No wuckers, mate! Bacon, eh? In Holland, everyone is an expert in painting and in tulips. Veut-tu coucher avec moi ce soir? Fahrvergnügen Oi! Got you' tea an' crumpets right 'ere! others
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Roadrunner Records TOP 10 of THE DECADE

Corey Taylor – Slipknot/Stone Sour

  1. Ray Lamontagne – Trouble
  2. Green Day - American Idiot
  3. Foo Fighters - In Your Honor
  4. Steel Panther - Feel the Steel
  5. Metallica - Death Magnetic
  6. Audioslave - Audioslave
  7. Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue
  8. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Love Their Country
  9. Amen - Amen (1st record)
  10. Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyze
61 Comments »

Monte Conner – Roadrunner Senior VP A&R

  1. Top 15 of the Decade (rough order):

  2. Machine Head - The Blackening
  3. Trivium - Ascendancy
  4. Slipknot - Iowa
  5. Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache
  6. CKY - Infiltrate-Destroy-Rebuild
  7. The Devil’s Blood - Come Reap (EP)
  8. System Of A Down - Toxicity
  9. Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
  10. Opeth - Watershed
  11. Gojira - From Mars To Sirius
  12. Iron Maiden - Brave New World
  13. Deftones - White Pony
  14. Megadeth - Endgame
  15. Testament - The Formation Of Damnation
  16. Fu Manchu - King Of The Road
  17. Honorable Mention:
    Amon Amarth - Twilight Of The Thunder God
    Uriah Heep - Waking The Sleeper
    Rush - Snakes And Arrows

     

  18. Top 20 of 2009 (not in order):

  19. Megadeth - Endgame
  20. Behemoth - Evangelion
  21. Fu Manchu - Signs Of Infinite Power
  22. Porcupine Tree - The Incident
  23. Suicide Silence - No Time To Bleed
  24. CKY - Carver City
  25. Heaven And Hell - The Devil You Know
  26. Jeff Beck - Performing This Week… Live At Ronnie Scott’s
  27. Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
  28. Evile - Infected Nations
  29. The Devil’s Blood - The Time Of No Time Evermore
  30. Lamb Of God - Wrath
  31. Ace Frehley - Anomaly
  32. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
  33. Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot
  34. Toxic Holocaust - Hell On Earth (reissue)
  35. Leprous - Tall Poppy Syndrome
  36. Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect
  37. Kiss - Sonic Boom
  38. Wargasm - Knee Deep In Blood (DVD)
  39. Honorable Mention:
    Baroness - Blue Record
    Volbeat - Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood
    Anvil - This Is Thirteeen
12 Comments »

Jon Satterley, Sr. VP of New Media

  1. Iron Maiden - Brave New World

    BUY THIS ALBUM

    iTunes

    My album of the decade. Easily up there with Number Of The Beast and Killers as one of the best Iron Maiden has ever made. And what a massive surprise when they delivered it! Who would've thought that bringing Bruce back could have reinvigorated the band to such an extent, but take a listen to the title track, 'The Wickerman', 'Out Of The Silent Planet'......WOW!!!!!!!!! Everything good about Iron Maiden was captured in this record. What a band. What a record!

  2. Katatonia - Viva Emptiness
    iTunes

    Haunting, swirling, brooding, melodic......and heaps more words that give that kind of sentiment. Katatonia were leading up to something truly brilliant, from their scratchy death/black metal beginnings, and Viva Emptiness fulfills the promise. The song 'Evidence' captures everything that this album is about - a sublime journey of mood creating music that also manages to be devastatingly heavy in many parts.

  3. Eluveitie - Slania
    iTunes

    This was my album of the year in 2008, and it continues to keep giving and giving its pagany goodness. Death metal meets Jethro Tull's classic "Songs From The Wood" record. Seriously.

  4. Nightwish - Once
    iTunes

    This album contains the towering collosus of a song, Nemo. And that is why 'Once' belongs in my top 10. It's a great record, make no mistake, but Nemo is a once-in-a-lifetime monster hit that pretty much defines female-fronted goth metal. Ahh Tarja...the memories remain!!!!

  5. Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God
    iTunes

    The apex of a thunderous career of viking metal making, Twilight..... is a record written at the behest of Thor, Odin and even Loki himself! Every song crushes, but the title track embodies the purest essence of metal. It's like metal that has been distilled and crystalized into its perfect form. You have to own this record, and it sits proudly in my albums of the decade.

  6. My Dying Bride - A Line Of Deathless Kings
    iTunes

    Ahhhh, sweet, sweet melancholy. Doom metal done by the masters of the genre. Slow, equisite, fragile...but also head-stompingly heavy. Moments of pure genius - Love's Intolerable Pain is a song that wrenches you from the guts and squeezes tight with its power and sweeping glory. A huge, mountainous vista of an album.....

     
  7. The Devil's Blood - Come Reap (EP)
    iTunes

    Probably the freshest, most exciting new metal/rock that I heard for the entire 10 years documented in this list. A mix of swirling seventies proto-metal and occult-inspired riffage.......I couldn't believe just how amazing this was for a (previously) unknown band. 

  8. Chevelle - Vena Sera
    iTunes

    Ok, so maybe not the most credible band. Whatever. When I looked back on my play counts over the past few years, this record is in the top 10 by miles. I hammered Vena Sera - sort of like an eas(ier) listening Tool. Tons of great songs....

  9. Tool - Lateralus
    BUY IT NOW

    Speaking of Tool, how can you go past this almost religious statement of an album???? Parabol/Parabola is a life-changer, and the ambient weirdness that pervades throughout the entire listening experience is second to none. But I don't dig records for their weirdness.....I like 'em for their songs - and this one also brings forth mightily. Seeing the band on tour for Lateralus was also a highlight of the decade for me.

  10. Nickelback - Silver Side Up
    iTunes

    This record had a profound effect on my life personally - and primarily because it was stuffed full of massive hit songs that blew me away, blew radio away and turned Roadrunner Records into a powerhouse. The first time I heard 'How You Remind Me' I thought, "That might possibly be the hugest rock song ever written".....and I embarked on a Nickelback crusade around Australia convincing everyone with one listen that this band were the new kings of rock.

  11. Masterplan - Masterplan
7 Comments »

Max Cavalera, Soulfly

  1. Deftones - White Pony
  2. Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
  3. Prong - Power of the Damager
  4. Throwdown - Vendetta
  5. Dub Trio - Dub Trio
  6. Cattle Decapitation - The Harvest Floor
  7. Incite - The Slaughter
  8. Major Lazer - Major Lazer
  9. Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
  10. Megadeth - Endgame
9 Comments »

Ron Burman, Sr. VP A&R

  1. Gorillaz - Demon Days
  2. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
  3. Nickelback - Silver Side Up
  4. White Stripes - White Blood Cells
  5. Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
  6. Born In The Flood - If this thing should spill
  7. TV On The Radio - desperate youth, blood thirsty babes
  8. Radiohead - In Rainbows
  9. Audioslave - Cochise
  10. Theory of a deadman - Scars & Souvenirs
  11. Led Zeppelin - Mothership (remastered)
6 Comments »

Mutiny Within

  1. Soilwork - The Chainheart Machine
  2. Killswitch Engage - Alive or Just Breathing
  3. Dream Theater - Train Of Thought
  4. Alter Bridge - One Day Remains
  5. Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache
  6. Lamb Of God - Ashes Of The Wake
  7. Necrophagist - Epitaph
  8. System Of A Down - Toxicity
  9. The Devil Wears Prada - With Roots Above And Branches Below
  10. Slipknot - Iowa
6 Comments »

Heff, Roadcrew Coordinator

  1. Tool– Lateralus
  2. Opeth- Blackwater Park
  3. Killswitch Engage- The End of Heartache
  4. Lamb of God- As the Palaces Burn
  5. DevilDriver- Fury of Our Makers Hand
  6. Symphony X- V: The New Mythology Suite

    Band Website- www.symphonyx.com

    BUY IT NOW

     

  7. Gojira- From Mars To Sirius
  8. Machine Head- Through The Ashes of the Empires
  9. Tool- 10,000 Days

    Band Website-www.toolband.com

    BUY IT NOW
  10. A Perfect Circle- Mer De Noms
4 Comments »

Suzi Akyuz, Product Manager

  1. Glassjaw - Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Silence
  2. Boy Sets Fire - After The Eulogy
  3. Down - Down II
  4. E Town Concrete The Renaissance
  5. The Roots - The Tipping Point
  6. Avenged Sevenfold - Waking The Fallen
  7. Head Automatica - Decadence
  8. Immortal Technique - Revolutionary, Vol. 2
  9. Throwdown Vendetta
  10. Jedi Mind Tricks - Violent By Design
3 Comments »

Frederic Leclercq - DragonForce

  1. Extol: The Blueprint Dives
    Excellent! The music is so good that even the fact they are Christians doesn't bother me at all. That says a lot!

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE PAGE
  2. Nevermore: Dead Heart in a Dead World
    I remember being on tour in 2001 with my previous band and playing this album systematically when the bus was leaving every city. We were sharing with 2 other bands and one night they exploded and yelled "don't you have another fuckin' CD for fucks sake"? Excellent songs and amazing production!

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE PAGE

  3. Allan Holdsworth: All Night Wrong
    Aaaaaaaaa! Allan Holdsworth!!!! I had to put him in here no matter what. This is a live album and it's brilliant.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  4. Disturbed: Ten Thousand Fists
    Love the guys, love the music. This album brings back memories of Ozzfest 2006.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  5. Alice Cooper: The Eyes of Alice Cooper
    I didn't really get the sound and general direction of 'Brutal Planet' and 'Dragon Town' (even though I enjoy them these days, I guess it took me a 'lil while to get it, or maybe I'm just getting older and more indulgent), but with this one he went back to a sort of 'Love it to Death', 'Killer' sound..garage, rock, dirty...and I love it!

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  6. Gehenna: Ww
    I love black metal and this album is very raw, insistent, tortuous...it reeks of evilness.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  7. Shining: V:Halmstad
    I got into Shining recently and haven't stopped listening to it ever since, even though I don't feel I should commit suicide anytime soon.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE PAGE
  8. Symphony X: The Odyssey
    I used to be obsessed with Symphony X, especially around 'Divine Wings of Tragedy' and 'Twilight in Olympus' era.....now I've moved on a bit but
    whenever I hear this band, there's a je ne sais quoi, an aaaa the good old times kinda vibe....anyways, an excellent album and worth getting for the title track alone, there's less keyboards on this album and it's more brutal, excellent!

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  9. Dimmu Borgir: Death Cult Armageddon
    I love the orchestral arrangements on it and Nick Barker is an incredible drummer. This album is really bombastic and very brutal, yet my mum loves it....."apart from the voice!"

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  10. Guns 'n' Roses: Chinese Democracy
    It took FOREVER to listen to it, and although it's not quite what I expected it's excellent in production, musicianship...and new aspects of Axl's voice that I like.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
5 Comments »

Joel Stroetzel – Killswitch Engage

  1. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - No More Shall We Part
  2. Ryan Adams – Demolition
  3. HIM - Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights
  4. Joseph Arthur - Our Shadows Will Remain
  5. Rob Dickinson - Fresh Wine For the Horses
  6. Nevermore - Dead Heart in a Dead World
  7. Soilwork - Natural Born Chaos
  8. Ray LaMontagne - Gossip in the Grain
  9. Arch Enemy - Wages of Sin
  10. Rob Halford – Resurrection
3 Comments »

Matt Heafy - Trivium

  1. Muse - Absolution
    This record was one of the records in my lifetime that helped change the way I create, listen to, and hear music... Muse is a band who is a ton of musicians' favorite bands, and for damn good reason. Every record Muse puts out is them, but a development of their sound- sometimes it may be production, song-writing skill, instrumental ideas... Muse integrates classical music and modern music into something that is their own- Absolution had such an impact on Ascendancy’s writing; and is without a doubt, for me, one of the greatest records of my time.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  2. In Flames - Reroute To Remain
    In Flames is another one of my favorite bands of all time- pretty much every band that made this list is; and I would quote The Jester Race as being my favorite In Flames album- however, Reroute to Remain is another record that completely changed my writing style. I got into Reroute right when it came out (I believe that was in the early stages of writing the Blue Demo). The song structure, flip-flop of scream/sing, the melodies, the combo of their old style with modern heaviness, and slightly vintage thrash hooked me instantly. Songs like "Fugue" and "Requiem" are obvious students of Reroute. This record helped craft my song writing.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  3. Killswitch Engage - Alive Or Just Breathing
    As much as Metallica's Black Album is responsible for getting me into metal, Killswitch's AOJB ignited my inspiration for a new style of writing and creating music. Pretty much every current existing band in the metal scene worldwide is heavily influenced by this band, and this record... I’m talking production, song writing, drumming, bass playing, guitar playing, and most obviously... lyrically and vocally. I learned what the scream/sing trade off was from this record... before hearing Alive, Trivium was purely a screaming-based thrash band- I had been very much into Melodic Death Metal as well... but when I heard Alive and Reroute- I knew I had to add singing... I NEEDED to. Without this record, we'd probably not have 20-30 current metal bands right now... if not way, way more.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  4. Depeche Mode - Sounds Of The Universe
    Depeche Mode is a band I got into really late in my life. Violator was the first record I had heard, probably about 3 or 4 years ago when I lived in Chicago. Violator is the definitive Depeche Mode album... but Sounds comes damn close for me. This record has a vibe from start to finish... something that grabs hold of you in the way a movie does. What's amazing to try (this is how I heard the record from start to finish first) read Alan Moore's V for Vendetta graphic novel (the movie was an atrocity- it only has the same title) whilst listening to Sounds- it fits perfectly. Sounds got me back into DM- I now know every DM record in and out.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  5. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
    Coldplay is one of my favorite bands out there... Viva made all my top tens last year- so I’ll keep it short... it's a breath taking, epic effort by a band who constantly pushes the envelope of their own style.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  6. Machine Head - Through The Ashes Of Empires
    MH was the first metal band I ever saw live in my life, they brought us on our 3rd tour ever, we co-headlined one of the biggest metal tours in the UK since Clash of The Titans together... we have a lot of incredible history with these dudes. Through The Ashes lyrically, musically, production-wise, and countless other ways influenced Trivium. Check out Pull Harder... so many new-school based Machine Head influenced riffs. This is another one of those records that, without it- I don't think we'd be the band we are today.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  7. Muse - The Resistance
    Breathtaking. That's all I’m saying.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  8. Various Artists - The 50 Most Essential Pieces Of Classical Music
    I know it's not a record, or artist... but this is the "album" that got me into classical music. Since getting into this album about a year ago, I’ve been listening pretty much mostly to classical music. Just through listening to this first album, and getting into more classical music- I’ve noticed my guitar skills and writing and composition skills increase. I've always heard that infants listening to classical expands their brain capacity... it worked for me too. (either means it works for all humans... or... I’m an infant.)

    BUY THIS ALBUM ON iTUNES
  9. Martyr - Warp Zone
    One of my favorite bands of all time. Martyr is an incredibly huge inspiration on my writing (a ton on Ascendancy, a bit on Ember, a bit on Crusade) it's a little more removed of an influence than obvious... but this band makes any of these new school Tech-death-core-whatever-the-fuck bands look like noobs. Martyr has their own sound and style... something that combines Metal, Thrash, Tech, Jazz, Death Metal, and so much more. The sound is something original and instantaneously recognizable. I highly recommend getting every record ever by this band. Daniel, the main song writer and guitarist has given me many guitar lessons and tips on music and composition- he's the lead guitar player in the Death Metal band that myself and Jason Suecof are in (Capharnaum - Fractured).

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  10. Trivium - Ascendancy
    Cocky to put your own album on a top ten? Perhaps... oh well. This record to me, is the definitive Trivium record. We have been able to explore our sound, style, and song writing on the record before and the records past alike; but this one still has this energy that is hard to refute or pin-point. Ascendancy is a record that literally changed my life.... before this record, we were a local band signed to a micro-German-label; we had done some tours, written some songs... but weren't moving mountains. Ascendancy helped catapult us first into the UK/Irish music world- allowing us several sold out headlining tours, a silver/ then gold record, and a single that had one of the only current metal bands ever to make it onto their mainstream radio. 

    All that aside, listening even to this date- we all feel and remember the energy from Ascendancy... it's something that reminds us of a turning point in our lives, something that helps set the stage for what we need to do as musicians.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE

14 Comments »

Suzy Silverstein, Royalties Manager

  1. I know this is cheating, but it was kind of an impossible task… So instead of my top 10 albums, I’m listing my top 10 artists who had one or multiple albums that rocked my decade.
  2. TOOL – Lateralus, 10,000 Days
    This band is the center of my musical universe and their word is gospel. But even a non-worshiper would have to admit that these albums are MASTERPIECES. I could write a book on why I love them, but I’ll spare you. These albums RULE…’nuff said.

    OFFICIAL SITE
  3. A Perfect Circle – Mer De Noms, Thirteenth Step, Emotive/Amotion
    Okay, ya got me… I’m a freak for Maynard! But idol worship aside, you know these albums are amazing in their own right. And even though Emotive and Amotion are mostly remixes and don’t get much attention, some of my favorite APC songs are on there, including “Passive” and “Gimme Gimme”.

    OFFICIAL SITE
  4. Opeth – Blackwater Park, Deliverance, Damnation, Ghost Reveries, Watershed
    If I hadn’t decided to cheat on this list, all five of these would’ve made the top 10 regardless. I could probably live the rest of my life very happily listening only to these albums. Opeth never disappoints and the versatility throughout these albums ranges from soothing and mellow to absolutely fucking brutal. Metal Gods!!!

    RR PAGE
  5. Nightwish – Once, Century Child, Wishmaster
    If you know me at all, you know how I feel about Nightwish. I would rank my love for them somewhere between “healthy” and how I feel about TOOL. These albums are epic and dark, and Tarja’s voice makes my hairs stand on end.

    OFFICIAL SITE
  6. Ayreon – The Human Equation, 01011001
    Listing an Ayreon album is almost cheating in itself, since his projects involve almost everyone awesome in the world.

    OFFICIAL SITE
  7. Kamelot – Ghost Opera, The Black Halo, Epica
    I love this band. And yeah, I ranked them above Symphony X… deal with it.

    OFFICIAL SITE
  8. Machine Head – The Blackening
    This album is siiiiiiiick. Cheers, motherfuckers!

    OFFICIAL SITE
  9. Between The Buried And Me – Colors, Alaska, The Great Misdirect
    I think this band’s entire catalog is from this decade, but I thought it would be lame to list EVERYTHING, even though it belongs. These guys have done so much in such a short time, they will be legends.

    OFFICIAL SITE
  10. Hung – Progeny
    I don’t know what blows my mind more… the music or the fact that this band is unsigned!!!!

    OFFICIAL SITE
  11. Epica – The Phantom Agony, Consign To Oblivion, The Divine Conspiracy
    With super epic ten-minute songs with full orchestras, choirs, operatic female vocals and brutal male growls, it’s like this band was made just for me! The only reason the new album isn’t on my list is because I haven’t been able to get my hands on it yet, so if you’re wondering what I want for Christmas…

    OFFICIAL SITE
  12. The Mars Volta – Octahedron
    Yup, I have two #10s…why not? If we’re gonna be sticklers about it this is really #27 on this list anyway, so why stop there… I played this album on repeat until my friends, family, coworkers, and pets wanted to punch me in the face. I’m still not sick of it.

    OFFICIAL SITE

     

  13. Honorable Mentions:
    After Forever – After Forever 
    Amorphis – Silent Waters, Skyforger 
    Behemoth – Evangelion 
    Cradle of Filth – Thornography, Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder 
    Dimmu Borgir – In Sorte Diaboli
    Dream Theater – Octavarium, Black Clouds & Silver Linings 
    Ensiferum – From Afar, Ensiferum 
    Gojira – From Mars To Sirius, The Way Of All Flesh 
    Killswitch Engage – As Daylight Dies, End of Heartache 
    Lamb of God – Wrath 
    Mastadon – Crack The Skye 
    Megadeth – Endgame  
    Moonspell – Night Eternal  
    Nightwish – Dark Passion Play  
    Porcupine Tree – Fear of a Blank Planet, The Incident
    Roadrunner United – The All Star Sessions 
    Slipknot – Volume 3: The Subliminal Verses, All Hope Is Gone 
    Soilwork – Sworn To A Great Divide
    Symphony X – The Odyssey, Paradise Lost 
    Tristania – Illumination 
    Trivium – Shogun  
    Within Temptation – Mother Earth, The Heart of Everything, The Silent Force 
     
    And many more….
8 Comments »

Thom Skarzynski - Promotions Coordinator

  1. I would just like to precursor this list by acknowledging that I was 12 years old when this decade started, so below is basically every album I ever purchased on my own that influenced me in some major way. They all still stand the test of time – mostly for the fact that I get nostalgic listening to them, remembering walking to the bus stop with these albums on my walkman. Although a few are embarrassing, if it wasn’t for the pop punk and emo bands I wouldn’t be where I am now.

     

  2. Brand New – Deja Entendu
  3. Cursive – The Ugly Organ
  4. Bright Eyes - Fevers And Mirrors
  5. The Format - Dog Problems
  6. mewithoutYou - Brother, Sister
  7. Coldplay – Parachutes
  8. Saves The Day – Stay What You Are
  9. Death Cab For Cutie – Transatlanticism
  10. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor
  11. Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything To Nothing
  12. At The Drive-In – Relationship of Command
  13. Our Lady Peace – Spiritual Machines
  14. Muse – Absolution
  15. Fall Out Boy – Take This To Your Grave
  16. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
  17. Radiohead – In Rainbows
  18. Modest Mouse – Good News For People Who Love Bad News
  19. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
  20. Glassjaw – Worship & Tribute
  21. Kanye West – Late Registration
5 Comments »

Paolo Gregoletto - Trivium

  1. Alive or Just Breathing - Killswitch Engage
    This is hands down one of the most influential albums on me. I think everyone that heard this album when it came out knew that this band was going to be the next big thing. You can tell that every note played and every lyric sung is from the heart, and I think that is why this album feels very raw and real. I love every KSE record since this one, but this one still resonates the most with me. I will always remember rocking this after school.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  2. Natural Born Chaos - Soilwork
    I didn't know anything about the whole Melodic Death Metal scene until I heard this album. This is still one of the only albums I can listen to from start to finish with no problem. I think this is an underrated album from an extremely underrated band.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  3. As the Palaces Burn – Lamb Of God
    I was sold on LOG when I heard 11th Hour on Head Bangers Ball for the first time. When the middle section busts into that melodic thrash riff I just wanna kick someone in the dick. This is a mean fucking record, LOG rules, that's it.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  4. End of Heartache - Killswitch Engage
    Making a follow up to an amazing album is not an easy feat at all. KSE stepped up to the plate and hit up a home run with this album and easily became one of my favorite bands of all time. This album sounds incredible and has hooks for days.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  5. Through the Ashes of Empires - Machine Head
    This is such an amazing album, and I think that it gets a bit overlooked because how good The Blackening was and how well received it became. This band has been through so many ups and downs over the years and I feel like they are really letting it all out on this CD. There is so much emotion in each track on this record. I think the bonus track "Seasons Wither" is probably one of the best tunes Machine Head has written. Every time I hear Imperium I want to start a circle pit!

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  6. Brave New World - Iron Maiden
    What an awesome time to have got into Heavy Metal music, right when Iron Maiden got the classic line up back together and not only save metal but make an amazingly relevant album. There was definitely an excitement and energy on each track. Wickerman and Blood Brothers were the biggest highlights for me.

    BUT THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  7. Perseverance - Hatebreed
    I knew nothing about hardcore music till I heard this album. I got this CD just before I saw them and Slayer for the first time when I was younger. I was hooked immediately and had my ears opened to a whole new level of heaviness. This is definitely a bench mark for both hardcore and metal records in my opinion.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  8. Absolution - MUSE
    When I finally listened to this album a few years back, I remember thinking, "fuck what the hell took me so long to check this out." This is an amazing blend of stadium rock, classical music, Queen inspired melodies and vocal lines. This album has some amazing bass lines (yes that excites me.) I can't believe a three piece band can make music this massive sounding. I hope that MUSE becomes more of a house hold name on their latest record Uprising, they are one band that truly deserves it.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  9. The Fame - Lady Gaga
    There are no pleasures that are guilty in my opinion, if you don't like that I like this, fuck you. This is one of the best pop records I have ever heard. The lyrics are so simple, catchy and at times bizarre, the music is beyond catchy and will get any party started. Sometimes you can't explain why you like something, but it just connects with you. This album did for some reason, and it's fun (remember when music was just fun?)

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  10. Waking the Fallen - A7X
    This is a killer album! Is it metal, hardcore, punk? It's all that rolled into one pretty sweet CD with some Iron Maiden-esque harmonies and great vocals to boot. This was another album I listened to a good amount at the end of High school.

    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
8 Comments »

Amy Sciarretto, Director of Publicity/ Media & Artist Relations, Freelance Kickboxer

  1. Deftones - White Pony
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
    “Easily their best work, mixing the tension of Stephen Carpenter’s love for metal with vocalist Chino Moreno’s adoration of the dark and nu wave styles. If Morrissey, Slayer and PJ Harvey had a threesome, their spawn would be ‘The White Pony.’ When I got this, I brought it home, shut out all the lights in my room and put in on my stereo and let it totally filter through me. Since this was one of my fave bands, I had to absorb it that way. It was a religious experience. I still love “Feticiera’ and ‘Passenger,’ b/c how the hell do you not love a Moreno/Maynard James Keenan duet? The perfect storm of quiet and loud. Few can replicate this. They will never top this, either.”
  2. Iron Maiden - Brave New World
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    “The riff in ‘Wicker Man’ is one of my fave Maiden riffs of all time. Bruce is back. Three guitars. Oh yes! One of my favorites of the catalogue, proving a band can be relevant deep into their career.”
  3. Glassjaw - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence
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    OFFICIAL SITE
    “Anger. Darryl Palumbo is one of the best frontman in rock and his twisted diction, his full on rants and the power of his words allowed this to grow on me six months after Jamie Roberts sent it to me as a writer and told me I was going to love it. I fell in love with this band live. Messy. Distorted. Sincere. Sloppy. Honest. This is not emo. It’s not hardcore. It’s post-hardcore. Shit, read my liner notes on the reissue if you want to know how I really feel about it. I can only tell you I feel strongly about it. And ‘Ry Ry’s Song’ is such a hidden little gem. He would stay forever just to say he saw you leave and maybe it wouldn’t be this way. He would stay forever just to say he saw you on your knees.”
  4. Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache/ Alive or Just Breathing
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    “Can’t mention one without the other. ‘AOJB’ started it all, some of THE BEST lyrics ever, which still hold emotional weight today. This was the start of the new wave of American Heavy Metal, as it was later christened. ‘TEOHA’ built on an already solid foundation. The Americanization of what is, to me, a very Swedish guitar sound. ‘AOJB’ is easily canon material, and Adam and Joel’s signature sound was established. Jesse, we all love what he did. But Jones took it and ran with it and the reigning despots of the NWOAMHM took the crown.”
  5. Shadows Fall - The Art of Balance/ Of One Blood
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    OFFICIAL SITE
    “As with KsE, I can’t mention one without the other. ‘OOB’ established their neo-thrashery, while ‘TAOB’ elevated it. Brian Fair was like a young James Hetfield in this era. The band was so deft at mixing thrash with these emotional melodies on ‘OOB,’ with ‘The First Noble Truth’ being the song that really showcased the band’s dynamic range. ‘TAOB’ was more Anthraxian in scope and style, but it still was the Shads, shredding till their fingers fell off.”
  6. Hatebreed - Perseverance
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    OFFICIAL SITE
    “It took FIVE YEARS to follow up ‘Satisfaction is the Death of Desire’ and it was worth the wait. ‘I Will Be Heard’ is always the show-stopping anthem, but it’s the title track and ‘Proven’ which really feel like anthems, like pleas to the universe, to me. As always, this gets the red out. I don’t commit acts of butchery because of this album. Jamey is so positive with his lyrics and the music, while simple and knuckle dragging, sends the blood and adrenaline coursing through these here veins.”
  7. Slayer - God Hates Us All
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    OFFICIAL SITE
    “Their best of the decade. I want to punch kittens in the neck when I listen to ‘Disciple.’”
  8. Blood Has Been Shed - Spirals
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    OFFICIAL SITE
    “Many feel that Howard Jones showcases his best work in KsE. And maybe he does. But this is one of the most brutal metal albums. It’s sickness. It’s where J Fo, also of KsE, showcases his sick drumtastic skills. ‘She Speaks to Me’ makes me lose my voice every time I see it live, which was ONE time, since they never tour and they played NEMHCF ONE year and that’s when I saw it. I couldn’t talk for two days. Great lyrics. I want this life to be worth the sacrifice. In the midst of all the heartache, look for the roses.’ Mr. Jones is a softie. Here’s the proof."
  9. Slipknot - Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses
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    OFFICIAL SITE
    “Has all the elements of “Iowa” and “Slipknot” that I love. ‘Duality’ is their best song since ‘Wait and Bleed.’"
  10. Lamb of God - As the Palaces Burn/ New American Gospel
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    OFFICIAL SITE
    “I can’t choose, I can’t choose! They both remind me of why I love metal so much. They restore my faith in metal whenever something false is thrown my way. ‘NAG’ put them on the map, and ‘ATBP’ set them up for their current greatness. Again, this was the onset of New American Metal as we know it today, ushered in by KsE, Shadows Fall and Lamb of God. That’s why that Headbanger’s Ball Tour in ’03 is such a classic, in hindsight. Because the three bands that would redefine metal in the ‘00s were on it!”
  11. Down - III: Over the Under
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    OFFICIAL SITE
    “True Southern metal. Phil’s best work in years. YEARS!”
  12. Thursday - Full Collapse
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    OFFICIAL SITE
    “Ok, I don’t love eem. But I love this band and this album and not just b/c they are from New Jersey. This was a band that was able to be a sloppy, sloppy, dischordant mess, but still be memorable. Geoff Rickly is a lyricist that borders on being a poet. All the distortion of harmonics and all those songs that beg to be sung along to. A lot of people saw Thursday as this second coming of revolutionary, youth rock in the press. But they were never aiming to be that, and they certainly didn’t try to be something. They were just themselves, making raw, honest rock.”
  13. Opeth - Damnation/ Deliverance/ Blackwater Park
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    “Classics. Perfection. Dark. Brutal. Beautiful. I wouldn’t have gotten through the ‘00s without them.”
  14. DevilDriver - The Last Kind Words
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
    “For the clouds that are anywhere in Cali. This is just one I really love and connected with the band over.”
7 Comments »

Lauren Kufta, New Media Direct Marketing Manager

  1. Brand New - Deja Entendu
  2. A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms
  3. Dream Theater - Octavarium
  4. Tori Amos - Scarlet's Walk
  5. Deathcab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
  6. Hopesfall - A Types
  7. The Gaslight Anthem - The 59 Sound
  8. Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies
  9. George Winston - Night Divides The Day
  10. Saosin - Saosin
  11. Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulence
  12. Tool - Lateralus
  13. Underoath - They're Only Chasing Safety
  14. Pete Yorn - Music For The Morning After
2 Comments »

Joel O'Keeffe, Airbourne

  1. KISS - SONIC BOOM
  2. MOTORHEAD - INFERNO
  3. ROSE TATTOO - BLOOD BROTHERS
  4. AC/DC - STIFF UPPER LIP
  5. RHINO BUCKET - WELCOME TO HELL
  6. STONE GODS - SILVER SPOONS AND BROKEN BONES
  7. JOHNNY CRASH - UNFINISHED BUISINESS
  8. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - MAGIC
  9. JOHNNY CASH - CASH
  10. LIVING LOUD - LIVING LOUD
2 Comments »

Chris Brown, Director Of Marketing

  1. System Of A Down -Toxicity
  2. Drag the River - Closed
  3. Dillinger 4 - Versus God
  4. Elliot Smith - From A Basement On A Hill
  5. Bob Dylan - Love And Theft
  6. Ray LaMontagne - Trouble
  7. The Gaslight Anthem - Sink Or Swim
  8. Against Me! - Reinventing Axel Rose
  9. Rise Against - Revolutions Per Minute
  10. Damien Rice - O
  11. Kanye West - College Dropout
1 Comments »

Phil Kaso, Northeast Regional Promotion Director Roadrunner Promotion

  1. Theory of a Deadman - Scars & Souveneirs
  2. Nickelback – All the Right Reasons
  3. Metallica – Death Magnetic
  4. U2 - All That You Can’t Leave Behind
  5. Slipknot – Vol 3 (Subliminal Verses)
  6. Avenged Sevenfold - City of Evil
  7. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
  8. Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
  9. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
  10. Shinedown - The Sound of Madness
3 Comments »

Taking Dawn

  1. In no particular order...

     

  2. 30 seconds to mars - A Beautiful Lie
  3. Shadows Fall - The Art of Balance
  4. Avenged Sevenfold - City Of Evil
  5. System of a Down - Toxicity
  6. Trivium - Ascendancy
  7. Nickelback - Dark Horse
  8. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
  9. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
  10. HIM - Razorblade Romance
  11. My Chemical Romance -Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge
10 Comments »

Laura Bender, Director Midwest Promotions

  1. Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker
  2. Arcade Fire – Funeral
  3. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
  4. At The Drive-In - Relationship of Command
  5. Brendan Benson – Lapalco
  6. Biffy Clyro – Puzzle
  7. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
  8. Elbow - Asleep in the Back
  9. Green Day - American Idiot
  10. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
  11. The Libertines - Up the Bracket
  12. The National – Alligator
  13. The Postal Service - Give Up
  14. Radiohead - In Rainbows
  15. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
  16. Snow Patrol - Final Straw
  17. Spiritualized - Let It Come Down
  18. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
  19. The Strokes - Is This It
  20. Rufus Wainwright – Poses
  21. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
0 Comments »

Mark Abramson Roadrunner Records, VP Promotions

  1. Slipknot – Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)
  2. Green Day – American Idiot
  3. Black Stone Cherry – Folklore & Superstition
  4. Stone Sour – Come Whatever May
  5. Shinedown – Us & Them
  6. Machine Head – The Blackening
  7. DoubleDrive – Blue In The Face
  8. Lamb of God – Sacrament
  9. Nickelback – The Long Road
  10. Dixie Chicks – Taking The Long Way
  11. Lynyrd Skynyrd – God & Guns
  12. Eminem – The Eminem Show
  13. Rush – Snakes & Arrows
  14. AFI – Sing The Sorrow
  15. Theory of a Deadman – Scars & Souvenirs
  16. Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around
  17. Audioslave – S/T
  18. Thornley – Come Again
  19. Mark Lanegan – Bubblegum
  20. Type O Negative – Life is Killing Me
3 Comments »

Jen Guyre, New Media Web Content Manager

  1. Mastodon - Leviathan
  2. Deftones - White Pony
  3. Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
  4. Gojira - From Mars to Sirius
  5. Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vol. 1 & 2: Fire and Water
  6. Muse - Absolution
  7. Early Man - Closing In
  8. Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1
  9. Saviours - Into Abaddon
  10. Gluecifer - Tender is the Savage
0 Comments »

Justin D'Angelo, Tour Coordinator

  1. Agents of Oblivion - Agents Of Oblivion
  2. Biffy Clyro - Puzzle
  3. Dax Riggs - We Sing Of Only Blood Or Love
  4. Mastodon - Crack The Skye
  5. Slipknot - Vol. 3
  6. In Flames - Clayman
  7. Alkaline Trio - Good Mourning
  8. Roadrunner United - The All Star Sessions
  9. Tomahawk - Mit Gas
  10. Rise Against - Siren Song Of The Counterculture
  11. Against Me! - New Wave (Honorable Mention)
  12. Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache (Honorable Mention)
  13. Rammstein – Mutter (Honorable Mention)
  14. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works (Honorable Mention)
  15. Turbonegro - Scandanavian Leather (Honorable Mention)
  16. Roadrunner United - The Concert (Honorable Mention)
1 Comments »

Austin Stephens, National Director of Digital Sales & Retail Marketing

  1. At The Drive In – Relationship Of Command
    Probably the most progressive album to kick off the new millennium this album sounds as vital now as it ever did 10 years ago with zero filler and as fresh sounding now as it was in 2000.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  2. Tim Barry – Manchester
    So Tim would never agree with this statement, but there is no better story teller out there and I’ll flat out say with the passing of Johnny Cash, THANK GOD FOR TIM BARRY.  Manchester, his 2nd full length, is a year in the life of Tim Barry, riding freight trains, the loss of friends and the additions of family, it’s a beautifully orchestrated album from one of punk/hardcore’s most important alumni.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  3. Biffy Clyro – Puzzle
    It’s rare that you classify a band as important and I don’t think it’s been done in quite some time, but Biffy Clyro is important.  Their culmination of pop/prog/alternative is reminiscent of all things ranging from the Pixies to Nirvana, but transcends their predecessors and becomes something all their own.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  4. Glassjaw - Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Silence
    Really a head of its time and an album that basically launched an entire scene, scream, which no one really got right except the pioneers, Glassjaw.  No one did it as well as them and Daryl Palumbo’s passion has never been equaled from this album, his scream to clean vocal melody has been mimicked time and time again, but the sheer ferocity in the riffs and vocals makes this album one of the most groundbreaking of the decade.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  5. Frank Turner – Love, Ire & Song
    I was blown away the first time In saw Frank Turner play and have since seen him about 6 times in the last year and have not been let down once.  This was really the first album that just bowled me over though the new album Poetry Of The Deed is absolutely stellar and could easily be in my top 10 as well, but I omitted a lot of titles from 2009 as I feel the older albums have already stood the test of time with me.  That said “Long Live The Queen” is one of the best songs written this decade and Frank deserves mad props as one of the wittiest lyricists of the last 5 years.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  6. Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero
    I felt this was one of Nine Inch Nails most important piece of work over the last 10 years, though The Fragile only missed it by a year.  Regardless this is Trent Reznor at his best, injecting melody, distortion, and noise into a jigsaw puzzle that completely makes sense with a straight forward rock ethic that is seldom seen in mainstream music today.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  7. Avail – Front Porch Stories
    Two records came from this band in the last 10 years and even putting them side by side it was hard to pick my favorite, but I’m going with Front Porch Stories.  I think this album has become a bit of a swan song for the band and they left on a high note as they really have never put out a bad record and only grew more and more through the years.  The live shows where spectacular and this album is another example of a band that cut through the clutter when “punk” reached new peaks.  They reminded me that through all the music and bands latching onto the trend, these guys just wrote anthem after anthem for dejected youth and that’s why they’ll go down as one of the top artists of the genre.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  8. No Doubt – Return To Saturn
    Probably their most underrated album and such a strong follow up to their breakout album Tragic Kingdom.  I just saw several of the reunion show dates and I couldn’t be more stoked for a new record and it also reminded me how classic this album was.  “New” is possibly the best song they’ve ever written and from beginning to end, you see why this band gets so much respect from their punk roots all the way to the pop mainstream.  As far as I’m concerned if you get props from Fat Mike (NoFX) to Prince and everyone in between, you are doing something right!
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  9. Boy Sets Fire – After The Eulogy
    A record that broke through the hardcore barrier and really showed everyone that within the brutal breakdowns and driving rhythms, anthem’s can be written and emotion can come through defying classification (this is not emo).  This album was the band at their best and had everything from the crooning ballads “Unspoken Request,” punk pop “Rookie,” anthemic sing alongs “After The Eulogy,” and punch yo mama in the face breakdowns layered through the whole damn thing.  One of the reasons I still love hardcore music today when it’s done right, and this band did it right!
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    LISTEN
  10. Slipknot – Vol 3 (The Subliminal Verses)
    Metal is a hard genre to bust out of let alone recreate and make something that is not only fresh, but redefines the genre.  Pantera did it in the 90’s and Slipknot managed it with this masterpiece.  Slipknot definitely took some risks hear following up what is probably the heaviest record of their career Iowa, also stellar in its own right and under rated in my opinion, but they really played with sound and texture on this record that made the heavier songs seem even harder edge and Corey really defined melody as the hooks on this record are undeniable, again no filler, it’s a classic from beginning to end.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  11. Killswitch Engage - The End Of Heartache
    The End Of Heartache was basically the record that made me fall in love with metal again and made me pay attention to everything that was coming out of the North east metal scene.  These guys will always be the poster child for that movement and this album, the first to feature vocalist Howard Jones, basically cemented them in metal history as one of the most entertaining & memorable live acts you’ll ever see (I’m sure we all have a favorite quote from Adam D), but the music couldn’t be further from the sense of humor, as serious and heartfelt as anything coming from the indie sphere which only made the riffage that much better.  If you don’t own this one you are not METAL!
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  12. Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around
    This is a haunting epic and as he passed after its release it gave new meaning to some of the standards he re-recorded, but it’s the title track “The Man Comes Around” an original from the Man in Black that sets the tone of this record and makes it one of his best and definitely his best of the decade.  Watch the opening sequence of 2004’s Dawn Of The Dead which used the song and it pretty much sets the tone for the film.
  13. Hot Water Music – Caution
    HWM’s work in the 00’s was definitely more streamlined, showcasing the melody over the intricacy of their earlier work, but the dual vocals of Chris Wollard and Chuck Ragan are unparalleled to all the imitators that followed them in this decade let alone the bass playing of Jason Black, in my humble opinion one of the greatest punk bassists of my time, make them a must for my list.  Caution has been coming up more and more lately as I go and see newer bands touting this as a reference to their musical education.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  14. Thursday - Full Collapse
    Though I don’t think Thursday has recaptured the essence of this release since 2001, Full Collapse cannot be ignored.  The album truly helped start a revitalized scene as traditional punk and hardcore was starting fade out.  You could feel their passion and pain on this album and I still go back to it and can remember the excitement they brought to a crowd and a show when music was changing at the turn of the millennium.
  15. Bouncing Souls – How I Spent My Summer Vacation
    I loved the souls in high school and starting college and this was the record that made me fall in love with them all over again.  I remember hearing it and subconsciously slapping myself to say, where the hell have you been, these guys rule.  Only a testament to their amazing catalog this one shines, but they’re still as vital toady as they were in ’01. 
  16. Rise Against – The Sufferer & the Witness
    Rise Against has been one of the most consistent artists over the past 10 years, every album is solid and Siren Songs took them to a whole new level, but I really felt The Sufferer & the Witness was the breakthrough.  I go back and listen to this album constantly and  is one of those albums you feel like you rediscover every time you listen to it. 
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
  17. Beck – Sea Change
    Hands down the best Beck album to date and one of the most beautifully orchestrated.  This is the break up album of the last 10 years.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  18. Fugazi – Argument
    Much like Avail it cannot be said we’ll never see another Fugazi album, but if we did not they went out on a big high note.  Argument is everything Fugazi embodied, pushing the envelope in making dissonance, melody, and groove collide with epic intensity.  This band has influenced so much musically, including about half the artists above.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  19. Gaslight Anthem - ’59 Sound
    I just cannot get sick of this album, I’ve seen them perform it like 20 times now and it’s phenomenal how the band continues to grow and pretty stocked to see what comes next, but regardless, this album is modern classic in the making with hook after hook and a timeless quality that I think makes it worthy of inclusion here.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  20. Muse – Absolution 2003
    I saw these guys open for Velvet Revolver for this record at a radio show in an arena and Velvet Revolver should not have taken the stage after them.  It’s rare that you see a band in a venue like that and think to yourself, I never wanna see this band in a club.  They should only play to 10’s of thousands of people, but that is Muse and Absolution will always be ingrained to me as what arena rock should be.
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    MYSPACE
  21. Top 10 2009
    I cannot say yet that these albums won’t stand the test of time so some of these could very well have ended up on the list above, so here’s my top 10 of 2009:

    Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions

    This is a serious contender to top their last effort, Puzzle, as it’s hooks grab you instantly and the prog like jams at the end of “That Golden Rule” and “Bubbles,” let alone the bands knack to right epic riffs and changes.  “Mountains” is hands down one of the strongest tracks they’ve written and their ability to write songs so personal and innovative makes them as important as any band on the rock radar

    BUY THIS ALBUM

    Frank Turner – Poetry Of The Deed

    Frank Turner floors me, live, recorded, full band, by himself, there are few artists that have this kind of charisma and wit.  “I’m gonna live fast and I’m gonna die old” is such a great line and kind of sums up Frank’s point of view.  If you haven’t heard Frank Turner yet, do yourself a favor and pick this up, it’s a goddamn sing a long for life. 

    BUY THIS ALBUM

    Rancid – Let The Dominoes Fal

    Easily their best album since And Out Come The Wolves… and the accompanying acoustic album just puts it over the top, I highly recommend picking up that version.  I could go see Rancid today and have them only play this album and I would not leave disappointed. 

    BUY THIS ALBUM

    Lucero - 1372 Overton Park

    Lucero never disappoints and to hear the full range of instrumentation on this album it definitely showcases Ben Nichols’ inner Mellancamp.

    BUY THIS ALBUM

    Propagandhi – Supporting Caste

    Propagandhi records and tours once every five or so years and this album was well worth the wait.  Bringing back a bit of the humor (just a touch) from their debut, but still as socially conscious and angst fueled as ever, tracks like “Night Letter” some of the best riffage from the band since Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes, and “Supporting Caste” are the band doing what they do best, melting your face with a blend of punk/metal/hardcore that few have been able to rival.

    BUY THIS ALBUM 

    Fake Problems - It's Great to Be Alive

    Stellar album from some really young kids.  These guys have got some real songwriting chops and remind me a bit of a younger Against Me!  If this album is a preview of what’s to come, we’ll be hearing a lot more about them soon. 

    BUY THIS ALBUM

    Chuck Ragan – Gold Country

    Another notch in the belt of a great catalog.

    BUY THIS ALBUM

    Mastodon – Crack The Sky

    I almost want to say their best to date, it really is a genius album and with all the changes to their approach to singing etc, they pull it off live too, which is always the true test.  They continue to grow as a band, especially live.

    BUY THIS ALBUM

    Strike Anywhere – Iron Front

    Another great sing a long, anthem fueled, punk masterwork from Strike Anywhere. 

    BUY THIS ALBUM

    Porcupine Tree – The Incident

    This album really makes me love this band musically, I’ve always respected them as musicians, but I feel they really one up’d themselves with this record.  A band more people should know. 

    BUY THIS ALBUM

    Honorable mentions to Baroness “The Blue Record,” Converge “Axe To Fall,” & Beans On Toast who was my new discovery this year, he is hilarious and you can download any of his stuff for free I recommend the track “Cocaine.”

    DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM

1 Comments »

Rick Ernst - Director Video Services

  1. Exodus - Tempo of the Damned
  2. Testament - The Formation of Damnation
  3. Buckcherry -Timebomb
  4. Beautiful Creatures - self titled debut
  5. Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around
  6. Gojira - From Mars to Sirius
  7. Coheed and Cambria -No World for Tomorrow
  8. Six Feet Under - Graveyard Classics 2
  9. Buckcherry -15
  10. Superjoint Ritual - Use Once and Destroy
  11. Machine Head -The Blackening
  12. Lamb of God - Sacrament
  13. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
1 Comments »

Mark Chotiner, Regional Director of Promotions West Coast

  1. Beck - Sea Change
  2. Cat Power - The Greatest
  3. Doves - The Last Broadcast
  4. Green Day - American Idiot
  5. Queens of the Stoneage - Songs For The Deaf
  6. Rival Schools - United By Fate
  7. Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
  8. Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
  9. Paul Westerberg - Stereo
  10. White Stripes - White Blood Cells
0 Comments »

Stefan Max, A&R -- Best of '09

  1. Metric - Fantasies
  2. Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything to Nothing
  3. Grizzly bear - Veckatimest
  4. Brand New - Daisy
  5. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
  6. Mason Proper - Olly Oxen Free
  7. Jay Z - Blueprint II
  8. Muse - The Resistance
  9. Fun - Aim & Ignite
3 Comments »

Dan Goldberg, Director of New Business Development

  1. Alkaline Trio - From Here to Infirmary
  2. Arcade Fire - Funeral
  3. At The Drive In - Relationship of Command
  4. Gaslight Anthem - '59 Sound
  5. Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
  6. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
  7. Jay Dee - Welcome to Detroit
  8. The National - Alligator
  9. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
  10. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
  11. Morrissey - Years of Refusal
  12. Rainer Maria - Long Knives Drawn
  13. Radiohead - In Rainbows
  14. Slum Village - Fantastic Volume 2
  15. Unbroken - The Death of True Spirit
    BUY THIS ALBUM
    OFFICIAL SITE
    (Yes, this is a comp of material from the 90's, but this release came out in 2003 and I had to put it on here since it includes Life.Love.Regret, which is the best metal influenced hardcore record of all time)
  16. Honorable Mentions:
    Aesop Rock - Labor Days, Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago, Dark Tranquility - Damage Done, Glassjaw - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence, Godspeed! You Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven, Hot Water Music - A Flight and a Crash, In Flames - Come Clarity, Jay Z - The Blueprint, Jesu - Conqueror, Kenna - New Sacred Cow, Killers - Sam's Town, Killswitch Engage - As Daylight Dies, Mastodon - Blood Mountain, Morrissey - You Are the Quarry, Rival Schools - United by Fate, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
1 Comments »

Kathi Sheasby, International Product Manager

  1. AFI - Sing the Sorrow
  2. Against Me - As the Eternal Cowboy
  3. Alkaline Trio - From Here to Infirmary
  4. American Nightmare - Background Music
  5. At The Drive In - Relationship of Command
  6. Baroness - First/ Second
  7. Botch - We Are the Romans
  8. Boy Sets Fire - After the Eulogy
  9. Converge - Jane Doe
  10. Fucked Up - Hidden World
  11. Isis - Oceanic
  12. Iron Age - Constant Struggle
  13. Fugazi - The Argument
  14. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
  15. Glassjaw - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence
  16. Grade - Under the Radar
  17. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
  18. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
  19. Mastodon - Remission
  20. Minus the Bear - Menos El Oso
  21. Rival Schools - United By Fate
  22. Saves the Day - Through Being Cool
  23. Silent Drive - Love is Worth It
  24. Torche - Meanderthal
1 Comments »

Gail Marowitz, Creative Director

  1. Top Ten of the Decade:
  2. Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
  3. Aimee Mann - Lost in Space
  4. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
  5. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
  6. Antony and the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now
  7. Hot Chip - The Warning
  8. Beck - Sea Change
  9. Lustmord - Zoetrope
  10. Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons
  11. White Stripes - White Blood Cells
  12. Top Ten of 2009:
  13. The XX - XX
  14. Bell Horses - This Loves Last Time
  15. Jenny Owen Youngs - Transmitter Failure
  16. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
  17. Matt & Kim - Grand
  18. Paramore - Brand New Eyes
  19. William Fitzsimmons - The Sparrow and The Crow
  20. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
  21. Stars of Track and Field - A Time for Lions
  22. Devildriver - Pray for Villains
2 Comments »

Morgan Thomas, International Product Manager

  1. Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
  2. Arcade Fire - Funeral
  3. Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future
  4. Elbow - Asleep In The Back
  5. Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
  6. Radiohead - Kid A
  7. Jay-Z - The Black Album
  8. The Strokes - Is This It
  9. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
  10. The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows
  11. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
  12. Interpol -Turn On The Bright Lights
  13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
  14. Bon Iver - For Emma Forever Ago
  15. TV On The Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
  16. Greg Laswell - Three Flights From Alto Nido
  17. Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself
  18. Deftones - White Pony
  19. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
  20. Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
0 Comments »

Brad - Myspace Winner

  1. Opeth - Blackwater Park
  2. Dream Theater - Metropolis pt. 2 Scenes from a Memory
  3. Kamelot - The Black Halo
  4. Kalisia - Cybion
  5. Tool - Laterlaus
  6. Symphony X - Paradise Lost
  7. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
  8. Trivium - Shogun
  9. Ayreon - The Human Equation
  10. Nile - Annihilation Of The Wicked(
4 Comments »

David Rosen, The Parlor Mob

  1. Radiohead - In Rainbows
  2. The White Stripes - Elephant
  3. Muse - Origin Of Symmetry
  4. Sigur Ros - Me Su Í Eyrum Vi Spilum Endalaust
  5. The Dead Weather - Horehound
  6. The Black Angels - Passover
  7. Black Lips - Good Bad Not Evil
  8. Jay Reatard - Blood Visions
  9. Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood
  10. Sikamor Rooney - Sikamor Rooney
0 Comments »

Mark Melicia - The Parlor Mob

  1. Bon Iver- Blood Bank
  2. Laura Marling- Alas I cannot swim
  3. Elvis Perkins- Elvis Perkins in Dearland
  4. Regina Spektor- Far
  5. Antony &The Johnsons- The Crying Light
  6. Bob Dylan- Together through Life
  7. Arctic Monkeys- Humbug
  8. Pearl Jam- Backspacer
  9. Karen O and the Kids- Where the Wild Things Are
  10. Devandra Banhart- What We Will Be
1 Comments »

Joel Armstrong, Campus & Lifestyle Consultant - Roadrunner Records Canada

  1. Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake
  2. Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache
  3. Mercenary - Hours That Remain
  4. In Flames - Clayman
  5. System of a Down - Toxicity
  6. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
  7. Into Eternity - Buried in Oblivion
  8. Into Eternity - Scattering of Ashes
  9. As I Lay Dying - Frail Words Collapse
  10. Honorable Mentions:
    Sinamore - A New Day, End of You - Unreal
2 Comments »

Darren Dalessio, 5B Artist Management

  1. Killswitch Engage - Alive or Just Breathing
    One of the most influential metal albums/bands of the decade. This album came along when metal was trying to find its way, and helped reinvigorate and inspire the genre. Adam D. and crew rip shit up on their roadrunner debut. This is and will always be a true classic in my opinion. This album deliver’s some of the most memorable and inspiring metal songs out. Punishing guitar riffs and huge choruses, inspirational lyrics and great production provided by Adam D. and mixed by Andy Sneap, this album has it all. It’s a masterpiece.
  2. He Is Legend - I Am Hollywood/ Suck Out the Poison/ It Hates You
    I love all their albums. HIL is the most underrated band out there. They reinvent themselves with every album and can do it all: metal, southern rock and with their most recent “It Hates You” dark 90’s style Alternative rock. The arrangements are well thought out and vocalist Schuyler Croom is one of the most unique front men out there, a true performer with an amazing voice and great lyrics. Tracks I recommend: China White, The Pot Bellied Goddess, Dixie Wolf, Futures Bright Man, Stranger Danger.
  3. System of a Down - Toxicity
    It’s usually quite hard for a band to follow up a stellar debut album, but in SOAD’s case they did it with flying colors. Every song is addictive and offers up its own unique style. Now hopefully they all stop fucking around with side projects and make us a new album!!
  4. My Chemical Romance - 3 Cheers For Sweet Revenge
    It's good start to finish, catchy rock n roll mixed with punk, with some metal riffs sprinkled in for good measure. And the raw production on this album only adds to the energy that the band is delivering.
  5. Deftones - White Pony
    Deftones at their finest in my humble opinion. It’s a dark and moody album and shows how this band has no boundaries to their sound. Get well Chi!!
  6. At The Drive In - Relationship of Command
    If you don’t own this album, go buy it now! Ross Robinson help’s the post-hardcore/punk band take their sound to the next level. Too bad it was their last.
  7. Trivium - Ascendancy
    For me this was the second album to come out after KSE’s “Alive or Just Breathing” that really raised the bar for metal in my opinion. This album has it all, crushing guitars, amazing solo’s and leads, and a killer vocal performance by Matt Heafy. Every song is Epic as fuck!!
  8. Avenge Sevenfold - Waking the Fallen
    This didn’t leave my cd player for about a year. Twin guitar harmonies, blazing solo’s, great choruses. This band is the real deal and they know how to write a song.
  9. Glassjaw - Worship & Tribute
    Great album from Long Island's finest
  10. Queens of the Stoneage - Songs For the Deaf
    QOTSA at their very best. This album just flows so well
  11. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
    I love every second of this album, a true prog death metal masterpiece
  12. A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms
    I love Tool (who doesn’t), so when I heard Maynard was doing a side project it seemed like a no brainer that it would be cool. And unlike most side project’s, the results really rule!
  13. Soilwork - Natural Born Chaos
    Follow the Hollow!! This album blew me away when I first heard it, awesome riffs, killer solo’s, amazing vocals and some seriously memorable songs
  14. Muse - Absolution
    I have a feeling this album will be making it onto a lot of the top 10 list’s, and with good reason, it rocks from start to finish!
  15. HIM = Dark Light
    Dark, moody, catchy rock songs…..what’s not to love. The band is just a lot of fun to listen to, and Dark Light in my opinion has some of the strongest tracks by them.
0 Comments »

Christina Lupinacci, Online Marketing & Promotion Manager

  1. Death Cab For Cute – Transatlanticism
  2. The Format - Dog Problems
  3. Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope
  4. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
  5. Taking Back Sunday Tell All Your Friends
  6. The Postal Service - Give Up
  7. Radiohead - In Rainbows
  8. Jimmy Eat World- Bleed American
  9. Nada Surf-Let Go
  10. The Stills – Without Feathers
1 Comments »

Zeeshan Ghazali, Online Manager, Street Team Consultant (Roadrunner Records Canada)

  1. Opeth – Watershed
  2. Mastodon - Crack The Skye
  3. Slipknot - Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
  4. Incubus - Morning View
  5. Muse - The Resistance
  6. Tenacious D - The Pick Of Destiny
  7. System Of A Down - Toxicity
  8. Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords
  9. Stone Sour - Come What(ever) May
  10. Devildriver - The Last Kind Words
1 Comments »

Susan Graves, Metal Radio Intern

  1. Ensiferum - Ensiferum
  2. Wintersun - Wintersun
  3. Opeth - Blackwater Park
  4. Arsis - A Celebration of Guilt
  5. Enslaved - Vertebrae
  6. Nightwish - Century Child
  7. Finsterforst - Weltenkraft
  8. Hypocrisy - The Arrival
  9. Emperor - Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire and Demise
  10. Asmegin - Arv
3 Comments »

Eric Cannata – The Jakes

  1. The Strokes- Room On Fire
  2. Animal Collective- Strawberry Jam
  3. The Shins- Wincing The Night Away
  4. Arcade Fire- Funeral
  5. Interpol- Antics
  6. Radiohead - In Rainbows
  7. Kings Of Leon- Youth And Young Manhood
  8. Broken Social Scene- You Forgot It In People
  9. Bon iver- For Emma Forever Ago
  10. TV On The Radio- Young Liars EP
1 Comments »