ThugginInDelaware's 2010 Top Ten
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1.
Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise
They cleaned up their sound a little and have made the best album of their career. I have always liked a few songs off a Circa album but never the whole disc but now with Blue Sky Noise they have put together a group of songs that flow perfectly together. Anthony Green has also wrote his most straight-forward lyrics to date which in the end has made the album a more personal experience.
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2.
The Contortionist - Exoplanet
The Contortionists really perfected there technical progressive metal sound on this album. They have just the right amount of mellow/chill parts which flow perfectly into the more heavier, technical passages. They might not be the best tech metal band around but they have released an album that is consistent and covers a wide spectrum of musical styles.
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3.
Periphery - Periphery
This album took a little while before it really clicked with me but when it did I have not been able to put it down. I cant think of many other technical metal bands that include this much melody and at the same time still be heavy. Even though it is a little difficult to listen to the whole album in one sitting most people should still be able to appreciate the amount of talent this band encompasses.
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4.
East of the Wall - Ressentiment
The Postman Syndrome was one of my favorite bands in college so I have a soft spot for any side projects they do. East of the Wall's debut album was just instrumental and with the inclusion of vocals on this disc they have shown themselves to be one of the more unique progressive metal bands around. Only bands like Intronaut come close to the sound offered on this album.
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5.
Letlive - Fake History
This band is filling in a niche that bands like Glassjaw were filling before them. Letlive is a post-hardcore hybrid band and with their debut album they have showed a lot of promise. They have just the write amount of experimentation like on the track "muther" that shows off their versatility as a band.
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6.
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
This is the most epic hip-hop album to come out this year. This album is so over the top and pretentious but for everything you think could not possibly work it actually does and for that I must give Kanye some credit.
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7.
The Ocean - Anthropocentric
A solid metal album that is a bit heavier then the last few albums they have released. Still though if you didn't like Precambrian then you will probably not like this release. Their overall singing quality is getting better on every release.
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8.
Oceansize - Self Preserved While The Bodies Float Up
As one can tell by my list I really enjoy progressive rock bands and Oceansize is one of my favorite bands of the past decade. While I don't feel this album flows as good as their last full-length, this album still pops up in my head when I think of my favorite albums this year. This is definitely an album that takes multiple spins to fully digest.
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9.
Fang Island - Fang Island
This album just hit something inside of me that no other album this year was able to do. They are a mixture of Animal Collective, The Battles and then throw in some classic rock flavor but that still doesn't really give you a great idea what they are about. I do hope they put more vocals in on there next disc even though there guitar jams are catchy and memorable. The guitar parts are like Pink Floyds in the sense that its not about how many notes they hit but more about the melody they are creating. Just listen to the track "Careful Crossers" and try to tell me you are not grooving a little.
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10.
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis
The first band to show me what extreme music was and they have forever changed my perception of what music can be. This is the album Miss Machine should of been with a perfect blend of quiet and craziness. The technical parts might just blend together for most people and just sound like calculated noise but there are enough traditional song structures to please a broader audience.
Honorable Mentions
Beach House - Teen Dream
My favorite indie rock album this year. They make pop music that makes one feel like they are floating on a cloud....or something to that effect.
Alexisonfire - Dog's Blood
I really enjoyed this album but I didn't rate it higher because of the limited amount of tracks. This is the first hardcore-punk/post-rock fusion album I have heard and I hope they keep progressing with this style.
