My top 10 favourite albums.
! 1. Silent Hill 3 OST - Akira Yamaoka
I usually consider the soundtracks for SH3&2 to be equally good, but if I absolutely must make a decision about which is better then it's this one. To me, this album is the most versatile and eloquent out of all the other series soundtracks. Listening to it makes me feel like I'm on a introspective journey through the distressing soundscapes(or simply just tripping balls). Despite the album's creepy nature, I still find many songs to have a certain beauty in them. Not to mention that I Want Love(Studio Mix) is probably my favourite song of all time.
Chosen tracks: Breeze ~ in Monochrome Night, Sickness Unto Foolish Death, A Stray Child, Innocent Moon, Letter From The Lost Days, Never Forgive Me Never Forget Me, Rain of Blass Petals(+ Three Voices Edit), Flower Crown of Poppy, I Want Love(Studio Mix), Uneternal Sleep
! 2. Silent Hill 2 OST - Akira Yamaoka
The only aspect where this album excels my first choice is the fact that it's a more intanct entity, meaning that every song serves the atmosphere perfectly. It's like the feelings of sadness, isolation and melancholy were transformed into music and then made into an album. It doesn't depress me so I'd want to slash my wrists open, but it does awaken a peculiar feeling of sorrow within the listener, even more so if you have played the game. Even if you're not interested in ambient, I'd definitely recommend this album to everyone here.
Chosen tracks: Forest, Ordinary Vanity, Ashes and Ghost, Alone in the Town, The Day of Night, Magdalene, Fermata In Mistic Air, Silent Heaven, Laura Plays The Piano, True, Promise
! 3. MARROW OF A BONE - Dir en Grey
I usually rate this album to be on par with both Withering to death and UROBOROS, but it has a special place in my heart nevertheless. When I was going through a really tough time in my life, it offered a sort of vent for all my negative emotions. You could say that it helped me get through my "emo phase", so to speak. The funny thing is though that MARROW OF A BONE is fairly heavy and angry, but I actually find it soothing to listen to this type of music when I'm feeling down. So basically it's just a fantastic album! Awesome headbanging material, if nothing else. :D
Chosen tracks: Conceived Sorrow, Lie Buried With A Vengeance, Agitated Screams of Maggots, Grief, Namamekashiki Ansoku Tomadoi ni Hohoemi, The Pledge, Clever Sleazoid
! 4. DIM - the GazettE
The best album by the band, IMO. Not a single song is below being extremely good; they're all either that or really fucking excellent or epic beyond words. Even the interludes are great, very creepy. The overall theme is pretty dark, but GazettE manages to avoid the abyss of depression, mix melancholy with more upbeat songs without becoming chaotic and keep their music entertaining. They find ways to innovate with every album, which is the reason why I love them. Perfection.
Chosen tracks: all of them, but my personal favourites are 13STAIRS-1, LEECH, Headache Man and Nakigahara
! 5. Shion - MUCC
Another example of an album that I consider to be the best of the band in question. Everything from the opening track to the last song forms a very compelling flow that stimulates both your mind and body. MUCC definitely has some of the most diverse music I've ever heard. All I can really say is that Shion is just hella awesome.
Chosen tracks: Fukuro no yurikago, FUZZ, Chiisana mado, Libra, Anjelier, Semishigure, Game
! 6. MUSIC - Girugamesh
A very consistent, energetic and loud ensemble of electronic rock. The songs from MUSIC are made to be experienced live and I've been fortunate enough to do that twice. Listening to this makes you want to mosh, dance, rave and jump around like a caffeine-overdozed terrier on a pogo stick all at the same time. Wicked fun!
Chosen tracks: all of them, personal favourites being ULTIMATE 4, FREAKS, Asking why, puzzle and Ishtar
! 7. REDEEMER - D'espairsRay
D'espairsRay has not made its "perfect album" yet, but this comes really close. Their music is implementing poppier elements more and more, but I don't mind personally since the quality of their songs isn't dropping. REDEEMER mixes both heavy sounds from their previous albums and pop-rock influences from their more recent material. Granted, it doesn't always work, but most of the tracks are still hugely enjoyable and a couple of them combine the elements into a perfect pop rock-song.
Chosen tracks: BRILLIANT, REDEEMER, Lost in re:birth, HORIZON, MASQUERADE, PARADOX 5
! 8. Once - Nightwish
The term "epic win" is one of the most overused things I hear these days, but to me Once might be the most epic album I've ever heard in the sense that I tend to imagine demigods fighting heroic wars while listening to it. :D But seriously, I find Once to be an extraordinary heavy opera masterpiece, or in other words, EPIC WIN. Seeing as it was the last album made with Tarja Turunen as vocalist, I will forever treasure it as a truly impressive feat of operatic heavy metal.
Chosen tracks: Dark Chest of Wonders, Nemo, Planet Hell, Creek Mary's Blood, The Siren, Ghost Love Score, Higher Than Hope
! 9. Kovemmat KΓ€det - PMMP
PMMP is a Finnish pop rock-band consisted of two female singers named Paula and Mira and the name is an abbreviation of "Paulan ja Miran Molemmat Puolet", which translates to Both Sides of Paula and Mira. Anyway, putting the title aside, PMMP is the best Finnish-singing pop rock band in Finland. They have some of the most insightful, witty and poetic lyrics in all of Finland's music scene and the compositions by their producer/composer fit every song seamlessly. Kovemmat KΓ€det(= Harder Hands) brings out the very best of PMMP in eleven excellent tracks which set high standars to all future Finnish pop/pop rock music IMO. Truly one of the best Finnish-language records of all time.
Chosen tracks: Kovemmat KΓ€det, Matkalaulu(=The Journey Song), PΓ€ivΓ€koti(=Kindergarten), Auta Mua(=Help Me), Onni(= Happiness), Olkaa Yksin Ja Juoskaa Karkuun(= Be Alone And Run Away), Maria Magdalena, Salla Tahtoo Siivet(= Salla Wants Wings)
10. Plastic Beach - Gorillaz
I was looking forward to this album like crazy and when I finally listened to it all the way through for the first time, I just sat on the floor and stared out of a window in a sort of trance. It was as if I was floating in this lovely bubble thinking to myself how good the record was. For the following couple of months I became obsessed with it and then got over my obsession, but I definitely haven't grown tired of it. Plastic Beach is modern, stylish and innovative in a way like no other.
Chosen tracks: Stylo, White Flag, Rhinestone Eyes, Superfast Jellyfish, Empire Ants, Glitter Freeze, Some Kind of Nature
Congratulations to any poor soul who read through that. :D Honorary mentions to other excellent albums go to~ (band/artist name in bold)