Best Albums of 2009 finally revealed.....

Top 5 Country Albums of 2009

5. Willie Nelson - Naked Willie- As if the album title alone was not enough to make the list, then check out the songs.  Old Willie songs striped down, and sounding great.  This was one of 3 full length studio albums Willie released in 2009, and my pick for the best.
4. The Devil Makes Three - Do Wrong Right- I wish I learned about this band earlier, and if you like bluesy, almost punkish (not fast enough for punk though) country that still rings of 'traditional country' check it out.
3. Scott H. Biram - Something Wrong/Lost Forever- Scott's a one man band.  Literally.  His voice is gritty as fuck, and his sound is totally unique.
2. Wayne Hancock - Viper Of Melody- Old school done right.  Nothing fancy here. Just true great traditional American country music.  You just dont get songwriters like this anymore.
1. Lucky Tubb & The Modern Day Troubadours - Damn The Luck- Who knew this would be such a great album?  Lucky is the great nephew of country legend Earnest Tubb.  It's a pretty big stretch to cling to that distant a relationship, but Lucky lives up to the  name.  The man wreaks of Texas.  This is his debut album, and it still beats anything else I listened to all year.

Top 5 Random (no specific genre) Albums

5. Morrissey - The Years Of Refusal- It sounds like Morrissey, so its good in my book.  I was surprised that Morrissey ass-kissers like NME, Spin, and Rolling Stone all did not have this album make their tops.
4. Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment- I've preached about Adam Lambert enough for anyone to see this coming.  It's the perfect pop album.  The best songs on the album are 'Music Again' and 'Soaked' written by Justin Hawkins(The Darkness) and Matt Bellamy (Muse) respectively.
3. Sunn O))) - Monoliths And Dimensions- Metal fans love it, but its really more ambient artsy fartsy (aka, experimental) shit.  However, with Attila Csihar (Mayhem) bringing vocals to the bands ultra doomy sound and drone pounding, it sounds creepier and more palatable all at the same time.  This is my favorite Sunn album to date.
2. Antony & The Johnsons - The Crying Light- Androgonous, theatrical, and poetic, it's sort of like Warhol's factory came to life and made this album.  Only they aren't strung out on drugs, and are talented.  It's extremely hard to define A&TJ's music- its avante-garde without pretension (modern classical?), but they manage to continually put out great records that tell a story.  Funny thing with this band is that I always think it's a bit too 'out there' for my basic "I just like hard rock and metal" friends, but everyone seems to love them once they hear it.
1. Patrick Wolf - The Bachelor- Patrick Wolf is constantly changing, and constantly getting better.  He started out as a strange virtuoso 16 year old writing folk songs using a harp, violin and piano.  Since then Patrick has aged into an electro-synth genius with a 6 octave vocal range, and the ability to play 11 instruments...proficiently.  Fuck, he is GOOD.

Top 5 Rock Albums

5. Ace Frehley - Anomaly-  It only took Ace a couple decades to come up with this album, but the man did not change one bit.  There are a couple of duds on the album ('A Little Below The Angels' is just plain bad), but also a few gems ('Outer Space' is Ace at Ace-best), but still it's just so classicly Ace and rock n roll sounding that you can't help but keep listening.
4. The Gallows - Grey Britain- I don't even like punk, let alone modern punk, yet I love these guys.  It's snively and snotty, but also smart.
3. Richie Kotzen - Peace Sign- I've tooted Richie's horn before and I will toot it again.  Songwriting? check.  Guitars?  check.  Vocals?  Massive check.  It's bluesy soulful rock and roll done right.  Honestly, I think I enjoy Richie even better than Muse, but I had to rank Muse higer since this is not Richie's best to date.
2. Muse - The Resistance-  Muse are completely unpretentious.  In a time when its hip to be lo-fi and scruffy, it's really satisfying to hear Muse come out and make such big, calculated, over the top music.
1. Bigelf - Cheat the Gallows- Part Sabbath, part Beatles, part Pink Floyd, but still mostly their own unique progressive rock sound.  Bigelf look and sound straight out of the early 70s- and those influences are definitely there- but it still sounds modern.  And they play the biggest, most old-school synth I have ever seen.

Top 10 METAL Albums

10. Converge - Axe To Fall- Possibly the best album of Converge's career.  They totally outshine any other band that would even be labeled 'metalcore' (yes, I know that genre normally blows).  It's a mix of metal with a bit of punk thrown in, but it's mostly experimental and awesome,
9. Lamb of God - Wrath- They aren't quite Pantera, but they do have the groove/thrash combo going on in full force with Wrath.  I still prefer Sacrament, but Wrath is good enouh
8. Sacrifice - The Ones I Condemn- It is a huge credit to Sacrifice that I put them in my top 10 and not Slayer.  Sacrifice reformed, decided to make and album, and ended up with their best yet.  It's just a great thrash album.  No fancy vocals, no cheesy guitar duels, just riffs and good songs.
7. Funeral Mist - Maranatha- The only black metal band to make my list.  Funeral Mist put out their best album to date with Maranatha, and that's why I chose them.  The production is traditional black metal style (aka, gritty as fuck) so some folks may find that a bit one dimensional, but for me the whole album work.
6. Mastodon - Crack The Skye- At first I wasn't so sure I loved this album since it's a pretty far departure from their past.  I wanted a Leviathan part 2, and instead I got something totally different.  It's certainly a concept album, and unfolds like some bizarre symphonic sci-fi saga- but its fucking great.  The guest vocals by Scott Kelly (Neurosis) on the title track are delicious.
5. Municipal Waste - Massive Aggressor- FUN metal.  Extremely fun.  They have mastered the art of fun.  Not only that, but they are also super tight.  (Is it just me or are fun bands usually sloppy?)
4. Cobalt - Gin- This album is surprisingly good.  I've heard it called 'war-metal' before, although I honestly have no friggin' clue what that means.  I'd call it avante-garde (i've used that term way to many times in this post...) black metal.  It's for the person who owns both Immortal and Neaurosis albums.  With only two members, Cobalt created an incredibly rich and full sound with this album. 
3. Devin Townsend Project - Addicted- Addicted it the second album of 4 that DTP put out.  They act like a series, and one plays right into the next.  My favorite is the second one, Addicted, but the opening cd, Ki, is a close second.  For some reason Devin seems to get almost no recognition in the mainstream metal world. And it's a damn shame.
2. Heaven & Hell - The Devil You Know- It's heartbreaking to put my favorite band as a number deuce, but still  this is a great place to be.  After putting out music for nearly 40 years the riffs and the songwriting is still there.  Dio's voice compliments the band perfectly.  There is really nothing that hasn't been said.  Sabbath has never put out a bad album, and they aren't going to start now.
1. MEGADETH - Endgame- Be proud, Mr. Mustaine, be very proud.  Although Metallicas' Death Magnetic came out in 2008 had it been released in 2009 it still would not have made my list.  Endgame kills that, and anything Megadeth has done since Countdown To Extinction.  It marks such an incredible return for Megadeth.   Not that they were ever gone- just they have not been THIS great in a while.