We decided to do something a little different this year for our 'Best of' roundup. Instead of a master list compiled of submissions from our contributors and writers, we wanted to give our writers a chance to pick their own Top 5 list of the best of the year in music. Over the last three weeks of 2004 we unveiled our writers' picks for the best of 2004. Each day we posted a new Top 5 list from
one of our writers, selected at random. Now at the conclusion we are please
to present the master list comprised of the top picks from all of our writer
submissions. Plus we also want to let the readers take part and asked for
submissions for a readers' choice list. The results are below!
antiMUSIC Top
10 of 2004.
1. The Dillinger Escape Plan -
Miss Machine. (7 nominations)
DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, while widely considered one of the best bands to emerge from the underground metal/hardcore scene, pick up right where the left off with their last full length (�Calculating Infinity'): Setting the bar high than anyone else could possibly hope to reach while laying doing some of the craziest and most creative music the world has ever known. - Dr Fever Leaden guitar crunch and schizophrenic time changes, combined with an obsessive desire to cross-breed diverse genres puts "Miss Machine" at the top of the heavy heap. While some bands stick to cut and paste formulae, Dillinger Escape Plan nourishes heavy music with fresh innovation. - DeadSun DEP shatter faces as well as all generic boundaries with their neo-jazz infused mix of hardcore punk, thrash, death metal and grind! Meshuggah best watch their backs. - Hobo I didn't have time to read the Hobo review of this before I bought it, I was too busy staking out the Mom & Pop record store ready to jump the delivery guy when he brought this gem into the store. Now the terms of my community service have been fulfilled, I have no plans to violate the restraining order the guy has against me, I'm still listening to & loving this, their best ever album. Now go read the Hobo 5 star review. - Joannie Foney Another band who took a chance which paid huge dividends. Mike Patton has clearly left part of himself in this band, but the new singer brings a whole new element to the table. Some of the old school fans were put off a bit by this CD, but it takes this band to a brand new level. - Josh Kruk Those time changes, dear GOD. What kind of coffee are these guys drinking, and how can they pick up instruments while they're on it?!?! This is the kind of music that, upon realizing that you actually ENJOY it, you begin to think back and try to pinpoint when you actually became certifiable. Calculus-rock of the highest order from people who need to be taught the word "mercy" sometime. - Mathew Schnake 2. Mastodon � Leviathan (3)
The indefinably brilliant Mastodon raise
the bar another foot higher with their sophomore effort. The drummer should
be given control
Having just been recently able to purchase
any Mastodon albums, I can finally say that all those tracks I had before
hand were worth it...though many decry this follow-up as a bastard attempt
at greatness, I measure this CD totally alone, away from both Remissions
and Life's Blood. This brilliant concept album tackles Moby Dick,
hitting us with heavy metal, southern prog, and jazz drumming along the
way. Fully righteous. - Mark Hensch
3. Bigelf � Hex(2)
An album that awoke within me a respect
for classic rock that had previously been lacking. My dad also loves
it, and as such, the two of us can finally talk music and air guitar together.
- Mark Hensch
4. The Blood Brothers - Crimes(2)
Easily one of the most important bands
in the last decade, at least in terms of punk/hardcore/extreamo music.
Thought this album isn't as good as last year's MASTERPIECE Burn Piano
Island, Burn, the new album will (hopefully) change the (at times)
horribly boring punk/hardcore worlds with the insane polyrhythm, time signature
changes, effects, and surreal lyrics. - Mark Hensch
5. Clutch - Blast Tyrant. (2)
Simply the best heavy band out there, and
easily their best album to date. Only Clutch could make a pseudo-concept
album about an alien called Worm Drink actually work. - Travis Becker
6. Converge - You Fail Me(2)
Metallic-hardcore punk champions Converge
return with the crushing You Fail Me � their best album since the days
of Jane Doe. - Hobo
7. Fantomas - Delirium Cordia
(2)
I'm supposed to write a couple of sentences
about each of these, but some albums just literally can't be described
via the English language, or any other form of communication. If that sounds
like a cop-out, listen to it, and then YOU try to review it. I'd love to
read it, because all I can come up with are two words: "unnerving" and
"startling". - Mathew Schnake
8. Interpol - Antics(2)
9. Lamb Of God - Ashes Of The
Wake. (2)
Simply put, this is one of the most brutal
CDs I have ever heard. The band refuses to let up, and many people
were worried about their switch to a major label. Lamb Of God proved
themselves to be the new kings of heavy metal with this album. - Josh Kruk
10. Slipknot - Volume 3: The Subliminal
Verses(2)
Slipknot took a risk by changing things
up a bit and it paid off big time. The album is every bit as heavy
as it is deep. It shows that they grew as artists and as people,
and I applaud them for rolling the dice. - Josh Kruk
Reader's Choice
Top 10
1. Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache (samples / buy cd | review) 2. The Used - In Love and Death(samples / buy cd | review) 3. Beastie Boys- To the 5 Boroughs(samples / buy cd) 4. Muse - Absolution (samples / buy cd | review) 5. Snow Patrol - Final Straw(samples / buy cd) 6. William Shatner - Has Been (samples / buy cd | review) 7. Razorlight - Up All Night(samples / buy cd | review) 8. All That Remains - The Darkened Heart(samples / buy cd) 9. Skinny Puppy - The Greater Wrong of the Right (samples / buy cd) 10. Le Tigre - This Island(samples
/ buy cd | review)
(click on the CD lists to read that writer's comments on each CD and for related links for release) 1. Skindred
� Babylon
Sparta � Porcelain
Travis Becker's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Clutch -
Blast Tyrant
Josh Kruk's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Slipknot-
Volume 3: The Subliminal Verses
Hobo's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Mastodon
- Leviathan
Special mention
Adrian Alfonso's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Atreyu -
The Curse
Joey Grace's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Le Tigre-
This Island
Zane Ewton's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Pixies -
Wave of Mutilation: The Best of the Pixies
Marie Braden's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Prince -
Musicology
Dr Fever's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Clutch -
Blast Tyrant
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Brad Podray's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Skinny Puppy
- The Greater Wrong of the Right
antiMUSIC Editor Keavin Wiggins's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Angie Aparo
- For Stars and Moon
Keavin's Top 5 list of Indie releases 1. Twelvehourmary
� Blowing Over
Jeff Collins's Top 3 of 2004. 1. Unearth
� The Oncoming Storm
Joannie Foney's Top 3 of 2004. 1. Meshuggah
- I
Mathew Schnake's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Squarepusher
- UltraVisitor
Chuck G's Top 5 of 2004: 1. Magna-Fi - Burn
Out The Stars
Scott Slapps's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Courtney
Love � America's Sweetheart
DeadSun's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Mastodon
� Leviathan
Mark Hensch's Top 5 of 2004. 1. Shadows
Fall - The War Within
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