Winter
Common - Be
CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange
Dalek - Absence
DangerDoom - The Mouse & the Mask
Edan - Beauty and the Beat
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Murs and Slug - Felt 2: A Tribute to Lisa Bonet
The National - Alligator
O.C. - Starchild
One Be Lo - S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.
Sigur Rós - Takk...
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Supastition - Chain Letters

**Janszoon** · 11-27-2009, 02:40 PM

Oh man, this is a toughie. I have a hard time remembering which albums came out which year but 2004 was pretty good. A bunch of personal favorites were released then, including:

Brian Wilson—Smile
Book of Knots—Book of Knots
Gary Wilson—Mary Had Brown Hair
Kill Me Tomorrow—The Garbage Man and the Prostitute
Liars—They Were Wrong So We Drowned
M83—Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
Man-Man—The Man in a Blue Turban With a Face
Modest Mouse—Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds—Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus
Pig Destroyer—Terrifyer
Probot—Probot
RJD2—Since We Last Spoke
Secret Chiefs 3—Book of Horizons
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum—Of Natural History
Tom Waits—Real Gone
TV on the Radio—Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes

LoathsomePete · 11-27-2009, 02:43 PM

Fear of a Black Tangent was released January 1st, 2005 boyo

**Janszoon** · 11-27-2009, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

Fear of a Black Tangent was released January 1st, 2005 boyo

Damn... looks like my mp3s are labeled wrong. Grrr.

Sorry Mr. Farquhar you gotta get the boot.

LoathsomePete · 11-27-2009, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Damn... looks like my mp3s are labeled wrong. Grrr.

Sorry Mr. Farquhar you gotta get the boot.

Good choice though, that album has always been my favourite Busdriver album.

simplephysics · 11-27-2009, 05:33 PM

2003 was a good year.

Oaklandazulasylum / Early Whitney EP - Why?
Chutes Too Narrow - The Shins
Bottle Of Humans / Selling Live Water - Sole
Hymie's Basement - Hymies Basement
The Concretes - The Concretes
Take Me To Your Leader - King Geedorah
Weather Systems -Andrew Bird
The Ugly Organ - Cursive
Seven's Travels - Atmosphere

Astronomer · 11-27-2009, 06:09 PM

I think I liked 2001 the best.

Tool - Lateralus
(Obviously)

Muse - Origin of Symmetry
The first album I had ever heard from Muse and what basically got me into them.

Opeth - Blackwater Park
Don't know if the album is necessarily one of my favourites but it was their first collaboration with Porcupine Tree guitarist Steven Wilson.

Radiohead - Amnesiac
Again not my favourite Radiohead album but has some great tracks which have turned out to be some of my favourite Radiohead songs.

Tori Amos - Strange Little Girls
Love this album, and I think it is such a fantastic concept.

Incubus - Morning View
Not many people like Incubus on this forum but I personally love them.

And yeah that's all I can think of right now!

11-27-2009, 03:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
TotalHenshin Groupie Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 52	2000s... Which year did you love? Instead of asking the usual specific "What's your favourite album or band from the last decade" I'm here to be more general. Which year did you feel was the highpoint for this decade. Don't just pick the year your favourite album of the decade came out, average all the releases! For me, I feel the choice to be pretty easy. 2007 was certainly the musical apex of this decade, IMO. Here's a couple of things that came out that year. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire Mmm... After the brilliant Funeral Arcade Fire decided to come out with an album that nearly topped it. Nearly. The whole album just flowed so greatly; from the darker-than-Arcade-Fire-usually-is opener of Black Mirror all the way to the haunting My Body Is a Cage. Neon Bible is actually my favourite album from 2007 and it's just stupendous. In Rainbows - Radiohead Technically, the album was digitally released (for whatever price you felt) in very late 2006, but the actually pressings and distribution didn't happen until January 2007. This is the album where Radiohead finally convinced me they were worth their acclaim. After trying a couple disappointing albums out by them, I was ready to call it quits, but then I heard Jigsaw Falling into Place and oh my! From Thom Yorke's shifting vocal range over his own eerie harmony, along with the "studio-as-an-instrument" vibe, it was breathtaking. After that, what was left but the honeymoon? (purchasing the album) Hmm, getting late. One more. For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver Yes, yes, we all heard about him/it/this. His breaking away from his local band. "Going up to the mountains for three months alone." His recording most of this album there. "The universal loneliness in the songs." "The utter beauty of every piece." Luckily, everything we heard was so true. When I stumbled upon this album after its release, I really didn't know what I was getting into. At that time, Bon Iver had yet to become the overnight folk hero he's known as today (using the term folk more in reference to legend, than his music style). However, when I first put that album into my car's CD player, and hearing the opening chords of Flume along with Justin Vernon's very real, yet beautiful voice... I can't describe it. I really can't. I can't even count all the times I've probably shouted "I told you to be balanced, and I told you be kind" with this album as it sent me on the roller coaster-for-one that it creates. If you've not heard it, get it now. Honourable Mentions: Kala - M.I.A. Mirrored - Battles Let's Stay Friends - Les Savy Fav Ire Works - The Dillinger Escape Plan There were many stellar albums in 2007 though. Too many to really list here. Yep, I don't have any reservations when I say that 2007 was the best year this decade has seen in music. At least, that's my opinion. What's yours? __________________ Last.fm

11-27-2009, 12:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
sidewinder Engorged Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,536	Good idea. Disclaimer: As with every "best of year/decade/etc" list, music discovery is a continuing process. I may favor one year now, and prefer another down the line based on what I discover after today. I hope that goes without saying...though I've already said it. Plus, 2009 has an unfair disadvantage in something like this because we've only had the year to discover anything released. I figured this based on my top 50 of the decade list. 11 from the list were from 2001. The obvious winner. So here they are, alphabetically, I'd post images but can only do 4 per post. Fantômas - The Director's Cut Fugazi - The Argument Juno - A Future Lived in Past Tense Lovage - Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By Pinback - Blue Screen Life Plaid - Double Figure Prefuse 73 - Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives Radiohead - Amnesiac The Shins - Oh, Inverted World Tool - Lateralus The White Stripes - White Blood Cells Here's the breakdown of other years and the number of albums that made it on my top 50 (ok 54) list: 2000 - 6 2001 - 11 2002 - 6 2003 - 8 2004 - 5 2005 - 3 2006 - 7 2007 - 4 2008 - 3 2009 - 1 __________________ last.fm \| my collection on RYM \| vinyl instagram @allthatyouseeandhear I'd love to see your signature/links too, but the huge and obnoxious ones have caused me to block all signatures.

11-27-2009, 01:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	2009 has been an amazing year as far as I'm concerned Metal Diablo Swing Orchestra - Sing Along Songs For The Damned & Delirious An amazing step up from their 2006 debut Butcher's Ballroom. Far less focus on the operatic vocals in change for a more eclectic heavy style. At times I found the guitar tone to sound a lot like Meshuggah. That said, they've still managed to maintain their very catchy and almost dance-along to sound that they've mastered. Devin Townsend - Ki & Addicted! Two years after Ziltoid came out Devin's back and now sober with a four album project. Ki took me awhile to get use to but after I accepted the fact that not everything he does has to be heavy and psychotic I found myself really enjoying the mellow melodic sound he produced with this album. He did throw a few heavy parts in it that really kicked my ass and brought back the ol' Devin feeling. Addicted! was a real treat to hear, very much like what I was hoping Ki would sound like. It has a very danceable sound to it that is very new to me as far as Devin Townsend is concerned. The album also has a real nice happy and carefree sound to it. The lyrics aren't all serious like in a lot of Devin's other work so it is a nice break from the usual. This was a real nice album to unexpectedly find in my e-mail inbox two weeks before it came out. Austere - To Lay Like Old Ashes This was a neat little unexpected find for me. When I read their original band info it sounded like another Norwegian Black Metal band (Make sure to ask Hiphopbunnyhop to get his approval if it really is black metal, because he knows everything there is and has the final say about black metal). This was an incredibly atmospheric album that really sent chills down my spine. It really should have been an instrumental album, but I can forgive the howls because after awhile I started to just tune them out. If you're looking for something incredibly atmospheric then this is an album to definitely check out. Cobalt - Gin Holy shit! This was an amazing Black Metal album that wasn't much of a black metal album but had black metal influences. This album has been getting some really stellar reviews from all around the world and showing us that not all good black metal comes from Norway, but sometimes Colorado. Hacride - Lazarus Lee recommended me this back in March or April and it was a real treat. It had the ferocity of extreme metal, but it also had a real progressive vibe to it, not like most progressive metal, this actually felt... progressive. At times it sounded a bit much like Meshuggah but I can forgive that because if I was in a metal band I'd wanna do my best to sound like Meshuggah because they're totally **ing awesome! Arch Enemy** - The Root of All Evil While it was nowhere near as good as Wages of Sin the album did have it's own little nice charm to it. Angela Gossow continues to impress me with her vocal range and continues to break down stereotypes that women cannot front an extreme metal band. I will say that it's probably the weakest of their discography, but it still got my head banging. Nile - To Whom The Gods Detest Been a Nile fan for quite some time, and just when I thought they couldn't top In Their Darkened Shrines they did it. This album really isn't for everyone as Nile is an acquired taste, but do give it a try because chances are if you listen to it enough with headphones you will catch all the undertones and melodic parts to their songs that get lost when just played through speakers Mastodon - Crack the Skye It seems like there's two schools of thought on this album, either you're in group A who believe it's their best work so far, or you're in group B and you think it's a good album, but certainly no Leviathan. Personally I'm in group B, the album had some incredibly melodic and sludgy parts to it that I loved, but it just didn't have that same charm that Leviathan had and I don't think it can ever be topped. Russian Circles - Geneva Russian Circles are one of my favourite post-metal bands so when I found a leak of their new CD in my inbox I was incredibly happy. The album really did a number on their earlier material and I have found works great for writing essays. If you like post-metal or even post-rock, this is an album and band to check out. Pelican -What We All Come To Need This was actually the first release I heard from this band after Last.FM kept on recommending them to me. Finally I decided to give them a try and I wanted to kick my ass for not looking into them sooner. The album was very similar to Geneva by Russian Circles, however it had it's own unique sound to it that I have yet to really truly understand. Again, if you're into post-rock or post-metal then this is an album to try. Immortal - All Shall Fall Long time fans of Immortal really ended up liking this album, mostly because it's their first release in 7 years since Sons of Northern Darkness came out back in 2002. I got into Immortal back in 2007 so I can't say I was waiting nearly as long, but it was a very nice album to find randomly. 2009 has been a good year for Black Metal at least as far as I'm concerned. Indukti - Idmen Polish progressive metal outfit that I found in my inbox earlier this year. Like Lazarus by Hacride, this is an album that really had a progressive sound to it. While I have yet to look up more stuff by this band, they're on my list of new material to try. Hypocrisy - A Taste of Extreme Divinity Hypocrisy has been one of one of my favourite death metal bands since I started getting into the more extreme genres of metal. This release is by far their heaviest and best produced. It really does take on a life of its own and does well at distancing itself more from their earlier lyrical work on the paranormal and extraterrestrial. Slough Feg - Ape Uprising If you like sludgy progressive metal that has a very geeky undertone, then this is a perfect band for you. Been a fan for awhile and wasn't even aware they had a new album coming out this year. I know Seltzer enjoyed this album as well, however I don't think anyone on this forum is a fan or knows of the band. Porcupine Tree - The Incident I know a few people here was let down by this album, however I hold the unpopular opinion that Fear of a Blank Planet was their best album to date and The Incident was very similar. I liked that the songs were short and sweet that didn't get boring and seemed to flow together very nicely. Steve Wilson's production just continues to get better as he gets older and works more with other people. ISIS - Wavering Radiant While the new Russian Circles and Pelican album were very well done post-metal albums, nothing can top ISIS' newest release this year in terms of raw beautiful sound. 2009 has been a very good year for metal and considering metal is my favourite and "main" genre, it's no wonder why this year has been my favourite of the decade. I am probably running out of characters so I'll do write ups for all the other amazing albums from other genres that have come out this year. __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

11-27-2009, 02:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
Meph1986 How High? Join Date: May 2008 Location: FL Posts: 684	2005 Animal Collective - Feels Atmosphere - You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having Bloc Party - Silent Alarm Blueprint - 1988 Cage - Hell's Winter Common - Be CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange Dalek - Absence DangerDoom - The Mouse & the Mask Edan - Beauty and the Beat Little Brother - The Minstrel Show Murs and Slug - Felt 2: A Tribute to Lisa Bonet The National - Alligator O.C. - Starchild One Be Lo - S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. Sigur Rós - Takk... Sufjan Stevens - Illinois Supastition - Chain Letters __________________

11-27-2009, 02:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	Oh man, this is a toughie. I have a hard time remembering which albums came out which year but 2004 was pretty good. A bunch of personal favorites were released then, including: Brian Wilson—Smile Book of Knots—Book of Knots Gary Wilson—Mary Had Brown Hair Kill Me Tomorrow—The Garbage Man and the Prostitute Liars—They Were Wrong So We Drowned M83—Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts Man-Man—The Man in a Blue Turban With a Face Modest Mouse—Good News for People Who Love Bad News Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds—Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus Pig Destroyer—Terrifyer Probot—Probot RJD2—Since We Last Spoke Secret Chiefs 3—Book of Horizons Sleepytime Gorilla Museum—Of Natural History Tom Waits—Real Gone TV on the Radio—Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm

11-27-2009, 02:43 PM	#6 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	Fear of a Black Tangent was released January 1st, 2005 boyo __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

11-27-2009, 06:09 PM	#10 (permalink)
Astronomer we are stardust Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 2,894	I think I liked 2001 the best. Tool - Lateralus (Obviously) Muse - Origin of Symmetry The first album I had ever heard from Muse and what basically got me into them. Opeth - Blackwater Park Don't know if the album is necessarily one of my favourites but it was their first collaboration with Porcupine Tree guitarist Steven Wilson. Radiohead - Amnesiac Again not my favourite Radiohead album but has some great tracks which have turned out to be some of my favourite Radiohead songs. Tori Amos - Strange Little Girls Love this album, and I think it is such a fantastic concept. Incubus - Morning View Not many people like Incubus on this forum but I personally love them. And yeah that's all I can think of right now! __________________