LIST MANIA: Nik's 20 Favorite Records of the Decade Part 1

Here is the next installment of my 20 favorite records of the decade list for your reading and collecting pleasure. I present to you the second 5.

Old Man Gloom – Christmas (2004 - Tortuga)

In my mind this 2004 standout was the holy grail of experimental sludge and doom metal of the time. Featuring the roaring vocals of Converge bassist Nate Newton as well as a stellar cast of musicians including Aaron Turner of ISIS and Caleb Scofield of Cave In, this particular OMG record weaves seamlessly between psychotic brutality to experimental drones and back again. From the devastation of opener “Gift” to the oddly fascinating voiceovers of “Something for the Mrs.” to the molten spew of “The Volcano”, “Christmas” is an all around compelling listen with epic bi-polar highs and minimalist lows.

Himsa – Hail Horror (2006 – Prosthetic)

After humble beginnings as primarily a metalcore outfit, Himsa took a step away from possible mediocrity and unleashed Hail Horror. It took an extra excruciating year for this killer slab of melodic death metal to finally become available to fans but it was worth the wait. Swedish producer d’jour Tue Madsen was a significant factor in the vast improvement in Himsa’s sound on Hail Horror. Brutal tracks like The Destroyer, Wolfchild, and Pestilence showcased John Pettibone’s newly found vocal prowess as he moved away from a mere hardcore shouter to full on agro-giant. The tight shreds on Hail Horror courtesy of Kirby Johnson and short-timer/ troublemaker Matt Wicklund were mountains above anything the band had accomplished before, and Chad Davis’s impressive demolition style drum attack along with Derek Harn’s “I’m metal as fuck” bass riffage laid a sturdy foundation on this local metal gem. Hail Horror unfortunately marked a high point for the band that has seemed to suffer unbelievably bad luck over the years. Himsa should be alive and destroying right now, but instead they succumbed after bashing it out for a tough 10 years.

The Black Angels – Passover (2006 – Light in the Attic)

Nobody does psychedelic rock quite like The Black Angels, at least nobody playing psychedelic rock in current times. Of course they take extensive cues from the acid psych movement of 60’s bands like 13th Floor Elevators but their debut full length “Passover” is still a breath of trippy reverb drenched fresh air. Tracks like the bluesy “Black Grease” or the driving “Better Off Alone” march full force into ones collective conscience, high stepping with muddy rhythms and menacing vocals perfect for a stroll through a distant time where drug fueled mind expansion was all the rage.

The Sword – Age of Winters (2006 - Kemado)

I had no idea that when I went to see the "Kill’em All" era Metallica hacks Early Man at the old Crocodile; I would end up seeing one of my favorite discoveries of the decade-- The Sword. The first notes of the instrumental “Celestial Crown” leading into the explosion that is “Freya” instantly sent me to the fucking moon in a stoney thrash metal rocketship. The Sword’s promising throwback sound definitely spread into 2008’s “Gods of the Earth”, but “Age of Winters” is one mighty fine debut. Does it really get better than “Iron Swan”?

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Streetcore (2003 - HellCat)

This posthumous release was sadly the best collection of solo material ever recorded by the former Clash front man. Pretty much a far departure from anything The Clash did and more realized than the previous two world music infused attempts with the Mescalaros, "Streetcore" is a more straight ahead rock effort with hints of folk, and reggae. Stand out tracks include opener “Coma Girl”, a cover of Bob Marley’s ”Redemption Song”, and “Burnin’ Streets”. I suppose because of the circumstances the record might seem slightly introspective and melancholy but at the same time it gives all the reason in the world to honor this influential musician and revisit his work from start to finish.

LIST MANIA: Nik's 20 Favorite Records of the Decade Part 1

List by Nik Christofferson

The last 10 years have been filled with constant musical discovery, I mean shit I’m only 29. Prior to age 19 I was a huge music fan but in a very different way than now. For the last ten years I have been defining and redefining my musical tastes. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way for sure…remember nu-metal? I have also made plenty of great choices as well this decade including discovering outside of the box resources like KEXP and they’re appreciation of the eclectic side of life, as well as also continuing to explore and grow my taste for heavy music. Needless to say it’s been a sweet decade for music, it started rocky in my opinion but much good has come from it. Now without further adieu, here is the first 5 of my 20 favorite records of the decade in no particular order since I couldn't decide on the exact value of each, only that they have had more spins than any other records from the years 2000-2009.

The Haunted – Revolver (2004)

Many have said that “Made Me Do It” is the best Haunted record. I couldn’t disagree more. This record is great for many reasons but most of all the return of original vocalist Peter Dolving is the deciding factor. His melodic insane asylum howls are very unique and on stand out tracks like “No Compromise” and “99”, Dolving sounds like he’s possessed. The thrash guitar attack by Anders Bjorler and Patrik Jensen and the tight technical bass and drums by Jonas Bjorler and Per Möller Jensen reeks of a more melodic At the Gates. The apple continues to not fall far from the tree and that rules.

Hermano - …Only a Suggestion (2002)

Let’s see, here we have some excellent stoner rock directly descending from the band that started it all, Kyuss. The best part is Hermano is ¼ Kyuss with legendary frontman John Garcia on vocals doing what he does best. From the ashes of Unida and Slo Burn came Hermano and slew of groove heavy tunes best heard with a few beers down the hatch and a doobie for good measure. Standout track here is opener “The Bottle” but the entire record is solid from start to finish. John Garcia is the man, that’s all there is to it.

Melvins – (A) Senile Animal (2006)

After releasing a slew of rather experimental records to which only a band like the Melvins could conjure up. They made a huge come back to the sludgly rock they are famous for in 2006, adding Big Business as their rhythm section and releasing their most accessible record since the mid-nineties Atlantic years brought the 3-peat-- Houdini, Stoner Witch, and Stag. The record is choked full of Buzz’s signature huge riffs and interesting tempo changes not to mention Jared Warren’s mammoth bass, and count’em not one but two of the biggest hitters available Coady Willis and Dale Crover sharing drum duties. For some reason Buzz and Dale decided to come out of experimental obscurity, and wallow a bit on the edge of mainstream heavy music again. Of course they’ve been coming and going as they please now for 25 years, and so I’m sure they’ll get bored again and crawl back into their fuck you cave.

Cave In – Jupiter (2000)

Cave In has been scrutinized more than any one band I can think of at this exact moment. They began as a sweet metalcore (yes, some metalcore was good, but the genre turned to shit shortly after Cave In and Converge revolutionized it) band in the same Massachusetts scene as their friends Converge, and of course changed their sound drastically just prior to this release. The giant space rock sound that Cave In so sonically conveys on this record is like nothing else around. The experimentation on Jupiter took balls, and despite the constant attacks by old school fans and lame-duck music writers Cave In has persevered. In 2009 they reunited after a short hiatus, released an EP and currently touring again. All I can say is either you get Cave In or you don’t and I feel sorry for those who don’t.

The Cave Singers – Invitation Songs (2007)

It was an eye opening experience the first time I heard Peter Quirk’s odd vocal style, the simplistic yet amazing acoustic melodies by former Murder City Devil Derek Fudesco, and timely percussion by Marty Lund. The Seattle native’s debut received more spins than any record in my collection in 2007, and still remains a trusty standby today. This record marked a year that I discovered many new bands that didn’t necessarily warrant the devil horns. Haunting tunes like “Helen” mix oddly well with foot stompers like “Dancing on Your Grave”. It just works.