best of 09 lists:

this will be divided into two parts, one will go to music, and one will go to video games.

PLEASE, IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR, BUY THE BAND'S ALBUM!! ARTISTS NEED TO EAT TOO!!

BEST OF '09 MUSIC EDITION:

i must admit, a lot of good shit came out this year in terms of music, especially punk and hardcore. in this list i will list my top 10 picks and why they're so good.

10.) the number twelve looks like you - worse than alone

this record took me awhile to get into. at first i thought it was okay, hell, even before that, i hated the single "glory kingdom", but it grew on me after awhile. as for the rest of the album, i think the song "the garden's all nighters" really sums up just how versatile this band can be without getting pretentious. there are also a ton of really catchy riffs placed throughout the album. justin pedrick and jesse korman aren't the greatest clean singers, but at least it shows there willingness to think outside the screaming spectrum once and a while. instrumentally, this album is solid, while this record is their most straightforward album (coming from a person that's followed them since the "put on your rosey red glasses ep".) it's still technical in it's own right. there's a lot of jazzy breaks too, more than in any album they've ever put out. i thought the album "mongrel" was a perfect disc, but clearly "worse than alone" decimates said record just by how versatile the band has gotten. the song writing is more cohesive, and even when things get a little simple, they'll come out with something totally different with every song.

check it out.



http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/69473369/the+number+twelve+looks+like+you?tab=summary

9.) The Chariot - Wars and Rumors of Wars

if you're into messy, technical hardcore, you've definitely heard of this band. it's the band's third full length, and they've taken a u-turn from their metalcore sound, and created a sludgy, technical punk record. every song has atmosphere, regardless of how short most of the tracks are, they still manage to get their points across with every song. the lyrics depict a personal war that we fight within ourselves everyday, and for a christian band to touch on personal subject matter without getting super preachy and up it's own ass deserves the accolades. the musicianship is sloppy (the good kind.), sludgy, loud and underproduced. and in pure D.I.Y. spirit, the band hand stamped 2,500 copies of the record. the entire layout.

and if you ever catch these guys live, get ready for hell on stage, because these guys like to destroy pretty much everything, including themselves.





http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/133749593/the+chariot?tab=summary


8.) Furnace - Doublewalker

this record rules. and i've been waiting for this record to come out for quite awhile. it was finally released earlier this year without my knowledge of it ever being released. so to me, this was definitely a pleasant surprise. the record is a blistering collection of sludgy, technical hardcore. ton's of speed, ton's of odd time shifts, and blast beats galore. the vocals are often shouted in chants within the group, and honestly, i wouldn't have asked for a better, solid debut full-length from the band.



http://www.breakd0wn.info/ (scroll down for the album)

7.) Comadre - A Wolf's Ticket

this is a great ep. anthemic, pure, raw screamo in all it's honesty. ton's of catchy riffs all over this record. and the vocals are much better than anything they've put out in the past.



http://www.breakd0wn.info/ (right under furnace - doublewalker)

6.) Graf Orlock - Destination Time Today

the third and final entry in Graf's "Destination" series of albums. this is technically the band's second full length, and even with a new vocalist (album actually has two vocalists.) the band shows no signs of slowing down, and fans of essential power-violence bands such as charles bronson will feel a sense of nostalgia since the record is littered with movie samples from action movies. it's also a heavy as fuck album, and an unrelenting one at that.



http://www.mediafire.com/?ojgmmzymqdm


5.) Narrows - New Distances

Deathwish Inc. never disappoints when it comes to releases, they have quite the solid track record, so when you mix ex-members from botch, plot to blow up the Eiffel tower and some girls in the mix, you get a band that sounds like botch if they were still together to this day. it's only nine tracks, but that's all the band needs to rip your fucking face off. that classic dave verellen growl is alive in well, as if he never truly let go of his days in Botch, the angular dissonance of the riffs are as refreshing as ever. this band is out to make hardcore a more sophisticated art form, and they pull it off flawlessly.



www.bunalti.com/?p=48392

4.) Paint It Black - Amnesia / Surrender

this band is awesome, and you should listen to these EPs. The tracks Bliss and Worms are probably the best songs PIB has ever written. This is essential if you're a fan of punk/hardcore.



http://rapidshare.com/files/244931720/Paint_It_Black_-_Amnesia_EP__2009__by_SKY.rar (amnesia)

http://rapidshare.com/files/268747546/Paint_It_Black_-_Surrender_EP__2009__by_SKY.rar
(surrender)


3.) Coalesce - OX

first album in 10 years after their break-up. this record continues where revolutions in just listening left off. this band still has the ability to fuck you up and leave you saying afterwards "what the fuck was that?"

this band retains their technical hardcore ability and seamlessly blends it with more bluesy / groove influences as well as a few instrumental pieces that flawlessly put this album together. this was definitely the biggest comeback of this year bar none. and for a band that's broken up more times than bad brains, they sound like they never missed a beat. seriously, this album doesn't fuck around.



http://hotfile.com/dl/4415752/b96f86b/Coalesce-OX-2009-hXc.rar

2.) Maths - Descent

a british screamo band, and a damn good one. i kinda dug their split with throats, as well as the collection of demo's and eps they put out, but none of them can top descent, their first proper full length. emotional, powerful, technical, insanely catchy and memorable riffs, and well structured songs make this album a truly noteworthy standout. i haven't been able to put this record down ever since i got a hold of it, well, that and another record.



http://www.mediafire.com/?mzzju5nmzjy

1.) Converge - Axe To Fall

and this is that other record. a band that knows no boundaries, and only thrives on pushing those boundaries to the next possible level. this band is truly unfuckwithable when it comes to extreme music, mixing elements of hardcore, metal, grind, d-beat, and progressive influences. Axe To Fall may very well be their most accessible record to date, but it doesn't mean that it's not a memorable record. most of the songs on this album bleed technicality, harsh / brutal soundscapes, and straight up eerie sounding hardcore punk. this record exceeds no heroes in every possible way, not to say that it was a bad record, it was an excellent record, if anything,Axe to Fall is an extension of You Fail Me, opting to create an album with a more collaborative effort than their previous works.

this is the best album of '09 for sure. and after nearly 20 years of being a band and seven full lengths later, converge really is incapable of doing any wrong.



http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/143886505/converge?tab=summary

that's my list, enjoy the music, and if you like it, buy their albums.