50-Ihsahn- angL (Norway)
Favourite Songs: Misanthrope, Unhealer
49- Beirut- Gulag Orkestar (United States)
Favourite Songs: Gulag Orkestar, Brandenburg
48- Anathema- A Natural Disaster (United Kingdom)
Favourite Songs: Are You There?, A Natural Disaster
47- of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (United States)
Favourite Songs: Suffer For Fashion, She's A Rejector
46- Regina Spektor - Songs (United States)
Favourite Songs: Oedipus, Lacrimosa, Ne Me Quitte Pas (Honorable mention to Lounge for the car sounds)
45- Lunar Aurora- Elixir of Sorrow (Germany)
Favourite Songs: Zorn Aus Äonen, Augenblick
44- Feist - Let It Die (Canada)
Favourite Songs: Mushaboom, L'Amour Ne Dure Pas Toujours
43- Pierre Lapointe- La Forêt des Mal-Aimés (Canada)
Favourite Songs: Deux Par Deux Rassemblés, Endomètre Rebelle
42- mornful congregation– The June Frost (Australia)
Favourite songs: Already named on the 2009 list
41- Cat Power- The Greatest (United States)
Favourite Songs: The Greatest, Empty Shell
40- Devin Townsend Project – Addicted (Canada)
Favourite Songs: Already named on the 2009 list
39- bat for lashes - Fur and Gold (United Kingdom)
Favourite songs: Trophy, What's a Girl to Do.
38-Rasputina- Oh Perilous World (United States)
Favourite songs: Draconian Crackdown, 1816, The Year without a Summer
37- Serpentcult - Weight of Light (Belgium)
Favourite songs: New World Order, Arkanum
36- To-Mera- Transcendental (United Kingdom)
Favourite songs: Blood, Born of Ashes
35- Made Out of Babies- The Ruiner (United States)
Favourite songs: Cooker, The Major
34- Regina Spektor - Far (United States)
Favourite songs: Already named on the 2009 list
33- Blonde Redhead- Misery is a Butterfly (United States)
Favourite songs: Misery is a Butterfly, Melody
32- Émilie Simon - Émilie Simon (France)
Favourite songs: Dernier Lit, Chanson de Toile
31- The Foreshadowing- Days of Nothing (Italy)
Favourite songs: Cold Waste, Departure
30- Katatonia - Viva Emptiness (Sweden)
Favourite songs: Criminals, Inside the City of Glass
29- Melt-Banana- Bambi's Dilemma (Japan)
Favourite songs: Spider Snipe, The Call of the Vague
28- Mirrorthrone - Of Wind and Weeping (Switzerland)
Favourite songs: Florilège Lunatique Occultement Révélateur et Néantisation Caduque Engendrée, Beyond the Mirrorthrone
27- Opeth - Blackwater Park (Sweden)
Favourite songs: The Leper Affinity, Harvest
26- The Gathering - Sleepy Buildings (Netherlands)
Favourite songs: Amity, The Mirror Waters
25 - Emperor- Promotheus - The Discipline of Fire & Demise (Norway)
Favourite songs:: The Eruption, The Prophet
24- Shiina Ringo- Shouso Strip (Japan)
Favourite songs:: Yokushïtsu, Identity, Tsumi To Batsu
23- Scarling. - So Long, Scarecrow (United States)
Favourite songs: City Noise, Manorexic, Strapled to the Mattress.
22- Stolen Babies - There Be Squabbles Ahead! (United States)
Favourite songs: Filistata, Tablescrap, Push Button
21- Portishead - Third (United Kingdom)
Favourite songs: Silence, The Rip, We Carry On
20- Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope (United States)
Favourite songs: Après Moi, Après Moi and Après Moi. Also That Time and Fidelity for being too damn catchy.
19- Paatos - Silence of Another Kind (Sweden)
Favourite songs: Shame, There Will Be No Miracles, Is That All?
18- Opeth - Damnation (Sweden)
Favourite songs: Windowpane, Death whispered a Lullaby, To rid the Disease
17- Draconian - Turning Season Within (Sweden)
Favourite songs: Seasons Apart, Earthbound, The Failure Epiphany
16- Anorexia Nervosa - New Obscurantis Order (France)
Favourite songs: Black Death Nonetheless, Le Châtiment de la Rose, Stabat Mater Dolorosa
15- Bat for Lashes - Two Suns (United Kingdom)
Favourite songs: Already named
14- Antimatter - Saviour (United Kingdom)
Favourite songs: Saviour, Psalms, Flowers
13- Sirenia - An Elixir for Existence (Norway)
Favourite songs: Star-Crossed, Save Me From Myself, A Mental Symphony
12- Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Canada)
Favourite songs: Intervention, The Well and the Lighthouse, (Antichrist Television Blues)
11- Moonspell - Night Eternal (Portugal)
Favourite songs: Night Eternal, Scorpion Flower, Dreamless
10- Agua de Annique - Air (Netherlands)
On quality, it shouldn't be there. But, considering it's by far my most listened album on last.fm (Leading by about a thousand), I just had to rank it somewhere here.
So, as you can guess, Air's biggest quality is just how easy listening it is, and can pretty much be a good pick for any situation, feeling, or place. Anneke van Giersbergen, of The Gathering fame, may never be a brillant songwriter, but still allow the music to flow effortlessly and give enough space for her godly vocals.
Favourite songs: Witnesses, Ice Water, Trail of Grief, Sunken Soldiers Ball
9- Jack Off Jill- Clear Hearts Grey Flowers (United States)
If you asked me to name you something to define my teenager years, this album would probably be the first thing I'd think of.
Their last effort before their definitive breakup, CHGF is a chaotic effort, highlighted by Jessicka Fodera's raging shrieks and mocking lyrics. One of my favourite albums ever when I need to let some frustration go. Also worth noting, they made quite a good cover of The Cure's hit, Lovesong.
Favourite songs: Vivica, Star No Star, Strawberry Gashes, Lovesong.
8- Anathema - A Fine Day to Exit (United Kingdom)
Can you name many bands that started off as a Doom/Death metal band, to finally find their place as an atmospheric rock band inspired by Pink Floyd and Radiohead?
Lyrics aside, pretty much everything of what made them a pioneer in their earlier genre is gone. And yet, it actually makes me like this album more. Eternity, Alternative 4 and Judgement showed me a band that was going into a promising direction, but something was always missing. In this sense, AFDTE is probably their most consistent effort of their career for me.
Favourite songs: Pressure, Leave No Trace, Underworld, Panic
7- Paatos - Kallocain (Sweden)
Of all the bands on my list, this one is the only that baffles me the most. They're just so underrated it's criminal.
Paatos plays a very unique style, sometimes inspired by progressive rock, others by trip-hop artists such as Massive Attack and Portishead. The end result is a beautiful, slow listen that may not be for everybody, but those who are on the lookout for this type of music shouldn't let this one slip.
Favourite songs: Gasoline, Holding On, Happiness, Won't Be Coming Back
6- Porcupine Tree - In Absentia (United Kingdom)
Probably the most well known effort by one of the biggest progressive rock band of the decade, and all too deserving of its popularity. Steven Wilson's songwriting is, as usual, excellent and makes this album a creative, consistent work that never strays too far from its purpose.
Favourite songs: Blackest Eyes, Trains, The Sound of Muzak, Prodigal.
5- Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch (United States)
For her debut on a major label, Regina Spektor couldn't have wished for a better release. Soviet Kitsch actually isn't too far from her self-released albums, as the songs are built almost exclusively around her voice and her piano, except for Your Honor. From the dynamic The Flowers and Us, to the freaking depressive Chemo Limo, Regina displays a control that wasn't always there on Songs and 11:11, while keeping her unique vocal quirks (And they are contagious!)
Favourite songs: The Flowers, Us, Your Honor, Ghost of Corporate Future, Chemo Limo.
4- The Gathering - if_then_else (Netherlands)
Only one year after the release of their magnus opus, How To Measure A Planet?, the quintet went back in the studio and released if_then_else, an album that pretty much split them forever from their metal roots. While this album is not without criticism, especially with some filler tracks in the middle, the band managed to make another 180 turnaround without losing their unique songwriting. And from Analog Park till the end, it's pretty much one of their best strings of songs. And the vocals are, as usual, perfect.
Favourite songs: Rollercoaster, Amity, Analog Park, Herbal Movement, Saturnine.
3- The Arcade Fire - Funeral (Canada)
Probably the only time on my list where influence and personal preferences were in agreement. Fact is, Funeral is a pretty unique listen, and deserves any praise it got. At this point, you probably heard everything you had to hear about this album so I'll just stop here.
Favourite songs: Neighborhood "1 (Tunnels), Une Année Sans Lumière, Crown of Love, Haiti, Rebellion (Lies)
2- The Gathering - Home (Netherlands)
For fans of this band, this marked the end of an era, as the lead singer, Anneke van Giersbergen, left to pursue a solo career. Still, I think it couldn't have a better ending, as the powerful atmosphere combines extremely well with the message the lyrics want to give. As usual, you'll find some uplifting songs, like Shortest Day and Your Troubles Are Over, in contrast to the slower, more desperate songs, like A Noise Severe and Box.
Favourite songs: Waking Hour, A Noise Severe, Your Troubles Are Over, Box, Home
1- The Gathering - Souvenirs (Netherlands)
The Gathering went all out in experimenting different sounds and techniques, without losing themselves into them. In fact, it only contributes to give each song a distinctive attribute over the others (Which was my - minor - criticism of HTMAP?). From some drum & bass in These Good People to borderline psychedelic riffs in Golden Grounds, the songwriting stays strong and true to itself.
But the main reason this album is at the top is obviously the vocalist. I think at this point you know exactly what I think of Anneke van Giersbergen, and this might be the very best performance of her career. Always in control, she gives each song the edge anyone else wouldn't have been able to.
Favourite songs: All, but the title track is over the pack
HMs
- A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms
- The Gathering - Superheat
- Theatre of Tragedy - Forever Is The World
- Novembre - Novembrine Waltz
- Nightwish - Wishmaster
- Paatos - Timeloss
- Regina Spektor - 11:11
- Lily Allen - Alright, Still
- Opeth - Ghost Reveries
- Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
- Sirenia - At Sixes, At Sevens
- Mika Nakashima - Music
Awards(Winner will be italicized)
Garo's band of the decade:
Arcade Fire
Draconian
The Gathering
Opeth
Paatos
Garo's song of the decade (With a tie)
Agua de Annique - Ice Water
Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
The Gathering - Souvenirs
Paatos - Happiness
Regina Spektor - Après Moi
Garo's female vocalist of the decade
Anneke van Giersbergen
Jessicka Fodera
Natasha Khan
Petronella Netterhalm
Regina Spektor
Garo's male vocalist of the decade
I really have to name one? Seriously? Err... Win Butler I guess. Four others? Oh for the lulz:
Thom Yorke
Dani Filth
Chris Martin
T-Pain.
Scarling.
= Looks great on my charts
= I like them but I'm not for 100% in having them high in my charts
= GTFO my charts.