Compiling this list was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. The last decade has revealed to us so many fantastic records from so many fantastic artists, so to narrow it down to ten is such a hard task. But, it had to be done so I persevered and I feel I have chosen ten worthy artists.

I have also tried to make the list as varied as possible, trying to incorporate as many different genres as possible and limiting myself to only one album per artist, which has proved difficult as there have been several favourite artists of mine that have released more than one sublime record.

Releases included in this list are releases that I either adore, have influenced me artistically, seem to have influenced others, or, of course, a combination of all of those.

I have included a link to my favourite song off of that release, so please check out each song and discover more about each artist, as they all really do deserve your attention.

Finally, thanks to Elliot Freeman for getting me thinking about my favourite releases and inspiring me to compile this list in the first place. Check out his blog.

Here it is:

10. Street Horrrsing - Fuck Buttons

For me, Fuck Buttons revolutionized drone music and revealed its wonders to a wider audience. Even Top Gear have used Fuck Buttons in a few episodes! Every hipster and indie kid likes drone nowadays, and Fuck Buttons are owed a lot of credit for making that happen. When I first heard Street Horrrsing it totally blew my mind. To me, it sounded like the perfect drone record. Too many drone artists create turgid, sparse records with too much drone and not enough action, but straight from the word go Street Horrrsing hits you as so beautifully ambient yet so crushingly heavy, taking important influences from the two very extreme ends of drone and ambient music, creating something very special. It sounds almost like a “pop drone” record, a stepping stone that you can use to discover the more extreme and experimental sides of the genre. One of my favourite parts of the album, and another reason why I feel it is so special, is the band’s use of simple yet effective floor tom rhythms throughout, giving the album that dance-esque feel to it and making it even more accessible to those that are not necessarily fans of drone music.

On a side note, a couple of years ago I was meant to sell my floor tom to the band after they contacted me through Myspace about it as they saw that I was selling an old drum kit, but I ended up using it to fuel a bonfire that I had with one of my old bands. I really should have sold it to them instead…

Listen to “Sweet Love For Planet Earth”

9. Vertebrae - Enslaved

Enslaved are one of the most exciting and interesting acts to emerge from the second wave of black metal scene. What I love about them, and this album in particular, is their ability to progress on and experiment with the fundamentals of black metal music, creating something fresh and new yet still retaining the sheer brutality of 90s black metal, all whilst never losing sight of their Norse roots. The “progressive black metal” label is not one that can be used often, as, in my opinion, black metal is one of the most stubborn music genres, acts very rarely progressing and moving away from your classic black metal sound, which makes Enslaved something very special indeed.

Vertebrae takes you on a fascinating journey of Norse-based brilliance, blending together traditional black metal and its trademarked shrieks with classic progressive rock and its beautiful clean vocals, as well as intrigiung time signatures and heavy use of odd synth-lines, something not usually found within mainstream black metal.

Vertebrae showcases that it is possible to be both progressive and black metal, not one or the other. In a decade where, quite frankly, quality black metal is declining - everything good happened in the 80s and 90s - Enslaved are something very special, inspiring bands everywhere.

Listen to “Clouds”

8. Takk… - Sigur Rós

Although not necessarily my favourite Sigur Rós album, Takk… is easily one of their most influential, doing for post-rock what Fuck Buttons did for drone: opening the masses’ eyes to its wonders. How many adverts/emotional scenes/Planet Earth clips have you heard using “Hoppípolla” as the background music? Since the album’s release, that one song has been used almost as much as any other piece I’ve ever heard, bar the Great Escape theme tune. Everyone recognizes the tune and in turn it has opened so many people’s eyes to post-rock music, even my parents. For this reason, it deserves to be included in this list. The great effect it has had on post-rock music is incredible and post-rock bands everywhere owe Sigur Rós a great deal of respect for what they’ve done for the genre over the past decade, transforming post-rock from an underground movement to a mainstream-accepted genre of music.

Listen to “Glósóli”

7. We Are The Romans - Botch

Being released on January 1st 2000, Botch’s We Are the Romans just makes it onto my list. To anyone that knows anything about Botch, this album needs no introduction, but for everybody else all that you need to know is that Botch are the mathcore band. They were the best and will always be the best that mathcore has to offer the world, and this album is the album that defined mathcore and influenced pretty much every hardcore band since, transforming hardcore with nine songs.

The intensity found on this album is incredible, making it a more than worthy top release of the noughties and a worthy top hardcore record of all time.

“It’s your fault, fucking up the kids.”

Listen to “To Our Friends In The Great White North”

6. Relationship of Command - At the Drive-In

At the Drive-In are another band that require no introduction. Like Botch are the mathcore band, At the Drive-In are the post-hardcore band, Relationship of Commandbeing one of the most influential rock albums of all time, paving the way for countless rock bands to follow. Relationship of Command showcases both the energetic and emotional side of post-hardcore as well as a more experimental side that had not been shown before, evident in songs such as “Rolodex Propaganda”, featuring the legendary Iggy Pop on guest vocals.

I’m a huge fan of both At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta, Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López being two of my favourite musicians, and Relationship of Command is a perfect example of what wonderful things those two can create today. Sublime.

Listen to “Sleepwalk Capsules”

5. Antidotes - Foals

Foals do not get nearly as much praise as they deserve. I feel sorry for them as they have been clumped into the horrendously boring “indie” category that is host to a large collection of shit, uninteresting and unimaginative bands, but whenever I listen toAntidotes and, especially, their B-sides, I can’t help but feel that people have been missing something when listening to them; the fact that they are a very clever band indeed. I attribute this mainly to the fact that “Cassius” is a very mediocre song - my least favourite song on the album - yet their most popular song. As the album progresses the songs get more interesting, more math rock and a lot better. Of course, not to say that any song on the album isn’t good, every song is great, but the massive popularity of “Cassius” has given people the wrong impression of Foals and has gained them unappreciative and boring fans. At the risk of sounding like a dick, I miss the days when Foals were underground and unknown…

Interviews with the band (especially frontman Yannis) show what an open-minded and musically sound bunch of chaps they are, not very interested at all with the mainstream indie bands that they have been unfairly grouped with but extremely knowledgeable about the more experimental side of music. Oh, and math rock, of course. I know so many people that have become fans of Battles because of Foals, this being another reason why they deserve to be in this list.

All in all, Antidotes is a fantastic album. Judging from their B-sides which have a more minimalist/experimental feel to them their second album is going to be brilliant. People just need to forget “Cassius” as the song that defines Foals and delve deeper into the album and into their collection as a whole.

Listen to “Big Big Love (Fig. 2)”

4. Harmony In Ultraviolet - Tim Hecker

Tim Hecker’s Harmony in Ultraviolet is the ultimate ambient release, in my opinion. Words cannot describe how beautiful this album is, how mesmerizing it makes you feel and what a sublime journey it takes you, the listener, on. This is also one of my favourite albums to fall asleep to, it being such a calming and perfect record to do just that to; it’s as if that is what Tim Hecker had in mind when composing it. Unfortunately, I feel he isn’t as popular as he should be, and this album is the perfect example of what beauty he can create as an artist, and more people should be exposed to it. On a personal level, Harmony in Ultraviolet fully opened my eyes to just how beautiful and sensual ambient music can be when done right. Of course, I had listened to a lot of ambient music before, but this was the first ambient album that made a long-lasting impression on me, emotionally especially.

Listen to “Harmony In Blue III”

3. Worship & Tribute - Glassjaw

Glassjaw, the legendary Long Island post-hardcore band, are another band that require no introduction, and I’m sure that it’s no surprise to any of you that this album made it onto my list, and so near to the top. Worship & Tribute is everything that post-hardcore should be: fun, energetic and, most importantly, intelligent. Despite having its roots in post-hardcore, it isn’t completely correct to refer to Worship & Tribute as solely a post-hardcore record, as it is so much more. Glassjaw brilliantly mix together elements of jazz, afrobeat and experimental rock along with their signature aggressive hardcore feel to create something very special. There really isn’t any other album like it. There are even slight hints of thrash metal and psychedelic rock thrown in for good measure. But, unlike most “experimental” bands, Glassjaw have the ability to keep everything catchy and memorable, everybody being able to find something about them that they enjoy. Songs like the album’s opener “Tip Your Bartender” please fans of heavier styles, whereas softer, more art rock-esque songs such as “Ape Dos Mil” please fans of quieter styles. There’s something on the album for everyone. Plus, Daryl Palumbo is a fucking genius and, basically, a god of a man!

“Home is where the heart is: on the bus.”

Listen to “Cosmopolitan Blood Loss”

2. Shadows of the Sun - Ulver

Shadows of the Sun perfectly sums up what Ulver is to me: beauty in darkness. Since their first folklore-influenced black metal releases in the mid-1990s, Ulver’s musical style has been increasingly fluid and eclectic, blending together countless different and contrasting genres such as avant-garde, trip hop, noise, neo-classical and jazz to create something totally unique. Shadows of the Sun, their latest release, is definitely one of their most relaxing releases, predominately ambient and beautiful in every way possible, yet still regaining their signature feeling of darkness, evident in all of their releases, stemming back to their black metal beginnings. It even features an ambient cover of Black Sabbath. One of the great things about Ulver is that, due to their style constantly evolving, they are so difficult to pinpoint precisely. God knows what their next album is going to sound like, as the progression that they have made since their first album Bergtatt - Et Eeventyr I 5 Capitler in 1994 has been staggering. ComparingBergtatt to Shadows of the Sun is completely impossible. For me, this album is the perfect Ulver album, showcasing exactly what they are capable of and the immense beauty that they are able to create. I was lucky enough to see them at their first ever UK show last October and they were absolutely breathtaking. It was an experience I will never forget, and Shadows of the Sun reminds me of that incredible experience every time I listen to it, allowing me to peacefully drift of and to be immersed in all its brilliance.

Listen to “Vigil”

1. Catch For Us the Foxes - mewithoutYou

mewithoutYou are the most incredible band. There is nothing about them that I do not like, every album being as good as the last, but, in my opinion, Catch For Us the Foxesis their greatest; a complete masterpiece. I discovered them when I had faith and, being a “Christian band” - I use that term lightly as the band themselves, despite all being Christian and having Christian based lyrics, do not describe themselves as a Christian band - they helped me along my way, which is why I initially fell in love with them. Even with my faith gone, mewithoutYou are still my favourite band of all time, and they still move me spiritually and make me want to rediscover my faith. All churches should just play mewithoutYou to their congregations; screw the organ music!

Vocalist Aaron Weiss is a masterful lyricist, painfully open and honest and so emotionally connected to what he sings that you can feel his emotion in every word that caresses your eardrums. Anybody, whether you are religious or not, can relate to his perfectly constructed lyrics of faith, doubt, hope, love lost and love gained. He doesn’t so much sing as he does speak, playfully presenting his poem-like lyrics in a beautiful spoken-word manner. As a vocalist and lyricist, nobody else comes close.

Musically, the band are excellent. Although normally described as an “indie band” - everyone seems to be an “indie band” nowadays - their music is hard to describe, blending elements of indie rock, experimental rock, folk and art rock. Put this and Aaron Weiss’ spoken-word style of singing together and you have something truly unique.

This is my album of the decade for two reasons. Firstly, the band have changed my life. I don’t care how many people say that and how the phrase has lost its meaning, in this case it is true. They have changed my outlook on life completely and I am forever grateful to them for doing so. Secondly, I have heard their influence in so many other bands cropping up over the last few years. Everyone who I have introduced them to have automatically fallen deeply in love with them, and I’m sure you will to.

“My life’s a cup of sugar I borrowed before time began and forgot to return.”

Listen to “January 1979”

Thank you for being patient and taking the time to read this. I must admit, it took me a long time to compile this list, but I think it was worth it in the end. There are so many other amazing records that have been released over the past decade, and I feel bad for not mentioning them all, but these ten are the ten that I thought of most when thinking about which albums exactly had influenced the music scene as a whole and myself emotionally and mentally.